An Interview with Santa

Santa Claus has generously responded to some questions we sent him last month. This may not be a news-making event, but it is from Santa, and he talks about our Berkshires. Here is his unique point of view.

HOW DID YOU CHOOSE TO SETTLE IN THE NORTH POLE?
I needed a spot where we could “remodel to suit" annually. With environmental concerns we don’t leave a carbon footprint in the North Pole.

WHEN NOT IN THE NORTH POLE, WHERE DO YOU MOST ENJOY SPENDING YOUR TIME?
At my age my back gives out. Curiously, I feel much better in warmer climes like Aruba. I can even windsurf there.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ACTIVITY?
Oh, the answer to that is simple: I visit the Berkshires because they are filled with music. Of course there is Tanglewood, in Lenox,MA, and once I’m there I can find concerts and chamber festivals all over New York State and Connecticut as well. I find folk festivals, jazz festivals, just about any kind of music festival, and OH I love them all! Between you and me, no one notices an old guy with a beard in the Berkshires. Did you know I love to rock? Oh yes, and have you been to Infinity Hall in Norfolk, CT? What a venue they run!

WHERE DO YOU GO WHEN YOU CRAVE SOLITUDE?
This is tough. If I need a psychological pick-me-up, I go to Borneo, where they adore me. Literally. And because they do, I can be alone when I want. Less expensively, I have friends with a little farmhouse near West Stockbridge that has a "grandfather cabin" that sits on a stream. I love fly-fishing!

WHERE DO YOU GO WHEN YOU CRAVE BUZZ?
Ironically, I head straight for Mass MOCA in North Adams, MA. I’m not sure every installation is art, but I remember a gigantic room full of paper shards where we were invited to stroll through and watch the air currents alter the configuration of the paper. Very cool! Very current! When I'm longing for slightly more sympathetic surroundings I visit the Clark Art Museum in Williamstown, MA. They had the most remarkable Degas exhibit one year.

WHAT DO YOU FIND CHALLENGING ABOUT COMING HERE FOR CHRISTMAS?
What would you expect? The weather. I mean, I have every barometer and mapmaker and meteorologist in the world on my team, and I still can’t be certain when I set out that I’m dressed properly, the beasts have enough fuel to get there and back, and that my most recent diet effectively lightened the load. The Berkshire “cottages” that stand so stately above Stockbridge are my greatest challenge: chimneys galore but o – l – d.

FINALLY, WE ALWAYS WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE BREAKFAST: DO YOU GO DRESSED AS SANTA?
First, I take off my “reds” and slip into something more comfortable, jeans and an old Hudson Bay jacket. And scuffed boots. Depending on my schedule, I can stop anywhere from Litchfield to Chatham to Salisbury. I’m not a picky eater and I love diners. I’m developing a second culinary affection for bistros of all kinds. Clearly, for me the emphasis is on enough food, rather than elegant food. Berkshire farmers grow such great food. I have to confess: I never rise from a table in the Berkshires unsatisfied.