X is a tough letter. The first thing that comes to mind is Xanadu.

I did a quick Google search and found that Xanadu is an actual place, a UNESCO site, with origins in China;

“North of the Great Wall, the Site of Xanadu encompasses the remains of Kublai Khan’s legendary capital city, designed by the Mongol ruler’s Chinese advisor Liu Bingzhdong in 1256. Over a surface area of 25,000 ha, the site was a unique attempt to assimilate the nomadic Mongolian and Han Chinese culture”

Do you ever have the feeling that yes, you knew that, but you forgot? I knew Xanadu was an idyllic, perfect place, but I thought it was a fantasy.

Welcome to the 80s video era.

When I was young, I was a huge fan of Olivia Newton-John, and she was riding a wave, with Grease, and then the movie “Xanadu”, which was an odd mix of musical, dance, fantasy and romance. Xanadu is the only movie to this day, that I ever watched more than once in the movie theatre. I can’t believe I found it to be that good. The things you like when you’re 15 years old. Although it did have a soundtrack by E.L.O. and the presence of the great Gene Kelly.

I’d forgotten that Olivia was rocking her “Physical” look with short hair and headband for the song. Come to think of it, I think I had a couple of those headbands too! She was so beautiful, what a voice.

Perhaps I should have had a clue when Xanadu showed up in the lyrics to “Welcome to the Pleasure Dome “ by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. What a video, in the 80s, the MTV era when videos were as epic as full blown movies.

In Xanadu did Kublai Khan
A pleasure dome erect…”