Endless Road

2011-07-26T23:26:00.000-07:00

Off to London, Lisbon, Livorno, Lille, Lahore

I’m on my way yet again this week, but wanted to write you some notes before stepping back onto the jetway. First I’m headed to Heathrow via Chicago, total travel time just over 13 hours. I plan to hit the ground running in London, and I’ll be based in Paris all of August. The Medinge Group meets in Lisbon on September 1, and I look forward to some colorful dialogue with my fellow think-tankers and our special guests at that event. But first, some notes from my last trip.

London always has great art, old and new, to offer. But contemporary art can be frustrating or exhilarating depending on who’s making it, and more importantly where you see it. The venue becomes increasingly a part of the theatre these days, and immense and impersonal spaces like Gagosian often speak more about the ego and power of the dealer than the art contained therein. I always like to check out Riflemaker in Soho London, since the eccentric space and eclectic art are consistently worth a look either for beauty or provocation or both. This is a gallery to follow, with a finger on the pulse of compelling new art. Tot Taylor and Virginia Damtsa are the directors. Through the end of this month you can see works by the incredible Stuart Pearson Wright, who makes John Currin look lightweight like Fragonard. Francesca Lowe’s huge, incisive canvases will be up September through November, another mesmerizing vision worth a visit.

Riflemaker
79 Beak Street, London W1F 9SU, UK
020 7439 0000
http://www.riflemaker.org/

Open Weekdays 10am-6pm; Sat 12pm-6pm

Years ago I first met Rafaella Baruzzo when she was with Rococco, a Kings Road chocolatier of extreme quality. Rafaella’s since moved on to launch her own incredible line of bespoke chocolates rendered in the Italian style, fatto a mano. In May I attended a Covent Garden launch tasting of her Summer 2011 Collection, dazzled by the fresh basil ganache, and the strawberry/balsamic truffle she designed. In addition to her retail line, this true superstar of chocolate, creates limited edition delicacies for the Italian consulate, among others. Finding her work is like digging for gold. Low production means fewer retail venues. Chocoholics are advised to visit Baruzzo’s website before embarking to London, to make certain you find the clever London vendors selling this superb line.

Baruzzo Chocolate
http://www.baruzzo.co.uk/

I intercepted a rumor about two new ventures by the irrepressible Giuseppe Mascoli. Giuseppe, who created the successful Franco Manca pizza parlors, has plans to open a new restaurant located in a container down in Brixton, serving hamburgers and BBQ. He promises only the finest quality filet mignon, Angus beef, and Kobe mince, and three flavors of sauces inspired by the American West. It will be called Bukowski.

Ironically, I also learned that he plans a new poetry magazine called Spanner, with a focus on anarchist and new deconstructionist verse. Giuseppe likes fireworks, so this ought to be an explosive launch. Stay tuned.

Must say Lisbon is so appealing with its post-colonial grandeur, shabbiness, and joie de vivre. One night last trip I took a long nap and went out at 1030pm down to the neighborhood at the foot of the hill under the castle of St George, in search of Fado. The neighborhood is just below the cathedral, medieval lanes, cobbled streets, echoes of music and drunken tourists staggering out of the early shows. I’d been through all the guidebooks, listed all the clubs, listened to my experts, and I realized that one doesn’t go for the food or the price, and later is better. There’s not such a mob in the restos, and you’re not obliged to buy an extortionate meal at Michelin prices with cafeteria quality dishes. Still it costs minimum 20 Euros, but I struck gold at the second place, Casa de Fado, which a famous mandolinista owns. It has that slightly distressed décor and attitude, and friendly service, which may have been because the crowd had thinned. Heard an excellent woman singer accompanied by 3 musicians, then an excellent male singer. After the crowd thinned, about midnight, we were down to 3 tables, and the singers were singing for each other, their voices warmed up, and only the die hards left sitting around. I ordered a glass of the Riserva (8 Euros and I still feel it today, Gigondas it wasn’t) and 5 shrimps in garlic (18 Euros, what the hell, dipped my bread in the juice, it held off the ill effects of the wine) and paid the 10 Euro cover charge, happily. Then rode a cab back to the hotel down deserted city streets. I like the mild euphoria of these half-drunken returns through exotic cities, rich in ambience, that night a lovely temperature 64F, an almost cinematic quality to the experience.

I managed to get a look at two more Heritage properties in Lisbon in May.

Just off the Avenida da Liberdade, Hotel Brittania, turns out to be a hidden gem luxury grade property. Housed in a beautifully restored historic deco building, the landmark hotel has 33 light and airy north-facing rooms, including two terrace suites on the newly-added sixth floor. Though tourists favor the property, it’s an optimal upscale hotel for business, with an upmarket price starting at €200 in the off season. There’s a discreet elegance to the arched entryway, and a profusion of heritage architectural details preserved in the lobby/reception area, old drawings, a vintage barber shop, original furniture and frescoes, and display cases of antique tableware and place settings. While there is neither gym nor restaurant, there’s free wi-fi throughout, 24-hour reception, top amenities, and a cozy business center just off the classic bar area. Room 65 has a double terrace. Best of all, breakfast is served from 7-noon, an incredibly civilized detail only a four-star would know to include. A very friendly and professional team at work here. Highly recommended.

Hotel Brittania
Rua Rodrigues Sampaio, 17
1150 278 Lisboa
Tel 351 21 315 50 16

http://www.heritage.pt/

Heritage’s Av Janelas Verdes, located next door to Lisbon’s National Ancient Art Museum is a super find, offering excellent value and to my taste great ambience, the best of hospitality, in a brilliant location. Art hounds will adore the 2-minute walk to the extraordinary museum, with its jaw-dropping collection. Your correspondent had Bosch’s Temptation of St. Anthony all to himself for example, as well as audiences with Rembrandt, Durer, Goya, Velasquez, and other world-class names. There are endless cases of decorative arts, and a visit to those galleries is suggested before you start buying any pottery in Lisbon. The hotel has only 29 rooms, in an old and new wing, and it’s been discovered by top publications, so it frequently appears in the 100 best lists. Caters mostly to tourists who stay an average of 2 nights. There’s a wonderful library with a view of the river Tagus, a terrace, honor bar, and a relaxed pace to the place, which is set outside the city center, away from the hustle-bustle. This quirky heritage hotel retains all the feeling of an 18th century palace, and it has 24 hour room service with all natural food and sense of history reflected in the dishes prepared. You are advised to restrain yourself and try to eat only two pastel de nata, the traditional Lisboan pastry, despite the corrupting urgings of Palmira, the gracious governante. At rates starting at €200 per night you can’t go wrong. I can think of no greater pleasure than a leisurely fresh-squeezed orange juice out on the patio, or a wee dram of port on one of the double balconies in room 23. Room 28, in the new wing, has a king bed, river view, and a marble bath. When you reserve you can request one of the 6 spaces in the hotel’s private parking garage. I like this property because it has lots of history which recollects Portugal’s glorious past and its love of tradition shows in the hospitality and attention to detail present. Remember that the Museum next door is closed on Monday, so reserve accordingly.

As Janelas Verdes
Rua das Janelas Verdes, 47
1200-690 Lisboa
Tel 351 21 396 81 43
janelas.verdes@heritage.pt

Last year my good friend Luca Magni and his partners set up a dream business called Sailing The Web, a superior concept which assists lovers of the sea to find contentment in a multitude of nautical ways. The Milan-based business can help you locate a charter, sailing school, crew, cruise, find specialized equipment, or sell or buy a yacht. The company’s latest product offering, themed Gourmet Charters, facilitates exclusive culinary pairings in the Mediterranean with luxury yachts, chefs and customized itineraries. Gourmands and oenophiles take note. This highly selective and limited listing delivers private gourmet cruises, for almost any budget, starting from as low as €5000 for 2 persons. A private cruise is the ultimate way to enjoy your travel, and these charters range from plain posh to seriously elegant. Chartering one of Sailing The Web’s Gourmet Cruises vessels means first class vessels; a private chef at your service to combine your tastes with the local gourmet traditions; an ongoing table of flavors of the region; a private guide to the best restaurants and taverns of the Mediterranean; an endless wine list with on-board delivery; a personalized luxury vacation in absolute privacy, in the most beautiful coves and havens of the World. You can request information over the web with the latest listing of vessels and chefs, an exceptionally appetizing dream.

Sailing The Web

charter@sailingtheweb.net

Goodness me, I have been blogging a lot about Point2paint, the new iPad app I helped with at Silvergate Software over the past few months. Now it’s on the market and available at a low introductory rate of $1.99 (not kidding and not forever) at the app store: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/Point2paint/id449945734. We also have a Facebook page up with a small album of drawings, the first rumblings of a new online community. I hope you’ll take a look- people seem to love the product. This week I created five tee shirts using icons from the app, available at my online store: http://www.zazzle.com/gifts?cg=196282191963684823&st=popularity&cn=250283932111514415&ch=diganzi

I’ll be in Paris most of August, when the French go away and the city is empty. I plan to do a lot of sitting at cafes, visiting boulangeries, and living the life. If you pass through town, send me an email, maybe we can meet up for a pastis. Have a great end of Summer and a beautiful rentree, one and all.

2011-07-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Larry

My cousin, Dr. Larry Moss, asked me if I had any packing hints for him before a trip of a month. Racked my brain and offered the following:

I try to live by the rule Take half as much clothing as you think you need and twice as much money.

I take things along that I can leave along the way to lighten my load as I go. Magazines, newspapers, cheap pocket books, lightweight to pass the time.

I always have a blazer and 1 dress shirt at the very least.

I pack for layers.

I travel with lightweight silk scarves, as they can be useful in the chill. Also a knit hat, gloves, extra kerchiefs, all in the same pouch.

I do not take bulky items, volume and weight being the enemy.

I have one pair of slip-on kicking around shoes, one pair which can pass for dressy, and light slippers for the house. TOMS shoes are the best. I travel in the kicking around shoes.

I take laptop, iPad and Kindle, camera, mobile in carry-on bag.

I do not carry large liquids or cosmetics onto the plane- I leave them in checked luggage.

I travel with earplugs in my pocket. It the essential accesory in long haul travel.

A compact good quality headset makes a flight infinitely more comfortable; the free ones dont work that well and never fit right.

I work out of a system of pouches in my carry-on, electronic cords in one, toiletries for travel (lip balm, travel tube of face cream), Travel "office" with pens, pos- its., spare pen cartridges, xeroxes of travel documents, glasses prescription.

I try to have an energy bar in the carry-on. It inevitably gets eaten, the bar I mean and not the bag..

I travel in slip-on shoes, and have no metal in my floppy travel clothes. Security is a hurdle. You have to be friendly to all the TSB people or it can be depressing. You must plan ahead for speeding through the checkpoints. One bag for carry-on, easy access to the technology, and critial documents easy to retrieve.

You can't wear a belt through security. Drawstring trousers are less hassle.

Below, some photos from a visit today to a new winery. Sonoma's a lot of fun, also calm and easygoing. It's all about wine, grapes, soil, weather.

Vineyard named Dynamite at the winery in Moon Valley, north of Sonoma.

Bill Lantz in the caves at the winery in Moon Valley

2011-04-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

Charm and value in Paris

It’s always a pleasure to find an engaging little 3 star-property Paris, one which is affordable, comfortable and convenient. Hotel Marais Bastille is just such a place, located on the Boulevard Richard Lenoir, in the Haut Marais, in the mostly residential 11th. I visited in the aftermath of February 2011 Fashion Week. The newly-renovated 37-room lodging, walking close to Metro Bastille, proved to be a great value at around €130/night.

Hotel Marais Bastille earns lot of repeat business, welcoming guests of all ages who stay an average of 2 nights. Visitors split evenly between business travelers and tourists, though tourists tend to stay longer. It’s quite a convenience to find yourself only a 10-minute walk from the Gare de Lyon, with the Metro Breguet-Sabin station literally on the doorstep. The outdoor market across the street on Wednesdays and Thursdays offers up enough goodies to keep you picnicking for days; you get quite distracted sampling delicacies only the French can produce, cheeses, charcuterie, baked goods, regional specialties. This large market has everything else in the world you might need, including clothing, flowers, antiques, jewelry or treats to carry along.

Architect Michel Jouannet has created spare and modern interior spaces, including artisan furniture designed specifically for the Marais Bastille. This adds a distinctly French touch to the decor. I appreciate the new marble baths, with smart fittings that work well. Rooms ending in the numeral 4 have daylight in the bath area, double sinks and a fold-out bed. There’s even a handicap-compliant room off the main lobby.

Remember that 3-star means the amenities are going to be limited. You don’t get a huge amount of space, but you do get plenty of nice towels. A good quality shampoo and soap are provided, but not the full armada of grooming items that 4-stars need to lay out. This doesn’t mean a reduction in comfort or cleanliness. This hotel has people constantly at work keeping the place neat, and they seem like a happy crew. That general contentment must be attributable to the hands-on management style that only a hotel de proprietaire can build: you will see the amiable owners M. et Mme. Dolbeau on site most days. Details like this make the family-run hotel one of a kind, a personalized style of management passed along by the cheerful English-speaking staff. While you will enjoy the benefit of free wi-fi throughout, there’s no business center for those last-minute printouts, and no Ethernet port in the rooms, not a huge sacrifice for the price paid. The typical breakfast is available for an additional charge. You won’t be able to stow your notebook computer in the small room safe, but your passport and valuables will fit. Finally, you’ll certainly observe Best Western branding on the hotel’s façade, website and graphics. Never fear, it’s the final year of a contract with the bland international chain, and by 2012 Hotel Marais Bastille will live under its own charming boutique flag.

Budget travelers, the lighthearted and intrepid will be happy with what they receive here. As far as properties on the rive droite go, it’s easy, chic and authentic, and that says a lot.

Hotel Marais Bastille
36, Bd. Richard Lenoir
Paris 75011
Tel 01 48 05 75 00
http://www.maraisbastille.com/location.html

2011-03-08T01:38:00.000-08:00

Orange Crush

Greetings from Menton on the French Riviera, where the 78eme Fête du Citron is winding down. A wild and wacky yearly event, this outdoor exhibition fills the jardin Biovès with huge constructions on a chosen theme, all made of oranges and lemons. The festival runs from mid-February thru early March and always has a parade, fireworks and special cultural events. This year’s theme, les Grandes Civilisations, features everything imaginable from Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Sphinxes, Stonehenge, a Viking tableau, Aztec and Egyptian pyramids, Trojan Horses, and Theseus going mano a mano with a Minotaur outside a labyrinth. Over the weekends the event is packed, with droves of tourists mobbing the city, crowding the palm-lined promenade which faces the Palais de L’Europe just off the coastal highway which leads to the Italian border town of Ventimiglia, perhaps 20 minutes away. The big beneficiaries seem to be school children, whole classes of them, who eagerly plop down in front of the orange mastodon, their sketchbooks open on their laps. Local merchants have booths selling orange essences, fragrances, every possible iteration of marmalade imaginable, sweets, postcards, memorabilia. It’s citrus madness with a French twist, and everybody gets into the spirit. Menton’s not as glam as nearby Monaco or Cannes or Nice. Like Seville, there are orange trees on every block, and like Seville you are advised not to eat them. It’s a lovely little city populated by retirees who stroll the oceanfront arm in arm, taking in the exhilarating Mediterranean breezes. There are lots of good typical brasseries, wonderful bakeries, views of rugged coast and the Alpes Maritimes, and things still on sale. A fashion capital it’s not, but a great place to chill out, sample some fresh seafood and give thanks you’re not in Miami.

2011-02-18T04:59:00.000-08:00

New Dispatches

INDIA UPDATE

Nine trips to India and never got to Jodhpur. Until now. The largest westernmost city of Rajasthan, and the state capital, The Blue City is small enough to retain the sense of Old India, but big enough to display a burgeoning energy. This is a city of crafts, where the weavings and clothing and jewelry excel. Great deals abound. Authentic, traditional rugs and fabrics surround you. Towering above, the massive Mehrangarh Fort presides over the landscape, dominating the panorama. Around the market square 122m below, a constant hum of activity prevails as people go about their daily business. You never knew there were so many bangles for sale in the world. Much the same along the lanes of the old city, where tiny shops open out onto narrow streets, and a rich symphony for the senses is ever present.

Stayed two nights at the Raas Haveli in the heart of the Old City, a regenerated compound with a sleek modern wing, two restaurants and really romantic suites set in classic buildings. This is a new property, open only a year and it is finding its way. A team of world-class managers work at bringing the global standard to a beautiful boutique destination. Remarkable views, a fine chef, and you will love the bathrooms. Enlightened architecture, a great gift shop, Kama Ayurvedic amenities, a blue tuk-tuk for guests, and an optimal location all good signs of this promising small hotel. Recommended.

48 HOURS IN LISBON

Portugal is a bargain. Cheaper than London, Paris and the USA, its faded glory boasts a fine local cuisine and wines, classic architecture and a thriving outdoor life on the streets. While in Lisbon I had the pleasure of viewing two properties from the Heritage family of 5 hotels located in the capital city. Heritage Av Liberdade is the perfect business hotel and an excellent value. It does everything right, preserving a landmark building and mixing in an international style of hospitality. Its central location means many offices are walking close. The breakfast IQ is genius level. And the 42 rooms with their especially brilliant baths get high marks. New Portugese art can be seen on all sides, in details like the illuminated iron room numbers and some daring digital images in the lobby. Not family-friendly, and a lot of French and German guests observed. But everyone speaks English, and the place becomes your home quite quickly. Later I made my way up to the Castelo de São Jorge, which overlooks the city, where the 14-room Solar Do Castelo is located. Welcome to another of those dream places, where the tension of the modern world fades away and you step into a zone of distant history. Many rooms like the exceptional #11 have castle views. Room #12 and the mythological room #21 with its exposed beam ceiling, have river views. Room #10 has a window onto the castle from its bathroom sink. Think romantic weekend for two, a place to propose marriage, or a property to take over in its entirety for a special event. A great amenities package, monogrammed towels and honor bar in the lobby. A visit will include close-up views of peacocks, who hang around in the courtyard; they appear to own the place, which is fine. Average guest stays 2-3 nights, but I could see extending days longer to wander the narrow ancient streets. There’s a lot of demand for these rooms, so book early. Down the block you’ll find the Merceria do Castelo, operated by the amiable Hugo Carvalho. He makes a fine cup of coffee and a beautiful grilled sandwich. His local wine list might bring tears to your eyes. It’s the perfect location to drop into for your morning coffee, your mid-day snack, or your afternoon pick-me-up. You might say it’s the local watering hole, youthful, modern and certainly fun, yet tucked away in the surreal lanes next to the castle. Heritage has 3 other properties I would like to see. The 112-room Hotel Lisbon likes kids, and it’s a more modern structure. But two remaining Heritage hotels sound small and personal and quite intriguing and I hope to profile them for you on my next swing through this great city.

A GREAT ESCAPE IN THE HEEL OF THE BOOT

Thanks largely to the phenomenon called Eat Pray Love, Tuscany has been overdiscovered and the north of Italy now feels overrun with overfed and overenlightened people you don’t want to overmeet. But there’s still Puglia, a less traveled region in the southeast, which has much to offer. Villa Pizzorusso, located just outside Mesagne, a 6-bedroom rental villa, sits in a private compound on its own 15-acre plot, isolated among olive groves. A loving restoration/regeneration has transformed this 18th century masseria into a tasteful and secure base, which retains the feeling of a country home with the comfort and style of a 5-star hotel. During reconstruction, new stones were cut from the same quarry where 500 years ago the original blocks were hewn. It isn’t cheap, approx $8000US a week, but for a large family traveling, a corporate group looking for a retreat, or those seeking a truly exclusive experience, this is the place. The property can arrange for any extras, transport, guided tours by the inestimable Michela, meals, shopping trips, cooking lessons, cultural excursions. Daily maid service included. In the warmer months the villa is surrounded by swaying wheat fields, and you are bound to spend a lot of leisure time by the photogenic swimming pool made for a fashion shoot. Italians revere the region for its food, and the simple fare served at the villa by Tommasina was beyond reproach. Get her to prepare some tortellini al brodo or vegetarian lasagna and your life will be forever changed. Twenty minutes away by car, the port city of Brindisi is undergoing a shoreline makeover. A bustling yacht harbor faces new brasseries and restaurants. You can see history on every block, Roman ruins, ornate palazzos, cobbled streets. Only 30km from the villa is the Baroque city of Lecce, with its over-the-top filigree balconies, gargoyles and cherubs, heroic carved facades and Roman amphitheatre. Music seems to be everywhere and there’s a fine choice of restaurants to try.

FLORENCE AGAIN

Checked into the Relais Santa Croce in Firenze to see how the excellent Relais & Chateaux style of hospitality mixes with Baglioni’s legacy imprint, a new development. Happy to report the combination works optimally- little changes like the removal of a check-in counter, replaced by an elegant reception table, or the new seating in the dining room, show an attention to detail that keeps this property in the top tier. The Relais has only 28 rooms, with a Presidential Suite worthy of visiting heads of state, and the team has a personable and worldly attitude, always helpful and agreeable. The chef remains a gift of the gods- his latest lunch menu an embarrassment of choice. Up on the third floor you can peer through a window cut into the wall, to view the 18th century wood truss system which holds up the ceiling of the Music Room below. Quite a thing to study, based on a system pioneered by DaVinci. Relais Santa Croce is one of my favorite hotels in the world. It offers so much comfort and traditional class and discretion with a lot of modern sensibility. Would be an ideal place for an executive retreat or an incentive program. Or a weeklong splurge in the enduring city of art. It’s an exclusive hideaway for very wealthy families. Would be ideal as a Florence retreat for high end top management brainstorming.

The Palazzo Magnani Feroni remains one of the greatest hotel experiences you can have in Florence or anywhere. I’ve written before about the splendor of artifact in the décor, everything real, everything authentic, and none of that big-chain ethos. Every room a masterpiece, quiet, private, living history. A team devoted to their guests. The high end of the price spectrum, but so worth it. This is a unique lodging, ideal for antique lovers, and not for the temperamental entitled traveler. The first floor ballroom with its incredible ceiling frescoes could serve as the unforgettable home for an impressive business function. Every return visit yields a new discovery in its hidden corners, a piece of antique fabric, a shard of carved marble, or an old print which retells a classic story. I love this hotel for its quiet elegance and discretion. With only eleven suites, you are assured of an ideal retreat and a tranquil haven.

I looked into the Madova Glove Factory shop on the other side of the Ponte Vecchio to check out the latest styles. Ladies with size 7 hands always find some real winners in the close-out box on the counter top. Stop by the window to see what will be showing up next season in the Fifth Avenue stores. And remember it doesn’t get any more fashion forward or better priced than this. I also popped into Infinity Leather to check out the newest trends on the walls. Today, larger bags are coming into fashion, with some new oversize tote shapes accented by side buckles in a multitude of colors and finishes. The alligator handbag I mentioned some months ago in an earlier article had been swept up by a sharp-eyed lady from Texas. Since this shop features low production items it’s always a good place for a healthy impulse buy.

2011-01-26T05:40:00.000-08:00

Jodhpur's fort

Letter from Delhi

January 25, 2011

There’s a lot of comfort and convenience in depopulated Wellington, a relaxed city which served as my casual base under the protection of my great friend Jack during the eleven days spent in New Zealand. I hope to go back to its low skyline, windy situation and abundant coffee bars, which always serve a wacky chocolate fish with your caffe mocha.

The flight to Brisbane lasted an easy three and a half hours, with an efficient transit through immigration as the rains pounded Queensland. I took a train down to Gold Coast, an hour and a half, and met up with Venetta Fields, whom I’ve known since my early days in Hollywood, when she sang background for everybody famous; thirty years ago she moved to Oz, and now she’s a legend there. Under intermittently sunny skies and high humidity, we wandered the locality, and had a chance to visit Gaia, a beautiful destination spa halfway to Melbourne. This excellent facility is set on a verdant hilltop with 360 degree views, one of the top spas in the world. Rustic bungalows with all the modern conveniences, yoga and pampering treatments, and personalized food service. The property enjoys an outstanding international reputation and I am not supposed to mention that Olivia Newton-John is one of the co-owners. I’d like to return for a retreat there- one has the feeling it’s a place to really recharge and restore.

They call Jodhpur the Blue City

I left Brisbane as the waters crested, just before the worst of the flooding. Stood in line at the airport for 2 hours to get my boarding pass- they were short-handed because people were tending to their threatened homes. And then the computers went down. The flight left an hour late, for which the overly-polite Aussies apologized repeatedly.

A long haul to India, and rather than touching down in Singapore, Malaysian Airlines dropped me in Kuala Lumpur for a 10-hour layover. They did provide a clean hotel room a short shuttle ride from the airport, where I had a nap and a shower after the 9-hour flight. The KL airport is huge and new, and often inexplicably difficult to navigate. They’re proud of their signage system, but it took a lot of puzzling to find my way out and in, and the strange traffic patterns in the duty free area often meant navigating bottlenecks in narrow passages where only 2 or 3 people could pass at a time. Every international brand is represented there, but no real bargains or shopping finds. I was glad to get back on the jet for the 6 hour leg to New Delhi.

My friend Dr. Manas Fuloria invited me to accompany his family on a visit to Kingdom of Dreams, a kitschy new enterprise down in Gurgaon, kind of a combination Bollywood plus Vegas plus Disney, with an over-the-top food court called “Culture Gully” next to a huge theatre which features spectacles along the lines of “The Lion King” with big production numbers. There’s a new magician coming to town and he will no doubt pack in the crowds. If you’ve pretty much exhausted all the tourist attractions in the Delhi area, you need to see this place at least once, if for nothing other than the decor. There’s a shopping level above the food court with overpriced everything, and no shortage of junk. Your challenge: to leave without buying anything. I dare you not to succumb.

I had the pleasure of going back to Chhatra Sagar, an 11-tent luxury resort set on a dam in Nimaj in rural Rajasthan, operated by my friends the Rathore family. First visited it two years ago and fell in love with the place, its comfort and quiet and nobility of purpose. Also, great food. Had two glorious nights of sound sleep, saw a lot of birds and wildlife, and rested up for the next chapter of this odyssey, which will take me to Europe.

I built in a night in Jodhpur, my first visit to Rajasthan’s capital known as the blue city, and it is quite a place, filled with outstanding handicrafts, history and very kind people. Could have stayed another couple days easily. Slept at Raas Haveli, in the old city, a highly recommended luxury property (I’ll write in more detail on that for Lucire in coming weeks and include pictures.) Few properties could be so well situated, set at the base of the hill where an historic fort dominates the skyline. This is a great facility, with a smart architect, every modern convenience and a world-class kitchen. It’s early in the life of the property, so get there while you can, and avail yourself of the sky blue tuk-tuk the haveli keeps for guests. A walk through the narrow alleys down to the open market below the clock tower also a must.

I motored about 30km southwest of the city to the copmpound of a rugmaker named Roopraj, who showed an amazing array of durries he weaves. All natural fibers and dyes, traditional patterns and he supports about 50 local households who create the products by hand. While it’s a bit of a expedition to get out there it’s a trip worthwhile, and the prices are right. He will ship almost anywhere in the world.

The biggest news is regarding Runtime, my novel about a technology company in India. The book will be published by Prakash, India’s largest, with a great distribution system, meaning every big bookstore and airport in the country. I’ll be making the last tweaks on the manuscript this week, then an editor will spend a month doing whatever it is they do. The book goes to the printer around April 1, and will be in stores by the beginning of May. This means I’ll be back to India another two or three times before 2012. The team at Shanti Home joined me for a celebratory lunch with a cake. Life is getting interesting.

Some of the durries sold by Mr. Roopraj

Gurgaon's Kingdom of Dreams, a bit over-the-top

Chhatra Sagar in Nimaj

2011-01-01T15:49:00.000-08:00

Positively Antipodean

Greetings from below the equator, where life is easy and 4 million people share the wealth in two islands about 2/3 the size of the state of California, where sauvignon blanc is abundant and cheap and fruity and good and brave and true.

I started my trip on the 27th of December, north of Auckland, where Yousef and Meredith celebrated their marriage at a truly enchanted spot looking east at the Pacific- an odd perspective for a Seal Beach dude like myself who sees the sea to the west every morning. No wonder people like it here: no nukes, great dairy products, foliage from another planet where ferns blast their way out from the conifers, land of clean water and people glad to talk your ear off. Luckily I know nothing of rugby, or they would insist on buying me beer after beer. Now I'm down in windswept Wellington, hanging out with Jack Yan, seeing the best this end-of-the-earth destination has to offer. Yesterday we had a super lunch at a resto called Monsoon Poon in downtown off Courtenay Place, recommended, Asian fusion style in a land of sausages. Believe it, the barbie is a national pastime, and you affirm any remark by saying "yes" pronounced "Yeece." I've seen isolated gorges and waterfalls, mythological mountains, emerald forests, azure seas, and endless country roads since the superhighway is a luxury reserved for the rest of the world. Here for another five days, then off to Gold Coast Australia, a bastion of civilization. Thence to Delhi, for more work on 'Runtime' and a stay at Shanti Home. Maybe I'll go down to Goa.

Look me up in Paris on February 3rd: The Medinge Group will be having its annual meeting at MIP near Trocadero and we can catch up over coffee and croissants. I have a strange desire to head down to Barcelona, maybe take a cheap flight to Italy and check out a villa I heard about in the hills of Puglia. But that's for another post.

2010-11-23T13:38:00.000-08:00

Dusk at Neemrana Fort

In India with Henry

Just back in Seal Beach today, after working with Henry Diltz on a project in Goa, Shanti Morada, a new 20-room boutique property under construction, slated to open late 2011. Henry snapped images of villages and local culture- I am helping with the brand and style. A great project in development by friends I know from Delhi who own Shanti Home, a small mid-market property. You follow Henry around anywhere and you immediately have adventures. He wanders into exotic markets, attempts to be gored by sacred cows, or ducks down a dim-lit alley in a tough neighborhood near Jama Masjid where he wound up in a madrassa filled with skins freshly sacrificed for Eid. I found the time to do a few watercolours. We rounded out the trip with a short visit to Neemrana Fort in Rajasthan, which has been transformed into a 55-room property. We had an outstanding room called Ramji Mahal. It's a big bustling property set on a lot of levels with a lot of stairs, uninspired food. Family-friendly, and they charge for everything.

Started research on my next novel. More on that later.

Goa beach scene

2010-11-19T02:22:00.000-08:00

Announcing "Runtime"

19 November, from Delhi
Last December a young, audacious Delhi-based technology company approached me to create an unusual brand extension for them. They wanted to commission a novel, set at a Delhi-based technology company. “We need Hemingway,” they said. Of course, as a 6-time finalist for the International Imitation Hemingway Competition my interest in the project soared. Wasn’t the first I’d heard of the idea (Bulgari commissioned a novel several years ago, stipulating that the main character be a string of their pearls- it became something of a bestseller in Europe…) and I jumped at the opportunity to write it. Technology’s not regarded as that sexy a business, and the association with creativity was a compelling angle- plus I have grown quite comfortable here, and was given carte blanche to craft the story. I wrote passages for the book all over planet earth, in India, Europe, and an especially productive week last July on the windblown Scottish isle of Orkney, where I cranked out 8000 words. I submitted a first draft from California in August.
In October the finished manuscript was delivered, and though there remain a few final edits to complete, the book is now being readied for release. “Runtime” will hit the market under the imprint of a major Indian publisher, available at bookstores all over India sometime next year.

2010-11-04T20:07:00.000-07:00

MY CUP OF TEA:
LETTER FROM SRI LANKA

to view photos from this trip, see:

Sri Lanka Sept 2010

Sri Lanka, the upside-down teardrop-shaped island paradise off the southeastern tip of India, used to be referred to as the Pearl of the Orient, and the name still applies. Breathtaking vistas, geology, vegetation and silhouettes, thrilling climate, uncrowded ancient sites in excellent preservation, legendary beaches, tea plantations, great wildlife watching and a congenial population define this underexplored destination. The country stills feels the pain of a tsunami, which ravaged the west coast four years ago. The Tamil rebellion in the north has passed, and people want to put behind them the memory of last year’s violent conclusion which cost 30-50,000 casualties, most of them civilian, A blatantly corrupt and dynastic government now keeps the country safe and pacified by placing armed military at regular intervals everywhere. Sri Lanka (population 20 million) today is a country struggling as it joins the emergent economies, with a mass of foreign investment and development flowing in, resulting in a concurrent resurgence in tourism. It will be a different place in 5 years, improved roads and access to remote spots, and many new resorts and luxurious lodgings with all the complications they will bring. Today the island retains many of the aspects that in days of yore would have been condescendingly referred to as Third World- but that is changing fast. A modern airport serves the capital city of Colombo (population 2 million), digital communications have penetrated the most isolated spots, and the traveler discovers a wealth of choice luxury lodgings. All that remains is a public information campaign (much like Morocco successfully conducted) to educate the local population on ways to welcome foreign guests. For the moment you will still be bothered by touts and aggressive tuk-tuk drivers and it will get old. But not for long. Once prosperity trickles down there will be less sense of desperation from those whose lives intersect tourists. And once you get out of the big cities you will be constantly struck by the indescribable beauty of this legendary place.

The teardrop island runs north-south, rounded at the top, pointed at the bottom. At the center of the island you’ll find the cultural triangle, where cities, palace ruins, and ingenious water cachements, some dating back 2000 years, can be visited. The sun and humidity can be brutal- take a wide-brimmed hat, sunblock, drink plenty of water. Souvenir shopping near these monuments is the most reasonable you will find anywhere. Remember to bargain, as it is expected, aiming for about 40% of the first price quoted. Bear in mind these are very inexpensive local crafts, so haggling over pennies should be viewed as more a social interaction than a hardnosed business challenge. Small carved elephants, for example, which are priced at $9 in the Colombo airport gift shop, sell for a dollar or less next to the Polonnaruwa complex. I should have bought one for a multitude of reasons, among them supporting the local economy. The historic triangle has two famous Buddhas carved out of living stone, one standing figure outside Dambullah, one reclining figure at Polonnaruwa. Below the caves of Dambullah you will find an outstanding complex of old pagodas and monastery ruins. The caves themselves are said to be in bad repair, and of the 17th century. You could easily pass these up for other landmarks. You will want to climb the 1200 steps to the top of the limestone citadel named Sigiriya, past 5th century frescoes - astounding, rendered as masterfully as Italian Renaissance works executed eleven hundred years later - to the ruins of a king’s palace with a 360 degree view of plains and mountains. The feet of a huge masonry lion are only remnants of a colossal sculpture, but standing next to the elegant curved terra cotta paws you can imagine the mindblowing dimensions of the original towering edifice.

A herald of the extreme luxury about to be discovered in Sri Lanka is the newly-constructed Ulagalla Resort, a 5-star 57-acre private compound with a dozen private ultra-posh villas, near to all cultural monuments, in the area called Thirapane. It has its own helipad, in case you prefer to avoid earthbound transport by auto. Once you’re within the manicured grounds the resort shuttles you around in quiet electric carts, and advises you not walk the grounds after dark- you never know what brand of animal life you might meet. These elevated modern chalets, each set on its own little hillock, are fully technologized, with iPod docking stations, computer-driven lighting and you can even monitor your own bill or browse the internet from the big screen satellite television. Elegant woods, all modern fittings, top-quality loose teas (never a tea bag!), private plunge pools and luxurious bathrooms complete the lodging package. There’s a classical graciousness at work here. From the delicious welcome beverage, a tea and fruit juice concoction delivered in a carved coconut cup, to the discreet attentiveness of Sumanaratna, the mullah dani, you will appreciate the fusion of traditional and modern styles. The resort is set up so that most of your dining is done in-villa, with meals delivered from a nearby satellite kitchen. The main house also features fine dining, from a beautifully restored terrace which overlooks the Olympic pool and domed luxury spa. Fully occupied, the property only sleeps 40 guests. At approximately $400 a night with all meals included, this property is a great value. It would be suitable for an intimate romantic getaway, honeymoon, wedding, family reunion, small business conference or as a welcome retreat to return to after a day’s bird-watching or trekking through ruins, The property has a full stable, housed under the largest solar roof in Sri Lanka. After your daily ride you could do no better than to sip at a glass of Mendes Blue Label arrack as you recline on the porch next to the utterly comfortable lounge area and watch the spectacular sunset illuminate the western sky.
Ulagalla Resort
Thirappane
Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Tel +94 025 7694036
www.ulagallaresorts.com
The Heritance Kandalama outside Dambullah offers another option with easy access to the cultural triangle. A massive property of 152 rooms tucked into the natural rock formations of a hillside, the facility was originally designed by the late Geoffrey Bawa. Bawa, Sri Lanka’s most famous architect, is a name you will hear often on your trip. The property exemplifies his use of indigenous materials, concrete, terrazzo, natural woods and traditional ceramics. There’s a sweeping white concrete wall at the reception, reminiscent of the mirror wall at Sigiriya, and exposed rock facing the broad stairways which link the hotel’s six levels. This kinky green modernist structure with its three pools is covered with trellises, overgrown by vines, and monkeys dangle along the exterior. Don’t leave your room door or windows open, unless you wish to risk theft or destruction by our mischievous simian cousins. The hotel has superb views and outstanding wildlife watching. Your correspondent saw enormous iguanas crossing the road, a mongoose, and many varieties of birds. Far off in the distance the rock citadel of Sigiriya projects out of the broad plains. It’s a bustling operation with a vast, loud dining room and overwhelming buffet, The hotel recites its green credentials proudly, though there are questionable details like plastic water bottles everywhere, and Lux soap in the showers, Rooms and baths are comfortable and modern, but don’t expect the truly personalized service of boutique luxury establishments. This is too large an operation for the guest experience to be more than comfortable-commodified. There’s a small business center and wi-fi, and they charge for everything.
Heritance Kandalama
PO Box 11
Dambulla, Sri Lanka
Tel +94 66 5555000
www.heritancehotels.lk

Kandy, historically the second capital of Sri Lanka, doesn’t have all that much to see. There’s a truly beautiful university campus, a fine botanical gardens, a well-known elephant orphanage featuring the largest captive herd in the world, and the famous Temple of the Tooth housing a famous Buddhist relic. You’ll need an insider to take you to some of the undiscovered artist ateliers there, but your regular guide doesn’t know them. There is, however, an opportunity to find some hand-made batik cloth. My guide took me to Gunatilake Batiks, on the hillside overlooking the famous temple. First you walk through a very large store filled with commercial fashions and wall hangings, nothing remarkable and very much like you see everywhere else. The prices are competitive. Walk to the very end of the room, and ask to see the one-of-a-kind fabric remnants for sale. I bought two meters of traditional hand-painted cotton cloth for $30. Much of what you find in the store, however, is mass-produced, kitschy or unexceptional. On roads leading in and out of Kandy you can visit the equivalent of outlet stores for nearby spice plantations. Luckgrove Spices, Herbs & Indigenous Ayurvedic Medicine, in the district called Matele, doesn’t look like much, but the top-quality products for sale are all-natural, fresh, mostly made in the ayurvedic style, and you can pick up small, packets of saffron, pepper, teas, herbs of superior quality, even potent vanilla extracts and essentials oils like frangipane, at a fraction of prices in the west. They pack quite nicely in your bag, and they are welcome gifts to friends back home.

Gunatilake Batiks
173/A Rajapihilla (Upper Lake Drive)
Kandy, Sri Lanka
Tel 081 2223815

Luckgrove
No. 28, Palapathwela
Matele, Sri Lanka
Tel +94 66 2225830
www.luckgrove.com

Outside the city of Kandy, high up in the hills, you can spend very comfortable nights at Ellerton Bungalow. This veranda-clad house typifies the colonial residence, with traditional furnishings, four poster beds, modern bathrooms, and a familiar, homey ambience. Very accommodating team and an excellent kitchen. The no-pressure style of management perfectly fits the property. Set among jungle foliage, amid exotic animal sounds, on a background of verdant hills girdled in mist, you catch sight of brilliantly colored wild birds, lush flowers, impetuous monkeys, even wild boar. Ellerton’s six rooms are often booked by eco-tourists in their 40s-60s, families, or retired professionals, who stay an average of two nights. Think of the property as an island in the clouds, with refreshing rain every afternoon, secret gardens and seating areas, and a lovely small pool. This is another of those honeymoon places, where fantasy and the sense that you are far far away prevails.

Ellerton Bungalow
Nawa Gurakelle, Doluwa
Gampola, Sri Lanka
Tel +94(0)81 241 5137
www.ellertonsrilanka.com

Nestled below the cultural triangle in the heart of the island you will find Tea Country, a landscape set in higher altitudes, with rippling rows of tea fields, paradisiacal, surreal, otherworldly. Narrow bumpy roads snake through the rolling hills, where women pick the delicate leaves, bright flashes of colorful clothing meandering among the iridescent green bushes. There’s a beauty and tranquility here, punctuated by the occasional white tea factory, where a scrupulous process of grading and drying precedes the trip to Colombo, where middle men send the island’s coveted riches around the world. Dilmah Teas, a respected producer whose sustainable and community-friendly values are respected internationally, has located and renovated five luxury bungalows set in idyllic corners of Tea Country. These isolated getaways are supremely comfortable- the Tientsin Bunglaow has a world-class chef, and tranquility that can’t be matched. Few experiences compare with a glass of crisp Sauvignon Blanc, taken on a tiled terrace, with a view of distant trees covered in saturated red and yellow blossoms as the clouds spill over distant peaks. The Tea Trails experience is barely real: it is more like dreaming. These lodgings are in high demand, so reserve early.
Ceylon Tea Trails
46/38 Navam Mawatha
Colombo 2, Sri Lanka
+94 11 2303888
www.teatrails.com

In search of pristine beaches and legendary surfing, you should head south through dream forests of huge bamboo, eucalyptus, and pines, like out of a sci-fi movie, descending to the coastal plains. Low ranging forests give way to palm groves, and as you reach the southern coast at dusk swarms of fruits bats take to the sky against a blazing background of clouds. Amanwella, in an architectural hommage to the legendary Bawa, has created a perfectly situated complex of 30 discreet villas overlooking a picture perfect stretch of unspoiled beach. Think swaying palms, turquoise sea, and the invigorating afternoon monsoon passing through. The villas are spacious, elegant and comfy, accented by a large wood bowl of bananas and mangoes with limes included. Each villa has a plunge pool, and the interiors are outfitted with granite, concrete and teak, perfectly blended. A magnificent view of palms and sea from the bathtub. I am a huge fan of the Aman brand. Wherever they place a resort they beautifully adopt the style of the locality, adding their signature touch for service. The restaurant is a marvel of glass, and a passage through which the tropical winds pass gently. You can exist on a diet of their seafood, which comes fresh daily from the fishermen who park their brightly colored boats among the palms on the beach below. People usually stay a week at a time at Amanwella. There are bird and elephant safaris nearby, if you need action, rock temples and turtle hatcheries, But I would rather visit the well-appointed library every day, grab a fanciful novel, and sit on my terrace and read for aimless hours listening to my worthy companions, the chirping geckos.

Amanwella
Bodhi Mawatha, Wella Wathuara
Godellawela, Tangalle, Sri Lanka
Tel +94 47 2241333
www.amanresorts.com

A 2-hour drive north along the west side of the teardrop takes you up the tsunami coast, where signs of devastation still can be seen, even four years later. So many lives were lost and so much property ruined that the local population has yet to forget- the landscape is dotted with monuments and memorials. But there is a rash of reconstruction along the way as huge new beachfront resorts are rising. There appear to be a number of smaller boutique hotels functioning as well, among all levels of lodging. Along these shores are some of Sri Lanka’s finest surfing beaches, a mecca of sorts. And the bustling route into Galle announces a regional hub of activity.

Not much has changed inside the battlements of the Galle Fort in the last 250 years. Once you pass through The New Gate you’ve time-traveled back to the colonial era. Fortunately, Aman has taken over management of the venerable New Oriental Hotel, cherishing the original ambiance of the place, and bringing up the property, now called Amangalla, to the brand’s lofty standards. This is a superb place to situate as you explore the fort and its surroundings. Of the four excellent dining venues (the terrace, the dining room, poolside, room service) I kept finding myself on the terrace, sipping a drink, eating my lunch, taking afternoon tea, doing nothing as I watched the world go by. This should not in any way demean the en-suite breakfast which was splendid, beautifully presented, brilliant tastes, and delivered at the exact moment requested. Dinner in the dining room was wonderful, worthy of a visiting nabob and featured a fly-through by a bat, a poignant reminder of how little we interact with naturalistic world in the west. Try the seer fish curry if it’s on the menu. The afternoon tea taken on the terrace can’t be beat for $15, a huge meal that lasts for hours. The hotel also features a world-class spa with modernist hydrotherapy pools and calming décor, well-deserved on your odyssey. You will find no more welcome sight than this hotel at the end of a grueling day of tourism. The team at this property deliver outstanding service with a gracious attitude. With my 2 meters of batik tucked under my arm, on the referral of the Amangalla concierge I rode a tuk-tuk into town to Samee Tailors, facing the old vegetable market. I brought along a shirt which fit me well, and Samee stitched a copy with the batik cloth, overnight, for $4.50, delivered to the hotel, a small indulgence and a unique memory.
Amangalla
10 Church Street
Fort, Galle, Sri Lanka
Tel +94 91 2233388
www.amanresorts.com

Samee Tailors
No. 32, Green Market
Oroppuwatta, Galle, Sri Lanka
Tel +94 072 6362525

On a walk through the gently sloping streets of Galle Fort I stumbled upon Olanda International, a repurposed warehouse filled with everything crazy, old and new you can imagine: armoires, doors, furniture, china, rickshaws, junk, vintage signs. This place is worth a wander just for the weird, vast, wonderful array of things. They’ll ship anywhere. Along Hospital Road I popped into Orchid House, a very well-arranged store with high standards. There you can find local clothing designs, teas, spices, ceramics, postcards, and the owner has a nicer selection of semiprecious stones. I’d feel more confident buying from him than the gem merchants around the block. I took a very agreeable tea break up on the roof of Mama’s Guest House on Leyn Baan Street. It’s cheap, rudimentary and the people are nice. You get a breezy view of the lighthouse, the white tower of the local mosque, and a panorama of the Arabian Sea over red-tiled rooftops. Galle also has several small museums. The Museum of Marine Archaeology housed in a heritage building across from Amangalla is of interest more for the building than the exhibits. Nearby, I was able to eavesdrop on a divorce hearing in progress down in Court Square, another unexpected bit of local reality which proved fascinating. Teams of lawyers faced each other across a long table and uniformed men hovered in doorways ready to testify.

Olanda International
30, Leyn Baan Street
Fort, Galle, Sri Lanka
Tel +94 0912234398
www.olanda.lk

Orchid House / Yameen Hussein
28A Hospital Street
Fort, Galle, Sri Lanka
Tel +94 91 7429090
www.orchid-house.net

Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital city and most probably your port of entry and exit, has a limited menu of attractions. There’s a famous Buddhist temple with an elephant munching palm fronds, an old quarter in deteriorated condition, ummmm, and not a lot more. Alcohol has a 400% tax, so beer is a cheaper option than wine or spirits. For eating, there’s a great down-and-dirty seafood place on the south side of town, called Beach Wadi. Your table is literally on the sand facing the waves, the bill of fare is fresh, the grilling is super, and the people are extremely nice. There’s also the upscale Gallery Restaurant in the impressive former office space of Geoffrey Bawa, boasting a very fine kitchen, European prices. They have a nice seating area where people sip cocktails all afternoon and work on their laptops. A cool little gift shop. There’s also the family-friendly Park Street Restaurant which has European style dishes at reasonable prices, and entertainment some evenings. You can find western-style lodgings in monolithic hotels like the Cinnamon Grand and the Radisson, both close to the Galle Face promenade, where the rich colonials used to parade in their finery. Now it’s a sparse oceanfront place often crowded with locals, and there are some very funny public signs with wacky admonitions. Business is done down at the Galle Face Hotel, a former colonial jewel now in need of an angel. It’s an interesting old place with more character than most, and a bustling lunch and dinner business as well as a popular Sunday brunch. You could spend a couple nights in the old wing, in a spartan room with amazing wood floors, and get a feel for the rhythms of the city. But there are only two real reasons to be in Colombo: to be in transit, or to do business. Otherwise, head for the wild as fast as you can.

Galle Face Hotel
2, Galle Road
Colombo 3, Sri Lanka
Tel 11 2541010
www.gallefacehotel.com

Like most emerging economies, travel from point-to-point in Sri Lanka is hard, and selecting the best itinerary and lodging requires specialist knowledge. Sri Lanka in Style – who your correspondent worked with- has a dedicated staff of experts with contacts throughout the isle. They put together a terrific itinerary for me for an 11-day visit. Don’t try and assemble a trip without this kind of help. Talk to the professionals, and it will ease your journey.

Sri Lanka In Style
+94 11 2396666
www.srilankainstyle.com

2010-05-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

TRAVEL NOTES/ MAY 2010

Skirting the upper atmosphere in Firenze

There is luxury and there is luxury, and three top-end properties in Florence show how different the experience can be. Each has its own attractiveness, its own unique rewards, proving that it ultimately comes down to your own personal need, taste and style.

If you are in search of the luxury boutique hotel experience, with all the amenities and service, but at a truly navigable scale, you can do no better than Relais Santa Croce, which sits in the Via Ghibellina, 50 meters from Santa Croce Basilica. You will discover this exceptional property in the middle of the action, and a stay there delivers a veritable living history of Florence and its treasures. Set in a 16th century aristocratic palazzo built in the renaissance classical style, you get the feeling of life in an ultra-beautiful private residence. Unlike splashy hotels, the discreet entrance is flat, not so visible, even though to enter you must skip past Enoteca Pinchiorri, a 3-Michelin star establishment with a stratospheric wine list, arguably the best (and most expensive) restaurant in the city if not all of Italy, located on the ground floor of the palazzo. Upstairs, and inside the hotel of only 24 rooms you get a blend of antiques and contemporary design. This is a heritage property, so all room plans are delightfully different. The Relais has everything the luxury leisure traveler could ask for: view, dining, decor, service. In typical Baglioni Group fashion, meticulous attention has been paid to materials and furnishings, reflecting the chain's high standards for the quintessential Italian 'style of life' in its newest acquisition. Think blond woods, spacious baths with all the Farmacia Santa Maria Novella amenities, extreme comfort. Few brands deliver such a consistently sensual experience. On the gustatory front, the Relais' Guelfi & Ghibellini Restaurant competes with the august downstairs competitor in its own elegant understated dining offering, under the stewardship of the young chef Marco Tremonte, who takes pride in preparing everything in-house. This list includes bread, pasta, and the whole confectionary production. The breakfast buffet is beyond opulent. Tremonte has created an astounding dinner menu in the Mediterranean/Asian fusion style, centering his creations around typical Tuscan products all sourced locally. Pray that the lightly breaded King Prawn, garlanded with crema di Gorgonzola is still on the menu, a presentation that puts one into a near-narcotic dream state. Try and get a peek at his tiny kitchen, the only one in Florence with a frescoed ceiling. Dining rooms aside, Relais Santa Croce is free of vast function rooms, so you will never see a wedding or an intrusive big event. One room can accommodate up to 33 people, but that's the limit. It's always quiet, with staff trained to offer attentive and familiar service so that each guest has a personalized experience. Your correspondent had the chance to see the Presidential Suites, and found them to be fit for a reigning monarch at the very least. Light, airy, furnished beautifully, this over-the-top apartment is the ideal place to lodge your visiting dignitary. The Relais also creates customized tours to attractions like the Ferragamo Museum, or an exclusive jewelry workshop set in a medieval tower next to Ponte Vecchio, or superior wineries nestled in the surrounding hills. An extraordinary small hotel epitomizing everything immediate and wonderful about the authentic Florentine experience. (NB: When booking in Florence, don't be confused by the Grand Hotel Baglioni, as it is not part of the Baglioni Hotels Collection recommended.)

Relais Santa Croce
Via Ghibellina, 87
50122 Firenze
+39 055 234 2230

The Four Seasons continues to showcase its global standard of hospitality and service in the recently opened Hotel Firenze Palazzo della Gherardesca, yet another proof of why the brand inspires such international loyalty, especially for business travelers. It's a vast property, 116 rooms spread over 2 heritage renaissance structures, set within the walled tranquility of its own compound on 4.5 hecatres of parkland. Here in Florence's largest private garden you stroll the immaculate grounds, your only companions the stubby, discreet, humming robotic mowers tracing their geometric lines across verdant lawns. It took Four Seasons several years to restore this amazing place, and today you will find a complete city resort there, paired with a living museum of art history, and a destination in its own right. All rooms and public spaces abide by Four Seasons' excruciating standards for facilities. Would that there were not so many distractions in the city of Firenze- you could easily remain in the resort all the time, luxuriating poolside at the spa (formerly the stables), or satisfying your love of wine in the heroic cellar and tasting space, or challenging the restaurant's chef to live up to his reputation as "a gift of nature." You might make a twilight climb up a hillock in the garden, which rises to a mature wood, for some al fresco private dining on a hidden patio with romantic views across to the Duomo. This is a property perfect for large meetings and events. The Conventino, a freestanding structure with 37 rooms, has its own entrance, and sits directly across the park and adjacent to the meeting hall, an ornately-painted former church which can accommodate up to 120 guests. No wonder the Four Seasons Firenze is already sought-after for weddings and banquets. The 2:1 staff to guest ratio insures the extra measure of service which the luxury traveler expects. Another plus: you are tucked into a quiet neighborhood, only a short 15-minute walk from the city center, meaning you will never get too lost meandering the twisty medieval street plan on your daily excursion.

Four Seasons Hotel Firenze
Borgo Pinti, 99
50121 Firenze
+39 055 2626 1

An exceptional ambience prevails at Palazzo Magnani Feroni, a palace hotel located on the other side of the Arno, among the old streets of the university district. The Palace is small: only 12 suites set on 3 floors, but what a place. You could compare it to spending the night in St. Petersburg's Hermitage or the palace at Versailles, a heritage building maintained in its original style, intimate, real, always surprising. It's walking close to everything, you simply stroll across a nearby bridge and you're in the hub of commerce and art. This discreet house has belonged to same family for 250 years, and is filled with antique objects and pictures, drawn from the great-grandfather's antique gallery. He was one of the most important dealers in Europe, and you could easily stumble upon Roman marbles, Renaissance costumes, classical portraiture or vintage Italian pulp novels from the 1950s, tucked away in the palazzo's venerable corners. This is one of those one-of-a-kind places, like no other, and not for everyone. It sits at the high end of the luxury spectrum, with a healthy price point, excellent security, discriminating clientele and an exclusive presentation. The service compact is high, with devoted staff, operating more like a household than a commodified hotel. Every detail is out of the ordinary: the hotel has its own private garage, a real rarity in the battlefield of Florentine parking; you'll find 24-hour reception and concierge service; there's round-the-clock room service, and late-arriving guests can savor a complimentary en suite light dinner; one of the first rituals after settling into your room involves choosing your own hand-made soap fragrance from a burled wood box of samples, this in addition to Bulgari amenities; and the hotel provides an elegant turn-down service more from the Medici era than the Sheraton century. A 130 square meter roof-terrace is open all day, featuring a truly accommodating barman and set on a background of the most seductive panorama of red rooftops and surrounding hillsides. If you do not mind the occasional uneven floor tile, or a slow-moving vintage cage elevator, or a climb up a vaulted staircase to the roof, then this could be your kind of property. Private gym, family-friendly, wifi and complimentary lobby bar every afternoon. Well worth a visit.

Palazzo Magnani Feroni
Borgo San Frediano,5
50124 Firenze
+39 055 239 9544
http://www.florencepalace.com/

Undiscovered Rajasthan destinations

Motor around Rajasthan at daybreak and the sun comes out over endless cornfields, the Aravali Hills rising up off the horizon above low-hanging ground fog. Huge white egrets sail over the green expanses past eucalyptus, jutting palms and brilliant bouganvilla blossoms. Winding white marble staircases snake up hills to shrines and cenotaphs perched high above the plains. On the highways, trucks filled with orderly rows of new tractors and 2-wheelers attest to the booming economy, sharing the road with camel carts, monkeys, herds of goats and omnipresent cows. Sari-clad ladies watch from the fields, splashes of fuchsia, cadmium, crimson and aquamarine. Your car navigates around white-turbaned dhoti-wearing cyclists with mobile phones pressed to their ears. Look closely and the occasional jackal slinks across the road and into the underbrush. Rajasthan has always been legendary, and now it is discovered. But there remain unusual and still-remote destinations where a sense of classical India survives.

When you sleep a night at Samode Palace you dream of history. The 400-year old structure is still much as the rulers might have known it centuries ago, 43 opulent suites facing classical courtyards, maintained in the retro style of the maharajahs. Wide, low couches and soft 4-poster beds, and Deco-inspired marble baths speak unabashed luxury. Chittering birds dart past your balcony, and jacarandas surrounding the ornate pool below color the landscape with their eerie blue-purple blossoms. Don't leave anything out on your terrace: the monkeys will get it, and though that's part of the experience, never engage them- they're notoriously ruthless. You reach the palace, only one hour by car from Jaipur, via a twisting road, which takes you through an ancient village nestled in a canyon below an old fort. Proceed through an overgrown banyan gateway and you've left modernity behind, immersed in vaulted chambers decorated with vast murals and filigree, hallways covered in thousands of tiny mirrors, endless hand-made details rarely seen in our era. The voice of a live singer echoes through the cavernous courtyards, and you may even catch a traditional puppet show in progress. Guests on the Rajasthan circuit typically stay an average of 2 nights; meanwhile the property caters to weddings, events and conferences. You can avail yourself of traditional fare in the revival style dining room (try the Indian BBQ and a tasty dessert called Malpua), but a more romantic option would be a private dinner overlooking the infinity pool and its traditional dome. Samode Palace's compact gift shop down by reception turns out to be a super find. Shopping India can be a stressful experience, but here you'll discover taseful art objects, camel bone boxes, traditional jewelry and pashminas from Kashmir at competitive prices, a great convenience. A 2:1 staff to guest ratio insures the expected level of service. Subtle details like the maharajah's crest on all the restaurant china add to this memorable journey into the elegant past. Samode Bagh, one of two sister properties, is a family resort with rustic tents and stables set in a masive walled garden, about 20 minutes down the road. And Samode Haveli, an opulent palace in Jaipur from the same management, looks to be another interesting lodging choice.

Samode Palace
Rajasthan, India
http://www.samode.com/

Shahpura Bagh is your chance to experience firsthand a 30-acre heritage estate, the summer residence of the rulers of Shahpura since 1630. This oasis surrounded by dry lakes has abundant wildlife watching with six spacious luxury suites and four deluxe rooms crafted in a restored Deco style country guest house. The airy lodgings feature vintage furnishings, vaulted ceilings, vast tiled baths, and a central corridor opening out to a beautiful new infinity pool, perfect for cutting the heat of the day. Words like history, family, and generations come to mind. This intimate view of life in a family house helps you gain a sense of the values held dear: stewardship, conservation and sustainability. It's a hybrid kind of vacation, dining with the family, sipping scotch with the patriarch in the salon before dinner, meeting the matriarch early in the morning in the sunlit breakfast porch. The food served is fresh, rich, hearty, spicy and traditional. All the milk, yogurt, cheese and eggs come from the property's dairy. Real sustainable tourism like this affords extraordinary experiences rich in memorable details. You can take an open jeep into the local village, where your host Sat Singh, a National Geographic photographer in his professional life, points out family tombs or shows you a local health clinic, or walks you into the courtyard where a traditional potter is at work making clay water vessels on a wheel in the same manner as his ancestors, or stops on a country road to give some men returning from the fields a ride home. You can visit a deserted fort at dusk, and from the parapets watch bats swarm into the night sky from the cistern where thousands live- the sight of a lone fruit bat swooping by, its wingspan as broad as that of a barn owl or a hawk an unforgettable moment. And little reminders like a stack of paper bags made in local cottages from recycled Hindi newspapers add to the mix. The unexpected and unconventional amenities and snapshots make Shapura Bagh a welcome stopover on your Rajasthan odyssey.

Shahpura Bagh
Darbar Ki Kothi
Shahpura
District Bhilwara
Rajasthan 311404
Tel: +91 982 8122012 / 8122013
http://www.shahpurabagh.com/

For an interesting retreat at the end of a trip around the golden triangle, Udaipur's chakra-wise Fateh Gahr is a youthful, fun option for a stopover in the city of the famous Lake Palace. Open only a year and a half, the newly-constructed hilltop citadel of 51 rooms was built under a special government designation called a 'heritage renaissance structure'. This means that much of the decor has been repurposed from the ruins of an old palace 150km away, and shaped into an open, spacious, terraced, windblown property. Exceptional views of Lake Pichola, an especially attractive and convenient location away from the overload of the city. While the property has convenient elevator access, much of the experience consists of transiting a lot of marble steps connecting broad verandas. Through casual wandering you come upon a succession of old archways, columns and statuary, window and door details. In the lobby you can catch displays of ceremonial family armaments, exotic examples of superior craft. Eco-savvy, the property takes advantage of solar panels and small windmills for a share of its power needs. It's a perfect scale for groups of 8-10. Highly recommended is room 47, with its corner exposure, terrace and view of the Monsoon Palace on a presiding hilltop. The lower level features terrace suites with private plunge pools. This property offers comfort, convenience, good value in a casual, informal atmosphere, an optimistic harbinger of the new India.

Fateh Garh
Sisarma, Udaipur
Rajasthan, India
+91 99286 66009
http://www.fatehgarh.in/

Ecotourists and bird-watchers are a committed lot, and the resorts who cater to them need to be appropriately committed, well-situated, and offer authentic activities. Ramathra Fort, a 6-suite and 6-tent renovated fort in rural Rajasthan functions as a tourist hotel close to nature, yet featuring all the modern luxuries. A 5-year renovation/restoration by descendents of the founder has given new life to their 17th century ancestral home, which now hosts guests from all over the world. Ramathra Fort's suites are furnished in a rustic style, they are spacious, austere and comfortable, made all the more luxurious by private open-air terraces with outdoor bathtub and opulent shower. The fort casts a distinctive silhouette against the Arawali Hills, its perimeter wall crowned with parapets and wide ramparts, a fantasy from the princely past. This is an ideal stopover for those in transit through Rajasthan, close to Sawai Madhupur and the Ranthambhore tiger zone, situated in the interior, undisturbed by urban intrusions. The government expanded the vast, protected zone in 2009, so that Ramathra Fort now sits at the edge of its new perimeter. Until recently, tigers roamed the area, as well as bandits. While the dacoits have long disappeared, increasing numbers of wildlife appear each year. Naturalists and birders delight at the 67 species of birds sighted. In an environment of no pollution and no noise, there's no such thing as rushed itineraries. An almost-deserted village sits a short walk away, surrounded by irrigated fields. You may well catch a ceremony at a local temple just down the hill. There, festivals and rituals connected to specific deities occur. It's an opportunity to experience living heritage, where ancient traditions still exist. Another way the fort retains the character of the original lifestyle is through authentic homestyle cuisine. Everything served is sourced fresh, nothing frozen, seasonal vegetables only from local villages, with produce free of chemical fertilizers. The cook, who comes from one such village, does a superior job of presenting the finest rich flavors of the regional cuisine, perhaps the best food tasted in a circuit of properties in Rajasthan. Ramathra Fort is well-suited as a retreat, as the site for a small reunion, art safaris, or simply a getaway to the back country. Minimum stay 2 nights, tarif all-inclusive except for wilderness drives, family friendly. Bear in mind there are no tents March-October, and no wi-fi until 2011- though your G3 mobile phone works perfectly. Appropriate for the spirit of the place, there are no televisions to be found. The profound silence which envelops the fort at night guarantees an outstanding sleep in the ultra-comfortable bed. Ramathra Fort will add 2 more suites in 2011, keeping the size of the property at a sweet and managable scale for a truly personal stay.

Ramathra Fort
PO Sapotra, District Karauli
Rajasthan, India
+91 9829013475
http://www.ramathrafort.com/
Connections in India are -to be brutally candid- difficult at best. Even the most seasoned traveler needs the help of a professional planner to get from point-to-point with the minimum of hassle. You might encounter sluggish trains, washed-out roads, or culture shock in the lawless badlands of the Haryana/Uttar Pradesh border, cancelled or overbooked flights, weird way stations with characters out of a Hindu David Lynch movie. Anything can happen, or nothing, but it is better to be insulated from the start. Lucire highly recommends Travelscope India, who successfully move voyagers, experienced and novice, to the farthest ends of the subcontinent, drawing on their own carefully-built network of lodgings and conveyances- private cars to chartered jets, remote properties to luxury beyond imagination. If you go, don't puzzle it out yourself, please. India's big cities are booming, but beyond the metropolis you still need to seek the help of insiders. It will make all the difference.

Travelscope India
http://www.travelscopeindia.com/
mohan@travelscopeindia.com
Mohan Narayanswamy, Managing Director

Four small Paris hotels

The most oft-asked question of Lucire's Travel Editor is for names of good smaller hotels in Paris. Everyone has a little place where they stayed once in the city of unknown gems around every corner. Here are four properties which deliver a buffet of hospitality tastes. Bon continuation!

Plaza Tour Eiffel located just off Trocadero in the tony 16th is the perfect business hotel. In excellent repair, with cool lobby lounge furnishings (Philippe Starck lighting, van der Rohe chairs), compact bar serving drinks and coffees, and a library of supersize art books. The welcome received from this property truly a warm one. Close to embassies, OECD, fashion house offices, only 41 rooms, all non-smoking. The black key card and dark wood tones appeal to business travelers, who make up 60% of the hotel's guests. You'll love the list of complimentary items: newspapers IHT/Guardian/Figaro, wi-fi, lobby computer, bottled water, plus a state-of-the-art fitness center just off the breakfast room. Kudos for the white tile bathrooms, big towels, robes, l'Occitane amenities. Breakfast also served in-room, and room service from 6pm-2am. A superior lodging is junior suite 605 with its petite balcony and Eiffel Tower view.

Plaza Tour Eiffel
32, rue Greuze, 75116 Paris
+33 01 47 27 10 00
http://www.plazatoureiffel.com/

A small hotel steps away from the Jardins de Luxembourg, Hotel Le Senat, beautifully captures the spirit of the bohemian rive gauche. Still looking good after its 2003 renovation, the property's cursive headboards recollect the legacy of the famous Left Bank denizens whose photos decorate the spare lobby. This 3-star has optimal location and a young, friendly attitude, color scheme basic black. Tourists favor the 41 room hostel with its small accommodations, Hermes amenities, and Existential style. There's the usual subterranean dining room, bar, lounge, tiny business center, photogenic garden. If you need a comfortable garret in which to ponder Sartre and the meaning of life, room 403 is highly recommended.

Hotel Le Senat
10, rue de Vaugirard, 75006 Paris
+33 01 43 54 54 54
http://www.hotellesenat.com/

Where to go for a taste of the retro glory of Regency France with a luxury twist at a mid-range price? Look no further than Hotel Powers, a 50 rooms-and-suites hotel housed in a heritage building, on a quiet street near Metro Georges V. Optimal location only 2 minutes walk to Champs Elysees, diagonally across from Cartier. You might expect to see Audrey Hepburn walking through the reception area. Her millionaire playboy friend would like to haunt the neighborhood and inspect its every couture shop. A deceptively quiet entry masks a time-warp, where rooms have high ceilings and pale walls, classical wood details, heroic marble fireplaces, a room suitable to receive Mme. Pompadour. You will appreciate the modern and airy white tile baths, stocked with Bulgari amenities, thick robes, big towels. This is a setting made for room service, especially breakfast in bed. Your option is a charming breakfast room- small, sweet, with pastel green designs, and a very kind lady in attendance. Two noteworthy rooms: #35, spacious with an enormous bath lit by glowing natural light; #58, which has a wraparound terrace. Full room service menu, free wifi and bottled water. Definitely a recommended experience.

Hotel Powers
52, rue Francois 1er, 75008 Paris
+33 01 47 23 91 05
http://www.hotel-powers.com/

Fans of the astounding Mattia Bonetti will appreciate his new wild interiors at the recently opened Hotel Cristal Champs-Elysees. Bonetti, who surpasses the title of designer- he is more of an historian, a repository, a polymath, an encyclopedia of classicism- has created a catalytic cocktail of color and concept, half Dr. Seuss and half Etruscan, with a breakfast room from a parallel universe. The inventive use of the repeat crystal motif, weird-shaped reflections, and the 1-way mirror from the shower into the bedroom in rooms 2 and 4 make this property a must-stay-in. The decor might look strange but Mattia Bonetti makes comfortable furniture, and these are liveable spaces. Perfect lodging for a young couple on the go in Paris, a Bonetti collector, or people looking to recapture their sense of style and fun.

Hotel Cristal Champs-Elysees
9, rue Washington, 75008 Paris
+33 01 45 63 27 33
http://www.hotel-le-cristal.com/

2009-10-17T17:13:00.000-07:00

Trekking in the Navarre

When Spanish diplomats cut their deal to enter the EEC years ago they made a brilliant group of negotiations which brought home the richest package of subsidies of any Common Market country. The result: an incredible burst of prosperity, which transformed the shabby remnants of Franco's legacy into a vibrant economy, a creative hotbed, as well as the world's largest construction site. At one point, only Dubai had more cranes at work. Happily, some of the wealth went to significant place branding, a vast improvement of the road system, and admirable infrastructure development. Spain today is modern, connected, yet still in touch with its rich cultural heritage.

The Navarre region, which sits to the northeast of Barcelona on the road to Pamplona, is small enough to drive end-to-end in a day, but you could easily spend a week looking around. It stretches all the way to the French border. Think of a letter Y, backslanted. At the bottom point of the Y sits Zaragosa, a fine southern port of entry to the region, home to a spiffy new airport. There are regular, cheap flights available from all the European capitals. An unhurried atmosphere prevails. If you return your rental car after hours you just park it in the parking lot, note the space number, and drop your keys and the ticket at the drop box, no sweat. Drive 75km northwest, to the point where the two arms of the Y branch out and you reach the city of Tudela, founded in the 9th century, today's population around 35,000. The city enjoys a reputation as a place where Christians, Moslems and Jews lived together peacefully for over 400 years. What's attracted people to Tudela in the past has been a famous Easter pageant, baroque architecture, a medieval bridge over the river Ebro, old city walls and the medieval Jewish quarter, still intact. It's a charming, modest, quiet, slow-moving place.

Hip people have been drawn to Tudela in the last couple years by Aire de Bardenas, a boutique property of 22 rooms, dramatically situated on the outskirts of town on an elevated plateau just below a wind farm. The property sits at the edge of the Bardenas Reales, an extensive, semi-desert-like unpopulated area with striking geologic formations. The hotel has been featured in every major design and architecture magazine in the world, recipient of many awards and the darling of travel magazines. It's a minimalist construction with container-like residence cubes interconnected by glass-walled geometric passageways. You feel like you've stepped into the set for a fashion shoot, or perhaps a sci fi movie. The very austere lodgings turn out to be surprisingly comfortable, and Habitacion 22 has the best view, privacy, and a cast iron outdoor tub, an amazing place to just soak at dusk and stare at turbines lazily rotating on the distant horizon. The hotel has its own organic vegetable garden, and a well-regarded restaurant, a medium size meeting room, isolation, agreeable staff who have seen it all owing to so much press and attention. One definitely has the feeling of being supremely cool there, and the location is optimal for day trips throughout the Navarre. It has calm and tranquility to recommend it, a fine lodging to come home to each night. Might be a suitable venue for a small corporate meeting or retreat, or a mountain biking holiday due to the flatness of the surrounding terrain.

The city of Tudela is good for one afternoon walk, and tapas at an outdoor table in the town square, not a lot more. The taperia 'San Jaime' in the Plaza San Jaime has good food, reasonable prices and a lively young crowd in the evening. Include a day trip into the Bardenas Reales as part of your itinerary: it takes a half-day, easily navigable by good surface roads, or some rougher unpaved routes. Long hiking paths can be found, and well-marked bike trails. Bring drinking water.

Head 80km to the northwest and you arrive in the city of Logroño, capital of the Rioja wine region, at the upper left point of the Y. While not particularly well-known outside of Spain, Logroño is a prosperous, modern city with a thriving night life, wonderful tapas bars, exceptional food and outstanding wines. The city's broad boulevards fronted by 60s-style highrises recollect Miami or Beverly Hills, expressing a confident and unexpectedly cosmopolitan air. You can tour some of the higher profile wineries who send their vast production -the largest in Spain- all over the world. But a visit to a smaller viñedo reveals the process at a more human scale where the handmade aspect of winemaking can be appreciated up close. Consistently fine wines in Spain are made under the brand name Contino, whose vineyards are an easy 25 minute drive north of the city. The Contino winery is set on an alluvial plain whose terraces slope gently west to a bend in the Ebro, a perfect microclimate for raising grapes. The quality shows in the finished product, result of meticulous craft devoted to intentionally low production. Both Contino's Gran Riserva and Graciano of any vintage would make excellent bottles to take home.

On the other stem of the Y, 40km north of Tudela you reach Olite, seat of the Count of Navarre in the era of Carlos III (1387-1425). This medieval town on a hill, has a low skyline dominated by the silhouette of the Palacio Real. Built in the French Gothic style, it contains all the sumptuous features of the best French palaces of the time. You can walk at your own speed through a complex of rooms, gardens, moats or patios, surrounded by high walls, a constellation of towers rising overhead, and views of the countryside from all the ramparts.

Olite turns out to be another of those unknown treasures you find along the road. Its narrow medieval streets are lined with noble houses and Renaissance and Baroque palaces. La Joyosa Guarda, an interesting hotel renovation behind ancient walls, tucked away on the Rúa de Medios, has modern design and conveniences, but the rooms inexplicably do not have safes. Strange! Everything else about this hotel is wonderful, especially helpful staff and the advantage of a private garage. Another big plus is the hotel's kitchen: the owner doubles as the chef, and he knows his food, only working with local and seasonal fare, including serving his own label of wine and olive oil. This is a restaurant worth trying and every meal taken there was a winner. A block from the hotel is the Casa del Preboste restaurant. It says pizzeria on the outside, but don't let that deter you. Walk in, go all the way through the smoky bar to the back wall, and behind the swinging doors you'll find a sit-down restaurant which faces a wall-sized open fireplace where meats are being grilled. Defintiely eat there, order beef chops and lamb chops, a plate of pinchos, some fried potatoes and a bottle of the local Rioja. The server doesn't speak English, but it doesn't matter, you'll be understood. Few tourists go to this place: it's all locals. Prices are reasonable, and the flavors authentic.

It's only 40km to the northwest of Olite to Pamplona. Much has been written about this bustling city of 250,000, and its yearly running of the bulls. Those descriptions are best left to Papa Hemingway, and you are advised to wave hello as you drive by, and instead head west through lush mountain valleys of the Pyrenees, towards the coast, to Bilbao, a comfortable ride of about an hour and a half. Gehry's Guggenheim Museum focused attention on a place that had lost its vigor, delivered to Bilbao a global profile, revived tourism, turned a forgotten backwater of a million residents on the Bay of Biscay into a happening destination filled with groovy people. Yet the architect's grandiose statement sits on the bank of the river Nervión like an oversize piece of klunky reflective jewelry, an incongruous monument to the ego, with a dysfunctional interior guaranteed to induce vertigo or acute disorientation. Huge works by Richard Serra are displayed in a vast hall, yet claustrophobia happens and his remarkable sculptures definitely want more space to breathe. This Guggenheim is a must-see, and speaks so eloquently about the time we live in, where works of art get housed in gaudy, thin-skinned barns, and people who call themselves artists build huge replicas of cutesy puppy dogs covered in flowers. You can be back in Olite in time for dinner.

About 10km north of Olite you'll find the turnoff for Sangüesa, on the banks of the River Aragon, an historic town (population 5,000) whose origins can be traced back to the Bronze Age, and once a traditional stopover on the ancient pilgrim's route to San Juan Compostela. Important Roman ruins can still be visited there. Until around 1500, this was a strategic hotpoint in the defense of the Navarre against the adjacent kingdom of Aragon, which lies to the west. The old quarter has some lovely classical facades, but unless churches and convents interest you, continue through town and follow the road northwest into the hills to the Castillo de Javier, an impressive restoration with a fine museum. Several good hotels and restaurants stand next to the castle, and it's an excellent stopover on the ride through the mountain passes, which lead into Aragon. Sos del rey Catolico, a resort town at the crest of the range, has quaint walking streets and good hotels, with views of forest and gorges, all very picturesque. You continue down the hill headed south, passing old castles and small settlements, onto the flats.

Eventually you come to Sádaba, where a medieval fortification rises starkly above the landscape, visible from miles away. It's worth a stop simply to gaze at the towering classical proportions, and to dream of what this romantic land must have been like in bygone days, when knights and ladies, kings and princes, lorded over empires, now faint memories we simply dismiss with the vastly inadequate term history.

Hotel Aire de Bardenas

Ctra. Ejea NA- 125 Km 1,5
31500 Tudela
+34 948 11 66 66
http://www.hotelairedebardenas.com/

La Joyosa Guarda
Rúa de Medios, 23
31390 Olite
+34 948 741 304
http://www.lajoyosaguarda.com/

Casa del Preboste
Rúa Mirapies, 8
Olite
+34 948 71 22 50

Contino Vineyard
Finca San Rafael
Laserna-Laguardia
+34 945 600 201
http://www.cvne.com/web/bodegas.php?bod=3&Bodega-Viñedos-del-Contino-Vino

2009-09-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

Diary entry: New Delhi, India

I've certainly learned my lesson: you don't go trekking about India without the aid of an experienced travel planner. You need a car to meet you at the airport, you need a good driver who can make a judgement call on the spur of the moment (this last trip my driver did a U-turn as soon as he saw a truck stuck in an ancient gateway- we would have been waiting there for hours). You need the expert advice of someone who knows the best routes, the reliable flights and trains (an oxymoronic thought in itself), and has the inside information on hotels. That's why I headed down to Gurgaon to consult Mohan at Travelscope India before leaving on a planned circuit through Rajasthan, which is another story altogether. I'm always interested in who is going where and why, so sounded Mohan on what the latest industry trends were in light of the Mumbai massacre, the world economic collapse and Bird Flu, not to mention all the Nervous Nellie terror alerts that have temporarily diminished tourism in India. Mohan's answer was instantaneous: people are discovering the South, for a multitude of excellent reasons.

Of course economics figures prominently in all this. People just can't spend with such abandon as before, and the South is definitely cheaper. It's nowhere near as known as the North. Mohan called it underexplored, not as expensive as the north, yet fairly priced. The South doesn't yet have the luxury that characterises the Golden Triangle of Delhi-Agra-Jaipur, areas most first-time travelers see, already developed for tourism. Turns out there's much to recommend the four states to the south (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu) besides cost.

You can discover cultural heritage 10 centuries old through a wealth of temple architecture and structures emblematic of colonial history. There's an engaging warmth to life in the South, Mohan said, complemented by year-round good weather. Kerala's exotic backwaters have eco-friendly lodges, and tea plantations are everywhere. In fact, the cuisine- signature dishes, spices, and tea are all renowned delicacies. Telicherry pepper, often called the best, comes from Kerala. I'm convinced- next trip I'll go South. Maybe I'll try out the Golden Chariot, a new express rail connection between Bangalore and Goa. And then I'll report back to you.

TRAVEL SCOPE (I) PVT. LTD.

118, Qutub Plaza, DLF Phase I
Gurgaon – 122002. NCR of Delhi.
Tel. : 91-124-4381801 Extn. : 204
Fax : 91-124-4381805
Website : www.travelscopeindia.com

2009-09-20T06:32:00.000-07:00

Diary entry: St Leonards on Sea, England

It’s been almost 950 years since William the Conqueror’s bowmen put an arrow through the eye of King Harold at the Battle of Hastings and changed the course of history. You’d think that would be enough time to get over it and move on, yet a visit to this historic section of the south coast of England shows just how much people still remember. Perhaps I exaggerate (moi?) but the seaside hamlet of St. Leonards is rich in its memories. Bingo parlors, amusement palaces and the kitschy beachfront crazy golf course aside, you can’t go far without some remnant of the vivid past grabbing your attention. The names alone tell a story: Norman Road, Archer Terrace, Warrior Square. The ruins of a medieval castle and abbey overlook the tiny boat harbor, and a pastiche of architectural styles pay tribute to the passage of time. A kind of weird, wonderful vibe prevails, promoting visions of bygone days at the shore. It’s not just marauding Normans, either. Locals dress up as pirates and take you on tours of smuggler’s caves. Plaques commemorate sites destroyed in WWII bombings. And a local theatre company papers the town with posters advertising its latest production of “The Tart and the Vicar’s Wife.”

Perhaps scale has some bearing. St Leonard’s is no Brighton, with its succession of screaming nightclubs and gelato stands and droves of orotund weekenders. You might label it an arty decay here, a small enough community where residents happen upon friends promenading. The tiny pedestrian lane called George Street, has trendy bistros set side by side with ancient curio shops and used book stores, where scruffy elderly hippies sip cappuccinos at outdoor tables. Even the fenced-off, long-condemned pier, with its ghostly silhouette adds a contemplative silence to the picture. Stroll along the boardwalk and you pass a succession of fish and chips places and Indian restaurants, wending your way around cyclists and young families pushing babies in prams, comfortably mingling with old folks on an afternoon stroll, jackets zipped to meet the exhilarating ocean breezes. Nobody hurries, and the regal figure of Victoria, timeless in bronze, presides stern-faced from her pedestal in Warrior Square, watching over the waves she once ruled.

A few doors away, facing the same ocean, stands the Zanzibar International, a boutique hotel of 9 elegantly-appointed rooms, opened almost four years ago. Spare, minimal, light, airy, the property immediately garnered attention as one of the top small properties in Britain. A tiny oasis of unobtrusive hospitality, this jewel of a retreat seeks only your happiness. As always, the secret is in the details: the vintage telescope on its tripod in the front window; the sandstone Thai Buddha’s head, eyes downcast, on the ledge in your bathroom; the terraced garden with its tropical plants and comfy wood seating; the fully-stocked honor bar in the lobby; the DVD library which has something for every taste; and a genius-level breakfast IQ, “the last impression a guest has of the hotel, so it’s important to us.” Optimal location, devoted staff, fairly priced at the high end of the lodging spectrum. This romantic small hotel is a little dream worth visiting.
Of course you could go across the square to the fusty old hotel for a third of the cost and get an ocean view, but you will need to tolerate a shabby ambience, the Fawlty Towers school of hotel management, and the dreaded English breakfast (runny eggs, overcooked bacon, cold white toast and two small brownish objects generously referred to as mushrooms). While a number of charming dining out options can be found in the area, the fish and chips shop near Zanzibar’s corner looked authentic, posted a nice menu, and sent out pleasing aromas, perhaps the best advertising of all: probably a great place to pop into for a fast snack.

Zanzibar International Hotel
9 Eversfield Place
St Leonards on Sea
East Sussex
TN37 6BY

Tel 01424 460109
www.zanzibarhotel.co.uk

2009-03-05T12:01:00.000-08:00

Luxury Getaways in India

Author's note: Editors and fact-checkers have a way of removing juicy details that often make a story more interesting. You can see the following article in its entirety below, or in edited fragments elsewhere. The text posted here represents the uncensored original draft. SM

In light of the terror in Mumbai, the compelling question of just how safe India is requires a rethink. Don’t abandon India as a destination, even though the answer is complicated. Terrorists will select high-profile targets, especially those they call “soft”, with weak security. But that should not deter a trip. Security has been beefed up and the bad guys have been arrested. Let these simple cautions apply:

Don’t spend your time in big city destinations, especially tourist haunts
Make sure your connections are definite, safe, secure, in the care of experienced guides or handlers
Whenever possible, avoid high-traffic public transport
Steer clear of the urban glitz and glam spots
When you first walk to your hotel room, count the doors to the fire exit, in the unlikely event you need to find your way there in the dark.

Having established these parameters, India still has much of the remarkable and incredible to offer, especially luxury experiences far from the teeming crowds. You can still find the soul of India, at a safe remove from the chaotic hubs of transformation. But progress intrudes, an aggressive national highway building program will soon render many of the outposts more easily reached. So, as always, go now while you can, when the values are good and the demand is low. Think of India as an opportunity.

The four destinations reported here were visited in October-November 2008, just prior to the Mumbai attacks. Three are in rural Rajasthan, one in the northeast state of Uttrakhan in the low Himalayas. Each offers exceptional and rewarding experiences for the intrepid traveler willing to go far afield from the mainstream.

Chhatra Sagar, an eco-friendly tent camp in Rajasthan, India, summons to mind the motto of Hoshi Ryokan, a Japanese inn located outside Osaka, Japan, first opened in 718 and today run by the 46th generation of founding family: "Take care of fire. Learn from water. Cooperate with nature." In many ways Chhatra Sagar is a living illustration of that quality of enlightenment. The camp lies a 2½ hour drive from the city of Jaipur. It's a lifetime project of the Rathore family, direct descendents of the Maharajah of Jodhpur, owners of this land for 17 generations. Originally in 1890, great-grandfather Thakur Chhatra Singh decided to dam a seasonal stream flowing through his estate and changed the face of the valley, turning arid scrub into lush farmland. Over the years irresponsible farming, well-drilling and animal grazing damaged the water table. In 2001 the family decided to give the land back to nature, and established this eco-resort of 11 camp-style tents overlooking 365 protected acres on the east side of the dam, which fills with water from October to March. Following their conservation effort, over 200 varieties of wildlife have returned, egret, heron, kingfishers, antelope, wild boar, small jungle cats, all easily observed from the ramparts of the dam or on nature walks into the habitat. The sustainability quotient is optimal- the camp serves all locally-sourced food, has intense community involvement, and is furnished by indigenous craft. The property employs 30 local families from the nearby village of Kheda Deogarh, sponsors teachers, provides medicine, classroom furniture and brings specialized educators who address subjects ranging from family planning to recycling to soil conservation. The Rathore family deeply love the land, and view water-harvesting as an ancestral responsibility. Stewards and guardians of a unique place, their personal involvement and constant presence reinforce the commitment. They bring to the equation a natural grace and elegance, making the experience an altogether authentic one. They have created utterly comfortable lodging, and the ‘one price-everything included’ policy makes for an even-more attractive offering. By far the most romantic beds are found in “the tents on the hill”, with their 360 degree view, to the east the Aravali Hills, to other directions the rolling contours of rural Rajasthan. Come for the silence, the bird-watching, the isolation, the bats who fly over the dinner tables at dusk, the fresh pomegranate juice on the terrace, the tangible humanity of this singular place.

Chhatra Sagar

Nimaj

District Pali 306 303

Rajasthan INDIA

Tel +91 2939 230 118

www.chhatrasagar.com

harsh@chhatrasagar.com

Romance and fantasy are the keywords which describe Devi Garh, a converted maharajah’s citadel 28 kilometers northeast of Udaipur, overlooking the village of Delwara in the Aravali Hills. This ambitious regeneration of a heritage structure fuses traditional architecture with splendid modern details, design, materials and conveniences in a setting so far from the here-and-now as to place one in a separate mindspace altogether. You can’t quite decide where you fit in time, with the unspoiled vistas, classical balconies and turrets, acres of white marble, and bathrooms of outstanding opulence, counterpoised with works of contemporary art and touches of tasteful modernism. You never wake up from the dream. The high service component only adds to the experience, with a staff:guest ratio that insures extreme attention if you want it. Accommodation goes from just-plain-cushy to over-the-top posh, and it’s virtually impossible to pry oneself away from the poolside, leafing through your bestseller, sipping lime water, punctuated by refreshing dips in water held to a perfect bathing temperature, and the lazy napping this kind of escapism encourages. All this before your visit to the Serena Spa, where the signature Marma treatment will leave you near-anesthetized in a zone of total relaxation. I’m not convinced there’s all that much to do in the area, though a walk with a guide through the settlement below can be a good introduction to a typical Rajasthani village, albeit one accustomed to a luxury resort in operation up on the hill for a decade, meaning higher prices than other hamlets. There is an amazing temple dating to 1100 AD well worth a visit, an offering, a prayer. A local astrologer will tell your future for about US$20, and there is a very fine naïve stone carver whose reliefs make excellent mementoes. Then a hike back up to the gates, a return to the sweet unreality, followed by a masterfully-executed traditional meal, perhaps in a mirrored private dining room high in the palace, accompanied by the strains of traditional flute. No wonder this spot was once called Raza Inayat, which translates Place of Gods and Goddesses. The resort is perfectly sized for meetings and events, delivering a singular getaway from the realities of the world, and ample time and space to rest and renew. Unforgettable.

Devi Garh

Delwara, NH 8, Near Eklingji

Nathdwara, District Rajsamand 313 202

Rajasthan INDIA

Tel +91 11 2335 4554

www.deviresorts.com

reservations@deviresorts.com

Amanbagh, situated in a secluded oasis of lush vegetation east of Jaipur, paints a brilliant picture of rural splendour and cultural heritage, while delivering high comfort, luxury and pampering. This remote getaway of only 38 rooms, designed by Edward Tuttle, features elegant walled pool pavilions rich in sandstone and pink and green marble, two restaurants and a spa. The guest can be assured of security and privacy, at the same time experiencing authenticity and sincerity in the service proposition. Aman hires great managers, and emphasizes humanistic principles in their staff training. This secret first-class escape, open just 4 years, built its reputation on repeat business (typical stay 3-11 days), where travellers kick back at poolside and then go forth in search of history and anthropology, all comfortably accessible nearby. Hearty Indiana Jones types endure the bumpy road up the precipitous side of a mountain top plateau to visit Neelkanth Temple, dating to 700AD, home of carvings both artistic and provocative. The way down affords a view of Mansarovar Lake, where a tranquil and leisurely floating lunch can be taken in the shadow of an abandoned fort, to the gentle lapping of the oarsmen’s strokes on the placid water. Another worthy half-day expedition, the deserted city of Bhangarh, allows wandering through ruins where 50,000 people once resided. Today it’s populated mostly by monkeys, who dart among the temple and palace on the hillside above. Ask for the guide Sita Ram, who can name every animal, plant, and ayurvedic remedy one encounters. His expert knowledge and great gentility add to the expedition. Amanbagh is a perfect place to celebrate pivotal life events like weddings, honeymoons, anniversaries, birthdays, reunions. But one could dream up other compelling reasons to spend a week there. Rajasthan’s legendary marble quarries, known for signature white, green and red hues, lie within reach. There are miles of marble brokers on the main roads about 30 miles west, vast yards full of cut slabs and enormous blocks- a shopper’s dream if one, for example, sought that exotic commodity. Budget allowing, copter in directly to the hotel’s private helipad. This alleviates a ½ hour flight from New Delhi to Jaipur, followed by a 1½ hour drive to the property. The last 45 minutes of the drive out are memorably bone-shaking due to washed out sections of road from last year’s monsoons. But definitely go. This outstanding destination has so much to offer in the details, more cultural experiences than a single stay allows, a wonderful menu to suit any taste, yoga at sunrise, the remarkable classic Rajasthani jewelry available in the boutique, and a wise little owl, avatar of Laxmi- goddess of wealth, who sits in a tree next to the entryway watching over every guest who arrives.

Amanbagh

Ajabgarh

Alwar 301 027

Rajasthan INDIA

Tel +91 1465 223 333

www.amanresorts.com

amanbagh@amanresorts.com

Escape and renewal figure mightily at Ananda in the Himalayas, a destination spa situated on a lofty hill overlooking the river Ganges, near Rishikesh. First you have to get there, and that alone takes some commitment. You can ride the train up from Delhi to Haridwar, around 5 hours of grueling track, with 1st class often sold out, so reserve early and lower your expectations. (If your only choice is to ride in 2^nd class, keep your hands on your bags and don’t let them out of your sight. Foreigners are targeted on the trains as easy victims and valises can disappear in a second.) Alternately you could take a private car, an exhausting 6½ hour trek from Delhi, through miles of Muslim villages, then navigate a twisty mountainous pass through a state reserve, home to wild elephants which you don’t see. You will meet a lot of monkeys, who congregate on the roadsides waiting for handouts. Flights into the airport at Derha Dun are frequently cancelled, so short of private aircraft into that airport the best option is to charter your own helicopter from Delhi, which will follow the lazy path of the Ganges north, finally settling on a helipad just down the hill from the property, which is set within the confines of a maharajah’s estate above a forested gorge. The view of sacred river through the haze from that altitude evokes visions of ancient culture and wisdom, and complete separation from the accelerated world of big cities and throngs of humanity. This could be the ultimate destination spa in the world, if seasoned travel pundits and major publications are be to believed. Think of Ananda as a place to reflect , an uncrowded oasis and never rushed, where you quickly forget there are 73 rooms and 3 villas (which each have private pools and come with butlers) nestled among the conifers. People typically stay one week or longer. Guests often extend, in fact 70% of the property’s business are 10+ days. You will meet an unusually high number of single travelers, 35-50 years old, 60% from abroad, many of them women traveling alone. People seem to be doing a lot of networking. You may be at the time of your life when you are asking, “Is that all there is?” This could well be the place to find some answers.

Your stay commences with a consultation at the spa under the watchful scrutiny of an ayurvedic doctor, who will no doubt tell you to reduce intake of all the foods you like, and eat more of everything you’d rather not, advise you which spices and herbs are good for you, what body type you are. It’s a nice experience, though, talking about oneself for nearly an hour, and at the completion the doctor meets with Executive Chef Anup Gupta, and briefs him on your dietary profile. Thus surfaces the next dilemma, since the kitchen believes that while the cooking of foods is a ritual and a worship, you need not torture yourself unduly. Chef Gupta offers a prayer before a meal, “let this food do good for me,” and he will indulge your preferences. He visits your table, discusses the lunch or dinner, and then asks, “May I have your permission to cook for you?” His ulterior motive is to give his guests a lifestyle, which they take home with them after they go. This is a kitchen unafraid to dispense large portions , enlightened enough to list calorie and carb counts on the menu. A chef and waiter are assigned to each guest. You can attend twice-weekly sessions in Chef’s show kitchen, where he freely dispenses the secrets of his trade. Of course, it will be difficult to duplicate the flavor of his Eucalyptus wood fire grill. This kitchen does excellent work, with both Western and traditional Indian fare.

The other cornerstone of the Ananda experience will be your visit to the spa. The extensive and modern facility spreads out over 3 levels adjoining the pool area, and offers every imaginable iteration of ayurvedic treatments, from full body massages and clinical hydrotherapy to heated oil dripped over the forehead and things so exotic you will need a good hour to read through the menu of offerings, an embarrassment of choice. Be bold, daring, adventurous and you will be rewarded. The spa is committed to ethical values, and strives to be as green and sustainable as it can, using mostly locally sourced herbs and oils and minerals, including a range of outstanding products. There’s a palpable humanism present, and a high pampering quotient made possible by a staff of 75 devoted spa professionals.

Daily yoga ought to figure in any visit, and it’s available at a variety of levels from gentle beginner stuff to private hard-core instruction. Weather permitting, you can get oriented with a 7am class outdoors in a lovely amphitheatre, or you may be fortunate enough to catch a session in one of the lofty rooms of the palace up the hill. To fill out your itinerary, you might audit Vedanta lectures. Recently Shri Ronan, senior disciple of Swami Parthsarthy, acted as guru-in-residence, and conducted a series on topics relevant to finding fulfillment in the lives we lead. As if that is not enough, you could study Ayurveda, do some serious meditation, avail yourself of the 6-hole golf course, set a fitness regimen, or delve into past life regression. Or take some unforgettable side trips to a temple at the snow line of the Himalayas, trekking through local reserves in the company of expert guides, seek the blessings of local swamis, or journey down into Rishikesh to wander among the pilgrims, and end your day with a sunset ceremony on the banks of the Ganges.

While management positions the property as a place for de-stress, detox, purification, anti-aging, or weight management, there is a deeper level of experience to be found. Ananda in the Himalayas has a splendid isolation, miles away from the commodified world of commercial spas. You have made a major journey to an ancient spiritual capital, the birthplace of yoga, where guests regard the time taken as a necessity, a place for recharging the batteries, for reconsidering the meaning of life, and for finding the strength to go forward. Highly recommended.

Ananda in the Himalayas

The Palace Estate

Narendra Nagar, Thhri Garhwal

Uttrakhand 249 175

INDIA

Tel +91 1378 227 500

www.anandaspa.com

sales@anandaspa.com

The greatest dilemma with travel in India comes in two areas: The first concerns transit, the simple fact of getting from one place to the next. Connections are often problematic, or filled with cultural obstacles that aren’t easily understood. These might be as mundane as getting stuck in your vehicle on a country road somewhere in the thick of an endless line of cars, all waiting for a traffic accident to clear at a remote railway crossing; going through the arcane protocols of multiple baggage checks at a secondary airport; negotiating for a taxi back to your hotel; choosing the right inter-city flight; or the simple process of finding the right train platform, then coach, then seat at the Delhi station. The second comes in selecting the right guides, destinations and lodging which fit your individual preferences.

The key in India is to work with an expert firm who create exclusive itineraries and personalized travel experiences. This is an indispensible part of the process. Delhi-based Travelscope India pays personal attention to each traveler, and brings a wealth of insider knowledge gleaned from years of working in this fascinating market. The firm has created customized itineraries for things as exotic as elephant trips from city-to-city to archaeological tours, and their expertise reaches into all corners of the subcontinent. Mohan and his staff of travel specialists can handle any requests with the optimum of efficiency, aplomb, insider knowledge and a real human touch. This dimension of involvement can make the difference between a trip that is simply memorable or one that is memorably outstanding.

Travelscope India

118, DLF Qutab Plaza, DLF City, Phase-1

Gurgaon 122 002 NCR of Delhi

INDIA

+91 124 438 1801

www.travelscopeindia.com

contact@travelscopeindia.com

www.travelscopeindia.blogspot.com

2009-03-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

An Interwoven Tale, Part II

Readers of these ramblings may recall the account of an odyssey to the Hebrides of Scotland in August 2007, following the footsteps of Johnson and Boswell (see http://smoss-endlessroad.blogspot.com/2007/09/interwoven-tale-part-i-in-late-summer.html). There a coat length of real Harris tweed was purchased at the Kenneth MacKenzie Mills in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis. The tweed eventually found its way to the premises of John Pearse in Soho, London in February 2008, where measurements were taken, and the venerable process of custom tailoring a bespoke jacket began. (The archaic term 'bespoke' refers to the practice of first buying the cloth before it is actually made into a garment: the cloth was said to be spoken for, and thus could not be taken by anyone else.) While jackets can be made up in a matter of weeks, owing to the itnieraries of the client, this finished garment was delivered in August 2008, but well worth the six-month wait.
Mr. Pearse's minimalist shop, a few steps from Saville Row, is an oasis of contemporary style mixed with traditional standards of fine tailoring. There's a selection of Pearse-created ready-made suits, jackets, coats, shirts, caps and pajamas on hand, but John is best-known for superior made-to-measure, both for ladies and gents. In addition to cutting a very fine, fitted silhouette, his jackets often sport eccentric, colorful and idiosyncratic linings. For the tweed jacket Mr. Pearse located a printed silk of newspaper headlines from the 1968 Paris student demonstrations, a perfect match ideologically for the jacket's intended wearer. With the leftover cloth he cut a beautifully finished vest. As always, the details shine, the angle and placement of pockets, the drape of the shoulder, the slight curve of the waist, even the color of stitching on button holes becomes an aspect of perfection.
The joy of working with a master tailor cannot be overstated. Pearse's creations do not come cheap. Your patience is required. These are garments which last a lifetime, cut to the client's unique dimensions, built to bring out the best of the wearer and the beauty of the cloth. The first time you don a jacket made just for you, the irrefutable pleasure of wearing a singular personalized object comes close to a true sense of all which is sublime.

John Pearse
6 Meard Street
W1F OEG
London UK
tel:020 7434 0738
fax: 020 7287 3862
jp@johnpearse.co.uk
www.johnpearse.co.uk

2009-01-18T11:52:00.000-08:00

David Kapp at Ruth Bachofner

I am a big fan of this artist, who only gets better and better as the years pass. Had the pleasure of visiting Kapp's latest installation of work completed in 2008 at the opening in Santa Monica last night, and found the canvases as durable and surprising as ever. His color palette evolves with deep layers of paint, scraped back, overpainted, rubbed out again, an archaeology in nuances of cool blues, greys, mauves, taupes, contrasted by piercing stabs of oranges and reds. The theme image 'Sqaure Crowd' is a tour de force of gestural paint applied in large scale- too late to grab it, as it quickly sold- though 'Chinatown (Age of Man) a 60 x 48" allegory has seductive content and some racy visual wit along with an adventurous composition. There's a fine, small work just to the left of the entry, which could easily have been painted by an AbEx artist, if it didn't have the solid trappings of figuration. Mostly it's a color field painting in modest scale, and a super bargain for a work by one who counts NYC's Metropolitan Museum of Art as a collector. There's still time to look at the show, which stays up until February 21.

Ruth Bachofner Gallery specializes in contemporary art.
2525 Michigan Avenue, Suite G2
in the Bergamot Station Art Center, Santa Monica, California
(adjacent to Santa Monica Museum of Art)
Telephone: 310-829-3300
www.ruthbachofnergallery.com

2008-09-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

Humble Pie

England’s staggering expense can overwhelm the dollar-bearing tourist, so any foodie experience combining parsimony and adventure make the UK all the more delectable. Franco Manca, a storefront pizza joint just opened in London’s Brixton Market on the south side of the Thames, serves up an amazing, delicious, authentic and totally organic Neopolitan-style pizza for £5.40 ($10.50US), well worth a visit. You’ve got to call this a bargain unequalled in central London, where a mediocre slice could set you back the same amount or more, with no local color and maybe a bellyache for dessert. It sounds hard to get to, but Brixton is quite easily reached by Tube- simply head south on the lite blue Victoria Line to the last stop (Brixton Station). This takes maybe 20 minutes max from Green Park tube station. Walk out of the tube, turn left, then take the first left into the open air market lane where vendors hawk all manner of wares, then the first right into a narrow street, and then the first left in to the covered arcade called Market Row, clearly marked. Not difficult, actually quite accessible, and an adventure into the wild and wooly market- not a genteel, chi-chi destination, more of a foodie Mecca where the perfect balance of tomato, garlic, oregano, capers, olive, anchovy and mozzarella settle happily onto a perfectly-executed crust, hand-made by real Italians. You can quaff local brew, or try the home-made organic lemonade, an ideal accompaniment. Young locals have discovered this place which offers top-quality flavor, honest ingredients, a great price and a bohemian atmosphere a stone’s throw from Central London.

Also, see: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/sep/21/restaurants.foodanddrink1

Franco Manca

Sourdough Pizza

Unit 4, Market Row

London SW9 8LD

Tel 020 7738 3021

2008-08-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

Multiple Energies in Mumbai

Mumbai means business, and so does the new Four Seasons Hotel, opened barely a month ago in the up and coming Worli district, in the city they used to call Bombay. When the property goes fully on-line in September, the 33-story structure dominating the skyline will feature 202 top-grade luxury suites of uncompromising comfort and quality, catering to the international business traveler, and celebrating the awakening of India’s global aspirations. What an impressive property this newcomer is.

The lodging aspect tracks with the established Four Seasons style of over-the-top comfort. Much thought has been put into these quarters, with memorable and unexpected details like loaner books and top-grade Darjeeling teas hand-selected by GM Armando Kraenzlin, placed in each room. Tea and silk, accented by warm woods, café au lait marble baths, L’Occitane amenities, glass-walled rain showers, soothing light and rich tapestries enhance the sensual package. Both business and leisure travelers stopping over will find extreme comfort in these, the largest guest accommodations in Mumbai.

Because of the hotel’s excellent situation in the geographical center of Mumbai, any room boasts astonishing views of the city. Outside the hotel windows hawks ride the thermals in the stifling mid-day heat, sometimes to the background sounds of the call to prayer from a nearby mosque. West-facing rooms overlook the Arabian Sea, where whitecaps roll in and break dramatically along the curvaceous waterfront. South-facing rooms have panoramic angles on the Mahalaxmi Race Course and the teeming business district. The most spectacular vistas will be found from the Presidential Suite, a 3,336 square foot aerie with private elevator, configured to expand up to a 3-bedroom apartment if needed.

Dazzling public spaces have just the right variety. There’s a comfortable vaulted lobby lounge with a full bar, illuminated by backlit marble, ideal for casual business conversation. Off to the left is the entrance to the molto moderna Prato Italian restaurant, which doubles as a bustling breakfast room. Its very authentic menu transports you to the Mediterranean, through a creative array of innovative and flavorful interpretations executed by Chef Matteo Arvonio. He’s backed up by the endlessly intriguing work of Chef Patissier Thierry Methee, whose gateaux and cakes never cease to delight- hot tip: available for take-out, an added bonus. Behind the bar you will find Prato’s spacious terrace: the hotel has a removable window system which installs during the oppressively humid monsoon season, thus maintaining a constant and comfortable climate-controlled temperature year-round.

The real centerpiece of pubic spaces is the adjacent San-Qi (“Three Energies”) restaurant, an outstanding fusion concept with its own separate entrance, which brings together under one roof the best of Indian, Asian and Japanese cuisines, housed in a spectacular bi-level restaurant, ringed by a variety of opulent private dining spaces. These windowed rooms and the very desirable eight-seat Chef’s Table are prime locations for theatrical culinary entertainments, especially those involving live cooking. The partnering of three top-notch chefs (think: The Three Tenors, except with food) is a brilliant stroke, allowing a confluence of wisdom and tradition which delivers a striking array of tastes. Try the signature dumplings called “momos”, or the Indian thali-style platter, or anything sushi. This restaurant steps into the marketplace as a premier dining and entertaining destination in the city, featuring power lunches built for speed and simplicity, opulent dinner options, and even a Sunday brunch ideal for families.

A business hotel needs to provide more than bedrooms and dining, and this Four Seasons has a state-of-the-art business center equipped with wood-paneled conference rooms and comfortable workstations augmented by an accessories box next to each monitor, staples, tape, pens, paperclips, the stuff you always need that you always forget to bring along. Details like these make the difference between just-plain-great and extraordinary properties. After you sleep, eat, meet and send your emails, some healthy endeavor sounds like a worthwhile alternative. Here the Four Seasons does not disappoint, with a stylish outdoor pool terrace; owing to its newness it’s a favored location for fashion shoots, so wear your shades and coolest swim togs. You can avail yourself of morning awakening and evening enlightenment yoga sessions in the Chi Studio, under the direction of Dr. Kannan, in-house ayurvedic guru. There’s also a Rossano Ferretti hair salon, and a complete day spa occupying two stories of light-filled space, where guests can savor a bevy of treatments aimed at wellness, rejuvenation and wellbeing. Check out the VIP suite at the spa- and get ready for 500 square feet of major pampering. For the truly adventurous the hotel offers a guided mountain bike tour of Worli, a total immersion into the sights, sounds and occasional smells of the neighborhood.

How do you build a property offering such a complete package? You begin with experienced management who possess career dedication to the craft of hospitality. Four Seasons has posted a team of their most talented executives to Mumbai for the launch of this, their first property to open on the subcontinent. Next, you hire and develop young staff from the local area, and impart to them a corporate style which emphasizes the highest standards. In the process you generate a real family feel, which every employee interaction successfully communicates. Finally, you pay attention to local sensitivities, backed up by meaningful community involvement.

Mumbai is primarily a business hub, not a tourist destination. Though it is known as the gateway to Goa most visitors arrive to do business. Abundant shopping, nightlife, eating, the excitement of the racetrack or perhaps a Bollywood studio tour can round out the activity package. Ask the concierge. You might even score a ride in GM Kraenzlin’s spiffy red Ambassador Avigo, and really attract some attention.

Four Seasons has spent years perfecting skills in meeting the unique demands of top-tier business travelers, and here one finds the first class standards one expects from the brand. Repeat guests understand the benefits: easier business travel, more rewarding leisure travel. Which explains what inspires such incredible cross-property loyalty whatever the location.

Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai

114 Dr. E. Moses Road, Worli

Mumbai 400 018, India

Tel +91 22 2481 8050

Fax +91 22 2481 8177

www.fourseasons.com/mumbai

reservations.mumbai@fourseasons.com

2008-08-10T08:23:00.001-07:00

Authentic and Indian
When hotels in France are awarded stars to indicate their quality, the guest welcome -what the French call l'acceuil- figures greatly in the final evaluation. If this were the test in India, Shanti Home, a boutique hotel set in a residential quarter in West Delhi, would easily get the top rating of 5 stars. Operated by former hospitality professionals who understand what intrepid wanderers crave the most, this mid-range property is a warm outpost, both traditional and real, away from the horrors of the road. It is one where your visit begins with a sincere welcome which sets the tone for the entire stay. Here the weary traveler discovers everything good about the Bed & Breakfast model, enhanced with 24-hour room service and a cozy spa. You quickly find comforting human touches you would never get at an Oberoi property where you could easily pay five times the money every night and never feel the soul of India. But don't expect that weird, opportunistic, sucking-up behavior the big chains seem to always provide with their high-cost lodgings. Vagabonds suffering from the malady called monolithic hotel fatigue will find that Shanti Home offers true relief.

What are some of the differences?
It's smaller, only 17 rooms, so few in number they don't even bother with numbers, using names drawn from Indian culture and geography. You're only obliged to remember which of the 4 levels your room is, and punch the appropriate elevator button. This also means the staff to guest ratio of 1:1.5 insures attentive service and security. It's comfortable, modern, clean and spacious, an excellent value at US$125-175 per night.
The rooftop terrace restaurant features home cooking. Chef Adil Khan faithfully recreates his mother's traditional recipes with the utmost affection and accuracy. His range of breads are a brilliant discovery, always perfect. While the kitchen offers Western-style dishes, there's such a beautiful variety of traditional fare it could keep your palate busy for a long time. Stay with the Indian food, and graze the menu.

The decor is authentic, interesting, eclectic, varied, much of it custom-made for the hotel. Here is a hotel which values local craft, and has drawn its decor from every corner of the Indian subcontinent. It's all in the details, like an authentic elephant's headpiece or stills from Bollywood classics, unique ceramics and wood carvings or an armoire made from an antique temple door.

There's a no-tipping policy, so service people won't hang around after an interaction, palm upraised. If you are so moved to tip, tips are shared by all at Shanti Home- you simply discreetly put what you want into one of two ceramic duck banks, which can be found at reception or at the restaurant. If you want to tip, owner Rajat Verma says, "feed the duck."
There are no televisions, except for a big plasma screen in the 2nd floor theatre. This escape from the oppressive and omnipresent media makes the hotel environment all the more peaceful. A property for readers, not watchers. But there are also loaner laptops in the public spaces, and free wi-fi throughout the property so one does not feel digitally isolated.

It's located in West Delhi- and why would anyone choose a property there? For openers it's quiet. Your correspondent stayed in a perfectly acceptable chrome-and-marble business hotel in East of Kalish for about $25 a night more. It fronted the metro construction site, meaning constant traffic noise and dust. Had to ask for a room on the back side of the property. All the rooms at Shanti Home are tranquil. And West Delhi isn't Siberia, just the opposite from what the travel agents want you to believe. The hotel sits only 20 minutes from the airport, and 40 minutes by car from downtown. The Uttam Nagar metro station lies 300m from Shanti Home, and it will get you all the way to Connaught Place without any fumes or horns or potholes or beggars in about 20 minutes, no hassles about the driver parking and waiting. This is both a sustainable act, not to mention a great convenience, especially at a maximum fare of Rs.14, about US 35 cents each way. The Delhi metro is modern, clean, efficient and cheap. Unlike the chi-chi competitors, Shanti Home provides a metro map in your welcome package- and on the back of the sheet are helpful Hindi phrases, something not ordinarily seen at other hotels in Delhi.
The hotel can issue you a loaner mobile phone for your use while in town. This means you will never get lost, or be too far from an instant consultant-concierge. Simply hit the autodial and you may reach the ever-reliable Pooja at the front desk. She can negotiate anything.

Let's be perfectly clear: Shanti Home isn't a luxury property. But it has all the trappings: en suite baths, abundant hot water, big towels, great ayurvedic soaps, a nice restaurant, efficient room service, and management can arrange anything from a day at the Taj Mahal to a motorcycle tour of the South. It's certainly secure, and caters mostly to leisure travelers. The hotel doesn't advertise in flashy glam publications, building its healthy repeat business by word of mouth. If you like the aloof and antiseptic style of super-high-end hospitality, and rubbing shoulders with entitled tourists traveling with excess attitude, then go elsewhere.
But the little pleasures and human touches of this lovely property are the secret surprises: you might stumble upon a sitar lesson in progress in the second floor lounge, or spontaneously join a yoga class. Or simply relax up on the terrace poised on a soft cushion and sip one of Chef Khan's deletable mango lhassis as the breezes pick up and the sky turns ruby to orange to saffron, to the strains of a night raga. It is then that you will know you have arrived in the true India.

Shanti Home
A-1/300, Janakpuri
New Delhi 100 058
Tel +91 11 4157 3366
contact@shantihome.com
www.shantihome.com

2008-08-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

At the intersection
of land and sky

July 18 and 19th the Rocket Mavericks Foundation hosted its second annual Competition in the Black Rock dry lakebed, about 2 1/2 hours northeast of Reno, Nevada, in the same general area Burning Man is held.

It's a rough-and-tumble affair, where grizzled and not-so-grizzled rocketeers truck their privately built devices out to the open spaces and fire them into the sky, sometimes as high as 100,000 feet, high enough to record the curvature of the earth on little webcams that instantly transmit photos back to earth. The whole thing has to be cleared with the FAA and the BLM beforehand, and the monument has what they call a "leave no trace" policy, meaning everything you bring in you are obliged to bring out. If the friendly ranger finds any sign of transgression he gleefully writes a big fat ticket. The Mavericks assemble an RV city, an instant camp that during the baking hot day, under an intense sun, hums with people at tables putting together strange electronics, vehicles rushing about the lakebed kicking up dust clouds, and the occasional moment when the whole camp freezes, absolute silence and the guy with the red button starts a countdown everybody can hear, "5-4-3-2-1." Then out to the north comes a crackling gutteral roar as the engine ignites and for a few brief seconds you catch the slender shape kick up a cloud of dust and head skyward, borne atop a brilliant flame.

Higher she climbs out of sight, until someone spots her floating down, parachutes unfurling. Later when the rocket cools they drive out to retrieve it wherever it fell, in whatever shape it lands. Some come back souvenirs, others live to fly another day. At dusk another atmosphere envelops the camp as worktables shut down -except for those about to do a night launch, of which there are fewer- and as the sun sets over a distant mountain range the fires are lit and the bravado kicks into high gear. For the faint of heart who don't mind a drive of 30 minutes over the dry lake, rudimentary hotel rooms can be booked at Bruno's Motel in nearby Gerlach at around US$60/night. The desert's splendid isolation and the 360 degrees of sky make this remarkable. But it's the cast of characters who contribute to the madness that makes this experience an extraordinary one. To view a souvenir booklet documenting the event go to http://community.shutterfly.com/gallery/post/start.sfly?postId=/gallery/1/post/GMGDFgxaOG7hszZg7QXjMy. For more information see www.rocketmavericks.com

2008-07-11T13:30:00.001-07:00

Delhi in Stitches

A ‘To-Do’ List in Delhi runs not very long. Guides will drag you to government buildings, monuments, craft markets set up for the tourist trade and where the guides collect commissions, tombs, mosques, temples, gardens, and Old Delhi, all easily ticked off in 2-3 days. You can spend time in the world-class art museum, home to an astounding and exhausting amount of traditional artifact, but fatigue from so much good stuff quickly sets in. People go to the Indian capital city for government business- or just ‘passing through’ en route to other destinations in the North. So, how to spend the long zones between running here and there, mostly confined to private vehicles? Eat, shop, or visit the tailor.

Tailoring is a bargain in India, owing to the low cost of labor, or what is locally referred to as “stitching.” India also boasts remarkable, reasonable home-grown textiles, excellent silks, linens, wools, fine cottons and cottage industry cloth of traditional woven patterns. Recently producers even introduced new ayurvedic fabrics, infused with therapeutic herb dyes. Typically the tailoring customer buys the cloth first, then pays additionally for the stitching. The prices beat Hong Kong, Thailand and Korea by miles, with the level of skill often on par. While one needs to look carefully at the aspect of workmanship –specifically thinner threads used for the finishing- the fast turnaround and Saville Row style of cutting makes New Delhi a sweet surprise for the sartorially sensitive. Most top-tier hotels have in-house tailor shops, but prices there can be competitive to similar establishments in other big cities in the world. The best strategy is to find an established local tailor at one of the traditional markets. The other insider trick: copying your own favorite garments which you bring along for the ride.

Perhaps the best custom-made clothing value in Delhi can be found at Grover Cloth House, located at the Khan Market. A family business for over 30 years, Om Prahesh Grover, his brother, son Bobby and nephew operate a low-key shop with an excellent reputation. For surprisingly reasonable prices most garments can be made up overnight. Grover’s client list includes top Indian politicians, Chelsea Clinton and family, Cherie Blair, CNN correspondents, and even President Bush and his entourage. A recent price list for stitching: Gentleman’s Jacket Rs 3000 (US$72); Suit Rs 3500 (US$84); Trousers Rs 550 (US $14); Shirt Rs 300 (US$7.20). The shop stocks a fine assortment of cloths for shirting and suiting- remember that this is an additional charge to the stitching! Material for suitings can cost $16/m and up, shirtings begin at $10/m. Figure a length of 3.25m for a suit, 1.25m for trousers, 1.8-2.5m for shirts, depending on the width of the cloth.

One other lovely detail at Grover is a vast selection of silk and pashmina scarves, all at excellent prices. These low-cost, low-weight, low-volume items make superb gifts, easily transported home in the bottom of your traveling bag. But it is the custom-made garments that really satisfy, both for their uniqueness and quality. In a world of mass-production, what greater pleasure than wearing something made specially for you, to your own measurements in a matter of hours, an enduring souvenir from a romantic and exotic foreign capital?

Grover Cloth House

47A, Khan Market

New Delhi 110003

+91 9810026788

grovers_tailors@yahoo.co.in

2008-06-24T10:58:00.000-07:00

To The Manor, reborn

For the past decade Aman Resorts operated The Manor, a ten room boutique New Delhi hotel used as a staging base for their guests en route to the company's more isolated destinations in India. Now Aman has departed The Manor in advance of launching their own property on the Lodhi Road, a much-anticipated new construction slated to open its doors in July 2008. More on that property later.

Management of The Manor has since been taken up by Old World Hospitality Group, who operate a portfolio of successful hotels, health clubs and restaurants catering to the mid-market in India and London. This is their first venture into the top tier of hospitality. Old World has inherited a luxury-grade staff trained by Aman, in a heritage structure, set in an old quarter outside the Delhi city center, a verdant neighborhood called Friends Colony, home of palatial mansions surrounded by lush gardens, and gated compounds. No high-volume luxury hotel can promise this kind of exclusivity or scale, nor this combination of offering. Old World intends to use the next two years for a phased renovation, adding a health spa, upgrading the on-site restaurant, and planning new luxury suites which will double room capacity to 40 guests at full occupancy. Currently the property can be enjoyed as it is, while the new management finds its own keys to entering the luxury category.

The very professional staff, legacy of Aman's celebrated humanistic style, demonstrate more warmth and hospitality than normally encountered in Delhi's top-tier hotels. The 28-seat 77 Restaurant has a new chef who is in the process of creating a fusion menu which combines traditional Indian and Mediterranean cuisines. The existing menu has some very tasty options and nice surprises, especially indigenous recipes, and the kitchen is most accommodating to special requests. An adjoining private dining room seating up to 10 continues the minimalist-yet-comfortable ambiance of the decor. Interior design details, rendered in warm woods, artisan fabrics and Rajasthan marbles, impart an air of elegance, calm and comfort, accented throughout by framed weavings which recollect Harrapan ceramic patterns seen in the excellent Dehi Art Museum. Factor in sumptuous bathrooms of grey and black marble with all the amenities like big towels and robes and fine quality soaps and shampoos, king beds, and classic architecture reminiscent of Corbusier, Mies and the International Style of the 1950s, and the luxury traveler has little to complain about, especially at prices which Old World has dropped for the transition period. These are rates significantly less than those published by the big local players.

Old World's aspirations are high and management aims to keep on coming up with new and refreshing ideas, while upholding an ethos of understated discreet service. Their corporate style is friendly and warm, staff oriented to deliver guest satisfaction. While The Manor is not for the budget traveler, little details like a free internet computer, a complimentary welcome foot or head massage, daily replenished in-room fruit basket, omnipresent security and a croquet set on the manicured emerald lawn contribute to an excellent value proposition in a safe and exclusive hideaway. One feels a sense of peaceful isolation within its walls, in marked contrast to the omnipresent chaos of the Indian capital.

Delhi can be seen in 2-3 days, and most people are there only as a stopover en route to other destinations in the north. It's not exactly a walking city, you certainly can't breathe the air, and traffic is horrendous. The construction of a new metro system means half the city will remain ripped up and snarled in excavations and reroutings at least until the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Brownouts are a daily occurrence. Beggars, wild pigs, monkeys, sacred cows and packs of feral dogs still populate the roads. With a growing human population currently estimated at 17 million, shanty towns and illegal settlements remain a part of the landscape. And the Indira Gandhi International Airport under renovation seems like a bombed-out relic of the Stone Age- in early June 2008 the entire air conditioning system in the international terminal went out for an entire day, creating conditions The Hindustani Times described as "inhumane."

To compound matters, Delhi suffers from a shortage of hotel rooms, especially in peak season- thus reservations are an absolute necessity. Top hotels routinely charge inflated prices for commodified service and industrial grade accommodation. Taken in this context, The Manor, small in size yet quietly elegant, looks like an outstanding alternative to the monolithic New Delhi options which travel agencies often tend to promote.

The Manor

77 Friends Colony (West)

New Delhi 110 065, India

Tel +91 011 2692 5151

Fax +91 011 2692 2299

info@themanordelhi.com

www.themanordelhi.com

2008-04-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

Escaping Florence

Everyone loves the art, the history, the architecture of Florence. But people tend to forget that in the city’s central district beauty is often balanced by teeming, bustling and intrusive street life. Tough as it is to admit, downtown Firenze can be daunting, with long lines creeping into favorite museums, pollution, crowded avenues and unrelenting traffic. People come to Florence to shop and to gawk. That is why comfortable inner-city lodgings (like the previously-reviewed Baglioni Bernini Palace) are necessary oases as a counterpoint to the rigors of a typical day of exploring.

Compounding the oppressive climate, there’s a new Florence metro under construction –completion expected in 2009, so they say. The locals aren’t happy with the noise, the congestion and the grime it has brought along. A recent referendum prohibiting putting the metro near the Duomo passed, but city government has decided to go ahead and allow the damn thing anyway, irking nearly everyone. City Hall is entertaining proposals to ban cars or radically change traffic circulation in the city center, another sore point. Strikes and demonstrations endemic in Italy are sure to continue as a regular feature of Florentine life for the near future.

The good news is that Villa La Vedetta, a small ultra-luxury property of 18 rooms perched on a hillside overlooking the city, just next to the Piazzale Michelangelo, might be the perfect antidote to the current stresses and strains of bella Firenze. This outstanding hostelry was created out of an historic neo-Renaissance patrician villa dating from 1850, a structure which remained a private residence until 1970, then lived an incarnation as an exclusive nightclub. In 2003, following a complete renovation, the hotel opened, preserving many of the unique original architectural details. It’s set on sloping, perfectly-manicured grounds, surrounded by walled gardens, adjacent to some of the most beautiful homes in the neighborhood. You immediately sense the tranquility of the place after a walk through the gateway portal into the compound. The main house doesn’t look like an hotel, it looks like a mansion; in fact, reception is tucked into a modest corner under the stairs at the back- you hardly know it’s there. This dovetails perfectly with the hotel’s ambience and philosophy, where travelers are treated more as house guests by a staff who are more like a family. This is a leisure property which likes to think of itself as an “urban resort’, with few business travelers, family-friendly, and probably suitable as a private hideaway to be booked in its entirety, sleeping up to 40 guests at a time.

No two rooms are alike, each with its own unique décor, headboard, bed, drapes, and a variety of views, all utterly alluring. “The bed is the heart of the room,” management believes, and a good night’s sleep a guest’s sovereign right. Room 101, floating above the Italian Garden -and facing the Duomo which hovers below in the distance- boasts a stunning blue bath with lyrical mosaic floors. This is the property’s grand deluxe suite, all space and light, ideal for honeymooners (€1500/night). Alternately, the Bellavista suite’s bi-level configuration has astonishing views as well, with a modern flavor to its furnishings (€2000/night). Lots of little extras including top-quality amenities and a Damiani spa products welcome kit and discount coupon for top clients. Standard double rooms can be had at €900/night.

It’s impossible to go hungry at Villa La Vedetta, owing to the presence of the Onice Restaurant, domain of the exceptional 32-year old chef Massimiliano Blasone, whose elegant table has made the property a popular food destination. This chef likes to offer unexpected sweet and savory tastes, always sublime. A recent lunch featured a foie gras and crème brulée combination which worked delightfully well. Chef Blasone then sent out a succulent ravioli paired with zabaglione, garlanded with oxtail, asparagus of the season and tomatoes. A Zen-like dessert presentation grouped a profiterole variation with a airy mousse, house-made gelato and berry accents. Hats off to the kitchen! The restaurant’s comfortable décor and modest number of tables assures you of optimal service and attention, and the patio terrace with its classic view is recommended as an al fresco experience par excellence.

Villa La Vedetta has special programs designed for women traveling alone, families with kids, and pet fanciers traveling with dogs or cats. A property of this caliber can arrange anything you need, including expert guides, a personal shopper or hard-to-get museum admissions. On a sunny afternoon in Spring or Summer, why not treat yourself to a tantalizing picnic out on the compound’s grassy hillside, with the red roofs of Florence and the river Arno spread out before you, as echoes of the Medicis murmur from the surrounding honeysuckle and vines.

Villa La Vedetta

A Relais & Chateaux property

Viale Michelangiolo 78

50125 Firenze ITALY

Tel +39 055 681631

Fax +39 055 6582544

info@villalavedettahotel.com

www.villalavedettahotel.com

2007-12-19T04:14:00.000-08:00

Diary Entry: A soupçon of Bordeaux

In today’s marketplace Bordeaux feels the pinch of the world wine glut. Despite upstart competitors from Australia, South Africa, Chile and even cool California nipping at her heels, the fact will never change that Bordeaux’s wines remain the gold standard of claret. Their heritage and legacy will not be supplanted. Given the choice between a Chateau Mouton Rothschild and a top-grade Adelaide Hills Shiraz which would you pick? Though the newcomers aggressively promote their regions for tourism, a visit to the classic attractions of Bordeaux delivers preferable pleasures. Pass a few days in the area, especially out of season, and you easily discover what everyone else is trying to copy, albeit unsuccessfully. Except for some isolated zones in Italy, there is only one place on earth with this particular concentration of richness and refinement. The rest are simply second-rate.

Why not install yourself in Relais & Chateaux Chateau de Mirambeau for your own investigation? This remarkable world-class property of only 17 suites is set in a castle constructed on foundations dating to the 11^th century, and offers a luxury experience of stellar comfort and exclusivity. The service proposition is high, the restaurant extreme and the location is optimal. All rooms are unique and decorated with classic furnishings and motifs of exceptional elegance. The lofty public spaces radiate the true opulence of the leisure class. Indoor and outdoor pools, private tennis courts and spacious gardens provide opportunities for moments of distraction. A variety of promotions customize visits to any whim: degustation, oenophilia, sport, culture, romance or any combinations of the above, and might include hot air ballooning, golf, live classical music, cognac tastings or medieval ruins.

Chef Frédéric Milan’s adventurous cuisine makes for another unforgettable aspect of your stay. The chateau’s central location means that guests are conveniently close to the finest wineries, including the legendary St. Emilion. When the time comes to drive your rental Renault Megane into the sunset you can count on Mirambeau’s meticulous staff to think of the smallest detail: they bring the car from the parking up to the hotel’s stone courtyard, picnic lunch packed, windshield washed, then stand at the front steps waving a personable goodbye, proof positive that hospitality knows no bounds at this wonderful property.

Less than an hour northeast from Mirambeau lies the Cognac region, ideal for a half day of research and recreation. Remy Martin offers daily tours of their immense headquarters, where you can walk among vast boilers, vats and casks in dim vaulted caves, your footsteps echoing in the chilly spaces.

Bring a jacket, then fortify yourself after your tour with a dram of the distillery’s finest. In the surrounding neighborhood you will find a splendor of cognac producers, whose offerings as well are required to be distilled five times. Armagnac, cognac’s cousin, a bit rougher on the palate and only thrice-distilled, is available throughout the area too.

The medieval city of St. Emilion, an hour south of Mirambeau, has much to tantalize the inquisitive tourist behind its venerable walls, beyond its magnificent vintages. The legendary cathedral is a must-see with its impressive stonework, and catacombs carved out of limestone bedrock dating to Roman times. Over the past thirty years the city has transformed into a well-preserved monument of cobbled streets in good repair, which meander up the hillside- sturdy walking shoes suggested. Local wines of both stratospheric quality and price can be found on every lane in trendy little shops, not to mention accessories for the enthusiast, and fresh-baked signature gallettes of the region. The city is over-the-top touristy these days, but closing ones eyes allows a chance at fantasizing the village’s sleepy past, when it was only a dusty one-industry town. A number of excellent restaurants operate inside the city limits, though L’Envers du Décor gives a decidedly-less-than-gracious welcome, despite its reputation for decent food; unless truly desperate, the savvy traveler is advised to opt for any other establishment.

Only four chateaux in the region have the designation 1er Grand Cru Classé, and Chateau Belair is perhaps the most impressive to visit.

Situated on a promontory overlooking the lush valley of the Gironde, the chateau’s caves go seven levels below the hill, where limestone was quarried 250 years ago to build the city of Bordeaux. The intrepid tourist can follow a clearly marked path through the shadowy depths, down spiral staircases, past gated caverns where some of the greatest wines of the past two centuries silently reside. There is also the opportunity to buy select years and second growths -which cannot be found elsewhere- in the tiny store near the Belair visitor reception.

The great winemaker J.J. Nouvel, who ran renowned Chateau Gaillard for a half century, has retired, but his nephew Claude Nouvel carries on the tradition of this respected St. Emilion family with exceptional low production from Chateau Petit Gravet.

The winery and its vines nestle at the base of the hill, just across the road from the southern vineyards of Belair. Nouvel’s wines of superb value are truly outstanding Grand Crus, blended with a passion and understanding that only generations of winemaking can yield. Stock up on as many of the 2002 Marie Louise bottling as you can (€24/bottle until 15 January 2008); these wines cellar well, and will only get better as the years pass. Petit Gravet operates a small retail store at the edge of town, but tours of the modest winery can also be arranged, with barrel tastings by special arrangement.

Authentic treasures like these abound in all of Bordeaux, an area of history, incredible sensory pleasure and natural beauty. The rest of the world exerts its magnetic influence, drawing the wine lover to newer vineyards and younger countries. Ultimately you must return to these fields to appreciate what two millennia of true craft has meant, which is simply the inspiration for the next generation of winemaking, and the lofty standards to which all who follow can only aspire.

Château de Mirambeau (a Relais & Chateaux property)

F-17150 Mirambeau, France

Tel 33 05 46 04 91 20

www.chateaumirambeau.com

Remy Martin

www.remy.com

Chateau Belair

Vignobles DUBOIS-CHALLON

33330 Saint-Emilion

FRANCE

Tél 33 05 57.24.70.94

www.chateaubelair.com

Chateau Petit Gravet

2, rue de la Madeleine

33330 Saint-Emilion

Tel 05 57 24 76 45

2007-11-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

In Praise of Devi Garh

Few places on earth have the extraordinary power that Devi Garh does to remove you completely from the here and now, and transport you into a dream state, an alternate reality where everything is exotic and different, strangely calming. Set in the Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan, India, you are certain to enter a fantasy, a window into the past, or perhaps a time machine into a timeless present. Words cannot express the sensation. This isolated resort set in one of three main passes approaching the valley of Udaipur has been constructed in a restored 18^th century palace and fort, presiding over the village of Delwara. True to the architectural style of the region, the resort centers around five courtyards, peaceful yet intriguing, which combine a fusion of modern and classical motifs rendered in traditional materials. There are even some lower-priced luxury tents at the base of the ancient walls, for the heartier traveler. In the hours before sunrise you can hear the chanting from the Hindu temple below. Later in the day the call to prayer from the local mosque echoes through the valley. Fairytale views surround all ramparts of the fortification. Sunset, seen from the breathtaking swimming pool terrace, summons magical visions. Goodbye modernity.

Devi Garh’s extreme staff to guest ratio and a truly welcoming team guarantees a high-grade service experience. There is not much to sightsee in the area, mostly 12^th and 14^th century Jain temples, and scenic landscapes. Local quarries are the source for the signature milk white and deep green marble, available in immense slabs and carved form from local vendors, of which there are a multitude. But this resort is best used as a complete getaway from the acceleration of modern life, an opportunity for relaxation and rejuvenation. A stress-free oasis. Spacious rooms and baths, comfortable furnishings, a complete health spa and a fine kitchen add to the equation. If you can, book the excellent Dr. Muthu for a private yoga class on the terrace at daybreak; he is also a skilled Ayurvedic physician. Take your dinner in a private dining room on one of the upper floors, with a thousand small mirrors on walls and ceiling reflecting the candlelight. Every suite on the modern wing fronting a long courtyard has its own terrace, perfect for room service, lounging, or passing a leisurely afternoon immersed in a favorite book.

Don’t go rushing around Devi Garh- there’s no place to rush to. There are no trendy little restaurants, discotheques, jewelry stores or loud music. There’s only a nice little gift shop by the front gate, but you haven’t come for shopping. You’re here to stop time, to rest and reflect and that is truly enough. Highly recommended.

Devi Garh

Delwara, N.H.8, Near Eklingji, Nathdwara

District Rajsamand, Rajasthan - 313202

Ph:+ 91 2953 289 211

Fax:+ 91 2953 289 357

www.deviresorts.com

2007-10-09T11:08:00.000-07:00

10 Things You Need To Know About Marrakech

An air of mystery surrounds Morocco. Delacroix visited in 1832 and filled seven notebooks with drawings and it still looks much like the same places he sketched. Along the narrow and labyrinthine lanes of the Marrakech souk shopkeepers sit on low stools outside their crowded stalls, sipping sugary thé a la menthe, waiting for the next customer. Crafts are everywhere, leather, ceramic, metalwork, weaving, woodcarving, inlay. Visit the colorful markets and you can get lost in shadowy passages lined with spice dealers with baskets of vibrant colored powders, strange apothecaries, clothing stalls, artifact both old and new, curio sellers, shoe and sandal makers, or vendors simply dispensing the necessities of life to the locals. This glorious and accessible land just across the Straits of Gibraltar below Spain can often act as a bridge to Islam, for the call to prayer merges with the pulsing beat of French African rap, and the veil coexists with designer jeans. And Marrakech, Morocco’s de facto capital, knows it is driven by tourism and agriculture. It’s far enough inland to be less populated by the criminal elements you confront in the teeming port of Tangier. The last two regimes have conducted large scale information campaigns to educate the population on how to interact with tourists, so there is some savoir faire about receiving foreign guests. And there are holiday options to fit every pocketbook. The following are some broad notes assembled after a visit to Marrakech in November 2006.

1. Getting there is not half the fun. Air France and Royal Air Maroc have somewhat civilized flights to Marrakech. But be warned that Ryanair regards you as a commodity to be marketed to at every juncture, with high-cost near-inedible food, overpriced duty free, raffle tickets, and seats that do not recline. Depending on the length of your flight, definitely opt for comfort. You could easily spend as much time going through immigration in the Marrakech airport as you spent flying there. Don’t expect jetways- you walk down steps from your aircraft and totter across the tarmac into a cavernous room where tiny signs, most in French, announce that first you must fill out a landing card –available only in the terminal. Tourists crowd around the illegible signs trying to puzzle them out, then mob the narrow ledges where the cards are stacked. No pens are furnished, nor flat surfaces for filling out the cards, which require your flight and passport number, dates of visit and local address. Once your card is ready you then stand in a long line at a desk, where a generally agreeable official stamps your passport. A comparable wait for luggage can be followed by a dash for cabs or public transport. Welcome to Marrakech.

2. Stay in a riad. These are usually opulent former private residences converted into guest houses, typically having rooms facing inward to a central court, with mosaic-covered fountains on the ground floor. They’re hidden away along side streets behind ancient doors- you’d never know they were there, and you can find riads to fit all budgets. All have roof gardens or patios, and many have small wading or lap pools. Breakfast on the roof can be a dream: fresh squeezed orange juice, bread still warm from the oven, interesting confiture flavors, and ornate table settings, overlooking the city and its minarets. You can often eat dinner at your riad and discover authentic cuisine at a fraction of restaurant prices. Three excellent Marrakech properties are

Riad L'Orangerie
61, rue Sidi El Yamani
44000 Marrakech
33 06 23 92 40 05
www.riadorangerie.com
A well-established gastro-riad, with a reputation for excellent food. So well-known it is almost always heavily booked, thus reservations far in advance a necessity. Modernist décor, clean and comfortable, a retreat from the hustle-bustle outside. Superior accommodation and located quite central to all the monuments.

Riad Dar El Siam
Derb Dabachi - Jdid no 12
44000 Marrakech
33 06 09 08 39 88
www.darelsiam.com
Michele Blin-Meyer
A beautiful design experience, with personable management and a very warm staff. The kitchen hums with good vibes and pleasant smells. Repeat business keeps this riad full; its profile is not as high as others, but it is a quality experience. Very comfortable.

Riad Albizzia
Derb Sbaiya no 7
44000 Marrakech
33 06 09 87 97 78
www.riadalbizzia.com
Michel Darciaux
An intimate riad of only 4 bedrooms, opened in October 2006. The owner has great taste- and the chef is top-notch. Definitely eat at this riad, a 15-minute walk south of the main square, in a typical neighborhood not populated by tourists. It’s a bit of an adventure to find the property the first night, but once you get your landmarks memorized you will appreciate its out-of-the-way location.

3. Locals know when not to shower. The big untold secret is that water pressure throughout the Marrakech medina drops from 7:30am-6:30pm, due to the demand on the ancient water system. Thus, if you intend to bathe, do so outside these hours, or you will find an anaemic trickle from your otherwise beautiful tiled shower.

4. Rock the souk. You are absolutely obliged to barter in the souk. It is expected of you, and if you accept the first price named then you will be regarded as easy prey. Having said this, time is at a premium and it may be worth your while to pay the extra dollar or two to get the object in hand immediately and simply let the shopkeeper gloat. The amount of bartering time should be directly proportional to the numerical value, factored by the degree of desire for the object. It is advisable not to buy the first day, time permitting: simply stroll around, locate the objects you might want, ask the prices, memorize and compare. There is so much stuff in the souk you can usually go back and get what you want the next day. Expect to pay 30-40% of the first price quoted, if your bartering skills are high. Part of the ritual, especially with higher priced objects, is hanging around with the merchant and drinking mint tea. Don’t be afraid to say no. The protocol typically goes You ask price, merchant names first price, you offer 30% of price, merchant counters with 80% of first number, you counter with 40%, merchant asks 50%, you stand firm at 40%, at which point merchant may or may not agree. Good luck. Prices are highest just adjacent to the main square. The district called Mellah is reputed to have better prices than the tourist quarter, but you will first need to find it, which may require asking some directions.

5. The dirt on rugs. Marrakech insiders will tell you all rug dealers are thieves, but carpet prices can be cheaper in Marrakech. Local guides typically get a commission on any sale, remember. The secret is doing your homework. An amazing variety of styles are produced in Morocco, identifiable to the trained eye by region, tribe, even village of origin. Bring along a seasoned local, or study the styles in advance and carry color copies of what you seek. Rug merchants like to fiddle with the terms of purchase, “If you buy this one and also this one I will give you the third one you like as a gift.” The unprepared buyer can fall victim to lesser weaves and dyes, synthetic yarns, lower-grade items. Yet visiting one of the vaulted rug palaces and examining a multitude of rugs is a unique experience of local theatre not to be missed. If you don’t carry the rug home- and many are seriously heavy- the merchant will ship, but after the wait you may find the ultimate cost in money equals what a rug would go for if purchased where you live. The difference, of course, is the variety you have seen, the performance you attended and the right to say “I bought this from a robber in the souk in Marrakech.”

6. Experience Jamma al Fnaa. The main square whose name translates “Assembly of the Dead” comes to life at dusk, filling with colorful sights, thrilling sounds, enticing smells. Lanes from the medina lead into the square from all directions, and crowds drift towards its center as if hypnotized. An eerie cloud of smoke from a thousand braziers hangs overhead, visible from the distance as you approach the place, the rhythmic pulsing of percussion and flutes, cymbals and bells beckoning. You can get everything from a haircut to your fortune told, watch swirling dancers and snake-charmers, listen to storytellers, eat amazing food cooked to order at little stalls, buy spices and nuts and fruits, or get your picture taken with people in strange costumes. A teeming, undulating mass of humanity moves about like a slow current. It’s the apocalypse, Armageddon, Babylon, all rolled into one gigantic space. Less-adventurous souls can find a ringside table at the cafes which surround the square, on overhead terraces where you can roost and drink and watch the parade below. But life on the ground is where the real Marrakech can be found. Why sit on the sidelines with the real thing so very close?

7. Majorelle Gardens, formerly the home of Yves St Laurent and Pierre Berge, historic walled gardens now a park open to the public for a small admission charge. The surprising variety of botanical specimens envelops winding paths past pools and fountains. Not as vast as the guidebooks lead you to believe- you can walk the grounds in a half hour at a leisurely pace- but filled with inspiration, especially for the beautifully restored mosaics, the startling blue color of the house now a museum of primitive art, for hidden pergolas and flowers ablaze on all sides. An interesting little gift shop. The gardens are about a 15 minute ride from the souk, and there is not much to do in the residential neighborhood around it. But cabs are always available, lurking nearby, ready to return you to the madness.

8. El-Badi palace. Arguably the most impressive classical architecture in Marrakech, this sprawling 15^th century compound is especially interesting for what it must have been in its heyday. Soaring walls surround an expansive court with the ruins of long pools and orchards. Heroic archways lead to the foundations of adjacent palaces and assembly spaces, while remnants of masterful tilework attest to the opulence of centuries past. Over the years the palace fell into ruin and was stripped of its marble cladding, which once covered every inch of the place. Today only terra cotta-colored walls remain, the domain of storks who nest on the ramparts.

9. Amanjena. Aman’s outstanding luxury property to the east of town is very much like what El-Badi palace might have been in its glory days. It’s a gated resort which lives in its own space and time, beyond the influences of the everyday world. A broad rectangular mosaic pool (they call it a “lake” for good reason) surrounded by palms serves as the tranquil centerpiece of this remarkable oasis, where pavilions, each with its own private pool hidden behind high walls, allow rest and respite from the chaos of the medina.

The bathrooms are spacious and opulent, and the extraordinary soaps and cosmetics made by hand in the nearby Atlas mountains are absolutely terrific. This would be an excellent place to spend your last few days in Marrakech, since you feel miles away from the pandemonium, with a multitude of options for pampering. You might want to swim laps in the pool, then enjoy a leisurely breakfast at poolside, play a round of golf on the course which adjoins the property, lose a few hours in the spa, fill up on traditional cuisine in the fine dining restaurant or simply thumb through books in the well-furnished library. Amanjena has many other enticements besides privacy and comfort. Management can hand-tailor exclusive getaways- you could visit the farms up in the hills where the hotel’s cosmetics are made, steal away with some Bedouins for an overnight camel journey into the desert, sleep in a tent under the Maghreb moon, fly into remote valleys to visit historic walled cities, see traditional carpet-weaving. Or never leave your own domed palace, exist on room service, and take the sun by your own storybook pool.

10. It’s not easy to leave. Getting to the airport, no problem but then, surprise! You stand in line only to discover Ryanair charges for any checked baggage, the fine print at the bottom of your e-ticket you didn’t bother to read. They won’t accept the bag until the fee is paid. Oops, sorry, the computers are down today. You can’t pay by card at the counter, not unless you have exact change in Moroccan currency. They send you to an office nearby, where other vagabonds in the same condition are packed shoulder-to-shoulder. The computers are down there too, you can’t pay there with a credit card, either. They can only take cash, or you can’t leave. You have no more dirhams? You spent all your last Morrocan currency, even dropped the few final coins into a charity box. You visit the cash machine and liberate the minimum denomination it gives, more Morrocan money than you will ever need again. The office can’t make change- they need the exact amount. You buy candy from the newsstand, go back and give the nice lady in the office a Mars bar and the exact change and go stand in line again at Ryanair with your receipt, and the bag finally gets checked. Then it’s off to immigration: another line, a long chaotic line, a long wait, another embarkation card, the same scenario of no pens and no flat surfaces, finally the passport stamp, and into the waiting room. Of course they have neither posted nor announced departure gates, you are obliged to watch all the Ryanair gates. You follow the droves to the first posted gate, everyone crowds around. Ryanair changes the gate, everyone herds there. Finally you get on the plane. But no room left for worry now, it’s only three and half hours to London, and you can be sure of one thing: the seat doesn’t recline. Au revoir, Marrakech.

2007-09-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

Diary Entry: Four Seasons Hotel

Canary Wharf, London

Talk about indulgence, friends from Maui who flew into London spontaneously in early August celebrated a 50^th birthday with a whirlwind 20 hours at the Four Seasons Hotel Canary Wharf, a stay which included a Rolling Stones Concert at 02 the same night. This presented an excellent opportunity to evaluate firsthand how a top grade luxury property indulges a guest. At every juncture this hotel exceeded expectations. From the moment they passed through the front door and into the vaulted lobby the Hawaiians had the feeling of being pampered. The doormen smiled with their welcome- even the recorded voice in the elevator was polite, reassuring. Outstanding properties typically allow staff a “discretionary budget” to insure a guest’s comfort and loyalty. It’s clear Four Seasons has this down to a fine art, as the following describes.

Wendy and Dano arrived 10am, hours earlier than official check-in time. No problem, instant accommodation, swept into the room, where a beautifully presented fruit array and bottle of wine were waiting- the hotel had arranged everything in advance. The fatigued couple immediately settled in;

Wendy needed an emergency boot repair. The hotel amazed her with a 1½ hour turnaround, and then several follow-up calls from the concierge to make sure everything was done to her satisfaction;

Around noon a birthday cake was delivered to the room;

Her lavish birthday lunch that afternoon downstairs at Quadrato Restaurant (kooky Philippe Starck-like high-backed chairs, warm wood accents, cool lighting, amazing wine list, over-the-top service, loaner reading glasses, fully exposed theatrical kitchen) was followed by yet another happy birthday platter.

Then a long nap, followed by a chauffeured car to the venue.

After the concert, a midnight snack in the room: flawless room service presentation, “like from the restaurant- had to eat it all”;

Wendy recalls it as the comfiest bed she ever slept in, customized and personalized with choice of duvets and pillows. She loved the Bulgari amenities in the bathroom, the leather-covered window seat, the view of the Thames, the elegant turn-down service;

The next morning they failed to pick up their wake up call- and soon a very polite person knocked on their door to be sure they were on-time for their car to the airport. “We couldn’t have been the only people in the hotel, but they made us feel like it.”

Four Seasons Hotel Canary Wharf

46 Westferry Circus

Canary Wharf, London E14 8RS

Tel.+44 (20) 7510-1999

2007-09-04T04:49:00.000-07:00

AN INTERWOVEN TALE, Part I

In the late Summer and Autumn of 1773, Samuel Johnson and James Boswell made a journey to the Western islands of Scotland. They traveled mostly on horseback accompanied by local guides, for there were not many roads. They held to hilltops and slept in barns, an 83-day odyssey which took them from London to St. Andrews, Aberdeen, Inverness, finally crossing by boat to the islands of Skye, Coll and Mull. At that time, the face of Scotland was changing, politically, topographically, socially. It was an era of mass emigration, deforestation, forced relocations, a prohibition on wearing of tartans, religious and cultural intolerance. Pirates still sailed the shores of the Western Isles.

Today you could follow their same itinerary in about ten days, through places where much of the strife is gone, but not forgotten. You cross an excellent system of modern roads, interconnected by modern ferries which shuttle vehicles and visitors across the windblown channels to the islands, where landscapes remain unchanged from the days when Johnson and Boswell visited.

But a new phenomenon is occurring, something which will affect the economy of the Outer Isles and create another historical marker: a transformation in the making of Harris Tweed, the hearty waterproof wool cloth famous throughout the world. Tweed, along with sheep farming and tourism, has long been a mainstay of industry in the Hebrides. In more recent history, traditional home weavers from the Isle of Harris sold their output to large mills on the northern island of Lewis, who acted as resellers, but now the craft is vanishing. In early 2007, to the horror of local people, a Yorkshire magnate acquired the last great tweed mill in Stornoway. He plans a gradual downsizing, along with reduction of the mill’s line to five types of tweed. To find the last of the great Harris Tweeds, this is the time to channel the spirit of Dr. Johnson, and head to Scotland for a ramble.

Johnson and Boswell started their quest in St. Andrews, today home of the world’s most famous golf course. An historic city with ruins of a castle and medieval cathedral overlooking the North Sea, the quaint downtown streetplan borders the oldest university in Britain. A small quarter down by the Museum of Golf is dotted with high-price shops selling every manner of golf accessories, equipment and paraphernalia. It’s an expensive, bustling place, with much international traffic. Edinburgh, less than two hours to the south across the Firth of Forth, hosts a yearly summer festival of the arts, and sends a constant stream of golfers north to fulfill their fondest fantasies. Relais & Chateaux operates the major hotel which overlooks The Old Course, easily the most desirable lodging location in St. Andrews. Walk out the back door, and you can wheel your clubs directly to the clubhouse and finish nearby on the historic 18^th hole.

There are also a number of good B&Bs which cater to golfers. In high season expect to pay a minimum of £90 a night (US$180) for a simple, clean room with bath, including the traditional British breakfast of fried egg, overdone bacon, cooked tomato, two sautéed objects which appear to be mushrooms and some crunchy white toast. A low-cost souvenir (other than the coveted imprinted ‘Old Course” scorecard pencil) is a special edition £5 note issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland, which features the portrait of Jack Nicklaus.

The drive into the Highlands from St Andrews follows magnificent valleys and mountainous passes, threading through forests and open expanses of heather-covered fields, broad spectacular vistas. An easy northwest route with a dogleg through Laggan leads down into historic Fort William, home of Inverlochy Castle. The Castle is a perfect stopover for the night, a sumptuous property of only 17 suites, where Johnson and Boswell would have been well contented with the comforts and beauty to be found there as they were welcomed into the grand salon accented with Murano chandeliers. Set among the glens and lochs at the foot of Ben Nevis in the West Highlands, the great house has hosted travelers for over a century. The existing structure, built adjacent to ruins of a 13^th century castle, was constructed around 1870. During a visit in 1873, Queen Victoria confided to her diary, “I never saw a lovelier or more romantic spot.” A private residence until 1969, the Castle became the first Relais & Chateaux property in Scotland in 1971, and has since hosted international luminaries from all walks of life including Ansel Adams, Charlie Chaplin, Sir Sean Connery, HM Queen Elizabeth II, prime ministers, visiting royalty, and numerous ambassadors. Happily, the property operates more like a private home than a stuffy luxury hotel, with a 3:1 staff-to-guest ratio, fully occupied in high season, with much repeat business, average stays of 3-4 nights at the high price point of £300-600/night. The most desirable room in the hotel might be the Queen’s Suite, where Victoria slept; but suite #23, the highest in the Castle is easily the most romantic, with intoxicating views, a storybook bed and two lovely marble baths, accented by Penhaglion of London amenities and the usual abundance of plush towels, robes and slippers. In the cooler months of January and February the property offers a 2 for 1 special, a way to leverage a longer stay at this fine establishment.

Another plus is 24-hour room service, from the same kitchen as the hotel’s Michelin 1-star restaurant, the dominion of Chef Matthew Gray. The restaurant menu changes daily, allowing guests to sample the best of local delicacies in season. The Red Room, the main dining space, has windows overlooking the picture-perfect loch, where sheep graze against a background of dramatic moving clouds, mountains and the occasional rainbow. Two other opulent main floor rooms may be reserved for private dining. A recent menu in mid-August included four inventive amuses bouche, followed by lobster raviolis on fresh spinach, tuna and crab risotto with a delicate avocado mousse, a light and airy potato and garlic soup, scallops and gnocchi, a goat cheese mousse with tomatoes, completed by a truly perfect conical lemon soufflé. The wine list is excellent as to be expected, albeit pricey, though a fine half bottle of 1997 Chassagne Montrachet was easily chosen to balance the outstanding meal. Three times a year Albert Roux conducts cooking weekends at Inverlochy Castle, with tastings and demonstrations; be aware that bookings for these events can fill up rather quickly.

Management strives to make guests feel as if this is “their second home in Scotland,” and the formula works: a sensitive staff demonstrates the best of care and hospitality, unobtrusively rendering personalized service with particular aplomb. There’s an expressed policy of no tipping during one’s stay- on your way out simply decide what you want to leave for the staff, slip it into an envelope and give it reception. As with every other aspect of your visit, this will be handled with the greatest taste and discretion, the capstone to a magnificent hospitality experience.

The route from Fort William leads northeast along the wooded shores of Loch Ness. This area lives for tourism, thick with guest houses, hotels, B&Bs and souvenir shops. The best strategy is to cruise placidly through it all, avoid a stop at the Nessie Museum dedicated to the famous mythological monster, and head northwest to Inverness, then through the soaring passes which lead to the tiny harbor of Ullapool, a drive of less than four hours. You have arrived at the gateway to The Minch, the broad channel which faces the Isle of Lewis. Only two ferries a day leave Ullapool, mid-morning and late afternoon, reservations are a necessity. The ferries are not particularly cheap, £73 for a one-way passage which includes your vehicle and two adult passengers. As the mainland drops away, try and stand as long as you can on the windblown deck and look back at the rugged coastline, where rocky outcroppings and heather-covered plateaus meet the grey-blue sea. You may see whales, dolphins or sea lions. While Johnson and Boswell never got this far north or west, these are the same type of seas they crossed in small wooden sailboats. Now gigantic diesel-powered Caledonian-MacBrayne ferries ply these waters.

The port of Stornoway (6000 residents) is the largest city on the Isle of Lewis and represents about a third of the entire island’s population. Tourism leans to the rustic on the Western Isles, and lodging has traditionally been rudimentary. Some more modern hotels have been raised or renovated, but luxury travelers may prefer other options. Undoubtedly the best bet for lodging is the newly-constructed Broad Bay House, just 15 minutes to the north of town and operated by Ian and Marion Fordham. The house sits above an unspoiled beach, with direct access to the shore. The property boasts four luxury guest bedrooms, rated ‘Visit Scotland 5 Stars’. Stay includes free internet access, laundry, and traditional breakfast in the fully glazed dining room overlooking the bay. Broad Bay House has only been open since April 2007, and its architecture is inspired by traditional island design interpreted in a contemporary style. Bathrooms especially comfortable and modern. Ian serves as chef, and does a fine job preparing top quality sustainable local foods in an enlightened style for dinners every night, reservations necessary. There’s a surprisingly satisfying wine list which includes a lovely New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that perfectly complemented Ian’s tasteful presentation of a cold-smoked and hot-smoked local salmon entree, followed by organic salmon fillet, potato puree and cherry tomatoes as a main course. Save room for dessert. The price, for the UK, is quite reasonable, from £110/night for a double, with dinner £30. No smoking, pets or children under 12. Room 4 has a private terrace with ocean view.

While a well-visited annual Hebridean Music Festival turns out to be a principal tourist attraction on Lewis, the greatest year-around destination may be the famous Callanish Standing Stones, located a half hour south and west of Stornoway, on the A858 just beyond Garynahine. This much-frequented and impressive megalithic site, with its site plan arrayed in the shape of a cross, overlooks miles of peat bogs and lakes. In season tourists abound, tromping about the well-maintained site. Less traveled is a second ring of stones a kilometer to the east on a hilltop, visible from the road. It’s easy to hike up to this smaller circle, and the intrepid traveler will be rewarded with the gift of privacy while viewing menhirs which have dominated the landscape for the past 5000 years, a detour well worth the time. Along the road back to Stornoway one observes peat-cutting sites, still an active part of life in the Hebrides. The west coast of Lewis is more oriented to tourism, with a succession of artisan shops and little restaurants, striking beaches, and some other standing stone monuments.

In the quest for Harris Tweed, few options remain. Many small stores sell pre-made garments, scarves and hats, most rather traditional in style, at inflated prices, since there are no tailors on Lewis or Harris, and cloth is first shipped to the mainland to be fabricated, then returned to the islands for the tourist trade. Some stores on Lewis stock bolts of traditional tweeds, though the same limited patterns, colors and weights seem to be everywhere. The best possibility for raw cloth on Lewis is the Kenneth Mackenzie Mill Store about 5 minutes north of the town center. Over the years this mill has been the principal supplier to the world, and an entire warehouse room is devoted to mill roll ends. The selection is amazing, perhaps 1000 different tweeds arrayed on shelves, sold at the astoundingly low price of £16/yard. Comparable fabric, bought from a London tailor, might go for five times this price, with much less variety available. A trip to Mackenzie’s mill store to buy raw cloth is an expedition into a soon-vanishing universe, an opportunity to purchase at the best price artisan cloth that will last a lifetime. Inside information: there are three weights of tweed, heavy, medium and feather-weight; tweed has one good side and one rough side; always line a Harris Tweed garment; a gentleman’s jacket requires 3-4 yards of cloth. Among the fabrics at the Mackenzie store you occasionally come upon softer tweeds, remnants of rolls made on contract to German and Italian fashion houses, who demanded triple-washed cloth, rendering it lighter, and suppler. When the current warehouse inventory is gone, many of these tweed patterns will never be seen again. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The drive south into the wilder parts of Lewis takes you through spectacular mountain passes populated mostly by fearless black-faced sheep, who lounge about on the road sides, well-aware that motorists will always yield. At the southernmost tip of the island lies the tiny port of Tarbert, which connects by a narrow isthmus land bridge to the isle of Harris, the last place on earth where tweed is woven on hand looms. In this area a few weavers make unique cloth, but most produce traditional herringbones and plaids which are then handed over to resellers in Stornoway. You can see weavers at work in traditional workshops along a remarkable stretch called The Golden Road, which wanders through near-lunar landscapes of stone and bog along rocky shores on the east side of Harris. These are one-lane roads with many blind hilltops, curves and “passing places” requiring one vehicle to wait patiently while the other creeps by in the narrow space remaining. It may take as long as three hours to navigate this 30-mile meandering road, but the scenery is worthwhile, and one can visit authentic workshops. Eventually you round the southernmost tip of the island at Rondel, home of a famous church and a decent hotel.

Continue northward along the west coast of Harris and you arrive at a point which feels like the end of the world, and very well may be. The great delight is that world-class lodging and dining can be found here at Scarista House, a cozy 5-room property which also enjoys a well-deserved reputation as one of Scotland’s finest restaurants. It appears in all the guide books, so it’s fully occupied from May to October. Located in a Georgian former Manse above a three-mile long shell sand beach in one of the most remote and beautiful places in Britain, this establishment offers traditional comfort and well-furnished guest rooms. Chef Tim Martin aims for natural, skilled preparation of ingredients most immediately available. He carefully sources the island's excellent seafood, lamb, beef and game, using organic, local or home-grown vegetables and herbs, home-bakes all breads and cakes, and makes jam, marmalade, ice cream and yoghurt in the inn’s kitchen. To find such authoritative cuisine in such a beautiful and wild place is a marvelous experience. The wine list features over 50 choices, many surprising, priced £10-60/bottle. Dinner reservations absolutely essential, as the restaurant is always full. In March, November and December the property has a 3-for-2 night deal. While the average stay is 3-4 nights, some guests opt to hang out for up to two weeks. These leisure travelers, mostly young professionals, have a spirit of adventure and favor the great outdoors. The price point is high, rooms £125 and up, and dinner £39.50 for 3 courses, £49.50 for 4 courses, including canapes, coffee and petits fours. After dinner, retire to the upstairs sitting room, plant yourself in a cushy chair by the fire, and sample some 18-year old Caol Ila whisky, which comes from the Port of Askaig on the Isle of Islay. Scarista is one of those rare wild places, where you can see falling stars, and from September to November catch displays of the green, pink and white Aurora Borealis. An experience not to be missed.

To return to the mainland there are only two ferries per day from Tarbert. Build in enough time to savor some AD’s Fish & Chips (£4.20 a person) where the quality is incomparable, even if it is the only shop in town. The ferry to Uig returns you to the place where Boswell and Johnson’s itinerary can be recaptured. A 4-hour drive takes you across Skye’s magical landscapes, and into Glasgow for a final night in Scotland. Be warned that a major program of road reconstruction is under way in this region, so that delays can be encountered through the end of 2008.

Just south of the Scottish border, 100 miles from Glasgow, in Cumbria, the Quinion and Stevenson families have operated Farlam Hall since 1975. This exceptional Relais & Chateaux property has only 12 bedrooms, furnished in an elegant Victorian style, and set in an unspoiled, undiscovered part of the border region, a tranquil, quiet and verdant spot with beautiful grounds. Since the house is a protected building it cannot be altered structurally, but the many eccentricities of its original floorplan add to the charming atmosphere of the lodgings. Room 10, refurbished in 2005, has a rich homey feel, accented by golden wallpaper, and under-floor heating in the bath; Room 8 is small and cozy, with blue accents; Room 6 occupies a corner and has a spacious bath. The hotel sleeps up to 24, and is often booked in its entirety, especially by shooting parties through December. Twice a year the Samling Foundation takes over the entire property for operatic Masterclass Weeks, filling the hallways with remarkable music and song.

Farlam Hall is blessed with an outstanding kitchen where Chef Barry Quinion exercises his considerable talent with a rich menu of English country house food. He’s interested in the freshest local fare, ingredients which travel the fewest food miles, and the real craft of cooking. “Game is lovely to work with,” he confides, mentioning that the area has grouse, partridge, pheasant, wild duck and teal in season. A recent menu (which changes daily) featured choices from cream of watercress and pear soup, tiger prawns, a hot cheese beignet, seafood casserole, chicken with West Cumbrian Parma style ham, loin of local lamb, English cheese board, five dessert specialties and coffee for an attractive price of £37.50. A light lunch is served for residents only, and you may book for a full afternoon tea.

The hotel provides an environment of comfort, luxury and discreet care, as one would expect from a great country house. The area is both rich and undiscovered, and staff take particular pleasure in helping visitors appreciate the multitude of activities available nearby. Perhaps the most famous attraction is Hadrian’s Wall, a 117km barrier built 2000 years ago to control the large frontiers of the barbarian lands to the north. The most impressive remnants of the wall are minutes from the hotel, where a reconstruction of a Roman fort, and a museum containing important artifacts from that era can be found. It is a worthy way to end your trip to the Western Isles.

Boswell and Johnson returned from their Scottish odyssey armed with a multitude of impressions and both later wrote books describing their voyage. The dilemma of today’s traveler is a simpler one: now you have your Harris Tweed, so what will you do with it?

Inverlochy Castle

Torlundy, Fort William

Inverness-shire, Scotland PH33 6SN

+44 01397 702177

www.inverlochycastlehotel.com

Broad Bay House

Near Stornoway, Isle of Lewis

+44 1851820990

Ian and Marion Fordham

www.broadbayhouse.co.uk

Kenneth Mackenzie Ltd.

Sandwick Road

Stornoway, Isle of Lewis

+44 01851 702772

No web site

Harris Tweed and Knitwear

4 Plockropool, Isle of Harris HS3 3EB

+44 01859 511217

www.haristweedandknitwear.co.uk

Scarista House Hotel and Restaurant

Isle of Harris HS3 3HX

+44 01859 550238

www.scaristahouse.com

Farlam Hall Hotel

Brampton, Cumbria CA8 2NG

+44 016977 46234

www.farlamhall.co.uk

2007-08-26T04:28:00.000-07:00

VERDICT: WINNER A WHINER, DINNER A WINNER

The unemployed film director Michael Winner (“Death Wish 3”) somehow repositioned himself a restaurant critic, inexplicably garnering a column on the back page of the London Sunday Times, a weekly event which has become a kind of national spectator sport, tracking the posturings of a negative energy field who could easily have stepped out of a novel by Dickens. An especially poor hatchet job by him appeared on August 19, 2007, taking to task the Brunello Ristorante at the Baglioni Hotel London. A follow-up visit to Brunello for a reality check reveals that Mr. Winner occupies a parallel universe where nothing ever goes right, while Brunello continues to deliver a top-quality fine dining experience in a marvelous setting.

The room itself successfully combines elements of both classic and modern design with an Italian flair, rendered in golden hues, accented by soft lighting, plush fabrics and elegant black Murano crystal chandeliers. The noise level is subdued- a polite ambient murmur, thus the room is appropriate for leisurely dining, romantic trysts or business meetings. There’s not a bad table in the house. A high ergonomic consciousness prevails, meaning one comfortably settles into any banquette or seat, happy to linger as long as the mood strikes. Tables comfortably spaced allow the very efficient service team to move about efficiently, invisibly. Cutlery and flatware appear and disappear magically, the water glass is always full. The peppery Sicilian olive oil in a shallow dish pairs perfectly with home-made foccacio accented by cherry tomatoes. One peruses the menu, a flute of Moet & Chandon rosé champagne in hand, engaged by an embarrassment of choice.

When asked to recommend a red wine from Sardinia, the charming young sommelier named Simon, fresh from the Continent, recommended a 2004 Korem Isola di Noraghi Cannonau blend. This entertaining reversal of practice meant first selecting the wine, then choosing the meal to accompany it. (Mr. Winner would never dream of such adventure in his inflexible universe.)

The meal began with a beautiful preparation of scallops –perfect temperature, balsamic glaze, puree of peas. Next, succulent foie gras, gelatinous, and today a rarity in London, as some restaurants have removed the delicacy from their menus. On to the pasta course, a fine variation of the classic tagliatelli Bolognese, with knife-cut chunks of veal as opposed to the traditional ground meat, noodles cooked to perfection, the sauce hearty and robust with generous chunks of pomidoro. Also sampled a linguini with shrimp in a cream sauce, delicate, a bit too subtle for the red wine, but ideally balanced with a glass of sauvignon blanc from the Alto Adige, as suggested by the ever-attentive Simon. Finally to the main course, Sella d’agnello, a rack of Scottish lamb done pink and piping, with lovely fennel, scallion, haricot vert and carrot. And an impulsive request for some mashed potatoes, which arrived from the kitchen in moments, hinting of garlic and butter. When finally the table cleared, a last course of goat cheese, Tallegio, a Pecorino Romano, and a creamy Gorgonzola accompanied by Mostarda di Cremona, grapes and walnut. Only a small taste of Amaro Montenegro could complete the experience, and did so with a whisper of sweet adieu. This was a meal to be remembered.

Criticism, when done well, speaks with authority and eloquence, free of bombast and pomposity. Brunello operates in a friendly, familial way, at once formal and informal. The only criticism that might be leveled: one eats too well, lingers too long, and feels too welcome to ever want to say goodnight.

Brunello Ristorante

At the Baglioni Hotel London

60, Hyde Park Gate, Kensington

Tel +44 0207 3685900

2007-07-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

Melodious Mirambeau

The Château de Mirambeau, one of the finest small hotels in world, is known as an elegant retreat of luxury and sophistication, located midway between Bordeaux and Cognac in the heart of the Charente Maritimes. The historic structure –whose foundations date back to the 11^th century- features nineteen opulently appointed rooms and suites, stunning public spaces, indoor and outdoor pools, and a fine dining restaurant presided over by the enigmatic chef Frédéric Milan.

Not-so-widely known is the fact that during the high season the chateau transforms itself into a cultural destination where world-class music can be appreciated in an exclusive setting, what the hotel aptly calls “Soirées d’exception.” This month two fine orchestras can be experienced, on the Château’s terrace. The intimate venue permits a maximum of only 300 seats to be sold- while the orchestras may number as many as 100 pieces. The performances can be appreciated in one of two ways: either in a single dinner and music package priced at €90 per person (dine at 7pm, concert at 9pm), or a remarkable three nights package which includes a deluxe double room, breakfast, dinners, afternoon tea, an excursion to a St. Emilion cave and both concerts for €1885. The Symphony Orchestra of Prague performs on July 22^nd; two nights later, on July 24^th the Symphony Orchestra of Granada appears. This is an outstanding opportunity to get to know a top property, explore the riches of a legendary region, and hear intoxicating music in truly romantic setting. With the added bonus of Chef Milan’s always-adventurous cuisine, an escape to Mirambeau promises an unforgettable holiday in a mythical part of France.

Château de Mirambeau (a Relais & Chateaux property)

F-17150 Mirambeau, France

Tel 33 05 46 04 91 20