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Artifact A souvenir from the fi eld
artifact tar facr ifa
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FEATURES
72
HUNTING AND GATHERING
Browse the world’s best shops.
80
TO AID AND COMFORT
A hospital ship’s fi nal voyage is to post-earthquake Haiti. By Stephan Talty
86
THREE PERFECT DAYS: GENEVA
The staid fi nancial capital packs a wallop of small-town charm. By Jebediah Reed
This year, Switzerland celebrates a century of aviation with a set of postage stamps that tells the story of air travel over the past 100 years.
86P.
Istanbul’s Kapali Çarsi bazaar
HUNTING AND GATHERING
THE MOST UNUSUAL AND TRAVEL-WORTHY BAZAARS, EMPORIA AND DESIGNER BOUTIQUES ON THE PLANET AREN’T JUST ABOUT THE MERCHANDISE—THEY’RE ABOUT
THE EXPERIENCE. BUT YOU MIGHT WANT TO LEAVE A LITTLE EXTRA ROOM IN YOUR LUGGAGE, JUST IN CASE...
you’ve nodded appreciatively at the umpteenth ancient site, not long after the 27th pit stop for postcards and bottled water, a curious longing strikes you. Your feet are aching and your neck is still out of joint from those fl uff y hotel pillows when you spot an alleyway that looks...interesting. You make the turn.
Suddenly, in a little out-of-the-way shop, your eye alights on something improbable glinting in a dusty corner, and a jolt of desire hits you. There it is, the the vintage toreador’s cape, the jaunty taxidermied peacock, the bespoke brass doorstop in the shape of a dragonfl y that will be arduous to carry and even more arduous to fi t into your overhead bin.
Oh yes, you think, it will be mine.
Thousands of miles from home, there is the familiar pressure to rush across the piazza and face the next museum tour on your itinerary. But years later, when the exhibits and the architectural wonders are long forgotten, it’s that peculiar totem, carefully wrapped and taped and carried home in spite of it all, that you will relish. Here’s where to fi nd it. —SARAH HORNE
Standing in the shadow of the Nuruosmaniye Mosque, this massive covered market has about 4,000 stalls, organized into sections based on wares—so if all you want is a Turkish rug, stick to the rug area. But we recommend you take a spin through the rest; the elaborate arched ceilings dating back to the 1460s, when the market was built, are themselves worth the trip. And with vendors selling everything from spices and tea to fi ne jewelry and copperware, you’ll probably pick up a trinket or two more than you’ve planned on. But that’s fi ne, because you’ll have haggled brilliantly (to learn how, see page 78). grandbazaaristanbul.org Kuwait may not have the same reputation as Dubai for Middle Eastern luxury shopping, but it should. Behold Octium, a delightful jewelry shop designed by Jaime Hayón to look like something out of a dream sequence in Mad Men, with vertical purple podiums and mod display cases exhibiting the fi nest of fi ne gems. You’ll fi nd baubles by Ivanka Trump, Hannah Martin and Pippa Small here, as well as the exclusive Octium Collection.
octiumjewelry.com
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRISTOPHER WISE (PREVIOUS SPREAD); LEFT PAGE: BY JOCK MONTGOMERY (ISTANBUL), COURTESY OF OCTIUM; RIGHT PAGE: COURTESY OF VINCON (LEFT), BY DAVID CICCONI (RIGHT), BY GUNNAR KNECHTEL/LAIF/REDUX (BOTTOM) We’ve all heard of museum stores, but Vinçon is more of a store-asmuseum. The perfectly curated décor and housewares purveyor is a vital part of Barcelona’s legacy as a great design city. Each item sold is handpicked by owner and interior decorator Ferran Amat, as are the pieces in the shop’s gallery. Don’t miss out on the view of Antoni Gaudí’s La Pedrera from the window. After all, a little culture won’t hurt you. vincon.com
How come you’ve never found an Arne Jacobsen chair at your local consignment shop? Because you’re not shopping at Elio Ferraro, a vintage mecca in Milan and Florence that’s chockablock with fi nds by the likes of Eames and Marimekko, not to mention one-of-a-kind frocks by Chanel and Dior. Founder Ferraro is himself an accessories designer, so he has the eye and connections to score limitededition looks, home furnishings and adornments made from 1920 to the present, as well as to secure prototypes from fashion houses. While the wares are not inexpensive, at least you know they’ve stood the test of time. elioferraro.com
Formerly the Soviet Union’s state store, GUM, which takes up one full side of Red Square, is housed in a building that once served as Josef Stalin’s offi ces. Its current incarnation—an ultrachic department store, with designer boutiques such as Burberry and Hermès gathered under a giant glass dome—can’t be beat for upscale window-shopping. The joys of capitalism have rarely looked so good.
gum.ru
You don’t have to stop shopping when the sun goes down. This covered market featuring authentic paintings and pottery, as well as standard souvenir fare, is a lovely spot for an evening stroll, complete with live music, the Joe Louis Puppet Theater (which performs traditional Thai shows) and a beer garden. The prices here are a bit higher than elsewhere in the city, so we recommend you start your bartering at half the asking price. Please note that there have been rumors since 2007, when new management took over, that the market would close. Pay a visit before it does.
62 Langsuan Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan; Tel: 02-6519501
This nine-story electronics store, which anchors the city’s crowded, bustling Akihabara Electric Town, goes way beyond just cameras to stock gizmos and gadgets of all sizes and functions. In the most gadget-obsessed city on the planet, this is the place for deals on the latest fl atscreen TV, MP3 player, camera or digital mind reader. Okay, that last one might not really exist, but if it does, you’ll fi nd it here.
yodobashi.com (website in Japanese)
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF ELIO FERRARO AND COLETTE, BY HITOSKI YAMADA/ZUMA PRESS (YODOBASHI), BY MICHAEL SPENCER (BANGKOK TOP), BY CHRISTOPHER WISE (BANGKOK BOTTOM), BY THIA KONIG (GUM)
In business since 1997, this attentively curated haven of designer everything defi ned the term “concept store.” If you catch the vapors walking in, stop at the Water Bar, which serves 100 varieties of H2O. Then peruse three fl oors of clothing—think Miu Miu, Prada, Balmain, really too many to name— plus books and gadgets. There’s also a gallery, which often houses collaborations between artists and designers, such as a line of Tommy Hilfi ger sneakers and rain boots with Keith Haring designs on them. Talk about happy feet. colette.fr
Something of a high-fashion fl ea market, Dover Street Market is laid out over six fl oors in the Mayfair neighborhood. The Commes des Garçons brainchild carries lines by the coolest designers you’ve never heard of alongside pieces by well-known couturiers such as Givenchy, Azzedine Alaïa and Proenza Schouler. Commes des Garçons also offers collections exclusive to the shop. Director Rei Kawakubo describes her goal as creating an “atmosphere of beautiful chaos,” and we think that’s the best kind. doverstreetmarket.com Merz Apothecary probably looks much the way it did when it was fi rst opened by Swiss immigrant Peter Merz in 1875—despite a move to its larger fl agship location on North Lincoln Avenue in 1982. The handcarved wood façade and antique medicine jars are complemented by one-on-one attention from pharmacists with extensive knowledge of homeopathic and herbal remedies—another homey holdover from Merz’s time. The store also stocks every natural cosmetic one could hope for, and a selection of personal care lines rarely found stateside.
merzapothecary.com
Do you really need a tin of mermaid repellent or a Belly of Whale Escape Kit? Probably not. But you can get them here, along with more giftable wares, such as a limited-edition print by photographer Sven Wiederholt or a spyglass. Perhaps most important, the store is part of 826 Valencia, an organization cofounded by author Dave Eggers that tutors children in writing. So how do pirates fi t in? That, my friend, is a question only a landlubber would ask. 826valencia.org
BIG DEAL
FIVE STEPS TO HAGGLING LIKE AN OLD HAND
DECIDE WHAT
YOU WANT TO
PAY. OFTEN, MULTIPLE FLEA MARKET OR BAZAAR VENDORS WILL HAVE THE SAME ITEMS FOR SALE, WHICH MAKES COMPARISON SHOPPING EASY.
ALWAYS ASK THE
PRICE. EVEN IF AN
ITEM IS MARKED, THE SALESPERSON MAY OFFER YOU A DEAL OFF THE BAT.
MAKE A
COUNTEROFFER. THIS
SHOULD BE LESS THAN THE AMOUNT YOU SETTLED ON IN STEP ONE, AND CAN BE AS LOW AS HALF THE ASKING PRICE. THE SALESPERSON WILL TYPICALLY RESPOND WITH A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER NUMBER.
WALK AWAY...
SLOWLY.
INSTEAD OF MAKING ANOTHER COUNTEROFFER, JUST POLITELY THANK THEM AND MOVE ON. THE SALESPERSON IS ALMOST GUARANTEED TO OFFER YOU A LOWER PRICE.
MAKE A DECISION
YOU CAN LIVE WITH.
SOMETIMES THAT MEANS LEAVING EMPTYHANDED; SOMETIMES IT MEANS PAYING MORE THAN YOU’D HOPED TO FOR AN OBJECT YOU JUST CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT. BUT SO WHAT? YOU’RE WORTH IT.
Those who worship the written word will want to make a pilgrimage to this shrine of print. Named the best bookstore in the world by The Guardian, it’s housed in a converted 13th century Dominican church. Dutch architects Merkx + Girod designed soaring bookshelves that reach up to the ornate vaulted ceilings in the nave and added a reading area at the altar, as well as the requisite coffee shop, but they left the Gothic details intact. The store has good selections of books in English and other languages, so most everyone will be able to fi nd something appealing to curl up with. selexyz.nl
APRIL 2010 81
TO AID AND COMFORT BY STEPHAN TALTY
AS HAITI DUG OUT FROM JANUARY’S DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE, THE NAVY’S MERCY-CLASS HOSPITAL SHIP, THE COMFORT, RUSHED TO PORT-AU-PRINCE TO CARE FOR THE SURVIVORS. WILL IT BE THE VESSEL’S LAST MISSION?
The 900-foot USNS Comfort anchored off Port-au-Prince
AS THE USNS COMFORT
SLID THROUGH
INK-BLACK WATER 100 miles from Haiti, the sound of helicopter blades chuff ed in the warm Caribbean air. The fi rst patients from the Haitian earthquake were inbound to the Navy hospital ship. Flight crew members in turtlenecks and silver fi reproof pants strained to catch sight of the MH-60S coming over the dark waves. After four days at sea heading toward the most deadly earthquake in the recorded history of the Americas, the Comfort was on the verge of a test unlike anything in its storied past.
The Comfort is a marvel: Imagine three major suburban hospitals fused together, doing 15 knots across the Atlantic Ocean. But the devastation in Port-au-Prince was so widespread and so unexpected that many feared the 1,000bed hospital ship, a former oil tanker, would be overwhelmed. “My biggest fear?” said Commander Mark Marino, director of nursing on board. “My biggest fear is that you could line up three hospital ships and it’s not enough.”
The anticipation fi ltered down through the wards and the berthing where 850 doctors, nurses and Navy corpsmen checked and rechecked their equipment. “What we’re steaming toward is something we’ve never experienced before,” Captain Andrew Johnson, the chief of medical operations, had told them during the fi nal briefi ng the night before. The Comfort had seen service following Hurricane Katrina, but the reports from Haiti dwarfed those disasters by an order of magnitude.
As it prepared to treat the wounded, the Comfort was also, ironically, bidding for its own survival. Despite its high visibility, some believe the Comfort is an anachronism— unsuitable for many crises, where timing is everything. There had been whispers that the Pentagon was considering phasing it out. Captain Tim Donahue, the head of surgery aboard the Comfort, had heard them himself. “I was treating a Navy admiral for a urology problem a few months ago,” remembered Donahue, “and he saw my USNS Comfort belt buckle.”
“That’s going to be a collectors item soon,” the admiral said.
“Why is that?” said a startled Donahue.
The Haiti mission certainly wasn’t being done on the cheap. With $19 million worth of medical equipment on board, the Comfort boasts 12 operating rooms, four X-ray rooms, four ultrasounds and a telemedicine setup that allows specialists back in the states to advise on surgeries in real time. Some of the Navy’s top doctors were pulled away from National Naval Medical Center and Walter Reed Army Medical Center on less than 24 hours’ notice, forcing those institutions to scramble to replace them.
But for some on board, the questions to be answered in the next few days were more personal than the fate of the ship. Dr. Mill Etienne was standing by in CASREC, or Casualty Receiving, where the patients would arrive. The 34-yearold neurologist was born in Port-au-Prince and left with his family in 1981 when the regime of Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier turned violent. His father drove a cab and his mother cleaned homes so Etienne could go to Yale and win a place at the prestigious New York Presbyterian Hospital. And only three months after going on active duty in the Navy, he found himself returning to the place it had all begun.
“I reaped the benefi ts of my parents’ coming to the U.S.,” he said, dressed in his pressed Navy camoufl age. “And now I’m giving back to the two countries I love. It’s a very special thing.” Etienne’s phone had been constantly buzzing during the voyage with texts from family and friends asking him to go here or there in Port-au-Prince to look for a cousin or an uncle or a lost friend.
He knew it wouldn’t be possible. “You can’t do SEA TRIALS everything,” he said soberly. 1. Medical personnel Donahue too struggled to keep confer in the Comfort’s trauma center. his feelings in check. He’d been in Haiti nine months before on a 2. Lieutenant humanitarian mission. “It’s very Bashon Mann emotional,” said the surgeon. “I watches the wounded arrive. know these people. And when I heard about the earthquake, I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I know what this place looks like on a good day, and this is going to be a hundred times worse.”
Minutes after 10 p.m., the MH-60S helicopter touched down on the fl ight deck. In the glow of orange and bright white lights, two stretchers were rushed off . One fl oor below, in CASREC, all eyes were focused on the elevator doors. Suddenly they hissed open, and the chopper’s redheaded pilot raced out, followed by a six-year-old on a stretcher. The little boy, who’d been pinned under a cascade of bricks knocked down by the quake, was half asleep, an IV in his arm.
Captain Shawn Saff ord, a pediatric surgeon, bent over the child as he was placed on a bed with crisp white sheets. “Can you ask him what his name is?” he called to a Haitian-born Navy corpsman. The boy grabbed for the doctor’s lapels, looking terrifi ed. He fi nally blurted out his name, “Jean.”
Saff ord evaluated Jean and put him on a regimen of high-strength meds to prevent infection. He decided not to operate for now, to see how Jean responded to the treatment.
1
3 2
4
He walked away.
More patients followed. What began as a trickle soon became a steady stream, with three or four helicopters circling the Comfort waiting to land.
Over in intensive care, surgeons worked on the patients pouring in—a uniquely delicate process on board the Comfort, which can rock and shudder in big ocean swells. The ship’s bridge kept the surgeons aware of any turns or rough seas ahead, and the surgeons knew they could, if necessary, direct the captain to change course if they were deep into a delicate operation. On a previous trip, when a wave hit the Comfort, the enormous CAT scan machine had ripped free from its bolts and slammed through a bulkhead. On this mission, a powerful aftershock pulsed through the bay where the ship fl oated, sending a tremor through its decks. “Did the anchor just fall off the ship?” a Navy corpsman yelled nervously.
As the beds fi lled up, Dr. William Todd became the point man on many of the cases. Eighty-fi ve patients came in during the fi rst two days, this pediatric orthopedic
SHIPPING NEWS surgeon—a specialist in fractures—touched most of 1. Taking off after them. “With limbs comes function,” he said, “and in poor unloading injured 2. The trauma center 3. A moment of countries, function is life.” The fl ow of patients to the Comfort originated at the halfrefl ection destroyed National University Hospital in Port-au-Prince. 4. A young boy There people were waiting to come aboard, their names named Jean receiving care 5. Guarding the written on tape across their foreheads. Patients sat in the 90-plus degree heat, family members fanning them. Disease Comfort’s gangway was starting to spread. But the graffi ti on nearby buildings was at least hopeful. Satan fi ne se fi ni, reads one. “The devil is fi nished, he’s fi nished.” Overhead, helicopters were buzzing continuously. The most critical patients were being taken by ambulance to the lawn of the shattered presidential palace and then fl own out to the Comfort. There, by day two, most of the medical staff was exhausted. The 16 wards were fi lling up, two newborn babies were sleeping in their incubators, and the mission— already changed from a six-month stay to an indefi nite one— was deep into its work.
ETIENNE COULDN’T WALK ONE OF THE LONG
HALLWAYS WITHOUT being handed a new case or asked about a cultural fi ne point. But his uniform was still pressed and his eyes clear. He’d been leading a crash course on Haitian culture for the doctors, while also heading up the ship’s ethics committee. “I tell them that even though
Haitians are grappling with tragedy, they’re still very proud,” he said. Etienne glanced at a young man around his age being wheeled by on a steel stretcher. “If my parents hadn’t left, that could have been me,” he said quietly.
Etienne swept through CASREC on his way to check on a patient with a strange neurological disorder. In CASREC he passed Todd, who’d been awake for 45 hours now. He was facing a fresh dilemma. When Todd works at Bethesda and a child comes in, he has a system he’s worked out over the years. He tells the parents, “I have three children at home. But tonight I have four. I’ll take care of your child as if he were my own. And when he’s recovered, I’ll return him to you.”
But a 12-year-old girl named Evangeline, with twists in her hair, big brown eyes and a fractured femur, had arrived without any guardians at all. And she was refusing surgery.
Todd paused a moment, his hands still chalk-white from molding casts. Then he walked over to the girl, sat on the corner of her gurney, smiled and patted her arm. An interpreter bent over Evangeline and translated. Todd told her that everything was going to be okay, but that he had to fi x her leg.
The girl said nothing. But she reached out and grabbed Todd’s arm. She accepted the operation.
“It’s in the eyes,” he said later. “They sense that you care.
BY DAY TWO, MOST OF THE MEDICAL STAFF WAS EXHAUSTED. THE 16 WARDS WERE FILLING UP, AND THE MISSION HAD BEEN EXTENDED TO SIX MONTHS. And I don’t think you can fake that.” The next morning, down in the Pediatrics ward, one deck beneath CASREC, each bed, even the empty ones, was populated by a safari of stuff ed animals. The daughter of one Comfort surgeon had started a toy drive. Somehow, she and her classmates had collected 10 pallets of stuff ed animals and gotten them to Haiti within days. Now there were lions and elephants and jaguars everywhere. Evangeline was sleeping. A tawny stuff ed lion sat next to her right ear and a fat teddy bear next to her left. Jean, the six-year-old boy who’d been caught under falling bricks, was working on a coloring book. When he’d woken up the fi rst night after surgery, he looked around at the beds fi lled with toys and unfamiliar faces. “Wow,” he said. “Am I in New York?” Later, the nurses called the cell phone number he’d brought with him. His father answered. Journalist STEPHAN TALTY is the co-author, with Richard Phillips, of A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea, due out this month on Hyperion.
BATH TIME! Opposite, diving at Bains de Pâquis; and a view of Parc de la Grange
88 DAY ONE Crossing Lake Geneva
92 DAY TWO Touring the village of Carouge
94 DAY THREE Climbing Le Selève
Three Perfect Days
GENEVA
SHORE THING Clockwise from above, the Glow Bar at Hotel President Wilson, Lake Geneva’s “Baby Plage,” view from the presidential suite at Le Richemond; opposite, Place du Bourg-de-Four IN MANY RESPECTS, THE SWISS CITY OF GENEVA is designed to cater to the very wealthy and the very powerful, which is why, to the rest of us, it might seem like a bit of a splurge. When so many of your visitors are interested in private banking services, high-level diplomacy and timepieces that cost as much as sports cars, it’s unrealistic to expect a lot of bargains. Fortunately, you get what you pay for in Geneva. The city is extraordinary in its history— Julius Caesar passed through, it was the world capital of Protestantism in the 16th century, and today it is home to a permanent offi ce of the United Nations—as well as its natural setting, located as it is on the shore of Europe’s largest lake and under the towering grandeur of Western Europe’s tallest mountain, Mont Blanc. But despite Geneva’s global signifi cance, the city proper is home to fewer than 200,000 people, and it rarely feels overcrowded: You can sip espresso at a café in the stunning Old Town and feel, as a visitor, as though you are part of the fabric of the place, enjoying its charms ever so discreetly. In fact, the Genevoise wouldn’t have it any other way.
DAY 1 You wake up at Hotel President Wilson (1), a 230-room modern glass and steel stunner on the Right Bank of Lake Geneva. Your elegant room looks out on the water— as does the hotel’s $63,000-a-night bulletproof Royal Penthouse a few fl oors above. For a moment you wonder what titan of global fi nance or politics is staying there now, but breakfast awaits. Pass through the chic water-themed lobby as you hurry outside to La Vouivre bakery before the famous milk chocolate croissants sell out (they always do). The glorious pastry melts in your mouth as you sit at an antique wooden table sipping coff ee and watching an art student sketch nearby.
This is the Pâquis district, a diverse and lively neighborhood frequently described as “emerging,” which, in Geneva, seems to mean a conspicuous dearth of luxury boutiques compared with adjacent areas. But Rue des Pâquis, the district’s main street, is lined with charming shops and restaurants. Make your way past them to the sylish fi ve-star Le Richemond (2) hotel, where a bellman points to a lowslung water taxi, or mouette. Once aboard, you savor the breezy half-mile trip across the lake to the Left Bank, where locals are sunbathing and a few hearty
1 CHEN REIS // INTERNATIONAL AID WORKER // “In warm weather I go to La Barje, a cafe and music venue on a small strip of land in the middle of the Rhone. The crowd tends to be artsy—it’s a perfect place to go with friends on summer evenings, or just sit with a book.”
COME TOGETHER // A VISIT TO UN HQ // Any visitor to Geneva will note a curious local obsession with America’s 28th president, Woodrow Wilson. There are a road, a luxury hotel and a palace all named after him. The fondness dates back to days after World War I, when Wilson spearheaded the creation of the League of Nations, an early version of the United Nations. The League failed in the days leading up to World
War II but was reborn as the UN in 1945, when the international community took over the enormous Palais des Nations complex on Geneva’s Right Bank. One-hour tours are conducted daily (passport required). But the real highlight is across the street at the Red Cross Museum, a stunning building that documents the history of human rights. souls are enjoying a morning swim. After stopping to admire the 450-foot-high Jet d’Eau (3) fountain, Geneva’s most iconic sight, you continue toward the Jardin Anglais (4) to fi nd out what time it is at Flower Clock, an enormous analog device with a face made of thousands of blossoms. Timepieces are the soul of this city, so you also pop your head into the Bucherer (5) jewelry shop across the avenue and check out the $100,000 Rolex with the all-diamond face. Avoid an impulse purchase and stroll over to Rue du Rhone, “Geneva’s Fifth Avenue,” for some window shopping. It’s an impressive display of luxury, but the old walled city of Geneva, just three blocks to the south, is more your speed. You climb the narrow cobbled streets up to Hotel Les Armures (6), a magnifi cent 17th century mansion that serves what many local foodies consider the city’s best fondue. A place that might be overrun by tourists elsewhere in Europe feels local, with fi nance types sporting pocket squares and conversing quietly. You order the classic fondue—croutons dipped in savory cheese—and afterward the waiter shows you pictures of the Clinton family eating here. (Hillary got the fondue, Bill the sauerkraut.)
Before the food makes you sleepy, it’s straight to nearby St Pierre Cathedral (7), a mesmerizing architectural Frankenstein as important to Protestantism as St. Peter’s Basilica is to Catholicism. Step inside and admire the austere wooden chair where John Calvin sat while he preached. Outside, stroll over to the ramparts of the old city wall and pat the trunk of Geneva’s famous chestnut tree (8), whose fi rst annual bud traditionally marks the end of winter. Descending an old cobbled horse ramp, you fi nd a small playground at Place Neuve where serious-looking men play chess with oversize chessmen on boards the size of shuffl eboard courts. Try not to become a pawn in their game.
On the way home, loop back through the Old Town and enjoy a vealburger with parmesan cheese at the chic bistro Soupçon (9), then pop next door to the lively and shockingly inexpensive La Clemence, a bar that occupies the best real estate on Place du Bourg-de-Four, the Old Town’s central plaza. If you’re in the mood to indulge, ask for a locally brewed Calvinus beer. A cheeky young Swiss fellow warns you with a wink, “The fi rst one isn’t so good—but they get better.” He’s right.
SHELF LIFE The Librairie Ancienne Antiquités, top, and the Restaurant Les Armures
FOUNTAIN BLEW Clockwise from left, Place du Bourg-deFour, the gallery at Le Richemond, Lake Geneva’s Jet d’Eau, St Pierre Cathedral by bicycle
TAKE A DIP // ONE NATION’S LONGTIME LOVE AFFAIR WITH FONDUE // It’s not a good idea to visit Geneva and not eat fondue, Switzerland’s iconic bubbly cheese dish. Having enjoyed short-lived popularity in America in the ’70s, fondue remains a staple of the Geneva diet. It is typically made with a mix of Gruyère and Emmental cheeses, a dry white wine and a dash of cherry liquor. The Genevoise argue frequently
about who makes the city’s best fondue: Expats and intellectuals tend to favor the Café du Soleil, a casual and charming restaurant near the United Nations complex; gentlemen in $1,000 cuffl inks often prefer to dip at the classic Restaurant Les Armures; and the young and the penniless gravitate to the affordable (but entirely delicious) fondue at the Bains des Pâquis café. They all agree on one thing: You haven’t eaten fondue until you’ve eaten the toasty cheese you scrape off the bottom of the pot at the end of the meal.
SCIENCE AND NATURE Above, inside the History of Science Museum; opposite, a display of fresh produce at the bustling Marché de Carouge
2DAY TWO You catch the lucky number 13 tram in front of the train station, just a short walk from the President Wilson, and take a 10-minute ride south across the Rhone and Arve rivers to the village of Carouge, an artsy alter-ego to the conservative city center. Wandering streets lined with artisan shops hawking wine, cheese, soap and bespoke cosmetics, you come to the unassuming storefront where Jean Kazes (1), one of the world’s most renowned clockmakers, has been building his monumental timepieces for almost four decades. (When Patek Philippe wants a clock for its corporate headquarters, it calls Kazes.) You chat briefl y with the master, who recommends you stop at the nearby Wolfi sberg (2) boulangerie—recently honored as Europe’s best breadmaker—for a taste of the signature “Wolfi s bread” and a cup of coff ee. Then you fi nd yourself scoping out the Histoire de Vins (3) wine shop and chatting with the earnest and immensely knowledgeable proprietor, Michel Delomier.
For lunch, walk across the street to La Bourse (4), a restaurant that manages to be warm and unassuming even though the waiters are wearing bow ties and black vests. You order mussels and frites, dipping your fried potatoes into a sublime herb sauce, which according to the waiter has more than 50 secret ingredients. He doesn’t divulge even one.
In the afternoon, on your way back to town, you stroll along the lakefront, watching mouettes ply the lake and gazing at Mont Blanc beyond. The path takes you the elegant hilltop villa housing the History of Science Museum (5). You wander through the mansion’s conservatory, lingering among the collection of 18th century microscopes. Walking down the hill, you listen to an old busker singing John Denver songs in broken English. Country roads, indeed.
More than one new local friend has informed you that the Bains des Pâquis (6) spa is “the soul of Geneva.” So you stroll onto a concrete jetty stretching far out into the lake until you come upon the well-traffi cked café, where you enjoy a bowl of delectable (and aff ordable) carrot leek soup, a plate of bread and brie, and an espresso. The atmosphere is homey. Beyond the café is an outdoor spa, where you relax even more. After 15 minutes in a 200-degree sauna you are suddenly one of the the brave few willing to take a dip in the frigid waters of Lake Geneva. Now you know what everyone meant about soul.
HASSAN OKBAR // RESTAURATEUR // I emigrated here from Cairo fi fteen years ago, and from the start I’ve appreciated the openness of Geneva. I work long hours, but when I have free time, I enjoy taking my three children to play in the Jardin Anglais—or on a lake cruise to Lausanne.
SUNNY SIDE UP From above, “La Telepherique” climbs Le Salève, the pool at La Reserve, and the scene around La Barje—a mobile bar—near Force Motrice
Boarding pass Instead of punching a clock, take your time and visit Geneva’s famous fl ower clock, or kick back and relax in Old Town. Let United get you there in comfort and style so you can enjoy one of Europe’s most beautiful cities at the foot of the Alps.
Back at the Wilson, you change into your chicest clothes and hop a cab up to Geneva’s fortress of jet-set cool, La Reserve (7). The hotel and spa, themed as an elegant safari lodge, are set on several acres north of the city and cater to a very exclusive, stylish crowd. You book dinner at Le Tsé-Fung, the hotel’s world-class Chinese restaurant. After the meal, you and your dinner companion step outside onto a patio to breathe the clear night air and enjoy views of the lake. The weather is cool, and before you know it an employee has draped a butter-soft wool blanket over your shoulders and silently disappeared inside.
3DAY THREE Roll out of bed, grab your passport, fortify yourself with coff ee and fruit at President Wilson’s morning buff et, then walk up the hill to catch the No. 8 city bus. Within a few minutes you’re at the French border, walking through the checkpoint and hopping the aerial cable car—“La Telepherique”—to the top of Geneva’s own magnifi cent Alp, Le Salève (1). You take in the astounding views of the city, the lake, and the valley of the Arve—wishing luck to the paragliders about to leap off a nearby cliff — then head off for a hike above the cable car station. In a meadow thick with wildfl owers, you gamely hum a few tunes from The Sound of Music. Grab a hearty lunch at the mountaintop restaurant Horizon (2).
Down below, hop the No. 8 again and head for the Plainpalais district. There are plenty of art museums and shopping adventures to be enjoyed here, but you’re beelining for the Patek Philippe Museum (3), with its astonishing collection of watches dating back to 1540.
Drift uphill to a pedestrian mall near the rail station, and suss out Café de Paris (4), one of Geneva’s best-loved restaurants. The venerable family-run steakhouse is hidden among bland storefronts, but the atmosphere inside is crackling. A waiter points you toward a small table, packed in among other diners. There is no menu. The only dish available is steak in herbed butter. Here, the staff is in charge. You order a beer. The waiter shakes his head. You’ll be having red wine, he informs you. You comply cheerfully, thinking to yourself—as Julius Caesar must have during his own visit to Geneva two millennia before—“When in Rome...”
ROXANE FERRON OWNER, AUTOUR DU BAIN // I like to spend my free time in Carouge. The suburb has grown wealthier and more hip in recent years, but one place that still has the casual atmosphere of old Carouge is the restaurant Le P’tit Carougeois. Their perch fi llet—a favorite local dish— is one of the best in town.
6
Avenue de France
Rue de la Servette
Rue de Lyon Rue de Lausanne
4 1 4
1
2
Quai du Mont Blanc 5
5 3 4
Lake Geneva
Quai Gustave Ador
Route de Chancy
3 1 6 7 8 9
Route de Chéne Route de Malagnou Boulevard des Philosophes
Geneva SWITZERLAND
Route des Acacias
1
1 2 3Rue CarolineRue du Val d’Arve Route de VeyrierAvenue Louis Aubert 1 2 0 500 Miles
THOSE THREE PERFECT DAYS
DAY ONE (1) Hotel President Wilson 47 Quai Wilson, 1211 Geneva; Tel: 41-22-906-6666 (2) Le Richemond Jardin Brunswick 1201 Geneva; Tel: 41-22-715-7000 (3) Jet d’Eau Quai Général Guisan (4) Jardin Anglais Quai Général Guisan and Quai Gustave Ador (5) Bucherer Rue du Rhône 45, 1204 Geneva; Tel: 022-319-6266 (6) Hotel Les Armures 1 Rue Puits-St-Pierre, 1204 Geneva; Tel: 41-22-3109172 (7) St Pierre Cathedral Cour Saint-Pierre 6, 1204 Geneva; Tel: 41-0-22-310-2929 (8) Chestnut tree Treille Promenade (9) Soupçon 8 Place du Bourg-de-Four, 1204 Geneva; Tel: 41-22-318-3737 DAY TWO (1) Jean Kazes 21 Rue Saint-Joseph; Tel: 41-22-343-3091 (2) Wolfi sberg Place du Temple 5; Tel: 41-22-342-3219 (3) Histoire de Vins 35 Rue Saint-Joseph; Tel: 41-22-301-2548 (4) La Bourse 7 Place du Marché, 1227 Carouge; Tel: 41-22-342-0466 (5) History of Science Museum Villa Bartholoni, 128 Rue de Lausanne, 1202 Geneva; Tel: 41-22-418-5060 (6) Bains des Pâquis 30 Quai du MontBlanc, 1201 Geneva (7) La Reserve 301 Route de Lausanne, 1293 Bellevue; Tel: 41-22-959-5959
DAY THREE (1) Le Salève (2) Horizon 5760 Route des Trois Lacs, 74560 Monnetier Mornex; Tel: 04-50-39-0909 (3) Patek Philippe Museum 7 Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers, 1205 Geneva; Tel: 41-22-807-0910 (4) Cafe de Paris 26 Rue du Mont-Blanc, 1201 Geneva; Tel: 41-22-732-8450
Live and Learn
Thinking about improvement? Let us help you out.
Professionals in any field can attest to the fact that learning doesn’t end when one walks across the stage and collects that diploma.
As markets, technology and even one’s role within an organization change, the need to go back and reexamine one’s store of knowledge is constant.
Change is something everyone is contending with in the current economic client. No matter which field one is in, he must be prepared for it to change in an instant—or to change his own path. The benefits of a lifelong education are invaluable both for individuals and for the corporations that employ them. And as the world is becomes smaller, the issues one must deal with—or the opportunities available— grow exponentially. An international education can be a good entrée into learning about another country’s job market, or just an enriching way to learn about other cultures. There’s no reason not to have fun exploring while gaining an education. At the same time, enrolling in a domestic university allows you to stay put while being taught. Both are of equal value whether one is looking to enroll himself in school, or an employer is weighing options for a staff member. Whatever the case, why wait to acquire knowledge and enhance opportunities? We’ve taken the first step in helping readers on their roads to knowledge, compiling information about schools, universities, courses and life changing ideas and even learning to fly. We urge everyone, no matter what his or her current occupation or future plans, to take a glance, see if anything jumps out. It may end up leading to the most important decision any of you will ever make.
Turn the page for an opportunity to improve the outcome.
THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN THE ETERNAL CITY. The American University of Rome (AUR) is a private institution of higher education offering undergraduate liberal arts and professional degrees and study abroad opportunities to students from around the world.
Founded in 1969, AUR is an accredited USA institution that offers Bachelor’s degrees with an interdisciplinary and multicultural focus to an international student body, preparing them to live and work across cultures. For four decades the American university of Rome has been preparing future leaders for the demands of today’s competitive marketplace. These students enter the workplace or continue their education with an academic and experiential background profoundly rooted in the concept of the global environment. AUR students come from every corner of the world and from the most diverse backgrounds to participate in this unique educational experience.
Graduates and alumni are supported via a close networking system. AUR’s Global World of Work Blog is setting a new standard for peer-institutionpeer sharing of professional information and contacts.
By coupling the best of American educational practices, technological capability and career preparation with an Italian and European focus on the classical tradition of the humanities, AUR is at the forefront of the quest for improving international understanding and multicultural interaction, making full use of its unique strategic geographic position.
The University is situated on top of Rome’s highest hill, the Janiculum, close to historical landmarks, diplomatic residences and international academies. It is a wonderful site for students wanting to live and learn in a beautifully rich urban and international environment.
THE AUR CURRICULUM Classical Heritage
For further information: www.aur.ed
Contact info:
The American University of Rome Via Pietro Roselli 4 00153, Rome, Italy Tel: +3906 5833 0919 Toll free: 888 791 8327
The College of Business at Colorado State University knows professionals require the flexibility to meet the demands of work and personal life. As a result, its MBA programs help you advance your career without putting your job or family on hold.
The MBA programs teach you to think analytically and immediately apply what you learn in the classroom to challenges within your organization – abilities that become second nature as you progress through the curriculum. You are able to interact more effectively with a range of business units and work outside your specific area of expertise to help your organization meet its goals and objectives.
The MBA programs are accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB), the premier accrediting organization for business schools worldwide. You can pursue your MBA through the College of Business’ Professional MBA Program or the Distance MBA Program.
The Distance MBA (since 1967), one of the first to be accredited by AACSB, has set the standard for distance MBA delivery technology, developing a sophisticated communications network connecting its students to one another and to other MBA students and faculty on-campus.
Distance MBA students around the globe readily access course material and complete team projects. On-campus lectures and classroom dynamics are filmed, recorded to DVDs and sent to students around the world. The DVDs fully engage students in the MBA experience. Additionally, you can access the lecture content through streaming video – allowing you to experience the full classroom dynamic within hours from anywhere in the world. Finally, the College of Business has introduced a communications tool enabling small groups to work simultaneously on a single document.
Regardless the career path you are pursuing, leverage your MBA degree and business skills for professional advancement and development. Call us, this program could be for you! www.CSUmba.com
Contact info:
Contact info:
email: Info@mysrusa.com www.mysrusa.org Our Promise to You: “We promise to provide students, free of charge, expert, friendly, comprehensive guidance with funding, furthering and completing their unique educational goals.”
Student Resource USA understands the importance of helping you achieve your educational goals. Our expert team of Education Consultants will assist you with navigating the confusing landscape of grants, scholarships and degree programs to maximize your time, effort and money. Now you can partner with SRUSA to find the best funding and degree programs to meet your unique needs. See for yourself how you can benefit from our educational expertise, proprietary software, and commitment to help you succeed.
What our students are saying: “I just want to let you know that I have received my letter today stating that $5000.00 ( teacher forgiveness) has been applied to my loan!!! In spite of all the challenges that the teachers are facing, this was a blessing from God!! Thanks for you knowledge and expertise.
The information you shared holds great promise in these dire economic times.”
Contact info:
Locations:
Chicago, IL Crystal Lake, IL King of Prussia, PA Seattle, WA Wall, NJ
Tel: 866-CORTIVA www.cortiva.com
Massage Therapy Offers Career Changers A New Option
The Recession has recent college graduates and seasoned professionals now sharing a single top concern – job security. It’s also forcing people to consider what’s important, like professional flexibility and personal fulfillment. Many will turn to health care careers like massage therapy.
Employment for massage therapists is expected to increase 20 percent through 2016, faster than average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Cortiva Institute teaches a progressive curriculum giving you the training to become a professional massage therapist. There are 11 locations nationwide, including three in the Chicagoland area. Massage is a great option for today’s career changer or anyone seeking professional and personal satisfaction.
Get a Massage during your stay in Chicago or at any Cortiva Institute.
A good massage may be the best investment you can make. Visit Chicago’s Massage Therapy Center on Wabash Street, or visit any Cortiva Institute location for a massage for approximately $40.
Contact info:
Semester at Sea Charlottesville, VA 22904 Tel: 434.243.4301 Add a truly global semester to your college education.
Operated by an educational non-profit, Semester at Sea’s unique shipboard study abroad program stands apart. Worldwide itineraries integrate rigorous coursework with field assignments and service learning in up to 12 international destinations, providing the skills necessary to compete in today’s rapidly globalizing world. Credit earned is transferable by the University of Virginia. The modern, ocean-going campus of the MV Explorer has been described as one of the safest ships afloat. Since 1963, Semester at Sea has sailed on more than 100 voyages, educated more than 50,000 students from 1,500 institutions, and traveled to more than 60 countries. Adult learners may also participate. Sail abroad!
Contact info:
518 Memorial Way 650-723-3341 Executive Program in Strategy and Organization: July 11-23, 2010
Exploring how your organization’s competencies and shortcomings translate into strategic challenges and opportunities is vitally important in the current environment. Taught by worldrenowned professors from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, the Executive Program in Strategy and Organization will enable you to create and execute appropriate action plans based on pioneering research in strategic management and organizational theory. You will learn to analyze global business strategies from both market-focused and non-market perspectives and will receive comprehensive frameworks for managing your organization and accomplishing strategic objectives. During this two-week program, you will reside on campus in the awardwinning Schwab Residential Center and interact with a peer group of leading executives from around the globe. Please contact us to learn more.
Contact info:
Strathallan School www.strathallan.co.uk Strathallan’s ethos is providing the opportunities for all pupils to excel, challenging them, offering support and building confidence through a range of experiences. Central to this is academic success – 49% of the results in A level were at A grade with 95% A–C (the top A Level School in Scotland - Financial Times Sept 2009) – we are also committed to high standards in sport, music, theatre and a range of other activities. Our focus is very much on the individual and ensuring they get the very best education. Located in 150 acres of safe, secure countryside, our unrivalled facilities are one of the best in the country and we are proud of our reputation for outstanding pastoral care. Being a member of the Strathallan community is a wonderful experience in itself but vitally it is also an outstanding preparation for the future. Scholarships/ Fee Assistance/Sibling/Forces discounts are available.
Contact info:
Coach Training Alliance 885 Arapahoe Avenue Tel: 888.432.4121 www.coachtrainingalliance.com/ual Discover Your Passion, Live Your Dream!
Life Coaching, Business Coaching, and the other specialty areas of this field have become the most desirable choice for a fulfilling and rewarding career. Elevate your professional status AND increase your income while giving your clients the incredible gift of success!
Coach Training Alliance is recognized as one of the Top 10 Life Coaching Schools in the World According to Who’s Who in Coaching. Coach Training Alliance’s faculty is a premier collection of the finest educators, mentor coaches and facilitators in the profession of coaching. Thru them, Coach Training Alliance delivers the ultimate ICF accredited coach training programs in the most economical and efficient way. Courses are condensed into a streamlined, step-by-step process that enables “just-in-time” learning that is unparalleled in the industry. Coach Training Alliance provides students a dynamic distance learning environment, using the latest educational technology, in the shortest amount of time and most reasonable tuition.
Do you have what it takes to become a coach? Come to our website and find out, take our free quiz and receive our FREE Coaching Compass: www.coachtrainingalliance.com/ual
Colorado Technical University’s Institute for Advanced Studies is focused on developing future leaders. Our innovative approach to graduate education makes Master’s and Doctoral degree programs achievable, practical and realistic for today’s new breed of student – the lifelong learner who is interested in career opportunity and advancement.
CTU’s Institute for Advanced Studies streamlines the academic process and offers flexibility that can help you work your studies around your other responsibilities. Our results-oriented educational approach balances theory with a Professional Learning Model™ that allows you to learn by working on complex, realworld professional projects. This experience-based model is designed to help you develop a more meaningful understanding of how conceptual knowledge can be applied to practical situations. At CTU’s Institute for Advanced Studies you’ll be part of a supportive community that includes our knowledgeable staff, classmates and alumni who are motivated professionals like you, and a faculty who can offer valuable perspectives and professional insights into your studies. We can also help you connect with employers and offer a portfolio of professional resources that can expose you to some of the sharpest minds in today’s business and technology sectors.
Since 1965, Colorado Technical University has helped thousands of students pursue success in business and high technology industries. Whether you are an experienced professional seeking to retain your edge in a fiercely competitive marketplace, or a recent college graduate ready to take on the challenge of graduate school, CTU’s Institute for Advanced Studies can help you achieve your goals.
Contact info:
4435 North Chestnut Street Tel: 1.877.640.8555
CEC2356305-03/10
Contact info:
518 Memorial Way 650-736-8473 Stanford Executive Program: June 20 - July 31, 2010
Are you ready to embark on a compelling six-week journey where you engage in thoughtful, high-caliber conversations with leading executives from around the globe while outstanding Stanford faculty expand your business perspectives and stretch your leadership skills to new heights? If you are, you can look forward to joining a community of peers in one of the most entrepreneurial environments in the world. This year’s session of the Stanford Executive Program will help you think about the unprecedented strategic challenges you face today, prepare you to move into positions of even greater enterprise-wide responsibility, and impart the expertise to drive business success throughout your organization. Please contact us to learn more.
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tel: 858-569-1822 Where your aviation dreams become your aviation reality.
San Diego Flight Training International has provided safe and professional flight training for more than 20 years in San Diego, CA. They have graduated students from more than 30 countries, many of which are flying for major airlines worldwide.
Whether your dream is to fly a small aircraft for personal use, be the captain of an airliner, or anything else in between, SDFTI will provide you with the path to reach your goal to roam the skies.
To become part of the history and future of aviation, San Diego Flight Training International is the best school to guide you there.
