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Yasemen Kaner-White
LAST SEASON AT FIFTH CHUKKER
12 ACCESS BANK FIFTH CHUKKER INTERNATIONAL POLO DAY SOUTH AFRICA
The Fifth Chukker Access Bank partnership presented the Access Bank Gold Cup to highlight the Bank’s robust entry into the South African market.
17 ACCESS BANK FIFTH CHUKKER UK POLO DAY
The latest show in July 2022 quickly reverted the event to its rarefied porch as the hottest UK summer gig for the bank’s clients and friends.
30 INCREDIBLE ICELAND, IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN, GO!
The landscape was immediately captivating. Salmon were swimming in the rivers beside the road...
36 NAPA VALLEY
California’s Napa Valley is renowned for its gourmet cuisine and legendary wines.
42 SPOTLIGHT ON THE SEYCHELLES
Dive into this African island nation known for its rich culture and extraordinary environment.
56 BABYLONSTOREN
Babylonstoren is one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms.
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The Access Bank Fifth Chukker primary school Maraban-Jos, Kaduna finally threw open its gates for commencement of classes.
26 PEARL VALLEY
The Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course
A world-class, 18-hole championship golf course conceived by Nicklaus Design, with extensive input from Jack Nicklaus himself.
68 FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO THE WORLDTHE GIFT OF RHTHYM & DANCE
Jerusalema to Umjaivo dance challenges to Makhadzi.
49 RESET FOR A HEALTHIER HAPPIER YOU AT A LEADING HEALTH RETREAT
The business of health retreats is booming around the world.
62 WHY THE METAVERSE IS THE NEXT FRONTIER IN LUXURY TRAVEL
No luxury adventure, or experience, will be out of reach to those who step into the metaverse.
ADVENTURES IN FASHION
74 THE UBIQUITOUS RISE OF TRAINERS
Trainers - or sneakers in the US - have made a huge impact on the world.
80 BULGARI
Inside the Dream is the first docufilm ever about Bulgari High Jewellery.
98 A MULTI-CITY FOODIE TRIP IN VIETNAM
Vietnam is a vibrant country and is best explored taking in a few cities at a time.
105 FORAGING FOR FOOD AND FUN
When it comes to foraging, some people get intimidated, though they have probably been foraging all their lives.
114 GO TO GIBRALTAR FOR FABULOUS FOOD There is so much to do and taste in this compact country.
119 DINING IN THE SKY CAN BE DELICIOUS - VISTAJET Delectable food doesn’t need to be limited to the ground.
120 BOOKSHELF
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In 2010, Imane Farès created an art gallery donning her name.
92 SOCCER - THE WORLD’S FAVOURITE GAME
Five billion people! That’s the predicted television audience for the soccer World Cup finals.
Round up of the latest to read, listen to and watch.
121 GO WHERE THE ACTION IS No matter what month it is, somewhere around the world there is an event not to be missed, here are a few to tempt you to travel…
124 WHO’S READING FIFTH CHUKKER
As with every globetrotting edition, we will span the world, from a visit to a destination that should be on everyones’ bucket list; Iceland, including the luxurious Blue Lagoon spa to the quirky off-the-beaten track towns where you probably won’t spot another tourist, only powerful landscapes to remember, we also visit sultry Seychelles, a typical honeymoon destination that packs a punch when it comes to sustainability, beautiful beaches and a strong local culture, Gibraltar offers a compact City break with excellent fresh and traditional food, whilst a few nights at Babylonstoren will spoil you rotten in beautiful natural surrounds, we delve into the nuggets of what makes Napa Valley such a desirable location and to keep travelling of course, one needs to be in good shape, so we explore the best health retreats around the world and discover the benefits of foraging for our food whilst respecting our environment, we look at how travel may well be more virtual in the future with the metaverse, though as our Vietnamese food feature
demonstrates, nothing beats being somewhere in person, to see, taste and smell it for yourself. Another way to ‘travel’ of course is via a good book or listening to a podcast, we share with you our latest recommendations and as ever, we bring you the latest news from the world of Fifth Chukker, from charitable partnerships to pulsating polo matches, the world of polo naturally attracts glamour and we’ve got you covered, from fine dining onboard a jet, the latest beautiful creations from Bulgari, the story of sneakers and why many a fashionista is fascinated by them, ensuring they own the latest ‘must-have’ pair, a look at the history of soccer and in an exclusive interview with Imane Fares, we give you insight into an art gallery owners mind and much more, read on to find out…
YASEMEN KANER-WHITE Editor
yasemen@parmuto.com
Editor - YASEMEN KANER-WHITE
Editorial Team - FRANCESCO FIORILLA, YUSUF SAAB, BILLY ZACS
Contributors - YASEMEN KANER-WHITE, LILBY SKAZ, BEN WEST, JOE BARTLETT, LISA FORSTER, DAVID NICHOLSON, LAUREN JADE HILL, ISOBEL DIAMOND
Photography - FRANCESCO FIORILLA, DANIEL SAAIMAN, PHILLIP VAN DYK, IMAGES OF POLO, KLEARPICS, JOAN WARD, PAT SCOTT, JOHN KYL, DREW ALTIZER, BOB MCCLENAHAN, PAUL RICHARDSON
Design - TONI BARRINGTON
THE MAGAZINE PRODUCTION COMPANY www.magazineproduction.com
The powerful partnership between UNICEF, Access Bank, Fifth Chukker and the Government of Kaduna State – now in its 13th year – has had positive impacts on the lives of children, families and the wider community in Kaduna State.
At the Model Primary School, Maraban Jos-Kaduna, 30 classrooms have been renovated and upgraded, improving the learning experience for children. The school is also now equipped with separate hygiene facilities for girls and boys – improving school attendance and retention, especially for girls – a clear testimony of what these partnerships can produce.
Through our partnership, we are increasingly generating public awareness and discussion on issues affecting vulnerable children and creating opportunities for community members to discuss and influence matters that affect children in their communities.
Importantly, through our partnership with Fifth Chukker, children have benefitted from increased opportunities to play and actively participate in matters affecting them – including through the joint celebration of special events. I look forward to seeing our joint work reach even more children, especially in hard-to-reach communities of Kaduna State.
It is only through strong partnerships and engagement – with government, foundations, the private sector, civil society, communities and children themselves – that we can truly promote and protect the rights of all Nigerian children.
On behalf of UNICEF, I would like to express my thanks and reaffirm our commitment to sustaining our special relationship with Fifth Chukker and Access Bank, which has already benefitted so many children. I look forward to continued fruitful engagement.
Peter Hawkins, Country Representative, UNICEF Nigeria
The Fifth Chukker Access Bank partnership presented the Access Bank Gold Cup to highlight the Bank’s robust entry into the South African market. The March 2022 event was held in Val de Vie, South Africa’s most exclusive Lifestyle and Wellness Estate. It attracted a slate of Cape Town’s glitterati, as well as beautiful and sophisticated people from around the world, and it showcased African talent in Polo, fashion, cuisine and luxury experience.
The glamour-laden blast was the hottest ticket in town, benefiting the Nelson Mandela foundation which supports children’s charities such as the Nelson Mandela Children’s hospital in Johannesburg, a dedicated paediatric facility serving
the children of South Africa. Access Bank South Africa CEO Sugendhree Reddy presented a 360,000 rand cheque to the foundation on the occasion,
The day, naturally, rolled out with a courtly champagne reception in the expansive ballroom where arriving guests were beguiled by an exquisite fashion exhibition inspired by the fabrics of Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa. World famous Port Elizabeth designer, Laduma Ngxokolo headlined an elite caste of couturiers, models, and producers, all deftly curated by socialite Mala Bryan,
Lunch, predictably, was another Uber-Afro smash featuring three of the continent’s top celebrity chefs. Morocco’s Moha Fedal
shared menu credits with South Africa’s Katlego Mlambo and Kyle Conradie. Hot on their scrumptious canapés and Hors d’oeuvres for the cocktails - which included beverages in Access blue and Fifth Chukker red - the trio trumped the taste buds again with more of their signature sizzles, such as slowly braised springbok shank, African carrot, Moroccan beldie chicken with lemon confit and olives. Gold medal Ethiopian coffee, syrupy Maghrebian desserts and a choice of Chardonnay or Sauvignon blanc from the Val de Vie vineyards complemented the Carte du jour.
Amid the wall-to-wall hospitality and non-stop revel, guests sashayed onto the terraces and garden for the day’s final event; back-to-back high-octane polo matches for the 214 year-old Gold Cup and the Emily Aig-Imoukhede Memorial Silver Cup, respectively. The silver cup was commissioned by Fifth Chukker from Christofle of Paris in memory of the mother of the pioneer Managing Director/CEO of Access Bank group, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhede.
As for that defining moment, the conundrum faced by many guests in nailing one was further compounded by the seductive optics from the polo field: Aigboje throwing in the match-starting ball from a topless Ferrari Portofino as it rolled away; thoroughbred polo ponies thundering around the pitch with heartthrobbing intensity; and star saxophonist Evan serenading rampantly coiffured ladies as they stomped back uprooted turf with their Jimmy Choos and Christian Louboutins.
By the time the Gold and Silver cups were well won and lost, the dramatic panorama of the sundown glowing lustrously over the Paarl valley mountains was now in full arresting perspective, offering the perfect backdrop for the presentations. Access bank board Chairman Ms Ajoritsedere Awosika, Access Corporation CEO Herbert Wigwe, Access Bank Managing Director Roosevelt Ogbonna, and MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita all took turns to hand out the trophies and other prizes to the winners, runners-up and officiators.
The Access Bank Fifth Chukker South Africa Polo Day was partnered by Ferrari, Jo Malone, Linde Jewelry and the South Africa Tourism Board. All the organizations benefited immensely from
The pandemic ensured that the next Access Bank Fifth Chukker International Polo Day UK couldn’t hold for two clear years since the last edition in 2019. But the latest show in July 2022 quickly reverted the event to its rarefied porch as the hottest UK summer gig for the bank’s clients and friends.
That this grand experience was missed by so many people was evidenced by the biggest ever turnout of VVIPs and aficionados. A royal parade led by the Emir of Zazzau, HRH Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, and the 14th Emir of Kano. HRH Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi ll elevated the excitement level even more.
The day raised another $1.7 million towards the building and equipping of over 100 new classrooms in less educationally developed areas of Nigeria. Access Corporation Group Managing Director Herbert Wigwe put it to his guests that “this new project should literally serve as building blocks towards achieving a brighter future for the country.”
He challenged the various state governments to take sustainable actions towards ensuring all boys and girls complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education.
Managing Director of Access Bank, Roosevelt Ogbonna added that the Access Bank Fifth Chukker UK Polo Day remained a greatest platform towards ensuring a great future for the vulnerable Nigerian child. Teams Access Bank, Malcomines, Fifth Chukker and Delaney competed for the Access Bank cup and the Charity Shield, respectively.
In a one-week double-barrel extravaganza, the Access Bank Fifth Chukker Charity Shield Partnership opened Africa’s largest primary school for classes and delivered the annual UNICEF Charity Shield Polo Tournament as well.
Aptly scheduled for Children’s Day, 27 May, 2022, the Access Bank Fifth Chukker primary school Maraban-Jos, Kaduna finally threw open its gates for commencement of classes right in the heat of the 2022 Access Bank UNICEF Charity Shield Polo Tournament.
In all, 3,600 primary 4-6 pupils were assigned to the 60 available classrooms while the junior classes remained in the old school for now. On completion, the entire project will boast a total of 120 classrooms and enrol about 12,000 pupils in two daily shifts. There is no gainsaying that the primary school has generated premium CSR branding for Access Bank and Fifth Chukker.
The wife of the governor of Kaduna Mrs Ummi El-Rufai turned up with state education officials for the occasion and were received by Fifth Chukker’s chairman Adamu Atta, School executive consultant Abiodun Adegboye, as well as representatives of Access Bank, UNICEF and the host communities.
Addressing the gathering, El-Rufai, who also doubles as the UNICEF Charity ambassador for the school, commended Fifth Chukker and Access Bank for touching the lives of the less privileged; decried the low standard of education in Nigeria; and called on parents, particularly in the Mararaban Jos community to take advantage of the school which has provided free and quality education for their children. “I am very proud to be part of this project, I am happy for the children.” she added.
Sections of pupils from the school were conveyed daily to Fifth Chukker to experience the Access Bank UNICEF Charity Shield polo tournament. The polo climaxed in cliff-hanging triumphs for Kaduna Fifth Chukker, Jos AM&C, Zaria Badako Zaz and Afden Petroleum teams as they emerged champions, winning the Charity Shield, Access Bank Cup, UNICEF Cup, and Usman Dantata Cup, respectively, in the high-goal, medium-goal, intermediate and low-goal categories.
South Africa, the more than a dozen teams in the competition contested fiercely for the points all the way to the finals, thrilling polo buffs and high profile guests, including the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Alhaji Abdulrasheed Bawa and Mrs El-Rufai.
and UNICEF prides itself on 15 years of solid support for education, gender and health solutions in Northern Nigeria communities. This approach aligns perfectly with the partners’ vision of creating platforms to highlight and support charitable endeavours across the African continent.
The commencement of classes at the Access Bank Fifth Chukker Primary School attracted a scrum of print, radio and television journalists, who thereafter had a briefing session with Fifth Chukker Chairman Adamu Atta. During the discourse, Atta chronicled the historical spectrum of the project - from the original intent of the Access Bank Fifth Chukker partnership to upgrade the old school, to the building of a massive new one, and the emerging philosophy of aligning future school operations with stakeholder value in a profound re-calibration of the partnership’s CSR investment strategy.
About 13 years ago, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhede and myself looked at the situation of education, particularly in Northern Nigeria, and decided that it was necessary to create a platform that could extend some kind of philanthropic support to certain challenges as we saw them in education and healthcare delivery
So we adopted the Mararaban Jos Primary School (close to Fifth Chukker) which had barely 500 pupils at the time. We also co-opted our friend and partner, Herbert Wigwe,(who later succeeded Aig as Managing Director of Access Bank) into our vision.
Over the next years, Fifth Chukker and its partners contributed immensely towards teaching capacity development, infrastructure upgrade, provision of education instruction materials and medical aid for the school and the Mararaban Jos community. The impact was immediate as parent started transferring their children from other schools.
Our sense of satisfaction of what we had achieved didn’t last very long, though, because following the introduction of school feeding by the government in 2016, the population of pupils ballooned from 500 to 12,000. This, of course, stretched every facility to breaking point, necessitating further and bigger intervention by us.
To be clear, the school we adopted was ab initio not even adequate for 500 pupils. With this new development we decided that we might as well elevate our magnanimity from routine upgrades to sustainable long-term impact solutions.
In 2019, we decided to embark on a brand-new school project and create a platform where 12,000 pupils could receive standard curriculum education. By the end of that year we had built our portion of the school (the Kaduna state government had pledged counterpart funding for additional 60 classrooms). Unfortunately, it was the onset of the global pandemic so we could not enrol the children into the school and had to wait another year and half. But that was not altogether a bad thing because during that period we understood the virtues of digital platforms, and we decided that we will introduce virtual learning into the curriculum of the school.
What you see today is the outcome of the collaboration of Fifth Chukker, Access Bank, UNICEF with a number of private individuals and state actors who continue to support and encourage the platform. It clearly shows there is always a way where there is the will.
Our gratitude also go to the wife of the governor of Kaduna state, Her Excellency Ummi El-Rufai. She is the UNICEF Charity Ambassador for the school and has, even against difficult situations, given the school her tremendous support and time.You know it’s one thing to extend resources but it’s another thing to be physically involved and personally partake.
We still have some way to go, this is an impact project based on stakeholder concept and circular economy construct. This means that we shall have a stakeholder configuration where everybody that is involved in this project is a direct beneficiary of a sort. So the teachers, the pupils, the parents, the service providers and the community will all be empowered at different levels of this initiative.
For instance, our idea for school feeding is that the parents who are farmers will grow the food. Female parents under the gender empowerment platform will cook the food and be paid to supply the kids in the school. That also works with uniforms where tailors would be engaged to sew school uniform for the pupils. It will be likewise for carpenters and furniture as well as other trades and services.
So, once we’ve weaved this ecosystem of interconnected groups and interdependent interests, we would have set in motion the wheel of a circular economy, with production, consumption and service systems that promote efficiency and sustain the circular use of local material, human resource and natural capital. This scheme will generate overall maximum benefits for the enrichment of the community, the protection of the environment and the sustainability of the platform.
Really, it is the beginning of an exciting period for us. We want to see the community transformed through universal empowerment. We want to promote gender equality in education and economic access, and we want to take those 20 million kids off the streets. This is the first step towards that.
Located on Val de Vie Estate in the heart of the Paarl-Franschhoek valley in the Western Cape, South Africa, the Pearl Valley Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course is a destination inspired by the majestic mountain ranges and natural beauty for which the region is renowned.
A world-class, 18-hole championship golf course conceived by Nicklaus Design, with extensive input from Jack Nicklaus himself, it perfectly epitomises his vision, philosophy, and passion for the game. Since opening in 2003, it has received a multitude of awards and accolades. Most recently, South Africa’s Top 100 Golf Courses –the definitive golf course ranking – named it the 3rd best golf course in South Africa for 2022.
Boasting pristine all-season fairways, exceptional bunkering and the ingenious use of water features, the Pearl Valley Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course will challenge even the most experienced of players. Designed with the winter north-westerly and summer south-easterly winds in mind, all par 3’s and par 5’s play in different directions, providing the golfer with varying conditions throughout the round.
Next to the first tee, a practice facility provides golfers with the ideal location to warm up and prepare for the round ahead, while well-appointed locker rooms provide the perfect place to freshen up after a game. Of course, no round of golf is complete without a visit to the Golf Shop, a place where you can purchase leading brands such as Under Armour, Adidas and Footjoy.
Whether you’re an experience player, or a complete beginner, the Pearl Valley Golf Academy offers its students one of the finest coaching and practice facilities in the Western Cape. With access to expert instruction delivered by a team of highly experienced local and international coaches, you can learn all important golf and lifestyle techniques designed to dramatically improve your game.
A short walk from the golf course, along a winding pathway lined with fragrant fynbos you will find the Pearl Valley Hotel by Mantis, a true luxury retreat. The hotel is close to everything you may need, including restaurants, a coffee shop and a delicatessen. Many of South Africa’s most renowned wine estates and the pretty town of Franschhoek – which was recently named by TIME Magazine as a ‘wine lover’s dream’ and included within its list of the World’s Greatest Places in 2022 – are also just a 15-minute drive away.
You can turn your stay into a true wellness experience, with a visit to the Camelot spa, resort-style swimming pool and on-site gym, or alternatively walk, run, mountain bike or saddle up and go horse
riding. You are free to explore the 1,000-hectare Estate to your heart’s content, surrounded by exceptional panoramic views and complete serenity. You may choose to stay a night or two at the Pearl Valley Hotel by Mantis, but the real attraction is that with full sectional title ownership on offer, you may secure 30 room nights per year with flexible usage according to your needs, starting from R2.3m for a luxurious one-bedroom suite.
Visitors can enjoy a variety of world-class restaurants from The Valley Restaurant, which caters for all tastes from freshly prepared sushi to pizza, while at the Polo Pavilion by Back’s, brunch, lunch or dinner can be enjoyed while taking in the spectacular views across the Estate’s polo fields.
A beautiful vineyard and winery also form part of the greater Val de Vie Estate. A perfect climate, combined with both cool and warm winds has played a prominent role in the production of wines in this specific region, since the 1600s when French Huguenot descendants brought their knowledge of viticulture to the area. Named L’Huguenot, it is home to the Estate’s exclusive Val de Vie and Polo Club ranges, all of which are bottled in a 180-year-old cellar.
Val de Vie Estate is a place like no other. Residents indulge in quality time, form great friendships, make unforgettable memories and become more connected to each other and the world around them. Paramount to this lifestyle is complete peace of mind, with residents taking great comfort in knowing that unobtrusive, yet highly effective security is a top priority. Safety was a founding pillar of the Estate, from the moment architects and engineers planned how the community would experience day-to-day life.
Polo is an important part of the fabric of life on the Estate, and the Val de Vie Polo Club is the most active in Africa. Three polo fields – that meet International Hurlingham Polo Association standards – provide a stage for ‘the sport of kings’. A fast, exciting game for competing teams and their highly skilled polo ponies, polo season at Val de Vie Estate has also become a place for family and friends to come together for picnics or playdates, it is a time to relax and catch-up, where
From Icelands’ largest airport Keflavík on the way to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, the landscape was immediately captivating. Salmon were swimming in the rivers beside the road and a local tells me it’s tradition that the mayor is the first to fish, to officially begin fishing season. Snow caped mountains in the distance, I felt a sense of adventure within...
Yasemen Kaner-White
First stop was the Settlement Center in Borgarnes to peruse exhibitions of Iceland’s past and to have my first taste of local cuisine. Snacks being served included bijou samples of local staples such as mashed fish, usually haddock or cod on top of delicious dark rye bread, a hearty fish soup, lamb in a slightly sweet sauce and horse, again with a sauce.
I found out that the Snaefellsnes peninsula is known as the food cornucopia of Iceland,
offering fresh fish, seal, herbs, berries and more, it’s historically been the best place to settle. We set off again passing pretty, timber houses covered with sheet metal to protect them from the elements, painted in various muted colours. Wild Icelandic horses were dotted around the mountainous in the distance, which are special because they have five gaits, the last in which their feet are entirely off the ground, as they ‘fly’ through
the air. These gentle creatures come from the original Viking horses and able to live in all elements. After a good night sleep at Hotel Búðir, breakfast included the famous Icelandic thick, creamy Skyr yogurt, cereals, buttermilk, fruit, smoked salmon, seeded dark rye bread, eggs, mini pancakes and cod liver oil to have a shot of, as locals do. We walked to the iconic Búðakirkja church so often seen in photographers’ repertoire,
built in1848, its stark silhouette against the natural beauty of the landscape is striking. First stop was coffee and traditional plain pancakes sprinkled with sugar, at Hellnar, what used to be one of the largest fishing villages beneath the Snaefellsjokull ice cap, sipping coffee with views of the sea and volcanic rocks whilst the noisy cormorants were nesting, was magical. We then headed
to Djupalonssandur, a gorgeous, pebbled beach featuring enigmatic rocks creeping out from the ocean and remains of a shipwreck on the beach. Lunch was the most amazing fresh scallops with dill oil, mustard seeds, fresh dill and langoustine sauce, followed by Icelandic cod, barley laced with mushrooms and cream and dill oil, followed by a scrumptious intriguing
liquorice creme caramel at Viðvik restaurant. For some contextual history we visited The Maritime Museum in the Fishermen´s Park, with a snow-capped glacier as the backdrop, where an interesting selection of fish sculptures could be seen, showcasing local sea life. We stopped off for photo opportunities at ‘Kirkjufell’ AKA “Church Mountain,” known for its unique shape - it is the most photographed mountain in Iceland, nearby waterfall Kirkjufellsfoss and then on to dinner at Bjargarsteinn in Grundarfjörður for more local delicacies. In the quaint restaurant with views of Kirkjufell and mountains which featured in The Game of Thrones, you’ll find some outstanding food, we had dried crispy redfish skin, kelp and a dip of skyr with pickled seaweed, followed by fish soup starring scallops and prawns, with dried dulse to sprinkle on top, then snapper, pickled garlic, oyster mushroom, potato gratin, cottage cheese, bean purée and red wine sauce, ending with Skyr yogurt blended with white chocolate, wild blueberries and a ginger biscuit. All served with small batch rhubarb beer and a memorable dulse wine, infused with apples, cloves and lemon to disguise the salty dulse. The restaurant resembles a typical Icelandic house in days gone by and is worth having a look upstairs for retro furniture and stunning views. After a good night sleep in Hotel Egilsen, an 1867 boutique hotel in the small fishing town of Stykkishólmur, a stone’s throw from the harbour with an eyecatching cherry red exterior, we explored the bijou town picking up some popular liquorice sweets from the supermarket, then headed to lunch at Sjávarpakkhúsið. We kick started
with lumpfish roe and fresh bread, delicate halibut ceviche, pickled cucumber and sorrel leaves, then delectable cod cheek fritters and rhubarb sauce and huge local mussels, followed by meaty wolffish steaks with creamy celeriac foam and dill. Pudding was stewed rhubarb, foam yogurt and candied almonds. To wash it down we had local gin which is filtered through local lava. A cultural visit to the Library of Water overlooking the harbour which houses an exhibition reflecting Roni Horn’s intimate involvement with the singular geography, geology, climate and culture of Iceland and then it was time for more Icelandic food. Dinner was at Narfeyrarstofa and started with an impressive two-tiered stand of local seafood, including cod tongues, black seagull eggs, seaweed, sea truffles, scallops, sea snails, crab and sea urchin. The next day it was time to try one
of Icelands’ traditional pastimes, bathing in a natural spring, we headed to the Guðlaug Baths, essentially hot pools in Langisandur‘s rock garden and opposite the sea, so you can be immersed in warm steamy water, arms flung over the edge, as you gaze out on the wonderous sea waves just beyond the beach you are overlooking. I couldn’t visit Iceland without exploring the compact capital that I now know packs a punch, Reykjavík. I stayed two nights, the first in Sand Hotel, which is fantastically centrally located within easy reach of the best spots in Reykjavik, including the locally famous café Brauð & Co, which is best to walk to at 7.30am to grab a warm cinnamon roll out the oven and coffee, which I did. I then went on a fantastic walking tour with a culinary slant, with Addý from ‘Your Friend In Reykjavik’, she took us to the City’s best dining destinations
and we even tried the famed fermented shark, washed down with a sip of powerful Brennivin original, Icelandic schnapps. The next night I stayed at the beautiful Art décor themed Hotel Borg, the rooms are lovely with some overlooking Parliament Square and the spa is a serene, secluded space, to refresh and retreat. Mid-morning I walked to famed hotdog stand ‘Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur’, moments from the hotel, I’d recommend you have it as it comes, with all the trimmings. I then visited the food market to catch a glimpse of local life and bought some delicious dense Icelandic rye bread to take home. Reykjavík roasters serves fantastic craft coffee, I sipped one on the way to buy a typical handknitted Icelandic wool jumper from the one of the many stores that sell them in the City. I also popped into the fragrant perfume shop Fischersund, to sample their sultry scents made from nature, as it was recommended to me. The oldest bookshop in Iceland; Eymundsson established in 1872, was lovely to browse and they serve cake and drinks too. Before heading home, it was time for some spa indulgence and so I went to The Blue Lagoon which is a bucketlist, futuristic, luxury hotel, offering unique experiences including surreal volcanic landscape, a crater wine cellar and geothermal seawater to swim and relax, benefitting body and mind and such an uplifting note to end the trip on, leaving me looking forward to returning.
www.inspiredbyiceland.com
California’s Napa Valley is renowned for its gourmet cuisine and legendary wines. Boasting hundreds of wineries and breathtaking natural beauty, the region attracts millions of visitors each year. But if you travel to Napa in July, you can experience the best of its offerings in a distinct way: paired with a spectacular lineup of world-class performances.
Since its inception in 2006, Festival Napa Valley – dubbed “the 10 best days of summer” has blended the beauty and bounty of Napa Valley with the very finest performing arts. Wine enthusiasts visiting the Golden State are offered a gilded moment in time when one can indulge all senses, heightened by the power of music.
California has a rich wine history dating back to the 1700s, when the art of winemaking arrived with the Spanish padres. In Napa, the De La Salle Christian Brothers survived the Prohibition Era by producing altar wines. Today, the historic Mont La Salle Chapel is a stage for some
of the Festival’s most dynamic performances. Guests will find themselves strolling postconcert to neighboring Hess Persson Estates for one of the Festival’s signature events: a spectacular winery dinner, this one hosted by proprietors Sabrina and Timothy Persson, who previously owned Glen Carlou Wine Estate in South Africa.
The Festival has become renowned for these unique dining experiences, with patrons and artists coming together for a culinary performance in its own right. Napa’s generous vintners open their magnificent wineries and estates to host these one-of-a-kind events, many of
which feature an encore of the evening’s mainstage concert.
This last summer, Jennifer and B arry Waitte, proprietors of Tamber Bey Vineyards, hosted a Festival Vintner’s Luncheon at their 22-acre Sundance Ranch in Calistoga, one of the largest horse ranches in the Napa Valley. Guests indulged in wine cellar treasures while mingling with other guests and the couple’s Arabian horses and enjoying stunning views of Mount St. Helena. Everything about the property and experience reflect the owners’ ’love of horses and wine and is typical of the magic one finds at Festival Napa Valley.
The artists who have made their way to Napa Valley to perform at the Festival include such legendary musicians as violinists Joshua Bell and Sarah Chang, pianists JeanYves Thibaudet and Conrad Tao, and singers Renée Fleming, Danielle de Niese and Audra McDonald. Celebrities who have appeared on Festival Napa Valley’s stages include Bill Murray, Minnie Driver, Michael Keaton, Rita Moreno and Robert Redford.
The Festival’s marquee event, the Arts for All Gala, is a star-studded evening and one of the nation’s biggest fundraisers for arts education. Past headliners have included singer and actress Jennifer Hudson, Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth, and singer-songwriter Seal. Last summer’s gala featured a performance by Grammy Awardwinning country music star Trisha Yearwood and raised a record-setting $3.9 million. The event’s lively auction features oncein-a-lifetime luxury lots and has included exclusive access to intimate performances by legends Diana Ross, Gloria Estefan, and Andrea Bocelli; an invitation to Elton John’s Birthday Bash; a spectacular villa on the island of Mustique; private yacht cruises; entree to star studded galas, film festivals, award shows, and sporting events; exclusive wine collections, and much more.
To date, the annual affair has raised more than $20 million towards its goal of providing free and affordable access to performances, arts education and original programming for youth, and scholarships.
The Gala has been held at such landmark venues as Meadowood Resort and HALL Napa Valley, and now takes place each summer on the grounds of Nickel & Nickel, just behind the winery’s historic 19th-century homestead complete with picturesque stables.
Longstanding partnerships with Napa Valley’s iconic wineries have been key to the Festival’s success. Far Niente, owner of Nickel & Nickel, is one of the original wineries involved with Festival Napa Valley, hosting events since inception.
In 2014 the Festival presented a tribute to Sophia Loren on the stunning Far Niente property. At the event, Loren’s son, Carlo Ponti, conducted the Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra, an ensemble devoted to the advocacy and support of music education. Whoopi Goldberg emceed, and the notable guests paying tribute to La Loren included Robert Redford and Francis Ford Coppola. Robert De Niro and former presidents Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush also sent in tributes.
The Festival’s founding benefactors remain equally committed today, including Bouchaine Vineyards proprietors Tatiana and Gerret Copeland, Shahpar and Darioush Khaledi of Darioush Winery, arts philanthropists Athena and Timothy Blackburn, composer and philanthropist Gordon Getty, and global arts patrons Maria Manetti Shrem and Jan Shrem. These and other generous individuals, wineries, and businesses have fostered Festival Napa Valley’s growth and success and inspired many of its programs.
With an international audience of celebrities, artists, and philanthropists, the Festival has become a showcase for the art of life. Guests can even find trunk shows and runways by fashion brands like Valentino and Salvador Ferragamo, Brunello Cucinelli, and Carolina Herrera. Italy’s bespoke jewelry house, Pomellato, is a regular presence, becoming the Official Jeweler for the Festival’s 16th season, while Audi returned as car sponsor featuring their e-tron collection of electric vehicles.
Festival Napa Valley’s essential ingredients – music, art, food, wine, and fashionable guests – all blend together seamlessly in the 10 Best Days of Summer.
The next edition of Festival Napa Valley takes place July 14-23, 2023. To learn more, visit www.fesivalnapavalley.org.
1. Preparing for an evening Festival Napa Valley concert at the historic Mont La Salle Chapel on Mt. Veeder, photo by Bob McClenahan.
2. Trisha Yearwood performs at the 2022 Festival Napa Valley Arts for All Gala at Nickel & Nickel Winery, raising $3.9 million in support of arts education, photo by Drew Altizer.
3. Festival Orchestra Napa performs at Castello di Amorsoa, photo by Paul Richardson.
4. Jan Shrem, Maria Manetti Shrem, Richard Walker, & Sophia Loren arrive Festival Napa Valley’s Bella Italia Tribute to Sophia Loren at Far Niente, photo by Drew Altizer.
5. Hess Persson Estates proprietress Sabrina Persson in the winery’s on-site art gallery, featuring a superb collection of contemporary art. Goldsworthy. LionsHead.
6. Festival Napa Valley Board Chair Robin Baggett, vintnerproprieter of Alpha Omega Winery, Tolosa Winery, and Perinet Winery welcomes guests to the 2021 season, photo by Drew Altizer.
7. Performers from the art collective Quixotic soar high above Napa Valley at the 2022 Founders Dinner at the estate of Steven and Claire Stull, photo by Bob McClenahan.
8. Blending the natural beauty of Napa Valley with the exquisite artistry of fine jewelry, Festival Napa Valley’s 2022 summer season included the participation of Pomellato at Cardinale, Auberge du Soleil, and Hall Rutherford, photo by David Ortega.
9. Fashion takes the stage with Nieman Marcus at the 2022 Festival Napa Valley Vintner’s Luncheon at Raymond Vineyards, photo by Drew Altizer.
10. 2022 Patron Dinner at Castello di Amorosa, photo by Drew Altizer.
11. Love, wine, and opera flow in abundance during the Festival’s 2022 production of Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore at Charles Krug, photo by Drew Altizer.
12. Composer Gordon Getty with founding chairman of the Festival Napa Valley board vintner Darioush Khaledi.
13. Patrons at the 2022 Vintner_s Luncheon at Tamber Bey Vineyards raise a glass in celebration of the Festival, combining the best in wine, music, and horses, photo by David Ortega.
14. A magical summer evening at Frank Family Vineyards during the 2022 Festival Napa Valley summer season photo by Bob McClenahan.
15. 2019 Miss America and Festival Napa Valley composerin-residence Nia Imani Franklin grabs a selfie with members of the Young People_s Chorus of New York City after the world premier of her Juneteenth anthem, Polaris, photo by David Ortega.
16. Whoopi Goldberg, Sophia Loren, and Robert Redford at Festival Napa Valley_s Bella Italia Tribute to Sophia Loren, photo by Drew Altizer.
17. An alfresco Festival Napa Valley performance at Meadowood Napa Valley captures the beauty of the season, photo by Paul Richardson.
18. Tatiana and Gerret Copeland of Bouchaine Vineyards with Bouchaine Young Artists violinist Jordan Bak and pianist Tomomi Sato, photo by Bob McClenahan.
19. Robert Redford, Claire Stull, and Maggie Oetgen at Far Niente, photo by Drew Altizer.
20. 2021 Composer in Residence - Novack Concert for Kids artist Nia Imani Franklin with young fans, photo by John Kyl.
21. Sophia Loren backstage at Festival Napa Valley with members of the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra photo by Paul Richardson.
22. Violinist Joshua Bell and soprano Larisa Martínez perform with Festival Orchestra Napa at Charles Krug Winery, photo by Drew Altizer.
stretches of white sand backed by lush vegetation and flanked with giant boulders that first come to mind. Indeed, the archipelago’s 115 islands draw much of their attention for pristine scenery in which a verdant interior is fringed with sandy shores lapped by marine-liferich waters.
This vast archipelago of the western Indian Ocean astounds visitors, both with its dramatic, mostly granitic Inner Islands home to the nation’s main hub Mahé and more far-flung coralline Outer Islands where the abundance of indigenous wildlife is perhaps even more extraordinary ¬– home to hundreds of endemic species and the largest population of giant tortoises in the world, the Outer Islands’
African, Asian and European influence is all then a part of the Seychellois culture further setting this archipelago apart and seen through everything from the arts to Seychellois Creole cuisine. As well as trekking through vast areas of wilderness and setting out on exploration both on and under the water’s surface, time here can be spent getting a taste for local life in the lively capital and seeking out culinary and arts highlights dotted across the main islands.
The question on many travellers’ lips is which island to base their stay around. The largest island in the archipelago – home to the majority of the Seychelles’ population, the capital Victoria
many travellers start their journey. Visitors often spend much of their time here or over on the archipelago’s second-largest island, Praslin, accessed by passenger boat from Mahé or through Praslin Island Airport.
From each of these major but also largely wild islands, boats and helicopters transport you to neighbouring and far flung, both public and private, islands including several with island-hideaways rivalling some of the world’s most luxurious resorts.
Some of the most internationally renowned, with North Island and Fregate Island perhaps the most famous among them, stand out in part for their success in rehabilitating the islands they’re on,
rebuilding the habitat from the plant-life to endemic birds of land that was once stripped of its indigenous natural environment for plantations.
This overall environmentally conscious ethos is a major factor defining the Seychelles and its tourism offering, with the natural environment both on and off land making the experience you have here completely unique to this island nation.
Waking up in one of North Island’s sprawling beachfront villas means stepping out to gardens inhabited with Aldabra giant tortoises and onto soft sandy shores attracting nesting turtles and breakfasting in an oceanfront pavilion overlooked by granite peaks and tropical forest. Snorkelling off the island’s shores brings you face to face with the archipelago’s colourful marine life and, if luck is on your side, sunset cruises afford close-up dolphin encounters.
Fregate Island, currently under renovation and due to reopen in 2024, is built on the same eco-conscious philosophy, with the Fregate Island Foundation leading a range of conservation projects protecting the environment both on and off shore. In 2018, the
Whether immersing yourself in dynamic urban centres, exploring pristine white-sand beaches and turquoise lagoons, or embracing the mystical calm of the savannah as lions roar in the distance, the diverse landscapes of Africa hold many a secret.
With so many unique and unforgettable experiences just waiting to be uncovered, it’s time to embark on the journey of a lifetime and let Four Seasons showcase this captivating region at its very best. fourseasons.com
luxury watch brand Blancpain launched a collaboration with Fregate Island to study, restore and preserve the marine environment around the island.
Another resort that stands out for its conservation efforts, Six Senses Zil Pasyon is the sustainable property behind the island of Félicité’s ambitious forest restoration in which a landscaping team has been working for over a decade on eradicating invasive plant species and reintroducing to this wilderness shrubs and trees that are indigenous or endemic to the Seychelles. Insight is given into this inspiring ecological endeavour on hikes to the top of the island and through the island’s jungle.
More of the Seychelles’ well-preserved environment can be seen by following some of the islands’ most popular forest trails winding through areas of protected wilderness such as Morne Seychellois National Park on Mahé and Valleé de Mai Nature Reserve on Praslin. Seychelles Botanical Garden near Victoria is filled with endemic plant species including the iconic coco de mer palms. The islands’ 18 marine protected areas, making up 30% of the nation’s territorial waters, can then be explored on snorkelling and scuba diving expeditions taking in coral outcrops, wrecks and underwater caves all thriving with marine life.
To get to know the destination more during your time on the islands, it’s worth seeking out cultural sites such as the The National Museum of History found within Victoria’s restored Supreme Court Building, the cathedral and Sri Navasakthi Vinayagar Hindu Temple of the capital, and Liberty Monument celebrating the Seychelles’ independence. A different side to Seychellois culture can be uncovered by stopping by some of the galleries and artist studios, such as Eden Art Space and Michael Adams Art Studio, found across Mahé.
Bringing together local ingredients like coconut, cinnamon, vanilla and fresh tuna, which you’ll also find at Victoria market, with the island’s diverse culinary influence, some of the best food on the island can be found at popular local restaurants such as Marie Antoinette, which serves authentic Creole cuisine in a historic property that was designated a national monument in 2011. Le Jardin du Roi Spice Garden hosts guests in its Creole restaurant commanding impressive views from its position on the hills above Anse Royale.
New restaurants and hotels continue to enhance the islands’ hospitality offering. As the Seychelles proves an enduring favourite
among luxury travellers in particular, internationally renowned hotel brands continue to establish their presence here. In 2021, Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts made its debut on southern Mahé’s beachfront, and in 2023 the archipelago is set to welcome a new property, also on Mahé, from the hospitality brand of LVMH, Cheval Blanc – a project that the acclaimed architect Jean-Michel Gathy is working on the design for.
An island nation where exuberant wilderness meets rich culture and an increasingly exciting hotel scene, the Seychelles is justifiably high on many travellers’ wish lists.
The business of health retreats is booming around the world, as we have all become acutely aware of the importance of investing time in holistic self-care: nurturing your emotional, mental and physical wellbeing.
Post covid, that word almost feeling like a swear word now, and one we’d all like to forget, like many, I felt the need to ‘reset’. In an attempt to feel more positive, healthier and leaner, I spent time in various retreats. Part of the experience is the connection with like-minded people, both fellow retreat guests as well as the teachers, another reason no doubt as to why the health retreat business is still booming, intimate retreats serve a purpose of enabling people to reconnect, especially after such a long period of disconnect, imposed by the pandemic. Hotels have been steadily jumping on the ‘health’ bandwagon, offering guests wellness experiences and health journeys to book during their stay, though nothing beats a dedicated time out, where health is foremost on the agenda, without daily life distractions, served by a retreat. Another side effect of covid is many people now working from home, so therefore having an unstable routine, retreats offer a timetable, stability and structure, missed by many.
Having caught the health ‘bug’ and researching the best of the best around the world, with others lined up to visit as soon as possible. Here is a pick of five of the best health retreats in the world, where clients return year after year. Whether you want to lose some weight, find inner peace, get fitter, or simply take time out for you in a natural, supportive and comforting setting, where you can leave the worries of the world behind you, whatever your desire, there’s a retreat with your name on it…
No1 Bootcamp: Get fitter in the scenic English countryside at Norfolk, with several hours of exercise per day from low impact walking and stretching to high-impact boxing and circuits. The comradery between guests is enabled by group games and fostered by the PT team, it really does help to know others want the same: to get fit and you’re all doing together some might say gruelling, some might say fun exercise, at the same time. Bespoke exercise is key though and the friendly PT team give alternative exercises depending on your capability, there is no shame in doing a twist on an exercise to get the best results for you and you will be cheered on by others regardless. The grounds are beautiful, as are the beach hikes and the food is nutritionally balanced and delicious. It is motivational and results led. no1bootcamp.com
“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver”.
Mahatma Gandhi
Situated within a pretty pine forest near to Sparta, the once breeding ground of the strong Spartan soldiers, is this picturesque retreat which combines ancient wellbeing philosophies to nurture you. The daily schedule of activities and classes on offer include high intensity circuit classes, energy movement classes, breath-work sessions, fun rebounding (aka trampolining), to silent nature walks in their private forest. There are talks to broaden your mind for example the importance of the five elements of nature: water, fire, wood, earth and metal. Should you be able to tear yourself away from the retreat, there are outside excursions, for example visiting local historic churches or nature spots. The food is fresh, local and seasonal, the best of healthy Mediterranean
Lanserhof Lans: is the place to go for a medical overhaul overseen by professional medical staff, a strict yet beautifully presented diet served by insightful and attentive staff, as well as awe-inspiring mountainous views, there’s a reason it has such a weighty name in the world of health. Lanserhof Lans is the flagship, they also have Resort Tegernsee in the Bavarian alps, Germany, and their new one, Lanserhof Sylt also in Germany, with all three the healing starts upon arrival due to the sheer natural beauty of the settings. They also have a clinic in The Arts Club, in London. Their concept ‘Live better for longer’ has remained strong for decades, bringing together the knowledge and methodology from both new medical findings as well as naturopathy, energy medicine, psychology, psychoneuroimmunology and chronomedicine. www.lanserhof.com
Chiva Som: is based in Hua Hin, the renowned beachfront retreat blends Western diagnostic skills with Eastern philosophies to holistically heal you, both physically and mentally. They have recently launched four new wellness programmes: ‘Immune Resilience’ which combines mindful exercise, nutrientrich cuisine and detoxifying treatments, ‘Gut Health’ which involves a bespoke meal programme focussing on natural ingredients, probiotics and fibre to restore the integrity of your digestive function, ‘Nature’s Embrace’ which showcases the power of nature to heal you mentally, emotionally and physically and lastly ‘Senior Wellness’ which aims to encourage longevity and aging ‘well’ with diet, exercise and lifestyle choices. www.chivasom.com
Zulal Wellness Resort: opened this year in March and is the largest wellness resort in the Middle East. Expect to be cared for from tip to toe with a blend of authentic Arabic and Islamic medicine. It is located on the coast on the northern tip of Qatar. Realising that oftentimes parents want to have a wellness break but bring their children with them, they have created ‘Zulal Discovery’ catering for families and those without children can choose the adult only ‘Zulal Serenity’. A nod to taking sustainability seriously, the resort reduced their original water consumption calculations by 30% already by the installing watersmart irrigation technology and water-saving
Babylonstoren is one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms, set at the foot of Simonsberg in the Franschhoek wine valley. It has a fruit and vegetable garden of beauty and diversity, unique accommodation, fine food and wine, and evokes a sense of wellbeing.
In an exclusive interview, Yasemen Kaner-White talks to Marisa Beyers, Media Manager at Babylonstoren
What was the vision behind creating Babylonstoren?
Babylonstoren dates back to 1692. The oldest buildings were erected in the late 17th century, with the manor house dating back to 1777.
It was acquired by the current owners in 2007 to use as a weekend retreat. “Babylonstoren’s history and beauty were something we could never keep to ourselves,” says owner Karen Roos. “This we realised during our very first visit.”
In 2008, architect Patrice Taravella from Prieuré d’Orsan (near Bourges in France) was summoned to South Africa as the main designer for Babylonstoren’s now famed garden.
“We met Patrice during a visit to his chateau,” says Karen. “His work at Prieuré Notre Dame d’Orsan in France impressed me greatly. There Patrice had reconstructed a medieval cloistered garden on the site of a restored 12th-century monastery. I was drawn to Patrice’s inherent discipline. It is almost Cartesian in the tradition of classical French gardens. And he is remarkable in that he really understands the movement of people: how to make a garden hold you and calm you down.”
At Babylonstoren the ground was cleaned, levels pegged and hard landscaping with pergolas, paths and water canals built. In 2009 the gardeners started preparing the soil and did most of the planting for the formal garden.
Taravella gave the garden geometric bones. His creation sits on an axis that extends east to west along the traditional lines of the old whitewashed Cape Dutch werf (farmyard), then north to south from Babel Restaurant to the Babylonstoren koppie. It comprises 15 clusters including vegetable areas, stone and pome fruits, nuts, citrus, berries, bees, herbs, a prickly pear maze and a rare cycad collection with some of the dearest gymnosperms on earth! Farm animals have a home in the garden too; a colourful collection of ducks, turkeys, chickens and a few easy-going tortoises can be spotted on a stroll through. Gravity feeds water from a stream by rills into the garden, flowing through ponds planted with edible lotus, nymphaea lilies and waterblommetjies.
Babylonstoren opened its doors to the public in November 2010. Today, every aspect of Babylonstoren is informed by the ever-changing tapestry and botanical diversity of the garden – this includes the contemporary Farm Hotel and Garden Spa, the Farm and Online Shop, the winery, restaurants and function venues.
What can be experienced at Babylonstoren which cannot elsewhere?
Babylonstoren is a working farm in the heart of South Africa’s Cape Winelands, close to Franschhoek, with a luxury hotel, spa, winery, farm-to-fork restaurants and is cherished for its magnificent garden of beauty and diversity.
Each of the 300-plus plant varieties in the garden is edible or has medicinal value. The garden boasts a living library of historic rose and fruit cultivars, a splendid succulent collection, a kitchen garden planted with a variety of seasonal vegetables, thousands of clivias, a healing garden, an exotic cycad collection and a Spice House where tropical plants thrive. Guests can experience these enchanting spaces on their own terms and time and even pick and enjoy ripe produce from the abundance of plants when strolling through the garden. The farm feeling is one that celebrates an unhurried farm lifestyle and magnificent surroundings.
What are your longstanding/ bestselling items from your online shop?
Our clients want healthy and the highest quality productsthey want to know where it comes from and what it is made of. Our focus is on produce we can grow or forage from our garden or on the farm, supplemented by local produce sourced from a network of small artisan producers.
Some of our favourite items are our seasonal fruit and vegetables. The Babylonstoren Mourvèdre Rosé wine is always a firm favourite and then our freshly-baked bread, handmade cheeses, our Chianina meat that honours a nose-to-tail philosophy, eggs from our very own colourful community of plucky hens that roam the coups and grounds of the farm and our cold-pressed high-pressure processing (HPP) juices.
At Babylonstoren we set out to create easy solutions for customers to eat, healthy, fresh and interesting food or to spoil a loved one with a thoughtful gift. We focus on solutions to make meal planning and gifting easy - without compromising on quality and taste. Our clients appreciate the thoughtful manner in which all purchases are handled - from the ordering process to the wrapping or preparation and finally, the delivery service. We aim to offer a top service with a focus on convenience and quality, rounded off with a personal touch. Every step of the experience has been considered, from the care taken in making the product to the friendly Babylonstoren delivery team that delivers the goods to your doorstep.
As always, the ever-changing seasonal abundance of our farm and South Africa’s food-growing heritage remains at the core of the Babylonstoren philosophy, directing each endeavour.
We set out to add value to our consumers’ lives, inspiring a lifestyle that resonates with them long after they have visited our online shop or farm.
As you sell rooibos and honeybush tea, is it important to you to sell local ingredients and culinary traditions?
Babylonstoren is very much rooted in the Cape Floral Kingdom surroundings and we love celebrating our local flora. Naturally, this permeates our culinary methods too. Indigenous flavours such as rooibos and honeybush are often seen on the menu of Babel or the Greenhouse Restaurant in the garden. We’re also not afraid to experiment with bolder local flavours too... look out for the likes of wild rosemary and dune spinach, fynbos and spekboom on Babel Restaurants menu, to name a few.
What do you think makes Babylonstoren so popular?
The farm as a destination gives it a unique edge. Apart from the garden, an immersive hotel experience makes Babylonstoren a destination to visit. Itwas recently named the best hotel in southern Africa by the readers of Condè Nast Traveler Magazine.
Guests can rest their heads in luxe comfort at the scenic Farm Hotel or spend a full day exploring the farm. They can enjoy the various guided tours (garden, cellar, wine museum or olive oil and balsamic vinegar), eat a healthy lunch at one of farm-to-fork restaurants, do a wine tasting, visit the Farm Shop or simply explore the diverse plant collections in the magnificent garden. The experience also doesn’t have to end when a guest leaves the farm. Whether you pick an item for yourself or a loved one, there is always something unique and elegant to be found when browsing the online shop.
What dish in the restaurant served presently or in the past sums up the philosophy of Babylonstoren?
Babel Restaurant is our signature restaurant with a farm-to-fork philosophy. The menu is seasonal and is always guided by what is available in the garden.
Babel Restaurant is open for breakfast and dinner every day of the week and for lunch from Wednesday to Sunday.
Babel has a unique style of menu, which focuses on fresh produce from the garden and the region. Like so much else at Babylonstoren, a meal at Babel promises to be both an adventure and a rediscovery of the honest essence of things. Babel’s food is directed by what the garden offers.
· For breakfast, the menu is focused on texture.
· The starters focus on the visual effect of colour: a choice of red, yellow or green.
· Main meals consist of a protein with delicious veggies from the garden and our famous potato wedges.
· Dessert subscribes to four flavours: salty, bitter, sweet and sour.
The food always reflects the season, and so in summer, we may serve a yellow salad of pineapple, gooseberries, granadillas, yellow tomatoes and apricots while in winter a slow-cooked leg of lamb in red wine is more likely.
What future plans do you have?
We are continuously working on expanding our knowledge and including new approaches and technology in the development of our experiences and products, while at the same time honouring traditional methods.
Are there similarities between Babylonstoren and other business ventures of the owners?
Babylonstoren has a sister property
The Newt in Somerset, England.
Here, guests can also discover gardens, escape to the hotel, enjoy seasonal food from the garden in the restaurants or shop for a slice of the good life online.
Who is the owner?
The farm is owned by former magazine editor Karen Roos.
What can guests expect from a visit to Babylonstoren?
Karen Roos says: “Above all, we’d like visitors to ground themselves again.
To enjoy the mountains all around as much as we do, pick their own healthy fruit and veg, play pétanque, swim in the farm dam, enjoy an hour in the spa, eat a simple fresh dish at one of the restaurants, walk up the conical Babylonstoren hill, await sunset with a glass of wine in hand, and then slip in between sheets of crisp linen and drift away ... more or less.”
No luxury adventure, or experience, will be out of reach to those who step into the metaverse. This new technology is set to transform the world as we now know it.
Imagine scaling Everest, or gliding across the Amazon by helicopter; how about a safari in Rajasthan, or checking into a penthouse suite at one of the finest hotels in the world, all from the comfort of your living room. It will all be possible, when the metaverse becomes mainstream. This emerging technology is predicted to transform how we experience and travel the world. And no adventure, or destination, will be out of reach to those who want to explore virtually, however luxurious or bucket list. Forget the passport, arduous journeys, or switching time zones, users must only don a headset to be transported to a new reality.
In layman’s terms, the metaverse is part of Web3, a 3D version of the internet. It is the next step in society’s digital evolution, from passively scrolling through a feed on social media, as we do now, to living a virtual life via an avatar (the 3D digital character that metaverse users inhabit). Bloomberg Intelligence analysts predict that the metaverse market could reach $800 billion by 2024, and travel companies, from hotels to airlines, are jumping onboard in their droves.
Travel trailblazer, National Geographic, began capturing stories of the world via its phenomenal photojournalism in 1905. Since then, the publication has become the go-to source of inspiration and knowledge, not just for geography geeks and adventurers, but for travel-lovers everywhere.
Now, Nat Geo is taking pioneering steps into virtual and mixed realities, by transforming the greatest sites in the world into 3D. Its latest innovation, the Stonehenge AR experience, brings the prehistoric stone circles of Stonehenge in Salisbury, England to life. Users are taken deep into the mysteries of the iconic site. And for those that want to step into the shoes of a professional Nat Geo explorer on assignment, the National Geographic Explore VR experience, allows you to discover icebergs in Antarctica and a dventure to Machu Picchu, Peru.
Forward-thinking hotels are finding a home in the metaverse, by creating virtual hospitality spaces for meta-travellers to check-in. People can now send their avatars to explore the amenities of a
hotel, or airline, via 3D tours. Qatar Airways pioneered metaverse technology, when it launched the QVerse recently. This virtual reality tour of a luxurious flight cabin is hosted by the airline’s own “MetaHuman” cabin crew, who guide passengers through the experience.
And now travellers can immerse themselves in a hotel’s signature style virtually, as designers create beautiful aesthetics for digital spaces. Oetker Collection is the hospitality group behind some of the best hotels in the world, from The Lanesborough, London, to Le Bristol Paris. In a successful bid to enter the meta-space, Oetker teamed up with the fashion gaming platform Drest. In this metaverse experience, players take on the role of a stylist, putting together looks from more than 250 designer fashion brands like Prada, Cartier and Valentino to style their own photoshoot. They then choose an Oetker Collection hotel as the shoots’ backdrop to help their photo stand out and win votes with the online community.
network. Leven has chosen to build on a plot of virtual land in Decentraland’s Fashion District, where brands such as Gucci are setting up shop. Also newly-opened, M Social Decentraland from Millennium Hotels is a virtual interpretation modelled on their various real-life abodes around the world. An avatar welcomes you in the lobby and guides guests on a journey, with chances to win real-life hotel surprises, blending the physical and virtual hospitality experience.
“M Social is about being different, being one of a kind. As we look towards the future, we need to look past the traditional model of hospitality and engage our guests through new immersive experiences,” said Mr. Kwek Leng Beng, Executive Chairman of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Limited. “We hope to redefine hospitality through M Social Decentraland by creating online adventures that integrate with real life events.”
HOTEL BRANDS ARE FINDING A HOME IN DECENTRALAND So what exactly is Decentraland, and why are hotels joining in? In short, it’s a 3D virtual world, where plots of land can be bought as NFTs via the MANA cryptocurrency. As it becomes increasingly popular with luxury fashion brands, it’s an ideal fit for luxury travel companies, too. Of course, to understand it, then NFTs and crypto need a little more explanation.
They say that nothing in life is free and that’s definitely true in the metaverse. The most exclusive experiences will be available to those with the right cryptocurrencies and NFTs. Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) enable products to be bought and traded virtually and have been big in the art world for some years. And now they’re being adopted by the travel industry.
Cryptocurrencies have also been big news for some time, and travel brands are beginning to recognise crypto as a viable form of payment. Online company, Travala, exemplifies this shift, by allowing customers to pay for flights and accommodation with crypto. Travala also sells its own NFTs, The Travel Tigers, which encourage users to push luxurious adventures to their limits. By owning these NFTs, people can access physical travel benefits too, from concierge services to exclusive event invitations.
However brilliant all of these immersive experiences sound, the idea that virtual travel can ever replace the physical experience, is still up for debate. Of course, we would all rather palpably explore a bucket list destination, or see a famous landmark up close. But for those that really want to push the envelope, and journey into the unknown, the metaverse might be the best adventure yet. This new technology is society’s next great exploration, and no one knows yet, where it might lead.
From Jerusalema to Umjaivo dance challenges to Makhadzi, South African music and dance is gaining popularity throughout the world. South African music and dance reveal our expressiveness and resilience as a people, engendering a sense of ‘I want what they have’ and says we should harness this global appreciation of our cultural expression as an anchor to niche tourism growth.
In the opening stanza to his timeless masterpiece ‘Africa’, the African music maestro Salif Keita sings in French and in reference to our beloved continent; ‘Ca fait rever, ca fait vibrer, ca fait danser’, which translates to ‘It will make you dream, it will make you vibrate, it will make you dance’. A fitting description of the role music, dance, cultural and artistic creativity play in our continent. From Cape Agulhas to Ras ben Sakka in Tunisia, the continent’s southernmost and northernmost ends respectively, to its westernmost and easternmost extents Santo Antao in Cape Verde to Rodrigues in Mauritius, artistic and creative expression through song and dance is in us. It’s in our souls. It’s the limitless vault from which we draw inspiration when we need it, upliftment when the moment calls for it, encouragement in times of trial and struggle, comfort in mourning and despair, solace, expression of protest and remonstration, lamentation, celebration, communication and deep connection between the individual manifestations of our shared humanity.
Increasingly, and in the darkest hours of the past three years, the world has come to have a growing appreciation of the role these forms of expression can play in our lives. In particular, the Southernmost
country on this continent and its people have, in Keita’s words, truly been making the world ‘dream, vibrate and dance’. Cast your mind back to the toughest moments of the pandemic, when every aspect of life was disrupted, when doom, gloom and even death abounded in most parts of the world, when the smiles that make us human were shrouded in masks and it seemed as if normalcy would never return in our lifetime. When the chips were down, the world needed a message of hope, upliftment and encouragement that the storm would eventually abate. Do you remember how that message was delivered most emphatically and rhythmically packaged in that global anthem of hope; South Africa’s Master KG’s ‘Jerusalema’. Viral doesn’t even begin to capture the dance craze the song inspired across all continents, languages, cultures, and time-zones.
From mask-clad doctors and nurses at the Children’s Cancer Centre in Gothernburg Sweden, to staffers of the Great Western Railway in the United Kingdom busting moves at an eerily deserted Paddington station. Monks, nuns, school children, national police forces, airline
crews, citizens of countries ordinarily hostile to one another such as Israel and Palestine. On the beaches in India, in Angola, in the Pueblos of New Mexico, the favellas of Rio de Jainero, the mountains of Lesotho, and every place you can imagine in between, the entire globe was moved by this one tune, to ‘dream, to vibrate and dance’. It was of course unsurprising and no fluke that such a global anthem of hope would come from these shores. South Africa has a long, illustrious and proud history of exporting its cultural products that readily find markets internationally. The legendary exploits of the likes of Ladysmith Black Mambazo andthe late Johnny Clegg, on the global music scene, as well as the likes of Trevor Noah, Charlize Theron, Nomzamo Mbatha, Thuso Mbedu on the silver-screen, and many more others in varied fields of the arts and entertainment, attest to the appeal and exportability of our cultural expressions. That impeccably illustrious tradition is one thing. But a truly unique phenomenon is unfolding right now and deserves specific focus and analysis. Jerusalema was perhaps the most observable expression of what is a discernible trend of South African music and dance making the world sit-up and notice. It’s always been known that getting a flavour of the African beat and our dances captures the imagination of international tourists when they visit our shores. However, the growing phenomenon now signifies a shift from a fleeting dalliance with African rhythm and dance, to an opening up to, and full-on embrace of Africans as a people; their way of life and an expression that will arguably only be fully decoded by historians in years to come. This phenomenon is a big factor in explaining why artists like, Makhadzi, DJ Shimza among others now perform in soldout venues across the world and feature at revered festivals such as Coachella and Ibiza.
‘AMAPIANO HAS GONE REALLY FAR’
The growth of the uniquely homegrown genre of Amapiano and the dances this inimitable musical phenomenon readily inspires among South Africans has only served as accelerant to this trend taking like a wildfire around the world. These days, one minute ‘Umjaivo’ is trending in South Africa’s townships of Tembisa, KwaMashu, and KwaLanga, the next it’s the soundtrack of Tik-Tok video challenges shot by participants from Atlanta, Kampala and Manila and any other city you can imagine. Take for example, the phenomenally successful YouTube channel Ubunifu Space, started about three years ago, by a group of six young people from the United Kingdom, for the sole purpose of sharing their appreciation for, critiquing, and amplifying the profile of mainly South African music. You can’t help but swell with pride as you watch them bob their heads, snap their fingers and sway from side to side as they savour the thumping of the base expertly delivered by Busta 929 in ‘Mmapula’, Prince Kaybee in ‘Gugulethu’, or in their channel’s earlier days Destruction Boyz in ‘Omunye’ and ‘Midnight Starring’. One of those young content creators, Shay Sade has delivered this irrebuttable assessment of the South African sound; “Everyone in South Africa is doing really well. It’s been fantastic. Amapiano has gone really far”.
A key reason why these contemporary forms of South African music and dance have got the world to sit-up, listen and dance along is that our expressiveness as a nation shines through in the way we move to these beats. It’s an infectious energy, one that triggers a sense of ‘I want what they have’, among people from all over the world. The fact that genres like Amapiano, Gqom, South African house and the dance crazes they inspire seemed to accelerate rather than fade-off during the toughest moments for humanity also reveals our resilience as a people. And the world sees us ‘dancing our troubles away’, further engendering that ‘I want what they have’ phenomenon.
South Africa clearly has the magic of the beat and rhythm of which the world can’t get enough. One element of the music and dance lifestyle is the fact that it is inextricably linked to a vibrant nightlife culture. Needless to say, our country’s nightlife, club, bar and late night dining scene is a major tourism drawcard, not just for local, but for international travelers as well. Think Long street in Cape Town on a pumping Friday or Saturday night, think Eyadini and Max’s Lifestyle in Umlazi, Florida Road in Durban, think Konka in Soweto. It is possible to fashion unique tourist attractions that foreground the linkages between our music and dance culture on the one hand, and the country’s pulsating nightlife. If people around the world can’t get enough of our country’s music and dance, imagine the once-in-alifetime experiences we offer and the indelible prints left in their hearts and minds.
Local extravaganzas like the DSTV delicious festival are beginning to blaze the trail in more ways than one, by tapping not only into our country’s music and dance culture, but also into another noticeable feature of the post-lockdown world; people seeking, and even willing to travel for, unique culinary experiences. This trend too, presents many possibilities that we should fully harness, as shown by the growth of spaces like the Prison-Break Market and Victoria Yards in Johannesburg, that allow people to enjoy varied fresh, artisanal and even dietary-specific food and beverage experiences, along with craft markets and music, all in one relaxed, urban space. In a world where life as we know it can be flipped upside down in the twinkling of an eye, we owe it to ourselves to live abundantly, and yes to ‘dream, vibrate and dance’ as we live.
WE’VE GOT THE GIFT OF RHYTHM. NOW WHAT DO WE DO WITH IT?
Trainers - or sneakers in the US - have made a huge impact on the world since the first versions appeared in the 19th Century.
Early forerunners of the shoe include the plimsolls of the 1870s, used by Victorians on tennis and croquet courts, as well as by holidaymakers. In America, the US Rubber Company launched rubber-soled shoes in 1892, while three years later in Britain, JW Foster and Sons produced shoes specifically for running in 1895. Basketball shoes appeared in 1907, and after World War One, sports shoes endorsed by American basketball and football players began to take off.
One such shoe was the Converse All-Stars, which first appeared in 1917, to be endorsed by Indiana basketball star Chuck Taylor five years later. With a huge resurgence in popularity of this design in recent years, they are reportedly the best-selling basketball shoe of all time.
The history of trainers received a further boost when the beginnings of adidas emerged in the 1920s, with German brothers Adi and Rudi Dassler’s shoes being worn by athletes at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. However, after a feud in 1947, they parted ways, with Adi launching adidas and Rudi forming PUMA.
Films popular with teenagers in the 1950s that featured trainers, such as Rebel Without a Cause, propelled the shoe’s popularity even further. Later on trainers that featured in films, such as Tom Hanks in Big and Forest Gump and Michael J Fox in Back to the Future fuelled focus on trainers as the footwear of choice for many fans. Trainers feature very strongly in Disney’s 2022 film Sneakerella, a modern take on Cinderella.
Jogging took off in the 1960s, further increasing demand, with the firm that was to become Nike being established in 1964 to produce running shoes.
The music industry was another factor contributing to the shoe’s rise, with many artists choosing to wear trainers, notably including John Lennon, The Ramones, The Clash, Sid Vicious, Run-DMC and Kurt Cobain, and more recently Jay-Z and 50 Cent, the latter two also helping to design their own collections.
High profile trainers can reach crazy sums on the resale market: for example, in April 2020 a pair of Nike Air Yeezy 1s that had been worn by Kanye West sold for $1.8m at auction, which was triple the previous record for the sale of a pair of trainers.
One stand-out moment in the history of trainers was in 1984 when basketball star Michael Jordan signed a contract to wear a Nike shoe called ‘Air Jordans’ (after his phenomenal leaping ability had earned him that nickname) that went on to become an iconic brand.
A focus on fashion became more and more integral, striking designs and vivid colours increasingly appeared, and inevitably trainers have for many become a fashion statement.
What started out as a sports shoe is now one of the most popular shoe types globally - indeed, more than one billion pairs of trainers are sold annually today worldwide. They are worn in all walks of life: in the early days it would be unthinkable to wear trainers with suits and other smart clothing, yet now almost anything goes.
And people of all ages and walks of life now wear these shoes, whether presidents, politicians, hedge fund managers or rock stars, teenagers or the elderly, the poorest and billionaires. Correspondingly, the price of trainers can vary from next to nothing in a supermarket to many thousands of pounds for the most exclusive models.
The number of different designs now runs in the thousands, and the amount of counterfeit models many times that. They’re a status symbol and have almost become a religion to manywitnessed by the legions of people - often known as ‘sneakerheads’ for their love of collecting the shoes - who queue up overnight outside a shoe store in order to buy the latest shoe. The frenzied obsession to own a pair of the latest top designs has on a number of occasions resulted in a shoe shop brawl.
Design houses and top designers such as Alexander McQueen, Yohji Yamamoto, Gucci, Dior, Prada and Burberry have created eye-catching top of the range trainers, often with limited-edition collections, and are invariably snapped up and attract an ultra premium price on resale.
Customisation of trainers is a growing trend too, with artists such as Chaitanya Dixit (or
simply CHE), Helen Kirkum, Joshua Vides, Saigun Grover and Sugandha Tyagi with her company ShoesYourDaddy transforming individual pairs with striking, colourful designs.
An affiliation with trainers can make a celebrity huge sums, and perhaps no-one more so than tennis champ Roger Federer. One of the most successful athletes in sports history with 20 Grand Slam titles, unsurprisingly he represented Nike for more than two decades. Yet when it came to renewing his £7m annual sponsorship contract, Nike and the star parted ways.
Federer was therefore free to seek new sponsorship deals, and signed a huge £220m 10-year deal with Uniglo for apparel, not shoeswhich was three times higher than the deal with Nike. He then signed an equity deal with Swiss footwear brand On Running and became their global ambassador. With him owning about 3% of the brand, and it being valued at £7.4bn on going public, his stake is worth around a further £220m.
Another trend has been the number of female buyers rising very notably in recent years: the female trainer market grew by more than 100 per cent in 2020 alone, and now more women’s trainers are sold every four hours than they did in the whole of 2016 combined.
When you look at a pair of trainers it is easy to dismiss them as a slab of plastic or rubber, a couple of folds of leather or fabric and little more. However, often with modern trainers a huge amount of cuttingedge research and development is applied. This wasn’t always the case: from around 1900 to the 1960s the technology and designs didn’t change much at all.
Such developments as the introduction of Gore-Tex, a waterproof fabric, in 1979 and in 1989 Reebok’s Pump technology, which incorporated an air chamber so that the wearer could inflate or deflateas deemed necessary, came on line.
More recently shock-absorbing, super-grip soles and the use of fabric created from recycled polyester bottles continue to lift design to new levels. Puma has introduced a ‘breathing shoe’, which has cavities filled with bacteria that eat away at the shoe’s material to create a hole allowing air to enter and circulate.
There’s a strong focus on sustainability with designs for trainers of the future. For example, adidas’s Stan Smith designs are now manufactured using Mylo, a vegan-friendly leather alternative grown from mycelium, the root-like structure of a fungus.
There may be a lot of uncertainty in the world right now, but one thing’s for sure - the interest in and market for trainers is not going to subside anytime soon.
Inside the Dream is the first docufilm ever about Bulgari High Jewellery, produced by Terminal 9 Studios. Launched on September the 13th, it is available on Prime Video in approximately 100 countries, following on from the worldwide premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, of which Bulgari is official jewelry partner.. The docufilm invites you to discover its world of wonders: Bulgari has opened its doors to reveal the secrets and fascination behind the creation of its stunning High Jewelry collections.
Founded in Rome in 1884 by the talented Greek silversmith Sotirio Bulgari, the brand quickly established a reputation for Italian excellence with exquisite craftsmanship and magnificent jewellery creations. Over the decades, the Bulgari generations defined a distinctive style made of vibrant colour combinations, exquisitely balanced volumes and unmistakable motifs that pay homage to the Roman roots of the company. While always revering its cultural legacy, Bulgari introduced innovations that rewrote the rules of the jewellery universe and launched new trends that stood out as icons of contemporary design.
In 2010, Imane Farès created an art gallery donning her name, in Paris, to celebrate contemporary artists from Africa and the Arab world. An ode to, and reflection of, her dual Lebanese and Senegalese heritage. In an exclusive interview she shares her artistic insight and knowledge with Yasemen Kaner-White.
What was the topic of the first artwork you fell in love with?
I loved the video work The Story of Milk and Honey by artist Basma al-Sharif. It is the story of an unnamed author who tries to write a love story. Images, letters, and songs are linked through a voice-over and develop into a detailed search for the human perception of history.
What was the most recent artwork you purchased for yourself?
I bought from my gallery a sculpture by Ali Cherri and four photographs by Sammy Baloji. I also recently purchased a drawing by Rirkrit Tiravanija.
When did you first make the decision to open an art gallery and why?
I decided out of passion! I really wanted to open an art gallery that would look like me. This opportunity arose when a gallery facing my window in Paris was going to be free.
Your beautiful gallery is located within a very artsy district in Paris, what makes your gallery stand out? It is strong conceptually and based on sincere and long-term engagements with each artist I represent.
If your gallery wasn’t based in Paris, where would you like it to be?
I don’t know. It is really important that the gallery is right in front of my place. If one day I will live somewhere else, I would definitely like to move the gallery where I will be.
What have you learnt from a personal perspective? It opened my mind and, through the artists I work with, it nourishes my vision/point of view on things.
What advice would you give someone who is looking to add to their art collection for investment purposes?
To put their heart and eyes to work.
What are you most proud of with regards your gallery to date?
That all the artists I work with are now in the collections of prestigious institutions.
What do you look for when deciding to represent an artist?
It’s all about connecting with an artist and their practice and mutual trust. I decided to represent a small group of artists (if compared with other galleries) and construct a deep and long-term professional relationship based on daily support and common trust.
“I really wanted to open an art gallery that would look like me.”
IMANE FARES
You work with artists who use many mediums, do you find any medium more or less challenging than others? Works based on sound could be the most challenging. Because we need to create the best listening condition to appreciate the works.
What projects and events have you got coming up? Currently, we are presenting a solo exhibition by Emeka Ogboh at the gallery. The starting point of this exhibition is a long-term craft beer project called Sufferhead Original inspired by food tastes and the experiences of Africans living in Europe that he started in 2017 for a documentary. Through creating a new beer recipe and its associated brand image, the artist questions certain preconceived ideas and assumptions about immigration and integration policies that are generally associated with the destinies of expatriates in Europe. After, we will host a 2 weeks film festival called La Quinzaine de la Vidéo.
Lastly, what have you learnt the most in a business sense from owning and running a gallery? That you need to be passionate, patient and have financial support.
That’s the predicted television audience for the soccer World Cup finals, which runs from 20 November to 18 December 2022 in Qatar. It’s more than half of the world’s population. What’s more, Qatar will reap $17 billion from hosting the event, says Bloomberg. Giant revenues are now common in football: the English Premier League contributes around $10 billion a year to the UK’s GDP.
So what is it about this game of 22 players running around trying to kick a ball into a net that has seized the global imagination, left every other sport in its wake and created a multi-billion-dollar business, with hundreds of millions of players - professional and amateur - worldwide?
NUMBER ONE REASON: ACCESSIBILITY.
Ever since the Aztecs discovered that they could make a ball out of rubber, 3,000 years ago, and could have fun kicking it around, they spent their leisure time playing ‘tchatali’. Anyone could join in.
In the 2nd century AD the Chinese invented ‘cuju’, using a leather ball stuffed with feathers or fur. Greeks and Romans had their own versions in the 7th century.
Then in the 12th century, Englishmen started playing kicking around an inflated pig’s bladder. From what we can gather, there
were few rules, dozens of people would take part, there was a great deal of violence and the game would last for hours, spreading over large distances. More like an organised riot or a pitched battle than a sport.
This form of soccer became so dangerous that it was banned for centuries and only returned in the mid-19th century, when private schools like Eton and Winchester began playing their own versions, with more rules.
Between 1848, when a meeting in Cambridge tried to create the first proper set of rules, to the foundation of Fifa (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) in 1904, the game spread like wildfire across Europe. It became a game for the massesdemocratic and available almost everywhere. Clubs and leagues formed in the Netherlands, Germany and France, followed a few years later by a similar surge of popularity in Latin America, particularly Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil.
REASON NUMBER TWO: WATCHABILITY.
In 1894, more than 37,000 people watched matches the English FA Cup final between Notts County and Bolton Wanderers. Soon, clubs started to build giant stadiums to host these throngs of spectators.
Today, some football arena welcome more than 100,000 fans - as many people as a small town.
The combination of great athleticism, skill, teamwork and the constant elements of surprise and tension make soccer an ideal sport to watch. The ball is big enough to see clearly (unlike cricket), all of the thousands of spectators can follow the action, and there is a visceral thrill to being in a huge crowd, all cheering for the same team and applauding moments of brilliance - or jeering the opposition.
Watching on television can be almost as exciting as being at the match itself. In many societies, football is screened in local bars and clubs, attracting large crowds of spectators who sometimes pay for entry. This kind of community television spectating is far less common with other sports. Groups may gather to watch cricket, rugby or tennis matches, but you will find entire city parks and central squares given over to World Cup games or to Champions League matches, attracting thousands of people and creating a fiesta-like atmosphere.
REASON NUMBER THREE: IT’S A BENIGN PROXY FOR WAR.
Once its rules were agreed, players could no longer punch or kick each other, so they had to gain an advantage through skills and talent. They became the symbol of towns, cities and countries’ physical superiority. Their fans would call themselves an ‘army’, they would march to their opponents’ stadiums and cheer them to victory.
Every so often, this warlike approach spills over into real violence. In 1985 some English fans were so aggressive that all the country’s clubs were banned from European competition for five years.
Poor security arrangements and overcrowding sometimes results in tragedies, such as the Indonesian crush in October 2022 when 125 people died. Despite these disasters, football’s influence is far more positive than negative. The sport made its Olympic debut in London in 1908, but then Fifa decided to run its own competition in Uruguay in 1930 and the World Cup was born, with just 13 countries competing.
Ever since, the four-yearly event has grown in size, popularity and prestige, adding ever more countries to the competition. In Qatar there will be 32 teams, whereas in 2026 when the United States, Canada and Mexico host the event, there will be 48 - a massive increase.
I have been to matches at three World Cups and would say there is nothing in sport like them. The atmosphere is absolutely electric. You are in no doubt that the games represent the pinnacle of players’ careers, the hopes of millions of their countryfolk resting on their shoulders, the eyes of the world (all five billion pairs) watching every move.
In France in 1998 I watched Romania beat England 2-1, scoring a goal in the final minute. The English supporters seemed like their world had crumbled to dust. Then in Japan in 2002 I watched England beat Argentina 1-0 thanks to a penalty by David Beckham. Never have I cheered so loud and long.
Beckham is one of a handful of players who secured his international reputation at a World Cup. Others include the Brazilian Pele, probably the finest player the world has ever known, who inspired his country in three World Cups; the Argentinian Diego Maradona, who lit up the competition with his outrageous skills; and most recently Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, whose goal in the 2018 Final crowned him as the most exciting young player in the world.
For the future, women’s football will continue its rapid ascent in popularity. The 2022 European Championships, won by a fantastically skilful and passionate English team, were watched by more live and TV spectators than any previous event and women’s club football is thriving.
Players like Brazil’s Debinha, Catarina Macario of the United States, Spain’s Alexia Putellas and Chloe Kelly of England, whose shirtless celebration of her winning goal at the European Championship went viral, have become heroines to a new generation of female fans.
African national teams, headed by Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Cameroon, will keep improving and competing at the highest level, while African players like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly set the pitch alight with their brilliance.
With entertainment like this, will there be anyone left who doesn’t watch football?
I stayed in Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi which opened in 1901, it is the first luxury hotel in Hanoi and in 2009 became the first in the Sofitel portfolio to gain the esteemed label as a ‘Legend’ hotel. A famed previous guest was Charlie Chaplin and the cocktail named after him which is served with a scoop of lemon sorbet to drop in, was created in honour of when he stayed for his honeymoon with his third wife in 1936, it can be enjoyed in the sun-kissed Bamboo Bar and if you’re after wine, the hotel has one of oldest wine cellars in Hanoi. Legend has it that the Vietnamese egg coffee was created at the Metropole, when milk and sugar was expensive and hard to come by during the war, the bartender wanted to create an alternative and so he used whisked egg instead, you can order yours in the restaurant and café.
Vietnam is known for fresh coconuts to drink at any time of the day and at the hotel they’ve burnished their logo into them, making it an Instagram worthy drink to quench your thirst. As the French occupied Vietnam from 1858 to 1883 it is no surprise that there is a French influence in the cuisine, from particularly good pastries to coffee culture, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant Le Beaulieu is very good, and even has a vegan tasting menu should you wish.
Ho Chi Minh City was known as Saigon until 1976 and is the largest city in Vietnam, it lies along the Saigon River (Song Sai Gon) to the north of the Mekong River delta, about 50 miles from the South China Sea.
The local must have dishes can be found all over but District 4 is known for street food, worth looking for is hu tieu, the southern pork noodle soup, the noodles are smaller and chewier than pho noodles originating from the north. Another is Ốc len xào dừa, which is essentially sea snails in coconut milk flavoured with lemongrass, coriander, chili, and garlic. A typical local street food is banh mi dac biet, it is a baguette stuffed with pork liver pâté, sausage and thin sliced pork shank, topped with mayonnaise, pickled daikon and carrots, fresh chili, cucumber and coriander, you can spot it almost anywhere in the city.
If you like rice then you’ll love the local Cơm tấm, the dish stems from the broken rice that used to be thrown away as defected but now it’s the base of this dish, it comes with an array of accompaniments such as crispy pork skin, fried egg, grilled pork chops and crispy fish, refreshingly served with fresh lime, spring onions, sliced tomato and cucumber, pickled vegetables, fresh mint leaves and dipping sauce. It’s worth popping into the oldest coffee shop in Ho Chi Minh which is 82 years old, ‘Cafe Cheo Leo’, instead of a coffee I opted for a refreshing iced salty lime drink. You’ve also got to hunt down an iced coconut coffee using coconut cream and condensed milk, ‘Cong Coffee’ does a good one, the fizzy coffee from ‘Workshop Coffee’ is also thirst-quenchingly good.
I stayed in The Reverie Saigon, a some may say extravagantly designed hotel, though for me, it was not too much, rather a celebration of art led décor and the outside pool is a dream, laying on your back listening to the music being played underwater whilst gazing up to the sparking lights of buildings just before dinner, was a highlight. Lunch consisted of quite possibly the best Chinese dim sum in Saigon and beyond at The Royal Pavilion, the chef hailing from a two Michelin star in Hong Kong. As well as exceptional dim sum with a feast of flavours inside, we had a delicate birds’ nest pudding served in a coconut, a delicacy known for its nutritious attributes in China.
The ‘The Long @ Times Square’ has the longest bar in Saigon, a jungle ambience, with statement plants boasting large tropical green leaves throughout, the artisan pizza topped with local seafood followed by a scoop of real Italian gelato with the unusual flavours of Vietnamese coffee and a scoop of the purple potato flavour made a memorable
lunch. Dinner was a treat at Da Vittorio Saigon, the restaurant is led by Chef Matteo Fontana and overseen by Chicco and Bobo Cerea from the 3 Michelin Starred Da Vittorio Relais & Chateaux restaurant in Italy. My favourite dish was the Tuna ‘spaghetti’ with pistachio sauce, a blend of northern and southern Italy together, tuna from the north and pistachio from the south, yet served in Vietnam.
www.thereveriesaigon.com
Nha Trang is a coastal resort City located in south Vietnam, lauded for its beaches, great diving spots as well as offshore islands.
The local must have dishes include seafood platters, the area is famous for its seafood, from shrimp, squid, shellfish, crab to clams, you can order them fermented, steamed, grilled or stir-fried, another speciality of the region is Nem nướng, a type of pork sausage, you can get them with fresh or pickled vegetables, steamed rice, noodles or even wrapped in rice paper, with dipping sauce. Another local dish to try is bún cá sứa, a rice vermicelli soup topped with jellyfish and raw vegetables, served with fresh lemon and chili peppers.
For a sea-facing restaurant try Nha Trang Sailing Club which has three menus to choose from, Western, Vietnamese and Indian - I had a prawn korma with freshly made naan, one of the best curries I’ve had this year! For a delicious egg coffee, whisked to perfection, try ‘Trung Nguyen Legend’, which is also where I bought a few bags of Vietnamese coffee beans to take home. For cocktails with enviable skyline city views try the Atlantis bar at the Sheraton.
When it comes to foraging, some people TIPS TO SUSTAINABLY
The first rule is pick as much as you need not as much as you want. It is also important to be respectful of not only the ingredient you are picking but also the environment in which you pick it, for example if you are tapping a birch tree for sap, remember to ‘plug’ with a small branch the small hole you made in the bark for the delicious sap to drip out from into a clean container, to stop any more dripping out wastefully. When you are picking a cluster of leaves such as sorrel or wild garlic, be sure not to trample on any whilst you are picking what is in front, so as not to damage the ones you leave behind, they need to be intact to flourish and grow and for wildlife to feed on.
It is better to forage alone, if possible, as large groups going out together can lead to flora and fora being stood on unnecessarily on. When selecting your plants, be sure to understand first how to harvest them; some plants it is okay to pull up the root with the permission of the landowner, for example the pig nut and wild horseradish you actually want the root because that’s the part you eat but others you harvest just the plant itself leaving the root in the ground.
gerund or present participle: foraging
Cambridge dictionary definition of ‘forage’: to go from place to place searching for things that you can eat or use:
The children had been living on the streets, foraging for scraps.
The pigs foraged in the woods for acorns.
The chef offers special dishes of wild and foraged foods, including wood pigeon and snails.
• Drying: plants such as meadowsweet, yarrow and pineapple weed, as well as fungi work well
• Pickling: wild garlic capers and
Chefs might love to use foraged ingredients but it is a time consuming process, going out into the woods to pick some wild sorrel for example can take up a whole afternoon, so they buy their leaves, berries and more from professional foragers, some of which have started just picking themselves and then seen the profit in it so have employed staff and now have profitable businesses supplying restaurants as well as keen experimental home cooks. Another route stemming from a genuine passion for plucking the best of nature, is to write a book, recipes for a website and give talks at colleges and events, not forgetting the business of supper clubs, evermore popular, where a foraged element is what makes it stand out, people love to know they are eating something fresh, picked this morning, which is local, as well as having the opportunity to try something new and learn about it, a leaf they might have seen in nature but not known it was edible, let alone the health benefits of consuming it, or how you would prepare and serve it, the intimate supper club is more than a meal out, it’s an educational flavour bomb.
• The Forager’s Calendar
A Seasonal Guide to Nature’s Wild Harvests by John Wright
I like it because it states what’s in season without being too complicated and overwhelming.
• Food for Free by Richard Mabey
I like it because it is very descriptive about the plants and how to identify them.
• Wild Food: A Complete Guide for Foragers by Roger Phillips
I like it because he was a trusted source in the world of foraging, very experienced and knowledgeable, with thorough advice.
• The New Wildcrafted Cuisine by Pascal Baudar
I like it because he focusses on old techniques such as fermentation and brewing, bringing them into the modern day, making them accessible.
• Noma is a three Michelin starred restaurant run by chef Rene Redzepi and in Copenhagen, Denmark, known for Nordic inspired cusine, living off the land and using natures ingredients inventively.
• The Black Swan is a Michelin-starred, 4 AA Rosette restaurant with AA 5* rooms by chef Tommy Banks, known for their use of ingredients which they grow and forage in and around Oldstead.
Mana is a one Michelin starred restaurant in Manchester by chef Simon Martin, known for their preservation methods, enabled by seasons past, they embody the land, especially the waters of the British Isles, producing a menu that encompasses natural resources.
restaurant in London by Chef Doug McMaster is known for it’s zero waste policy, putting sustainability at the forefront.
As a London based executive company, we aim to provide special services include but not limited to all major airports in UK with style & class.
We will ensure that you have a luxurious, comfortable and stress-free journey in our high-class chauffeur driven cars.
We offer a range of modern cars, all of which are maintained to the highest specification.
We able to arrange VIP service at major airport in UK to avoid unnecessary waiting at airports. Also you may use our concierge service for any request you may have.
Kaner-White
Gibraltar is a beautiful country, with a population of around 33,691, it is a British overseas territory comprising of a narrow peninsula of Spain’s southern Mediterranean coast. Since the 18th century, Gibraltar has been a symbol of British naval strength and it is often referred to as ‘The Rock’. The Rock of Gibraltar is thought of as one of the two Pillars of Hercules, with the other being one of two peaks in northern Africa: Mount Hacho.
There is so much to do in this compact country, including experiencing the Barbary macaques in their natural habitat up close. They are the only country to have a wild monkey population in Europe and the monkeys play a vital role in Gibraltar’s tourism and economy. You can also indulge in a number of water sports, visit historical sites such as The Great Siege Tunnels and Moorish castle, tour the towns by E-bike, go on a gin tasting, hand-feed lemurs at a nature reserve and even watch dolphins from a boat. The Gibraltarians have their own food identity with surprisingly many naturally vegan options to boot. Fresh fish is abundant, such as local tuna, dogfish, sea bass and seabream, you can find fish croquettes and small circular fish fritters as well as seafood such as octopus and prawns, the prawn pil pil I ate in a seaside restaurant stands out in my food memories. Meat wise, you can find great steaks, in fact a traditional meal would be pepper steak followed by banoffee pie, another dish that stood out for me was the secreto Iberico (Iberian secret), essentially thin cuts of meat hidden on the side of the neck, between the shoulder blade and the loin of an Iberian pig, I had that sitting in the harbour looking out to the sea.
Incredibly this was one of the dishes I didn’t get to taste when in Gibraltar, though I heard from locals that not so long ago you’d hear in the street ‘get your calentita’ from a street seller, urging people to get them whilst they are still warm, I did however see a lovely illustration of such street sellers carrying them on trays tastefully ‘graffitied’ on a wall in town. The calentita is the national dish of Gibraltar, resembling a thick pancake, it is made from chickpea flour, so it is handy for anyone gluten intolerant. It is said to have first appeared in the 16th century, from the Genoese migrants who bought the recipe with them. Calentita is so significant to the food story of Gibraltar that there is an annual food festival named after it.
This alcoholic drink comes from neighbouring Spain and is popular in Gibraltar. It is essentially red wine mixed with lemon soda, plain soda, or lemonade with a slice of lemon and can be ordered in pint glasses, it’s very refreshing. I had to try some and thought it tasted like sangria sans the fruit!
This is chilled almond soup and particularly popular in the summer months in Gibraltar, coming from nearby Andalusia, the southern region of Spain. It is sometimes referred to as a ‘white gazpacho’. The ingredients are simple, including bread, crushed almonds, garlic, water, olive oil, salt and vinegar.
This is a delicious stew found across Gibraltar which is Italian influenced and incredibly healthy, it happens to be vegan unless you top with mature Edam cheese which is common, it can be eaten hot or cold, I actually bought my menestra from a café and ate it cold before I got the flight home, delicious and nutritious! Ingredients can vary from household to household but they mainly centre around borlotti beans, pasta, a medley of vegetables and basil.
These are stuffed, baked courgettes and can be eaten hot or cold. I bought some from a café to enjoy some authentic, local fair in my hotel room, they are very tasty and rather filling. Stuffed with breadcrumbs, Edam cheese, egg to bind
For more on Gibraltar visit: www.visitgibraltar.gi
Gibraltar’s history has greatly influenced its cuisine. From great sieges where food was scarce to the various cultures that have settled here and war times and evacuations, each having a great effect on what its people had access to. Surrounded by the sea, Gibraltar’s cuisine if very seafood based, though due to limited access to fresh agriculture, cheap and cheerful stews and potages are very common in households, the best way to feed large families with cheap cuts of meat and beans. Today’s cuisine is varied and takes influence from the Spanish, Moorish, portuguese and italian ancestors that have settled in Gibraltar.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO WRITE A BOOK ON GIBRALTARIAN CUISINE?
Growing up in Gibraltar usually meant going to university in the UK which can make you quite homesick. Originally the idea was to gather as many of my granny’s recipes as possible so that I could remake them for me and my friends and have a home away from home feel. However as the idea grew and a community developed around this I realised how rich our food heritage was. Each family might make the same dish differently depending on their history. As the idea developed it was a great opportunity I decided it would be a fantastic way to capture the essence of Gibraltar’s cuisine in a book that could be passed down to generations so that a part of its culture is kept alive, particularly as younger generations were not keeping up traditions and we were losing the nostalgia that food brings to daily life.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE TRADITIONAL DISH OF GIBRALTAR?
There are a few traditional dishes: The Calentita, a Chickpea flour, water and oil based dish. This was baked in wooden ovens and served along the streets to passers by. Minestra, a fully vegetarian meal, with italian / maltese roots. Using basil, garlic and oil as its base. Torta de acelga (spinach / chard pie)This pie is traditionally served during easter
instead uses Hard Edam, a connection to the Dutch in Gibraltar during war times. As parmesan cheese was a luxury and difficult to acquire, hard edam was the closest alternative.
WHAT IS YOUR FIRST FOOD MEMORY OF YOUR LOCAL CUISINE?
Food has always been very important to me. My first memory of food was always surrounded by family. It is tradition that any celebration, family gathering or religious holiday revolves around food and Gibraltar is used to going ALL OUT with big feasts. The granny, the head of the household will prepare meals fit to feed a village.
IF YOU HAD TO PICK FIVE INGREDIENTS WHICH CROP UP IN GIBRALTARIAN CUISINE REGULARLY, WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
Chickpeas, Spinach, Courgettes, Pork, Paprika.
ARE THERE ANY LOCAL DISHES WHICH YOU THINK ARE ON THE VERGE OF DYING OUT?
There are some stews which I think are at risk of dying out as they are no longer enjoyed as much. With today’s sustainability awareness and consciousness of what one is eating, meals such as tripe, or cheap cut stews are being replaced with vegetarian options or “light” versions.
WHAT FOOD OR DRINK IS USED LOCALLY TO CELEBRATE AT A WEDDING?
Wine is usually enjoyed, though there isn’t anything specifically local.
WHAT INFLUENCE IF ANY, WOULD YOU SAY THE BRITISH HAVE HAD ON YOUR LOCAL CUISINE?
British influences can be found in the traditional afternoon tea. Empire Cake (a fruit cake), Rock Cake (a little like scones) and 5pm afternoon tea is still very much a tradition in Gibraltar. Even on hot summer days on a scorchingly hot beach, you’ll find local families bring out their thermos of hot water, tea, cakes & finger sandwiches and enjoy high tea as a community between 4pm / 5pm. Something quite normal to me, but strange for a foreign visitor to experience.
LASTLY, WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL FAVOURITE GIBRALTARIAN DISH?
Ohhh that’s a hard choice! Minestra is definitely one of my choices but otherwise this maltese related dish called Rolitos, thinly cut flank steak rolled over boiled eggs, olives and ham and stewed in a walnut tomato sauce.
And of course the traditional pasta recipe or Rosto! Pene, tomato, carrots, meat and a potato, served in a ragu with white wine.
Yasemen Kaner-White
VistaJet knows that delectable food doesn’t need to be limited to the ground. Further to the private aviation company offering à la carte fine dining, is their new concept where you can have Michelin meals mid-air and even served by the chef themselves onboard. If you are curious to try a particular restaurants’ menu, you can request it in advance, with pictures of plates direct from the restaurants themselves, to guarantee your experience will be authentic. Nothing is too fanciful for VistaJet, understanding that a flight is a continuation of life, not lost time before your next destination. The ingredients are seasonal, fresh and picked with purpose to deliver for a special occasion, or a whim and the staff have even undertaken a sommelier course, so the wine pairings are on point too.
The science behind the senses whilst flying Altitude, lower humidity and increased noise and movement will have an effect on you whilst flying, from metabolism to how you perceive different tastes. Cabin air reduces the aroma that, together with taste, makes flavour. Up to 80% of what people assume ‘taste’ is, is in fact smell. Interestingly choosing to fly private helps to lessen the impact on the senses, at 45,000 feet, a VistaJet Global 7500 aircraft has an equivalent air pressure of only 4,500 feet and a controlled humidity level, even so, a difference can be noticeable and the chefs have mitigated this by adjusting ingredients and seasonings, so you can delight in dining onboard, knowing you are tasting the real deal.
“Simple things, big flavours and the best ingredients prepared and cooked to perfection will always travel well. We have explored the art and science of dining, so our Members can cherish time together on board, with the right taste, whatever the occasion.”
Diego Sabino, Vice President of Private Dining at VistaJet Chefs and restaurants who are collaborating include Michelin-starred Alex Dilling from his renowned restaurant at Hotel Café Royal in London; the inspired Nuhma Tuazon in New York; the delectable Tosca di Angelo at The Ritz Carlton in Hong Kong; the specialist Bon Soirée onboarding dishes from England; the legendary Zeffirino in Genoa, Italy; Chef Ivan Alvarez at the picturesque Ithaafushi - The Private Island, Maldives and many more vistajet.com/privatedining
This is the authors second poetry collection, this time, written in the aftermath of his mother’s death, where he is forced to think about the meaning of family and his personal loss. The touching poem ‘Dear Rose’ speaks about his dead mother and her journey as an immigrant from Vietnam to the United States. Flitting back and forth in time, recounting memories, he gives the reader an overview of what her life was like and how certain events ensured others and the dramatic outcomes. Eternal themes such as love and loss are evaluated albeit with a positive stance, leaving the reader hopeful.
Auē tells the narrative of Māori siblings who have lost their parents via a number of voices: each sibling recounts their tale, interestingly so does their later their mother, Aroha, from beyond the grave. Auē has already won two awards in New Zealand but is now gaining wider publicity and admiration. It allows the reader to float between different psyche’s, touching on a number of topics that everyone can relate to, with an outer worldly spin.
by NoViolet Bulawayo
In 2013 author NoViolet Bulawayo became the first black African woman and first Zimbabwean to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize, for her debut novel ‘We Need New Names’. Nine years later her book Glory is set in a fable like animal kingdom called Jidada, which reflects on the 2017 coup that toppled Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. A plot that deals with big, serious issues in a satiric, fairy-tale fashion, clearly inspired by the classic Animal Farm by George Orwell, she carves her own version.
This is the twenty fourth novel by Anne Tyler and is “an extraordinarily rich portrait of a family in flux,” according to the Evening Standrad. The story follows the Garrett family throughout six decades and in-keeping with most of Tyler’s works it stiches together a plot that spans the generations, based in Baltimore. Kicking off with a family holiday, where the usual disagreements take place, it reveals the intricate lives of each family member as the years progress. The story reminds us that there are many sides to every story, you just have to look for them.
A brilliant podcast that explores every angle of sustainability and how to achieve it, covering topics such as how to get the younger generation into slow fashion, donating to climate charities to posing questions like is it possible to travel ‘flight-free’? to reduce your carbon footprint, it gets you thinking about what you can do as an individual to make a huge impact, every little helps and this podcast will guide you, whilst addressing the big questions which are so easy to ignore.
This podcast aims to find the joy and silver lining in an increasingly dark world. Covering eclectic fun topics from what is the grown-up way to drink tequila anyway, to finding mindfulness and meditative peace of mind in trying your hand at flower arranging or going for a hike in jubilant, beautiful nature, listening to hosts Amy Aniobi and Grace Edwards, two of the writers of HBO’s Insecure, will bring a smile to your face.
Philip Barantini (2021)
Starring Stephen Graham, this is a brilliant take on just what goes on in a kitchen and the hellish stress a head chef undergoes in a buzzy London restaurant. Compulsive viewing, a hint of humour, the characters are believable, it has an almost docu-film feel. An advert to go in to hospitality, it is not, however it shines a real light on the industry, giving the viewer genuine insight.
Elvis - Directed by Baz Luhrmann’s (2022)
Whether you are a fan of Elvis or not, this musically led film tells the story of a small town country boy and how he ended up donned as ‘The King’. You feel warm towards the singer and see how those around him often manipulated him to gain money and fame for themselves. A lovely story that celebrates true talent and one that has longevity.
Woman
- Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (2022)
This historic action film is about black women, being entertaining whilst also culturally significant. Following Amazonian style fighting during 1800s Africa, it’s a new take on classics such as Gladiator and a look at the power of female solidarity and strength.
- Directed by Edward Berger (2022)
A German-language version of Erich Maria Remarque’s classic ‘antiwar’ novel that happens in the shadow of the Great War. A somewhat violent and yet visually engaging insight into what the war atmosphere would have been like, the trials and tribulations and a focus on the individual and what they have to let go in order to fight as a whole.
Here is a roundup of the events to look out for around the world
MEVLANA FESTIVALKONYA, TURKEY December 7th-17th
The poet and Islamic scholar Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi passed away in 1273 in the Turkish city of Konya. He has been celebrated since then by the Melvlevi Order, also known as the Whirling Dervishes at an festival.
For 10 full days in December, the whirling dance called Sema, is performed in traditional costume in homage to Rumi’s spirit. Regardless of religion, the dance is a sight to behold.
NOZAWA ONSEN FIRE FESTIVALNOZAWA ONSEN, JAPAN January 15th
The Nozawa Fire Festival is one of the three greatest fire festivals in Japan and
NOZAWA ONSEN FIRE FESTIVAL JANUARY 15TH
MEVLANA FESTIVAL DECEMBER 7TH-17TH
a must-see event which takes place at Baba-no-hara, Nozawa Onsen Village on the 15th of January every year. The event begins with lanterns then fireworks and more spectacular fires until the end of the evening.
CARNIVALRIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL February 19th-20th
From the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema to Rio Carnival and the steamy Rio de Janeiro nightlife, the energy emanated by the marvellous City of Rio de Janeiro is nothing short of electrifying. Even more exhilarating are the deliciously bronzed and toned samba dancers, the pulsating samba music, the frantic applause of the spectators, and of course, partying at Rio Carnival.
SAINT PATRICK’S FESTIVALDUBLIN, IRELAND March 17th
Soak up the joyous atmosphere at music gigs, walking tours, food fairs, art exhibitions and the massive
dance party known as the Céilí Mór. The undoubted highlight is the parade - an explosion of colour, creativity and thrilling street performances.
SONGKRAN - THAILAND April 13th-15th
Songkran (Thai name：เทศกาล สงกรานต์)), the Thai New Year, is the most important festival in Thailand. With celebrations lasting up to a week, Thai New Year marks the end of the dry season with religious ceremonies and water fights, which are a trademark of the festival. As a symbol of renewal in Buddhism, water is splashed on statues of Buddha for good luck, and younger generations bathe the hands of the elderly to receive their blessing in return.
SONGKRAN APRIL 13TH-15TH
CANNES FILM FESTIVALCANNES, FRANCE May 16th-27th
First held in 1946 for the recognition of artistic achievement, the festival came to provide a rendezvous for those interested in the art and influence of the movies. Like other film festivals, it became an international marketplace
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL MAY 16TH-27TH
MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL JUNE 30THJULY 15TH
where producers and distributors could exchange ideas, view films, and sign contracts. The festival previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around the world.
MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVALMONTREUX, SWITZERLAND June 30th-July 15th
The Swiss city Montreux, located hundred km from Geneva on Geneva’s Lake beach, holds every year in start July, one of the greatest Jazz festivals of Europe. The festival started in 1967. On its first years it last for three days, but nowadays as it got greater and better, it last for 16 days. Unlike other Jazz festivals, the repertory of Montreux festival includes in addition to Jazz, other kinds of music as Reggae, Pop, Sol, Rock, Rap and much more.
Ahmed Dasuki
Hon. Hadi Sirika
Neil Hobday
Joanna Fabikun
HRH The 14th Emir of Kano
Victor Etuokwu
Seyi Oyinlola
Alejo
Nicky Sakpoba
Guillermo Terrera
Geoffrey Kent
Governor Ramalan Yero
Aigboje Aig
Ayo Olasoju
Mauro Aprile Zanetti
Ambassador Gustavo Dzugalo
Ahmed Joda
Abdulrashid Bawa
Amadou Gallo Fall
Peter Hawkins
HRH Emir of Zazzau
Risqua Murtala Muhammad
Tajudeen Dantata
Atiku Abubakar
Mohammed Al Habtoor
Governor Aminu Masari
Aliko Dangote
Herbert Wigwe
Ali Albwardy
Mauro Aprile Zanetti
Kashim Bukar Shettima
Rasheed Ali Albwardy
Mr. Olukayode Pitan
Rashid Al Habtoor
Prince Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah
Rico Chagoury
Femi Otedola
Rasna Mangharam
Lady Li
Chef Moha
Raj Gupta
Idowu A.Thompson
HRH Maitha Bint Mohammed Al-Rasheed Al-Makhtoum Amr Zedan
Dr. Amina Jane Mohammed
Vice President Namadi Sambo
Governor Nasiru El-Rufai
Amaechi M. Okobi
Pelon Sterling
Dr. Amina Abubakar Bello
Muftiu Baba-Ahmed, Adamu Atta and Tunde Folawiyo
Gonzalo Pieres Agustin Merlos The Mahaarani (Beunos Aires) Governor Abubakar Sani Bello
Adolfo Cambiaso Col. Sani Bello
Sayuu Dantata
Evelyn Oputu
Juan Martin Nero
Hakeem Bello-Osagie
Otunba Wemimo Onajobi
