Heathrow Traveller by Show Media Ltd

heaThrow T r av e l l e r t h e o f f i c i a l m a g a z i n e f o r h e at h r o w | w i n t e r 2 0 1 0

to russia with Love

celebrating the history of Moscow and st petersburg

present perfect heathrow gift guide house party the top places to gather friends & family euro zone Business in madrid & paris pLus: heston Blumenthal’s alps + copenhagen + whisky & port + foodies’ edinBurgh

This festive edition of Heathrow Traveller is all about celebrating family and spending time with the ones you love. From cosying up ﬁreside in a warm and welcoming hotel, to heading for some sun (or snow) in our group holiday round-up, there are plenty of ways to make sure you spend the holidays with the right people, in the right place. Heathrow Traveller’s top destination this issue is Russia, subject of an in-depth look into the architectural, cultural and gourmet highlights of Moscow and St Petersburg. Not forgetting that Christmas is about giving, we have nine pages of perfect presents for every person in your life, with even a designer collar for the dog. Enjoy festive ﬂavours with Heston Blumenthal’s paean to gourmet Italian skiing and our celebration of Christmas food available at Heathrow – no need to miss out on turkey and Brussels sprouts this year, wherever you’re spending the holidays.

e Shopping & Travel info

All flights detailed are direct routes from Heathrow, except where specified. Throughout the magazine we’ve shown, where relevant, the Airport Price together with the High Street price*. Savings do not apply to products for which no price comparison is displayed. Where you see products at an Airport Price, all passengers, flying to all destinations, can buy at these prices, apart from selected liquor lines which are only available to those flying outside the EU. Passengers travelling to final destinations outside the EU may be requested to pay tax on purchases on arrival at your destination and/or if you bring them back with you when returning to the UK. Go to heathrow.com for the most up-to-date shopping information and contact details for individual stores. All prices correct at time of going to press. Some products featured in this magazine are of limited availability in airport stores. Contact stores in advance to check availability. Keep track of the WorldPoints you can earn at the airport: go to baaworldpoints.com.

Lucy Teasdale, Editor

publiShed by ShoW media lTd 020 3222 0101 www.showmedia.net Editor Lucy Teasdale Art Director Martin Perry Associate Editor Chris Madigan Designer Hillary Jayne Sub Editors Sarah Evans, Gill Wing Picture Editor Jim Taylor Staff Writer Sarah Deeks Intern Holly Whittaker Heathrow Marketing Julia Gillam

Editorial Director Joanne Glasbey Creative Director Ian Pendleton Managing Director Peter Howarth For advertising enquiries: Julia Pasaron 020 8741 8967 Colour reproduction FMG wearefmg.com Printing Southern Print wyndeham.co.uk

* Savings in World Duty Free stores are compared to the notional UK high street price, this being the average of prices from a survey of several high street stores. Details of these stores and individual prices are available on request. Heathrow Traveller is published on behalf of BAA Airports Ltd by Show Media Ltd, 1-2 Ravey Street, London EC2A 4QP. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright owner. No responsibility will be accepted for any errors or omissions, or comments made by writers or interviewees. Views expressed are not necessarily the views of BAA Airports Ltd, and services and goods advertised are not necessarily endorsed by BAA Airports Ltd. All prices and information correct at time of going to press. Where there are price variations by terminal or location the highest is shown.

4 CoRNERS

C o n t e n t s 30

60 City sprint Tips and accoutrements for the business traveller

News from the airport and around the world 12 Travel news The ‘babymoon’ phenomenon, ice skating trips, an insider’s Copenhagen and more 18 Gourmet travel The excellence of Edinburgh’s food: from chippies to Michelin-starred chefs 20 Home comforts Cosy hotels around the world to snuggle up in this winter 22 Drinks On the banks of the Douro river, Porto is a beautiful city whose history is entwined with its famous port wine 24 Entertainment England cricketer ian Bell’s DVDs and games for the ashes tour; plus new books

Destination This season’s big travel ideas 26 The big picture a British photographer, a British extreme skier and a cliﬀ in British Columbia 29 Postcard from… Heston Blumenthal, who’s found a favourite restaurant in the shadow of Mont Blanc

30 Share options if you’re planning a big gathering of family or friends, here are 15 of the world’s most characterful and spacious properties to rent 36 Comment How alain de Botton decided he should stop lecturing people about boring architectural nostalgia and build modern holiday homes 38 The Russian fascination The vivid history and vivacious contemporary style of Moscow and St Petersburg 42 Moving map Celebrate good times around the planet, from Christmas markets in Germany to the new year in China

the lounge Seasonal special: your guide to great gift ideas at Heathrow 46 Luxe lover Stylish watches and jewellery, gorgeous accessories and famous fashion names 48 Sun seeker Presents for those heading for the beach: e-books, shades, fragrances and bags 50 On the move For frequent ﬂiers: smart businesswear, cool gadgets and knock-em-dead shoes 52 Family traveller Gifts for the whole clan: kids, teens, Grandma… and not forgetting Mum and Dad

Departures Life at the airport and key Heathrow information 63 Travel product awards The winners as voted for by Heathrow’s passengers 64 Airport news Find out how you can get even more out of your journey through Heathrow 66 A day in the life… of one of the key ﬁgures who help Heathrow run smoothly 68 Food & drink a guide to the Christmas foodie treats available at the airport right now 70 Maps & directory Getting around Heathrow 74 Final call a famous face captured by Heathrow’s resident snapper

Danny BirD

travel Journal

54 Madrid The Spanish capital shrugs off the mañana myth to become one of Europe’s most dynamic business destinations 59 The new Paris Many of the top firms in the city of lights have moved to the suburbs — but Parisian style has followed them 60 Sloping off Sneak in a cheeky ski weekend on a work trip to Zürich 61 Whisky galore invaluable tips for choosing the right dram for you

T r av e l J o u r n a l

d e s t i n at i o n i d e a s

hotels

s k i i n j a pa n / a l p i n e c o c k ta i l s / n e w y e a r , n e w y o u

perfeCT powder IN JApAN HokkAIdo SkI-IN SkI-ouT reSorT For a guaranteed white winter, savvy skiers are heading to Green Leaf Niseko Village in Hokkaido, Japan, for YTL Hotels Perfect Powder Package. Enjoy views of Mount Yotei and the Mount Annupuri slopes from your suite in this chic, family-friendly, ski-in ski-out resort. The rooftop garden, Altitude, serves cocktails from sunset to sunrise. From £255 per person for two nights, 1 December 2010 to 30 April 2011. All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Japan Airlines and Virgin AIrways ﬂy to Tokyo, for connections to Hokkaido

n e w s f rom a rou n d t h e G l obe

AprÈS-SkI IN ST ANToN fIrST-eVer AlpINe CoCkTAIl week

BoVey CASTle BooTCAMp luxury weIgHT-loSS reTreAT

uNITed NATIoNS ApproVed food CulTure IN A TorTIllA

Award-winning spirit distiller Sipsmith and luxury travel operator Scott Dunn are launching the first Alpine Cocktail Week, 20-27 March 2011. After a day on the slopes, choose from Fire & Ice, the Hot Shot, Off-Piste Gimlet or Winter Negroni. From £1,715 per person — which includes accommodation at Chalet Bodensee in St Anton and return British Airways flights from Heathrow to Zurich.

Repenting for Christmas indulgence will be easier than ever from January, with the launch of the Bovey Castle Weight Loss Academy (+44-844 474 0088 ; weightlossacademy.com), led by the personal trainer and bestselling author Simon Lovell and dietician and the psychotherapist Karen Chugg. The 400 acres of Dartmoor National Park provide a dramatic and inspiring backdrop to kick-start a new you for 2011. Fees start from £1,997.

Mexican food has become the ﬁrst national cuisine to be named a UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity — the cultural version of a World Heritage Site — as it combines Spanish, Aztec and Mayan inﬂuences. It’s no surprise to Heathrow Traveller – in the last issue, chef Valentine Warner called Mexico City’s markets ‘eyepopping’. Cox & Kings (coxandkings.co.uk) runs tours of the country, culture and food to the fore.

British Airways and Swiss International Airlines ﬂy direct to Zurich

British Airways ﬂies direct to Mexico City

scents of occasion Lu x u r y per f u me empor iu m Jo Ma lone ha s opene d a s ta nda l o n e s t o r e i n Te r m i n a l 4 . A w a k e n y o u r s e n s e s a n d m i x y o u r o w n s i g n a t u r e s c e n t a t i t s b r a n d - n e w Ta s t i n g B a r . 12

T r av e l J o u r n a l

D E S T I N aT I o N I D E a S

HoTElS

woN DE R f u l , woN DE R f u l CopE N H ag E N / ba by mo oN S

[THE INSIDER]

Copenhagen The lowdown on the Danish capital

[travel trend]

fr om h e r e to m ate r n it y The hotels offering pampering pregnancy packages

Where’s good for a fancy drink? Ruby (rby.dk) – there’s no sign outside, so it has a speakeasy feel. 1105 (1105.dk) and salon 39 (salon39.dk) are also good for cocktails. Where can we get a retail ﬁx? Casa (casashop.dk) sells Danish homeware. For cool fashion from independent designers, head to the Købmagergade and gothersgade. Where can you get the best view of the city? Climb up the spiral spire of the Church of Our saviour (vorfrelserskirke.dk). What should every visitor do at least once? Walk along the harbour all the way from Christiansborg to the Little mermaid statue. And a favourite local activity? Cycling out to islands Brygge (iceland Quay). Where can we escape the tourists? in Nørrebro there’s a street called Jaegersborggade, which has great art shops. What about a day out of the city? Head up the coast to the Louisiana museum of modern art (louisiana.dk). Tell us a secret Not many visitors know about the Copenhagen Winter Jazz Festival (28 Jan–6 Feb; jazz.dk). British Airways and SAS ﬂy to Copenhagen

Pregnancy has only one sure outcome — friends, family and complete strangers will subject you to a relentless torrent of unsought opinions. and yet no one tells you the most pressing fact… you will never float idly in an infinity pool, book a mid-morning spa treatment or snooze with the sunday supplements again. However, ever keen to fill a niche, luxury hotels are ahead of the curve, cannily offering ‘babymoon’ packages for expectant couples in need of a bit of pre-emptive R&R. During the second trimester, long haul is a doddle (unlike travel with a toddler in tow). Just be sure to observe one rule: short transfers. Chic, seven-bedroom sri Lankan hotel Reef Villa is just 40 minutes south of Colombo. Herbal-oil floral baths and facials for her; energising massages for him; an exquisite

suite in lush, tropical gardens for both (from £230 per room per night, reefvilla.com). taj exotica Resort & spa, in the maldives (just 15 minutes by speedboat from male) epitomises relaxation and romance. Private dining on the beach, check. sunset cruise, tick. Couple massage? Oh, go on then (from £1,800 for 3 nights, tajhotels. com). in Cape town (read: no jet lag), Camps Bay Retreat’s mother-to-be package includes a massage to combat tension and heavy legs, a facial and a mani-pedi, meaning plenty of time to contemplate your (growing) navel (from £1,950pp for 7 nights, toescapeto.com). at Parrot Cay, on the Caribbean islands of turks and Caicos, a three-night hit of instant relaxation includes a pre-natal massage and a private yoga session for two (from £1,878 for 3 nights, parrotcay.como.bz).

a I R p oRT S C R E E N I Ng F o ll owin g T 5’s r e c e nt ap p e ar an c e o n T h e A p p r e nt i c e, H e a t h r o w n o w p l a y s h o s t t o T- M o b i l e ’ s l a t e s t f l a s h - m o b s p e c t a c l e , f e a t u r i n g 3 0 0 p e r f o r m e r s w e l c o m i n g v i s i t o r s t o L o n d o n w i t h s o n g (y o u t u b e .c o m / l i f e s f o r s h a r i n g). 14

Words Emily Mathieson, of Condé Nast Traveller, and Lydia Gard

getty images

The Nimb (nimb.dk; doubles from £294). opened in the Tivoli Gardens in 2008 and quickly became one of Europe’s top hotels, with a Michelinstarred restaurant and plenty of Scandi-cool glam. Christian Abenth is head concierge… Which is the city’s best restaurant? Noma (noma.dk), but it’s almost impossible to get a table. instead, try Fiskebaren (ﬁskebaren. dk), an excellent ﬁsh restaurant, or mother (mother.dk).

T r av e l J o u r n a l

I c e S k at I n g

va n c o u v e r / o t t o wa / q u é b e c / c o l o r a d o / n e w y o r k

Ice work if you can get it Frozen North American destinations where you’ll need no encouragement to get your skates on

vAnCOuveR

OTTAWA

QuÉBeC

COLORADO

neW YORK

‘I wish I had a river to skate away on,’ goes Canadian Joni Mitchell’s plaintive song, written when stuck in hot and sticky LA one Christmas. These days she lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, from where a cable car takes you up Grouse Mountain to a skating rink so picturesque, it is like a Christmas card.

In the capital, Ottawa, the locals even skate to work on the Rideau Canal, the world’s longest man-made skating trail. In winter, the canal looks like a modern-day version of one of those old Dutch paintings – stalls along the ice sell food and drink, the turrets of the parliament providing a theatrical backdrop.

French Canadians often celebrate ice and snow, and at no time more enthusiastically than during the Québec’s Winter Carnival (28 January to 13 February). Locals and visitors skate on the Patinoire d’Youville, which is surrounded by 17thand 18th-century buildings straight out of a fairy tale.

If Canada, has the longest trail, their American neighbours weren’t going to be outdone. Keystone Lake, at the centre of one of the most popular ski resorts in Colorado, spans ﬁve acres and is the biggest Zambonimaintained (smoothed with an ice resurfacing machine), outdoor rink in North America.

Skating against a wintry Manhattan backdrop has been a romantic rite of passage for lovers both on and oﬀ screen for years – Central Park’s Wollman Rink featured in Love Story, while, in a modern ‘classic’, Elf, besotted Buddy (Will Ferrell) and Jovie (Zooey Deschanel) skate at the Rockefeller Center on their ﬁrst date.

To book your ﬂight and hotel to any of these destinations go to heathrow.com/ﬂy

f o o d S a fa r I H e a t h r o w r e s t a u r a n t g i r a f f e ( t 1 , t 5 ) l a u n c h e s t h e g i r a f f e f a m i l y c o o k b o o k : g l o b a l f a m i l y f o o d (£ 14 . 9 9 a t w H S m i t h i n a l l te r m i n a l s). e x p e c t h e a lt hy r e c ip e s f r om a r ou n d t h e w or l d . 16

Words Janette Griffiths

Take home your Beauty Gift.* Today. Visit Clinique in any Heathrow Terminal for your Skin Consultation and receive your free* Gift. Available from 25 November until 11 December 2010. *Yours with the purchase of any two or more Clinique products, one to be skin care. One gift per client, while stocks last.

T r av e l J o u r n a l

G o u r m e t t r av e l

G r e at s c o t s c u i s i n e / f e s t i v e f e a s t s

{t h e a u t h e n t i c t a s t e o f. . .}

Venison with chanterelles at Atrium. Below: Finest Scottish smoked salmon

Edinburgh As we approach Hogmanay, Scotland’s fantastic produce, and a city full of passionate chefs, comes into its own The cliché about Scottish cuisine goes that it’s all just deep-fried haggis and Mars bars, with maybe smoked salmon for the posh. yet Edinburgh boasts more Michelinstarred restaurants than any British city barring London — in fact, five more than Wales and Northern ireland combined. That said, the city is far from ashamed of a fish supper — woe betide anyone who suggests they do not make the best in the world. Even Martin Wishart, the first of those Michelin-starred chefs, is a fan, applying his ‘seasonal, locally sourced ingredients’ mantra by saying that a poke o’ chips is at its best in the autumn, when the tatties are freshest. For the best fish supper, residents of the New Town swear by L’alba D’Oro (Henderson Street); while, for deepfried haggis, chocolate bars and pizzas, head late to Café Piccante (Broughton Street), which is licensed and has a DJ. you’ll have spotted that italian names dominate. Mary Contini is a food writer and historian, as well as director of Valvona & Crolla (valvonacrolla.co.uk) — deli, café, Edinburgh institution. She explains: ‘Many italians emigrated in the 1890s to escape poverty and conscription. They were shepherds who made ricotta, so knew about dairy, and, when driving sheep to market, they’d deep-fry food. Those skills led them to set up ice cream and fish’n’chip shops in Scotland.’ One of the ports of entry was Leith.

it has developed like many docklands, declining with the shipping industry in the 20th century, before rising again as the location of luxury ﬂats and waterside restaurants such as Martin Wishart (martin-wishart.co.uk). ‘i use classic French techniques with local ingredients,’ he says. ‘The historic connection with France, through Mary Queen of Scots, has meant Scottish cooking has used a lot of braising, casseroles, and terminology

such as a gigot of lamb — even though we pronounce it “jiggut”, not “zhigoh”.’ The auld alliance is evident in dishes such as roast grouse à l’armagnac en cocotte, with braised cabbage, salsify, pomme cocotte and sauce albert, though perhaps the inﬂuence is more family Roux than Bonnie Prince Charlie. One of Wishart’s signature dishes is smoked salmon with soused cucumber and konbu vinegar, which, despite the Japanese ingredients, is a throwback to his childhood. ‘My father grew up in the Hebrides and, every Christmas, my cousins in Stornoway would send British Airways and bmi ﬂy direct to Edinburgh

a whole smoked salmon to us. Now i have wild salmon sent down and get it smoked the way i remember it, with that really intense flavour.’ another Scottish classic is cullen skink, which you’ll find on the menu at atrium (atriumrestaurant.co.uk). Executive chef Neil Forbes says, ‘it’s a one-pot wonder of smoked haddock, leeks, potatoes, milk, cream and herbs.’ Forbes sources ingredients from dozens of specialist suppliers. atrium’s Perthshire beef breeder also supplies Café St Honoré (cafesthonore.com). its braised Scotch beef blade is slow-cooked till it is as tender as a steak. you’ll see plenty of game on most Edinburgh menus. after ‘the glorious 12th’ of august, until spring, there’s a ready supply of pheasant, partridge and grouse. Lasting king of Scotland cuisine, venison is a favourite at The Witchery, on the Royal Mile (thewitchery. com), a favourite among those wanting traditional dishes such as haggis (an underrated, spicy and oaty treat). The Witchery’s sister restaurant, Rhubarb, at the Prestonfield House hotel

gETTy iMagES

Best of the ‘BurGh Martin Wishart 54 The Shore, Leith; 0131 553 3557 Michelin-starred food served in a warm, friendly, fun atmosphere. Valvona & Crolla (above) 19 Elm Row; 0131 556 6066 Delicious coﬀee and cakes, best breakfasts in town and one of Britain’s best delis Atrium 10 Cambridge Street; 0131 228 8882 No-fuss Scottish dishes made with skill Rhubarb Priestﬁeld Road, 0131 225 1333 Sumptuous dishes, decadent surroundings

Words Chris Madigan

(prestonfield.com) on the edge of the city, also serves game — miniature rabbit pies, followed by braised haunch and roast loin of roe deer. The restaurant is so named because this was the first place in Britain where rhubarb seeds from China were planted in the 18th century. The resultant crumble is both sweet and sharp, with a crunchy shortbread topping. another dessert, cranachan — raspberries, toasted oats, honey and whisky-laced cream — could be the most defining Scottish dish, not least because it appeals to the local sweet tooth. Valvonna & Crolla recently opened a café inside Jenners department store on Princes Street. Mary Contini says, ‘The idea was to showcase Scottish foods. and what do customers get most excited about? Soor plooms [sour plum boiled sweets] and Tunnock’s tea cakes.’ However, Edinburgh has become a foodie haven in the past decade. if you’re staying in a self-catered apartment, shop at the farmers’ market (Saturdays, 9am-2pm) on Castle Terrace. ‘There’s been a market there for 1,000 years,’ says Forbes, ‘and it still looks medieval — pigs roasting, oysters and game for sale and me and my staff carrying sides of mutton back to the restaurant!’ He will be one of the chefs cooking live at the Foodies at Christmas festival (assembly Rooms, 3-5 December, foodiesfestival.com). ‘it’ll be all about keeping our traditions alive,’ he says. ‘How to prepare game, make your own oatcakes to eat with cheese, and so on.’ Martin Wishart is sharing his passion, too. He has a state-of-the-art cookery school (cookschool.co.uk), with small classes for one-to-one attention. ‘i’m delighted Edinburgh has so many great chefs now,’ he says, before turning to inspect some freshly delivered ceps.HT Stay at The Sheraton Grand Hotel (sheratonedinburgh.co.uk). From £179 a night. The Knight Residence (theknight residence.co.uk) offers five-star serviced apartments from £189 a night.

C o C o a-l o C o chocoholics no lonGer need foreGo their fix while in foreiGn climes Words Holly Whittaker

Chocolate Research Facility, Singapore This hip shop-cum-café takes chocolate combinations seriously. its asian ﬂavours include ginseng, red bean, and black sesame. chocolateresearchfacility.com

BA, Qantas, Singapore Airlines

The Abastos Market, Oaxaca, Mexico Dip churros into a cup of dark-chocolate champurrado at one of the artisan chocolate stalls at Oaxaca’s lively abastos Market.

British Airways

Recchiuti Confections, San Francisco, USA Michael Recchiuti’s unique creations include Lemon Verbena and Tarragon grapefruit. recchiuti.com

BA, American Airlines, Virgin Atlanic

Heathrow Travel l er 19

T r av e l J o u r n a l

w i n t e r b o lt h o l e s

pa r i s / b e i j i n g / p o r t l a n d / b e r l i n / d u b l i n / s t o c k h o l m

{ h o t e l s}

Home comforts As the nights draw in, follow the lure of a crackling ﬁre, warming food and a soft bed to one of these cosy hotels

1. HoTel dU PeTiT MoUlin, PAris, FrAnce

2. dUGe coUrTyArd BoUTiqUe HoTel, BeijinG, cHinA

3. Ace HoTel, PorTlAnd, UniTed sTATes

Designer Christian Lacroix’s fabulously eccentric hotel in a 17th-century former boulangerie in Paris is as ﬂamboyant as it is charming. Its 17 rooms are each decorated to represent a diﬀerent facet of the local area, and are rich in warm colours, luxurious textures and unique prints. The hotel’s wood-panelled café-bar is the ideal spot to sip a hot chocolate after a day spent browsing Le Marais’ boutiques. hotelpetitmoulinparis.com

This hideaway in the heart of Beijing is a sanctuary of chic Chinese elegance that mixes modern designer touches with ancient traditions. Its tiny White Russian bar sits snugly in the central courtyard, emitting an irresistible glow on winter evenings, and beckoning guests with one of its eponymous cocktails. This really is one of the most intimate, stylish and well-serviced boutique hotels in all Beijing. dugecourtyard.com

This eco-chic hotel is gloriously rough around the edges and all the better for it. Vintage, re-used, pre-loved — whatever you call it, the Ace has style in spades. From re-upholstered sofas to army-surplus gear, it makes great use of recycled objects, setting them amid contemporary art to eclectic eﬀect. Dine in the Clyde Common restaurant, which serves good, casual food. acehotel.com/portland

Air France, British Airways

Air china, British Airways

American Airlines, continental, delta, United Airlines

Words Lotte Jeffs

1. Hôtel du Petit Moulin, Paris 2. Duge Courtyard Boutique Hotel, Beijing 3. Ace Hotel, Portland 4. Ackselhaus, Berlin 5. Dylan Hotel, Dublin 6. Hotel J, Stockholm

4. AckselHAUs, Berlin, GerMAny

5. dylAn HoTel, dUBlin, irelAnd

6. HoTel j, sTockHolM, sweden

Live like a local in Prenzlauer Berg, one of Berlin’s coolest areas. The eight apartments, bedsits and rooms at Ackselhaus, a 19th-century townhouse, are thematically furnished. Choose Afrika Delux for a cosy winter stay — its all wooden ﬂoorboards, animal-print rugs, heavy drapes, soft lighting and earthy tones. Tuck in to a hearty breakfast in the Club del Mar restaurant, which overlooks the hotel’s pretty, secluded rear garden. ackelhaus.de

With its high ceilings, dramatic furniture and fleur-de-lis flourishes, this Dublin hotspot might seem a little on the grand side, but thanks to its laidback Irish attitude, the Dylan is a luxurious place for a cosy winter city break. Curl up next to the fire in the library or indulge in the ambience of the candlelit restaurant. For a real home from home, snuggle under the covers, order popcorn and ice cream from room service and watch a movie on the large plasma-screen TV. dylan.ie

Escape the hustle and bustle at this calm, simply sophisticated Swedish design hotel. With a magniﬁcent view over Stockholm harbour, the J is just a short bus, car, or — best — boat ride from all the downtown action. Its 45 rooms are decorated in a boat-house style that looks as if all it’s missing is a couple of Ralph Lauren models. All have great views and the larger ones have balconies. While away the hours by the ﬁre, admiring the panoramic sea vistas. eng.hotelj.com

British Airways, lufthansa

Aer lingus, bmi

British Airways, sAs

Heathrow Travel l er 21

T r av e l J o u r n a l

porto

t h e c i t y w i t h a pa s s i o n f o r p o r t

[ por t]

Fortiﬁed town The discovery that adding brandy to wine meant that you could ship it around the world for ever sealed Porto’s reputation as the birthplace of the ruby liquid Arrival in Porto doesn’t leave much room for doubt that the port wine trade is still important to this city. checking into your hotel, you may well be oﬀered a glass of the ruby liquid. and then, when you climb torre dos clérigos, the highest tower in portugal, and look across the Douro river, you can see dozens of warehouses, each with one of the famous names of the port trade — Graham’s, Sandeman’s,

Dow’s, cockburn’s —emblazoned on their roof. meanwhile, on the riverbank are moored several barcos rabelos — boats that traditionally transported barrels of port from the vineyards, now used for sightseeing trips. port is made from a blend of grapes — including the tiny, inky-black touriga Nacional, the fruity Franca and vibrant, fresh tinta roriz, the portuguese name for tempranillo — all of which thrive in

the remote, arid Upper Douro. any plant that grows there has to be robust, and the vines that can hack it produce low yields that result in formidable wines. that such rariﬁed wines became a favourite british digestif is down to a discovery of disputed origin that adding brandy to wine would allow it to keep longer, so it could be shipped to britain, an ally in wars with France and favoured trading partner. as far back as 1670,

photolibrary.com

burgoyne & Jackson imported wool from England, sending back wine and olive oil. that company became Warre’s, and, along with Graham’s and Dow’s, was then acquired by the Symington family. White port is rarely sold in the UK. it can be as sweet as its red siblings (the sweetest is known as lagrimas), but more interesting is extra dry, served in portugal as an apéritif, mixed with tonic or soda and served with ice and a slice. the reds are divided into bottle- and wood-aged ports. the latter spend only a couple of years maturing in barrels before being bottled, unfiltered. in the best years, they are declared vintages by the producers. they need to mature in the bottle for at least 15 years (and can keep improving for up to 30), before being decanted (and drunk within a few days). outside vintage years, individual estates can produce a single quinta vintage, which can be almost as good. Wood-aged ports divide into two further groups: ruby and tawny. these names are based on their colour, which depends on the length of time spent in oak casks. after, on average, three years of ageing, the ruby ports are younger and fruitier, while aged tawnies range from caramel-nutty 10-year-olds to marmalady 20-year-olds. then there are late-bottled vintages — richer, more spicy and intense than other wood-aged ports but softer than most vintage ports. it’s worth trying different houses’ ports to find the style that suits you. For example, Dow’s has a drier character compared to Warre’s lighter, elegant, perfumed notes. and there’s no better place to explore the varieties than at a restaurant on the river: smart D tonho (dtonho.com), which has had Eusébio and Jacques chirac as customers, or laid-back little armazém do Sal. the history of the port trade is bound to figure strongly in any visit to porto. at Graham’s port lodge (grahamsportlodge.com), you can find out about the winemaking process (for example, the traditional foot-stomping

A glass or two of vintage port is a prerequisite on any visit to Porto

in granite troughs versus modern robotic imitators, which are better partly because they don’t drink on the job) or simply gaze in awe at the rows of casks and vats as well as centuries-old vintage bottles inside the peaceful cave.

turn to port

Six of the best from World Duty Free 1. Dow’s LBV, £14.99 for 100cl 2. Dow’s 10-yearold tawny, £22.99 for 100cl 3. Graham’s LBV, £14.99 for 100cl 4. Warre’s Warrior, £11.99 for 100cl 5. Kopke 10-year-old port, £12.49 for 75cl until 11 January 2011 6. Kopke vintage port, £34.99 for 75cl

the World heritage Site city centre is packed with reminders of porto’s trading heritage. Steep, cobbled streets and alleys have a crumbling grandeur, but there are grand edifices such as the 19th-century trade hall, palácio bolsa, and Gustave Eiffel’s maria pia bridge, too. here for the weekend? Serralves museum of contemporary art (serralves. pt) has a sculpture garden with works by Dan Graham, richard Serra and claes oldenburg, while the casa da música (casadamusica.com), designed by rem Koolhaas, is a great venue for fado. and, under the ownership of hip portuguese hotel group lagrimas, hotel infante Sagres (slh.com) has thrown off its royalty-encrusted past to become a great boutique hideaway. port is throwing off its ladies-tothe-drawing-room, pass-to-the-right, no-touching-the-table, stilton-veined stuffiness. With tastings that pair ports with organic dark chocolates, modern packaging and young tawnies made for chilling, it seems set for a new era of appreciation from a more demanding clientele than Seventies port’n’lemon drinkers. as for porto, it will remain a city where a cab driver, rather than discuss the best European cup-winning side, will declare, ‘the best vintage was definitely 1977.’ HT

5 TAP Air Portugal ﬂies to Porto

Words Chris Madigan

Heathrow Travel l er 23

T r av e l J o u r n a l

e n t e r ta i n m e n t

i a n B e l l ’ s t r av e l t u n e s / g a m e s / D v D B o x s e t s

An Ashes series is the highlight of any english cricketer’s career and i couldn’t wait to get on the plane to Australia. Who wouldn’t want to travel the world and get to play cricket for a living? But you’re away for months on end, so there are a few essentials to pack. I definitely never leave home without my Only Fools and Horses box set. I travel to some far-flung places, and it’s great to have something so English to remind you of home. Wherever you are — South Africa, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh — Del Boy and Rodders will transport you back. Even if you’re stuck in a tense test match on the subcontinent, you need something to get you laughing and take your mind off the game, and Del Boy falling through the bar definitely does that. Box sets are a bit of an addiction on tour and all the team bring them along to swap. With so much downtime, you need something to get your teeth into and a series is always better than a film. On the last tour in Bangladesh, CSI box sets [right] were a favourite of mine. I also really got into

Box sets and games are important to Ian Bell when he’s on tour

[t ravel enter ta i n ment]

Ian Bell The England batsman’s essential kit for the Ashes series Down Under Entourage. It’s about a tight-knit group of young guys in the Hollywood showbiz bubble, living out of hotels — I can assure you it’s a far cry from our life on tour, though. Wherever we’re playing, we have a games room, so

the lads all pack their PSPs and PS3s. I don’t bring one, but always end up pinching somebody else’s controller and getting into four-way tournaments on Fifa 11. All the lads fancy their chances, but

Jonathan Trott’s the man to beat — he swears by his Xbox! I’m a keen golfer, and I love Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11. Then again, when you’re somewhere like Australia, you don’t want to spend too much time indoors, so I’ve packed my golf clubs to play for real. I took my laptop, too, mainly for putting together playlists. On the way to a morning session, the lads all have their iPods on — you need something to get you in the mood. I listen to The Enemy, Ne-Yo, Scouting For Girls, Tinie Tempah, Usher — a complete mixture! Of course, there’s always some last-minute shopping to do at Heathrow: a few DVDs, magazines, papers and electronic gadgets for the flight. I usually find myself rushing to buy some noise-reducing headphones. I always manage to break mine, but on a long-haul flight I find them an absolute essential. HT Ian Bell is playing in the Ashes Series with the Adidas Incurza bat. For stockists, call 0870 240 4204

Whether you’re facing Aussie fast bowlers or the Stairmaster with a friend, these will get you singing from the same songsheet

1. ‘Come On (Let’s Go Tonight)’, The Promise by Bruce Springsteen, £8.50 2. ‘The Immortals’, Come Around Sundown by Kings Of Leon, £8.50 3. ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, Viva Elvis – The Album, £7.65 4. ‘Blaze Of Glory’, Greatest Hits by Bon Jovi, £8.50 5. ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’, 1962–1966 (The Red Album) by The Beatles, £8.50

interview Giles Milton, sports editor of Zoo magazine

REX FEATURES

5 tunes to inspire teamwork

Book/AnoTHer nigHT Before CHriSTmAS Carol Ann Duﬀy, £4.99 The 1822 classic ‘The Night Before Christmas’ has been rewritten for the 21st century by one of Britain’s best-loved poets. This new version is full of Carol Ann Duﬀy’s characteristic wit and warmth, as well as being beautifully illustrated.

seven Christmas stories, previously published only in magazines, the call of justice leads ageing London barrister Horace Rumpole — one of Britain’s best loved comic characters — as far aﬁeld as a health farm in Norfolk and as near to home as a pantomime at the Tufnell Park Empire.

DVD/mAD men SeASon 3 Lions gate Home entertainment, £25.53 The third season of this award-winning show about the Sixties advertising world moves into 1963, which, of course, builds to the assassination of JFK. As always, the devil is in the detail — style mavens will want to watch for the retro fashion tips alone. Book/BeyonD THe CrASH gordon Brown, £14.99 Published 5 December This heavyweight tome by the former PM, long admired for his grasp of economic issues, oﬀers a unique perspective on the global ﬁnancial crisis, as well as innovative ideas he believes will help create a sound economic future. DVD/fAmiLy guy SeASon 9 20th Century fox Home entertainment, £15.31 More hilarious episodes from the hugely popular animated TV series lampooning American

DVD/inBeTWeenerS SerieS 3 Channel 4 DVD, £12.75 One of the best British comedies of the past decade, this multiaward-winning show follows four friends as they navigate their way through sixth form with their hormones running riot. Neither the coolest kids in school nor the ultimate nerds, the four ‘inbetweeners’ try their best to improve their social standing and impress girls. The humour can be utterly gross, but the characters are likeable with it.

Books & dvds

culture and the human condition. Marijuana, religion, evil monkeys, older women — the dysfunctional Griﬃn family and their martinisipping dog, Brian, tackle all this and more. Book/THe ConfeSSion John grisham, £13.99 In the epic new legal thriller, an innocent man is days from execution

and only a guilty man can save him. But how can he convince the lawyers, judges and politicians? DVD/THe PACifiC Warner Home Video, £25.52 From the producers of Band of Brothers, The Paciﬁc tracks the real-life journeys of three US marines across the vast canvas of the Paciﬁc

Theatre during World War II from their ﬁrst clash with the Japanese in the haunted jungles of Guadalcanal to their triumphant, yet uneasy, return home after VJ Day. Book/rumPoLe AT CHriSTmAS John mortimer, £8.99 Pantos, puds and a Santa who isn’t quite what he seems to be… In these

Book/CHriSTmAS WiTH TuCker greg kincaid, £6.99 George, the 12-year-old hero of this children’s story, is up against it: his father’s died, his mother’s left him with his grandparents on their farm, and he’s reluctantly inherited a dog, Tucker, from the alcoholic next door. After a rocky start, Tucker soon becomes his best friend and gives him the strength to take on his challenges.

DVDs, games and CDs from HMV. All these books are available in a ‘buy one, get one half price’ deal at WHSmith & WHSmith Bookshops

Call of Duty: Black ops Game Xbox 360/PS3, £38.28 Having covered WWII and imagined modern day conﬂicts, CoD turns to the plausible Cold War activities of spooks in Cuba and Laos. New features include wager matches, where you gamble online money on winning battles with just one bullet in the chamber. reviews Gill Wing

Heathrow Travel l er 25

DESTINATION Russia

Global festivals

Heston Blumenthal on skis

T h e b i g P i c T u r e : c o a s T M o u n Ta i n s , c a n a d a Leading British action photographer Ross Woodhall took this shot in mid-May while he was heli-skiing in the mountains around Pemberton, outside Whistler in British Columbia. Ross says, ‘We had sat out a storm for six days before the weather cleared. When we went up, we found a metre of fresh snow. I was with Jim Adlington, a British Salomon team skier, when this rock appeared in the helicopter windscreen – we knew immediately it would make a good shot. He actually did this jump a few times, pulling the ‘iron cross’ trick before landing, and hiking up the 100m or so each time. I photographed it with various lenses, but I thought this shot, on a 20mm wide angle, gave the best view of exactly how big the jump was. Of course, in order to shoot this, I got to snowboard down the mountain myself and it was one of the best powder days I’ve ever had.’ Air Canada and British Airways ﬂy direct to Vancouver

Family holiday rentals

Heathrow Travel l er 27

D e s t i n at i o n

Postcard

H e ston Blu m e n t H a l

4 Corners images; piCture it now. interview: amy raphael

Heston Blumenthal revolutionised high-end dining with his scientiﬁc, theatrical and, at times, off-the-wall cooking. The Fat Duck is one of only four UK restaurants that boasts three Michelin stars. On 1 December, he will open Dinner, his ﬁrst London restaurant, at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel

I’ve never been very good at relaxing on holiday with my family — I would always write every morning. then, three years ago, i did an interview with Ski Sunday and discovered Courmayeur, a small resort on the italian side of mont Blanc, where the milanese and torinese go for Christmas. i went back with my wife and the three kids — who are 17, 15 and 12 — and, for the ﬁrst time, didn’t ﬁnd myself thinking about work on holiday. what’s fantastic about the resort is the fact that there are 28 mountain restaurants. they are mostly small, with around 50 covers, and are run by husband-and-wife teams. But the food is great. i love the idea that you can have a really

delicious bowl of pasta or a fantastic pizza with a good bottle of wine. and the wine really is great over there. last year, we had Christmas dinner at a place right near the top of the mountain called la maison vieille di giacomo. we skied in the morning and stopped for lunch: spaghetti with

snow mobiles for the half-hour drive, and he’d lined the path up to the restaurant with candles, which was just beautiful. giacomo serves sicilian specialities such as maialino allo spiedo, or roast suckling pig. it’s cooked in the woods and served on a whacking great big piece of bark with

Heston’s love for haute cuisine The chef scales the Italian Alps in search of good food and wine bottarga, or cured ﬁsh roe, followed by a stuﬀed turkey dish. and, of course, some amazing wine. we also went up there one evening. giacomo himself met us in town complete with

salad. really simple, really good produce, cooked really well. it’s a shame my italian is limited to grazie and pochissimo. But still, Courmayeur is incredibly friendly, even for those with poor italian.

i’ve been skiing for the past three years and, with lessons every day, i’m pretty good now. when i started, i had my elbows out and my poles were all over the place. i saw a video of myself skiing and thought i looked awful, so i used it as motivation! i’d say i’m intermediate now. i’m not great on moguls, i’m not brilliant in powder. But, on a medium-to-diﬃcult slope that’s not too icy, i think i look alright. i’m not risk averse but nor am i a risk taker; i’m probably somewhere between the two. i don’t want to look like a traditional Brit on the ski slope. i prefer going fast and like to look like i have a bit of style. if i feel i’m showing my nationality by not being as good as the italians, i tend to slow down. i can’t wait to get back to Courmayeur this Christmas. HT

BA, bmi and Swiss International Airlines ﬂy to Geneva, and BA and Alitalia ﬂy to Milan Heathrow Travel l er 29

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If you’re planning a holiday for a group of friends or family, renting a villa that promises a little luxury can only pay dividends. Here are some of the best from around the world, starting with the far-ﬂung and fabulous

Words Gemma Bowes, Lydia Westwood

D e s t i n a t i o n G R O U P H O L I D AY S

eden Rock Villas

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Koh Samui, Thailand Each of the three Eden Rock Villas has a curvaceous pool with sea views and its own interior style. The Rice House is a representation of a Balinese rice barn, with three ﬂoors under an arching thatched roof, and an outdoor dining space. The Pineapple House, meanwhile, has intricate wood carvings, and incorporates a huge rock into the architecture of one of its bedrooms. However, for real wow factor, opt for the most luxurious, the Eden Rock — its suites have four-posters,sunken Jacuzzi baths and rain showers. From £474 per night for Eden Rock (sleeps 8) and £221 for Rice (sleeps 4) and Pineapple (sleeps 6). edenrockvilla.com

Dar Musique

Hotel soraya

Marrakech, Morocco Dar Musique is a wonderful bohemian bolthole. Potter among the cacti on the rooftop terrace and gaze at the Atlas mountains blurring the horizon, recline in the cool, tiled lounge after a hard day’s bartering in the nearby Djemaa el-Fna square, or take a dip in the palm-fringed courtyard pool. The house has four lavish bedrooms, decorated in jewelbox colours. It also has its own hammam, with masseurs on hand to knead out your kinks, while, in the kitchen, your personal chef will create authentic Moroccan tagines to your taste. From £1,000 per week (sleeps 8). darmusique.com

Goa, India Located in Goa (above), near the stunning Morjim, Ashwem and Mandrem beaches and surrounded by rice paddies, lies Hotel Soraya. Actually a private rental property, it is a typical high-ceilinged, Portuguese-era villa, restored and stuffed with antiques. There is also a separate bungalow. The verandas of the main house look out over the pool and the acre of mango-filled and jungly gardens and are the perfect spot from which to monitor the passing traffic: cows, tropical birds and the occasional elephant. Main house from £110 per night (sleeps 8), bungalow (sleeps 2) from £35. hotelsorayagoa.com

Villa Pantulan Elite Havens, Bali Villa Pantulan is a contemporary, five-bedroom house in the small village of Lodtunduh, near the town of Ubud, Bali’s cultural capital, famed for its art, food and temples (above). Rooms are arranged within four pavilions and include a stylish yoga/ dining platform and an artist’s studio. The bedrooms have vast wooden doors that slide back to reveal the garden with its pool, lily pond and waterfall, and the palm trees and paddy fields beyond. The staff of 12 ensure a five-star experience akin to that of a hotel. From £568 per room per night (sleeps 10), including breakfast. elitehavensbali.com

Heathrow Travel l er 31

Snowmass Club Aspen, USA Every skier wants to tick Aspen oﬀ their must-ski list at some point, and those who want to do it in style should consider the Snowmass Club, a collection of cosy, luxury villas at the foot of Snowmass Mountain. Guests have access to a spa with four swimming pools, a Jacuzzi, a gym and athletics club, tennis and golf, plus a bar and restaurant, while, just minutes away, are the lifts up to 91 trails, plus gladed tree runs, half-pipes and fun parks. The villas are as comfortable as they are well-appointed and each has a deck oﬀering great creek and mountain views. From £6,322 per week (sleeps 10). akvillas.com

Tulum Beach Houses Tulum, Mexico Just a few paces from talcumpowder ﬁne sand, emerald waves perfect for surﬁng, hammocks strung between palms and a backdrop of jungle, the three thatched Tulum Beach Houses on Mexico’s Caribbean coast are idyllically located. Their decor draws on Mexican folk art and traditional striped rugs and colourful fabrics abound. Behla Villa is the largest — its master bedroom has a private deck with a cushioned snug and a bathroom with ocean views from the tub. From £477 per night (sleeps 8), including breakfast. i-escape.com

Mount Cinnamon

Three Sixty House Shompole, Kenya No one could argue location isn’t key at the Three Sixty House — it stands on the edge of the Rift Valley and oﬀers uninterrupted views of the savannah all the way to Tanzania. Like a very upmarket barefootchic villa, its thatched roof is supported by gnarled trunks. It may count a team of staﬀ, a helipad and a puddle-shaped pool — surrounded by day beds and lit up by candles at night — among its luxuries, but, in keeping with its eco credentials, its owners actively support local socio-economic and wildlife projects. From £496 per person per night (sleeps 4), including full board and game drives. ecoluxury.com

Mirissa, Sri Lanka Mount Cinnamon is a stunning, high-design residence at the summit of the Mirissa Hills plantation, home to the world’s only cinnamon museum. Its three doubles and one single bedroom are arranged on one level and separated by a courtyard with a pool into which frangipani trees toss their sweet-scented confetti. The open-plan dining area features contemporary Sri Lankan art and sculpture and has views down to the white-sand and palm-tree fringed beaches of Weligama Bay and Mirissa below. From £443 per night (sleeps 8) mirissahills.com

D e S T i n a T i o n G R O U P H O L I D AY S

UK and Europe

C Pe

A family lunch, the Southern European way, eaten slowly and alfresco

4 CoRNERS, GETTy

Villa Michaela Tuscany During a crisp, clear Tuscan winter, there is nothing better than being holed up in an elegant villa with roaring ﬁres, especially if it has been refurbished with exquisite attention to detail. Villa Michaela’s bedrooms are furnished with antiques and enormous upholstered beds, and walls have original frescoes. South of Lucca, and with Pisa, the Versilian coast and Forte dei Marmi a 30-minute drive away, it

is located in excellent walking territory. The formal dining room overlooks an enclosed courtyard and lemon groves, but it is the rustic kitchen that is the hive of mealtime activity. The basement is a kids’ paradise, with a cinema and a games room equipped with billiard table, so it is conceivable to spend an entire week without bumping into your family at all. From £22,000 per week (sleeps 24), including breakfast and housekeeping services. ariellasvillas.com

For information about ﬂights to all destinations, visit heathrow.com Heathrow Travel l er 33

sarsden Manor Oxfordshire Staying at Sarsden Manor is like being invited to house-sit for wealthy, stylish relatives — only these ones have exceptional taste. From the contemporary art that adorns the hallway to the chic decor and designer touches,

Villa Condessa Peloponnese, Greece For total seclusion and privacy, hole up at this seven-bedroom villa set in a 400-acre estate propped on the hillside above the village of Epidavros and encircled by private forest. With wonderful views across the valley and nearby mountains, and acres of olive groves to wander through, you could spend a happy week meandering and simply absorbing nature. Inside, the eclectic mix of antique pieces, comfy sofas

this is an unusually modern country pile, and perfect for intimate parties or family events. In deepest rural Oxfordshire, the great outdoors here oﬀers biking, riding, clay-pigeon shooting and plenty of walking, yet the Manor is close enough to London and Heathrow for

and a state-of-the-art home cinema is offset by traditional elements such as the high, wood-beamed ceilings and flagstone floors. The indoor gym and heated pool are ideal for chilly days, and two fireplaces promise cosy evenings, with or without retsina. From £10,000 per week, long weekends on request (sleeps 13), including daily cleaning, private host and travel-assistance/concierge service. whitekeyvillas.com

convenience. With a cinema, games room and children’s playroom, there’s a space for everyone to have fun. From £4,900 per 3-night weekend, £8,400 per week (sleeps 20 in the main house and 4 in a cottage). sarsden manor.uniquehomestays.com

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D e s t i n a t i o n G R O U P H O L I D AY S

Villa sancha Andalucia, Spain This traditional, whitewashed farmhouse is bursting with character features, but has been modernised to cater to modern needs, with Wi-Fi, Bose sound systems and under-floor heating. Set in the spectacular Andalucian countryside and the Grazalema Natural Park (pictured), Villa Sancha is set in seven acres of fruit and olive trees. All this escapism, yet it’s a mere fiveminute drive to Ronda. The decor is chic, the bedrooms comfortable and the living room perfect for fireside drinks. The pool is solar heated — it’s sunny 320 days a year, so a safe bet even in winter. From £3,314 per week (sleeps 9) akvillas.com

auchinleck House

Ballinacurra House

Ayrshire, Scotland This imposing neo-Classical house was built around 1760 for Lord Auchinleck, father of biographer James Boswell, and has been extensively restored by the Landmark Trust. It has four twin bedrooms, two doubles and a single. On entering the property, you pass beneath a carved inscription of a line by Horace: ‘Whatever you seek is here, in this remote place, if only you have a good, ﬁrm mind’. If what you seek is a spectacular retreat, then it stands true. From £958 per 3-night weekend, £1,273 per week (sleeps 13). landmarktrust.org.uk

Kinsale, Ireland If you want to play your trump card for a special event, or you simply have an enormous family, award-winning Ballinacurra House is far and away the most exclusive venue for a large gathering. It has extensive grounds, with a magniﬁcent walled garden, a croquet lawn, children’s playground, helipads, forest, river estuary and boat jetty. A stone’s throw from Cork, culinary capital Kinsale and the famous Old Head golf course, there’s no end of things to do. From €4,795 per night, £31,000 per week (sleeps 44), including chef. ballinacurra.com

Chalet Cashmere Megève, France Chalet Cashmere is a ﬁrm favourite with those who value style as well as substance. Just a few minutes from the town centre and ski lifts, it has panoramic views of the mountains. Four bedrooms, three with en-suite bathrooms and two with balconies, surround a spacious sitting room and kitchen. The ﬁnal bedroom, designed for kids, has four bunk beds. The spa, with massage and steam rooms to combat après-ski aches, is the killer blow. From €15,000 per week (sleeps 12), including champagne reception, concierge, 4x4 vehicle and 5 massage treatments. luxuryskichalets.eu

For information about ﬂights to all destinations, visit heathrow.com Heathrow Travel l er 35

D e s t i n at i o n

comment

alain de botton

Born in Zürich but based in London, essayist Alain de Botton is one of Europe’s foremost philosophers. In the summer of 2009, he was Heathrow’s Writer in Residence, an experience that led to his book A Week At The Airport (Proﬁle, £8.99)

Judging by the success of interior-design magazines and property shows, you might think the UK was now as comfortable with good contemporary architecture as it is with non-native food or music. But scratch beneath the metropolitan, London-centric surface and you quickly discover Britain remains a country deeply in love with the old and terriﬁed of the new. Country hotels compete among themselves to tell us how ancient they are; holiday cottages vaunt that they were already in existence when Jane Austen was a girl. The draughty sash window shows no signs of retiring. Inheriting furniture and not bothering with plumbing continue to function as mysterious symbols of status. A few years ago, I wrote a book about architecture critical of our nostalgia and low expectations. It got a healthy amount of attention, on the back of which I was invited to a stream of conferences about the future of architecture. But, one night, returning from just such a conference in Bristol, I had a dark moment of the soul. I realised that, however pleasing it is to write a book about an issue one feels passionate about, the truth is that – a few exceptions aside – books don’t change anything. And I had to acknowledge that, if I cared so much about architecture, writing was just a coward’s

way out; the real challenge was to build. So, on the back of a notepad was born a project that oﬃcially launches this month: Living Architecture is a not-for-proﬁt organisation that puts up houses around the UK designed by some of

space designed by an outstanding architectural practice. While there are examples of great modern buildings in Britain, they tend to be in places one passes through, such as airports, museums and oﬃces, and the few modern houses

Better by design Holiday in a home created by one of the world’s top architects the world’s top architects and makes these available to the public to rent for holidays throughout the year. We describe it as a Landmark Trust for contemporary architecture. Our dream was to allow people to experience what it is like to live and sleep in a

that exist are almost all in private hands and cannot be visited. This seriously skews discussions of architecture. On the whole, when people declare that they hate modern buildings, they are speaking not from experience of homes, but from a distaste of post-war

tower blocks or bland, air-conditioned offices. From the off, we wanted the organisation to be international, because foreign architects rarely have the chance to work in the UK and yet do things in ways we should learn from. So we’ve used a great Dutch firm, MVRDV, some Norwegians called JVA and, last but not least, the world’s greatest architect, a Swiss called Peter Zumthor. The idea has been to avoid the obvious and to place houses in locations one hadn’t necessarily ever thought of holidaying in and to design rooms different from those that people know from their own homes. We also want to keep things accessible. Prices for a stay start at £20 per person per night and the buildings themselves, while always comfortable, are not offputtingly grand. The salvation of British housing lies in raising standards of taste. If one considers how rapidly and overwhelmingly this has been achieved in cooking, there is much to be optimistic about. With the right guidance, a similar sensitivity could be extended to domestic buildings. My hope is that a holiday in a Living Architecture house will, in a modest but determined way, help to change the debate about the sort of homes we want to live in. HT living-architecture.co.uk

Illustration Samuel Rhodes

D e s t i n at i o n

st pe t e rs bu rg & moscow

From the time of the tsars through communist rule, the KGB and queues, to glasnost, perestroika and oligarchy, few nations have experienced change on such as scale as Russia – the perfect location for a holiday with a historical backdrop

The Russian Fascination Russia’s two major cities have always enjoyed a certain rivalry, yet their diverse characters embody the essence of this vibrant yet mysterious country Russia is a giant enigma. As you guzzle caviar and oysters at the Taleon Club in St Petersburg or drink coﬀee and nibble on dainty pastries at Café Pushkin’s Konditerskaya in Moscow, your mind will inevitably wander.

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It will wander most towards the juxtapositions inherent in russian life. How can one country that stretches half way round the northern hemisphere, spans nine time zones and is home to more than 140 million people retain such a strong sense

of itself, of what it means to be russian? How does the brash, high-spending present square with the years of communism? you would need to live among russians for a long time before you truly ‘got’ this mysterious nation.

But spend a week in one of russia’s two main cities, the serene and historic imperial capital, st Petersburg, or the throbbing heart of new money moscow, and you’ll start to get at least a taste of the real russia.

Words Chris Beanland

St Petersburg

4 Corners, AlAmy

History and high culture 2011 marks 20 years since the Ussr was broken up and russia began a new chapter. But even though it is the recent past that weighs heavy on our perceptions, a much older country pre-dates the soviet Union. st Petersburg is the place to sip from this historical chalice. It became the capital in 1712 and, with only a short break, was the nerve centre of imperial power until 1918. There is an air of the respectable and civilised about st Petersburg that sets it apart from its bolshier sister city. Its proximity to scandinavia and the Baltic states makes it russia’s window on the world — you’ll find tourists speaking all languages in the globally famous Hermitage museum (hermitagemuseum.org). The tsars were famously open to influences from around the world, which is quite at odds with the notion of the enigmatic Fifties and sixties Ussr as a closed shop. Walk the canals that drained the marshy estuary — don’t they look Dutch? Peter the Great even named the city in the Dutch style — sankt Pieter Burkt originally. The architecture of the great churches and palaces, meanwhile, nods to Austrian and scandinavian influences. st Petersburg jealously guards its high culture. on the

Opposite: a typical onion-domed church in the Golden Ring region to the north-east of Moscow. Above: the Jordan Staircase in the Winter Palace. Left: a production of the ballet Sleeping Beauty in St Petersburg

150th anniversary of the acclaimed mariinsky Theatre (mariinsky.com) this year, Prime minister Putin came to watch a performance of Swan Lake. seeing a ballet or opera here is one of the highlights of any visit. look for the st Petersburg you’ve seen on celluloid, too. scenes from the 1997 ﬁlm of Tolstoy’s epic, Anna Karenina, starring sophie marceau in the titular role, were ﬁlmed in

the Winter Palace (hermitage museum.org). The same elaborate imperial drawing rooms were also the setting for the sublime 2002 film Russian Ark. Using 2,000 actors, it depicted characters both real and imaginary at different periods of the city’s 300-year-old history. stay, if you can stretch to it, at the imposing Grand Hotel europe (grandhotel europe.com), russia’s first

ﬁve-star hotel. A favourite haunt of Tchaikovsky, Anna Pavlova and maxim Gorky, it still plays host to the global great and good. Dine at the hip leningrad restaurant (11a Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt), named after the city’s 20th-century alter ego. It oﬀers old staples such as pelmeni (dumplings) and mushroom julienne alongside miso soup and foie gras — the cuisine of the new russia.

British Airways and Rossiya Airlines ﬂy direct to St Petersburg Heathrow Travel l er 39

D e s t i n at i o n rU S S I A

Left: the Moscow Metro. Below: the city’s St Basil’s cathedral

Moscow Science, spies, new money and nights out New Russia hits you the moment you land in moscow. expansion, refurbishment and complete rebuilding are turning the three previously dilapidated airports into 21st-century gateways for this go-ahead global city. But, before you enter this brave new world, sink your teeth into pre-perestroika moscow. the Kremlin may have been the oﬃcial seat of political power, but many believe the real clout lay with the KGB, now renamed the FsB.

Putin is a KGB alumnus and the organisation ruthlessly helped the Communist Party keep control at home. the KGB museum (12 Ulitsa Bol’shaia Lubyanka) has a number of fascinating exhibits, including miniature cameras and guns inside hollowed-out brollies. Visit Gorky Park to relive the chill of the eponymous Cold War book (and subsequent ﬁlm) by martin Cruz smith about espionage, which was inspired by moscow’s most famous green lung. the metro, as well as getting you around the tourist attractions, is a feast for the eyes in its own right — murals and elaborate decor abound. the city

planners were so taken with Piccadilly Circus tube station when they visited London in the thirties, they designed their stations in the same barrel-ceilinged style. scientiﬁc achievement has always been fetishised in moscow. the 90-year-old spiral shukhov Radio tower (37 Shabolovskaya Street) and the titanium-clad monument to the Conquerors of space (Cosmonauts Alley) are both staggering sights. the latter is pure sixties socialist pomp, and exhibits in the museum at its base include the capsule in which Gagarin orbited the earth. Patriarshiye Prudy (Patriarch’s Ponds) is one of the areas that has contributed to moscow’s

price-hike infamy. Forbes magazine recently judged it the world’s fourth most expensive city, with a coffee averaging £6. Beryozka (20 Malaya Bronnaya Street), which sells Givenchy bags to oligarchs’ girlfriends, is just one of the lavish boutiques in a city where, not so long ago, people shivered all day in queues outside the state-run GUm department store in Red square, only to find rows of bare shelves. New arbat avenue is another gentrified zone. the Lotte Hotel (lottehotel.com) has just opened here, offering some of the most luxurious suites in town. If you really want to push the boat out, ditch stroganoff and eat eurasian fusion food with champagne at Vanilla (1/9 Ostozhenka Street). moscow’s hip nightlife is becoming a draw, too. solyanka (Solyanka 11) has hosted DJ sets by the Unabombers, Bent, and metro area. along with air and Cube, it hosted the cutting-edge mIGZ Festival in september. Before Glasnost, this kind of partying would have been unthinkable. HT

Visit one of the world’s greatest capitals, where old-world orthodoxy meets audacious free enterprise. Enter this fantastic competition and explore the Kremlin and discover Moscow’s imperial treasures. The winner and a companion will fly economy with bmi from Heathrow to Moscow, staying two nights at the exclusive Lotte Hotel. See heathrow.com/competitions for full details British Airways, bmi and Aeroflot fly direct to Moscow 40

Getty ImaGes

WIN a holiday to Moscow

Leading European Business Hotels

H E AT H R O W T R AV E L L E R p R O m O T i O n

Award-winning service: Hilton Madrid Airport Two years after its opening, Hilton Madrid Airport has been named Best Business Hotel in Spain 2010 by the prestigious magazine Business Destination

Hilton Madrid airport’s avant-garde design and excellent service standards have made it the ﬁrst choice for both national and international business travellers. Space totalling 1,700sqm is available for conferences, conventions and meetings of all types. Fifteen working areas are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including instant translation systems, video-conference equipment and Wi-Fi. The hotel oﬀers 284 spacious and modern rooms, all with a designated work area supported by the latest multimedia technology. Guests who choose to stay

in executive rooms can enjoy the advantages of the executive lounge, which has its own reception for check-in and check-out, refreshments throughout the day, computers with internet access and personalised service. Hilton Madrid Airport also oﬀers the original Hilton Relaxation Rooms® – designed so that the space, light and colours radiate peace and harmony. These spacious rooms also oﬀer a luxurious marble bathroom, with a hydro-massage bath and separate shower. The hotel has a gym, equipped with Precor machines, plus a sauna ,

hydrotherapy pool and personal trainer service. And, for guests’ convenience, Hilton Madrid Airport also oﬀers a complimentary shuttle to Madrid Barajas international airport. When night falls, the Ferrum Bar, with its modern decor and exclusive speciality whiskies, becomes the main attraction. For those only passing through Madrid, Hilton oﬀers the Meetings in Transit package, which allows you to hire meeting rooms, enjoy lunch and leisure facilities, Wi-Fi internet and access to the hotel’s leisure facilities. HT +34 911 534 000; hilton.co.uk/madridairport

Best Business Hotel in Spain The respected magazine Business Destinations has included Hilton Madrid Airport among the winners of its Best Worldwide Hotel Awards 2010; in fact, it has been voted Best Business Hotel in Spain by a panel of experts, professionals in the hospitality industry and Business Destinations readers. ‘We are really proud to receive such recognition,’ said general manager David Écija. ‘The award is the reﬂection of the involvement and commitment of Hilton Madrid Airport’s team, which has been exceeding our guests’ expectations since the opening just two years ago. Our goal is to keep on raising the bar with our ongoing eﬀorts to satisfy and delight our guests and clients.’

Heathrow Travel l er 41

D e s t i n at i o n

Moving Map

g r e at g l o b a l F e s t i va l s

If it’s local colour you’re after, nothing beats being in a country that’s jubilantly marking a memorable date, be it with an ancient religious rite or a new twist on a national holiday – authenticity, energy and enormous fun come as standard

Celebrate good times From sword ﬁghting in the Sahara and canoe racing in Cambodia to ﬁestas that see in the new moon and the New Year, here’s our pick of the world’s parties

Rio de Janeiro Mali FeStival iN the DeSert 6-8 January 2011 This three-day festival, spectacularly staged in the remote Saharan desert near Timbuktu, is modelled on a traditional Tuareg clan gathering, at which decisions were made and news exchanged. It features camel races, dance events, poetry and sword ﬁghts. More recently, the annual line-up of stellar African and international musicians has really put the event on the map. 12-day package from £1,590 (excl ﬂights); responsibletravel.com

Oaxaca DaY oF the DeaD 31 October to 2 November 2011 For a celebratory yet soulful Halloween, nothing matches Mexico’s Day of the Dead. The annual holiday unites family and friends in remembering those who have died. In the ancient city of Oaxaca, gifts and oﬀerings are taken at midnight to cemeteries, and shrines are built, with photos, candles and sugar skulls, that honour the departed’s favourite food, drink and music — perfect for a party. 15-day package from £2,271; journeylatin america.co.uk

New York MaCY’S thaNkSgiviNg DaY ParaDe 25 November 2010 The US four-day holiday weekend is primarily one of family feasts, American football and giving thanks to God. Yet it is also a time of great public spectacle, especially in New York, where Macy’s parade has been running since 1924. It features ﬂoats, highschool marching bands, giant balloons of cartoon characters and a grand ﬁnale with Santa Claus. Three-night package from £499; british airways.com

NeW Year’S eve 31 December 2010 Rio’s New Year party, or Réveillon, is one of the biggest events of the Brazilian year, and second only to Carnival. By day, thousands of people pay homage to the goddess Yemanjá by placing ﬂowers, gifts and candles in the sea. By night, up to two million revellers throng the enormous and exuberant free parties along Copacabana Beach, which hosts concerts, DJs, a ﬁrework display and all-night dancing. Three-night package from £899; travel2brazil.co.uk

Words Philip Watson 42

Dresden

Jaipur

aDveNt Market 26 November to 24 December 2010 The oldest and most atmospheric of the German Christmas markets is undoubtedly Dresden’s. Traditional and romantic, it is located in the historic part of the baroque city, close to the Elbe, and features handmade crafts, gifts, toys and foods, glass and wooden tree decorations, to the backdrop of carol singing. Be sure to buy some of the celebrated stollen cake, invented in Dresden. Two-night packages from £290; germantravel-uk.com

DiWali 26-30 October 2011 Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, is as important to Hindus as Christmas is to Christians. Celebrated across India, one of the more memorable places to experience it is in Jaipur. Known as the Pink City, it is decorated with lanterns, candles and garlands; there are ﬁreworks; a competition for the most lit-up bazaar; and joyous celebrations of good over evil, prosperity over poverty, light over dark. Ten-day package from £2,060; ampersandtravel.com

Beijing

Water FeStival 20 to 22 November 2010 This full-moon festival in Phnom Penh is one of the oldest and liveliest in the Cambodian calendar. It celebrates the end of the rainy season, the start of the fishing season, and a unique natural phenomenon — the reversing of the flow of the Tonlé Sap river. There are bright dug-out canoes with eyes on the prows to ward off evil spirits, canoe races, and, along the river banks, music, food stalls and firework displays. Thirteen-day package from £1,995 (excl flights); wildfrontiers.co.uk

ChiNeSe NeW Year 3 February 2011 The New Year festivities are the longest and most important holidays in the Chinese lunar calendar. There are many colourful customs, from windows and doors decorated with paper-cuts and lanterns, to feasts of pig, duck and sweets. Visitors on China Links Travel’s trip will make New Year dumplings and see ﬁrework displays with a Chinese family in Beijing, and visit the Yong He Gong temple, where locals pray for good health. Ten-day package from £1,899; chinalinkstravel.co.uk

ISTOCK; GETTY IMAGES; ALAMY

Phnom Penh

For detailed airport and ﬂight information, go to heathrow.com

Heathrow Travel l er 43

Festive gifts for

ARABiAn noteS The most covetable beauty gifts — full of Eastern promise

Sun seekers

Luxe lovers

Business travellers

Young fliers

inspired by the oils and incense of Middle eastern perfumery, Jo Malone’s Cologne intense capsule collection spins heady ingredients such as patchouli, amber and oud into four scents to be worn alone or layered deliciously on top of one another. try oud & Bergamot with Rose Water & Vanilla for a smoky swirl of citrus and wood with a powdery waft of turkish delight. Jo Malone Cologne Intense in Amber & Patchouli, Iris & White Musk, Rosewater & Vanilla and Oud & Bergamot, £80 for 100ml from Jo Malone in T3 and T4, and all World Duty Free stores.

Words Alexandra Friend Photography Beate Sonnenberg

Heathrow Travel l er 45

gIFT guIDe

LUXE LOVER

For those who adore the ﬁner things of life, ideal items to indulge them are at the airport

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1. KG by Kurt Geiger Jasmine shoe £82.50 High Street £100 2. French Connection Carnival clutch £51.06 High Street £60 3. Omega Constellation Quartz watch at Mappin & Webb £4,153.19 High Street £4,880 4. Escada handbag £724.28 High Street £850 5. Links of London patent coin purse £56.53 High Street £65 6. Gucci Guilty EDT at World Duty Free £48 7. Cartier Tank Française watch at Mappin & Webb £2,170 High Street £2,550 8. Bulgari B.Zero1 white gold ring with pavé diamonds £5,600 High Street £6,650 9. Swarovski Intervalle thin golden bangle £89.36 High Street £105 10. Miu Miu cat’s-eye sunglasses at David Clulow £93.61 High Street £110

The lounge

18 11. French Connection engraved metal clutch £51.06 High Street £60 12. Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lift Age-Correcting Creme at World Duty Free £131.75 13. Smythson Damson travel wallet £268.09 High Street £315 14. Links of London Inﬁnity Knot necklace £478.26 High Street £550 15. French Connection Deco bead belt £34.04 High Street £40 16. LK Bennett Hallie shoe £191.50 High Street £225 17. Links of London 20/20 ring in rose gold and diamond (top) or gold and diamond (bottom) £782.61 High Street £900, silver £95.65 High Street £110 18. Samsonite vintage mini case at Rolling Luggage £165.95 High Street £195

Heathrow Travel l er 47

gIFT guIDe

SUN SEEKER

2 3

Taking to the skies for a relaxing holiday is the perfect moment to treat yourself to carefree clothes and accessories

1. Escada jacket £907.48 High Street £1,065 2. Ted Baker Adhara cardigan £118.30 High Street £139 3. Cath Kidston Winter Rose holdall £46.81 High Street £55 4. Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia candle £30.40 High Street £38 5. Mulberry Edna shoulder bag £723.40 High Street £850 6. Fat Face print dress £38.25 High Street £45 7. Tiﬀany oval frame sunglasses at David Clulow £198.29 High Street £233 8. French Connection Organic gold circles necklace £21.20 High Street £25

The lounge

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9. Samsung Galaxy Tab at Dixons Travel £514.55 10. Sony Reader Touch Edition at Sony Style £145 High Street £200 11. D&G aviators at David Clulow £104.68 High Street £123 12. French Connection waxed canvas holdall £55.32 High Street £65 13. Veuve Clicquot fridge chiller at World Duty Free £34.99 14. Paul Smith playing card set £51.07 High Street £65 15. Molton Brown English Passengers set, travel retail exclusive at World Duty Free £29.75 16. Miller Harris Citron Citron EDT at World Duty Free £51.20 17. Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Soft Shimmer Bronzer at World Duty Free £21.68

Heathrow Travel l er 49

gIFT guIDe

ON THE MOVE

When you’re jetting oﬀ on a business trip, why not stock up on some work essentials before you depart 3

4 2

6 9

1. Links of London patent purse and wash bag, each £108.70 High Street £125 each, coin purse and passport holder, £56.52 each High Street each £65 2. BlackBerry Bold 9800 at Dixons Travel £510.63 3. Smythson Damson iPhone case £76.60 High Street £90 4. L.K.Bennett Twilight dress £191.50 High Street £225 5. Rituals Yin Calming Bed & Body Mist £12.90 and Hands Free gel cleanser £3.50 6. Sony T99 camera at Dixons Travel £218.99 7. D&G oversized frames at David Clulow £89.36 High Street £105 8. Escada two-tone shoes £379.18 High Street £445 9. Smythson Black Arlington computer folio case £421.28 High Street £495

The lounge

15 10. Omega Seamaster PloProf 1200m watch at Omega £4,170.21 High Street £4,900 11. Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses at David Clulow £102.12 High Street £120 12. Thomas Pink Skyline stripe shirt £75.74 High Street £79 13. Dunhill Bladon 24 Hours bag £536.25 High Street £650 14. Dunhill Travel cuff link box £78.38 High Street £95, Airship cuff links £144.38 High Street £175, AD Vintage Logo cuff links £123.75 High Street £150 15. Chanel Bleu de Chanel men’s fragrance at World Duty Free £32 16. Ted Baker belt £38.30 High Street £45 17. Samsonite Cosmolite suitcase at Rolling Luggage £203.40 High Street £239

Heathrow Travel l er 51

gIFT guIDe

FAMILY TRAVELLER

When you’re setting oﬀ for a break with your loved ones, have fun choosing something special for them all

1. Boots No 7 make-up kit £14 2. Sanctuary Spa Favourites at Boots £10 3. Cath Kidston Bunch Blue satchel £38.30 High Street £45 4. Casio Baby-G watch at World Duty Free £35 High Street £60 5. Marc Jacobs Daisy EDT at World Duty Free £48 6. Paul Smith Tag key ring £46.81 High Street £59 7. LK Bennett Anna leather bag £251.08 High Street £295 8. Paul Smith Vintage Multi Stripe dog collar £46.81 High Street £59

The lounge

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16 17 9. Fat Face Buﬀalo knit £72.75 High Street £85 10. iPod Nano at Dixons Travel from £109.79 11. Trunki child’s suitcases at Rolling Luggage £34.03 each High Street £39.99 12. Links of London friendship bracelets £95.65 each High Street £110 each 13. Harrods Christmas bear £17.30 High Street £19.95 14. ToyWatch J-Loop Jelly watch at World Duty Free £106.35 High Street £129.99 15. Monster Beats by Dr Dre headphones at Dixons Travel £153.11 16. Dolce & Gabbana blue aviators at David Clulow £153.19 High Street £180 17. Nintendo DSi XL at Dixons Travel £127.65

Heathrow Travel l er 53

city sprint Madrid

Parisian business districts

Skiing near Zürich

Whisky guide

The real Madrid Kathy Arnold on the modern face of one of Europe’s most dynamic destinations

Opposite: Plaza de Castilla, on the edge of the Cuatro Torres Business Area. Below: Richard Rogers’ terminal at MadridBarajas. Bottom: a butcher in the Mercado de San Miguel

Nothing reﬂects the Madrid of today better than the terminal designed by Richard Rogers at Madrid-Barajas airport. Opened in 2006, this kilometrelong building, with its bamboo-clad wavy roof, is stylish, business-like and decidedly contemporary.

As for the city itself, those who have not visited for a decade or more — let alone ﬁrst-timers — need to rethink their expectations. Once known primarily for its museums, nightlife and the Real Madrid football club, the capital of Spain has an energy that is at odds with the old-fashioned concept of mañana. Sitting squarely in the middle of the Iberian peninsula, Madrid is a microcosm of Spain. For centuries, migrants from Andalucia and Galicia, Asturias and the Basque Country brought their brawn, brains, customs and foods to the capital. But, the city was more than just the country’s political and cultural centre. Just as London is a focus for the

English-speaking world, so Spanish speakers look to — and travel to — Madrid. And, for Europeans, it is the gateway to Latin America. Among the 48 million people who fly in and out of Barajas each year are businessmen and women arriving for conferences and conventions. Visible from the airport, like giant exclamation marks, are the four skyscrapers of the Cuatro Torres Business Area. With its hotels and offices, this ‘new’ Madrid emphasises Spain’s position as a major player on the global business scene. The city is home to Fortune 500 companies such as Banco Santander. The world’s fourth-largest bank has 6,800 employees working at its Santander City campus. Other big hitters include Telefónica, the owners of O2; Grupo Ferrovial, owners of Heathrow Airport; and Repsol YPF, the world’s third largest liquefiednatural-gas operator. Dramatic architecture, world-class fashion and cutting-edge cuisine are all part of contemporary Madrid. New buildings include Norman Foster’s Caja Madrid Tower, Herzog & de Meuron’s CaixaForum and the extensions to the

Prado Museum and the Reina Sofia Museum. During Cibeles Madrid Fashion Weeks in February and September, international buyers and celebrities flock to see the collections of Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Victorio y Lucchino, Jesús del Pozo and more. And all year round, one can witness the power of the all-conquering Inditex group, led by high-street favourites Zara and Massimo Dutti. As for cuisine, chefs such as Sergi Arola are stars on the international scene; and it would take a week to dine at all the restaurants with Michelin stars. New on the foodie scene is the recently revived Mercado San Miguel (mercadodesanmiguel.es). In this handsome 1916 market building, the cornucopia of gourmet treats includes artisan cheeses and hams, fruits and wines, breads and fish – ready to take away or to eat right here. Try the freshly prepared tapas and a glass of bubbly. Madrid is a fascinating mix of past and present. Hip hotels and trendy stores contrast with imposing old buildings and tiny shops selling guitars, violins and straw baskets made on site. Steps away from tree-lined boulevards

Heathrow Travel l er 55

city sprint Below: the Prado, Madrid’s most famous museum. Bottom: excellent tapas is available at bars on every street

HeatHrow traveller’s cHoice

stay Hotel Ritz 5 Plaza de la Lealtad ritzmadrid.com 137 luxurious rooms, 30 suites and gourmet dining.

are close together. Locals live above shops and restaurants; office blocks are next to cinemas. But, Madrileños live by a different clock: the working day is from 9am till 7pm, lunch is at 2pm and dinner never begins before 9pm. The lazy shorthand for spain involves the siesta. That is obsolete, except, perhaps, in baking August. Then, many offices close at 3pm, so a nap is a good idea before going out on the town in the cool of the evening. Then, to get under the skin of Madrid, take a walk with Carlos Galvin (letango spaintours.com). His tapas tour combines insights into everyday life with tastings at the best — and most authentic — tapas bars. How else would you know that a chair propping open the door at La Venencia, serving nothing but sherry, means it is open for business? HT

Hospes MAdRid 3 Plaza de la Independencia epoquehotels.com 42 rooms in an 1883 building opposite the Parque del Retiro.

eat

el pARAguAs 16 Calle Jorge Juan Diners love this contemporary take on traditional Asturian dishes. Botín 17 Calle de los Cuchilleros Order roast suckling pig at the world’s oldest restaurant. sulA 33 Calle Jorge Juan Leading-edge Mediterranean cuisine in a cool setting.

Drink

lA CRuzAdA 8 Calle Amnistía A historic bar serving excellent tapas and a vast range of wines. CAfé el espejo 31 Paseo Recoletos A glass-sided terrace bar on the boulevard.

British Airways and Iberia ﬂy direct to Madrid-Barajas 56

4 Corners

are medieval lanes leading to small squares with café tables and chairs. In the centre of the city, and at the heart of the action for the past 100 years, is the ritz Hotel (ritzmadrid.com). embarrassed by the lack of quality accommodation, in 1910, King Alfonso XIII asked César ritz to build this grand hotel. Just a few steps from the Bolsa (stock exchange), the ritz is still the place where politicians and business folk do deals. Have a cafe con leche in the lobby and keep your eyes peeled: is that superstar football player discussing terms with representatives of real? Moments from the ritz are three of the world’s finest art museums: the Prado, the reina sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza. each merits a day you probably don’t have spare, but try to find time for a quick visit at least. There are others well worth a look too. In spain, America always means Latin America and the Museo de América (museodeamerica.mcu.es) has treasures from the Pre-Columbian and Colonial period. At the Museo del Traje (museodeltraje.mcu.es), clothing from the past five centuries is placed in fascinating social context. Meanwhile, the charming Museo sorolla (museo sorolla.mcu.es) shows the Impressionist paintings of Joaquín sorolla. Getting around Madrid is easy: the centre is compact and Metro stations

AdleR Hotel 33 Calle Velázquez adlermadrid.com 45 plush rooms in the Salamanca area, with its designer shops.

HHHHH in tHe very Heart o f tHe c ity

C oMbining

superlative style with ConsuMMate CoMfort and every Modern ConvenienCe

J ohannes b aur set hiMself way baCk in 1838. C onstant innovation and renovation uphold this tiMe - honored tradition to this day . t wo things never Change , however : personal serviCe and genuine hospitality .

was a goal that fabled hotel entrepreneur

M anfred & C hristina h örger H ot e l i e r s

Paradeplatz . cH - 8022 Zurich . switzerland Phone +41(0)44 215 25 25 . fax +41(0)44 215 25 00 welcome@savoy-zuerich.ch . www.savoy-zuerich.ch

www.innsbruck.info

8 ski resorts, 82 lifts, 1 skipass

INNSBRUCK TOURISMUS GRAFIK h.a.

www.ski-innsbruck.at

City sprint

French leave Most business in Paris is done on the outskirts of the city. But fear not — you won’t miss out on the fun

Paris does not exist for lovers alone. The City of Light might be adept at conjuring images of romance, but it also stands as the engine behind the world’s ﬁfth largest economy. International visitors are as likely to be clutching laptops and business cards as they are cameras and overpriced roses. Corporate travellers descend on Paris in their millions and, while the high-ﬁnance heartland of la Défense – which grew from fifties beginnings to its eighties heyday of the Grande Arche and métro connection – remains a focal point for business activity, recent times have seen outlying parts of the city emerge as centres of commerce, many of them absorbing places to spend time.

less, and the Philippe starck-designed property, with its exposed-concrete walls and quirky Halloween maskscum-bedside lamps, shatters the usual mould. A stroll away is Père-Lachaise Cemetery (Boulevard de Ménilmontant, pere-lachaise.com), ﬁnal resting place of Oscar Wilde, Édith Piaf, marcel Proust, maria Callas and Jim morrison, while the nearby Café Noir (15 Rue St-Blaise) is an on-trend bar with inventive food (foie gras sprinkled with speculaas — Belgian cookies — anyone?).

Bercy A little further south, this villagey district has reinvented itself as a one-stop shop for corporate gettogethers under the umbrella Paris B Events (Cour St-Emilion, parisbevents. com). Pink Hotel (20bis Rue Dugommier, pinkhotel.fr) is a modern, well-priced choice as an accommodation base, while The Frog (25 Cour St-Emilion, frogpubs. com) is an unabashed good-time pub set in a former wine cellar. movie buﬀs should take the time to call in on the Cinémathèque Française (51 Rue de Bercy, cinematheque.fr) — home to a collection of 40,000 ﬁlms.

La Plaine St-Denis

AlAmy | Rex feAtuRes

On the city’s northern fringes, st-Denis draws business travellers to companies ranging from insurance brokers to production houses. Kube Hotel (1-5 Passage Ruell, kubehotel.com) — sister of the st tropez property of the same name — offers the ultimate trop-coolpour-l’école accommodation, with sharp, minimalist design and an ice bar. If you have free time to fill, snare a ticket for a match (or sightseeing tour) at the national Stade de France (stadefrance. com), or travel the short distance to go antique-hunting at the gargantuan Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen (Avenue Michelet, parispuces.com), the world’s largest flea market. you can eat as well as shop — adjacent restaurant Le Soleil (109 Avenue Michelet) is lauded for its spot-on traditional cuisine.

Val de Seine

St-Blaise moving further east to the historic 20th arrondissement, there’s a huge buzz around Mama Shelter (109 Rue de Bagnolet, mamashelter.com). It’s CNBC’s Best Business Hotel of the year, no

From top: original out-of-Paris business district, La Défence; Mama Shelter, St-Blaise; Stade de France and Kube Hotel, St-Denis

this district in the south-west has built a reputation as a hub for new media and telecommunications. Once meetings are done, rest your head at the dapper Pullman Paris Rive Gauche (8-12 Rue Louis Armand, accor hotels.com) which has a hammam and Belle Époque-style bistro, or try dinner at Le River Café (146 Quai de Stalingrad, lerivercafe.net), a moored boat spruced up to specialise in fine dining and live music. And if you’re feeling in need of an art fix, visit Le Cube (20 Cours st Vincent, lecube.com), a ‘centre for digital creation’ housing avant-garde exhibitions. HT Air france and British Airways fly direct to Paris

Words Ben lerwill

Heathrow Travel l er 59

Slope off from Zürich Friday meetings in Switzerland’s ﬁnancial capital tend to ﬁnish early in winter, so your contacts can head to these nearby ski resorts for the weekend. Why not join them?

2 lAAx Probably the coolest resort in the Alps

The rotating cable car full of Korean sightseers might suggest the closest resort to Zürich isn’t for serious skiers. The hardcore swedes sharing the lift would point to the Laub and Galtiberg as oﬀ-piste classics. Visit the monastary’s (blessed) cheesemakers, lunch in the Igloo ice hotel, and stay in the stylish Chalet espen. engelberg.ch; chaletespen.com

In the nineties, Laax’s riders Palace was one of the ﬁrst party hotels — Playstations in rooms, lobby nightclub… now, that hip clientele rents chic rocksresort apartments with spouse and kids. They ride the milder of four snowparks, or in the vast oﬀ-piste bowls, and stop for long restaurant lunches, but still have a ball. laax.com; rocksresort.com

4 St morItZ Glitzy playground on snow

5 AndermAtt Switzerland’s oﬀ-piste paradise

st Moritz is best known for its Cresta run (upper-class Brits risking their necks on a bob skeleton) and polo on the frozen lake (upperclass, necks, horses); but the glamorous clientele come from all over europe for st Moritz’s luxury hotels and boutiques, Michelinstarred restaurants and underrated skiing, which is extensive, challenging and scenic. stmoritz.ch; momentumski.com

Most of the Alps’ renowned oﬀ-piste resorts — Verbier, Val d’Isère etc — are also big, popular party resorts. Andermatt slips under the radar. Its 20 lifts belie huge descents in untouched powder snow — frequent in this ‘snow pocket’. enjoy dinner at the Alte Apotheke, then get an early night in the old Hotel sonne, so you can meet your guide and take the ﬁrst cable car up. andermatt.ch; skifreshtracks.co.uk

3 AroSA Adrenaline junkies need not apply

This place is geared up for those interested more in Alpine ambience than speed thrills or riding the steep’n’deep. There is skating on the frozen lake, horse-drawn sleighs jingle-belling about and a map that sets out the 60km of cleared walking paths (as long as the ski pistes) that pass many a cosy mountain restaurant. arosa.ch; skisafari.com

6 dAvoS & KloSterS Skiing for world leaders and royalty

Unless you are attending the World economic Forum (26-30 January), drab Davos is not an enticing town. The ski area is great, with epic runs up to 12km long. But, at night, follow Prince Charles’s example — stay in Klosters, the pretty and traditional neighbouring village. You could stay at HrH’s favourite hotel, the Walserhof, but we recommend the Vereina. davosklosters.ch; hotelvereina.ch

British Airways and Swiss International Airlines ﬂy direct to Zürich. All resorts can be reached by train, or train and PostBus 60

Words Chris Madigan

4 Corners

1 enGelBerG ‘Angel mountain’ has devilish descents

City sprint

Whisky galore

Q&a

With so much available, Scotch can confuse even connoisseurs. Here are some helpful tips World of Whiskies is, on the one hand, the place for the connoisseur, with limited editions and several exclusive bottlings. On the other hand, it’s not daunting to the novice. The staﬀ in store are highly trained and helpful, and, in new stores such as that in T4, the traditional product grouping has changed to demystify whisky, reﬂecting not only origin but lifestyle occasions, with displays titled ‘Fireside Indulgence’ and ‘Not the Usual’. Stores also have a ‘Discover Your Taste’ bar where customers can sit in comfort and sample a range of whiskies. Here, Charles MacLean, world-renowned expert on Scotch World of Whiskies adviser, helps you get the most out of your whisky-

of malt and grain whiskies in such a way that

Do you ever add anything to whisky?

drinking experience.

the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

I always say, ‘Enjoy whisky as you like, but,

What are the best top-end whiskies?

to fully appreciate it, don’t add mixers or ice.’

If you ﬁnd a malt you like, will you enjoy

The Macallan Oscuro, at £400, and Dalmore

Much of the appreciation is done with the

others from the same area?

1981 Matusalem, £399, are worth the

nose. Ice closes down the aroma. However,

To an extent, but the fun is in identifying the

investment. World of Whiskies also has a

a little water usually brings up the bouquet.

diﬀerences, both obvious and subtle.

wonderful bottling from Gordon & MacPhail,

Is the glass important?

What’s the best way to pick a whisky?

the Tamdhu 1960, at £275 — an incredible

Traditional whisky tumblers are ﬁne for

The staﬀ will help you identify the ﬂavours

price for a 50-year-old whisky.

drinking but hopeless for appreciation.

you like. Also, Diageo’s Flavour Map is useful.

Is whisky storage important, as with wine?

Whisky tasting glasses, white wine glasses or

It’s reproduced in Whiskypedia, my book,

It should be stored upright, not on its side —

brandy snifters, with a bowl to swirl the liquid

available in World of Whiskies stores.

it can rot the cork. It should be kept away from

and direct the aroma to your nose, are better.

Are blends generally poor quality?

direct sunlight, which alters the chemistry of

What is your favourite place to drink whisky?

Blended Scotch is not a poor relation of malt.

the liquid, and ideally at a cool temperature.

At home, with good friends. HT

Blenders set out to combine characteristics

But it’s much more robust than wine.

worldofwhiskies.com

Vault of malt Ardmore Traditional Cask

Old Pulteney WK499

Isle of Jura Superstition

Glenﬁddich 12YO

Balvenie Double Wood 12YO

Aberfeldy 12YO

Glenmorangie Original

foodpix

Glenlivet 12YO First Fill

At World of Whiskies, buy tWo one-litre bottles of Any of these for £50

Dedicated World of Whiskies stores can be found in T1, T4 and T5, and in World Duty Free in all terminals Words Charles MacLean

Heathrow Travel l er 61

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Upgrade to QC 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones. We don’t think there’s another headphone or headset that can match the capabilities of the QC 15 – and invite you to judge their performance for yourself. Ask for a demonstration at the Bose® flagship store in Regent Street or Dixons Travel stores at Heathrow. You’ll be able to experience the peace, quiet and comfort they offer and discover your music with a clarity, detail and richness of sound you might have never experienced before. Book yourself a quiet seat – with the best-ever noise reducing headphones from Bose. ®

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Text ‘Bose12510’ to 64118 Visit www.bose.co.uk/QC15 ©2010 Bose Corporation. Patent rights issued and/or pending. The distinctive design of the headphone oval ring is a trademark of Bose Corporation. Registered in England no 1187672. Registered Office: Bose Ltd, 1 Ambley Green, Gillingham Business Park, Gillingham, Kent ME8 0NJ. Quotes reprinted with permission: What Hi-Fi?

D E pa rt u r E s Awards

Airport News

Heathrow Express

Food & Drink

A Day in the Life

The Apple MacBook Pro and Smythson Nancy bag were voted top travel must-haves

AheAd of the pAck Danny BirD

the best ﬂybuys revealed

The Apple MacBook Pro, Trunki Children’s Tipu Ladybird Case and the Harrods Paddington Bear top the list of products that Heathrow travellers just can’t live without. These

and other popular items were revealed in the Heathrow Travel Product

awards, now in its second year and launched to recognise the best in travel products. More than 140 items were voted for by 8,000 people on the Heathrow Travel Product awards microsite. Other must-haves included Smythson’s nancy tote bag,

the Omega Speedmaster Professional watch, the Canon 500D camera and, for Best Travel Entertainment, nintendo DS’s Brain Training game. all winning products are available to purchase at Heathrow at prices that oﬀer signiﬁcant savings compared to the high street.

Heathrow Travel l er 63

hea throw ne ws

keep up to date with the airport

Great deals on airport shopping, new global routes, chocolate treats

Bonus points Buying gifts has its own rewards

Shop for loved ones at Heathrow this Christmas and be rewarded in the new year. Collect up to 15,000 extra WorldPoints (until 31 December) on jewellery and watches at retailers including Mappin & Webb, Links of London and Watches of Switzerland. Technology retailers Dixons Travel (all terminals) and Nokia and Sony Style, in Terminal 5, are oﬀering up to 6,000 points (29 November to 31 December). WorldPoints can be exchanged for shopping vouchers, Airmiles or frequent ﬂyers miles with Virgin Atlantic, Miles & More and bmi. Pick up a WorldPoints card in stores at the airport or join online at baaworldpoints.com.

It’s a huge Christmas at Heathrow Big present ideas December sees travellers ﬂying to all corners of the globe to celebrate the holidays. Whether you’ll be visiting family, heading to a snowy destination with friends, or enjoying a romantic getaway to the sun with a partner, World Duty Free at heathrow will give you a big send-oﬀthis year — with great savings and exclusives. Festive specials include the molton Brown English passengers gift set (£29.75) and hugo Boss gent’s leather watch (£87.50), plus, for younger travellers, charlie the christmas Bear (£4.99), which is yours half price when you buy anything else in store. A big christmas also means big extras. Fragrance gift sets are all available for the same price as the fragrances alone, with men sure to love the Ralph Lauren Big pony Gift pack, comprising eau de toilette and shower gel (£35.95) and

the Boss Bottled Night Gift pack eau de toilette, after-shave balm and shower gel (£35.75). if you’re looking to spoil her, there’s the thierry mugler Excessive star, a limited-edition fragrance in a stellar bottle (£1,300, 450ml). With christmas parties in mind, it’s worth knowing World Duty Free has 15 per cent off skincare, haircare and cosmetics. pick up Estée Lauder’s Expert colour palette (£31) pre-getaway, or the GhD Definitive styler Gift pack (£119.14). celebrations come in bottles too, so that’s why you’ll find one-third off champagne twin packs. And for the man who has it all? surprise him with the Dalmore selene (£12,000) whisky, signed by the master distiller, Richard paterson. Finally, heathrow is always big on service, and christmas is no exception. Be sure to make the most of the shop & collect service as you stock up this season, and don’t forget the 60-day money-back guarantee, offered around the globe. it’s a big world, after all.

a i r p o r t a c c o l a D e S h e a t h r o w s c o o p e d t r o p h i e s a t B u s i n e s s tr a v e l l e r m a ga z i ne’s awa rd s, w it h pl aud it s for World ’s B e s t l ou n ge s — Vi r g i n at l a nt ic. clubhouse and British airways t5 — and Best airport for Shopping 64

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S p e c i a l r e l at i o n S h i p M a d i s o n av e n u e m e e t s J e r m y n S t r e e t a s D K n Y a n d British brand thomas pink collaborate on a capsule collection of tailored s h i r t s . p i c k f r o m t u x e d o , c l a s s i c a n d l o o s e -f i t s t y l e s f o r a u t u m n / w i n t e r.

airline news

Heathrow Express start your journey with a little luxury

Mobile boarding passes from american, new transatlantic routes from oneworld, and British airways’ upcoming tokyo Haneda ﬂight

after British airways, bmi and lufthansa, american airlines is the latest airline to oﬀer its passengers a mobile phone boarding passes when ﬂying from heathrow and checking in online.

British airways will oﬀer a new route to california from april. in partnership with American Airlines and iberia, there will be daily ﬂights from heathrow to san Diego (in addition to LA and san Francisco).

British airways will also soon have a new route to tokyo. From February, there will be five flights a week from heathrow to haneda: closer to the city centre than Narita and a hub for domestic flights.

Heathrow Express is the fastest way to travel between Heathrow Central station and central London — just 15 minutes every 15 minutes. You can travel in style and comfort with the service’s First Class. You’ll have free magazines and copies of the FT as well as free Wi-Fi, larger leather-trimmed seats with tables, and quicker access to airport terminals. Running late? The Airline Self Service check-in at Paddington lets you avoid the queue before your ﬂight. A little luxury goes a long way. heathrowexpress.com

stay on top with heathrow.com

istockphoto.com

chocs away Can you resist opening these before your relatives greet you at the other end?

Marc de chaMpagne truffles Luxurious pink chocolates from the Chocolatier range. Harrods, £13.95

godiva’s gold collection Festively presented with red ribbon and silver baubles. World Duty Free, from £21

fortnuM’s favourites Fortnum & Mason’s most popular ﬂavours — vanilla fudge to sea-salted caramel truﬄe. World Duty Free, from £40

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heA thrOw l i f e

A dAy in the life Of heAthrOw AirpOrt

It’s Mark Sanford’s job to ensure the airport stays open come what may

Deterring ﬂocks of birds or coping with extreme weather, duty managers airside are always on call to help passengers ﬂy safely and on time. Here, one of them explains how

Mark Sanford Duty manager airside

My workplace is a busy runway with around 1,260 aircraft movements every day, carrying passengers from all over the world. The airport’s eight duty managers airside are responsible for upholding Heathrow’s aerodrome licence, and ensuring our passengers can get to where they are going. Our 85-strong airside team carries out daily inspections to ensure the highest standards are being met. Without these, the Civil Aviation Authority wouldn’t let Heathrow operate any ﬂights. So, I think our jobs

come with a fair bit of responsibility. The duty managers airside work 12.5 hour shifts, days and nights – there’s got to be someone here 24/7. During the day, on top of all the inspections, we ensure the smoothest possible running of airside operations. Every morning, all the airside departments meet at my office, which is based between the two runways. Motor transport, airside engineering, stand allocation, the airport fire service… everyone informs each other what work they have planned for the day so we can join everything up and avoid problems. On nightshifts, airside transforms into a building site. Currently, the major project is the new Terminal 2, which is being built on the old Terminal 2 site and is being designed to serve 20 million passengers a year. Two big external factors can hinder airside operations. The first is birds. We have a dedicated team to carry out bird deterrence, habitat

management and dispersal duties. If they see a bird, they will play the call of that breed over a loud speaker, which alerts it to danger and scares it off. If there is a flock of birds in the sky, our team fires pyrotechnic cartridges to disperse them. Only as a last resort do we use lethal means. We prefer measures such as clearing rubbish and planting long grass — birds don’t like it because they can’t see predators coming. Our other hazard is the weather. We’re as prepared as we possibly can be for all kinds of weather. We subscribe to the Met Office OpenRunway service, an online forecast that breaks down every element of weather every hour. But still, strong winds do slow down aircraft. Fog and mist force air traffic control to put flow restrictions on aircraft. And snow and ice affect the aircraft and runway surface. Our aim is to not let the snow lie on the runway surface in the first place, so we apply anti-icing fluid before the snow falls, and it

lowers the temperature at which the snow will settle. But sometimes it comes down too quickly. Then the motor transport department sends out their 68-strong ﬂeet of de-icers, snow blowers, gritters, ploughs and tractors to deal with it. Despite being reduced to just one runway during the terrible weather last winter, Heathrow did manage to stay open the entire time. What actually delayed the ﬂights was that the planes themselves needed de-icing, and this can be tricky as it needs to be carried out very near to a plane’s departure. I wanted to be a pilot when I was younger but a lot of airlines stopped their scholarship programmes for pilot training. Before coming to Heathrow, I worked at Southampton airport, and I’ve been a marshaller and manoeuvring area supervisor, prior to becoming a duty manager airside three years ago. I love aviation, but if I wasn’t here, I think I’d run a surf school in Cornwall. HT

photography Sam Christmas interview Maria Yacoob

D e pa r t u r e s

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r e f re shment s

FESTIVE FARE Worried you’ll be missing out on Christmas treats such as ﬁggy pudding by jetting oﬀ to the sun? Rest assured, at Heathrow, you won’t go until you’ve got some

Spending Christmas in the southern hemisphere can be hugely exciting. You can be forgiven some schadenfreude lying in the sun on Boxing Day, knowing you won’t be forced into a Christmas jumper and sent on a windswept route march that ‘will do us all good’. However, you’ll also be missing out, because the rich, warming food you earn with those walks is so delicious. A Christmas Day barbie on Bondi has a great novelty factor for Poms, but it’s no match for traditional northern hemisphere festive food: succulent turkey; steaming drinks; naughty sweetmeats. These are the ﬂavours of home and family.

Missing those tastes at Christmas puts a strange wrinkle in your year, like experiencing a summer with no ‘scorcher’ of a weekend Luckily, many Heathrow food and drink outlets are celebrating the holiday season with menu specials. The centrepiece of every Christmas is the roast. Sure, it can be one of the more Old World varieties of poultry such as goose, pheasant or partridge. But, for sheer impact, nothing beats that North American favourite, a big roast turkey (Dining Street, Garfunkels). Part of the reason for turkey’s popularity is that its mild ﬂavour means you can throw lots of other rich

tastes and textures at it: cranberry sauce, nutty stuﬃng, bacon, herby sausagemeat, buttery sprouts with chestnuts, carrots, parsnips, roast potatoes… it’s surprising we have plates big enough. The second reason is... tasty leftovers! Turkey sandwiches (Eat, Pret A Manger, Apostrophe, Bagel Street) – also

crammed with those trimmings – are what make Boxing Day great. In our family, we often had goose or pheasant on Christmas Day, but Mum would always cook a turkey to eat cold! For those with a sweet tooth, Christmas is even better than Halloween and Easter. The two cornerstones of festive sugar consumption are mince pies and Christmas pudding (Gordon Ramsay Plane Food), with rich dried fruits, candied peel, nuts, brown sugar — as rich as Bill Gates, but far tastier. While the smooth running of your airport doesn’t allow for setting light to brandy in the airport terminals, Heathrow Traveller does

Words Chris Madigan

D E PA R T u R E S

GETTY IMAGES, ISTOCk PHOTO

love the figgy pudding ceremony at home. The blue flame requires darkened rooms that simply aren’t available in, for example, Australia in summery December. Like a barbie, though, it will gather in all the menfolk, each with an opinion: ‘Warm the brandy on the stove’, ‘Armagnac’s better than cognac’. Mince pies (Costa, Bite, Est, The Three Bells) become social currency at this time of year. Every visitor brings shop-bought ones, even though every hostess has a homemade batch. Then follows the embarrassing process of eating the other party’s pies, even though you prefer your own. These are not the only sweet treats though. In the past, gingerbread men (AMT, Caffè Nero) would have been placed on the tree as presents for the children, who’d gaze longingly at them until the day itself. These days they’d be grabbed five minutes out of the oven, crumbs flying everywhere to cries of ‘That’s a present? Where’s my Nintendo DS!’

Turkish delight, chocolates, candied fruits and gingers — all are irresistible treats. As well as food, there are drinks inextricably linked to Christmas. Every time you come in from the cold, you’ve earned a hot drink. Spiced hot cider (Apostrophe) and the red wine, citrus and aromatic spices of mulled wine (Huxleys Bar & Kitchen, Tin Goose) create something you inhale as much as drink and whose scent transports you to a Christmas market at the foot of the Alps. The kids can enjoy hot chocolate (Carluccio’s, EAT, V bar, Tin Goose, Starbucks, Harlequin) — their faces light up at the word marshmallow. Christmas is for children. But adults should get treats, too. Maybe a good whisky (see p61) or port (see p22) or a beer such as Elgood’s Snickalmas (JD Wetherspoon), dark and full of extra ﬂavour, and brewed especially for the season. Have yourself a merry little Christmas at Heathrow, before you have to cope with all that awful sunshine.

All in A roe Caviar House & Prunier is the ideal place to line up a treat before your ﬂight

Is there any more civilised way to await your departure than to perch on a stool at a seafood bar sipping champagne? The Caviar House & Prunier, at Heathrow for 26 years and now in all terminals, is the place to mark the start of a festive trip in style. Choose from an extensive menu that includes the ﬁnest Prunier caviar, Balik smoked salmon, English rock oysters, lobster and langoustines, and a wine list that has won awards. Last-minute gifts can be taken care of here, too, with truﬄes, foie gras, chocolates, rare wines and spirits. caviarhouse-prunier.com

X m a s R e m i X Tr y t h e s e i m a g i n a t i v e t w i s t s o n f a m i l i a r f e s t i v e f l a v o u r s : a Christmas burger with bacon, brie and cranberry sauce at the Bridge Bar; Roccoco biscuits at Carluccios; or Christmas doughnuts at Krispy Kreme See page 73 for a list of your eating and drinking options Heathrow Travel l er 69

a i rport map s

Find your way around the airport

There are over 240 retailers at Heathrow, so with so much choice on offer, you might need a helping hand finding shops, eateries and, when it’s time to fly, your gate. Walk this way…

Terminal 1 GATES 16-22

El Al lounge AMT

4-12 60-90

bmi lounges, Costa Coffee, WHSmith, Wetherspoons and internet

WHSmith

62 Zurich help desk “Boingo” wireless is available throughout the terminal

Harlequin Alehouse & Eatery

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Terminal 3

“Boingo” wireless is available throughout the terminal

Terminal 4

21 14 11

Malaysia Airlines Golden lounge

24 20

6 2

25 26 27

28 29

33 34 35

36 37

42 39

40 45 10 5

9 Garfunkel’s 4deck lounge Etihad lounge SkyTeam lounge

19 43 45 46 47

American Express Bureau de Change American Express Bureau de Change Security Desk VAT returns Travelex Bureau de Change

Etihad lounge SkyTeam lounge

2 3 4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

WHSmith World Duty Free Burberry Best of the Best Cath Kidston L.K.Bennett Bally Escada Gucci Links of London Beauty Studio

Boots Mulberry Thomas Pink Watches of Switzerland Harrods Boutiques - Paul Smith - Jimmy Choo - ETRO - Robert Cavalli - Loewe - Valentino World Duty Free

22 38 41

Costa Coffee 42 Starbucks Bridge Bar & Eating House

15 16 17 18 20

24 25 26 27 28 29

Harrods Boutiques - Mont Blanc - Cartier - Zegna - Ferragamo - Dunhill Harrods Sunglass Hut World of Whiskies Hackett Dixons Travel Tie Rack

30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 39 40 44

HMV Simply Chocolate Rolling Luggage / Tumi Glorious Britain Swarovski Rituals Jo Malone Caviar House & Prunier World Duty Free WHSmith Books WHSmith

Malaysia Airlines Golden lounge “Boingo” wireless is available throughout the terminal

5 Dining Street Restaurant & Bar

Subject to change. Many great new stores opening soon

Caviar House & Prunier Seafood Bar

At gates 1-6 AMT Coffee At gates 10-20 Garfunkel’s

Heathrow Travel l er 71

Terminal 5

11.05.08

Burberry

“Boingo” wireless is available throughout the terminal

Dixons Travel

Terminal 5b

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