METRO WORLD NEWS
TRAVEL Gadgets for
sleep on flights
www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 25 APRIL 2011
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we live where you’re going
UNWIND ON A HOUSEBOAT TRIP THROUGH KERALA [page 03}
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Monday, 25 April 2011 www.metrotravel.com
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What’s inside
Unwinding body and mind in Kerala {page 03}
Fun in London with kids
Tasty Argentina {page 04}
CHRISTIAN DEBAUN
The photographer’s guide to Zurich {page 02} + Top things to do in London with kids {page 05}
{page 05}
Top gadgets for snoozing long haul {page 06}
Eating in Argentina {page 04}
CHRISTIAN DEBAUN
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 25 APRIL 2011
GET INTO MY CITY: ZURICH Susanne Meures is a German creative but moved to the Swiss city of Zurich to work for Swiss broadsheet the NZZ and has lived there ever since As a self-proclaimed hedonist, Sue is always on the look-out for new, interesting and picturesque experiences in the area As enthusiastic about urban life as she is about the great outdoors, she’s the ideal person to SUE MEURES TRAVEL@METRO.LU show us this vibrant Swiss city CONTRIBUTED
Public pool Seebad Enge
Summertime in Zurich
Z
urich is a bit like Disneyland for grownups. It is wonderful to hop into the crystal clear lake covered with morning mist, the sun rising behind the glorious Alps on the horizon before you head to the office. Jumping off bridges at night into the black, cool water of the river that runs through the city is one of my favourite activi-
ties. Then pull yourself out and enjoy a beer in one of the many 'river bars' in your bikini. The nightlife here is great, and there are plenty of bars and clubs in front of your doorstep. In this city you don't waste energy getting between places, as everything is just a quick cycle ride away. And most importantly, the mountains are just around the corner
For more information check out www.zuerich.com
First time? Get a free bike at the main station, cycle around town and the lake, have coffees in the different neighbourhoods, walk up the local mountain and enjoy the stunning views of the Alps. Try the different 'badis', bathing houses that are
Shopping!
Been there before? Buy picnic stuff and cycle to Werdinsel, a small island in the river, or Saffainsel, another island on the lake, both a short ride out of town. Alternatively, rent a boat on the lake and sail down to the 'Rote Fabrik' cultural centre for coffees or beers (rotefabrik.ch). Try the only thermal bath in the city, located on a rooftop overlooking the city (thermalbadzuerich.ch), and then check out the night sky at the Urania Sternwarte (uraniasternwarte.ch)
For chains and brands go to Bahnhofstrasse; small independent stores are dotted around the city, including in the Kreis3, Kreis5 and Seefeld neighbourhoods. Try Brockenhaeuser (zuercherbrockenhaus.ch) for the occasional vintage find and the two car boot sales that happen on Saturdays, one is on Buerkliplatz, the other is at Helvetiaplatz.
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Vintage gems
Sue’s boat
built onto the river and lake, including Badi Enge
(tonttu.ch), and Oberer Letten (Lettensteg 10).
Stay in
Go out
If you’ve got cash to spend then stay at one of the city’s trendy boutique hotels. Choose from Hotel Greulich (From €210, greulich.ch), Hotel Helvetia (From €140, hotel-helvetia.ch) or Hotel Roessli (From €162, hotelroessli.ch). If you’re skint, try Zum Guten Glueck, a modest 10-room guest house with simple but stylish rooms (From euros 45, zumgutenglueck.ch).
My favourite places to go out are Bar 63, which has a quiet bar, nice interior and good whiskey list (bar63.ch), Xenix which is an open-air bar come cinema on a square in the middle of town, with a 30something crowd, you can also play boules here (xenix.ch). Primitivo, a bar on the river is a great place to eat and drink and listen to the occasional band whilst paddling against the strong current of the river (primitivo.ch). GREULICH.CH
Eat
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Hip eats: Josef Summer sun
for endless hikes and adventures. Now is a great time to go, because the summer season has just started and there are plenty of street cafes and open-air bars along the river - and the water should be warm enough for swimming in no time.
Go to Restaurant Josef for an intimate restaurant with a cool bar, great interior and good quality, creative dishes (josef.ch). Koechlistube serves traditional Swiss food, so cordon bleu, fondue, etc. It’s a proper Swiss-style, old man's hang out and it’s really excellent (Koechlistrasse, 8004).
Hotel Greulich
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 25 APRIL 2011
TRAVEL WITH A TWIST: RELAXING IN KERALA
Let your mind float away in Kerala’s backwaters
India is a huge, highly-populated country, but in Kerala, on the south-west coast, you’ll find everything you need for a chilled out holiday Explore the rivers on a houseboat, restore your body and mind with ayurvedic treatments or yoga, or have a massage on the beach
KERALA TOURISM
NEAL SNOWDON METRO WORLD NEWS TRAVEL@METRO.LU
Quick tips “Let your mind and body unwind in Kerala’s beaches and backwaters” The sound of the water lapping at the sides of your houseboat sums up a typical holiday experience in Kerala. Gentle and natural, relaxing and rhythmic, it’s a perfect reflection of this most soothing state in south-west India. Everything about Kerala is relaxing. It boasts temples and natural beauty, and it’s one of India’s most progressive states with high literacy, life expectancy and child mortality rates. Kerala places great emphasis on being in-tune with your surroundings, so its tourism is eco-friendly too. ` Drifting through the backwaters is a great place to start. The houseboats that visitors can stay on are based on the region’s traditional kettuvallam boats, are made of local materials including bamboo, coconut and cashew resin. Taking a languorous houseboat journey along Kerala’s gorgeous backwaters and lagoons is an increasingly popular way of exploring the region. The state is a major centre for Ayurveda, the traditional system of medicine that evolved in India 2600 years ago, based on five universal elements and seven properties of the human body. The practice involves oils and massages that work wonders on mind and body. Ayurvedic centres check how your energies are bal-
STAY Try The Tea Bungalow is a classic 100-year-old restored building at Cochin. Doubles at 75 euro per night. teabungalow.in
BUY Craftsmen in many Kerala towns trace their artistry to the architect of the gods, Vishwakarma. Seek out cast metal and pottery items as well as eco-friendly ornaments made from coconut husk and shell.
EAT Try local specialities including alleppey fish curry or chicken Kerala-style with spices, chillies, eggs and mashed potato.
anced and adjust your treatments and diet according to how your body needs to be restored to equilibrium. There’s yoga too – the region’s yoga tourism has developed in tandem with the other wellbeing choices. But while the focus is on chilling out here, the locals also know how to let their hair down. Kerala has eleven spectacular elephant pageants a year, not to mention 50 temple festivals and many other Christian and Hindu celebrations. So it’s not all just about mellow peace and harmony. For more information check out www.kerala tourism.org
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Chilling out on a houseboat
WAYS TO RELAX BODY AND MIND IN KERALA
AYURVEDA BY THE BEACH
GET CLOSE TO NATURE
Try going for double-bliss by booking an Ayurvedic treatment at one of the centres close to any of Kerala’s fantastic beaches. www.keralatourism.org
Kerala is great for wildlife with 21 sanctuaries for tigers, crocodiles, leopards and snakes. Konni’s elephant training centre takes in baby elephants that are wounded or were separated from their herd.
HOMESTAY Kerala is a hospitable place – its network of families offering homestays to tourists offers an affordable way to stay, and a great way to experience the culture, lifestyle and personalities of Kerala. www.keralatourism.org
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 25 APRIL 2011
GOURMET TRAVELLER: ARGENTINA
Eating in
CAVAS WINE LODGE
Argentina
Cavas Wine Lodge
Quick tips EAT
Argentina is known for its huge plains where cattle grow up to become delicious steaks > The country’s colonial roots have lead to a varied cuisine that draws on its rich agricultural sources
ANDRE DANG
METRO WORLD NEWS TRAVE;@METRO.LU
The Underground Restaurant trend has hit Buenos Aires. Known as puertas cerradas (closed-door), these restaurants are small and only open a few days of the week. Casa Felix is a cash-only gem, located in Chef Diego Felix’s home in the Palermo neighbourhood. His doors are open only three nights to 15 people with reservations. From 150 pesos for a five course pre-fixe meal. www.colectivofelix.com
STAY Cavas Wine Lodge is an intimate, 14-room family-run boutique lodge, set in vineyards with sweeping views of the Andes in Mendoza wine country. It offers vinetherapy treatments in its spa, organic food and award-winning local wines and wine tastings and tours. Rooms from $325, www.cavaswinelodge.com
“Argentina’s beef is famous, and a prominent feature on menus here too.” Argentina is the eighth largest country in the world, with 5000 miles of coastline, pampas plains, the 7000kmlong Andes mountains and 60m-high glaciers. With such varied terrain, and Spanish, Italian and French influences, the country offers a wealth of eating and drinking opportunities. Argentinian beef is world-famous for a reason, there are lots of great cuts to try including the bife de chorizo and the traditional barbecue, Asado. Asado is a slow, considered process over wood charcoal: beef and offal, kidneys and blood sausage are placed at the centre of the grill with embers burning underneath. Often a spit is also stuck into the ground to slow-roast Patagonian lamb, pork or goat next to the main fire:
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DISHES TO TRY... FOR A TASTE OF ARGENTIN E TREATS
TRY
Argentina’s famous asado barbeque
simply add good salad, bread and company. In the North West try tucumanas, a deep-fried potato-based pastry, and salteñas, the oven-baked version, stuffed with meat or humita which is fresh corn, onions and spices slowly cooked in oil. The Italian influence is
expressed in the capital, Buenos Aires, through the huge number of excellent pizzerias and helados (ice cream parlours). Here, pizza more closely resembles Italian calzones than the open version. Typical Argentine pizzas include pizza canchera - a cheeseless pizza topped with well-seasoned
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tomato sauce - and pizza rellena, a stuffed pizza. Fainá is a type of thin bread made with chickpea flour, also adopted from northern Italy. Traditionally you eat it with a slice of pizza, layering one slice over the other. Meanwhile wine buffs should visit the Cuyo region, which includes Men-
doza, San Juan and La Rioja. Malbec is the predominant grape in a lot of the wines, but with most wineries offering tastings, you are sure to find something to suit your palate. For more information check out www.turismo.gov.ar
Teresita’s cooking classes in Buenos Aires offer food lovers a unique gastronomic experience exploring Argentine cuisine, sampling local ingredients and learning Teresita's recipe secrets. Her cooking classes in Buenos Aires are fun and useful. $130 includes a tour of local markets and food shops, followed by an Empanada recipe demonstration, four-course meal and Argentine wine tasting. www.try2cook.com
ANDRE DANG
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DULCE DE LECHE
ALFAJORES
EMPANADAS
CHORIPÁN
MILANESAS
A thick caramel-like milk based spread, it is made by slowly heating sweetened milk. You’ll find it in everything – sweets, ice-creams, spread on toast. It’s delicious and addictive. Buy it in grocery shops, and supermarkets, such as Coto (www.coto.com.ar)
A sweet snack made with dulce de leche (see above) sandwiched between two crumbly, buttery cookies. Can be served plain, dusted with icing sugar or covered in chocolate. The most famous brand is Havanna, but you’ll find them everywhere. www.havanna.com.ar
Similar to small pasties, an empanada can be either baked or fried. Empanar means to wrap or coat in bread. Common fillings include chicken, spiced beef and creamed sweetcorn. Try them at Guimpi V, Republica Arabe Syria 3004, Buenos Aires.
The ultimate street food, this is a beef and porkchorizo sausage split down the middle, and served on a roll with chimichurri sauce made from parsley, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and red pepper. Try it at El Puestito del Tío, Dorrego 3000 block, Bosques de Palermo.
A milanesa is a thin slice of beef, chicken or veal coated with breadcrumbs. These are often served with fried or mashed potatoes, or used as a sandwich filling, with salad. Try it at La Farola De Cabildo, Av. Cabildo 2630, Capital Federal, Buenos Aires.
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 25 APRIL 2011
TOP 5: LONDON WITH KIDS
London with your kids
London is a great place to visit with kids of all ages There are lots of fun, interactive museums, as well as parks with great playgrounds
EMMA E. FORREST
METRO WORLD NEWS EMMA.FORREST@METRO.LU
“Plenty of fun things to do, rain or shine” England’s capital is a great place to visit with kids of all ages, with lots of fun attractions to enjoy come rain or shine. There are interactive museums and atmospheric historical sites as well as lots of great parks. Some of the more touristy offerings are pricey, but many of the best places are free, so you can balance the budget as you entertain your kids.
THINKSTOCK.COM
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THRILLING VIEWS Kids will get a birds’ eye view of the whole city from the London Eye which is located on the River Thames, at the heart of the city – what could be cooler than travelling in a glass bubble until you’re 135 metres high? (€19/ child €10, londoneye.com) If you’re feeling flush, there’s the Sea Life aquarium next door, home to the largest collection of Californian cownose rays in the world, a stunning walk-through tank full of turtles, sharks and colourful fish, and a tank full of sharks (€19.5/child €14, visitsealife.com/London)
London is exciting - even in the rain
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GREAT OUTDOOR SPACES
LONDON ZOO
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THE RIVER Not only is the River Thames a striking and central feature of the capital as it winds its way from East to West, dividing the city, but it’s a great place from which to view some of the key sights in the city. Talk a walk along the South Bank from the Design Museum at Butler’s Wharf towards the centre and you’ll
see Tower Bridge, the Mayor’s ‘Gherkin’ building, London Bridge, where kids can try samples of gourmet food or eat kangaroo burgers at the famous Borough food market, or visit the city’s gory past at the London Dungeon. Next is the reconstruction of Shakespeare’s famous Globe theatre, then the Tate Modern. Towards Westminister where you’ll hit the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament. Alternatively jump on a rib boat, and see it from the water itself (londonribvoyages.com).
This historic zoo in elegant Regent’s Park was built in 1827 and combines oldfashioned charm of the original animal houses with the very modern conservationist approach. More than 720 different species of animal live here. Visitors can get close to the animals in the butterfly tunnel, the ‘meet the monkeys’ enclosure and the steamy Rainforest Life an open atrium where sloths loaf and exotic monkeys that scamper about. The new €2.2 million Penguin Beach opens in May 450,000 litres of water will be home to 150 penguins. (€18/ child €15, zsl.org)
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FUN MUSEUMS London museums are interactive and exciting rather than stuffy and the best are free. London’s history is shown at the Museum of London (museumoflondon.org.uk). There are real mummies at the British Museum for kids obsessed with Ancient Egypt (britishmuseum.org). There are scary interactive
dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk) and junior fashionistas will love the exhibitions at the Victoria and Albert next door (vam.ac.uk). Up the road is the non-nerdy seven-floor Science Museum, which has something for all agegroups. Little ones can learn basic principles about water, light and sound as they mess about in the ‘Garden’ galleries, while older kids can marvel at exhibits, from the Apollo 10 command module to special effects simulators (sciencemuseum.org.uk).
London is a very green city, with well-kept, characterful parks in every neighbourhood. Hyde Park has something for every child. The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, near to her home at Kensington Palace, is hugely popular with the under-12s, with swings, play sculptures, teepees and a huge wooden pirate ship sailing on a sea of sand for kids to climb in and around. In summer months, toddlers splash about in the Memorial fountain dedicated to the Princess, while kids can boat on the lakes, and teens can see modern art at the Serpentine Gallery (royalparks.gov.uk)
METRO WORLD NEWS
TRAVEL Hot snow
boots for cool girls
www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 03 JANUARY 2011
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we live where you’re going
GO OFF THE BEATEN TRACK ON BICYCLE IN CUBA {page 03}
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Monday, 03 January 2011 www.metrotravel.com
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{page 06}
What’s inside
Our hipster’s guide to her Paris {page 02}
Surf and Turf in Jamaica
Cycling around Cuba {page 03}
Hot boots for chilly girls {page 06}
{page 04}
JAMAICA TOURISM
Top 5 Thai Islands {page 05} + Hipster’s guide to Paris {page 02}
Surf and Turf in Jamaica {page 04}
JAMAICA TOURISM
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 03 JANUARY 2011
GET INTO MY CITY: PARIS There’s no better way to get under the skin of a city than by being guided by a hip local. Trendsetting Parisienne Nadege Winter turns everything she touches to cool — from knitting to rave-dancing exercise classes — as a brand, events and communications consultant, DJ, designer, nightlife scenester and ‘glam-green’ environmentalist. She reveals her favourite NADEGE WINTER METRO FRANCE spots in the city of love.
Hipster’s guide to Paris I
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'm a real Parisian girl and to me, Paris is and will always be a city of love and lovers—it may be a cliché but a beautiful one. The architecture, bridges over the Seine, the history and art, everything about it is fascinating. I love walking in the streets and crossing the Seine through Pont des Arts or Pont Neuf, especially early in the morning when the sun is coming out, or else in the evening. I used to be a ‘Rive Droite’ girl (Le Marais, Montmartre, St-Honoré..), but
this past year I have become a ‘Rive Gauche’ woman. I never thought I could cross the ‘sea’ and adapt but since becoming a mother I enjoy living a stone’s throw away from the Jardin du Luxembourg and St Germain. The pace of life is much slower in this part of Paris. It’s still very touristy but the feeling of bourgeoisie lingers in the air. For more information check out parisinfo.com
First time? Stop over the Pont Neuf and take a deep breath of Paris. Don't forget to stop at the Louvre and the hip boutiques including Colette, Beaubourg and Bon Marché. When you’re in need of a break pause for an espresso at Café de Flore (www.cafedeflore.fr).
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The Louvre
Been there before? Pretend you’re a Parisian and either rent a flat or stay at the Hotel Amour (www.hotelamourparis.fr) Go to the organic market on the Boulevard Raspail to stock up on fresh soups and homemade muffins — everything here is fresh. Cross the Luxembourg gardens and have lunch at Flore (www.cafedeflore.fr) (I never tire of this place) and then cross the Seine over to the Marais. Spend your time looking around the shops and then stop for a coffee at
WWW.CAFEDEFLORE.FR
Cafe de Flore
Cafe Charlot (38 Rue de Bretagne). Later, go for dinner at chic bistro the Comptoir du Relais (9 Carrefour de l’Odeon).
Point Neuf
Shopping!
Stay in
The shops around the Marais are the best. You find everything from small designer shops to concept or vintage stores including Shine, APC, Isabel Marant and Surface to Air. Closer to the centre I shop around rue St Honoré, in Colette, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Kitsune, Ludo and Palais Royal. St Germain is the best if you are with children and my favourites are Talc, Serendipity, Bonton, Bonpoint and Pic Nidouille.
Hotel Amour in Montmartre, a hip hotel with rooms designed by trendy artists and a laidback brasserie open to all. Rooms from euros 100. www.hotelamourparis.fr
Go out
Let your hair down at the trendy new le Pompon restaurant and club at 39 rue des Petites Ecuries in the 10th arrondissement.
Colette
www.lepompon.fr
WWW.CAFEDEFLORE.FR
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MARGOT CIROU
Rose Bakery
Eat The famous and fabulous dine at Cafe de Flore
Rose Bakery has amazing organic cakes and soups (46 Rue des Martyrs) and at Bob's Juice Bar I go for the
Bar Hollow
quinoa salad and vegetable juice (www.bobsjuicebar.com). For a typical French dinner go to Comptoir du Relais for the daily special or else their steak, classic and amazing. All guilty pleasures will be satisfied at the bakery Horror Picture Tea (http://horrorpicturetea.co m) for one of their delicious Krueger tartes.
Paris is for lovers
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 03 JANUARY 2011
TRAVEL WITH A TWIST: CYCLING IN CUBA EXPLORE TRAVEL
Will’s cycling buddies take a breather from their long tour of the Cuba countryside
Hammering Havana
There’s more to Cuba than Che Guevara and vintage American cars in Havana Discover the countryside up close with a bicycle tour The landscape is stunning A cycling tour of Cuba gives you a great excuse to meet the locals
WILL HIDE
METRO WORLD NEWS TRAVEL@METRO.LU
“Millions of Cubans own bikes... it’s a great way of bonding with locals” A heavy downpour would normally send me racing for cover, but after a day cycling west of Havana in temperatures around 30c, rain was a welcome relief. Sudden showers aside, Cuba is a great place to go cycling. The landscape is generally flat and even if you hit a hill, there’s the lure of the downhill glide to keep your spirits from flagging, plus it’s always warm enough to wear shorts and T-shirt. The trade embargo against the country put in place by the USA means there are few cars on the road. This means that millions of Cubans own bikes
EXPLORE TRAVEL
themselves which makes it a great way of bonding with the locals. After a few days sightseeing in Havana, I joined a group employing pedal power for a tour round old colonial towers, through tropical forests, past coffee plantations and tobacco fields. Our average distance was 38km a day. After a leisurely breakfast, we’d set off past men driving donkey and carts, and cycle for the morning (sometimes along car-free motorways), before stopping for a picnic lunch of moros y cristianos (rice and beans) and just-picked bananas. As well as visiting
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THINGS TO DO FOR CHEAP (OR FREE!)
Quick tips
the Bay of Pigs (site of the illfated invasion by US forces in 1961) we stopped at Cienfuegos, a town founded by French immigrant farmers in the early 19th century. Trinidad was another highlight, with its cobbled stone streets, colonial buildings and fantastic live music. A few days cycling in Cuba will certainly make you fitter, but more importantly, get you closer to the fascinating country. All in all it’s as much a revelation as a revolution. For more information check out www.cubaniatravel.com
EAT
La Torre restaurant in Vedado (Havana) has great views and serves dishes such as lobster or roast pork. 36th floor at Calle 17
SHOP A bottle of Caney rum is a good gift to bring home and costs around €20.
STAY Cuba is full of beautiful old churches
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Hotel Plaza in Vedado, is one of the oldest hotels in the city. Doubles start from 38 euro per night. www.hotelplazacuba.com Hotel Sevilla is close to the Museo de Bellas Artes and Old Havana. Doubles start from 93 euro per night. www.hotelsevillacuba.com
TIPS
CIGAR MUSEUM
DRINK MOJITOS
TAKE A PHOTO
Visit the cigar museum on Calle Mercaderes, and of course you can always buy a few to take home.
Grab a mojito at the Bodeguita del Medio – like Salvador Allende and Ernest Hemingway have before.
Have your photo taken underneath an iconic mural of Che Guevara in Plaza de la Revolucion.
Calle Mercaderes
Bodeguita del Medio
Plaza de la Revolucion
Cuba has two currencies the Peso, used mostly by locals, and the Convertible Peso, which is essentially for tourists. If you’re here between November and April, catch a baseball game – it’s the national sport and great fun. Tickets cost around CUC 2.
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 03 JANUARY 2011
GOURMET TRAVELLER: JAMAICA
Jamaica’s cuisine — more than jerk pork Be sure to escape your all-inclusive hotel and discover what’s on the menu in this colourful Caribbean country You can eat well on any budget Seafood is best in the South Learn how to cook jerk at Jake’s in Treasure Beach
RYAN BORROFF
0JAMAICAN TOURIST BOARDX
Quick tips
EAT
METRO WORLD NEWS
For what is arguably the finest dinner view in Jamaica of the natural Kingston Harbour, Strawberry Hill Plantation is 3,000 feet up in the sub tropical Blue Mountains at a former home of record producer Chris Blackwell. The restaurant – which specialises in new Jamaican cuisine – is where Kingston's wealthy go to eat and breathe the cleanest air in Jamaica. www.islandoutpost.com
TRAVEL@METRO.LU
“Even by the roadside great food can be eaten for very little money” If you thought Jamaican food began and ended with jerk chicken, you'll be greatly surprised by the colour and quality of the cuisine in Jamaica. Ackee and saltfish may be the national dish but it's really the least interesting dish in Jamaica. Price-wise you can eat as well as you can afford – there are some world-class restaurants in Jamaica – but even by the roadside great food can be eaten for very little money. Jamaica’s famous jerk meat is best near the capital Kingston and around the north coast while the best seafood can be found on the quieter south coast. For award-winning jerk chicken try Scotchies at Drax Hall, near Ocho Rios, just east of Montego Bay. Here jerk meat is cooked the traditional way in a pit in the ground – using
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DISHES TO TRY... WHEN YOU’RE ON THE IRIE ISLAND
STAY
Eating in Jamaica is as much fun as meeting the locals
tree bark to flavour the meat. It's a no-frills, roadside eatery where you eat at tables open-air. Similarly, you can sample the delicious vegan ‘Ital’ food that is the diet of the clean-living Rastafarian. It is pure, unprocessed anddelicious, with dishes including tasty vegetarian stews, curries and fresh
juices. Find it at street stalls throughout the country. For fish head to the south coast to Alligator Pond. The beach is lined with food stalls which cater to local fishermen. The Little Ochie Pub is considered the best. Here seafood including fresh snapper, lobster and crab are plucked from an ice
chest and cooked fresh. Try Devon House in Kingston for homemade ice cream. The beautiful 18thcentury mansion is also home to one of Kingston's best restaurants 'Norma’s On the Terrace,’ And if you fancy a bit of self-catering why not try spearing your own parrot
VISIT JAMAICA
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ACKEE AND SALTFISH Served for breakfast or dinner the national dish of Ackee and Saltfish takes salt cod and fries it with boiled ackee, onions, scotch bonnet bell peppers, tomatoes, and spices. It is often served with boiled green bananas which are also delicious.
JERK CHICKEN
CURRIED GOAT
Possibly the world's favourite Jamaican food, jerk chicken and its sibling jerk pork, are Jamaica's BBQ staple. Meat is dry-rubbed or wet marinated with a very hot spice mixture before being grilled over aromatic hardwood charcoal, usually in a steel drum jerk pan.
Traditionally a popular party dish, goat curry may not be originally from Jamaica at all despite being so closely-associated with the island. It's not as spicy as some other Jamaican food and is usually served with rice and fried plantain. It's also as healthy as it's a low-fat red meat.
fish then frying it on the beach with a little Pickapepper Sauce. If you’re staying at Jake's in Treasure Beach, ask a local fisherman to take you fishing, or try the hotel’s cookery course. For more information check out www.visitjamaica.com
Jakes is cool, quiet and relatively affordable. Situated in the sleepy fishing village of Treasure Beach on Jamaica’s south coast, Jakes is laid back, with brightly-decorated cottages and rooms and sunn staff. Jack Sprats which serves seafood, genuinely great pizza and home made ice cream. From $99 www.islandoutpost.com
TRAVELLING Some people are worried by Jamaica’s reputation for crime, but it’s safe to visit if you steer clear of the dangerous neighbourhoods of Kingston and make sure you do your research.
VISIT JAMAICA
PEPPERED SHRIMP
PEANUT PORRIDGE
How this dish can taste as good as it does is anyone's guess - it's essentially made only from shrimp, garlic, scotch bonnet pepper and vinegar. The prawns are as fresh as can be and it's sprinkled with some authentic Jamaican magic. Ya Mon!
It may be an acquired taste but it's as Jamaican as food gets. Cheap and filling it's often sold by the side of the road. Basically it's a porridge made from boiled peanuts, cornmeal and oatmeal and it tastes of peanuts. A lot.
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 03 JANUARY 2011
TOP 5: THAI ISLANDS
A paradise isle for every activity There are hundreds of Thai islands to choose from Each one offers a different kind of great experience, from adventure, romance or nightlife Wherever you are, you’ll enjoy beautiful beaches, food and friendly hospitality
TOM MARCHANT BLACKTOMATO.CO.UK TRAVEL@METRO.LU
“Relax on your private beach, go to the centre to find stunning waterfalls or get in some diving” The best thing about the Thai islands is that there seems to be another one for every type of holiday. Diving, peace and quiet, a place that never sleeps, adventure…no problem. The Western and Eastern islands have their own vibe, so you can pick and choose exactly what it is you want. Perfect. For more information check out www.tour ismthailand.org
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PHUKET
KOH CHANG
KOH PHA-NGAN
KOH KOOD
THE SIMILANS
This is Thailand’s largest island, so no surprise that it also has the most varied nightlife. Head to the north of the island for chic VIP bars and buzzing clubs. Other parts of the island run the gamut of night time hotspots so there is plenty to explore. After a night out, my favourite place on the island to rest my head is the Andara Villas. The private beach is perfect for peaceful afternoons with a book. Get a connection from Bangkok and you can head straight to the hotel from Phuket’s own local airport. Practically hassle-free.
Koh Chang is a close neighbour to a lot of other islands in Thailand, and the best way to explore them? By kayak. Or stick to Koh Chang and bring some boots for the ultimate island hiking experience through jungle and past waterfalls. If you’re not up for the walk, you can always ride an elephant through. Getting here is easy from Bangkok, a short ferry ride away. Aiyapura Resort & Spa is the perfect spot, with acres of space, plenty of beachfront and everything from meditation to cooking classes, you’ll have everything you need.
Away from Haad Rin beach, Koh Pha Ngan is full of just about everything an island holiday needs. Relax on your private beach, go to the centre to find stunning waterfalls or get in some great diving and snorkelling. A cold drink at one of the many family-run bamboo bars is the perfect end to a day here. The Rasanada hotel prides themselves in their barefoot indulgence (www.rasananda.com). The easiest way to get there is a flight connection from Bangkok to Koh Samui. There are ferries, or Rasanada’s own speedboat will escort you to your villa.
There are no huge resorts on this lesser-known island, no 7-11 or even a bank. Most of the island is covered in coconut and rubber tree plantations so the island feels very undiscovered. Explore the ancient temple or the three-tiered waterfall; or simply laze on the pristine beaches. Take an afternoon snorkel before a fresh seafood dinner under the unbelievably clear night sky. From Bangkok, get a plane or bus connection to Trat, then head to Laem Ngob pier by taxi, and hop on a ferries headed to Koh Kood.
This group of nine islands is in the Top 5 diving spots in the world. This is Thailand’s best place for scuba. The waters are teeming with marine life, and each island has its own look and feel. You won’t stop being amazed by what’s under the waves here. Khao Lak is the best place to stay in order to visit the Similan islands. The JW Marriott Resort & Spa is a gorgeous option. From Bangkok, it’s easy to hop on a connection to Phuket airport and grab a local taxi from there to your hotel. Or you could always treat yourself to a private car.
Best Nightlife
Best Adventure
Best Overall
Best Romance
Best Diving
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GADGETS: MOONBOOTS
SNOW BOOTS TO STOP HOT GIRLS GETTING COLD FEET
1 BARTS QUILTED FUR BOOT Adopt a celebrity-style apres-ski look without the price tag, with these retro-chic moonboots from Barts. Opt for the black or white quilted version, which look much like the Marc Jacobs equivalent, or pick my favourite, with all-over faux-bunny fur. €69,99, barts.eu
2 SOREL JOAN OF ARCTIC BOOT If you don’t want to take any chances on the temperature, then Canadian brand Sorel is your boot. The Joan of Arctic boot will keep your toes warm down to temperature of -25°. You’ll also look glamorous, thanks to the cool design, and the fabulous faux-fur snow cuff. The felt lining protects aginst the cold, while a rubber shell gives you total water resistance. €130, www.sorel.com
3 ZDAR MAKSIM BOOT Inspired by the thick wool felt valenki boots worn for hundreds of years by Russian civilians and soldiers with warm feet, the Zdar boot is your armour against sub-zero temperatures. This lambswool boot is waterresistant, breathable, warm and offers folk-charm. They’re even said to keep you safe against flu and rheumatic diseases. €248, http://zdarboot.com METRO WORLD NEWS
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TRAVEL Travel seats for
babies
who lunch
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TASTY TRAVEL — THAI CUISINE, WHAT’S ON THE MENU? {page 04}
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Gourmet guide to Thai cuisine {page xx}
Say ‘I do’ in the snow
Five to try in Miami {page 05}
Travel seats for babies {page 06}
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MALCOLM CARMICHAEL/PEAKPHOTOGRAPHY.CA
A fashionista’s guide to London {page 02} + Five fun reasons to visit Miami {page 05}
Say ‘I do’ in the Snow {page 03}
MALCOLM CARMICHAEL/PEAKPHOTOGRAPHY.CA
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GET INTO MY CITY: LONDON Londoner Sarah Owen co-founded vintage store Lucy in Disguise with her half-sister, pop princess Lily Allen. The boutique in the heart of Covent Garden rents and sells carefully cherrypicked vintage pieces, and also offers a beauty salon and blow dry bar for glamorous girls. A former stall holder in London’s famous Portobello Road Market, she knows London inside-out SARAH OWEN METRO WORLD NEWS and is the ideal person to guide you round...
Laid-back in London
I
t's a cliché, but London really is the most diverse city I know. I grew up in Bloomsbury, in the very heart of the city, and from the get-go I was acutely aware that I was sharing it with a thousand different cultures. In London you can find whatever food, drink,
First time? The river is a good place to start; many of our best sights lie on its banks. If it's a clear day, then go on the London Eye - it's the best way to take in the city as a whole. Or if not, try The Duck Tour you start out on a bus that turns into a boat halfway through, and you finish the tour on the Thames itself, it's hilarious. Then you must take in a museum or gallery - my favourites are the Tate Modern, (www.tate.org.uk/modern), the V & A, (www.vam.ac.uk) and finally, I can’t forget the British Museum, (www.britishmuseum.or g). I grew up on the same street and I spent many a rainy day wandering the ancient rooms in complete awe as a kid.
For more information check out www.visitlondon.com
Been there before?
If it's nice weather, I highly recommend hiring a canal boat for the day. You can hire boats from various points around London and you have the freedom to jump on and off, when and where you want. My friends and I often do it, you get to see bits of London that you forget are there. I can't think of a better way to spend a day than on the top of a barge, with friends, a few drinks, some comfy cushions and a good playlist on the iPod.
Shopping!
The Tate Modern Little Venice
pressed when I last went there. www.malmaison.com
Go out
Stay in The Malmaison near Fabric in Smithfields is pretty good value. I was very im-
The London Eye gives amazing views over the city
VISIT BRITAIN
INGRID RASMUSSEN/BRITAINONVIEW
The Malmaison
GETTY IMAGES
fashion, art or music takes your fancy. My problem in London has never been what to do, but how to find the time to do it all. Here’s a start.
Start at a good old English boozer like The Star of Bethnal Green (http://starofbethnalgreen .com), it feels like a traditional pub with the bonus of cool music. A great new dance venue is CAMP (City Arts and Music Project) on City Road, it always has a good DJ lineup (thecamplondon.com).
BRITAIN ON VIEW
The markets in London are brilliant — Portobello is the most special to me as it's where my love for vintage clothes began. You can still find great stuff there even if the prices are quite high these days, but it’s definitely still worth a trip. For better value, head East, to Spitalfields for clothes and crafts, Brick Lane for everything but the kitchen sink and Colombia Road flower market deserves a look in, just to soak up the atmosphere if nothing else.
Eat Enjoy a proper English breakfast at The Worker's Cafe in Islington, then Dim Sum for lunch at The Royal China in Bayswater and afternoon Tea at the Wolseley (www.the wolseley.com) on Piccadilly. Go for a curry dinner at Tayyabs in Whitechapel (www.tayyabs.co.uk) or a late night, post-pint kebab at Maroush (www.maroush.com).
VISIT BRITAIN
Portobello
Columbia Road Flower Market The Wolseley
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TRAVEL WITH A TWIST: WINTER WHITE WEDDINGS MALCOLM CARMICHAEL/PEAKPHOTOGRAPHY.CA
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OTHERS SPOTS TO SAY ‘I DO’
SLOVENIA
www.tuitravel.com
Wrap up and your marriage can go downhill as soon as you’ve said your ‘I do’
Tie the knot
on the run
With a snowy landscape backdrop, a winter wedding is super romantic Choose your destination wisely and you can hit the slopes straight after your vows
HUW J. WILLIAMS METRO WORLD NEWS TRAVEL@METRO.LU
“They’ll be happy to marry you in ski gear so you can slide down the mountain to your wedding reception”
MALCOLM CARMICHAEL/PEAKPHOTOGRAPHY.CA
Of course you want a special venue for your wedding, somewhere imaginative and exotic. But not on a beach— that’s been done. To stand out from the crowd, turn your back on the cramm,ed summer wedding season when nuptials come along each weekend like they are on a conveyor belt. A white winter wedding is your answer. You can say your vows in one of the most spectacular natural settings in the world. Banff, in the Canadian Rockies, offers weddings in any one of its three nearby ski resorts, high in one of nature’s own cathedral, Banff National Park. You and your wedding party are taken up to special scenic locations on the slopes of the resort by chairlift or even a helicopter. There are special flat areas specially reserved for weddings, tucked away from everyday skiers, each with a breathtaking backdrop where a marriage commissioner will conduct a civil ceremony. They can even provide a bouquet, although
Sealing it with a kiss on Lake Louise, Canada
there is the possibility that if you throw it too enthusiastically to your bridesmaids after the ceremony it may well sail over a cliff. You can dress formally in bridal gown and suit or if you really can’t wait to hit the pistes, they’ll be happy to marry you in ski gear so
you can slide down the mountain to your wedding reception. If you don’t want to gamble on the weather, several hotels offer more traditional surroundings. Two, the Fairmont Banff Springs and the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise are exquisite and ex-
clusive, but there are other delightful cheaper options too. If you want to do it all DIY there are several local wedding planners that can tailor your perfect day and take away the pressure of organizing it too. Banff is a quaint and vibrant town so there is really no reason to fly off to a honeymoon, just stay on and enjoy one of the best snow resorts in the world. There are three mountains to choose from, Norquay the nearest to town, Sunshine which boasts superb powder snow and the huge expanse of Lake Louise. If all that still leaves you wanting more, British Colombia has superb heli-skiing. If any of the wedding party doesn’t ski, there’s lots to keep them active too. Banff high street offer great shopping, dining and nightlife but there are husky dog sled rides, health spas and snowmobiling tours. Package from €1415 to €2361. For more information check out www.tuitravel.com
Get married in a medieval Slovenian castle perched on a cliff above the shores of Lake Bled, near the slopes of two resorts, Kobla and Vogel. After the ceremony you’ll be taken across the lake to an old church on an island after to partake in the local custom where newlyweds ring the church bells for good luck. From €1770
AUSTRIA
www.weddingaustria.com Exchange rings in the sophisticated ski town of Zell am See. A horse and carriage will take you to the 16th century Castle Rosenberg, possibly the most magical registry office in the world. Have your photos taken on the shores of the picturesque frozen lake. From €800 per couple
USA
www.greenmountaininn.com Set in the beautiful countryside of New England, Stowe is a charming town that offers old world sophistication and modern American service. Get married in the historic Green Mountain Inn and spend your honeymoon on the slopes of the nearby resort. Package from €550
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GOURMET TRAVELLER: THAILAND
A taste of real Thai Nathalie Fraser offers a guide to what to eat and where in Thailand Delicious delicacies can be found everywhere Dishes are shared, at any time of the day Ask for a guided market tour
Quick tips
TOURISM THAILAND
NATHALIE FRASER
TOURISM THAILAND
METRO WORLD NEWS TRAVEL@METRO.LU
“Dishes are fragrant, exciting, spicy and delicious” Who hasn’t tried Thai food in a neighbourhood restaurant, or bought a take-away Thai meal from the supermarket. But there’s a vast gulf between what we know as Thai food and sampling the real thing in situ. From Chiang Mai to Koh Samui, dishes are fragrant, exciting, spicy, sweet, and always delicious. Visiting Thailand brings another huge advantage for the food-lover: it’s always OK to eat in Thailand, whatever the time of day. From fresh fruit vendors on the beaches, and street stands peddling Tom Yam soup (a punchy clear broth) or Pad Thai (stir-fried noodles), to packed family diners or elegant regional restaurants, there is always something new to try. Thai cuisine is based around the union of tastes: salty, sweet, sour and spicy. Salt flavour comes courtesy of the national essential, Nam Pla or fish sauce. Others are sourced from Thailand’s rich natural heritage: chillies, coconut milk and flesh, ginger, galangal, coriander, Thai basil, kaffir lime …
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DISHES TO TRY... WHEN YOUR’E IN THAILAND
EAT
Street food is an essential part of Thai food culture. Don’t be put off by a humble establishment: in Bangkok, the Lek seafood stand underneath Chong Nonsi station serves some of the best fish-based dishes in the city. Chong Nonsi BTS station
SHOP
Spend an afternoon learning the ropes of Thai cuisine TOURISM THAILAND
In Southern Thailand and the islands, coconut milk and fresh turmeric root are the key ingredients for soupier, deliciously fragrant (and hot!) curries including the Massaman or Indianstyle version. The North takes its cue from Laos to produce drier dishes and refreshing salads including the classic spicy beef and green papaya versions. Meals are always centred around rice, and include a variety of dishes to share between diners. Luckily, many Thai chefs have realised the potential of their culinary heritage and offer cookery courses
for visitors. Do not miss this chance to discover the hidden secrets of a cuisine that is surprisingly easy to master. If you have the opportunity, ask the chef if you can tag along on his daily visit to the market. Thai markets are fascinating places, but having an expert to decrypt the mysterious herbs and vegetables is the key to finding all the right ingredients when you return home. For more information check out tourismthailand.com
STAY The Old Bangkok Inn offers traditional charm close to the main historical sights. As well as adorable rooms and a green energy policy, the hotel serves delicious fresh fruit for breakfast. www.oldbangkokinn.com
TRAVELLING
Stir-fried noodles in a tangy, tamarind-based sauce. Served with egg, tofu or chicken and topped with peanuts, this is pretty much the national dish, and a good introduction for those afraid of chilli.
SOM TAM/GREEN PAPAYA SALAD Unlike its name suggests, this is a savoury salad. The unripe papaya is pounded with fish sauce, lime juice, chilli and dried shrimp for a fresh yet spicy salad, served with rice.
Asking for chopsticks shows you are a Thai food novice. Thais eat with a fork and spoon, ideal for catching the last delicious drops of sauce and rice.
Exotic delicacies are found in every market
THINKSTOCK.COM
PAD THAI
If you’ve had your fill of bustling markets, the Gourmet Market on the ground floor of the Siam Paragon mall has all the essential ingredients in a chic, airconditioned environment. Siam Square BTS station
THINKSTOCK.COM
TOM KHA KAI A fragrant, scented soup with coconut milk for a silky edge. Deceptively hot! It is usually served with chicken and perfumed with lemongrass and galangal, a member of the ginger family.
GREEN OR RED CURRY Another classic, each made from a fiery paste of chilli, herbs and spices pounded together. Meat, fish or tofu is added, along with coconut milk. Green curry is often hotter than red.
FRESH FRUIT The selection of fresh fruit in Thailand is exceptional throughout the year. Even the humble apple or banana tastes completely different than its European equivalent.
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TOP 5: TO TRY IN MIAMI
It’s always hot in South Beach There’s more to Miami than tanning on the beach; plan your trip around one of these activities There are always exciting events on or new fancy hotels to check out Above all it’s a great place for a relaxing, fun holiday
EMMA E. FORREST
WWW.GMCVB.COM
GANSEVOORT MIAMI BEACH
GETTY IMAGES
MONDRIAN HOTEL MIAMI
COURTESY MCH SWISS EXHIBITION (BASEL) LTD.L
METRO WORLD NEWS EMMA.FORREST@METRO.LU
“There are parties in clubs, in hotels and around pools throughout Miami” On the edge of the Caribbean Ocean, Miami is the hub for many of the flights over to the islands – but it’s a destination worth stopping off at in itself. The weather is always great and there are always exciting events going on when you’re done with peoplewatching on South Beach.
For more information check out miamiandbeaches.com
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ADMIRE THE ARCHITECTURE You can take in the splendid art deco architecture at a relaxed pace with a stroll down Ocean Drive and Washington Avenue, stopping off for a cocktail on a terrace of one of the stunning 1920s and 1930s hotels as you go. For a more serious insight into the history of this colourful architecture, join one of the daily tours organised by the Art Deco District Welcome Center (www.mdpl.org).
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POSE BY A POOL
GO SHOPPING
You’ve seen it in the hip hop videos, and you can do it yourself – slip on your gold bikini and sip cocktails by the pool during the day, or get dressed up and party into the small hours with Miami’s most gorgeous at the palm-fringed rooftop pool bar, Plunge, at the Gansevoort Miami Beach hotel on Collins Avenue. (www.gansevoorthotelgrou p.com)
There are plenty of shopping opportunities for fashionistas here. You’ll find designer boutiques one block from the beach along Collins Avenue including Armani, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger and Intermix, which cherry-picks the best of designer brands. There’s more fashion on Washington Avenue, and at the Lincoln Road Mall at 16th street, for mainstream brands including Gap and American Apparel and quirky home and vintage stores as well as restaurants and galleries. For a one-stop-shop try Macy’s department store at 1675 Meridian Ave.
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GO FOR A SUNDOWNER
PARTY AT A FESTIVAL
There are plenty of fabulous bars for sundowner cocktails on South Beach from the new W Hotel through to classics like the Delano. But for a great sunset you’ll need to be on the west side of the strip - hit the Mondrian where you can watch the sun set over mainland Miami from its glamorous ‘indooroutdoor’ Sunset Lounge, designed by world-famous designer Marcel Wanders. (www.delano-hotel.com, www.mondrianmiami.com)
There always seems to be a an exciting event going on in Miami, whatever time of year - from the annual Art Basel Miami Beach in December to the Miami Winter Music Conference in the spring, which showcases the coolest new DJs and dance acts. Where there are art galleries to be opened and new albums to be launched, there are parties in clubs, in hotels and around pools throughout Miami. Even if you’re not an official delegate you can join in the festivities that take place around official schedule.
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GADGETS: TRAVEL HIGH CHAIRS
TRAVEL SEATING FOR BABIES WHO DINE OUT
1 SACK AND SEAT
This is a cheap and cheerful option fabric seat that folds into an easy-to-carry bag, the Sack and Seat is ultra-easy to use. Just hook it over the top of the chair and strap it round the back, and strap your baby in. Really straightforward to use and easy to clean – just throw it in the washing machine. €20, www.kiskise.com
2 PHIL AND TED METOO This very cool and compact travel seat for a confident sitting baby, hooks onto the side of a table, bringing baby up to the table so it can eat with you. With its comfortable, padded, easy-to-clean seat and secure straps it’s the perfect place for baby to join in the family dinner in a restaurant or at friends’. €35, www.philandteds.com
3 TOTSEAT This one is designed to transform any sort of chair into a high chair for a baby. The seat can be fixed to a round or square, tall or lowbacked low-backed chair, and ones with and without arms. The size changes thanks to a series of buttons in the seat and adaptable long straps. €26, www.totseat.com METRO WORLD NEWS
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KICK OFF YOUR CARNIVAL TRAVEL PLANNING WITH OUR GUIDE {page 05}
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Winter
warmer gadgets
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What’s inside
This could be YOU in Barbados
Kick off your carnival travel planning {page 05}
Foodies find heaven in NYC {page 04}
Winter warmer gadgets {page 06}
{page xx} GETTY IMAGES
Get the insider’s Barcelona {page 02 + Foodies find heaven in New York City {page 04}
Unspoiled Barbados {page xx} XXX
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GET INTO MY CITY: BARCELONA She might be Italian by birth but after living in Barcelona for most of her life, it’s clear where Georgia Taglietti’s heart lies. Georgia is head of the international media department for the city’s famous Sonar music festival, an annual event that showcases the best new and experimental music from around the world. It makes her the ideal host for her home city GEORGIA TAGLIETTI METRO WORLD NEWS
From Gaudi to Gracia I
TURISME DE BARCELONA
left my country 26 years ago and have lived here ever since, in almost every ‘barrio’. And I don't want to move anywhere else. Why should I? I have seen the city transform into an urban seaside ‘resort’, where the sea is now the key attraction. Barcelona is whatever you wish it to be. There is no cliché, its size makes it perfect for not getting lost and allows you to get to know the city pretty
First time? Visit any of the buildings designed by Gaudi. There's a good reason why they are the most important tourist attraction here: his architecture is a unique visual and aesthetic experience. Go to Parc Güell or visit Casa Battlò, and if you have time visit la Sagrada Familia, the church that is a work in progress.
Been there before? The chic areas around Paseo de Gracia and Rambla de Catalunya would be the first choice for a proper shopping tour. A cool tip for shoe fashionistas: check the designer espadrilles at Castañer (Mestre Nicolau 23), which is located in a posh area uptown (castaner.com). Have lunch at Les Cuines de Santa Caterina (cuinessantacaterina.com), one of my favourite lunch spots. Try Cal Pep for tapas, a true Spanish experience (calpep.com), and for authentic paella, visit Cheriff, in the Barceloneta neighborhood (C/ Ginebra 15). For a fancy drink, have
well in a week, if you follow the right steps. From following the city’s famous architect Gaudi’s footsteps to the ‘chiringuitos’ beach bars, from the ethnic Raval to the posh Paseo de Gracia: you will always get your own tailor-made Barcelona. This is what I love the most about this city. For more information check out barcelonaturisme.com TURISME DE BARCELONA
La Sagrada Familia
MANDARIN ORIENTAL
The Mandarin Oriental
your aperitif in the fantastic Mandarin Oriental in Paseo de Gracia. Patricia Urquiola, the interior designer, created this hotel’s grand interiors. The experience is very upmarket. (mandarinoriental.com/ba rcelona)
Get a glimpse into Gaudi’s fantastical world vision at Parc Güell
Shopping!
Stay in
For cool shopping stroll around the El Born area. There you will find Coquette (coquettebcn.com), or my favourite Como Agua de Mayo (C/Argenteria, 43). Lydia Delgado is one of Barcelona’s top fashion designers (lydiadelgado.es) as is Catalan Jaime Mascaró, who is the designer behind Pretty Ballerinas (mascaro.com). Their concept store on the Ramblas sells their collection of flat shoes.
For a boutique hotel try Hotel Omm (hotelomm.es) near Paseo de Gracia. For a cheap option with a twist choose Room Mate Emma (roommatehotels.com).
CONTRIBUTED
MANDARIN ORIENTAL
Go out Pretty Ballerina
CONTRIBUTED
Dos Cielos
Eat The Mandarin Oriental
Catalan cuisine is now at the top of its game, and Ferran Adrià is the mentor. The famous chef’s new
Dessert at Dos Cielos
bar/restaurant, Tickets, has just opened (ticketsbar.es). The new generation of chefs also offer up a gastronomic selection at Gresca (gresca.net), and the one-Michelin star Dos Cielos. For a more inform-al option head to Mordisco (grupotragaluz.com). The best bakery is Hoffman (hofmann-bcn.com) for delicious croissants.
Try La [2] de Apolo (salaapolo.com) for live concerts, and go clubbing at Razzmatazz (salarazzmatazz.com). In June, there is Sónar, the ultimate electronic music festival! (sonar.es) CONTRIBUTED
Sonar Festival
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TRAVEL WITH A TWIST: BARBADOS BARBADOS TOURISM AUTHORITY
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THINGS TO DO FOR CHEAP OR FREE
ANDROMEDA BOTANICAL GARDENS
Explore Andromeda Botanical Gardens in the parish of St Joseph, which started off as a private plant collection in the 1950s and now covers six acres.
Surf’s up!
The East Coast: Unspoiled
Barbados
If you visit Barbados, it’s tempting to lie on the white beach all holiday, but there’s lots to explore The East Coast is less touristy, and you can get a taste for real Bajan life
WILL HIDE
METRO WORLD NEWS TRAVEL@METRO.LU
“Head to the east to the ‘real’ Barbados where few tourists go.”
andromeda.cavehill.uwi.edu
CATTLE WASH BEACH Walk along Cattle Wash beach and breathe in the fresh air that hasn’t touched land since it left Africa.
BARBADOS TOURISM AUTHORITY
When the weather is horrid at home and the boss has been screaming at you for that budget report, the temptation on a hardearned holiday can be to just hit the sunlounger with your favourite novel and a strong drink and not move for two weeks. Fair enough, and if you're in Barbados probably on the West or South coasts, with their soft sandy beaches and sea the temperature of bath water then that temptation can be overwhelming. But, on at least one day of your holiday, you really should hire a car - driving is on the left, as in the UK and head east to the ‘real' Barbados where few tourists go. Pass fields of sugar cane (on the way, pop into the Four Square rum factory, to see how some of that sugar is put to good use) and then pause at Crane Beach in the parish of St Philip, with its cliff-top hotel (where you could have lunch at D'Onofrio's Italian restaurant, or French-style L'Azure), and a rough and tumble sea that is great for
Secrets Locals are quite modest and traditional - save your beachwear for the beach and not the supermarket or restaurant. There are few pavements on the east side of the island, so if you're driving after a rainshower be careful not to splash pedestrians walking along the road. “Cheese on bread!” is a local saying used to express surprise. Don't bring camouflage or army-style clothing — it’s illegal to wear it. Trying a flying fish cutter — a cutter is a sandwich. The pristine beach at Bottom Bay.
body boarding. Or a bit further up the coast search out unspoiled Foul Bay or Bottom Bay. Both are used more by locals than visitors but everyone's welcome - bring your own food for a lunchtime picnic because there are no shops nearby. At Bottom Bay
the wide beach is protected by high coral cliffs and here the Atlantic waves are much stronger than on the Caribbean side, so stick to the beach. Carry on round the coast on the narrow roads to Bathsheba where you might see some experienced
surfers hanging ten at the 'Soup Bowl'. It's much more rugged than the west coast, and great for a walk to blow away the cobwebs before you retire back to your sunlounger and rum punch. For more information check out barbados.org
BATHSHEBA Watch the surfers at Bathsheba, but because of strong currents don't be tempted to dive in unless you are an extremely capable swimmer.
Quick tip
STAY
The Atlantis boutique hotel is in a converted 19thcentury property in Tent Bay. B&B doubles start from US$299 per night. Or try the Edgewater at Bathsheba where B&B doubles start from US$88. atlantishotelbarbados.com newedgewater.com
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GOURMET TRAVELLER: NEW YORK CITY
Big Apple bites: Eat like a local in NYC Where to go in New York City to eat like a local From Chinatown to ‘Little India’ to a famed Prohibition-era restaurant, we’ve got you covered On a budget? Don’t worry — we’ve also got five yummy cheap eats GETTY IMAGES
DOROTHY ROBINSON
Quick tips
METRO USA
CULINARY TOUR
DOROTHY.ROBINSON@METRO.US
The sightseeing bus Gray Line has just launched three special culinary tours: Tastes of Chinatown; Original East Village Food, Drinks, and Cultural Tour; and The Ultimate New York Food and Culture Tour. Discover the secret eateries, restaurants, and diversity of the different neighborhoods. $49-$75, newyorksightseeing.com
“Hit up celebrity chef Mario Batali’s Eataly for dinner — and provisions for lunch the next day.” With hundreds of worldclass eateries, restaurants, gourmet shops, bars and now even food trucks crammed into one small island, New York City is a foodie’s Mecca. But where should the hungry traveler hit? To start your day, eat the quintessential New York breakfast — a bagel, of course. Brought over by Eastern European immigrants in the early 1900s, today’s version contains salt, malt and is boiled prior to baking resulting in a puffy, moist, delicacy best enjoyed with heaping amounts of cream cheese. Try the classic ones at H&H Bagels (2239 Broadway, hhbagels.com). The best Indian cuisine this side of Bombay can be had for around $10 for
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COOLEST CHEAPEATS RESTOS IN NEW YORK CITY
STAY Distrikt Hotel: The friendly staff will take good care of you at this centrally located hotel. The rooms are small, but clean and soundproof (rates start at $275). distrikthotel.com
HOW TO HAIL A TAXI (CAB) Eataly’s motto, “We sell what we cook and we cook what we sell,” sums up Mario Batali’s vast Italian food emporium perfectly.
lunch at most Indian restaurants in the two “Little Indias” in the city (Lexington Avenue, btwn 26th and 30th Streets., and 6th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenues). For dinner, Eataly (200 5th Ave., eatalyny.com), Mario Batali’s new Italian market, is a must. Wander through this massive hybrid of restaurant/
grocery store/food court/meat market to sample various delicacies before you sit down to dine at one of his many restaurants inside this emporium. If you’re looking for a more historical New York City epicurean experience, try the ‘21’ Club (21 W. 52nd St., 21club.com). The famed prohibition speakeasy
turned pillar of New York culinary culture has hosted every President since FDR (except for George W. Bush) and hundreds of celebrities. Still can’t decide? For Chinese and Vietnamese, hit Chinatown (Canal Street); for Puerto Rican, Kosher and Latin American food (as well as tons of new, hip
eateries), go to the Lower East Side (Houston and Canal Streets); while Harlem (110th St. to Harlem River) is host to some of America’s best soul food and barbeque.
EMILY EPSTEIN/METRO
WILLIAM BRINSON
CONTRIBUTED
EMILY EPSTEIN/METRO
PROSPERITY DUMPLING This tiny Chinatown institution serves up pot stickers, such as their scrumptious pork and chive dumplings, for around 20 cents each. 46 Eldridge St.
SHAKE SHACK These hamburger and milkshake stands are in various locations around the city and are extremely popular with tourists and locals alike. Don’t let the long lines fool you, they move quickly. Various locations www.shakeshack.com
For more information check out www.metrotravel.com
KATZ’S DELICATESSEN
TACOMBI @ FONDA NOLITA
Enioy hand-carved pastrami and corned beef sandwiches bigger than your head while you take in the scene — hipsters versus tourists versus old-school residents — at New York City’s oldest deli. 205 East Houston St.
You go here for the ambiance as much as the food — their cheap and delicious tacos ($4), are served out of a vintage VW van now parked inside a vast, arty space that was once a garage. 267 Elizabeth St. www.tacombi.com
Yellow cabs are safe, plentiful and convenient but don’t try hailing one between the hours of 4 and 4:30 p.m. That’s when drivers change their shifts, making getting a cab nearly impossible. Also, only wave down a cab when you see the that the center light atop the car is lit. If the two side lights are on that means the car is off-duty and the driver will not stop.
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PIZZA For a traditional New York City ‘cheap eat’ grab a slice of pizza; tiny, hole-in-the-wall pizzerias can be found on about every other block and serve up slices for around $2 each. Everywhere! Even Vera Wang gets her hands on some corner shop pie
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 17 JANUARY 2011
TOP 5: CARNIVALS
A great excuse for non-stop fun Choose between samba dancing, glittery corsets or Caribbean cuisine Whether you’re in Europe, US, UK or Latin America, festivities abound Whichever you choose to attend, you’ll get carried away by the beat, food and songs
ROMINA MCGUINNESS
GETTY IMAGES
METRO WORLD NEWS
ROMINA.MCGUINNESS@METRO.LU
“Shake off the winter blues and slip on your dancing shoes. As carnivals come around, so does our need to sing, eat and party.” The great thing about carnivals is that they give you a time when you can really let your hair down. Best of all, you can indulge in some of life’s greatest pleasures without feeling guilty or foolish about doing so. Whether you fancy being pelted with oranges, want to shimmy your way through the streets of Rio or get stuck into an hour-long tomato fight, it’s time to get the party started.
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THE CHEEKY ONE Binche Carnival, Belgium
For this festival, the town’s men dress up as ‘Gilles’, wearing green masks and extravagant headgear made from ostrich feathers, and holding on to sticks to ward off evil spirits to celebrate Shrove Tuesday and the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. After slow-dancing through the streets, the ‘Gilles’ pelt the watching crowd with oranges, a symbolic token of the arrival of spring. Just try to dodge the oranges as they come flying in your direction. Dates: 5 - 8 March carnavaldebinche.be
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THE TRADITIONAL ONE
THE CARIBBEAN ONE
New Orleans Mardi Gras, USA
Once a year, the prim streets of Notting Hill host Europe’s biggest street festival. Spread out over two days, Sunday is for children and is much more tranquil than Monday, when the celebration really kicks in. Women clad in glittery corsets sway their hips to the beat of the traditional steel drum bands as passers-by tuck into traditional Caribbean delights such as fried plantain and jerk chicken washed down with cool rum punch. Dates: 28 - 29 August nottinghill-carnival.co.uk
Clinging on to the rich French heritage, the town gets into a frenzy from January onward, with parades, masquerade balls and King Cake parties right up till the actual day of the carnival. On the day, carnival Krewes (parade floats) and colourful beads into the crowd. A sense of mischief lingers in the air throughout the season as locals brace themselves for the more restrained 40 days of Lent. Dates: 5 - 8 March mardigrasneworleans.com
Notting Hill Carnival, England
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THE MESSY ONE La Tomatina, Spain
Ever heard of Buñol? This dusty, otherwise unpretentious industrial town gets painted red once a year thanks to ‘La Tomatina’ tradition. Thousands gather around the town’s main square as a greasy pole with a ham attached to the end is hoisted into the air. As the crowd struggles to pull it down, a rocket swooshes skywards and trucks release 100 tonnes of ripe tomatoes onto the crowd. A friendly tomato fight goes on for one hour until a second rocket is fired, signalling a truce. Dates: 31 August 2011 latomatina.org
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THE ‘ONE AND ONLY’
Rio de Janeiro Carnival, Brazil The most extravagant carnival in the world is a fourday extravaganza, where ‘cariocas’ get the city dancing to samba, and ‘bandas’, street parties guided by drummers and singers, rule the days. The crowned King and Queen of the Carnival preside over key events, while locals join the street party in their finest. The climax is the finale at the ‘Sambodromo’, the end of one of the longest and most outrageous parades in the world. Dates: 5 - 8 March embratur.gov.br
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GADGETS: WINTER TRAVEL
ACCESSORIES TO KEEP YOU (AND YOUR BIKE) WARM
1 RIP CURL MEN’S S-BOMB HEATED VEST Designed to keep you warm in cold environments, the wind and water-proof Rip Curl S-Bombvest uses a 14V battery to power a heating system in the lower back. €225, www.ripcurl.com
2 NOMAD TÉNÉRÉ EXPEDITION TENT Chances are that if you holiday by motorcycle, you love your bike as much as you love yourself. The Ténéré Expedition Tent is an all-season two-person tent that will also accommodate your beloved wheels. And at 6kg it won’t weigh you down. $399, www.nomadtent.com
3 FIVEPOINT GLOVES It’s infuriating when you can’t use your favourite touch-screen gadget in the winter when you’re wearing gloves. But if you’re wearing Fivepoint gloves you can keep your hands warm but still scrolling your touch-screen thanks to their specially-treated fingertips. $38.92 USD or €29.46 EUR, www.fivepointgloves.com METRO WORLD NEWS
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TOP PLACES FOR A DRAMATIC VALENTINE’S DATE {page 05}
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Nice warm
gloves
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for the family {page 06} What’s inside
Valentine’s dates with a dramatic view {page 05}
Champagne for your Valentine
Taste of Morocco {page 04}
COOKERY COURSE AT KASBAH AGAFAY AT SLH.COM
Top radio DJ’s guide to Toronto {page 02} + A Valentine’s date in Champagne {page 03}
{page 03}
Winter gloves for all the family {page 06}
Exotic tastes in Morocco {page 04}
MOROCCO TOURISM
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GET INTO MY CITY: TORONTO Seamus O’Reagan is one of the hottest radio DJs in his adopted home town of Toronto, Canada He knows the coolest spots to hang out, whether you’re into hardcore partying or laid-back shopping In between interviewing Bill Clinton and Arnold Scharzenegger, he finds time to rummage through antique stalls, go to cross-dress karaoke nights or Sunday lunch at his local SEAMUS O’REAGAN METRO CANADA
So cool (despite the cold) I
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fell in love with Toronto. It’s one of the most effortlessly multicultural cities in the world and is both an inspiring and magical place to be on a day-today basis. Over the past 30 years, the city has gone from being lovely to a vivacious and glorious metropolis. Toronto is in full cultural
boom and the art community is incredible. Museums, art galleries, opera houses and fashion boutiques are cropping up on every street corner. For more information check out www.seetorontonow.com
First time? It’s your first time so you can afford to be a little bit tacky and go up the CN tower (www.cntower.ca) the world’s tallest until it was overtaken by Burj Dubai. Going to the top is the best way of getting a panoramic view of the city and lake. Canada is all about hockey so if you can get to a game one night—it’s worth it. If not, you’ll have a great night at Real Sports Bar & Grill (http://realsports.ca/). It has North America’s largest indoor TV screen and shows all major
Been there before? Visit the Ontario Art Gallery as it truly reflects the extent to which the city ‘thinks big’. The architectural style is a real labor of love. In the evening, I would recommend going to the opera. Although it was built above the subway, the acoustics are gorgeous.
Real Sports Bar & Grill
games. Their chicken wings are bar food ‘par excellence’. One tip, the best way to get from A to B is on the subway or a cab, both cheap options. See the CN Tower before moving on to organic burgers and cross-dressing.
Queen Street is a great retail area and in case you get hungry, there is the Thai ‘Queen Mother Café’ (www.queenmothercafe.c a) where they serve some great edamame and pad thai. The ultimate way to end the day would be with drinks on the Thompson Hotel balcony (www.thompsonhotels.co m). The view takes in the entire city and its simply gorgeous. THOMSPON HOTELS
Shopping! Ossington Avenue is Toronto’s hottest shopping street right now. The shops along here sell the best vintage deals and you can get anything from clothes to trinkets that come with style, character and authenticity. Canada as a whole embraces the cold and even in the middle of the freezing winter, Ossington remains a lively avenue filled with boutiques, cafes and restaurants.
EMILY SHEFF
Located on Queens Street, Drake Hotel represents the artistic community. Inside, the décor has stood the test of time and is cool and trendy. The food is good and from time to time local artists exhibit their work there. www.thedrakehotel.ca FLICKR/CONNIE TSANG
Fun vintage shopping on Queen Street
Eat
The super view from the Thompson Hotel
In Little India the food is cheap and mouthwatering. I also love hanging out at the trattorias in Little Italy. The street life there is incredible and the food is mind-blowing. Book a table at Nota Bene (notabenerestaurant.com), a high-caliber restaurant where Head Chef David Lee spent seven months
Stay in
Drake
NOTABENERESTAURANT.COM
Notabene
coming up with the best organic beef burger you’ll ever sink your teeth into. To balance out the meal a bit, order the hot and sour soup as a starter. I’m also a big fan of Vietnamese food, especially pho soup. There are two places to go for a massive bowl that should not cost more than $6, one is the Golden Turtle and the other is Pho.
Go out
Once a week El Macambo holds a cross-dressing karaoke night. It’s crazy and entertaining (www.elmocambo.ca). My local Dora Keogh’s holds live music nights where people play traditional Irish tunes (www.allens.to/dora).
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 31 JANUARY 2011
TRAVEL WITH A TWIST: VALENTINE’S DAY IN CHAMPAGNE
Give a little sparkle to
your love life
Celebrate Valentine’s day in the place where Champagne is produced Learn more about how the bubbly wine is produced Visit the cellars and vineyards and of course taste lots of champagne Or stay home and impress your date with the facts below. JOLYOT
EMMA E. FORREST
CHAMPAGNE-ARDENNES TOURISM
METRO WORLD NEWS EMMA.FORREST@METRO.LU
“Nothing says ‘celebration’ like the sound of a cork firing out of a champagne bottle. So the ultimate way to enjoy Valentine’s day has got to involve a visit to the place that produces the world’s most famous fizz.” The world-famous sparkling wine is produced in a very specifically designated 30,000 hectare area in the Champagne-Ardennes region of France, which takes in the Reims Mountain area in the north-east, the idyllic Marne valley in the west, and the Cote des Blancs, south of the town of Epernay. The chalky soil and climate in this specific area provide the optimum conditions for growing the grapes that ultimately produce a superlative bubbly. Hop in a rental car and it’s easy to navigate the area by following the signs for the ‘Route Touristique du Champagne’, the road that
Quick tips
There are 110km of cellars under the town of Epernay
snakes through the vineyards. It’s interesting to see where the grapes are grown, but most of the grapes are bought and transformed into champagne by the major producers away from the vineyards. While some champagne houses including Tattinger, Veuve Cliquot and Ruinart are based in the region’s attractive capital of Reims, the majority of them are based in the smaller town of Epernay. There are 110km of cellars hosting more than 200 million bottles of champagne underneath this city. Above ground the majestic 19th century headquarters of the prestigious champagne houses including Moët & Chandon and Perrier-Jouët line the elegant Avenue de Champagne. One of the biggest champagne makers is Castellane; you may not recognise the name because they sell most of their fizz in France,
For more information check out www.otepernay.fr
Cheerful, even pre-champagne
Champagne facts The largest size of champagne bottle is the Nabuchodonosor, which holds 15 litres or 20 bottles. Chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier are the only grapes allowed in the production of champagne.
LA CAVE A CHAMPAGNE
HOTEL JEAN MOET
STAY
EAT A great place to wash down regional specialities with Champagne. Artichoke heart with snails, beef cheeks in pinot noir, delicious rice pudding, from euros 18 for three courses. www.la-cave-achampagne.com
but they hide a huge nine kilometres of chilly but humid cellars underneath an imposing 66m-high tower. Castellane produces more than four million bottles of champagne a year using grapes from all over the region. The tour of their cellars reveals the process from fermentation through to labelling. (€8,50 tour including tasting, www.castellane.com) If you’re a real connoisseur, however, you’ll want to dig a little deeper, like a DJ hunting out rare vinyl. Rather than traipsing between small local producers, taste their champagnes in one place at C Comme Champagne, a bar in the centre of Epernay that specialises in showcasing the best of more recherché and family-run champagne-makers. (c-comme.fr)
Tilt your glass before you pour the champagne so that you keep as many of the bubbles in it as possible.
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CHAMPAGNE-ARDENNESX TOURISM
For a comprehensive tour of Epernay, hop on the Mill’Bulles ‘thousand-bubbles’ tourist train. It’s a bit cheesy but the audio commentary gives a good overview of the history Champagne city. Euros 6, from the tourist office at 7 avenue de Champagne.
Hotel Jean Moet an elegant but affordable new 3-star hotel in the centre of Epernay. It has tasteful rooms and a laid-back, friendly atmosphere, and a nice airy breakfast room. www.hoteljeanmoet.com La Cave a Champagne
They are combined in different quantities to give each champagne its own identity.
Hotel Jean Moet
Mill’Bulles train
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GOURMET TRAVELLER: MOROCCO
Souk it and see
Quick tips EAT
The ingredients are fresh and seasonal, and the dishes tasty and exotic in Morocco The national dish is the tagine stew, cooked in a special clay pot Wash it down with hot, sweet mint tea
RYAN BORROFF
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METRO WORLD NEWS TRAVEL@METRO.LU
“A traditional Moroccan meal comprises many courses so take things slowly and keep space in your stomach for what’s to follow.” Many people would be hard pressed to name a Moroccan dish beyond couscous and tagine, but Moroccan food is worth exploring deeper. The food in Morocco is likely to be fresh, locallygrown and home-made, which is why it tastes so good, and the atmosphere helps, too. There’s high (the finest romantic restaurants, adorned with rose petals in the medinas of Marrakech and Fes) to low (the grilled brochettes and kefta you can find sizzling over charcoal in the street). Skipping breakfast would be a culinary crime. There are no cornflakes here; instead you’ll be served Beghrir, a thick Moroccan pancake with a holey texture served with honey or jam, Sfenji, a Moroccan doughnut, or Rghaif, a sweet and savoury pastry. Sticky pastries and sweets are sold piled high in the souks, or markets, as is fresh
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DISHES TO TRY... WHEN YOU’RE DINING IN MOROCCO
In Marrakech eating is at its most atmospheric by night in the main square of Djemaa el Fna. A colourful and noisy kaleidoscope of steaming food stalls and locals socialising alongside street performers and snake charmers. Food here is delicious and cheap. Many stalls offer similar fare to their competitors, so half the fun is in the choosing. Try the lamb brochettes and kefta, or snail soup and sheep’s cheeks if you are feeling brave. There’s a great sandwich of hard-boiled eggs, olive oil, salt and cumin in pitta bread that has to be tasted to be believed. VILLA MAROC
Villa Maroc
STAY
Spice and nuts in a Moroccan souk MOROCCO TOURISM
orange juice squeezed for you on the spot. Shop for a carpet, and the shopkeeper will serve you a sweet and aromatic thé b‘na na mint tea or ahwa — incredible strong and spicy Moroccan coffee — while you haggle over prices. In the evening, the walled old-towns or medinas are full of buzzing places to eat, from sizzling stalls to fine dining restaurants housed inside the riads, palaces now transformed into hotels and restaurants.
But be warned if you order a set menu, and be prepared to eat very large quantities of food. A traditional Moroccan meal comprises many courses from salads to lamb cooked in terracotta pots, so take things slowly and leave space in your stomach for what’s to follow. The best advice for the gourmet traveller? Arrive hungry.
MOROCCO TOURISM
MOROCCO TOURISM
For more information check out www.visitmorocco.com
Tucked away in a sunny side street in the delightful seaside town of Essaouira, Villa Maroc was created from two riad palaces. Enjoy romantic fireside dinners in the nooks in the courtyards, and breakfasts on the rooftop terrace overlooking the sea. There are rooms on the roof too, like sunny little beach huts. €88 per night, www.villamaroc.com
TRAVELLING Shop owners in the souks will lure you in with promise of mint tea and ‘democratic prices’, enjoy it, it’s free. Make sure you haggle down from their starting price, as it is the custom here to bargain, but don’t feel obliged to buy anything.
Sweet, strong fresh mint tea is a speciality
WIKIPEDIA/OCTAVE.H
MOROCCO TOURISM
MOROCCO TOURISM
TAJINE
COUSCOUS
HARIRA
PASTILLA
MECHOUI LAMB
A slow-cooked stew of lamb, kefta (grilled spicy minced lamb), chicken, fish or vegetables, the tagine takes its name from the clay pot with a conical lid that it is cooked in. It is also delicious; the jewel in the crown of Moroccan food.
Forget the instant couscous, genuine Moroccan couscous is light and fluffy when cooked properly. Usually served with lamb, chicken, fish or merguez, a spicy Moroccan sausage, or just with vegetables, couscous is steamed several times and is packed with flavour.
Originally a Berber dish, Harira is a traditional Moroccan soup made from lentils and tomato and seasoned with ginger, pepper, and cinnamon. It is particularly popular during Ramadan when it’s frequently served after sunset.
Morocco’s national dish, Pastilla is a savoury sweet and salty meat pie in filo-like pastry. Stuffed with pigeon, chicken or fish this aromatic dish includes cinnamon, allspice and ginger and ground toasted almonds. The meat should be melt-in-yourmouth tender.
If you see a whole lamb roasting on a spit over a firepit you should jump at the chance to eat some. The meat is usually eaten in a pitta bread – or some other type of bread – and the meat is seasoned with salt, cumin, turmeric and saffron.
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TOP 5: DATES WITH A VIEW
Impress your Valentine’s date Choose your Valentine’s date location with a breath-taking view A sensational setting is the perfect backdrop for a marriage proposal Select your location carefully and it will make the occasion even more memorable.
EMMA E. FORREST
ERIC LAIGNEL
GETTY IMAGES
GETTY IMAGES
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METRO WORLD NEWS EMMA.FORREST@METRO.LU
“Choose your location carefully and it will be etched into your date’s heart and mind forever.” Organising a surprise romantic weekend away is always a great way of showing your partner how much you care. Maybe you’ll even be inspired to propose (no pressure!) – you’ll have a great answer when friends and family ask, ‘So where did you pop the question???’. For more information check out www.parisinfo.com
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DRAMATIC
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There’s a good reason why Paris is a romantic cliché. Just walking in the city is inspiring, with its beautiful architecture, majestic boulevards, elegant gardens, world-class museums and fabulous cafés (we’re running out of adjectives here). And you’ll never forget the moment your lover says ‘yes’ if it happens at the top of the iconic Eiffel Tower. For just €13,40 the lift takes you to the top. Then have dinner at the Jules Verne, the tower’s restaurant run by France’s most celebrated chef, Alain Ducasse.
This vista is not for the faint-hearted or the vertiginous, but it is epic. The Grand Canyon Skywalk gives a stunning view over the Canyon from a glass bridge 1,219 metres above the Colorado River. Or hire a helicopter – although you’ll have to shout over the engine noise in order to pop the question. Team it with a visit to Las Vegas. $32, plus $43 access to Grand Canyon West. www.grandcanyonskywal k.com
This modern ferris wheel will take you 135 metres above the British capital, giving thrilling views down the River Thames that snakes through the centre of this historical city, taking in iconic buildings including St Paul’s Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Take a trip in a capsule for just £16.74, pay £460 for a private capsule, and if your date is successful you can exchange your wedding vows at the top. www.londoneye.com
The gondola experience is so recognisably romantic it’s kitsch, but there’s no better way of taking in this amazing city than from its watery alleyways. This unique city has to be seen to be believed with stunning artwork in its churches and museums and palaces and a magical maze of mysterious alleyways to get lost in together A 40-minute trip cruising through the canals will set you back €80. www.turismovenezia.it
At 200 metres over the city of Berlin, this fun TV tower offers a 360-degree view over Berlin - by day you can see the Reichstag (Parliament building), Brandenburg Gate and Potsdamer Platz, and at night the lit streets stretch out like many points of a star of which you’re at the centre. But the real star is the revolving restaurant and cocktail bar, a real treat at sunset. €11, www.tv-turm.de
Eiffel Tower Paris, France
Grand Canyon Arizona, USA
London Eye London, UK
Gondola Venice, Italy
Fernsehturm Berlin, Germany
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 31 JANUARY 2011
GADGETS: HIGH-TECH HAND GEAR
GLOVES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY—EVEN THE DOG
1 ECHO TOUCH KIDS GLOVES These soft soft acrylic and Modal gloves will keep your kid’s hands warm when it’s chilly but they will also let them continue to play their latest touch-screen gadgets – thanks to the ‘eLink’ fabric knitted into the index finger and thumb. $20, www.echodesign.com
2 BARK'N BOOTS™ POLAR TREX™ DOG BOOTS Even man’s best friend deserves winter traction and insulation. These high-tech dog bootees are designed to help your dog tackle icy and snowy conditions. $89.95, www.ruffwear.com
3 COLUMBIA OMNI-HEAT WOMEN'S MAJIK WANDS™ GLOVE These elegant waterproof winter gloves feature 100 grams of super-soft Omni-Heat® thermal insulation to keep your fingers warm on the slopes and stylish on the street. €70, www.columbia.com METRO WORLD NEWS
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METRO WORLD NEWS Monday, 07 February 2011 www.metrotravel.com
TRAVEL we live where you’re going
DUTCH CUISINE GETS SOPHISTICATED {page 04}
On-the-go
Coffee essentials
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{page 06}
What’s inside
Get cross country fit
{page 03}
More than Edam: Dutch cuisine goes gourmet {page 04}
Top 5 exciting food markets {page 05}
Essential accessories for a mobile coffee break {page 06}
Top 5 food markets {page 05} + Actress’ guide to the Chilean capital {page 02}
Get cross country fit {page 03}
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GET INTO MY CITY: SANTIAGO, CHILE The capital of Chile, Santiago is a vibrant city sandwiched between beaches to the west and snowy mountains to the east Your guide to the city is its hottest actress and TV presenter Javiera Acevedo A regular at the coolest and most glamorous fashion, music and television events, she knows exactly where you should be eating, shopping, dancing, JAVIERA ACEVEDO skiing and having a great time.
Setting the pace in Santiago I
would say Santiago is one of the safest cities in Latin America. What you will notice throughout your stay is how kind, open and loving everyone is. The quality of life here is amazing and it’s a city constantly offering you new opportunities and the chance to discover its amazing sources of arts and culture.
At the end of the day, Santiago is a city where I feel happy and with all the tips I’m about to give you, you will without doubt have the coolest guide to Santiago ever. For more information check out www.visitchile.org
First time? I never get tired of spending the day skiing in the Andes (chileanski.com). The famous mountain range is a dramatic backdrop for the city and it’s virtually impossible to not see the snow-capped mountains every time you turn your head. This can be strange when you walk around in the summer in 30-degree heat and still see the snow! It takes about 40 minutes to get to the top but it’s worth it once you are there. Stay within the ice theme and
VISIT CHILE
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go for an ice cream at Emporia la Rosa (emporiolarosa.com/emporio/) in the Lastarrias district.
Been there before? Go and visit the port of Valparaiso and go to the top of the Cerro Alegre or Cerro Concepcion hills overlooking the bay. Relax with a cup of tea, or a glass of wine - Chilean wine is amongst the world’s best and cheapest. If you can, head to the Colchagua Valley and embark on the famous wine route (rutadelvino.cl).
VISIT CHILE
Shopping!
Cerro San Cristobal
Eat I go to Divertimento when I want the best Chilean food. It's a little haven of peace located on the Cerro San Cristobal hilltop. Order a plate of mixed grilled fish and a glass of wine. (divertimento.cl) You can’t go wrong with a pizza at Tiramisu on a lazy Sunday afternoon (tiramisu.cl), or try my favourite Thai restaurants, Restaurant Ky (restobarky.cl) and Vietnam Discovery (vietnamdiscovery.cl). For a
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TIRAMISU
Tirasmisu
taste of the beautiful sea urchins or the more simple Italian stuffed sandwich try Bar Liguria (liguria.cl). I go to El Café de Buenos Aires for a lovely afternoon tea. It’s located on the ‘Plaza de las Lilas’.
Chileans are big fans of American-style shopping malls and Santiago is full of them. If you want somewhere with an outside space where you can have a drink during or after your shop go to Parque Arauco (parquearauco.cl). When I am here I go to Topshop or the Argentinean shop, Paula Cahen Danvers (paulacahendanvers.com. ar) for ethnic clothes. For the best boots and leather accessories I go to the Argentine store Rapsodia (rapsodia.com.ar/chile) located in Las Condes. The style there is very bohemian, hippie-chick. For some very chic finds (and to go somewhere other than a mall) go to Calle Alonso de Cordoba where you will find anything from jewellery and clothes stores to restaurants. I go to ‘La Suite’ to stock up on cool Brazilian shoes.
VISIT CHILE
Stay in Boutique hotel The Aubrey is in the bohemian quarter, Bellavista, and very relaxed. You will also be within walking distance of the Cerro San Cristolbal. (theaubrey.com)
Go out
Dance the night away at The Clinic bar (Monjitas 578). After you have been out partying go for food at the Mercado Central market. It’s open 24/7. One of the best things to eat (to fight off a hangover) is Caldillo de Congrio, eel soup. VISIT CHILE]
Bar life Shopping in the sun in Santiago
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3 Keeping fit on the snowy tracks TRAVEL WITH A TWIST: CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING
THINKSTOCK.COM
PLACES TO CROSS COUNTRY
ANDERMATT Switzerland
Quaint Andermatt has a sleepy, laid-back atmosphere. There’s great cross-country skiing here through lovely scenery, and some challenging downhill too. www.andermatt.ch
The beauty of cross-country is having the snow to yourself
Cross-country skiing is a great way to get healthy before spring It is great exercise, and the sunshine and mountain air will do you good Will Hide gets fit in Morzine, France
WILL HIDE
METRO WORLD NEWS TRAVEL@METRO.LU
“Not only does it get you fit, but it’s also great for clearing your mind as you swish along the snow under a sunny blue sky”
MORZINE AVORIAZ TOURISM
In some parts of the Alps the hills may indeed be ‘alive with the sound of music’, but on this particular wintry weekend the French mountains around Morzine were echoing more with the sound of shuffling and grunting mixed in with the occasional swear word. Rather than speeding down the slopes, I was crosscountry skiing, something I do every January as a newyear ritual. Not only does it get you fit (in my case from a very low base – hence the cursing), but it’s also a great for clearing your mind as you swish along the snow under a sunny blue sky. There are other benefits too. For a start it’s cheaper than downhill skiing; equipment rental is around 11 euro a day and you won’t need an expensive lift pass – especially in Morzine where you can catch a free bus to the trails if you don’t want to take a gondola. There are also nearly 100km of cross-country routes in the Portes du Soleil area so you don’t have to bump into other skiers. And there’s also the joy of not having to lug around a heavy pair of skis or boots: what you wear for cross-country ski weighs a fraction of what you put on for downhill. There are two types of cross-country skiing. Having previously tried the ‘classic’ method - a sort of backwards-forwards shuffle set
Quick tips LESSONS Cross-country ski lessons with French ski school ESF (www.esf-morzine.com) start from €55 pp per day including lunch as part of a group. WWW.TGSKI.CO.UK
Morzine
Morzine eats Lunch: If you’re cross-country skiing towards Avoriaz, grab a seat on the terrace at Chez Lenvers and tuck into tartiflette - potatoes, reblochon cheese and becon, 17 euro. Dinner: In Morzine try
in tracks, which is easier to pick up but slower - I wanted to try ‘skating’ this time, the sort of cross-country you see Winter Olympic athletes doing. It’s faster and more fluid but requires greater physical effort, as I soon found out. My guide, Francois Petitjean, started by making me waddle like a penguin to teach me to push correctly with each foot and find my balance. After a series of other exercises – most important of
L’Etale, Le Grillon or La Grange for an evening meal. Apres-ski: Hit the boisterous Cavern on a Tuesday evening: chalet staff have the day off on Wednesday so Tuesdays are when you’ll find them letting their hair down till the early hours.
which turned out to be mastering the snow-plough stop on such narrow skis, which are only attached to the boot at the toe – we were off. Before you could say vin chaud we had covered 15km of Morzine’s empty back country, before stopping for a well-deserved lunch on a terrace under a glorious, cloudless sky. For more information check out www.mor zine-avoriaz.com
STAY Will Hide stayed with TG Ski (www.tgski.co.uk) which offers B&B lodging from €299 per person per week.
TRAVELLING Transfers from Geneva airport to Morzine with Mountain Bus Company (www.mountanbuscompany.com) are from €40 pp one way and take around 1 hour 15 minutes.
RAMSAU Austria
World Cup athletes train here on the 150km of cross-country tracks so try and pick up some tips from the best. The nearest airport is Salzburg, about 1.5 hours’ drive away. Skiing is possible until Easter although the season is extended on the Dachstein glacier. After a hard day you can grab a drink in town, or for livelier après-ski Schladming is 7km away. www.ramsau.com
BEITOSTOLEN Norway
Fly to Oslo airport then hop on the resort bus (www.valdresekspressen.no) and you’ll soon be on the 320km of prepared cross-country tracks, some of which stretch into the Jotunheimen National Park. There is also a portion that is floodlit for night-time skiing for those who haven’t already found their way to the Svingen pub, which has live music at weekends. www.beitostolen.com
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GOURMET TRAVELLER: HOLLAND
The gourmets have a new home: Holland Holland is no longer a culinary z-lister, known just for cheese wrapped in red wax There are now three Dutch Michelin-starred-chefs Be clever and you can sample their world-class creations at a reasonable price ED OUDENAARDEN /ANP
ROBERT VAN BRANDWIJK
Quick tips
EAT
METRO HOLLAND
From April until October top chef Marco Westmaas serves beautiful dishes in a wooden beach hut on the beach at Ter Heijde aan Zee, a village near The Hague, not far from Rotterdam. He cook simply, with butane gas, perfect for a sultry summer evening. www.elzenduin.com
ROBERT.VAN.BRANDWIJK@METRONIEUWS.NL
“Gastronomy can be affordable here too” Not long ago, Holland was a culinary wasteland. The height of gastronomy was steak and chips at the Van der Valk hotel chain, recognizable by its toucan mascot. But in 2011, Holland has become a culinary paradise. Three top chefs started the metamorphosis and and inspired a next generation of talented chefs. Helped by a flourishing economy Holland now has dozens of Michein-starred restaurants. It’s hard to book a spontaneous dinner at three-starrestaurants Oud Sluis (number 19 in the world) or De Librije (number 37), with a six-month waiting list for a €500 dinner for two. But if you want to taste ‘six preparations of oyster’ famously prepared by Holland’s top chef, Sergio Herman, then drive to his Oud Sluis restaurant in Sluis, and for a €65 lunch. Or dine at Pure C,
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DISHES TO TRY... WHEN YOU’RE GOING DUTCH FOR LUNCH
STAY Trendy Rotterdam has great hotels for every budget. Cheapest is awardwinning ROOM (from €20 a night, www.roomrotterdam.nl). Romantic Cherrycake & Chocolate is the best bed & breakfast in Holland, and it’s located in a 19th century mansion. (From 105 euros, www.cherrycake.nl)
TRAVELLING Holland’s top chef Sergio Herman gets to grips with the country’s seafood
Herman’s ‘resto-bar’ down the road in the nice coastal town of Cadzand, near the Belgian border. This beach restaurant offers local products — fish, shellfish and crustaceans from the province of Zeeland — and a three-course-dinner costs about €35. It’s like Ibiza, but Dutch. There’s affordable gas-
tronomy in Rotterdam, too. Cees Helder was the first Dutch chef to earn three Michelin stars. He sold his own restaurant, and is now the mentor at the beautiful riverside restaurant in the World Museum here. See an exhibition then eat an extraordinary meal, from €30. Sometimes the master himself is in the kitchen. Or try
the fancy Ivy. Chef Francois Geurds got his education at the famous Fat Duck in the UK. In Zwolle, at De Librije, you can have a lollipop of goose liver or tomatoes that look like strawberries. For those on a budget chef Jonnie Boer has opened up Librije’s Zusje (Librije’s Sister), in a former women’s prison.
There’ll be a circus on your plate for €65. Try the cod salad with pickled mushrooms. Michelin-ratings a bit too much? Look for a toucan along the motorway, for the other side of Dutch cuisine.
ANP
ANP
ANP
ANP
PEA SOUP Pea soup, or ‘snert,’ is one of Holland’s most popular winter dishes. The thick soup is made of split peas, celeriac, leek and pork. It’ll warm you up during long skating tours, and costs just four euros. The dish is not complete without rye bread and smoked bacon.
MUSSELS FROM ZEELAND Mussels are the speciality of the watery province of Zeeland, and you’ll find them in every restaurant near the Oosterschelde estuary where they grow. They come all-youcan-eat for €20, natural, with beer, wine, Provençal or even cooked with sambal.
From Amsterdam and Rotterdam you can be in the most northern or most southern part of the Netherlands within three hours, so day trips are easy. Do mind the speed limit: speed cameras are more numerous than windmills. The ramified public transport, to every village, is a good alternative.
For more information check out www.holland.com
ANP
POFFERTJES
KROKET
HOTCHPOTCH
Poffertjes are like pancakes, but smaller, thicker, sweeter and soft from the inside. Poffertjes are made from flour, buckwheat and milk and cooked in special pans. Find them in special ‘poffertjes restaurants’ in big cities. Children love them.
This snack, made from ragout in a covering of egg, flour and breadcrumbs, is available everywhere. You can get one from a vending machine in snackbars for about €1. Get one for example at FEBO’s in Amsterdam or at train stations. Have it with mustard or with fries.
‘Stamppot’ is a hearty mash of potatoes, vegetables and baked pork. The most popular ‘stamppotten’ are those with sauerkraut and kale, accompanied by smoked sausage. Hotchpotch with carrot and onion is recommended, it goes with rib of beef.
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TOP 5: FOOD MARKETS
Smell, sample, shop, then eat! Visit a food market to get a real taste of the country’s culinary life The cuisine can tell you a lot about a place And besides, where else are you going to find reindeer meats sold next to seafood?
ROMINA MCGUINNESS
FLCIKR CC ADACTIO
SEBASSTIANMORALES
ADAMBAKER
JNTO.GO
FLICKR CC IZIK
METRO WORLD NEWS
ROMINA.MCGUINNESS@METRO.LU
“Eating on holiday is always exciting, and visiting an food market can be a theatrical and atmospheric experience.” A country’s cuisine is shaped by numerous factors, including climate, geographical location, historical events and religion – and you’ll often find all of those qualities combined at the local food market. We’ve picked a top five of the most exciting ones in the world. For more information visit the websites listed.
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THE FOODIE
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THE SPICY
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THE SNOB
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Borough Market, London
Mercado De La Merced, Mexico City
Eliseevsky Food Hall, Moscow
Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo
THE FISHY
THE ROMANTIC
Held three days a week in London’s historic London Bridge, this gourmet market is home to independent traders selling high quality, seasonal produce that will thrill your taste buds, from organic fruit and vegetables, dairy, ciders and baked goods. Eat there: Try an ostrich, kangaroo or venison ‘bambi’ burger or pan-fried scallops at ‘Shell Seekers’. Take away: Brownies from Flour Power Bakery or pork pies from Sillfeild Farm. boroughmarket.org.uk
Spread out across four massive blocks, the city’s biggest market brings together culinary traditions and produce from all regions. Eat there: Enchiladas, burritos, tacos and quesadillas bursting with ‘queso blanco’, chewy Oaxacan cheese. Try a side order of cactus paddles ‘Nopales’ or ‘frijoles’, creamy re-fried beans. Take away: Intoxicatingly fragrant vanilla pods, dried chilies, sweet guavas and boiled candy.
Open 24/7, this centuryold food emporium is opulent, extravagant and exclusive. Its aisles lit by chandeliers, no wonder it used to be known as the ‘Temple of the Gluttons’. Eat there: Have a cup of perfumed tea with a Georgian cheese pie or jamfilled gingerbread. Make your way to the fresh seafood for some oysters. Take away: Red caviar, truffles, vintage alcohols (go for the Beluga Vodka) and Russian chocolates. www.eliseevskiy.ru
It’s the worlds largest fish market and global hub of fish and seafood exchange. More then 40,000 people come to buy and sell 2,500 tons and 450 varieties of fresh produce daily. Eat there: Try the bluefin tuna, sardines and sea urchins or the poisonous fish ‘fugu’ - if you dare. Take away: Take home dried sea slug caviar and on your way out stop and at the sushi, noodle and tempura stalls for a healthy snack. www.tsukiji-market.or.jp
This pretty morning harbour-side market offers dried reindeer meats and breads as well as fresh seafood. Eat there: In summer try cloudberries, blueberries and lingonberries. For a typical local lunch eat almond-flavoured potatoes and grilled reindeer sausages. Take away: Smoked reindeer tongue is a local speciality. Stop at the bakery stall to stock up on meat pies and cinnamon buns. www.visitfinland.com
Kauppatori Harbour Market, Helsinki
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GADGETS: MOBILE COFFEE BREAK
ACCESSORIES TO GUARANTEE A HOT COFFEE WHEREVER YOU ARE
1 FLATTERWARE FOLDABLE CUP Disposable cups are environmentallyunsound and make your coffee taste crap. The Flatterware collapsible cup is moulded from a single piece of flexible plastic with a helical structure, so it folds flat then pops up out of its puck when you need to use it. It looks and feels a little funny but it does work. $12, www.flatterware.com
2 HANDPRESSO ESPRESSO MAKER Coffee-addicts will love making fresh espressos with this hand-held machine, whether they’re camping or taking a long road trip. Pump up the pressure, pour in the boiling water and insert the pod, and this eco-friendly gadget will produce a delicious espresso. Euros 99, shop.handpresso.com
3 THERMOS STAINLESS KING VACUUM FLASK Inventors of the famous insulated drinks bottle, Thermos, claim that their King Vacuum flask will keep your drink hot for up to 24 hours thanks to its TherMax double wall insulation. We found hot tea had cooled to warm but was still very drinkable after 24 hours. $19.99, Euros 49.99, www.thermos.com METRO WORLD NEWS
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TRAVEL
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we live where you’re going
THE CELEBRITY CHEF’S TOUR OF LOS ANGELES HIGHLIGHTS {page 02}
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Get that
hot hat for the slopes
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{page 06}
What’s inside
www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2011
Fun for all in St. Lucia {page 03}
The celebrity chef’s tour of Los Angeles {page 02}
Go deeper in St. Lucia {page 03}
Shanghai for foodies {page 04} + Top 5 Roman remains {page 05} }
Street food and more in Shanghai {page 04}
Hot hats for the slopes this season {page 06}
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GET INTO MY CITY: LOS ANGELES LA local and celebrity chef on the Food Network’s ‘Private Chefs of Beverly Hills,’ Sasha Perl Raver knows exactly where the cool kids hang out and dine If you don’t catch her cycling along Venice Beach or drinking strawberry cocktails, she’s probably hiking the Hollywood Hills or taking part in a free yoga class in Griffith Park She knows where the celebs chill out, the places SASHA PERL RAVER TRAVEL@METRO.US to shop and the coolest things to see.
A whole lotta LA …
L
A is in the middle of amazing cultural renaissance. It’s a bit like San Francisco and New York combined, with a mixture of art, food and culture that isn’t as shallow as it’s reputation. One of the things I love is that you can go to the beach in the middle of February, which makes everyone outside the
First time? Go to Santa Monica. It’s touristy but so ‘Baywatch’ it’s awesome. Rent bikes and ride along the beach. Annenburg Beach House (beachhouse.smgov.net) is a free beach resort where you can reserve a spot on the day and only pay a small parking fee. Have lunch at the ‘Café at the Getty Villa’ (getty.edu). It belongs to the Getty family, and it feels like you’ve been transported to the set of some crazy film set version of Tuscany. The best outdoor music venue
Been there before? Chateau Marmont (chateaumarmont.com) is great although it’s more sceny than it used to be. It’s now known for Lindsay Lohan but back in the day, this was where Greta Garbo lived and Jim Belushi died. Sit in the garden and order sticky toffee pudding and a pot of mint tea. It’s got this incredible old-Hollywood glamour feel and you always see someone famous here, hence the strict no camera rule. It’s a running joke in
Eat ‘Best fish taco in Ensenada’ is a tiny little fish taco stand - and you can only get fish ($1.50) and shrimp ($2) filling buts it’s like going to Mexico and back. (bestfishtacoinensenada.com ). Track down LA’s mobile food trucks via twitter. The first to tweet its whereabouts was Kogi (http://kogibbq.com), that serves Korean barbecue tacos. Most people living in LA don’t have regular 95 jobs, so brunch is something that is taken very seriously. You can only have brunch or lunch at Square One, as it closes at three. (squareonedining.com)
For more information check discoverlosangeles.com SASHA PERL RAVER
Hollywood Bowl
SASHA PERL RAVER
is the Hollywood Bowl. People bring food and wine and enjoy being outside under the stars. Go to a Dodger’s baseball game if you have the time. If
LA but everyone goes to the ‘night club of exercise’ the Runyon Canyon. It’s a three-mile hike into one of the grand canyons and people treat it like the running runway. I would also go to Griffith Park, LA’s answer to New York’s Central Park, just way cheesier. They have free yoga classes three times a day and an amazing observatory where you can look through the telescope and see incredible view of LA. There are also loads of hiking paths around here as well as merry go-rounds, horseback riding and golf. NIKOLAS KOENIG
Chateau Marmont
CONTRIBUTED
city super jealous. When the sun rises, it scrubs the sky and you can see both the ocean and the snow-capped mountains, which are only about 30 minutes away by car. It’s an iconic and beautiful place.
Square One
Stay in You’ll be close to Hollywood Boulevard and Walk of Fame if you stay at The Hollywood Renaissance. They also put movie candy on your pillow at night. ($239, renaissancehollywood.com).
Go out
Voyeur
Shopping! Lots of people go to Rodeo Drive but personally, I think it’s crazy, as all you get here is Pretty Women style stuff. I love Sunset Junction and in particular the Silver Lake Farmers Market (sunsetjunction.org). It’s a foodie haven where you can get the most incredible selection of produce including vanilla, lavender and sweet onion sugar. It’s full of hipster
CONTRIBUTED
xxx
stuff to buy nearby and there is an amazing record store I go to called
Vacation Vinyl. Abbot Kinny in Venice is where I go searching for antiques.
Las Perlas does incredible margaritas, they are almost like a meal and you can get very tipsy on just one. The bar staff here is super cute. (lasperlas.la) I love Voyeur for dancing. Some of the dancers are topless; others dangle from nets and some dance in glass boxes. It’s not a strip club. The whole act is based on the 1930s. The masks and top hats feel very Madonna circa her ‘Express Yourself’ days. (voyeur7969.com)
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TRAVEL WITH A TWIST: GET OUT OF ALL-INCLUSIVE
The sides of St. Lucia Be sure to leave your all-inclusive hotel and explore the Caribbean island of St Lucia From beaches to lush rainforests, there’s something for everyone, whether you’re a beach bunny, a water baby or a party animal Highlights include diving, nesting turtles and a live volcano ST LUCIA TOURISM
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EXCITING THINGS TO DO
DINING WITH A VIEW Dasheene
For the best views on St Lucia – the blue sparkle of the Caribbean sea flanked by the two Piton mountains – eat at Dasheene in Ladera Resort (00 1 758 459 6614, www.ladera.com). The food is a gourmet take on Creole (try the beef on green banana mash).
Horseriding, an alternative use for the beach
AMANDA HYDE
METRO WORLD NEWS TRAVEL@METRO.LU
“The Caribbean has an island for everything. But what if you want to do it all at once? The answer’s in St Lucia.” This stunning island with its famous forested peak combines the best of what the Caribbean has to offer: the scenery, the sites, the sand and the super hotels and restaurants. Water babies will love it here - St Lucia has some of the best diving in the Caribbean, with natural coral around the underwater volcano that surrounds the island as well as artifi-
cial sites grown from shipwrecks. The perfect place to head underwater is Anse Chastenet beach, in the middle of a marine park with a fish-heavy reef just ten metres from the sand. Book through Scuba St Lucia (singles dives from $39; 00 1 758 459 7755, www.scubastlucia.com). From mid-March to the end of July, St Lucia has some shy and rather elusive visitors – turtles. They’re most likely spotted on the wild sweep of Grande Anse beach. Embark on a viewing with Jim Sparks (00 1 758 452 8100; €9). You’ll stay in a tent right on the sand with only candles for company, and you’ll have from 4pm until 6.30am to see the shelled creatures. If you’re keen on sightseeing, you can drive right up to the belching, bubbling Soufrière Volcano – a reminder of the island’s origins and the reason its beaches come with black sand (admission $1.25). But it’s the surroundings that make the trip. This part of St Lucia is stunning, with the peaks of the Pitons rising from the coast, and a
maze of inland roads hemmed by old plantations and sleepy, pastel villages. The potholed, meandering roads of this island mean you’ll soon want a break from driving. Consider swapping four wheels for four legs on a trail round crumbling Morne Coubaril sugar plantation (every day 9am-4.30pm, $10): a horseback tour here takes in the
dramatic sweep of beach at its very edges, the old mansion at its heart, and the various methods with which they cultivate coca, copra and manioc. Party time comes at the end of the working week in St Lucia, with casual Friday night parties in small villages and towns. In paintbox-coloured Anse-La-Raye towards the south of the is-
land, Fish Friday marks the end of the week with stalls of fresh seafood laid out by the residents, and music throbbing from soundsystems strung high above the pavements. In Gros Islet, a tiny town near Rodney Bay, the party is louder, livelier, and packed with tourists and locals drinking beer in makeshift bars and eating spicy Caribbean specialities.
ST LUCIA TOURISM
Quick tips
Fish Friday in Anse-La-Raye
Hewanorra International Airport in the south of the island is served by many international airlines. Avoid driving through Soufrière unless you’re going with a guide or have clear directions. Some residents don’t appreciate tourists and their 4WDs reversing up the narrow streets! Don’t change your cash to Eastern Caribbean dollars, American currency is accepted everywhere and you’ll get a better deal if you need to change any back.
DISCOUNT SHOPPING
Pointe Seraphine Mall The island’s duty free stores are the ideal place to pick up something extra special – diamonds and big name watches come with significant discounts. The best selection is at Pointe Seraphine mall in Castries, where the cruise ships dock.
BE ROMANTIC Ti Kaye
The height of romance, Ti Kaye’s clapboard cottages come with muslin-draped beds and stunning views out to sea. The Creole restaurant is superb too (cottages from $190B&B, www.tikaye.com).
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GOURMET TRAVELLER: SHANGHAI
Fresh and sweet cuisine in Shanghai The food in this vibrant Chinese city runs from high to low Ingredients are so fresh you can buy live animals— including turtles and snakes—in regular supermarkets And sugar’s a main ingredient We’re there ELLEN HIMMELFARB
ELLEN HIMMELFARB
Quick tips
METRO WORLD NEWS TRAVEL@METRO.LU
Shanghai Tang Café
“The dishes here are slightly sweeter than most Chinese cuisine” It’s a rare city that straddles Old World and New, developing and developed, but Shanghai is one of them. It’s a city desperate to grow up, so skyscrapers shoot up, while traditional life thrives in the alleys between them. This duality trickles down rather deliciously to the food. Those skyscrapers attract restaurants boasting top chefs with ambition to match the city’s, and the lanes are ablur with steam from a thousand mom-andpop kitchens. So you can eat for €5 a day or €50. The dishes here are slightly sweeter than most Chinese cuisine; a key ingredient is sugar, nothing more complicated than that. Shanghaining are obsessed with freshness (xinxian) – even the supermarkets carry live fish, turtles, snakes – so
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DISHES TO TRY... WHEN YOU’RE HUNGRY IN SHANGHAI
EAT China’s leading high-fashion brand just got its own restaurant: Shanghai Tang Café. The lacquer-and-silk décor is an extension of the label’s vivid clothing. Food is Shanghainese with extra sprinklings of pomegranate and foie gras. www.shanghaitang.com
STAY
Street food is cheap and plentiful
local delicacies vary by the season. In winter migrant workers push coal stoves roasting corn and sweet potatoes, and windows fog up from hotpots of boiling broth for dipping meat and veg in. On summer nights, sweaty clubbers squat on pavement stools chewing on skewers of squid and pork. And in September hairy crabs appear, scaling their aquariums with fuzzy claws.
And that’s just the cheap eats. In high-rise hotels including the Grand Hyatt star chefs serve platters of crispy Mandarin fish doused in sweet, sticky sauce, drunken chicken and shrimp, (named for the spirits they’re simmered in), and sweet and sour pork ribs. Flash restaurants get a spot on the river Bund, the old British enclave of Art Deco riverfront manors: the
Whampoa Club is notable for its modern take on local specialities and sumptuous gilded décor. In the leafy French Concession area you’ll find a range of atmospheric dining rooms in grand walled mansions. The cuisine here is so popular that even the foreigners cook it. Take a number at Taiwanese chain Din Tai Fung and you’ll be rewarded with xiaolongbao (soup
dumplings) widely considered to do the finest anywhere. Ditto at Singapore restaurant chain, Crystal Jade. The menu here is overwhelmingly Shanghainese and it’s got the busiest reservation log in town. That’s flattery in its sincerest form.
ELLEN HIMMELFARB
ELLEN HIMMELFARB
ELLEN HIMMELFARB
ELLEN HIMMELFARB
HAIRY CRABS
XIAOLONGBAO
In autumn the fuzzy-clawed crustaceans are so plentiful they literally spill onto the pavements from their aquariums (so watch where you walk). But that does nothing to reduce their value. Steamed and dipped in vinegar they are Shanghai’s most coveted delicacy.
These tiny soup dumplings (xiao is ‘small’ in Mandarin) are stuffed with all types of meat and veg plus a dollop of gelatin that melts into broth when steamed. Cool them then poke with a chopstick to release the pressure before eating, otherwise they squirt dangerously.
LANZHOU LA MIAN (FRESHLYPULLED NOODLES) Old hands knead dough then pull with strategically-placed fingers until it looks as if they’ve unwound a ball of wool. It’s then plunged into boiling water and three minutes later you have a bowl of freshly-pulled noodles.
For more information check out www.meetin-shanghai.net
JIN PAI KOU ROU This braised side of pork is served with bamboo shoots and bok choy - plus a lot of the pork fat. The Shanghainese simply bung the fatty meat onto a plate with the simmered greens. Contrary to expectation, the pork is the best thing about this dish.
The glammest hotel launch last year was the Langham Xintiandi: central, sybaritic, sexy. The neo-Sixties building, is a new Shanghai landmark. From €200, xintiandi.langhamhotels.com
TRAVELLING As world-class cities go, Shanghai is possibly the safest and cheapest. Taxis usually cost about €2.5, the metro is €35 cents a trip.
ELLEN HIMMELFARB
SHANGHAI NOODLES Shanghai’s noodles are the thickest in the East. Here, they serve them with chicken, pork or shrimp, shredded cabbage, mushrooms, egg and spring onion. Lots of sugar, oil, soya sauce and shaoxing wine give them a delicious greasiness.
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TOP 5: ROMAN SITES
Gladiators, baths & god
Visit some of the world’s most mind-blowing Roman sites See how these architectural gems have influenced the cities they stand in Make sure you understand the reason they were built to appreciate their beauty and value
ROMINA MCGUINNESS
P. MOUAÏL
CONTRIBUTED
GETTY IMAGES
GETTY IMAGES
CONTRIBUTED
METRO WORLD NEWS
ROMINA.MCGUINNESS@METRO.LU
“Find out more about one of the most fascinating empires in history” Although the recent Roman adventure “The Eagle” didn’t burn up the box office, it got us curious about history. Many Roman remains are beautifully-preserved, giving a feel for the power and ambition of that mighty empire, as well as for daily life for Romans, whether they were shopping at a market or watching a gladiator. Take a look at five of the stillstanding must sees. For more information check out www.xxx
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Thermes Sextius, Aix en Provence, France
The Roman Baths, Bath, England
Hadrian’s Wall, Scotland
The Coliseum, Rome, Italy
Thermes Sextius is a new spa set on the site of the towns’ old roman baths built in 122 AD by the Roman Consulate. The hot, mineral-rich water supplied to spa comes from the limestone range of the Mont SainteVictoire, one of the most iconic natural backdrops in Provence. Inside the spa, you can see the original Roman springs beneath the glass floor. Aix is a typical Provencal town with tempting cafes as well as 100 spring water fountains scattered around town. www.thermes-sextius.com
Founded in 75 AD by the Romans, the Pump Rooms and Roman Baths are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva, the baths are still fed by one of the purest hot springs in Britain. Key attractions include the Sacred Spring, Roman Temple, the bathhouse, and the Pump Rooms, the opulent 18th century dining room overlooking the springs. Enjoy afternoon tea here, then drink from the fountain. The sulphuric taste, the water has health benefits. www.romanbaths.co.uk
After visiting England in AD 122, Emperor Hadrian decided to build a border wall that would ‘separate the Romans from the Barbarians’ in Scotland. Three legions and six years later, the result was Hadrian’s Wall, one of the most imposing legacies of the Roman Empire. There’s almost 250km of UNESCO Heritage site to explore here, including 120km of Roman wall running across Britain’s ‘neck’ as well as villages, museums, forts and rivers. www.hadrians-wall.org
Some of the most iconic remnants of the Roman Empire are to be found, surprise, surprise, in Rome. Inaugurated in 80 AD and capable of squeezing in more than 50,000 spectators, Rome’s Coliseum was built to host mortal combats between prisoners and wild animals. Fast-forward two thousand years and it’s still one of the city’s biggest attractions, with tours that show the chambers where animals and fighters were caged before being let out into the arena. en.turismoroma.it
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Ephesus, Selcuk, Turkey The ancient city of Ephesus was once the second biggest city in the Roman Empire and its ruins include an amphitheatre, market place, library, fountains, public toilets, huge basilica and even a brothel. The remains of the Temple of Artemis, one the Seven Wonders of the World, can be seen here. The marble monument was partly destroyed by fire in 262AD so all that remains is a single column in a swamp. See souvenirs from the temple in the nearby Ephesus Archaeological Museum. www.tourismturkey.org
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GADGETS: SKI AND BOARDING HATS
STYLISH WAYS TO KEEP YOUR HEAD WARM
1 COLUMBIA SNOWTOP BEANIE
Kids will love this fun beanie with a bobble, which comes in contrasting colours including green, red and purple. €15, www.columbia.com
2 SPYDER LOVE HAT The leggy spider stops this heart-studded hat from being too girlie. It’s an eyecatching design from top Canadian ski and boarding brand Spyder is 100% Acrylic Cashmere. €15, www.spyder.com
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3 VOLCOM DRAMA BEANIE Get noticed on the slopes with this brightly-striped, slouchy beanie hat, comes in orange and blue, pink and black. €30, ellisbrigham.com METRO WORLD NEWS
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TRAVEL
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we live where you’re going
DISCOVERING RUSSIA ON THE TRANS-SIBERIAN EXPRESS {page 03}
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Travel eye
masks sleep easy
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{page 06}
What’s inside
Discover Russia on the TransSiberian {page 03}
Taste of Brazil {page 04}
GETTY IMAGES
Top 5 F1 races for foodies {page 05} + An scenester’s guide to Rome {page 02}
Art scenester’s Rome tips {page 02}
Eye masks to help you sleep well in-flight {page 06}
Taste of Brazil {page 04}
GETTY IMAGES
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GET INTO MY CITY: ROME As a mover and shaker of Rome’s art scene, Luca Lo Pinto is the perfect guide to the best of his city He is an art curator, writer and editor of Nero, a quarterly arts & culture magazine Born in Rome but with Tuscan and Sicilian roots, Luca will fill you in on ‘his’ world: cream-filled croissants, shopping for papal socks and enjoying a vodka sour at his local cocktail bar, LUCA LO PINTO TRAVEL@METRO.LU
The cool curator’s Italy I
ENIT VITO ARCOMANO
t’s rare to find a city like Rome. It’s a contemporary place surrounded by historic ruins and this juxtaposition is one of its most fascinating aspects. As I always say "Rome is cool because it's not cool!" The pace of life here is very slow, you can add an extra hour for everything you do. As it’s in the South, outsiders think of it as exotic. Every-
First time? Rome is basically an openair museum. Taking a walk around and getting lost in the centre of the city in the middle of the night is the best thing to do. First timers should also make sure they pay a visit to the Vatican Museum, which has one of the biggest art collections in the world. The Pantheon and the Coliseum are two things you should see, considering they both represent the greatness of local architecture. In the afternoon, go for a stroll around Villa Borghese Gardens, (www.galleriaborghese.it). It’s one of the biggest parks in Rome and has fountains, temples and sculptures.
Been there before? Visit Museo Praz the house museum of art historian Mario Praz, and The Protestant Cemetery in Testaccio. It’s nice to walk there, with lots of green space, it’s where artists and poets like Keats and Shelley are
thing here is wonderful: the food, people and places. Its distance from the other big Italian cities makes it more exciting and gives a different perspective on life, as here you have time to digest what’s going on. For more information check out www.italian tourism.com
ENIT SANDRO BEDESSI
Villa Borghese
Shopping!
The Pantheon
buried. Visit the psychedelic Capuchin Crypt, in the Santa Maria Della Concezione dei Cappuccini church, which is decorated with 4,000 human bones which are made into patterns. It’s scary and fascinating. Explore the area around Via Veneto, it’s where all where the artists used to hang out. FLICKR CC BARRY ADAMS
The flashiest shops are on Via Condotti. It’s the equivalent of Bond Street in London. Gammarelli is where I get my socks, they are based on historic designs for priests and the shop still works with the church. The colour of the sock depends on the grade, so you can choose to buy a cardinal or bishop’s sock (meschaussettesrouges.com). For classic menswear I go to Schostal (schostalroma.com) and for tailoring I go to Bomba (cristinabomba.com). Motel Slaieri is a shop and exhibition space that sells
Eat
Capuchin Crypt
Go for breakfast at Pasticceria Bernasconi (Via Cairoli 16), the best Jewish bakery in Rome. It’s a stand-up bar so just order a homemade cream croissant (cornetti) and espresso at the counter. For
ENIT VITO ARCOMANO
Stay in Hotel Locarno is the only very chic hotel in town and it oozes old school glamour. (hotellocarno.com).
Go out
Via Condotti
cool brands including Comme des Garcons (motelsalieri.org). Not to miss,
is Miss France 1956: a shop run by an ex-Miss France that opens at midnight.
lunch I recommend Da Settimio (117 via del pellegrino). It’s a very old place and coming here is like going for lunch at your mother’s house. The food is simple but sublime. I often get the pasta and meatballs. Dinner at Trattoria Monti (Via di San Vito 13)
run by the Cameruci family, will blow you away. Franca the mother and cook makes the most amazing egg-yolk filled pasta, tortelli. It’s very popular though, so I would recommend booking as far in advance as you can.
The best of the worst of Rome takes place at infamous after-hours club Frutta e Verdura (fruttaeverdura.roma.it). To experience the Roman hipster scene, go to Vicious (viciousclub.tumblr.com). For a more laid back experience, I go to Caffe Parione (Via Della Pace 40). The 80year-old bar tender, Ivano, makes the most amazing cocktails. HOTEL LOCARNOX
Hotel Locarno
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TRAVEL WITH A TWIST: RUSSIA BY RAILWAY
Taking in Russia on the Trans-Siberian Railway One of the most exciting train journeys in the world is a six-day ride across Russia The ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway is fun, but the real treats are found off the rail tracks from the heart of Moscow to the towns of Siberia 015_PHOTO CREDIT. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
ANTHONY JOHNSTON METRO WORLD NEWS
ANTHONY.JOHNSTON@METRO.LU
“The real joy of the Trans-Siberian is when you get off to explore local areas.” The Trans-Siberian rail route is one of the world’s most memorable: stretching more than 9,259 kilometres from Moscow to Vladivostok, passing through 87 cities and towns, crossing seven time zones and two continents, a journey on the Trans-Siberian is an extraordinary adventure and every moment brings new surprises. The truly Russian version of the experience is arguably found while shacking up in the 3rd class – here, the carriage is effectively one large dormitory, a playground in which to enjoy drink-fuelled banter with fellow travellers and sample various culinary delights the hospitable Russian folk have on offer. But despite the fun of being on a train ride that seemingly never ends, the real joy in the Trans-Siberian is getting off to explore local areas. Ekaterinburg, the first major stop in Asian Russia along the Trans-Siberian route may seem to be your typical Russian provincial city – but this industrial hub at the foot of the Ural Mountains boasts huge historic interest. Here you can visit the site where Tsar Nicholas II and the last of the Romanov dynasty were executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918. A grand Orthodox church with sparkling golden domes – distinctly called the Church on Blood in Honour of All Saints Resplendent in the Russian Land – now stands on the fateful site. Moving eastwards, try a few days living in Mongolian-style tents along the shores of Lake Baikal. Locals say this ancient lake is sa-
The Trans-Siberian ANTHONY JOHNSTON
cred so it’s no wonder that Olkhon, an island of boundless steppe located in the middle of the lake, is populated by shamans, mystic soothsayers that profess to be messengers between the human and the spiritual world. On the eastern shores of the lake lies Ulan-Ude, a town populated by the Buryat people, an ethnic minority related to Mongolians. One of the most curious sights in his town is the world’s largest bust of Lenin on the main square. Visitors should also visit nearby Ivolginsky Datsan, a restored Tibetan Buddhist monastery and central Buddhist spiritual centre in Russia. Getting from A to B on this route is fun, but the Trans Siberian's real allure comes from learning about the immense variety in nature and in culture this vast country affords, when you step off the train. For more information check out eng.rzd.ru
Quick tips
EAT
Stock up with Russian gettogether snacks, including pancakes with red caviar, salt-dried vobla fish, pork fat (a delicacy known as ‘salo’) and the popular Russian beer, ‘Siberian Crown’.
STAY
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Hotel Baikal in the quaint
PLACES TO STOP OFF EN ROUTE
village of Listvyanka boasts impressive panoramas of Russia’s sacred lake. In winter this 1970s hotel looks like the Overlook Hotel from movie “The Shining”! lakebaikaltravel.com
SHOP Visit Vernisazh market less than 4km northeast of Moscow for matrioshka dolls to real fur Ushanka hats.
FLICKR CC SYNCHROSWIMR
Ivolginsky Datsan
FLICKR CC TAKWING KWONG
GETTY IMAGES
MOSCOW
LAKE BAIKAL
VLADIVOSTOK
Taking a stroll on Red Square, dominated by the iconic St. Basil’s Cathedral and the Kremlin, is a thrill – you’re at the very heart of ‘Mother Russia’.
Lake Baikal, the world's oldest and deepest lake, is famous for its pristine bright blue waters. It’s home to thousands of unique plant and animal species.
Home to the Russian Pacific Fleet, this port was closed to foreigners under communism. Now visitors can see hundreds of Russian navy recruits in smart uniform.
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GOURMET TRAVELLER: BRAZIL
Get a flavour for Brazil in Sao Paulo Brazil’s cuisine is as diverse as the country is vast Fortunately it’s possible to try out all the culinary treats the country has to offer in the city of São Paulo All dishes are washed down with the national drink, the caipirinha CAIO GUATELLI-FOLHAPRESS
MARIANNA PEDROZO
Quick tips
METRO BRAZIL
BUY
MARIANNA.PEDROZA@METROJORNAL.COM.BR
Sample Brazil’s most exotic fruits at the huge market Mercadão in downtown São Paulo. It’s also a place to try snacks including saltcod pasties ‘pastéis de bacalhau’, chewy cheese rolls, ‘pão de queijo’, the energyboosting pulp of the acai fruit from the Amazon and the famous bologna meat sandwich. mercadomunicipal.com.br
“The cuisine is as varied and as colourful as this country’s people” You may be more familiar with its dance or music styles, but Brazil offers a singular gastronomical experience, particularly for carnivores. Prepare yourself for high quality meats, strong seasoning and mouth-watering dishes with bold flavors. And prepare to find it all in one place. In the city of São Paulo visitors can try the specialties of Brazil in one sprawling metropolis, offering restaurants for every regional cuisine and budget. Some of the most distinctive dishes come from the north-eastern states, including Bahia, which boasts the exotic, historical city of Salvador. Dishes here get their unique flavour from palm oil and coriander. Another specialty of the northeastern states is beef jerky.
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DISHES TO TRY... WHEN YOU’RE DINING IN SAO PAULO
LEARN Learn how to prepare a good moqueca at Capim Santo restaurant. The chef can teach you how to cook traditional and historic dishes and even dishes created for the Afro-Brazilian religion, Candomble. When you escape the city, visit their blissful pousada in Trancoso, Bahia. capimsanto.com.br
STAY
Carnivores will love churrascaria restaurants
A Sunday lunch favourite is the ‘feijoada’, a heavy stew made with black beans and different cuts of pork. This filling dish should be accompanied by a glass of caipirinha – a typical Brazilian drink prepared with cachaça, a strong alcoholic
drink made from sugar cane. You might also like to schedule in a siesta to allow yourself to digest. The dining experience here is often interactive. Try the self-service kilo-buffet ‘bufet a kilo’, or a carnivorous churrascaria, a rotis-
serie-style restaurant where waiters come to your table to carve slices of different cuts of juicy roasted meat from huge skewers onto your plate. Each diner is given a disc, which is green on the one side, red on the other, so waiters know whether
or not you’re ready for your next round. Novices can even ask for a map that shows you what part of the cow you’re eating. For more information check out www.braziltour.com
For a treat, stay at Hotel Unique. Food at the hotel’s restaurant is inspired by the mix of Brazilian, French, Italian and Japanese culinary cultures in the city. It has incredible views over Sao Paulo and does a superb caipirinha. hotelunique.com.br
CAIO GUATELLI-FOLHAPRESS
XXX
BARBECUE
ESCONDIDINHO
The specialty of Rio Grande do Sul state, in the southern region of Brazil. At a barbeque, or ‘churrascaria’, different cuts of beef are roasted over coals and carved at your table. Side dishes including rice and salad are allyou-can-eat and self-service.
A typical dish from Pernambuco state, in the North-Eastl, and from cities in the central state of Minas Gerais, escondidinho is prepared with shredded jerked meat and mashed manioc. Chefs usually use butter as a seasoning and topped with curd cheese.
MOQUECA DE PEIXE This Northeastern speciality is a thick stew of seasoned fish and seafood. Each region of the country has its special version: the traditional moqueca from the state of Bahia is prepared with coconut milk and palm oil.
ACARAJÉ An Afro-Brazilian dish typical of the North-East, acarajé is a ball made from a paste of black-eyed beans, onions and salt, deep-fried in palm oil. The ball is stuffed with shrimp, pepper, vatapá (a dish prepared with seafood) and salad.
LEMON CAIPIRINHA The national cocktail is prepared with cachaça, Brazil’s answer to rum. This potent drink accompanies feijoadas, barbecues and sunny afternoons on the beach. Crush limes with sugar, then add ice and cachaca, stir, then pour into a frozen glass.
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TOP 5: PLACES TO EAT OUT DURING THE F1 SEASON
The F1 season for foodies
There are 19 GP races that could be the focus of a memorable weekend trip Make a holiday of the most inviting destinations The head of catering at McLaren-Mercedes gives her top five restaurants on the F1 season circuit
EMMA E. FORREST
GETTY IMAGES
METRO WORLD NEWS EMMA.FORREST@METRO.LU
“Celebrate your favourite team’s results at one of the best restaurants on the F1 circuit.” Going to an F1 race is a great excuse to have a mini holiday; watch the races during the day and eat out in the evenings. We got our restaurant tips from foodie and F1 circuit veteran, Lyndy Redding. She’s Managing Director of Absolute Taste, the catering company that feeds the hungry drivers, engineers and VIP guests of McLaren Mercedes team. For more information check out www.f1.com
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SHANGHAI
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VALENCIA June 26
Taxi
T8
El Molinon
It’s Japanese-Australian fusion here: “A great buzzy restaurant. The chefs are on show and it is great to watch the massively busy kitchen at work. The food is art and all tastes great without exception. The staff knows their stuff and are obviously foodies too, describing all the food with great enthusiasm and to top it all off there is a fabulous wine list with lots of local wines and a sommelier who knows his wine. I never miss a visit to Taxi.” transporthotel.com.au
“Yummy fusion food in a restaurant with an Asian ambience, in a fun part of the city. We always have a team party here and the chefs and hospitality love the food – the staff are gracious and charming. They have a boutique wine list that is very welcome, it’s great to have wines that are as delicious as the dishes they serve. I am always inspired when we eat there. The kitchen is openplan with bar seats so you can look straight into the kitchen.” t8shanghai.com
“This is a fabulous little find – a great cider and tapas bar. It is quite unique, with little barrels on the sawdust floor that are actually spittoons. The cider is poured from arms’ length at a height and it is just great to watch. Loads of locals fill the place and the tapas is amazing! The staff are also friendly, so you really feel at home.“ C/ Bolsería, 40, 46001 Valencia, Spain
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MONTE CARLO May 29
Alain Ducasse at La Bastide de Moustiers “Top chef Alain Ducasse’s restaurant in Provence is a place to visit before or after the Grand Prix. The food is cooked each day according to what is available from the garden and locally. It is a gastronomic paradise – the best food cooked under the watching eye of the great chef himself in one of the most stunning places in the world.” bastide-moustiers.com
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SILVERSTONE July 10
The Kingham Plough “The best gastro pub to visit from Silverstone is a short drive away, in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. The Kingham Plough’s chef Emily Watkins was trained by [culinary maverick] Heston Blumenthal so the food is fun and interesting but is still approachable, so not too intense after a day at the track. It’s also a great place to stay as the rooms are beautiful and decorated in a simple chic English style.” thekinghamplough.co.uk
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GADGETS: SLEEP MASKS
FOR SWEET DREAMS
1 OTIS BATTERBEE TRAVEL EYE MASK
Otis Batterbee’s Prince of Wales check sleep mask is one for the first class flyer who has it all. €50, $69, www.otisbatterbee.com
2 NATURA ORGANIC SLEEP MASK If you’re conscious about your carbon footprint, but still don’t mind spending money on a sleep mask, then this, made from organic cotton and wool, is definitely for you. €22, $30, www.dreamessentials.com
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3 HIBERMATE SLEEP MASK It may look like a virtual reality mask, but it’s the practical option for those business types who are serious about their sleep, with complete blackout fabric and ear muffs to block out sound too. €29, $36, www.hibermate.com MWN
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TRAVEL
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we live where you’re going
SLEEPING WITH ROYALTY: TOP 5 CASTLE HOTELS IN BRITAIN {page 05}
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Marathon trips
What’s inside
www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 28 MARCH 2011
Exotic Marathon Trips {page 03}
The hipster’s guide to the best of Athens
{page 03}
{page 02}
Top castle hotels in Britain {page 05}
Brew your tea on the road {page 06}
EMMA CRAIG
The singer-songerwriter’s guide to Athens {page 02} + Gourmet guide to Portugal {page 04}
EMMA CRAIG
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GET INTO MY CITY: ATHENS Our guide to Athens is hot new alternative singer-songwriter Monika Christodoulou A major talk of the town, even before she released her first album “Avatar” in 2008, she debuted her second album, Exit, last year She plays the guitar, piano, saxophone, bouzouki and harmonica She originally came to Athens to study maths, and stayed because she loves the city so much MONIKA CHRISTODOULOU TRAVEL@METRO.LU EUROKINISSI
The inspirational
Greek capital View over Athens
I
love the energetic citizens of Athens, the breathless rhythms of everyday life, the sea, the healthy climate and its strong light from the bright Athenian sun that makes people smile. After a seven-
year love affair with this city, it still inspires me and I cant help but keep praising it through my songs. For more information check out visitgreece.gr METRO GREECE
Plaka
First time? Visitors should definitely go for a walk to the old neighborhood of Plaka and visit the Acropolis. I would recommend walking up Lycabettus hill to enjoy the breathtaking view from above. The drive from
Been there before?
Visit the suburbs, to get a more complete idea of the capital. In Kifissia you can have a nice coffee in the
Athens to the southern suburbs, such as Voula and Varkiza, is one of the most unforgettable seaside routes. One can stop to swim or relax on one of the numerous beaches on the way to Sounio, the temple of Poseidon, the ancient god of the sea. fresh air, and the port of Piraeus has lots of fish taverns and spots for long walks or bicycle rides. And walking around Exarhia, especially along Kallidromiou street is as good.
Go out Six D.O.G.S. is one of the best multi-spaces you can have a drink in. The back garden is like an urban oasis, inside there’s gigs and art shows (sixdogs.gr). Booze (boozecooperativa.com), TORA K44 (k44.gr) or Gazarte (gazarte.gr) are also cool places to listen to good indie music. Giasemi, in Plaka is my favorite place; time stands still as you sit by the fireplace with a glass of wine, or a delicious dessert made by the owner, Mariza. On Sundays there’s live music (Mnisikleous 23, Plaka).
Eat I feel like taking you somewhere with traditional and typical Greek cuisine rather than gourmet restaurants. Therapeftirio (which means physical therapy) is one of the best choices for someone to
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EUROKINISSI
Kolonaki
Shopping! The most comprehensive shopping area is Kolonaki in central Athens. It combines designer brands with small alternative fashion shops, as well as interesting art galleries and gift shops. For handmade or vintage try Monastiraki.
6 Dogs
taste traditional Greek food in a cosy environment with quick, amiable service (Kydantinon 41, Ano Petralona). Kimatothrafstis (means breakwater) is good for authentic homemade food served as an all-yourplate-can-hold buffet (49 Charilaou Trikoupi Valtet-
siou). Bliss is a very enjoyable place to eat as it serves only organic dishes in a colorful and youthful environment (Romvis 24A, Athens). For a more chic choice try one of the numerous restaurants in Kolonaki, like Prytaneion (prytaneion.gr).
Stay in Avoid downtown areas like Patision or Omonoia. A high-quality and reasonably priced hotels is Golden Age in Vasillisis Sofias Avenue, just 10 minutes’ walk from the centre. (From €58, goldenage.gr)
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TRAVEL WITH A TWIST: RACING
Marathon holidays
EMMA CRAIG
Want to stay fit while on vacation? Incorporate a marathon into your travels Will Hide heads to Kenya to race in one of the world's most unusual trials — hoping the lions don't get him before the finish
Keeping an eye out for lions on the Lewa marathon
WILL HIDE
METRO WORLD NEWS TRAVEL@METRO.LU
“Travelling to take part in marathons is a fun way of experiencing a country” Was it a sign? The pilot of my tiny plane from Nairobi handed me a business card for his other job after we touched down at Lewa, an hour north of the Kenyan capital. “Matumshi Humphrey Nguma: Rainbow Faith Ministries” it read. “Preparing you in difficult times on earth for settlement in God's kingdom”. Hopefully I wouldn’t be needing his help any time soon, but I was just about to run a marathon which is famous for runners having to shoo rhinos, lions and elephants off the course. I’m a veteran of marathons worldwide, but what better incentive to run your ‘personal best’ time than having a large angry lion careering behind you?
The Lewa marathon, which takes place several degrees north of the equator at an elevation of 1,700m, was first run ten years ago to raise money for, and highlight the plight of, East Africa’s rhinos. In the early 1980s Kenya’s black rhino population had declined from more than 20,000 to just 230 – killed by poachers for their horns for Arabian dagger handles and Chinese medicine. Today thankfully their numbers are on the rise. The starter’s gun fired soon after sunrise so I and the other thousand or so runners could avoid the heat that builds fiercely later in the day. We pounded the dirt tracks over the 42km course, a helicopter hovering overhead to keep an eye out for errant wildlife – I saw elephants at around the 15km mark but they seemed uninterested in the strange band of humans snaking across their territory. Four hours later I crossed the finish line, tired but elated. I enjoyed the finish party, with its leaping Masai warriors, live music and chilled Tusker beer. No need yet to call the number on Mr Nguma’s business card.
Lewa Marathon This year’s Lewa marathon is on June 25th. Entries close on May 20.
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OTHER RACES TO CONSIDER RUNNING IN 2011
Quick tips EAT If you can, try some local food. Githeri, for example, is a mix of boiled maize and beans; on the coast, wali is rice cooked in coconut milk.
MARATHON DU MEDOC
MARATHON DU MEDOC France
A marathon where most runners are in fancy dress and stop every 2km for a glug of wine or a freshly chucked oyster is a lot of fun. More than 8,500 people take part in this jaunt around vineyards north of Bordeaux every September. Details: 10 September. marathondumedoc.com If it’s full, consider the Marathon du Vin in Pic St Loup, France, on October 21st, www.209events.com
STAY Book a place in a tent near the marathon for $35 per night, and you’ll have to self cater, in which case you bring all food with you from Nairobi. Or for $95 per night you can do full board (not
ITROMSÕ
TROMSO MIDNIGHT SUN MARATHON Norway
This marathon in north Norway is run at night – in broad daylight, 350km north of the Arctic Circle. If you don’t want to do the whole course there is a half marathon, even a 4.2km fun run. The pretty town itself is very lively, with a large student population and fun pubs and restaurants to celebrate in afterwards. Details: 25 June. msm.no
including drinks); see lewa.org. After your race, head to the coast to laze on the beach. Kizingo is a great place to chill out at the southern tip of Lamu island on a 12km-long beach. There are just eight eco lodges. From $340 for two, full board; see kizingo.com
NEW YORK ROAD RUNNERS
NEW YORK CITY MARATHON USA
What better way to see all five of ‘the Big Apple’s’ boroughs than from street level, being cheered on by the city’s inhabitants? Held each year on the first Sunday in November it attracts more than 35,000 runners and has an amazing atmosphere. Getting a place can be tough so if you don’t succeed this year, start planning for 2012. Details: 6 November. ingnycmarathon.org
HEALTH Don't forget malaria pills wherever you are planning to travel in the country. For more information check out : www.lewa.org
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GOURMET TRAVELLER: PORTUGAL
Welcome to salt cod country Between the fish and the pork specialities, it's easy to find a classic, simple meal in Portugal Prices are affordable even in Lisbon Look for clams and other shellfish in the Algarve. And great cakes are everywhere!
CÉLIA PEDROSO
Quick tips
METRO WORLD NEWS
EAT
TRAVEL@METRO.LU
Best known in Spain, the black pig lives also in Alentejo, in the south. It's a free-range animal that only eats acorns, which give a special flavour to the cured ham. The ‘pata negra’ festival is between 25 and 27 March in Ourique, Alentejo. Seafood lovers should visit the August seafood festival in Olhão, Algarve.
“Fish is a speciality in Portugal, from salt cod to grilled sardines” Half of Portugal is on the coast, which is why our cuisine is so heavily influenced by our love of fish. It’s a tradition that dates back to our sea-faring days. Salting cod, or ‘bacalhau’, was an easy and tasty way to preserve fish in the ships that sailed to discover new routes across the world. Nowadays the speciality is such a Portuguese staple that we have 365 recipes, one for each day of the year. No wonder we call bacalhau the ‘faithful friend’. By the seaside, either on the west coast or in the Algarve, grilled fish is easy to find in restaurants; in the South coast you'll find the best shellfish and prawns and also cataplana - a fish and seafood dish made in a special copper pot. Lisbon, the capital, is still one of the inexpensive cities in Europe for dining out, but in the countryside, in the North or in Porto, eating out is even cheaper, with generous portions that can be divided without a restaurant drama. Cozido à Portuguesa, a
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DISHES TO TRY... WHEN YOU’RE EATING IN PORTUGAL
STAY Portugal is a big wine producer, and you can stay on a vineyard at hotel Quinta Nova N. S. do Carmo. It offers an affordable wine experience, with stunning views over the Douro river, and great, traditional home-cooking. In the harvest season you can join the grape picking. From €123, quintanova.com
SHOP Salt cod CELIA PEDROSO/MWN
rich dish with pork, chouriço sausage and vegetables, is a good dish to share, as is feijoada, a bean stew with pork. Pork is a speciality of the interior regions of Portugal—the mountains of Beiras and Trás-os-Montes in the North or the plaines of Alentejo in the South. Dishes use every bit of the pig, from the snout and ears to tail and trotters. But relax, there are many simple dishes, too, like the famous Carne de porco à
alentejana, loin in pieces with clams. Families also love grilled chicken, a simple but tasty speciality; adults choose the piri-piri version with a hot and spicy sauce. Finally, dessert time is looked forward to at Portuguese dinner tables. The cakes might not look exciting, but they taste delicious, with almondy flavor.
CELIA PEDROSO/MWN
CELIA PEDROSO/MWN
BACALHAU À BRÁS
PASTÉIS DE BELÉM
Portuguese are the biggest consumers of salt cod in the world and import it mainly from Norway. Bacalhau à Brás is a popular recipe: shredded and fried cod, with garlic and onions, then mixed with eggs and thin chips, seasoned with pepper and parsley.
A Lisbon speciality: warm custard tarts with a dusting of icing sugar and cinnamon. You can find pastéis de nata everywhere in Portugal but the best ones have been sold in Belém since 1837. About 20,000 tarts are sold each day. Our tip: sit inside rather than queueing outside.
For more information check out www.visitportugal.com
Don't miss Ribeira market in central Lisbon, where you can find the best fruit, vegetables and fish. Very popular among chefs and foodies is also the place to buy some hard-to-find items like piri-piri strings or laurel. CELIA PEDROSO/MWN
Ribeira Eating in the harbour in Lisbon
CELIA PEDROSO/MWN
TORTAS DE AZEITÃO Desserts are rich, most made with egg yolks, almonds and lots of sugar. Many recipes originate in convents, with names like Barriga de Freira Nun's tummy. Just outside Lisbon you can find the famous Tortas de Azeitão, a soft cake with egg cream.
CELIA PEDROSO/MWN
CELIA PEDROSO/MWN
SARDINES
BIFE À CAFÉ
Grilled sardines are a favourite dish in spring and summer when families gather round a barbecue. They’re traditionally eaten on a slice of bread, with a tomato, pepper and cucumber salad as a side dish. The bread absorbs all the grease from the fish and gets very tasty.
This is a traditional dish from cervejarias, or beer houses, that specialize in seafood and steak. This dish is a steak with a cream sauce, that sometimes includes coffee, and you can choose to have an egg on top of the steak. It’s always served with lots of chips.
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 28 MARCH 2011
TOP 5: CASTLES TO STAY IN
Sleeping with the royals
You don’t have to get lucky with Prince Harry or Princess Eugenie to spend the night in a royal residence in Britain Plenty of castles are happy to open their portcullis to guests Get a feel for royal life behind the moat
EMMA E. FORREST
METRO WORLD NEWS EMMA.FORREST@METRO.LU
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CONTRIBUTED
GLENGORM CASTLE Mull, Scotland
“More dramatic than a regular hotel, staying in a British castle gives you a glimpse into this country’s rich history” Not as wealthy as royalty? Not a problem. You can still stay in a castle; while some are now luxury havens, others are more modest B&Bs or offer self-catering. Spend an atmospheric night in a four-poster bed, and you’ll feel like a queen or king, especially if you’re protected by castle walls, a moat with the drawbridge pulled up and the heavy metal portcullis slammed down.
This 19th century castle is set in one of the most picturesque places in the British Isles. Its location on the north of the Isle of Mull offers dramatic coastline, forests and lochs, gives spectacular views over the Atlantic. This island is magical, with a rugged landscape populated with more sheep than people, and the town of Tobermory, which is so colourful and picturesque that it’s the set of a children’s TV show. Guests can stay B&B in the castle or rent the flat on the ground floor where you can cook in a kitchen that was once the castle’s vault, complete with solid steel door, using produce from the estate’s market garden and farm, including Highland beef, wild venison and vegetables. From €138 per night B&B, glengormcastle.co.uk
Glengorm Castle on the Isle of Mull
KEITH HUNTER
What’s a moat? The castle glossary
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AMBERLEY CASTLE Sussex, England
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SADDELL CASTLE
Mull of Kintyre, Scotland This castle dating back to 1508 has a picturesque setting on the edge of Saddell Bay, with views over to the Isle of Arran. Once the home of the majestic and fearful Campbell clan, it’s
now owned by the Landmark Trust, a charity that preserves and rents out unique historic houses across the UK. You can rent the castle, as well as the neighbouring mansion and three cute cottages on the shore. There is definitely a ghost in the photo I took here – for other unwelcome guests, remove the floor inside the front door so they drop into the pit below. From €487 for 4 nights midweek, landmarktrust.org.uk
This modest-sized, 900year-old castle offers up alpretty much everything you could ask for from a medieval royal fortress – 18m walls with crenellated turrets, a twin-tower gatehouse, four-poster beds, tapestries and heavy antique furniture in the 19 rooms, coats of armour throughout, beautiful landscaped gardens inlcuding a golf course and a wooden treehouse. It even a hugemetal portcullis that is lowered at midnight every night to keep guests safe and the riff raff out. From €264, amberleycastle.co.uk
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THORNBURY CASTLE Gloucestershire, England
The famous king Henry VIII and one of his many wives, Anne Boleyn, were once house-guests at Thornbury, and nowadays plebians can pay to stay at the only Tudor-age castle in England that’s now a hotel. Set in the pretty Cotswolds area, this 500-year-old castle features roaring fires, suits of armour, and even arrow-slit windows in the bedrooms and the oldest Tudor gardens in England outside. The castle even has its own vineyard from which it has produced wine for the last 500 years. From €219, thornburycastle.co.uk
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RUTHIN CASTLE Wales
With a history that dates back to 1277, Ruthin Castle was owned by King Edward I then Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I and then Charles I. Part of the castle was destroyed in the 17th century but different parts have been added since 1826, and it is now an atmospheric and luxurious hotel. The castle is based in the pretty market town of Ruthin in North Wales, and it’s a great place to set out from for walks along the River Clwyd, treks up the Snowdonia mountains and visits to the North Welsh Coast. From €74, ruthincastle.co.uk
Moat: a protective, deep ditch of water round the base of the castle walls. Drawbridge: the bridge over the moat, that can be raised to thwart attackers. Portcullis: the medieval answer to the garage door, a giant metal gate that is lowered overnight or to keep attackers at bay. Machicolation: protected gaps at the top of a castle wall that allowed inhabitants to throw boiling oil and stones at potential invaders. Arrowslit: skinny windows through which archers could send arrows while protected. Battlements: the top of castle wall with indentations to allow defenders to fire out arrows protected. The keep: the castle’s ultrafortified answer to the ‘panic room’. Crenellation: the indentations at the top of a castle wall. Turret: a round defensive tower that projects above a castle’s walls. For more information check out www.visitbritain.com
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www.metro.xxxxx MONDAY, 28 MARCH 2011
GADGETS: TEA ACCESSORIES
ENJOY A BREW, ALL OVER THE WORLD
1 THERMOS VACUUM FLASK
This light, compact Thermos flask in stainless steel is an absolute classic, and will serve you a cuppa up to 24 hours after you filled it up with boiling water. $24.99/€29.99 – 39.99, Thermos.com
2 JING FLOWERING TEA
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On holiday you deserve a tea-time treat, like these delicious and exquisite Flowering Jasmine Arch green tea bulbs, which unfurl to reveal an arch of jasmine blossoms. From €2.32/$3.23 for two 2 bulbs. jingtea.com
3 TOVOLO TEAGO This convenient contraption is one for tea connoisseurs; fill it with your favourite loose-leaf tea and you can infuse a tasty cup for one. €11/$16, www.firebox.com METRO WORLD NEWS
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we live where you’re going
TOP 5 UNDISCOVERED BEACHES IN EUROPE {page 05}
travel we live where you’re going
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Summer music
Festival Essentials
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{page 06}
What’s inside
Troyes France’s medieval gem {page 03}
Bon appetit Canada! {page 04}
MARK SHANNON/MARK ELEVEN PHOTOGRAPHY
The musician’s guide to Berlin {page 02} + Troyes - France’s medieval gem {page 03}
European beaches to discover {page 05}
Summer festival essentials {page 06}
Bon appetit Canada! {page 04}
MARK SHANNON/MARK ELEVEN PHOTOGRAPHY
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GET INTO MY CITY: BERLIN Singer-songwriter, photographer and artist Norman Palm splits his time between Berlin and Mexico City When he’s not working on own rave-pop tracks or hip cover versions of songs including ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun,’ you can find him trawling through Berlin’s flea markets or riding his second-hand bike en route to the park for some coffee and cake.
The beat of Berlin
W
hat I love most about Berlin is the easiness of life, it never gets hectic. The city is divided into districts that work like small independent cities. You can walk to the market or chat with your neighbours, but
the city as a whole is still big enough to offer the best metropolitan advantages from art exhibitions to concerts. And Berlin is cheap; everything that is considered a luxury elsewhere like eating out and clubbing is affordable for most people.
For more information check out www.normanpalm.com and www.visitberlin.de CC PERGAMONX
Pergamon
smb.museum); for ancient art head to the beautiful Pergamon Museum (smb.museum) and for the
Been there before? Rent one of the spacious Berlin apartments in the neighbourhoods of Prenzlauer Berg, Mitte, Kreuzberg or Neukölln. The best way to travel in Berlin is by bike, and there are plenty of rental places around. I recommend you go to Volkspark Friedrichshain. Stroll, do a few laps around the running track or grab a coffee at Café Schönbrunn, a pavilion in the middle of the park (schoenbrunn.net)
best contemporary art exhibitions at go to Kunstwerke (Auguststr 69).
FLICKR CC BONANZABERLIN
FLICKR CC INGO.RONNER
Volkspark Friedrichshain
NORMAN PALM
Berlin is very international. It is open-minded, green, relaxed and affordable – what else does one need?
First time? Take a walk from the Branden Gate to Hackescher Markt Square to encounter remainders of the Berlin Wall, a reminder of the city’s Nazi past. Finish off on a lighter note as you head to the modern and easygoing Berlin-Mitte area, full of nice cafés, good food and trendy shops. On your way there are three great museums that are worth stopping off at. For modern art in a modernist space go to Mies van der Rohe's Neue Nationalgallerie (Potsdamer Straße 50,
NORMAN PALM TRAVEL@METRO.LU
Bonanza coffee
FLICKR CC UTALUNETTES
Lunettes
Eat
Shopping!
There is a never-ending debate in Berlin about where to find the best "Currywurst" (traditional spicy sausage). I vote for ‘ier’s in Friedrichstraße. Order it with extra spicy sauce. (Friedrichstraße 142, Am Eingang SBahnhof ). Bonanza Coffee Heroes is the best coffee in Berlin. (bonanzacoffee.de) and punk-run Italian restaurant Due Forni makes the best pizza in town, which compensates for moody service. Try the horsemeat pizza (Schönhauser Allee 12).
Berlin has some great flea markets and many hipsters go to the huge Mauerpark market to stock up on vintage clothes, sunglasses, bikes and records (Bernauer Straße 63). The best shops are in Mitte, around Torstraße. I buy art, design, and fashion magazines at ‘Do you read me’ (doyoureadme.de) and go to Kwik Shop (kwikshop.de) for every day trinkets. C Neon (cneeon.com) is all about contemporary Berlin fashion. My favourite shop for glasses is Lunettes Selection (lunettes-selection.com).
Chilling out in Berlin
Stay in
Go out
Michel Berger Hotel is a DIY design hotel run by a group of friends. It’s a great place to meet cool people, as they also hold CONTRIBUTED concerts in the lobby. (michelbergerhotel.com ). For a budget option try Circus, a nice ‘unbackpackerish’ hostel or Circus Hotel next door. (circus-berlin.de)
Neue Odessa Bar is my favourite place in Mitte, what more can you ask for but good drinks, good atmosphere and a late-twenties hipster clientele (neueodessabar.de). Berghain / Panorama Bar is the best place for those that want to get the Berlin techno experience. The club is huge and you can always count on a great line up. (berghain.de). Café Luzia is a very cool and bubbling bar in Kreuzberg. You’re bound to mingle with the international hip crowd if you come here. (luzia.tc)
The city at night
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 04 APRIL 2011
TRAVEL WITH A TWIST: MAGNIFICENT MEDIEVAL TROYES
France’s hidden gem
Like Venice, the French town of Troyes has to be seen to be believed The heart of this stunning town is lined with 16th century timbered mansions At the heart of France’s textile industry, there’s discount shopping here too
EMMA E. FORREST
METRO WORLD NEWS EMMA.FORREST@METRO.LU
“This medieval town is so remarkable that it feels like a theme park” There are many beautiful towns and villages in France, and they are all worth visiting, but few are as standout-spectacular as the town of Troyes. The streets of beautifully-preserved timbered medieval buildings in the town’s historical centre make it a very special place to visit. Set in the heart of the Champagne region, the centre of Troyes (pronounced ‘trois’, like the French word for three), is actually shaped like a champagne cork. The magnificent architecture dates back to 1524 when 500 houses were built by wealthy merchants after a fire had burned down most of the city. Those houses, with their timbered fronts, have been lovingly-restored and it’s a pleasure to stroll down the cobbled pedestrian streets. Pick up one of the many guides in the tourist office at 16 rue Carnot, and follow a route through the town so you catch all the highlights.
Quick tips
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Check out the historical tool museum (see below), and if the exhibits don’t sound appealing, stop by just for a walk round the beautiful interior courtyard garden, which showcases useful and beautifully-scented herbs. There’s also the fabulous Gothic cathedral St Pierre et St Paul, which boasts 1500m² of stained glass dating from the 13th to 19th centuries, as well as the Modern Art Museum (Musée d'Art Moderne) in the former bishop’s palace next door, with more than 2,000 works from French artists including Rodin, Dégas and Derain. Tucked down the picturesque alleys are lots of little shops, as well as restaurants and bars, with terraces outside them. There’s also a manicured park to laze in, and a busy main square packed with bars with terraces, the perfect pitch for people-watching with a glass of wine. In the evening, the pavements outside restaurants are lined with tables for al fresco dining. Gourmet adventurers beware: the local speciality, Andouillette de Troyes, is a sausage filled with smoked tripe, and smells a bit like halitosis. It’s not for the faint-hearted. When you’ve had your fill of culture, you can give yourself a shopping hit without depleting your wallet: Troyes is at the heart of France’s textile industry and it’s where the big brands have their outlet stores.
EXCITING THINGS TO DO PHILIPPE PERNET
HISTORIC TOOLS Maison de l’Outil
The Maison de l'Outil et de la Pensée Ouvrière showcases more than 8,000 17th, 18th and 19th century tools. www.maison-de-l-outil.com
OUTLET SHOPPING
McArthur Glen
For more information check out tourismtroyes.com
In town you’ll find Petit Bateau and Levi’s, as well as hundreds of discount stores in outlet villages just outside town including McArthur Glen (mcarthurglen.fr), and at Marques Avenue (marquesavenue.com).
015_PHOTO CREDIT. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
EAT
Try Andouillette de Troyes at Restaurant La Mignardise a welcoming upmarket restaurant, with a pretty courtyard overflowing with flowers (lamignardise.net). For a break from French food, try Japanese restaurant Sakura, at 67 rue Urbain, which offers a huge range of reasonably-priced sushi, sashimi or skewers.
STAY Tucked down a picturesque alley behind the town hall is the Relais St Jean, a friendly and reasonably-priced hotel with views onto timbered buildings, clean, spacious rooms, delicious and copious buffet breakfasts and a
A MUSICAL TOWN
Ville en Musique Troyes The town gets musical at the end of June, as the Ville en Musique Troyes plays hosts to acts including blues, jazz, pop, French ‘variete’, classical and African. For more information visit the tourist office, or ville-troyes.fr
Andouillette
fabulous mirrored lobby. From €95, releais-stjean.com
TRAVELLING This town is so welcoming to our canine buddies that the tourist board offers visitors a guide to ‘Toutourisme’ (doggietourism) in the town.
Troyes, France ENGLISH CHANNEL BAY OF BISCAY
Sitting pretty in Troyes
TROYES
FRANCE
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GOURMET TRAVELLER: CANADA
Seasonal? Organic? Take a fresh look at Canada This huge country boasts stunning natural assets, from landscapes to abundant wildlife, much of which makes for great dining Try tasty lobster, beaver tail or the curious combination of French fries, gravy and cheese curd – potine. CONTRIBUTED
VINCENT FORTIER
Gourmet tips Don’t look for street food in Montreal as it is not permitted. But don’t worry; you’ll be able to have a hot dog in the streets of Toronto or Vancouver!
METRO FRENCH CANADA VINCENT.FORTIER@JOURNALMETRO.COM
Canadian cities are amongst the most cosmopolitan in the world. So you’ll find a lot of good foreign cuisine. Chinatowns in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal are amazing.
“It may not be as sophisticated as European cuisine but it’s surely more elaborate than the one from its southern neighbour. Yes, Canada does have gastronomy.” Canada is so vast and its inhabitants come from such different horizons that it would be impossible to sum up its cuisine in just one dish. What you’ll find in British Columbia’s Vancouver, where more than 30% of the population is Asian, is completely different from the traditional inspired food in Quebec. One word may link the cuisine here: locavoracious, an interest in locallysourced food. Indeed, fresh, seasonal and local products hugely inspire Canadian chefs. That may explain the popularity of the public markets throughout the country, whether it’s St
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DISHES TO TRY... WHEN YOU’RE EATING IN CANADA
Although you’ll find a lot of good microbreweries throughout the country, Canada is not only a beer land. Okanagan valley in British Columbia produces the best Canadian wines. In Quebec, you’ll find a sweet delicacy: ice cider and ice wine.
Public markets pop up all over Canada
Lawrence Market in Toronto, Marché Jean-Talon in Montréal or Granville Island Market in Vancouver. Once described as oldfashioned, Canadian gastronomy is now innovative. Forget the meat pies and the maple-syrup-celebrating
‘sugar shacks’, and say hi to avant-garde cuisine. Sure it’s great to taste the classics like Montreal’s bagels or smoked meat, Ottawa’s beaver tail or Acadian rappie pie, made with grated potato – and you’ll always find a touch of the past on
the menus here – but the new generation of chefs are looking forward. The most influential foodies now often list Canadian cities including Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver as must-go destinations, thanks to their in-
spiring restaurants. For example, Chef Michael Dekker, from Rouge restaurant in Calgary – one the best in the world – serves a Beet Cured Halibut Gravlax with Pea Shoot Salad and Almond Crunch while Montreal’s Toque!
METRO WORLD NEWS
METRO WORLD NEWS
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METRO WORLD NEWS
chef Normand Laprise serves a Suckling pig shoulder with onion bacon, celeriac purée and apple sauce. One of the best ‘locavore’ experiences in Canada may be found two hours outside of Toronto in Singhampton. The pig that Chef Michael Stadtländer serves at Haisai is raised on the land, butchered in the kitchen and smoked and dried for a year on the restaurant’s own farm. For more information check out www.canada.travel
METRO WORLD NEWS
MAPLE SYRUP
SALMON
POUTINE
LOBSTER
GAME
Probably the best know treat from this country. Nowadays, maple syrup is not just a star at sugar shacks or used in desserts, it is present on the menus of the best restaurants in sauces, dressings and cocktails.
To be wise and ethical, choose salmon from the Pacific. On the West Coast, the fish can be found everywhere. The freshest and the best ones are found in in Vancouver in the sushi shops, in the Asian restaurants or at Granville Island market.
This dish of French fries and cheese soaked in gravy may not sound appealing but it’s a delicacy in Quebec. Try one of the many varieties at La Banquise in Montréal. It’s even better at three in the morning. Alternatively stock up on it après-ski.
If the salmon is the star of the West, the lobster is the King of the East. People in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia will tell you that the simpler the recipe is, the better the lobster will be.
Canada is a vast and wild country and in the last years, chefs have put heavy game meat back on their menus. Whether it’s wapiti, bison, caribou, deer or even seal, the veggies will want to steer clear of those carnivorous dishes!
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TOP 5: NEW BEACHES YOU HAVE YET TO DISCOVER
Beach paradise in 2011
Many of the most beautiful beach spots in Europe are now over run with holidaymakers, but there are still some uncrowded gems, yet to be discovered Here’s our guide to the most stunning and unspoilt beaches in Europe
TOM MARCHANT BLACKTOMATO.CO.UK TRAVEL@METRO.LU
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PAPAFRAGAS BEACH, MILOS ISLAND Cyclades, Greece
“Finding your own private patch of paradise on Europe’s crowded shores isn’t too tricky if you know where to go...” Europe conceals some of the world’s finest beaches. It’s just a question of tracking down the ones that are off the tourist map. From emerging hip beach spots in Bulgaria to little-known classics in southern Italy and wild pine-clad stretches in Corsica, Tom Marchant, the founder of beachtomato.com, the site dedicated to uncovering the best beaches around the world, gives
Greece may seem an unlikely country in which to discover a fjord, but carved between steep limestone walls on the island of Milos you will find the beach of Papafragas. This is, in our (humble) opinion, nature’s much-improved version of the swimming pool. Tip toe along the thin strip of sand to bathe in an almost completely enclosed channel of sun-dappled pale green water. When? April-October
us his tips on where to throw down your towel in 2011. For more information check out beachtomato.com
Unspoil coast in Greece
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PLAGE DE SALECCIA
PRAIA DEL FUOCO Calabria, Italy
Corsica
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THE CURONIAN SPIT Lithuania
The mid-summer sun doesn’t set on these dunes until
11pm, which makes them location of choice for some of Europe’s most select beach soirees. From above, this 98km-long sand spit resembles the curve of a spider’s web. Without the scattering of blue lagoons and fragrant pine forests you could think you were in the Sahara.. When? April - September
When it comes to Caribbean-style sands on the Med, most people will point you in the direction of Formentera, but we say keep it Corse. Approach the swimming pool-clear waters of these secluded white sands outside the Northern town of StFlorent via the surrounding pine forest to have your arrival saluted by a chorus of chirping cicadas. When? May - October
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ROPOTAMO RESERVE Bulgaria
To dip your toes in the cleanest of Europe’s waters in rela-
tively uninterrupted privacy, head to Bulgaria. We’re tipping this stretch of the Black Sea Coast as the new Croatia when it comes to unspoilt teal tinted bays fringed by spongy green hills. Sprawling nature and not techno pumping beach bars are the major draw here. When? June - September
A secret cove that could have been carved especially for lovers, Praia del Fuoco is a blink-and-you’llmiss-it teeny bay in Calabria’s Tyrrenic coast, on the toe of Italy’s boot. Equip yourself with some fine local fare - which is plentiful in this rustic area of Italy - make it into a tasty picnic and hike down the craggy rock face to recreate your own “From Here to Eternity” moment on these sun-bleached sands. When? April - October
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www.metro.xxxxx MONDAY, 04 APRIL 2011
GADGETS: MUSIC FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS
FROM CAMPING TO THE MAIN STAGE
1 ETON SCORPION PORTABLE RADIO
You’ll be able to annoy your campsite neighbours 24 hours a day with this portable radio/torch/phone charger and bottle opener, as it’s charged via solar panel or dynamo hand-crank. €57/$80, etoncorp.com
2 FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS PACK
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Survive the weekend with this bag including shampoo, wipes, tissues, deodorant, hand gel, toothbrush, sunscreen, pvc poncho, toilet seat covers, condoms and a glow in the dark whistle. €28 /$40 www.firebox.com
3 MOONTENT This lightweight UPF50proof and waterproof tent folds down to a 50cm pack, so won’t weigh you down on the way to Glastonbury. €40 / $56 www.firebox.com METRO WORLD NEWS
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ROYAL WEDDING SPECIAL: PARTY LIKE KATE AND WILLS
Party like a Prince in London The shackles of marriage may be about to put an end to party antics for William and Kate Visitors to London RICHARD PECKETT can pay tribute to their heady single days by exploring the delights of their former stomping grounds. GETTY IMAGES
Party like Prince Wills: an evening for the chaps Mahiki: Down it like Wills, “Let’s drink the menu”
Mahiki, a swanky club in the upmarket Mayfair area of town and is where Wills famously suggested to pals that they ‘drink the menu’ after a split with Kate. Wills and the rest of his posh chums have spent
Pizza Express: Posh nosh?
When it comes to restaurants, Best Man Harry seems happiest in the relatively pleasant but in no way exclusive Pizza Express, popular with business types and moneyed teenagers. The food is reasonably-priced
The Box: The sophisto’s strip club
Harry has already sampled the delights of New York’s latest club export The Box and we suggest you do the same. Owned by Simon Hammerstein, son of lyricist Oscar Hammerstein, the burlesque cabaret experience falls somewhere be-
many a happy hour sucking up cocktails from the swanky club’s famous treasure chest, which includes house grog, brandy, peach liqueur, lime, sugar and champagne. Just keep an eye out for the paparazzi outside when you leave. mahiki.com
and the pizzas and pastas are reliably good. We suggest you too take a ‘halftime’ break from the drinking at one of the chain’s many restaurants in the centre of London, before heading out on the rest of your bender. pizzaexpress.com
tween fin de siècle decadence and The Moulin Rouge. Think scantily-clad girls, contortionists, bizarre outfits and music, it’s a hedonistic experience but not in the strip club sense – for one, women are welcome. Brewer Street, Soho, London W1F 0ED
Party Kate-style: a girly day out The Berkeley health club and spa: RAH RAH R&R
The stresses of the city rat race really can take it out of a girl, so why not give yourself a bit of ‘you’ time by visiting The Berkeley health club and spa in Knightsbridge. The Day Spa Indulgence package
Bar Eighty-Six: The discreet diner
Bar Eighty-Six in Kensington is where Kate celebrated her 29th birthday and it’s a new fave of the brideto-be. Complete with a private room it’s the perfect place to keep girly indiscretions from your man. But vice aside, the menu is well
Raffles: The right scene
They’re going to have to tone down the nightlife but you don’t have to
‘Kings Road, Darling?’ is the phrase and Raffles (club and casino) is THE place to be seen. It’s long been a club popular with ‘old money’ types including Princess Anne, Prince Charles and more recently the ‘new money’
includes ‘Body Skin preparation’, ‘Comfort Touch Massage’, ‘Berkeley Elegance Facial’, Eye Supreme and Mini Manicure treatments. And at £385 (€454, $626) for four hours, it’s probably best to borrow your bloke’s plastic. the-berkeley.co.uk
suited to its west London clientele with the cuisine described as ‘modern European’. The perfect place for refined girlies to discuss their plans to meet a moneyed - or better still - titled gentleman over a few select cocktails. 86restaurant.co.uk
Middletons. The exclusive club keeps plebeians away with its members-only policy and extortionate drinks prices, so get on the guest list. A bottle of Dom Perignon Jeroboam White Gold Vintage Champagne here costs a cool £12,000 (€13,970; $19,592). raffleschelsea.com
METRO WORLD NEWS
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THE ULTIMATE RAINFOREST VACATION {page xx}
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Enjoy your
Picnic in style
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The relaxing baths of Hungary {page xx}
A Dubliner’s Dublin {page xx}
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The relaxing baths of Hungary {page xx} + Yummy Tunisian eats {page xx}
The ultimate rainforest vacation {page xx}
Enjoy your picnic in style {page 06}
A Dubliner’s Dublin {page xx}
THINKSTOCK.COM
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 30 MAY 2011
GET INTO MY CITY: DUBLIN Our guide to Dublin is Liam Hourican, an Irish actor, writer and comedian Liam trained as a Shakespearean actor and now writes for TV in the UK and Ireland His latest project, “The Last Security Man,” a comedy about a Belgian security guard working in a Dublin shopping centre (Liam grew up in Brussels), is in the final of RTE Storyland, an online competition for Irish national TV channel, RTE (www.rte.ie/storyland). LIAM HOURICAN TRAVEL@METRO.LU
The Dubliner’s Dublin
T
he best thing about living in Dublin is the people. It’s more like a village than a city – if you head into town you’re liable to bump into half a dozen acquaintances and if you want to meet up with someone you don’t have schedule it days in advance. The sea breeze and the ever-
First time? Go to Merrion Square and see the birthplace of Oscar Wilde in the heart of Georgian Dublin, then take in our greatest landscape painter Paul Henry in the National Gallery across the road (www.nationalgallery.ie). Wander round the corner to the National Museum of Ireland to see Celtic gold torcs and unsettling, perfectly preserved 2000 yr old bogmen (www.museum.ie). Then have a pint
Been there before? Head south on the Dart line to Sandycove and wander along the coast. On a good day it feels like the Mediterranean. The view of Dublin bay is fantastic. If you really want to experience it properly take a dip in ‘the forty foot’ diving spot. There is a hardcore of Dubliners who bathe here all the
changing weather give it a bustling, vigorous quality. And there is a robust cheerfulness that remains despite the much-vaunted woes of the economic downturn. For more information check out www.tourismireland.com
NATIONAL GALLERY
National Gallery
and a toasted sandwich in Kehoe’s on South Anne St. (www.louisfitzgerald.com/ kehoes)
year round, even on Christmas Day (and they will always tell you that it’s as warm as soup as they come out). This is utterly unfathomable to most visitors, but the effect of a freezing cold dip is electric! Follow it with a nip of whisky. While you’re out there check out the Martello Tower, where the first scene of Ulysses is set. There is now a James Joyce museum there. FÁILTE IRELAND
Sandycove
Dublin’s main shopping street, Grafton Street
Shopping!
Stay in
The shops around Grafton St are the best. Brown Thomas sells all the top-of-the-range stuff (www.brownthomas. com), Genius around the corner if you’re a young and trendy male (or still trying to be young and trendy!) (www.genius.ie). For food shopping the best place is Fallon and Byrne on Exchequer St. it’s a really stylish upmarket deli selling all sorts of delicious delicacies from all over (www.fallonandbyrne. com)
I’ve always wanted to stay at the Shelbourne Hotel on Stephen’s Green. This is a Dublin landmark—featured like so much of the City —in Joyce’s “Dubliners.” It’s old-school grand and houses another great pub, the Horseshoe bar (www.marriott.co.uk).
Fallon and Byrne Shelbourne
Eat
Go out
L’Gueuleton on Fade Street is my favourite place to eat. It doesn’t take bookings so you have to queue well in advance. The atmosphere is lively and the food is great – try their onion soup and steak (www.lgueuleton.com).
The Stag’s Head is my favourite pub in Dublin. It’s a great traditional pub with a long marble bar and excellent barmen. It’s packed most nights of the week with people from all walks of life, and the narrow cobbled street outside is a great place to strike up conversation, or throw an
L’Gueuleton
impromptu street party (www.louisfitzgerald.com/ stagshead). Directly across the road is Sweeneys, another of my favourite haunts. It has a DJ most nights, live reggae and jazz downstairs and another band upstairs (www.sweeneysdublin.co m). For a quieter pint, Neary’s on Chatham St is elegant and comfortable.
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 30 MAY 2011
TRAVEL WITH A TWIST: SPAS OF HUNGARY
The embrace of
healing waters If you’re looking to recharge your batteries on holiday visit Hungary for some seriously restorative spa action Hungary’s natural source springs are full of healing minerals The spas are historic and beautiful but very reasonably-priced
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ZSUZSA PUSKÁS METRO HUNGARY TRAVEL@METRO.LU
THINGS TO DO FOR CHEAP
“Hungary is great for serious spas without the price tag.” Immersing yourself in nature on holiday recharges your body’s batteries. One of the best ways of harnessing nature’s restorative powers is to visit the healing mineral waters of Hungary's spas. Water beneath Hungary’s Carpathian basin permeates the unique geological formation of the rocks, carrying with it an exceptional amount of minerals and plenty of water, creating more than a thousand springs in the country. It’s why the country has a long thermal spa culture dating back to the 16th century. Here, visiting a spa is not a luxurious indulgence that involves manicures and facials, it’s an essential activity, with healing waters that cures medical ailments – all at very reasonable prices. First up, the ‘spring-capital’ of Budapest offers you five historical baths (and one more is opening soon after a renovation) and eight other spas. Two of them are from the Turkish era (Király, Rudas), intimate spas with beautifully-preserved original interiors. Historic baths, Gellért or Széchenyi, are larger but equally elegant, and
Quick tips EAT Tabáni Terasz is good for local food and wines. This 250-year-old Inn has a charming terrace and a cool interior to hide you from the
BUDAPEST Walk in Városliget park for the lake, trees, castle, and bistros including Vagon (a former railway carriage).
Széchenyi Bath
offer multiple pools with different restorative properties and large outdoor areas that will help you escape the stress of everyday life. Széchenyi offers a charming environment to relax in, as well as therapeutic treatments including mud body masks, massages, water gymnastics and underwater jet steams (www.szechenyibath.com). (www.budapestgyogyfurdoi.hu) Out of town is the hugely popular resort of Hévíz. This small town near to Lake Balaton is built next to a lake whose waters have a curative effect that was probably known by the ancient Romans – it dates back to 16th century Turkish invasion.
Nowadays there is a new set of buildings on the lake, with rooms offering treatments. They even have a brand of special cosmetics made from the mud and water of the lake. Take a romantic swim between the water lilies in the healing lake (www.spaheviz.hu). If you’re feeling adventurous, visit the city of Hajdúszoboszló for the thermal baths and aqua park. Here you can find a pool lined with its own beach, therapeutic water pools and a wellness centre all with stunning views of the famous Hungarian Great Plain. For the young and young at heart, there’s the aqua park, a complex of
aggressive sunshine. Try oxtail soup and honey glazed duck steak with peppered squash. (€3,6; 14 euro) (www.tabaniterasz.hu)
Budapest’s hip crowd, stylish temporary bars in abandoned buildings. Find them mostly in the 7th district in Budapest. (http://ruinpubs.com)
GO OUT Downtown ‘ruin pubs’ are the latest trend with
SHOP The big spa towns have their
HAJDÚSZOBOSZLÓ Hajdúszoboszló
pools, themed baths, pools for children and the inevitable waterslides. The thermal hotel here offers different massages, from ayurvedic to Thai. Most other hotels in the city offer own spa-based beauty products mostly sold locally. For Hévíz there is Kaviczky (www.kaviczky.hu), and other waters are used in the products by Hungarian Thermal Cosmetics ltd. (www.thermal-kft.hu). In Budapest try Herbaház (www.herbahaz.hu)
their own spa and wellness treatments (www.hungarospa.hu).
A spectacular sight, Hortobágy National Park is the largest continuous natural grassland in Europe, grazed by typical Hungarian animals. (www.hnp.hu).
For more information check out www.hungary.com
STAY Central Hotel 21*** offers elegantly-furnished guestrooms and apartments in a small street in downtown Budapest. From €49, www.dominikhotels.hu
HÉVÍZ You can take nice bicycletours in this region among green and yellow fields or even to Balaton, the biggest and most popular Hungarian lake.
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GOURMET TRAVELLER: TUNISIA
It’s couscous. It’s Tunisia. It’s OK to burp. Morocco isn’t the only North African country where you can eat a good couscous Too often eclipsed by the popularity of its neighbour, Morocco, Tunisia’s cuisine is simple, refined and fragrant.
ROMINA MCGUINNESS METRO WORLD NEWS
ROMINA.MCGUINNESS@METRO.LU
“Enjoy the subtle flavours of dishes like couscous infused with rose water and peppered with sultanas.” Blessed with a heady combination of North African flavours and French and Italian colonial influences, Tunisia offers some of North Africa’s best cuisine. Markets still sell fresh ravioli and cheeses from creamy ricotta to the rubbery ‘sicile’ cheese, and a ‘tagine’ here is more like an Italian frittata, rather than the Moroccanstyle stew of the same name. The French legacy comes in the form of excellent bakeries, walk into one here and the shelves will be lined with baguettes and almond croissants. Patisseries are often
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DISHES TO TRY... WHEN YOU’RE DINING IN TUNISIA
equipped with a long counter people lean against drinking lemon juice or almond ‘orgeat’ syrup, in which they dunk ‘caks’, dried semolina biscuits. Don’t let the delectable French bread stop you trying the Tunisian ones. A street food classic is the ‘cassecroute’ sandwich (literally meaning break-crust). The bread used is ‘hobbs tabouna’, dense and flat and shaped like a frisbee. Harissa (chili paste) is spread on the dough as if it was butter and the inside is filled with salad, pickled vegetables, tuna and topped with fries. Meals revolve around seasonal produce including fish (tuna, squid, sea bream), vegetables, fruit and legumes used to make spicy stews, couscous and salads. Every meal begins with ‘kemia’, a selection of tapasstyle dishes including triangular filo pastry parcels filled with potato, parsley, tuna or fried egg, roasted pepper salad ‘slata mechouia’ and meat, that are passed around the table. No dish is more traditional than the couscous and there is a recipe to fit every occasion. The classic version uses seasonal vegetables including courgettes, carrots, artichoke and butternut squash with fish, chicken, lamb or
beef. Spicy chickpea sauce is the main seasoning. Couscous is a basic dish and you will notice there is often very little meat as this is expensive to buy in large quantities. The ‘masfouf’ is a rich sweet and sour version usually served at weddings; the grain is been infused with rose water, orange blossom and the meat cooked with cinnamon, almonds and sultanas. Ending a meal on a sweet note is a key part of the food culture. Mint tea made with fresh leaves is for the Tunisians what Earl Grey tea is to the British or espresso is to the Italians. Whether for breakfast alongside quince jam toast, in the afternoon served with tasted pine nuts or in the evening with the chicha pipe, it’s always time for tea. It’s usually served alongside sweets and pastries made with semolina, almonds, dates, pistachios and oozing with honey. Burping after a meal is not only acceptable, it’s considered a compliment. Your hosts will often say ‘sahra’ (a sort of ‘bless you’) as for them, it’s a sign that you have eaten well and are digesting all this great food.
BONJOURTUNISIE
CREATIVECOMMONS-HALALMAMA
For more information check out www.bonjour-tunisie.com
CONTRIBUTED
Relaxed dining in Tunisia
MELOUKHIA
FATIMA FINGERS
MAKROUD
TUNISIAN SALAD
COUSCOUS
This thick dark green stew is made by marinating powdered bush okra leaves with olive oil then leaving it to simmer with beef and water for up to eight hours. It looks unappetizing but the end result is a deeply rich and fragrant dish. It’s an acquired taste but one you must try.
As the name suggests, these are finger-sized filo pastry rolls stuffed with a mix of egg and ricotta or mashed potato, tuna and parsley. As they have been deep-fried they taste best sprinkled with lemon juice as this gets rid of excess greasiness.
These diamond-shaped semolina cakes are stuffed with chopped dates, deepfried in honey and coated in sesame seeds. Don’t even think about what this is doing to your blood sugar levels and your waistline. Try with a glass of ‘Thibarine’, local liquor made from dates.
This simple salad of finelychopped cucumber, tomato and onions topped with boiled eggs, olives and tuna, is a side dish to every meal. Once you’re done there will always be some tomato juice left on your plate that tastes amazing scooped up with fresh bread.
Classic vegetable couscous is the national dish of choice. If cooked properly, the grain alone can takes hours to prepare and every ingredient is cooked separately (the meat, vegetables, grain and sauce) before it is all assembled in a pyramid like cone and topped with fried peppers.
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TOP 5: RAINFOREST ADVENTURES
Holiday in the canopies THINKSTOCK.COM
Delving into a rainforest is an insane adventure Spot beautiful birds, wild animals and exotic flowers in the air—and everywhere
ELIZABETH WOLFE METRO WORLD NEWS TRAVEL@METRO.LU
“Get wild in the jungle.” If you're looking for adventure on your next holiday, book time in a rainforest. They offer thrills from wildlife-spotting to zip-lining and white water rafting, all set in some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Each rainforest has unique flora and fauna, as well as once-in-a-lifetime experiences to be had.
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COSTA RICA What: Tiny Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, home to half a million species. La Amistad International Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Who: Costa Rica is home to a number of stunning tropical birds, including the Great Blue Heron and the Scarlet Macaw. How: Go where the action is - the treetops. Get a guided canopy tour by an aerial tram or zipline for a monkey’s eye view of the forest. Keeping visitors off the ground offers them the best views and significantly reduces their impact on this fragile ecosystem. www.visitcostarica.com
Spotting exotic flora and fauna in the rainforest
CONTRIBUTED
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THAILAND What: Khao Sok National Park provides everything you could hope for in a rainforest - majestic waterfalls, mysterious caves, convenient walking paths, and some very rare and exoitc flora and fauna. Who: The park is home to the largest growth of the extremely rare Rafflesia kerrii, the largest flower in the world. The large red blooms give off the stench of rotting
meat to attract flies, but tourists are also drawn to the mysterious flower, despite the five-hour hike to reach it. Although there are almost 200 species of birds in the park, the most exciting wildlife can be found on the forest floor. Wild elephants, leopards, tigers and Malayan Sun Bears are just a few of the creatures that call Khao Sok National Park home. How: Give an elephant trek a try. Saddle up and let the pachyderms take you across land and water right into the heart of their rainforest. www.tourismthailand.org
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EASTERN AUSTRALIA What: Along the Golden Coast are rainforests as biodiverse as the Great Barrier Reef. Who: The Daintree Rainforest in Queensland is home to birds, insects, reptiles and almost twothirds of Australia’s butterfly and bat species. How: Drive between the many World Heritage-listed rainforests dotting the East Coast. www.australia.com
KIRK LEE AEDER
THINKSTOCK.COM
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ECUADOR
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HAWAII What: Due to its extremely varied climate, one side of Hawaii’s Big Island is almost desert-like and home to sandy beaches, while the other side contains a lush rainforest that receives more than 200 inches of rain each year. Who: The Big Island boasts the only zoo in the United States that is located within a rainforest. The Pana’ewa
Rainforest Zoo is worth a visit to see the more than 60 species of animals on display, including a very rare white Bengal Tiger. How: Take a helicopter tour over the Big Island for aerial views of the rainforest. This bird’s eye view will you offer you a look at the lush green canopy and the waterfalls and volcanoes dotted throughout it. Some tour operators are beginning to use more efficient and ecofriendly models of helicopters. www.gohawaii.com
What: Just east of the Andes in Ecuador is one of the best places to visit the Amazon rainforest. The Amazon region accounts for half of the country’s land mass but only five per cent of the population. Who: Spot river dolphins, monkeys, parrots, sloths, and macaws here, as well as exotic plants, including 4,500 species of orchid. How: Take a rafting tour down the Napo River, one of the Amazon River’s largest tributaries. This is one of the most accessible ways to see the Upper Amazon Basin. www.ecuador.travel
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www.metro.xxxxx MONDAY, 30 MAY 2011
GADGETS: PICNIC ACCESSORIES
FOR SPONTANEOUS PICNICKING
1 ERGO PARING KNIVES COLORI
Stash this colourful covered knife in your suitcase, and you’ll be able to peel and cut juicy fruits fresh from the farmer’s market of your idyllic holiday village. $12/€8.50, kuhnrikon.com
2 LIGHTMYFIRE SPICEBOX
2
Salt, pepper and spice are essential for flavouring picnic food, and this nifty gizmo will allow you to bring all three with you in one tidy, waterproof, shockresistant box. $7/€5, lightmyfire.com
3 CATH KIDSTON PICNIC RUG Set up your picnic in style with this retro-styled, cowboy-themed blanket. One side is oilcloth, so you’ll stay nice and dry even if the grass is wet. €23/$33, cathkidston.co.uk METRO WORLD NEWS
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TRAVEL
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CORNWALL: RIDING WAVES IN THE UK’S TOP SURF SPOT {page 03}
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Super travel
sunhats for shade
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What’s inside
The hipster’s guide to Washington DC {page 02}
Eat fresh in Israel {page 04}
VANDA BIFFANI
The fashionista’s guide to Washington, D.C. {page 02} + Movie deserts to inspire dream holidays {page 05}
Inspiring movie deserts {page 05}
Top 3 straw sunhats {page 06}
Eat fresh in Israel {page 04}
VANDA BIFFANI
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GET INTO MY CITY: WASHINGTON, D.C. Jackie Flanagan lives in D.C.’s hip Mount Pleasant area and runs Nana, a women’s clothing shop inspired by all things vintage, modern, handmade, and ethically made The store is named after her stylish grandmother She launches her first collection for the shop this summer, a locally-produced range inspired by simple vintage designs but crafted with modern, sustainable JACKIE FLANAGAN METRO WORLD NEWS materials.
Best of the U.S. in D.C. I
WASHINGTON DC
enjoy living in DC because it is a big city with a small-town feel. It's large enough that there is always a new discovery around the next bend but it's small enough to feel manageable and sometimes even cosy. We are surrounded by museums, cultural centres, embassies and sites dedicated to our nation's history with such a beautiful mix of people that I am never
First time? I will never forget the first time I came to DC as an 11-year-old. My Dad drove us around the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson, the White House and the Capitol at night. They looked as though they were crafted with beautiful paper. I was in awe at the beauty of the city at night. It is still my favourite time to see these lovely buildings. Take a nice evening walk by the Lincoln and Jefferson or have a picnic in the
bored. It's quite accessible so many events and museums require no entrance fee. There seems to be an exciting feeling in DC right now - as if people outside of this city are finally realizing that it's a diverse, modern, metropolitan city. There seems to be a new spotlight on it. For more information check out washington.org
middle of the Mall and enjoy the views. One of my favourite city events takes place in summer, Screen on the Green. Old movies are shown on a huge screen outside the Capitol, and everyone brings a picnic. Of all of the Smithsonian museums, I'd hit the Museum of American History first. It is a nice glimpse of American highlights. It might be because of my shop, but I find the First Ladies’ dresses a stunning collection (americanhistory.si.edu). WASHINGTON DC
Picnic outside the Capitol
Shopping! Jefferson Memorial
Been there before? One of my favourite gatherings happens every Sunday at Meridian Hill/Malcom X park just one mile north of the White House. The park has stellar views of the city. There is a drum circle that draws a group of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, and musical instruments. We'll bring our kids, a picnic, and listen for a while. There are impromptu soc-
cer games, frisbee games, African dance lessons and hula-hoop marathons. The National Arboretum does not make a lot of lists but is packed with sights: coy ponds, the National Bonsai trees (some date from 1629), and the original columns of the Capitol (usna.usda.gov). Every evening the Kennedy Centre holds a concert on their Millennium Stage. It's open to all and a great way to see such a lovely building. (kennedy-center.org)
I find Good Wood (www.goodwooddc.com) and Millennium (www.millenniumdecorativearts.com) on U Street inspirational. The Dupont Farmers’ Market (www.freshfarmmarket.o rg) and Mount Pleasant Farmer's Market (www.mtpfm.org) are perfect spots for fresh flowers and organic produce. I don't travel too far, though: it's always Nana (www.nanadc.com) in Mount Pleasant.
Stay for dessert
Stay in Hotel George is a favourite for its location and service (www.hotelgeorge.com).
Go out
nana d.c.
FLICKR CC DAQUELLA MANERA
THINKSTOCK
Kennedy Center
NANADC.COM
Eat A fun people-watching spot with good Mexican food is Lauriol Plaza. Kick off with chips, salsa and a margarita (www.lauriolplaza.com). For a small, out-of-the way spot, I love Room 11. The atmosphere is cosy and great desserts are worth the wait for a seat (www.room11dc.com).
You can't go wrong with a show at the Rock-nRoll hotel in DC's edgy H Street, NE neighbourhood (www.rockandrollhoteldc.com). The old-school vibe of the Looking Glass in the Petworth neighbourhood is worth a cab ride (thelookingglasslounge. com). The Gibson is fun, just North of U Street on 14th, and set up like a speak-easy during the Prohibition years, with an unmarked door.
Rock-n-Roll Hotel
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 06 JUNE 2011
TRAVEL WITH A TWIST: SURFING IN CORNWALL
Surfing
VISIT CORNWALL
in the United Kingdom
The VW Camper, a Cornwall surfer’s trademark ride
Blessed with sub-tropical climate and enormous Atlantic waves, Cornwall is the UK’s No. 1 surf destination The wave are great and at the atmosphere is fun There’s also a rugged coastline, sandy beaches, smugglers pubs and lush exotic gardens to explore too.
EMMA E. FORREST
METRO WORLD NEWS EMMA.FORREST@METRO.LU
“Cornwall offers great surfing, beautiful beaches, wild coastline, exotic gardens and atmospheric fishing villages” Right at the south-western tip of England is one of the most dramatic and windswept counties we have, and also one of the best for surfing. Locals surfers are dedicated to keeping track of the surfing conditions 365 days of the year, strapping their board to their trademark vintage VW camper vans and dashing out to catch a wave they’ve just heard about. Newquay, on the northern coast, is a popular surfing spot that boasts fourteen beaches including Fistral, Britain’s most famous surfing beach, that benefits
from the swell from the Atlantic Ocean. The waves caused by a reef at one end of the beach are a challenge to even the most experienced of surfers. As one of the hottest surf spots in Europe, it hosts major international surf competitions and even has a surf museum. The town is home to several surf schools where amateurs can hire boards and get lessons from pros on the beach before they head into the waves. There are plenty of other schools in Cornwall offering different surf experiences along both north
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GREAT PLACES TO VISIT IN CORNWALL
and southern coasts. Adrenalin junkies can also get their kicks with other water and beach sports in Newquay, coasteering, rockclimbing, kite boarding, scuba diving, kayaking and also ‘wild swimming’ – a new trend for swimming along the coast. Before hitting the beach pub for a pint of local Doom Bar beer, novices should get the knots massaged out of their backs at the Fistral spa at the Bay Hotel. Book an aromatherapy massage session and you’ll come out deliriously relaxed or alter-
natively hop into the sauna with your surf buddies. When you’re done with the swell, take a trip along the coast to the picturesque fishing villages. Even the most radical surf tourist will enjoy the vibe of tiny smugglers villages like Polperro, with its tiny cottages, cosy pubs and alleyways wedged into a pretty cove. This county is blessed with sub-tropical weather and its equally exotic plantlife. Cornwall is known for its beautiful gardens including Lanhydrock, which is the grounds of a stunning
MARTIN BRENT
historic house (www.nationaltrust.org.uk), the geodesic domes of the Eden Project (see box) and The Lost Gardens of Heligan, a 19th century garden restored in the 1990s, which is packed with lush greenery and an exotic jungle area with huge ferns and plants which is in a microclimate 5 degrees warmer than the formal gardens at the top of the estate (www.heligan.com). For more information check out www.visitcornwall.com
DANIEL BOSWORTH
Quick tips STAY After a day battling to stay upright on your board, you’ll be delighted to strip off your wetsuit and stagger a few short steps to boutique hotel The Bay Hotel. It has cool bars, a restaurant and an excellent spa with saunas, steam rooms and a swimming pool. www.newquay-hotels.co.uk
EAT Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant is set in an inspiring location, clinging to the cliff of a bay near to Newquay, with amazing views of the sea, which licks around the lower floor at high tide. It’s also part of the Fifteen social enterprise, giving wayward kids a second chance by training them as chefs. And the food is incredible. www.fifteencornwall.co.uk
DO MINACK THEATRE
EDEN PROJECT
This famous open-air theatre has been carved into the rocks at the tip of Cornwall in the 1930s and has served as the stage for plays ever since. Catch a play or musical between May and September.
This remarkable estate is home to the world’s largest greenhouse, with plants from all over the world living beneath geodesic tropical biomes in a crater the size of 30 football pitches. Educational and beautiful.
www.minack.com
www.edenproject.com
ST MICHAEL’S MOUNT
www.stmichaelsmoun t.co.uk Accessible by causeway only at low tide, this historica sub-tropical island is topped with a medieval castle with a spectacular view of the Cornish coast.
Learn how to make fish and chips in style in Padstow. The lovely seaside town is nicknamed ‘Padstein’ as it is home to celebrity seafood chef Rick Stein, who has put his name to four restaurants, several hotels, a deli, gift shop, patisserie and seafood cookery school in the town. www.rickstein.com
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GOURMET TRAVELLER: ISRAEL
Fresh flavors, no falafel Israel is home to people from a huge mix of cultures, who each bring their own cuisine to the table Israel’s hottest chefs are giving a twist to traditional Israeli dishes Food markets are a great place to try out classic Israeli snacks and street food as well as discover the huge range of delicious fruit and vegetables and freshly-baked breads DANIEL LILA
INBAL KLEIN
Quick tips
METRO WORLD NEWS
EAT
TRAVEL@METRO.LU
Tel Aviv’s Itzik HaGadol (Itzik the Great) is a top example of the popular Middle-Eastern formula restaurant. Sit down and the table is immediately filled with dozens of little plates of eggplant salads, eggs salad, zucchinis, pickles, roasted and fried vegetables, hummus and tahini and pita breads straight from the oven. 3 Raziel st. Tel Aviv www.itzikhagadol.com
“Young chefs are bringing new flavours to traditional cuisine.” The Israeli cuisine is a melting pot, even if the people who live here have a hard time getting along. It’s an immigration state, collecting its people from four corners of the world: Eastern and Western Europe, Arabia and the countries around the Mediterranean. Its cuisine is based on the culinary traditions of all of these cultures, in addition to local Palestinian cooking. The immigration culture has produced a great wealth of flavours, colour and aromas: from the shakshouka, an egg dish originating in Tripoli, to the European chulent stew, the Turkish shawarma meat wrap and the Moroccan tagine stew. Until recently, most tourists’ culinary greeting in Israel took the shape of falafel – fried balls of chickpeas inside a pita bread, an overrated dish that had become the national dish. But in the last decade or two Israel – and particularly Tel Aviv, its cultural capital - has formulated an impressive
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DISHES TO TRY... WHEN YOU’RE EATING IN ISRAEL
STAY The Scottish Hotel is situated in Tiberius, on the Sea of Galilee. A former maternity hospital, it’s a good place to get to know Galilean cuisine, and the wine cellar and brunch buffet are excellent. www.scotshotels.co.il
Carmel Market, Tel Aviv
culinary offering. The current generation of Israeli chefs were brought up in traditional kitchens, and are giving classic dishes their own twist. Meir Adoni, for instance, the chef of Catit, one of Israel's finest high-end restaurants, Heichal HaTalmud 4 Tel-Aviv), was brought up on his mother and grandmother's Moroccan cooking. Adoni studied classical French cuisine and specialized in molecular cooking. Today he creates innovative dishes with echoes of his mother's
VISIT kitchen, like Bruschetta of veal brain with harrisa (a Moroccan spicy pepper sauce), lemon, lettuce and parsley butter. Meanwhile, Rafi Cohen, in his prestigious Rafael (HaYarkon 99 Tel-Aviv), serves couscous with spicy fish kebabs, and in Aviv Moshe's Messa (HaArbaah 19, Tel-Aviv) you'll find shawarma. The Israeli fusion phenomenon is also found outside of the fancy restaurants. One of the hot trends in Israel is the “return of the pita” - the flat
SHAKSHOUKA
HUMMUS
Shakshouka is a dish originating from the Tripolitan (Libyan) kitchen, a rich breakfast-dish of eggs cooked in thick, spicy tomato and pepper sauce. The dish is eaten with simple bread and can be found nearly everywhere. It is served with cheese, sausages or vegetables.
Israelis take their hummus very seriously. This paste of pureed chickpeas mixed with tahini (sesame puree), herbs and spices, is usually eaten with a pita bread. The best hummus is found in Arab restaurants, in Jerusalem and in Galilee.
Middle-Eastern bread that embraces foods from completely different worlds, like steak and egg, fish and grilled vegetables or stirfried shrimp. On of those responsible for this revolution is celebrity-chef Eyal Shani. For a glimpse of what Tel Aviv can offer, check out Carmel market – as well as fresh produce you'll find food stands, from kebab to sushi, and great restaurants in the neighbourhood. An hour's drive from Tel Aviv you can experience a whole other world of
ISRAELI BREAKFAST Israelis love their breakfast. The classic Israeli breakfast includes fresh vegetable salad, very finely chopped (with olive oil and lemon juice), an egg in various cooking styles, freshly-baked bread and cheeses and a glass of fresh orange juice.
flavours in Israel's capital, Jerusalem. Pay a visit to the market – Machane Yehuda – where in recent years, chic cafés, small taverns and upmarket restaurants have popped up next to the meat and spice booths. Restaurant Mahneyuda (Beit Yaakov 10 Jerusalem), offers excellent food, dazzling colourful design, great music and wonderful atmosphere. For more information check out www.goisrael.com
SABICH This Iraqi sandwich has evolved into a popular street food in Israel. Sabich is made up of a soft pita filled with slices of fried eggplant, hardboiled egg, potato, fresh vegetable salad, parsley, onion, tahini and amba – a spicy yellow sauce with a very distinct smell.
To get a feel for the range of fresh local produce, visit Tel Aviv’s farmers’ market in the renovated port marketplace.
The Scottish Hotel
GRILLED EGGPLANT You’ll find grilled eggplant in many variations all over the country. The eggplant is thoroughly grilled on all sides, stripped from its skin then is doused in tahini or yogurt. It’s usually accompanied by chopped vegetables, meat, seafood or spices.
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TOP 5: DESERT VACATIONS FROM THE MOVIES
Dunes of your dreams THINKSTOCK.COM
Deserts create a dramatic backdrop for movies and equally exciting holidays Take inspiration from your favourite movies for your next holiday
NED EHRBAR
METRO WORLD NEWS NED.EHRBAR@METRO.LU
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‘SEX AND THE CITY 2’ Morocco
“Deserts give movies - and holidays - drama” If the sweeping vistas of epics like “Lawrence of Arabia” leave you more breathless than thirsty, then a desert vacation might be just the thing for you. Luckily, Hollywood’s locations specialists have already staked out the best and most visitor-friendly spots around the globe for arid relaxation.
Originally to be filmed in Abu Dhabi, trouble with clearances from the Arab nation forced the producers to shift to the more tourist-friendly Morocco, which makes it much easier for you to retrace the high-heeled steps of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha. When you’re done shopping in the markets of Marrakesh, go south east towards the village of Merzouga, near to the spectacular dunes of Eg Chebbi. Book a camel trek into the Western Sahara for the definition of a desert adventure. www.visitmorocco.com
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Skip Dior on your camel trek
THINKSTOCK.COM
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THINKSTOCK.COM
“NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VACATION”
“TROY” Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Monument Valley, Utah
While Malta stood in for much of the ancient land for this 2004 epic, the famed walls of Troy were actually constructed in the much more easily-accessible Baja peninsula in Mexico. With beautiful white-sand beaches on both side of the rocky desert landscape, this strip of land dividing the Sea of Cortez from the Pacific Ocean may be the most ideal desert destination out there. www.visitmexico.com
While Monument Valley is easily one of the most recognizable locations in film history — hosting everything from John Wayne’s 1939 “Stagecoach” to a Metallica video to the most recent season of “Doctor Who” — it is also iconic as the spot where the Griswold’s long-suffering station wagon finally gives up and breaks down in the first “Vacation” film. Hopefully you’ll have better luck while checking out one of the best vistas in the U.S. utah.travel THINKSTOCK.COM
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“THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES” Atacama Desert, Chile Walter Salles’ 2004 film chronicling a young Che Guevera (Gael Garcia Burnel) as he traverses South America in 1952 features some stunning locations, but one
clear standout is the Atacama desert on the Pacific coast of Chile, a barren, lunar landscape — and supposedly the driest desert on earth. Follow the Atacama north into Peru and you can catch a glimpse of giant, mysterious animal drawings etched into the plains by the indigenous Nazca people thousands of years ago. www.chile.travel
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“STAR WARS” Tunisia Traveling to a galaxy far, far away is actually just as easy as heading across the northern African nation of Tunisia, which is now seeing tourists and cruise ships return after a lull brought on by the country’s revolution in January.
Filming scenes for five out of the six “Star Wars” films in the country had such an impact on George Lucas that the name of Luke Skywalker’s desert-filled home planet, Tatooine, was inspired by the country’s southern-most territory, Tataouine. Tours of locations used in the films are available, but you’ll have to bring your own light saber. Good luck getting that through airport security. www.bonjour-tunisie.com
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www.metro.xxxxx MONDAY, 06 JUNE 2011
GADGETS: STRAW SUN HATS
HATS TO CREATE STYLISH SHADE
1 LOCK & CO FOLDING PANAMA
This classic Panama hat with an 8cm brim is produced by old-school hatmaker Lock & Co and hand-woven in Ecuador. Rolls up for travel. €180/$250, lockhatters.co.uk
2 PACHACUTI CAPRI CALADA FEDORA This beautifully-made Capri Calada (Openwork) Fedora looks cool, rolls up neatly in your suitcase, and even better, it’s truly Fair Trade, so your purchase will contribute to the livelihoods of rural Andes producers. €56/$79, panamas.co.uk
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3 ASOS COWBOY HAT For a cool, hippy option, go for a straw cowboy hat. Asos’ Ethnic Beaded Trim Straw Cowboy Hat has a wide curved brim and contrast beaded trim. €26.24/$35.86, asos.com METRO WORLD NEWS
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METRO WORLD NEWS Monday, xx January 2011 www.metrotravel.com
TRAVEL we live where you’re going
EXCITING ESTONIA: AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO TALLINN {page 02}
Keep your
(swim)
shorts on!
{page 06}
This holiday, get closer {page 05
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Gourmet Belgium: Beyond chocolate {page 04} + Going green in Karnataka: The eco-tourism craze hits India {page 03}
travel we live where you’re going
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, XX JANUARY 2011
+ plus
What’s inside
Going green on holidays: Ecotourism in India {page 03}
Gourmet Belgium: Beyond chocolate {page 04}
Keep your (swim) shorts on! {page 06}
This holiday, get closer {page 05}
XXX
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, XX JANUARY 2011
GET INTO MY CITY: TALLINN’S SUMMER OUTDOOR LOUNGE Talented interior architect Ville Lausmae is our guide to the Estonian capital, Tallinn, one of 2011’s European Capitals of Culture Ville was born in Tallinn and has lived and worked in most areas of the city He’s currently making his mark on an indoor skatepark project, a huge office building, the local natural history museum, and a couple of cafes and apartments (www.vls.ee) VILLE LAUSMÄE METRO WORLD NEWS
Tallinn’s summer outdoor lounge S
ummer is finally here, and the old town has changed into a huge outdoor lounge. The spring here is the coolest, because everyone has been indoors and cold for a half a year, then in the spring is a huge social explosion, people take most of their clothes off and somehow everyone has a convertible car. Everyone goes out every evening and the days get long. The sun sets at 1am in the summer, and it’s outdoor fun every day until late. The winter might be horrible, but the best part is
TOOMAS TUUL
that it changes, you are happy about every season because the changes are quite drastic: -35C this winter, +35C last summer. Now it’s summer the outdoor cafes are opening, people are getting out, relaxing, doing things, and social life is exploding. This year, Tallinn is the new Culture capital of Europe so there is cool stuff being built and done here (www.tallinn2011.ee) For more information check out www.tourism.tallinn.ee
First time? Our 35-hectare outdoor lounge is open now, it’s called the Old Town. Restaurants, outdoor social life, nightlife... everything happens there. Stroll from Viru street to the central square, then head to the upper Old Town, Toompea, its a bit more quiet.
TALLINN
Old Town
Been there before? Rent a bike, get a map and head to the new Straw Theatre, it’s a temporary theatre, just at the edge of old town. (www.tallinn2011.ee) For a little contemporary architecture, see the Rotermanni quarter, and have a coffee there in an outdoor cafe. Then head to Kadriorg, an upperclass neighbourhood with a nice city park and the new art museum KUMU (www.ekm.ee). Alternatively head towards the sea and the Tallinn city promenade.
JAAN HEINMAA
Sunset over Tallinn
Shopping!
museum KUMU
Pirita Beach is our microMiami, so a bike trip can be finished with a dip in the sea there. Or hit a festival. In the summer, Estonia is festival crazy.
Take the ferry and go to Helsinki, we all do. Okay, you can get stuff from a central mall, or from some boutiques in the old town but nothing special. There are a lot of boutique-malls packed together in the centre of the city. But if you want some exotic experiences, go to the train station market, and get a something practical and strange item for a souvenir.
TTALLINN TOURISM
Stay in Hotels here aren’t very cool; stay in a hostel to meet other people.
Go out
Tallinn hipsters shop in Helsinki, this is why
I usually go to the Hell Hunt (‘gentle wolf’) pub for a first beer on its fantastic terrace. Try the Von Krahli theatre bar for concerts (vonkrahl.ee), Balou cellar for new age dance (balou.ee), or März for artsy parties (marzprojekt.wordpress. com). Finish at Levist Väljas (‘out of network’) cellar bar on Olevimagi.
TALLINN
VILLE LAUSMAE
Eat
Straw Theatre
Terrace life in the summer is a must, just stay away from old town main square restaurants. For a relaxed place to go eat, check out Controvento in the old town. Take carpaccio with artichokes, beef from the more expensive end of the menu, and a cheap house wine. (www.controvento.ee)
TALLINN
Eating out
For a good high-end bite with quiet talking people with expensive watches, try the nearby Bocca restaurant (www.bocca.ee). For late-night snack not for the faint-hearted try the Dirty Burger in Söögiplats near Freedom Square. For culinary strangeness, but a must after a night out, eat a meat pie from the train station market, it’s open 24h.
Hell Hunt
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 16 MAY 2011
TRAVEL WITH A TWIST: ECO TOURISM IN KARNATAKA, INDIA
Going green in
Karnataka
India’s state of Karnataka is home to some of the most important sights in the country both monuments and natural wonders The parks here are home to incredible wildlife The state is proud of its eco-friendly tourism
NEAL SNOWDON METRO WORLD NEWS TRAVEL@METRO.LU
SPOTS FOR NATURE LOVERS
“From national parks to wildlife safaris, eco tourism is key in India’s state of Karnataka” Tucked down in the south west of India, Karnataka offers the second largest number of protected monuments in India. But its biggest assets are its natural wonders. Karnataka is home to 25% of India’s elephants, 10% of its tigers and boasts five immense national parks and 25 wildlife sanctuaries. Ecology is a cornerstone of its tourism, so large swathes of land have been set aside as national parks. This is never more impressive than at Nagarhole National Park. Separated from neighbouring Bandipur National Park by a reservoir, Nagarhole is 248 square miles of hilly, swampy and riverside terrain that is home to tigers, bison, elephants, leopards, hyenas, 270 species of bird and the giant Indian flying squirrel. Take a safari trip to go eyeball to eyeball with some of the world’s great predators - albeit from a safe distance away – and stay overnight in a lodge. The local authorities have
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JOG FALLS One of the worlds’ most impressive waterfalls. Can be seen in all its awesome power during and shortly after the monsoon rains.
Endangered Gaur roam Nagarhole National Park THINKSTOCKPHOTOS
worked with non-govermental organisations to protect Nagarhole and the other national parks and sanctuaries from hunters and illegal tree fellers and to promote repsonsible tourism. The region is proud of its natural treasures and intends to look after them. To appreciate the beauty of Karnataka, it is best to stay at one of its hill stations. Located high up in sandalwood forests or coffee plantations, hill stations in places such as Coorg are retreats that offer calm, beautiful views and the perfect retreat from life’s pressures. Karnataka is
also attracting health to urists wanting to try alternative therapies such as ayurveda and yoga therapy. A hill station stay or a spot of therapy should leave you energised enough to visit as many of Karnataka’s jawdropping monuments as possible. So try to see the Shravanabelagola at Hassan, Belur’s Chennakesava Palace or the Mysore Palace. And if you are still after more natural splendour, take in the Jog Falls. For more information check out www.karnatakatourism.org
NAGARHOLE NATIONAL PARK 248 square miles of swamps, valleys, rolling hills and rivers inhabited by huge numbers of animals and 250 bird species. Mysore Palace
Travellers’ Tips EAT
Try local speciality savoury pancake, the dosa. Or Karnataka’s dish, invented in Bangalore, the spicy dumpling called rava idli.
STAY
For luxury spa resort accommodation on a coffee estate
halaxmi Lodge at Kushalnagar. From 4 euros, Tel 08276-274622, .
surrounded by nature reserves, try The Windflower at Coorg. Rooms from 110 Euros. www.thewindflower.com
EVENT
For a more basic place to stay that is still close to many beautiful tourist attractions, there is the Ma-
The Mysore Dasara is ten days of colour and activity and the major state festival for Karnataka. Held in either
September or October, it marks the triumph of Hindu goddess Chamundeshwari over the forces of evil Mahishasura.
TRAVEL If planning to travel around by train, visit
www.indianrail.gov.in beforehand for schedules and ticket information.
WEATHER
Monsoon season in Karnataka is from June to September. It can be one of the wettest places in India.
BANDIPUR NATIONAL PARK Wild elephants, rare Indian Bison and monkeys roam through Bandipur’s National Park, also an official sanctuary for Bengal tigers.
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, XX MONTH 2011
GOURMET TRAVELLER: BELGIUM
Boring Belgium? Not when it comes to food
Belgium is reinventing itself as a gastronomic go-to destination This cosmopolitan, two-part nation’s cuisine is a fusion of Germanic and Latin flavours Try stylish Antwerp, buzzing Brussels or beautiful Bruges VISIT BELGIUMX
RACHEL HALL
Quick tips
EAT
METRO WORLD NEWS
Lauded in the 2011 Michelin guide as Belgium’s best restaurant, Comme Chez Soi serves Belgian food with a little French finesse. The fine food is set off by wooden panels carved in Brussels’ signature Art Nouveau style. As with most high-end restaurants, booking is a must and prices are high – but worth it. www.commechezsoi.be
TRAVEL@METRO.LU
“Belgian cuisine offers more than chocolate and beer” Often overshadowed by the gastronomic glamour of neighbouring France, Belgium is a culinary gem in its own right. After all, nothing says gourmet quite like a country whose capital city Brussels lays claim to a record number of Michelin-starred restaurants per person. The cliché holds that Belgian cuisine offers the quality of French food and the quantity of German portions. The two stars which shine brightest in Belgium’s culinary firmament are the country’s range of artisanal chocolates and beers. Belgian beers have acquired a near fanatical following, especially the Trappist varieties. Only seven breweries are allowed to carry the label, indicating that the beers have been brewed in Trappist monasteries and produced to cover only the monks’ living expenses
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DISHES TO TRY... WHEN YOU’RE IN THE LOW COUNTRY
STAY The stylish White Hotel is situated on Brussels’ haute couture thoroughfare Avenue Louise. Pristine white walls, modern design and clean lines characterise the rooms. A range of restaurants both luxuriously chic and quirkily bohemian are located in the surrounding area. From €75 per night, www.thewhitehotel.be
FESTIVAL
‘Frites’ with mayonnaise
and philanthropic works. Be warned, alcohol content can be high, with tripel beers at 9-12 percent. Good seafood can be found all over the country. Tomates aux crevettes, tomatoes stuffed with shrimps from the coastal town of Zeebrugge, is a national delicacy. Seafood restaurants can be found in
Brussels’ Rue du Boucher and ex-fish market Place St Catherine. Sophisticated dining options abound in Knokke, the ‘Belgian Riviera’. Start your gastronomic day out in Brussels by sharing bread and jam at one of the communal tables at the international chain (often mistaken for being French)
Le Pain Quotidien. For an upmarket dinner, ultra-hip Belga Queen is a converted bank serving Belgian classics with a modern twist (www.belgaqueen.be). Outside of the capital, fashion mecca Antwerp is home to some stylish eateries – try the trendy docklands area or every fashionista’s
favourite, Hungry Henrietta (www.hungryhenrietta.be). The picturesque medieval town of Bruges is a haven of Michelin stars, crowned by three-starred De Karmeleit (www.dekarmeliet.be).
VISIT FLANDERS
VISIT FLANDERS
VISIT FLANDERS
VISIT FLANDERS
For more information check out www.visitflanders.com
MOULES FRITES
CHOCOLATE
BEER
WAFFLES
Belgium’s national dish – the name means mussels and fries. Mussels are usually served in a stock of butter and white wine with mixed herbs and vegetables. They are best accompanied by proper Belgian fries - thickly cut, usually fried and best served with mayonnaise.
Belgian chocolate is considered to be among the finest in the world. Try highlyreputed chocolatier Pierre Marcolini, whose confections include chocolates infused with earl grey and orange blossom. For something a little more wallet-friendly, Leonidas is excellent value.
There are a huge number of varieties of Belgian beer, each best served in its own branded glass. Pale wheat beer, Trappist, LambicGueuze, fruit beers like the cherry-flavoured Kriek – the list goes on. Over two thousand varieties can be sampled at in Delirium Café, just off Brussels’ Grand Place.
Belgian waffles are sold all over the country, usually from small kiosks on the street. There are two main styles – Bruxellois, a rectangular-shaped ‘lighter’ waffle dusted with powdered sugar and Liegois, a denser waffle with chunks of caramelised sugar.
The 13th edition of the Beer Weekend festival will be taking place from 2-4th September this year in the Grand Place. Set amid the medieval gothic architecture of Brussels’ main square, Belgium’s breweries will be presenting a selection of their finest beers to willing punters. www.weekenddelabiere.be
VISIT FLANDERS
POULET WATERZOOI This traditional stew made of mixed vegetables, eggs, cream and butter comes from Flanders, Belgium’s Flemish-speaking region. It was originally made with freshwater fish but chicken has become more common now.
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, XX MONTH 2011
TOP 5: PLACES TO LEARN HOW TO DANCE
Dream dance holidays Get to know a culture better, by getting to grips with their traditional dance Get fit with tango, belly dancing or flamenco movies and get close to the locals It’s a good excuse to visit destinations from Buenos Aires to Istanbul
EMMA E FORREST
METRO WORLD NEWS TRAVEL@METRO.LU
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GETTY
WALTZ
in Vienna WHAT? A stately
"Dance holidays are a great place to meet people” Combine culture and keep-fit with a dance holiday. Not only will you learn more about the artistic traditions of the country you’re dancing in, but a week of tango or bellydancing have an impact on your lovehandles. And as a bonus, you’ll come back with some smooth moves to impress your friends on the dancefloor back home.
and romantic ballroom dance, where your partner sweeps you round the dancefloor in three-quarter time. WHERE? Book flights to Vienna, home of the Viennese waltz made famous by Johann Strauss. Practice for the famous annual Vienna Opera Ball, with classes or pricate lessons at any one of the many waltzschools, or for a more informal approach, pick up new moves in one of the many dancecafes around the city. www.wien.info
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Debutantes at the Vienna Opera Ball
TRAVELLERS WORLDWIDE
BELLYDANCE
FLAMENCO
in Istanbul
WHAT? This exotic tummy-and-hipswivelling dance is big throughout the Middle-East. WHERE? Sign up for a course at Oriental Istanbul and you’ll be taught this exotic art by a team from Fire of Anatolia, Turkey’s answer to Riverdance. From just €287/$413 you’ll get ten hours of lessons, an amateur bellydance outfit, and the chance to perform for an audience and lose a few centimentres off your waistline. orientalistanbul.org
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GOLEARNTO.COM
in Seville
WHAT? This
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TANGO
in Buenos Aires WHAT? A dramatic and sensual Argentinian dance form, where the couple whip their way around the dancefloor. Where? Head to Argentina’s capital. First watch a tango show over dinner perhaps the Rojo Tango history of tango show at the fancy Faena Hotel
(www.rojotango.com). Next, join a local milonga – an open tango party – then take some lessons, perhaps the Centro Cultural Torcuato Tasso Defensa (www.torquatotasso.com.ar). For full immersion, book onto a two-week tango holiday. You’ll be taken to tango shows, have private and group tango lessons so you’re ready to join a milonga at the end of the week. €1,054 / $1,500 for two weeks, responsibletravel.com
flamboyant Spanish floor-spanking tap dance is a UNESCOlisted part of Spanish culture. Where? In Seville, you’ll be taught techniques of the dance, encouraged to express your inner Flamenco dancer personality, and taught about the relationship between Flamenco dancing, guitar and singing. €259/$357, www.GoLearnTo.com TRAVELBOUNDX
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DISNEY DANCE THE WORLD in Florida
WHAT? Think Mickey
Club era Britney and Justin dancing to ‘It’s a Small World’. WHERE? Most kids would give their DS for a chance to go to a Disney theme park, and
this new holiday allows them to be a part of the show there, too. The Dance The World at Walt Disney World in Florida holiday offers groups of kids a week of professional dance and music lessons, the chance to perform with supersize Mickeys and Donalds in front of a crowd of thousands in the Disney Parade. From €1273/$1830 www.travelbound.co.uk
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www.metro.xxxxx MONDAY, XX MONTH 2011
GADGETS: SWIM SHORTS
SHORTS FOR A STYLISH SWIM 1
1 ASOS SKULL SHORTS
Channel your inner Jack Sparrow with these piratestyle skull-print swim shorts. €25.64/ $34.48, www.asos.com
2 TED BAKER TABLOYD SWIM SHORT As the world’s biggest newspaper, Metro has to recommend these fun newsprint shorts. These shorter-length shorts have a bold print on the inside too. €51/ $100, www.tedbaker.com
3 VILEBREQUIN SEALS SHORTS The perfect thing for a doting dad – matching father/son swim shorts. These high quality shorts come in lots of unusual patterns. €150/€85 chidl, $230/$120 adult, www.vilebrequin.com METRO WORLD NEWS
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www.metro.xxxxx MONDAY, 25 APRIL 2011
GADGETS: FOR IN-FLIGHT SLEEPING
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FOR BLISSFUL SNOOZING LONG HAUL
1 OTIS BATTERBEE TRAVEL PILLOW
Inflatable pillows unstylish? Not this one. It’s covered with a sumptuous dogtooth fabric on one side and a burgundy velvet on the other. €95/$137, www.otisbatterbee.com
2 MARY CHING BLACK CASHMERE EYE MASK Designed by Shanghai designer Ching, this mask is made from soft cashmere with contrasting trim, and is embellished with freshwater pearls.€56/$81, www.gift-library.com
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3 THE ORGANIC PHARMACY KIT IThis set of homeopathic remedies, flower essences and oils includes pills containing cocculus, passiflora and valeriana to help you sleep. €51/$75, www. theorganicpharmacy.com METRO WORLD NEWS
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