METRO WORLD NEWS
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Monday, 31 January 2011 www.metrotravel.com
TRAVEL
MONDAY, 31 JANUARY 2011
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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 {page 03}
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}
Winter gloves for all the family {page 06}
Exotic tastes in Morocco {page 04}
MOROCCO TOURISM
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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 31 JANUARY 2011
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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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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MONDAY, 31 JANUARY 2011
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 XXX
RYAN BORROFF
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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MONDAY, 31 JANUARY 2011
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
GETTY IMAGES
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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CLASSIC
DRAMATIC
MODERN
INTIMATE
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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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MONDAY, 31 JANUARY 2011
GADGETS: HIGH-TECH HAND GEAR
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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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