METRO WORLD NEWS
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Monday, 04 April 2011 www.metrotravel.com
TRAVEL
MONDAY, 04 APRIL 2011
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we live where you’re going
TOP 5 UNDISCOVERED BEACHES IN EUROPE {page 05}
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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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www.metrotravel.com MONDAY, 04 APRIL 2011
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. NORMAN PALM TRAVEL@METRO.LU
The beat of Berlin
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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.
Berlin is very international. It is open-minded, green, relaxed and affordable – what else does one need? For more information check out www.normanpalm.com and www.visitberlin.de
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,
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
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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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).
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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
Troyes, France
TRAVELLING This town is so welcoming to our canine buddies that the tourist board offers visitors a guide to ‘Toutourisme’ (doggietourism) in the town.
ENGLISH CHANNEL BAY OF BISCAY
Sitting pretty in Troyes
TROYES
FRANCE
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MONDAY, 04 APRIL 2011
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
METRO FRENCH CANADA
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!
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!
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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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MONDAY, 04 APRIL 2011
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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MONDAY, 04 APRIL 2011
GADGETS: MUSIC FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS
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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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MONDAY, 04 APRIL 2011
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