Travel
Originally published on Monday, 17th June 2013
TRAVEL SUPPLEMENT SUMMER
Okay, okay, we know – most of you will have already booked (or may even be on) your summer holidays. For the less-organised among you, we have some late summer pickings for your perusal: from food fashion in La Paz and some fresh air on Vancouver Island, to city heat in Athens, block parties in Detroit and a Beirut 101, we have you covered. Not your bag? Perhaps a shorter-than-short-haul break to Babington House’s new rival, The Talbot Inn, appeals, as might the new direct easyJet flight from Gatwick to Bergen, the “gateway to the Fjords” in Norway. If you only have time for a weekend getaway then go Virgin Atlantic – they’ve just upped the hand baggage allowance to 10kg on Economy, Premium Economy and Little Red flights. Happy travels!
CITY COLOUR: Athens, Greece
First up, a short-haul, hot, city break in Athens. Juxtapose the ancient architecture of The Acropolis by opting for avant-garde lodgings. Our favourites are the contemporary and colourful Fresh Hotel and the Semiranis (pictured). The former, situated in the edgy “Shoreditch of Athens”, is a plexiglass haven of hot pink hues, frosted balconies, Eames chairs and popular rooftop bar and pool with postcard-perfect views. The Magenta restaurant is also a fashionable spot. Alternatively, head North to the leafy, affluent neighbourhood of Kifissia, where the wackier Semiranis resides. Designed by “prince of plastic” Karim Rashid, here you’ll find cartoon colours and shapes (blobs all round), bathrooms in glass pods, a Miami Vice-style pool and a great art collection (our favourite is the YES light in the lobby). And, instead of the usual Do Not Disturb door signs, there are electronic message boards which can be personalised from the in-room keyboard. In keeping with the modern twist, make sure to visit the red marble-fronted, design-heavy Benaki Modern Art Museum. Get the day-glo ready – and, you can always island hop for a cool-down afterwards.
Fresh Hotel, 26 Sofokleous & Klisthenous Street, 105 52 Athens, rooms from €90
Semiramis, Charilaou Trikoupi 48 145 62 Kefalari, Kifissia, Athens, rooms from €170
FOODSTUFF: La Paz, Bolivia
Anyone who has been to La Paz will understand why the word “incongruous” came to mind when we heard about one half of Noma, Claus Meyer, setting up a restaurant in Bolivia’s dramatic capital. But, it does make sense. Situated 3,600m above the sea, Gustu takes advantage of Bolivia’s biodiversity, much like its alma mater. Expect dishes like Lake Titicaca trout (the only seafood), lemony corn with pulled rabbit, egg yolk in a nest of charque, and tender beets and papalisas (a type of potato), presented in the same, detailed way as its Danish mother. Even the extensive wine menu – which has everything from Malbec to Sauvignon Blanc – is sourced from Bolivia’s wine country, Tarija, while all cocktails are made from grape spirit Singani. Décor weaves the modern (exposed light bulbs) with the Andean (hints of colour). And, unlike Noma, there’s no three-month waiting list.
Restaurant Gustu, Calle 10 no. 300, Calacoto, La Paz, tasting menus from £40
ISLAND LIFE: Panarea, Italy
Live the island life off the coast of Sicily in Panarea. The narrow lanes, white bougainvillea-framed houses and lack of cars – it’s just Vespas, golf carts and bare feet here, darling – have been attracting the jetset pedigree and royalty (real and fashion; Dolce and Gabbana and the Prada set are frequent visitors) since the 60s, since artists Myriam Beltrami and Paolo Tilche opened up the Hotel Raya. Make sure to get a seat at the Bridge Club, where Japanese chefs serve up freshly caught sushi, or family-run Daa Paolina for some pasta magna magna before heading to Raya’s open air disco which overlooks the emerald sea and Stromboli’s sparky volcano. Rent a boat and head for the Cala Junco Bay, enclosed by volcanic reefs, or Lisca Bianca.
Hotel Raya, Via S. Pietro, 98050 Panarea Rooms from £320
JAZZY: Detroit, USA
Eschew your usual summer party pitstop for something a bit more raw. Head to Detroit in late summer to catch the Stateside Mad Decent Block Party series, hitting Detroit on August 6 at the Elektricity Festival Grounds (Major Lazer, Dillon Francis, Baauer and Samo Sound Boy will play). Book into the tiny, design-led, boutique loft Honour and Folly in Detroit’s oldest part of town. Make time to visit the Motown Museum and the Eastern Market on a Saturday morning, (followed by Russell Street Deli for otherworldly sandwiches). Another must is a coney (hotdog) at next-door-neighbour rivals American Coney Island or Lafayette. Stick around for Labour Day weekend’s Jazz Festival, with Ahmad Jamal, Macy Gray and Gregory Porter. Ain’t no party like a Detroit party.
Honour & Folly, 2134 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI 48216 Rooms from $165
RETREAT: Tofino, Canada
If you’re looking to escape it all, then do so to the Canadian wilderness. Tofino, on the tip of Vancouver Island, is all about nature: stargazing, surfing and whale watching, to be precise. Hole up in The Wickannish Inn, a 75-room modern lodge on Chesterman Beach. Settle down for a fresh menu of fish (and more) caught in the surrounding waters – Salt Spring Island mussels, Albacore tuna, west coast clam chowder – at The Pointe Restaurant or get comfy in the Beachfront lounge and library, a hotspot for storm watching in the winter months. Want ‘activities’? We say head to the spa for a Hawaiian shamanic treatment or take a boat to Maquinna Marine Provincial Park to enjoy the natural hot mineral springs.
Golden Eagle Luxury Trains, prices from £9695
ENOTOURISM: Penedès, Spain
It’s not secret – we love us a bit of cava. With that in mind, we’re advocating getting your eno on in Cataluña’s cava region, Penedès. The Mas Tinell estate is one of the first producers to open an on-site hotel. And it doesn’t stop there – the building is shaped like a wine rack and the rooms are bottles (the bottoms of which are the windows). Of the 10 suites, eight overlook the vineyard while the other two look down to the cellar. Take a bicycle tour of the region before sitting down to some serious tasting and pairing. There are also tours to other legendary producers such as Freixenet, Cordoníu and Torres–and Barcelona is only 50 minutes away. Get over the bubbles with some time in the vinotherapy spa.
Hotel Mas Tinell, Ctra. De Vilafrance a Sant Marti Sarroca km 0,5, 8728, Vilafrance del Penedès, Barcelona From €167
