Bold Issue #37 Winter issue

DESTINATION OF THE YEAR

THAILAND

WANDERING

QUEBEC CRUISING

EUROPE

EXPLORING

TEL AVIV

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ISSUE #37

CONTENTS WINTER 2017

F E AT U R E S

36

THE KING & THAI As the royal crown changes hands, Muriel Paras witnesses the magic that’s earned Thailand the title of destination of the year

44 WINTER WONDERLAND Whether it’s urban merriment or snowshoeing through forests, Waheeda Harris learns just a few of the ways Quebec keeps its visitors warm

50 GONE WITH THE WIND With James Beard in the kitchen, Ruth J. Katz feeds her stomach as well as her soul on a cruise from Dublin to Lisbon

56 A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

Winter Wonderland: The sun shining through the forest in the Charlevoix Region of Quebec. For more, turn to page 46

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Cruising the Eastern Danube, Anna Hobbs discovers an unfamiliar landscape and a rich history

THE LUXURY OF MORE WHO SAYS IT ISN’T ALL ABOUT YOU?

EMERALD KNOWS IT IS!

S

o the couple you’re sailing the Danube with on Emerald Waterways wants to immerse themselves in European history, and visit each castle, museum and gallery along the way to wring every drop of culture from their trip. Your idea of the perfect cruise, on the other hand, is to take a shorter tour, get a taste of the place, then return to the ship to lounge in your lovely stateroom and watch the world sail by, or sip a glass or two in the sunshine on the upper deck.

No worries – you can all enjoy the same cruise, each in your own way.

Emerald knows that every guest is different, with a unique set of expectations and preferences – there are no one-style-fits-all cruises. Because they also understand that the most important elements of any trip are the shore excursions, Emerald offers options to appeal to every taste, interest and energy level.

You’ll never feel trapped on a longer-than-you-wanted tour or find yourself longing to stay and savour when the guide is calling you to board the bus. Emerald’s varied lineup of shore excursions is designed to let you decide not only how you’d like to spend your days but also where.

Every cruise includes tours and excursions guests are welcome to join at no cost and these offer great introductions to the ports. Whether you’re strolling cobblestone streets, drinking in the history of an ancient culture or visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites, you’ll have an easy-to-use audio headset so you can wander a bit but still hear your well-informed, English-speaking guide. Because these tours are included in your cruise, there’s no need to book ahead – simply be ready when the ship comes into port

and join the group on the pier. There’ll be a guide watching for you.

If you’re ready for even more fun – and some healthy exercise – choose an EmeraldACTIVE tour. Hop on one of the complimentary bikes provided by the ship and pedal along the banks of the Danube as your guide shows you the wonders of the Wachau Valley between Melk and Dürnstein. This beautiful area is a world-renowned wine region, so don’t be surprised if you stop for a little tasting along the way. To work off any sneaky calories that might be hiding in all the great cruise cuisine, join the EmeraldACTIVE hike in Bavaria to explore the fascinating Wertheim Castle ruins near Miltenberg.

Travel can be life-changing when you have the time to really explore and experience a destination. EmeraldPlus programs – another great shore excursion option offered at no extra cost – give you that precious time.

You’ll always remember gliding through Amsterdam’s famous canals, looking at the ramshackle houseboats along the docks and watching the never-ending stream of cyclists riding over the bridges. You’ll buy a cone of crispy French fries from a street vendor, dip them in mayonnaise – oh so European – and then stroll the famous red light district (Don’t worry: it’s not really so naughty!)

Love flowers? Be sure to book the EmeraldPlus tour of the Keukenhof Gardens where the only thing more beautiful than the flowers are the preening white peacocks strutting through them.

If you’re the sort of traveller who suffers from serious FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) you might want to spend a little bit more to book Emerald’s Discover More tours so you can capture every exciting opportunity.

Full-day excursions carefully created to celebrate the best of each region will give you a chance to go beyond the included tours of the port city, to discover such treasures as Salzburg or the magnificent Schönbrunn Palace. On one very special evening, you’ll have the chance to let Emerald Waterways fill your soul with sound in an elegant Viennese opera house where the singers will be performing exclusively for you and your fellow cruise guests. It’s the kind of evening that you could only experience with an Emerald Waterways Discover More package.

Whether you choose the shore excursions included with your cruise or try the EmeraldACTIVE, EmeraldPlus or Discover More Tours, Emerald will let you custom design your cruise experience and spend your days and evenings exactly as you like. Like Fleetwood Mac would say, you can go your own way – and tell your friends all about it at dinner.

THE LUXURY OF MORE 1 855 444 0161 emeraldwaterways.ca 7

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ISSUE #37

CONTENTS WINTER 2017

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EDITORIAL NOTE

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CONTRIBUTORS

AG E N DA 15

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SEVEN FOR 2017: Our editors pick the seven must-see destinations for this year NEW & NOTEWORTHY: From London’s new Design Museum to the best new flights STYLE: Inspired by Hong Kong STAY: At DR’s Casa de Campo, the hotel is just the beginning of the adventure FOOD DIARIES: In the debut of our new feature, chefs Chuck Hughes and Danny Smiles share behind-the-scenes adventures from their new TV show WANDERLUST: A table at the world’s top-rated restaurant

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T R AV E L N AV I GATO R 30

61 65 68 74 65

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TRAVEL INTEL: Seven hacks for improving your travelling life UPGRADES: BOLD and Exodus travel present the top 10 for 2017 BOLD TRAVELLER: Our Insider’s Guide to Tel Aviv WORTH TRAVELLING FOR: The Azores are closer than you think

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Moraine Lake in the Winter, Banff National Park - Alberta

E D I TO R ’ S N OT E

A BOLD EVOLUTION This year marks the 7th anniversary of Bold Magazine. It’s a journey that has taken us to nearly every corner of the globe, from the skyscrapers of Singapore to the jungles of Colombia to the historic Italian countryside. And what a journey it’s been!

Exploring the world—whether it’s your own neighbourhood or somewhere a little farther away— helps us grow and evolve. Travel introduces us to new flavours, new people, and new ways of thinking.

It opens our minds, expands our understanding, and inspires our creativity.

So it makes sense that Bold itself would undergo something of an evolution as well.

As you flip through the pages of this issue, not only will you be transported to the exciting yet intimate journeys you’ve come to expect, but you will also see a fresh new style.

Our design has a bolder look, starting with the cover (an arresting close-up of Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple in Thailand), in addition to stylish new typefaces, more whitespace, and more vibrant photography. Our editorial also has a bolder voice. Through every word, there is a fresh approach to the stories we tell.

Also, be on the lookout for refreshes across the Bold brand from our website to social media channels coming soon.

But our goal is and has always been the same: to inspire travellers!

Now get out there!

Marlon J. Moreno Publisher & Editorial Director

PROUD PARTNERS OF BOLD MAGAZINE 10

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FLIGHTS INCLUDED TO EUROPE Save up to $2,800 per couple*

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✓ Heated pool with retractable roof and cinema† ✓ Boutique style suites with our open-air balcony system ✓ All on board meals at Reflections Restaurant ✓ A refined selection of wine, beer and soft drinks to accompany lunch and dinner ✓ Included excursions at every port ✓ Cultural experiences with EmeraldPLUS activities ✓ Biking and hiking tours with EmeraldACTIVE ✓ Visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites ✓ Excellent English-speaking crew ✓ Knowledgeable local guides ✓ Complimentary bicycles & WIFI ✓ All airport transfers to and from your Star-Ship. ✓ Port taxes included in prices ✓ Plus we even take care of all gratuities

Call 1 855 444 0161, visit emeraldwaterways.ca or contact your travel professional *Terms & conditions: Offer applies to new 2017 bookings only and non-transferable. Offer ends March 31, 2016 unless sold our prior and is not combinable with any other offer. Fly Free to Europe only applies to Panorama Balcony, Grand Balcony and Owner’s One Bedroom Suites or receive $1,000 CAD air credit in lieu of flights. Includes taxes up to $590 with a max flight cap of $1400 per person. Economy Air only on Emerald Waterways choice of airlines from specific Canadian gateways: YHZ, YYZ, YOW, YUL, YQR, YXE, YWG, YEG, YYC, YVR, YYJ, YLW & YCD. All other gateways receive air credit savings. Applicable to new group bookings only, that book and deposit between January 1 – March 31, 2017. A non-refundable initial deposit of $500 per person is required at the time of booking, with full payment required 90 days prior to departure. A secondary non-refundable deposit of $1,500 per person is due prior to air ticketing. Emerald reserves the right to ticket the airfare upon receipt of deposit. Economy Air only on Emerald Waterways’ choice of airlines. Taxes & port charges are included in the price. Prices based on following 2017 departures: EWNB270717.2, EWCR210717.2. Offer may be extended, canceled or withdrawn at any time without notice. 2017 itineraries, hotels and inclusions are subject to availability and may change. For full terms and conditions please visit www.emeraldwaterways.ca. Emerald Waterways, 401 West Georgia St., Suite 1025, Vancouver, BC, V6B 5A1. © EMERALD WATERWAYS 2016 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | BC CONSUMER PROTECTION #40178. ECAMA013

EMERA BEST RI

ISSUE #37

CONTRIBUTORS WINTER 2017

ON THE COVER

A close-up view of Buddhist art at Wat Rong Khun.

Marlon J. Moreno Publisher + Editorial Director Paul Gallant Executive Editor Magda de la Torre Americas Editor CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

50

68

RUTH J. KATZ Writer GONE WITH THE WIND

SARAH TRELEAVEN Writer

welcomes Paul Gallant

Ruth J. Katz is a well-

INSIDER’S GUIDE TO TEL AVIV

aboard as its new

known luxury and lifestyle

executive editor.

journalist based in New

Sarah Treleaven is a

Originally from Prince

York City. For the past

Canadian journalist

Edward Island, Paul has

seven years, she was the

who divides her time

worked as an editor for

style and travel editor at

between Toronto and Jerusalem. She started

PAUL GALLANT Executive Editor BOLD magazine

Liam Wilkinson • David Locke • Muriel Paras Michael Smith • Anita Draycott Meagan Drillinger • Andrew Brudz • Sarah Treleaven Ruth J. Katz • Waheeda Harris • Liz Fleming ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN Laura García PHOTOGRAPHY Carlos Bolivar • Tishan Baldeo WEB DEVELOPER Rahul Nair PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCY Jesson + Company jessonco.com info@jessonco.com 77 Bloor St. West, Suite 1200 Toronto, ON. M5S 1M2 ADVERTISING For Advertising, Promotion, Reprints and Sponsorships inquiries: marketing@boldmagazine.ca

outlets ranging from Xtra!

the upscale, NYC-based

to Yonge Street Media,

Promenade magazine. A

out her career at O, the

and has written about

cruise aficionado, Ruth

Oprah magazine, in New

PHONE: 1.416.323.7828 extension 25

travel, culture, business

has travelled to nearly

York City. She has since

and social issues for

80 countries and looks

written for a wide range

many other publications.

forward to adding many

of publications, including

CORRESPONDENCE The Hudson Bay Centre 20 Bloor St. East P.O. Box 75075 Toronto, ON. M4W 3T3

He has a penchant for

new destinations to

Latin America.

her list.

National Post, The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and ELLE magazine, just to name a few.

BOLD® is published bimonthly by Pulso Media Group Inc. Opinions express in BOLD are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the publisher or advertisers. BOLD does not assume liability for content.

www.boldmagazine.ca

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A World of Possibilities

PROMOTION

Take Me There

For Those Who Prefer to Explore Thailand is a great place for travellers. There are the breathtaking limestone cliff-lined beaches of the Phi Phi Islands. Or you can visit the ruins of Ayutthaya, an ancient Siamese capital. But Thailand is much more than beaches and history. It’s also home to the carnival-like Night Bazaar in Bangkok, bustling with live music, entertainment and good vibes. You can paddle along the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market to sample local delicacies one day, and visit the extravagant Wat Arun temple with porcelain and seashell lined walls the next. This is the Thailand experience that true travellers crave.

You see, there are two ways to explore a new destination.

First you have tourists; those who are happy to stick to the travel guide itinerary and to take photos of famous and familiar landmarks.

But then you have travellers. These are the people who like to wander off the beaten path. They might go down an alleyway just to see where they end up. Travellers eat at the local independent café. They find a city’s third-most popular art gallery and buy a unique piece to display in their home. And sometimes they sit peacefully on a park bench just to watch the locals go about their day.

According to Athena Varmazis, Vice-President, Cards at RBC, “We have another word for these travellers. We call them Avioners®.”

“In the same way that these travellers aren’t limited by the tourist guide, Avioners don’t accept limitations on their travel plans and they would never carry a travel rewards card that would place such limitations,” she says. In fact, with an RBC Avion® credit card you just don’t have to face those kinds of restrictions. You can book any flight, with any airline, at any time.

And with Payback with Points you can redeem your RBC Rewards® points toward anything and everything you purchase with your Avion card. Simply use your points to make a payment directly toward your credit card balance.

But more importantly, you can redeem points on everything you purchase for your trip.

So not only can you do things like book flights, hotel rooms, and car rentals; you can also wish on a floating lantern and watch it light up the night sky or befriend elephants at a nearby sanctuary – all ON POINTS! Avioners can explore and experience any new destination. So, ask yourself: are you a tourist or are you an Avioner?

All rewards are subject to availability and are subject to change without notice. Some restrictions may apply.

For complete terms, visit rbcrewards.com/terms. ®/™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. ‡ All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner(s).

Explore the world, ON POINTS Easy to understand travel rewards.

No seat restrictions. If there’s a seat available, you fly – even during peak seasons. Plus you can also use your points to cover airline fees and taxes.

Earning points is simple and easy.

You can feel confident knowing that you’ll earn RBC Rewards® points every time you make a purchase on your credit card.

Use your points toward all your purchases.

With Payback with Points, you can redeem your RBC Rewards points toward anything and everything you purchase using your Avion® credit card. Simply use your points to make a payment directly toward your credit card balance.

AVIONERS CAN DO THAT ®

To learn more visit rbc.com/avion Powered By

AGENDA W H E R E O U R WA N D E R LU S T I S TA K I N G U S N E X T

WHERE TOinGO 2017

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque by Julian Lambermon.

As the chill sets in and Canadians set their sights on a trip abroad, many will seek out either the destinations slightly off the beaten path or those actively reinventing themselves.

Here, in no particular order, is our list for the best places to visit — or revisit — in 2017.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.

BY SARAH TRELEAVEN 15

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United Arab Emirates

Long a destination for business travellers, Abu Dhabi is working hard to appeal to the leisure category and move past its sterile skyscrapers-in-the-desert façade to present a more well-rounded image.

C U LT U R E C LU B

S L E E P OV E R

JUST CRUISING

The growing Saadiyat Cultural District is a new development with serious ambitions to elevate Abu Dhabi’s arts scene.

A new Guggenheim is slated to open in 2017, adding to a Louvre and several other world-class institutions.

The hotel scene has long been dominated by international luxury brands, and several new 2016 openings, adding more than 2,400 rooms, have upped the ante.

The Four Seasons Abu Dhabi on Al Maryah Island is a breath of fresh air on the waterfront.

Abu Dhabi conjures up images of sun and sand, but it also has a massive port.

A brand new cruise terminal is slated to open on Sir Bani Yas Island before the New Year, offering access to activities like snorkeling and pearl diving.

saadiyatculturaldistrict.ae

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque by Julian Lambermon; The interior lobby of the Four Seasons;

ABU DHABI,

sirbaniyasisland.com

KANGAROO ISLAND, Australia Go back to the land with farm-to-table eating, wildlife walks and chic eco-hotels. In 2017, Cunard’s grand Queen Mary 2 will add Kangaroo Island to her list of ports, putting this natural paradise on even more radars.

N AT U R A L F L A I R

E AT LO C A L

If you’re going to commune with nature, do it in style.

Cliff-side Southern Ocean Lodge is widely considered one of the best in the world. Guests experience “produce-to-plate” dining, unobstructed views of the rugged coastline and guided excursions.

Sunset Food & Wine — a brand new restaurant from a former chef at Southern Ocean Lodge — opened in November, offering casual fine dining with a focus on seafood dishes like native oyster with cucumber granita. sunsetfoodandwine.com

southernoceanlodge.com.au

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H O P A LO N G T H E C OA S T The new Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail opened in September, promising multi-day walking excursions across 40 miles of spectacularly rugged South Australia coastline. Keep your eyes open for sugar gum trees and wild kangaroos. kan-

garooislandwildernesstrail. sa.gov.au

Sunset in Kangaroo Island, Australia by Matthew Fuentes; Daily meals at Sunset Food & Wine Restaurant; The OspreyPavilion-Lounge at Ocean Lodge.

fourseasons.com/abudhabi/

F O O D I E PA R A D I S E Riding a wave of growing interest in Korean food, Intrepid Travel recently introduced a South Korea Real Food Adventure, which starts and ends in Seoul, sampling KFC (Korean Fried Chicken), grilled beef and soju, a local spirit that will give you karaoke courage.

intrepidtravel.com/au/south-korea/real-food-adventure-south-korea-102613

TAIPEI,

Taiwan

Taipei was named World Design Capital in 2016, and this capital city is finally being recognized as a modern, progressive metropolis of updated street food, tea traditions and gay culture.

U R B A N PA R K

ROLL THE DICE

In 2017, the opening of the Seoul Skygarden — similar to New York City’s High Line — will create a very green, kilometre-long park in the centre of the city that will include performance spaces, street markets and greenhouses.

The first phase of Paradise City, a massive entertainment complex, is slated to open in Seoul next spring. In addition to a casino and nightclubs, expect a largescale spa, dining and retail — like Vegas but under one roof. p-city.co.kr/en/

MAKE IT MODERN The Taipei Fine Arts Museum 2016 Biennial carries into 2017, with contributions from more than 80 artists to an artistic program that combines exhibitions, performances, screenings, readings and workshops. tfam.museum

DRINK IN TRADITION Taipei has a very long history with tea, but a nouveau culture has more recently taken root. The stunning ultra-modern tea shop Xie Xie offers a new twist, including bottle of ready-to-drink cold brews. xiexietea.com

LOV E T H E N I G H T L I F E Next year, Taiwan may become the first Asian country to legislate marriage equality. Celebrate by hitting pedestrianfriendly Ximan, Taipei’s gay village, for bars with large terraces, swimming pools and plenty of neon.

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Gyeongbokgung Palace Royal Guard Appointment Ceremony; View of Seoul-Skygarden; Woman serving Bibimbap at the Gwangjang Market. Images courtesy of Korea Tourism.

Korea

Increasingly sexy Seoul is coming into its own by replacing a subdued concrete jungle with a greener, more varied metropolis renowned for terrific food and shopping.

Modern office buildings in the Xinyi District; Art at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum.

SEOUL,

Hand painted fabric inside a taxi in Mumbai. Image by Taxi Fabric

MUMBAI, India 2017 marks India’s 70th anniversary of independence, which was announced from the steps of a grand hotel in this highoctane metropolis. While technically India’s second city, Mumbai is indisputably the capital of cool.

D E S I G N E R D R I N K S Mumbai’s cocktail game is on point. Try the new Masala Bar for molecular mixology, and the new Bombay Canteen for alcoholic slushies and popsicles in flavours like sangria or margarita mixed with Indian spices. masalabar.co.in, thebombaycanteen.com F U S E YO U R A P P E T I T E Contemporary Mumbai cuisine is increasingly both fusion and ingredient-forward.

Portugal has exploded in popularity with Canadian travellers, so consider heading further afield to the subtropical Madeira archipelago. Hike the green hills, take a road trip around the coastline and sip some local wine in the fresh island air.

U N F U S S Y FAV O U R I T E S Madeiran food has a style all its own. Try rustic dishes like potato bread topped with garlic butter, fried polenta and honey cake. Consider a visit to Funchal for Il Gallo d’Oro, Madeira’s only double Michelin-star restaurant, for regional specialties with an ocean view. ilgallodoro.portobay.com

MADEIRA,

Portugal

L E GAC Y L A N D M A R K This summer, soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo opened a new boutique luxury hotel in his hometown of Funchal. Pestana CR7 is designed with the millennial traveller in mind, but the harbourside swimming pool and art deco style will appeal to most. pestanacr7.com

PA R T Y I N T H E S T R E E T S Madeira’s Carnival season (which will take place February 22 – March 1) offers one of Europe’s biggest street parties, complete with massive parade floats, samba bands and locals dancing in elaborate costumes.

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Young woman wearing a traditional folk dance dress; a meal from the double Michelin Star Restaurant Il Gallo d’Oro.

Check out The Clearing House, which opened in October, for seasonal dishes from across Asia, Mexico and the Mediterranean in a formerly crumbling warehouse. R I D E I N S T Y L E In 2015, Taxi Fabric launched a project to turn the seat covers in Mumbai’s iconic cabs into works of art. Local artists use the interiors — in almost 50 cars and counting — to create odes to Mumbai culture, such as the tiffin-carrying dabbawalas seen coordinating lunch delivery across the city. taxifabric.org

A woman walking on the beach in a colour attire by Francesco Macri

ZANZIBAR,

East Africa

This set of tropical islands is becoming increasing stylish while maintaining a relaxed charm. Most feature miles of pristine white beach, turquoise waters and villages filled with winding lanes and markets serving up freshly grilled seafood.

L A I D B AC K LU X U RY

FILM BUFFS

FUSION FOOD

Several indulgent hotels are slated to open in 2017 (a Park Hyatt opened in Stone Town last year), including the eco-friendly Hotel Verde, which will offer carbon-neutral luxury, and the renovated Essque Zalu, which has both organic food and spa treatments. Verdehotels.

2017 marks the 20th anniversary of the Zanzibar International Film Festival, one of the largest arts and culture events in Africa. From July 8–16, go and celebrate local filmmakers and this year’s festival theme of “finding joy.”

This year, Stone Town launched another kind of festival, an October food celebration that unites the city’s varied culinary traditions and spans hotels, restaurants and even street food carts.

Expect barbecues on the beach, traditional Swahili cuisine and popup events.

ziff.or.tz

co.za, minorhotels.com/ en/peraquum

A woman walking on the beach in a colourful attire.

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[ NEW & NOTEWORTHY ]

BY DESIGN

HONEY TRAP It’s still lunchtime and the house band at Taberna la Canchánchara already has patrons doing the salsa in the shaded courtyard. The bar is an essential stop on any visit to Trinidad, Cuba’s most huggable colonial gem, a place where Canadians who dare venture beyond Cuba’s resorts will find chock full of Millennial hipsters who know a good time when they see it. La Canchánchara is named after its speciality: a combination of honey, lemon, water, ice and aguardiente that’s both soothing and lethal. Believed to have been invented by 19th-century guerrilla soldiers as a shortcut to bravery, canchánchara is served in a clay cup and requires serious stirring to mix the honey with the other ingredients. The bad news for Trinidad visitors who lack restraint: Taberna la Canchánchara is open 24 hours. —PG

London, England’s Design Museum has reopened in its new house, on High Street Kensington, not too far down the road from Kate and Wills’ abode, Kensington Palace. From its old digs at Shad on the Thames, the move was nearly eight years in the making. With three times the amount of space for design lovers to explore the history of modern design and innovation, the building is an attraction in itself. A 1960s landmark that stood empty for years has been completely re-imagined by a team headed up by the British architectural designer John Pawson, known for his simple, minimalist aesthetic, and whose work includes homes, museums and retail spaces from England to Japan to Greece. Designmuseum.org —MP

NEW ROUTES GALORE Air Canada is adding five new routes in 2017. From Toronto, the airline will begin servicing Memphis, San Antonio and Savannah.

Later in the year, Air Canada will begin operating flights from Montreal to Dallas-Fort Worth and from Vancouver to Denver. In the budget category, Norwegian Air will begin flights to New York City from Edinburgh, Scotland, and from Cork and Shannon in Ireland. The one-way cost is expected to be as little as $68.

In May, Condor will begin operating flights from New Orleans to Frankfurt, Germany. It will be the first transatlantic flight from New Orleans since the 1980s. And effective February 6, Qatar Airways will launch a daily service from Auckland, New Zealand, to Doha, Qatar. The 18-hour and 35-minute flight will be the world’s longest.—MM 22

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An antique car in Trinidad Cuba by Michele Testini; Canchánchara drinks served in clay cups by Paul Gallant; Interior shot of the London Museum; Airplane taking off - illustration by Laura Garcia.

AGENDA

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AGENDA

[ STYLE FILE ]

TOP: A boat crossing the Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong.

BOTTOM: View of the lobby and the Clipper Lounge.

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Olivia Burton Winter Garden Grey Lilac & Rose Gold, $199

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THE INSPIRATION: “A barren island with hardly a house upon it.” Such was British Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston’s contemptuous description of Hong Kong in 1841. Fast forward 176 years, Hong Kong is anything but deserted these days. With globally unsurpassed ambition, energy and ardour, the city has evolved from a collection of sleepy fishing villages into the definition of East meets West.

THE VIEW: The Mandarin, as it was called on opening back in the early 1960s, was once the tallest building in Hong Kong. While it’s long been overtaken in height, it still manages to look across Victoria Harbour, despite a frenzy of land reclamation. And it continues to be everyone’s favourite address when it comes to rooms, restaurants and especially service, which is flawless.

THE SCENE: Something of an institution, the Clipper Lounge is a long-established favourite with Hong Kong locals and hotel guests alike, and a wonderful place to meet at any time of the day. Taking its name from the golden figurehead that stands at the head of the entrance staircase, the Clipper Lounge has a timelessly elegant feel with mink, taupe and mandarin furnishings, enhanced with subtle Oriental accents.

While popular for breakfast and dinner buffets, as well as the Sunday champagne brunch Hong Kong locals love, the Clipper Lounge is best known for afternoon tea. Elegantly presented on silver stands, the spread includes delicacies such as finger sandwiches, sweets, scones and signature rose-petal jam. Rooms starting $450/night.

mandarinoriental.com — MM 24

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EDITOR’S PICK “Shipwrecked on an island?” It goes without saying but LOJEL’s Kozmos Collections would survive. Inspired by the advent of space tourism, the KC makes a futuristic fashion statement and backs it up with high performance. The lightweight magnesium alloy frame is sheathed in metallic-filmed Advance PC for high strength with a low-gravity feel. From $535. lojel.ca

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Plaza Premium Lounge, Winnipeg Richardson International Airport

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AGENDA

[ STAY ]

Arcadian Adventures On the lush grounds of Casa de Campo, PAUL GALLANT savours many pleasures – including celebrity spotting

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AGENDA

F

[ STAY ]

ireworks are going off in the direction of Marc Anthony’s villa, but I suspect the sky’s not being lit up to commemorate the musician’s divorce from Venezuelan model Shannon de Lima, but to celebrate one of the weddings happening somewhere on the gigantic estate that is Casa de Campo.

Located partway between Santo Domingo and Punta Cana on the Dominican Republic’s Caribbean Coast, the Casa de Campo hotel itself has only 183 rooms – essentially a boutique. But with more than 2,000 villas to buy or rent, three and a half golf courses, a private beach, more than a dozen dining and drinking venues, a marina, a shooting range, stables with more than 300 horses, polo fields, art school, a 5,000-seat amphitheatre and a conference centre, the 7,000-acre resort and residential community can be considered a universe unto itself. Residents like Anthony, visitors like Justin Bieber, Ricky Martin, Vin Diesel, Beyoncé and Jay Z and investors like the Miami-based rapper Pitbull, who just opened resto-club 30Sinco on the marina waterfront, have made it a particularly star-studded universe. Old-school golf fanatics paying their respects at the 28

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highly rated Teeth of the Dog course might inadvertently stumble onto Drake making a music video with hip-hop artist French Montana.

Guests get golf carts to shrink the distances from one meticulously landscaped zone to another, making it fun to get from the beachside restaurant to tee-time without breaking a sweat.

Initially built in 1975 as a retreat for intimates of Charles Bluhdorn, then CEO of conglomerate Gulf and Western, Casa de Campo was relaunched in the 1980s as a high-end resort by the Fanjul brothers, a Cuban-American family who are among the world’s biggest sugar producers – a factory of theirs is just next door.

Now more than 3,5000 employees come on to the property each day, making Casa de Campo one of the biggest employers in the DR. The family’s interests in Old-World pursuits like polo and hunting are reflected in the resort unique offerings; horseback riding, tennis and skeet/ trap shooting are part of a basic vacation package. The loyalty the Fanjul family inspires is also impressive; one of the resort’s executive chefs has been with the company for more than 30 years.

About six years ago, management decided to up their game, bringing on Daniel Hernandez, a general manager from Colombia who had worked at AMResorts and Occidental, to oversee day-to-day operations and a $40-million

ON THE OPPOSITE PAGE: Casa de Campo’s offerings include the world famous golf course Teeth of the Dog, the yacht-filled marina and the polo fields.

ON THIS PAGE: the renovated lobby, the Beach Club bar and one of he luxurious villas available for rent.

rejuvenation of the hotel amenities. As well as refreshing the rooms, Hernandez’s team created a more dramatic sense of arrival with a more contemporary lobby pavilion. On the food side of the equation, he hired Anthony Masas Diaz, a Spaniard who has worked in Monaco, Barcelona and Ibiza, as executive chef for the resort’s six principal restaurants.

Meanwhile, SBG, an upscale fusion restaurant beloved by Santo Domingo jetsetters, opened a Casa de Campo spin-off that has earned glowing reviews. Hernandez also won fans for bringing back live music to La Caña bar, which is something of a hub for the resort.

With its Vacation Experience packages (which includes most meals and drinks but that are not all-inclusive), Casa de Campo strikes a delicate balance between the worryfree experience of a traditional resort and providing the kind of exclusive experience that has given the resort caché among celebrities and power brokers. Hernandez tells me of one night when a high-profile guest called the front desk at midnight wanting to rent a Mini Cooper ASAP. After a flurry of phone calls, a car arrived at his villa around 3am. “The guest was still up waiting for it,” laughs Hernandez.

But sitting back and enjoying the idyllic surroundings can be quite enough of an indulgence. At the waterfront Beach Club restaurant, my cocktail, with dark rum, ginger and lemon, is a Dark and Stormy; the blue sky and water in front of me is anything but.

casadecampo.com.do

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AGENDA

[ FOOD DIARIES ]

Hot

on the

CHEFS CHUCK HUGHES & DA N N Y S M I L E S

Trail

While making their latest Food Network show, two Montrealers discover all that Canada has to offer.

BY PAUL GALLANT

A

fter touring the US and Mexico in search of the freshest ingredients and the most palate-tickling recipes to show off to TV audiences, hot Montreal chef Chuck Hughes decided to try some culinary adventures closer to home.

Teaming up with good friend Danny Smiles, who also happens to be chef de cuisine at Hughes’ Le Bremner restaurant in Old Montreal, Hughes spent six weeks last fall touring the country in an RV, meeting up with celebrated local chefs and food experts from the Georgia to the Northumberland strait.

Tapping into local recipes and ingredients, the dynamic duo cooked up six outdoor feasts along the way, using an open fire and the kitchen of their RV to treat their local hosts. The six-episode result, Chuck & Danny’s Road Trip, launches this spring on the Food Network, chronicling their gourmet journey, which was interrupted partway through by the birth of Hughes’ son.

Dungeness crab salad with a bite.

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FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Chuck and Danny have coffee at Glen Rouge Campground at Rouge Park in Southern Ontario; Juniper-infused grilled beef in Ontario; Chuck and Danny BBQ at a private campground on Salt Spring Island; Chuck and Danny take a look at lobster off the coast of Prince Edward Island.

MOST MEMORABLE MEAL CANADA MADE THEM

FUTURE RETIREMENT SPOT?

Smiles: The pizza at Norman Hardie was amazing. When you’re going to a winery in Prince Edward County, you don’t think of pizza right away, but when we sat down and started eating it, made with tomatoes from the garden, it was delicious. norman-

Hughes: I was surprised by Salt Spring Island in its entirety, with wind-swept fruit and next-level hippies. I travel a lot and I’ll often think, “Man, I could really live here.” But Salt Spring Island is like a magnetic vortex that makes it hard to leave. Your kitchen is really your backyard.

Smiles: People go there for a week and they’ve been there for eight years.

hardie.com Hughes: Out east we had fried clams seven days straight from every clam shack we saw. It’s something you can’t get anywhere else in the country. We went back to Chez Leo in Shediac, a few times, but there are a million other good ones. chezleo.ca THE MOST CHALLENGING DISH THEY TACKLED THEMSELVES

Hughes: Working with leeks. Danny and I collaborated on recipes, but there was moment in Prince Edward County when Danny just didn’t know what I was going to do with the leeks.

Smiles: There was the 43-pound rib in Tweed, Ont. And the salt-encrusted cod that we caught off Salt Spring Island. We were going to do a salmon but the salmon got away. You eat what you catch.

UNEXPECTED INGREDIENTS AND TALENTS Images courtesy of the Food Network

Smiles: We met a merchant fisherman in Victoria who brought us a rock crab from I-don’t-know-how-many feet deep. And weird scallops we’d never seen before, rock scallops.

Hughes: We’ve eaten wild rice before but we actually got to go collect it the old-fashioned way near Holland Marsh, Ont. It’s very Zen. You go out in a two-man canoe, you hit the branches, it falls in the canoe, you collect it. There’s a whole ceremony and way of preparing.

LIFE-CHANGING EVENTS

Hughes: I literally had a baby between two lobster rolls. Actually, we did have a bit of time off so I had a chance go back to Montreal for the birth.

WHAT MADE IT EASY… AND TOUGH

Hughes: We’re lucky to border two oceans. We have so many varieties of fish and seafood. And in between, there’s so much: great dairy, great cattle, great vegetables. The hardest thing about the trip, and this is a boring answer, but the thing we really missed was running water. Otherwise, you just need a good knife and fire. The best meal we made? I’ll come out and say it. Danny’s omelette in New Brunswick was my favourite, the omelette to beat all omelettes. It’s literally three eggs, a little bit of butter and caviar.

Chuck and Danny’s Road Trip debuts 9pm, Friday, March 3, on Food Network. chuckhughes.ca; foodnetwork.com

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AGENDA

[ WANDERLUST ]

Art of the Plate

Expectations run high at

MODENA’S OSTERIA FRANCESCANA, considered the world’s top-rated restaurant.

BY ANITA DRAYCOTT Photos by PAOLO TERZI 32

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Flying High Lufthansa Style The airline’s newest offering, Lufthansa’s Premium Economy Class, is an enticing choice for

When you carry the most passengers of any other airline in Europe, you can’t help but be in tune to the many facets of customer experience in today’s crowded and competitive first-class market.

Lufthansa is constantly upgrading and innovating, its researchers extensively canvassing passengers to pinpoint their changing tastes.

“We are listening to our customers, listening for what they want,” says Hans DeHaan, Lufthansa’s Director for Canada.

Overseeing 130 long-haul aircraft that fly more than 15 million passengers a year to 1,300 worldwide destinations while keeping a close ear to passenger feedback has allowed Lufthansa to establish new initiatives that translate passengers into loyal guests.

“The consistency of our product is extremely important.”

Book your flight now at lufthansa.com

leisure and business travellers seeking a service upgrade without sacrificing affordability. Located between Economy and Business Classes, Premium Economy passengers enjoy 50 percent more seat room while being permitted a second piece of luggage up to 22 kg. Height-adjustable footrests, extra storage, electrical sockets, travel amenity kits and meals served on porcelain tableware round out this new level of personalized, tailored care now offered on all flights departing Canadian Lufthansa gateways (YYZ, YVR, YUL).

The Lufthansa on-board experience is uncluttered, thoughtful, efficient and comfortable. The humidifiers in Lufthansa A-380 Airbuses are good news not only for the passenger’s comfort, but also for their sense of taste, which diminishes considerably at 30,000 feet. Your perception of savoury and sweet is also affected at this altitude – all due in part to the humidity and low air pressure. This is one of the reasons why some airline chefs choose umamicentred flavours for in-flight menus – with things like tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach and shellfish – as the on-board climate may actually enhance this particular taste category.

Humidity aside, Lufthansa is also on the forefront of everything from seat engineering to the little bonuses that brighten up your flight, forever evolving to stay in step with the not just today’s trends, but the future of travel.

AGENDA

[ WANDERLUST ]

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coring a reservation at Osteria Francescana, named best restaurant on the planet, isn’t easy, but my foodie friend Cornelia loves a challenge. From her home in Cape Town, South Africa, she diligently clicked on the restaurant’s reservation website precisely at 10am Italian time one day in July and persisted for two hours. She progressed from being on a waiting list to snagging one of the 10 tables last October 6. We planned our annual Italian epicurean romp, this year to the Emilia Romagna area, around that date.

Osteria Francescana is the brainchild of chef Massimo Bottura, who was born in Modena, an area famous for aged Balsamic vinegar, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and racing cars from Ferrari and Maserati. It’s been dubbed the “land of slow food and fast cars.”

Promptly at 8pm we waited with other eager eaters on an unassuming back street for the plain grey door to open. The maître d’hôtel led us down a hall, past of stack of Bottura’s books, Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef, to one of three grey rooms, which had modern art adorning the walls and soft jazz playing in the background.

I won’t spoon-feed you through the entire gourmet extravaganza, but will tempt you with highlights of the Tutto 11-course menu.

In “Five Ages of Parmigiano-Reggiano in Different Textures and Temperatures,” Bottura transforms cheeses that have been aged between 25 and 50 months into a foam, a mousse, a soufflé, a cream or a crisp.

Behind each of Bottura’s creations lie passion, whimsy and a story. “The Crunchy Part of the Lasagna” is that yummy bit in the corner that Bottura remembers from his grandmother’s kitchen. “Like driving a Ferrari you need to look to future but you never forget the past in the rear view mirror,” he says. “And never screw up grandmother’s recipe.”

In “Croccantino of Foie Gras,” presented on a lollipop stick, the acidity of aged Balsamic vinegar oozes through the rich liver, creating a fine balance between sweet and savoury Divine.

“Oops! I Dropped the Lemon Tart,” was created when Taka, one of Bottura’s Japanese chefs, dropped a plate. The deconstructed dessert, resembling an abstract painting, is served on a plate made to look cracked. In fact, a bespoke serving dish complements each course. But Bottura insists the first priority is the palate. Artistic presentation comes later.

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“ Never screw up grandmother’s recipe”

PREVIOUS PAGE: Oops!

I dropped the lemon tart.

ON THIS THIS PAGE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Artful interior of Osteria Francescana; Chef Massimo Bottura; The crunchy part of the lasagna; Caesar salad in bloom; Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in different textures.

T

he recognition Osteria Francescana has received celebrates both Bottura’s tradition and innovation. The Michelin Guide star-rating system began in 1926; The 50 Best list was conceived by the staff of Britain’s Restaurant magazine in 2002. Michelin defines a three-star restaurant as “worth a special journey;” the 50 Best fans tend to be a younger generation of eaters for whom the dining experience is the main reason for travel. To his credit, Bottura has earned both the coveted Michelin trio of stars, plus top billing on the 50 Best list since he opened the restaurant in 1995.

Bottura says patrons who religiously follow Michelin tend to order from the à la carte menu and choose their own wine. He has noticed that the most foodies who pay attention to the 50 Best don’t even open the menu. “They ask us to choose for them,” he says.

My verdict? It was a once-in-a-lifetime expensive culinary adventure, worthy of bragging rights. The dishes I mentioned were spectacular. Service was impeccable, animated and friendly. I thought the chef “pushed the envelope” a bit too far with a couple of courses. The “Caesar Salad in Bloom” THE DETAILS looked like a painting but was too sweet for me. “Lentils Are Better Than Caviar” were The tasting menu costs €250, the wine pairing €170 not. By choosing the wine-pairing menu, (CAD$350 and CAD$235). we had expected fine vintages throughout, so were somewhat disappointed to Reserve approximately four months in advance. be served unremarkable wines and some osteriafrancescana.it unusual drinks, one with sake, another with rose water. Not a fine Barolo in sight!

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The

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Thai Daemon guardians at Wat Phra Kaew, Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Bangkok, Thailand.

RBC AVION PRESENTS: THAILAND, DESTINATION OF THE YEAR ®

With a new monarch and a renewed sense of vision, Thailand is our destination of the year.

BY MURIEL PARAS

I

f you’re a globetrotter or a follower of global politics and monarchy, here’s a name you’ll be hearing more of: Vajiralongkorn. Yes, Vajiralongkorn. And that is only one of his names. He is the new King of Thailand, crowned Rama X, in December 2016, at the age of 64. In contrast, his father, the late Bhumibol Adulyadej, was crowned Rama IX at the tender age of 19. He reigned for 70 years, the longest in the country’s history.

You could say that Thailand itself grew up with Rama IX, an ancient and historic Siamese culture colliding with 20th century ideas and politics. Still, the Thai are a people bound together by two things: a great reverence for their King and a particular outlook on life, an innate sense of acceptance and happiness that has long been the magnet that makes travellers return again and again to this beautiful place. Now, with a King that is firmly in the here and now, Thailand is set for its next act.

King Rama X is known for his sense of adventure. He has years of military training, and pilots his own passenger airliner when he travels. While his father imbued the country with a refined elegance, Rama X’s adventurous personality has also

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FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: A close-up view of Buddhist art at Wat Rong Khun; Flowers in bloom at the Mae Fah Luang Garden.

trickled down to the culture, with a wealth of experiences beyond a massage on the beach. (Not that that’s a bad thing, mind you; Thailand is, after all, a leader in the school of massage therapy.)

And this is Thailand in its duality: a refined elegance matched by a diverse nature – glittering temples and palaces, bustling urban centres balanced by stretches of sun-splashed coastline and riotous green rain forests. Bangkok, the country’s largest city, continues to rank as one of the most popular spots on Earth, while Phuket has reclaimed its throne as beach-goers’ paradise.

But we want more, to go beyond. Perhaps we’ll take a page out of King Rama X’s playbook and think outside the box. In English, his name, Vajiralongkorn, translates as “adorned with jewels and thunderbolts.” An apt description for Thailand, perhaps, itself.

Refined Elegance With an Edge In the city of Chiang Rai, in the north of Thailand, there is a temple so white, it is nearly blinding. In the stark midday sun, it reflects, bounces the light back at me. It warms me, but blurs my sight. It takes a minute for my eyes to adjust, and when they do, they see. Ornate carvings, demons, Superman – yes, I said Superman – all have their place as part of the architecture and art installation that is Wat Rong Khun, the temple designed by the Thai visual artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. It sits on the same site as the original Wat Rong Khun, a Buddhist temple and a place of worship.

Today, the White Temple is still a place of worship, for those devoted to religion and to art. Classic Thai architecture – take, for example, the tiered roof tops – and Buddhist mythology meld with modernist extremes and symbolism. Part of the temple is on a pond, over which a bridge spans. What seem like thousands of reaching hands fill the “moat” around the bridge, while gargoyle-esque Thai soldiers flank the bridge brandishing their swords. Mirrored mosaics add to the glitter of it all,

and if I didn’t know better, I may have thought I’d stumbled into Narnia and the White Witch’s icy castle. Murals on its interiors, painted by Kositpipat, temper the temple’s exterior sharpness.

Colours swirl and blaze, orange, red, ochre, the antithesis to the purity of the white found outside. Superman flies through a mural, Michael Jackson balances on the tip of an extended tentacle and Kung Fu Panda fends off a blast from a star ship. The Temple’s details are extreme as its façade; a nod to Thai mythology, Buddhist religion, contemporary architecture and pop culture.

The artist is a reverent Buddhist and considers this, his life’s work, as proof of his devotion to Buddha. Not unlike the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, the still unfinished masterpiece of Antonio Gaudí, the White Temple is a work in progress: Kositpipat will continue building and adding to the site until its completion, estimated to be sometime in 2070. While at it, he offers the temple as a place of Buddhist teachings and prayer.

In the intense reflection of the Temple, I stumble. I’ve nearly tripped over the life-size sculpture of Predator (from the films of the same name) emerging from the lawn. I imagine Alien not far behind, rising from the moat of reaching hands, prompting me to soak in a longer second look and just take it all in. In its own way, it’s my moment of meditation, just as the artist intended.

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Wat Rong Khun perhaps better known to foreigners as the White Temple, is a contemporary, unconventional, privately owned, art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It is owned

by Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed, constructed, and opened it to visitors in 1997.

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“Ornate carvings, demons, Superman – yes, Superman – all have their place as part of the architecture”

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Rocks, hills, stairs. It’s all on the up. Rock climbing in Thailand is world-renowned, particularly in the Krabi region.

But I’m not a climber, nor am I in Krabi, Instead, I’ve decided to take a hike through Hill Tribe country. My guides are two local boys with a smattering of English and very expressive hand gestures. There’s been a lot of rain, so the green of the forest is deep, intense, lush. But the sky is clear now, just a few white puffs inviting us to follow them. We’re off to see one of the boy’s aunties; she’s expecting us for tea. But she’s in the next village, which, in this case, means a hike through two valleys and two forests, up a hillside and across a brook.

We might try a short cut and slip through town first, but everything’s so freshly washed from the rain, we skip the concrete and go straight into the jungle.

I am surrounded by life: insects, frogs and birds play their own symphonic cacophony, banana trees set to burst with fruit, bamboo stalks tower and sway in the light breeze. A tree trunk has fallen across the path, and the log has been semi-hollowed. One of my guides points inside the hollowed groove. There we see grubs and other bugs used for food on 42

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the trail. By animals and, in a pinch, by humans, should they get lost or need sustenance.

As we cross the brook, my guides explain that these tributaries trickle into something mightier: the Kok River, which then flows to the Mekong. Not too far from where we are, other brooks meet to create the Chao Phraya, the great waterway that cuts its own path through Bangkok.

We cross and are immediately immersed once more in verdant foliage, a canopy that protects us from the sun and keeps us cool. Even though we are in a forest vale, we can spy through the trees to see plateaus of hill tea plantations, similar to vineyards, planted on gradual elevations.

When we arrive at Auntie’s, we are welcomed and told to climb the ladder stairs. Auntie’s house is also elevated, a dirt-floor cottage on stilts to protect from floodwater and to provide a view over all of her domain. She is spectacular, dressed in traditional Hill Tribe costume, and displaying an obvious pride in her nephew and her home. I am humbled by her hospitality and her generosity.

On the way back to our hotel, we make a surprise stop at another home. This one is King Rama X’s grandmother’s palace, Doi Tung Royal Villa. The Princess Mother, as she was known, was a great lover of all things botanical and, when she moved to this palace in the late 1980s (she, too, was in her 80s then), her

Young woman from the Hill Tribe by Raeburn Ng; Thai art at the Wat Suthat Thepphaararam temple by Thailand Tourism.

Diverse Nature

LEFT TO RIGHT: Young woman from the Hill Tribe; Thai art at the Wat Suthat Thepphaararam temple.

GET THERE

love came to fruition. She created the Mae Fah Luang Garden, 10 acres of gardens and greenhouses that display indigenous and international annuals and perennials, climbing trellises, trailing greens and lawns of flowering plants. The vegetation plays off commissioned sculptures and fountains which act as gathering places to provide respite and reflection. I want to play, too, to run barefoot on the lawn, stop and smell the roses, and the magnolias and the phlox. I get lost in the orchid room, not because of its size – it’s diminutive at best – but because of the beguiling variety of shapes and colours.

Architects and designers kept in mind what a conservationist the Princess Mother was when sourcing the materials for the Royal Villa. Repurposed teak and concrete are the main materials of the home’s exterior, while recycled pine lines the walls of the principal rooms inside. The only hints of opulence: golden teak lines the floors, while outside, plants are cultivated in sync with the seasons, carpeting the grounds with a constant garden in bloom.

Fitting, I think as I inhale deeply and let nature do its dramatic dance before my eyes. The villa and its garden is a shrine to the spirit of nature, just as the White Temple is to the spirit of Buddhism and art. Elegant and diverse, adventurous and reverent, for King and for country.

www.tourismthailand.org

Stopover Stay: Bangkok, Thailand’s biggest city, is rich with a variety of hotel choices for every budget, from wallet-friendly to luxury. New to the cityscape this year is The Bangkok EDITION. It’s on the cusp of welcoming guests, and the luxury travel advisors at Virtuoso have already scoped it as one of the hottest hotel openings for 2017. According to the experts at the experiential travel network, the Marriott-haute collaboration with hotelier Ian Schrager is on tap for June of this year. The 155-room property will be housed in the tallest building in Thailand, MahaNakhon Tower. Even better than the view, f you book with a Virtuoso advisor, you’ll get a complimentary upgrade (based on availability), breakfast for two, a $100 food and beverage credit, and more. virtuoso.com, editionhotels.com The Golden Triangle: Located in the highlands close to the Thailand-Myanmar border, the Mae Fah Luang Gardens are in the Doi Tung region and are best reached from Chiang Rai. Admission to both the villa and the gardens costs 130 baht (CAD$5). doitung.org Shimmering Faith: Just outside Chiang Rai, the White add Wat Rong Khun set off by commas, so it’s: Temple, Wat Rong Khun, is open-year round. The usual rules about appropriate attire when visiting an active Buddhist temple apply, including covering shoulders and removing shoes. watrongkhun.org

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A woman standing on the frozen falls, Saguenay Lac Saint Jean, by Jean Tanguay

A woman standing on the frozen falls, Saguenay Lac Saint Jean.

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Whether it’s an urban adventure in the capital or sledding in the countryside, Quebec has mastered how to make the best of Canada’s coldest season. WAHEEDA HARRIS reports

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FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: Cattle enjoying the vast landscape in the Charlevoix Region; Cheeseboard from Le Germain Resort; Guests enjoying the hot springs during the winter season; a beautifully decorated room and the lobby at Le Germain Resort in the Charlevoix Region.

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ow long does it take to fall in love with a destination? With Quebec, especially in winter, it can be love at first sight. With pretty snow-laced scenes, fun outdoor activities and flavourful locally sourced cuisine, visitors will easily become devotees of Quebec winter during a sojourn to Baie-Saint-Paul and Quebec City.

Starting in the countryside, about an hour northeast of Quebec City, Baie-Saint-Paul is the heart of Charlevoix. An artist colony for more than a century, Baie-Saint-Paul offers plenty of art galleries and gift shops to tempt visitors to discover paintings, sculpture, textiles, jewellery, photography and mixed-media inspired by the region. The region is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, encompassing the north shore of the St Lawrence River from the Beaupre coast to the Saguenay Fjord and is a southern habitat for arctic caribou and arctic wolf. It’s this wild landscape that makes visiting this town and region a must: rolling hills, dense boreal forests and the Parc national de Grand-Jardins, where it’s possible to find trails where visitors can snowmobile, dog sled, fat bike, snow scooter and cross country ski.

This provincial park offers snowshoe rental and extensive trails to explore the 310 square kilometres, making it an easy escape from the demands of everyday urban life to find the quiet of Mother Nature. There is more than one ideal time to explore the park. The guided night hike of Mont du Lac des Cygnes offers a four-kilometre illuminated trail, which ends at just the right time to gather around the firepit and stargaze. For those who want to kick up their adrenaline levels, Le Massif de Charlevoix is the main ski resort in the area. Snow enthusiasts of all skill levels will find a challenge among the mountain’s 55 kilometres of runs, including, at 770 metres, the highest vertical east of the Rockies. Active travellers can try another fastmoving thrill: traversing a seven-kilometre track on Mont Liguori on a wood sled.

When it’s time to relax and indulge après-ski, Baie-Saint Paul has a particularly stylish accommodation option, Hotel Le Germain Charlevoix, which is part of the Quebec-based Le Germain hotel group. This four-season resort, located on the site of a former farm, conjures its past in the architecture of its five pavilions, which resemble a barn and silos. The pavilions also feature contemporary art, furniture, textiles and décor sourced from Baie-Saint-Paul, Charlevoix and Quebec artisans. As a bonus, guests can take the Massif de Charlevoix touring train to Le Massif from the hotel’s own train station.

The cosy hotel restaurant, Le Bercail, has a simple lounge menu – cider, cheese and charcuterie –while stylish Les Labours on the second floor features a heartier menu with many ingredients sourced locally, including a must-have winter indulgence: foie gras. The hotel ice rink provides a place to channel your inner Moir and Virtue, but there is another reward for a day spent enjoying Charlevoix’s winter wonderland. A visit to the hotel’s Spa du Verger, with indoor treatment rooms, sauna and an outdoor hot pool, can soothe those wellworked muscles.

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Cattle enjoying the vast landscape in the Charlevoix Region by Robert Chiasson

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Quebec’s

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playground

At 409 years young, Quebec City is the only walled city in North America. The distinctive stone architecture, narrow streets and the most photographed hotel in the world – Fairmont Chateau Frontenac – makes the UNESCO World Heritage site of historic Vieux-Québec a welcome lesson in the early days of Quebec and Canadian history. It’s a place where photographers will satiate their need for quintessential Quebec winter scenes.

Well-known for having the largest annual winter carnival in the world, Quebec City doesn’t hibernate during Canada’s coldest months. Locals and visitors can watch numerous activities to celebrate the season from dog sledding races within the walls, to ice canoeing competitions on the St. Lawrence River. Brave souls who want an urban thrill can try ziplining in winter at the Parc de la Chute-Montmorency.

The annual creation of the Hôtel de Glace is another high point of winter celebrations. The 44-room hotel features themed rooms, an ice chapel and an ice bar that are not as chilly as they might sound.

Visitors can check out daily tours and take a turn on the grand slide. For those who want to stay outside, guides in period costumes provide snowshoe tours on the historic battlefield of the Plains of Abraham. Or lace up your skates to glide across the rink of Place d’Youville.

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The sun shining through the forest after a fresh snowfall & dog sledding adventure by Robert Chisson; Ice Canoe Racing by Louis Laliberté

FROM TOP LEFT: The sun shining through the forest after a fresh snowfall; Dog sledding adventure; Ice Canoe Racing.

Cosy indoor indulgences can help balance out the cold-weather pastimes. Quebec City obliges gracefully, with experiences like dining under the red roof of the Aux Anciens Canadiens, the oldest restaurant of the city. Serving classic Québécois cuisine, the restaurant indulges guests with hearty favourites such as tourtière and fondue. But the true winter palate-pleasing snack has to be poutine, and this city claims to have originated this indulgent comfort food. The historic Chez Gaston uses traditional fries, cheese curds and gravy, while Le Chic Shack serves up a modern take, made with smoked meat or mushroom stew.

Quebec City has an impressive array of accommodations. Richly decorated with jewel tones, Auberge Saint Antoine offers a contemporary atmosphere with a nod to its 17th-century past. Artefacts and objets d’art discovered during the hotel’s construction are displayed throughout the property, including in the Café Bar Artefact and within each of the 94 guest suites.

Auberge Saint-Antoine guests can easily access the nearby Musée de la civilisation and the Quartier Petit Champlain, a perfect neighbourhood for finding Quebec-made souvenirs. Considering the weather, expanding one’s wardrobe might be in order. The city’s favourite department store is up the hill at La Maison Simons, which retails well-known labels as well as house-designed clothing and accessories.

Baie-Saint-Paul and Quebec City offer a welcome dose of Québécois culture, even in the darkest days of winter. In fact, that might be the best season to explore the province’s natural landscapes and historic places.

THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE: Auberge Saint-Antoine’s La Capitaine room; Inside the cozy four-diamond Panache restaurant; The famed exterior view of the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac.

WHEN YOU GO With rooms from $199, Le Germain Charlevoix is an elegant choice. Its clean, modern style has been recognized by the Retail & Leisure Interior Awards.

legermainhotels.com The Parc national des Grands-Jardins offers activities ranging from ice fishing to snowshoeing. Winter adventure packages include accommodation in huts or rustic shelters, baggage transportation and hikes of one day or two. sepaq.com Tourism Charlevoix has several suggested routes to find the best scenery and the best food in the region. tourisme-charlevoix.com

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Gone with

Aerial view of the Windstar Sailing Cruise at sea.

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Wind

the

Images courtesy of Windstar Cruises

ONE SENSATIONAL,

SATIATING CRUISE

BY RUTH J. KATZ

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OPPOSITE PAGE: A delicate roasted duck salad with sour cherry reduction.

NOW

here is

a recipe for

SUCCESS:

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Take equal parts Windstar Cruises and James Beard Foundation culinary magic, fold in glorious, sunny days and accommodating, gracious staff and you have a sure-fire, five-star winner to savour.

In 2015, Windstar Cruises, a division of the Xanterra Parks & Resorts organization, announced a collaboration with gustatory heavy-weight, the James Beard Foundation, and created the James Beard Foundation Collection. The program comprised three specialty cruises billed as “a bespoke portfolio of sailings designed for food and wine aficionados,” geared to bring guests closer to the cultures of the destinations. In 2016, the foodand-wine-centric itineraries journeyed from Lisbon to Barcelona (eight days), calling at ports in Spain and Morocco, and from Lisbon to Dublin (and the reverse, each 10 days), stopping in France, Spain and Portugal.

My toque and I boarded the Star Legend for the second sojourn, venturing from Dublin to Lisbon – and somewhere over the course of the 1,600 nautical miles we sailed, I am certain we visited gastronomic Nirvana.

Windstar, up until 2014, had three majestic motor-sail yachts in its fleet; in 2014-’15, the company purchased triplet vessels, including the Legend, from Seabourn and pumped $8.5 million into the refurbishment of this ship. The results are what you would expect from a top-flight cruise line.

Part of what made the trip so superior was the on-board guest-invitees and staff: Top billing went to chef-ambassador Matt Jennings, a multitime nominee for the James Beard Best Chef award, and the chef-owner (along with his wife, the gifted pastry chef Kate Jennings, also on board) of Boston’s Townsman restaurant. He joined on-board chefs Rohit Dimri, the Legend’s executive chef, and Michael Sabourin, Windstar’s corporate executive chef. The third Guest Musketeer, so to speak, was sommelier Kelly Wooldridge, a national finalist in the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Jeune Sommelier competition in 2014 and 2015, and a recipient of the Zagat Guide’s 30 Under 30 list.

Part of the cruise package was a day’s touring in Dublin, where our guide told us that every day, more than 10 million glasses of Guinness are consumed. (It may help that there are more than 750 pubs in Dublin alone!) He also noted that the drinking of Guinness stands in contrast to the per-person consumption of tea – three kilos a year! Note: a very popular sightseeing destination here is the zoo, where the MGM lion was born.

I took advantage of two extra days in Dublin and visited with friends at the newly renovated Westbury Hotel, dining in its exceptional Wilde Restaurant, which had just opened a week before and which was the perfect food-connoisseur’s send-off prior to the culinary cruise. In addition, on my day alone, pre-cruise, I sought out the services of Neil Hogan, a guide once provided to me from Irish tourism services; he is extraordinarily knowledgeable, charming and detailed.

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OUR

first day on

BOARD was an at-sea day crossing the Celtic Sea, the region of the Atlantic stretching from south Ireland to the north of France. I was thrilled to have a workout in the gym (because I knew how much eating and drink lay ahead), followed by self-indulgent time in the ship’s small but perfect spa. I also took advantage of Windstar’s unusual open-door policy to visit the bridge and Captain James Griffiths, who was a wealth of maritime information.

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FROM TOP LEFT: The deck at sunset; Strange contrasts on the 18th Century walls of the Church Saint Sauveur in La Rochelle; Cliffs on the coast of Gijón in Austurias, Spain; Couples admiring the sunset on the riverfront, Lisbon.

The next day, while climbing Normandy’s Mont St. Michel – something I had dreamed of since high-school French class – I just kept thinking of the calories I was burning that would enable me to enjoy the chefs’ confections. It was good to have worked out, as that night was the ship’s blow-out BBQ on the pool deck, a veritable smorgasbord of delectables, followed by dizzying dancing.

Nearly every night on board we enjoyed wine tastings or dinner wine-pairings, helmed by Wooldridge, and all were info- and flavourpacked. Jennings offered educational and tasty cooking demos and, of course, almost daily, the chefs went food-shopping at local markets.

There were several scheduled group excursions to these markets, but it was also possible to accompany the chefs on a less formal trip.

Additionally, there were special outings and excursions included in the price. In La Rochelle, France, Jennings, who also happens to be a former cheesemonger, serendipitously found so many extraordinary offerings at the market that the ship organized yet another delicious tasting that evening. While on our market tour, he told us that France produces more than 2,000 cheeses. He advised always storing cheese in parchment or waxed paper, not plastic baggies. There were also cooking demos, a nighty featured dish and ample opportunities for one-on-one interaction.

Provisioning a ship like this, with 212 passengers (and crew of 145) is no easy task for executive chef Dimri. To support the three on-board galleys for this 10-day cruise, for example, he orders 1,800 pounds of oranges, 1,400 pounds of potatoes, 460 pounds of strip loin, 140 pounds of lobster, 800 pounds of flour.... you get the idea. Have a finicky taste for a particular kind of milk with your coffee? Just ask. Dimri orders the usual suspects – cream, half-and-half, whole, 2% and skim – in addition to soy, almond and rice milks.

In exquisite Bordeaux, I recommend the brand-new astonishing shrine-museum to wine, La Cité du Vin, which was not an offered excursion destination, but I am betting it will be in the future. We had a lovely, private night out at Chateau Kirwan, a vineyard dating back to 1745, where we learned that every 30 seconds, 324 bottles of Bordeaux are sold, somewhere in the world. With an extra night in Bordeaux, anyone eager to eat on terra firma, could do so. (Try snagging a reservation at La Grande Maison, a 18th-century mansion with a restaurant that is a joint venture of wine mega-merchant Bernard Magrez and the august Joël Robuchon.)

In Gijon, Spain (the oldest city in Asturias and known for its ciders), we were greeted by bagpipes (yes, bagpipes!) played by kiltclad musicians. Who knew that this part of the Iberian Peninsula had Celtic roots? We visited the Trabanco cider plant, established in 1925, and learned to pour cider from a height of a few feet. Most importantly, we got to drink it.

En route to Porto, my colleagues and I supped at the ship’s nighttime steak house, The Veranda, aft on deck seven. Dining al fresco, we feasted on extraordinarily delicious chops, red quinoa and asparagus. But the best thing we imbibed was nature: We were treated to a dazzling setting sun starboard, and a rising full moon portside. As if by divine intervention, alongside our ship, whales and dolphins were cavorting.

Porto is an astonishing city, with way too many sights for just one day. You cannot be there without hitting one of the famous wineries, for port, of course. Bring home white port; it is hardly exported, so it is a rare treat. We toured the Graham Winery and sampled many of the company’s velvety products. Other do-notmiss sights: The extraordinarily striking Stock Exchange Palace, the São Bento Train Station with its 20,000 tin-glazed, blue-and-white azulejos tiles (depicting historic events), the dramatic Lello Livraria (bookstore) and the mesmerizing World of Discoveries Museum.

A last hurrah on board was a mouth-watering, five-course winepairing dinner, which was especially memorable, from the first taste of the apple-ginger lobster tail to the lingering, heady scent of the

toffee-apple mascarpone cheesecake, with bramble compote, pure maple-syrup ice cream and toffee sauce. It was all followed by a trolley of exotic cheeses, secured from markets along the journey.

Suffice it to say, everyone left the ship – sadly – in Lisbon a few pounds heavier. I extended my stay by another day, and settled into the Corinthia Lisbon, a gorgeous hotel near the well-known Gulbenkian Museum (worth a visit). I spent nearly a full day in the spa and gym, as the hotel has remarkable hydro-therapy facilities (practically a waterworks theme park) in the spa; it was the perfect coda to a perfect trip.

As I mused on the plane trip home, every calorie, every morsel, every sip of wine was worth the experience.

Fortunately, Windstar and James Beard are cooking up another winning recipe for several cruise itineraries in 2017.

THE DETAILS windstarcruises.com

877-237-7620

The partnership between Windstar Cruises and the James Beard Foundation will continue in 2017, expanding the joint venture with theme voyages and additional events.

The itinerary Cuisines and Cultures of Spain, Portugal and France (Dublin to Lisbon) will be offered in 2017, as will the reverse trip, Lisbon to Dublin. While the list price is US$7,999 per person (based on double occupancy, excluding air fare), the book-early-and-save rate starts at US$3,999.

While in Dublin, book a tour with guide Neil Hogan (neilhogan1@gmail.com)

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Side View of the Hungarian Parliament.

A River

Runs through it

Exploring the less-paddled path of the Eastern Danube, ANNA HOBBS finds a European jewel in the rough and a people on the verge

W

ith each twist in the river, we are seeing different patterns of life in five countries that were once conquered by the Turks and the Romans and, from 1945 to 1989, were sequestered behind the Iron Curtain. This 10-day cruise on Emerald Waterway’s Emerald Sky, along the fabled Danube, is taking us from Bucharest, Romania, north to Budapest, Hungary.

It is a vacation to find a special place in my memory as a first hand experience of what life is like transitioning from a Communist regime to a free market society, tempered by Emerald’s four-star service, clubby ambiance and ultra chic accommodations.

In Bucharest, a city of nearly two million and often referred to as “the Paris of the East,” dreary gray towers are wedged between handsome Roman, Spanish and French buildings, providing concrete reminders of Communist-era life. But it is quickly obvious that Romanians are survivors. Latin people at heart, they love life and make time to enjoy it, as witnessed by the rejuvenation of the historic district of Lipscani. Today this pocket in the heart of a city that dates back to the Middle Ages is rebounding with a lively café and nightlife scene.

We experience Bulgaria, the poorest country in the European Union, touring the countryside, glimpsing small farms and the traditional, rural way of life. Horse and donkey carts populate country roads. We drive through villages where we learn three generations frequently live under one small roof. We pass factories that are shut down and deteriorating.

Unemployment is high. The average monthly income, for those that are employed, is about US$500.

“When you have explored the touristy destinations of Western Europe and want to expand your horizons, this is the trip to take,” says Jana Pakstaitis, Emerald Sky’s cruise director.

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“These riverbanks

These riverbanks are also spectacularly beautiful.

From the innovative indoor teak deck of my sophisticated Panorama Balcony Suite, I have a front-row seat as we glide from country to country, past thickly wooded areas, lush farmlands and through the Iron Gate, the spectacular narrow gorge between the European Alps and Carpathian Mountains.

So many of Europe’s famous cities have been built upon rivers; the Danube is no exception. Emerald Sky, a gem of a ship, is built to tiptoe effortlessly (or so it seems to its 150 passengers) into curbside berths at the centre of cities, even villages.

Docking at Belgrade, Serbia’s vibrant capital city, we are a five-minute stroll to the lovely old city centre, with its cobblestone pedestrian streets, fashionable boutiques and lively cafés and bars.

Camera-toting tourists are exploring.

“In 2,600 years, my city has been destroyed 40 times,” our guide Miloš Jevtovic tells us. “For 100 years, we have lived in some kind of dictatorship. It’s not easy building from this. We are 15 years into these changes. I believe it will be another 10 or 15 years to be where the country should be.”

are fascinating.

They are diverse and they are

steeped in history.”

While touring the city, Jevtovic points out a landmark McDonald’s — the first for a communist country when it opened in 1988. “I stood in line for 45 minutes to get a burger and fries,” he says. We pass the Hotel Moskva, which opened in 1908 and is one of the oldest hotels still operating in Europe. From 1941 to 1944, it was used as Nazi Germany’s Gestapo headquarters. A bombed-out building nearby stands as a reminder of the last war. “Very good for tourism,” Jevtovic deadpans.

Like many of the youthful guides we meet, Jevtovic is proud of his country and optimistic about its future, despite the fact that today the majority of Serbians struggle to make ends meet.

Although the history of Croatia and the events that led to the 1991 War of Independence are complex, little evidence of the destruction can be seen driving through the pastoral Slavonian countryside. Today conflict and politics take a back seat to food and family life, as six of us share in a home-hosted lunch, a highlight of Emerald’s shore program. At Stjepanu and Milena Lakic’s farm, where three generations of Lakics have lived, the distance travelled from farm to table is merely steps. The food for the entire meal has been grown and prepared by our hosts. As we step off the bus, Stjepanu is waiting with a welcoming toast — a shot of homemade plum brandy. What follows is a simple, delicious meal of tomato soup with mini pasta, delicate pork balls, mixed vegetables and pickled beets, finished with traditional cherry squares. Stjepanu is eager to show us his farm. Before leaving our newfound friends, we traipse around their fields and gardens, beneath the cherry trees, and past the chicken coop and the pigs in their pens, promising to visit again some day.

Returning from a day down on the farm, none other than the captain (who we now know by first name) is at the gangplank offering us with a welcome thirst-quencher and inquiring about our latest shore adventure.

After sundown on our last day, a glittering surprise materializes on the horizon as we sail into Budapest.

Thousands of sparkly white lights frame the majestic buildings along the banks, as well as the eight bridges that join Buda on one side of the river and Pest on the other. It is a dazzling spectacle of such fairytale proportions that everyone is on deck snapping photos. Budapest, which is basking in the limelight as a top-tourist destination these days, offers up a breathtaking welcome.

Although this wasn’t the fabled Blue Danube immortalized by Johann Strauss that I imagined, it was, more, much more. As Jana Pakstaitis promised, it was “fascinating and diverse.” And most definitely memorable.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: National Museum “George Enescu” Cantacuzino Palace in Bucharest; Close-up details of Rila Monastery’s paintings; Shoes in the Danube to Commemorate the death of the Jews; Entrance to the Fisherman bastion.

www.emeraldwaterways.ca

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Keep your winter travels on track.

The fastest way from Pearson Airport to downtown Toronto.

Trains leave every 15 minutes. Every day.

Hop On The UP! Get started at UPexpress.com

Download the Free UP App. The fastest way to get on board.

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TRAVEL NAVIGATOR O U R T I P S A N D T R I C KS TO N AV I GAT I N G T H E WO R L D

B:11.125”

S:9.875”

T:10.875”

7 WAYS TO MAKE TRAVEL BETTER

Presented By

in 2017

BY MICAHEL SMITH ILLUSTRATION BY LAURA GARCIA 61

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TRAVEL NAVIGATOR

A

re you sick of having your plane delayed without apology?

Are you done with paying for every small “luxury” you get on a flight? Are you tired of every airport visit being another test of sanity? Well, I say no more! In 2017 you will travel better.

1

N0

N O M O R E PAY- TO - P L AY Just like checked bags and your microwaved meal, entertainment has become the airline’s new favourite gouge. Thankfully, Netflix is here to save us from boredom and extra charges.

Netflix’s Android and IOS app just launched the ability to download shows to watch on the plane without needing pricey wifi.

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2 N0

G E T PA I D F O R T H AT D E L AY

A quick did you know? In Europe, if your flight is delayed, cancelled or overbooked, you’re eligible for compensation of €250 to €600 per passenger (CAD$350 to $835).

Also, US airlines can’t overbook a flight – but they do anyway. If you find you have been bumped or denied boarding, you can get up to 200 per cent (with a max of US$650/CAD$865) for your one-way fare if you arrive between one and two hours late to your destination. More than two hours and you can 400 per cent back on the one-way fare (max US$1,300/CAD$1,730). If you need help getting your money, check out. Airhelp.com

M Y A S S I S TA N T I S A N A N D RO I D

3 N0

Sorry IOS users, but I’m an Android guy and have to gloat about two apps: Gmail and the Google App. Recently I was booking my Delta flight and thought I’d better sign up to SkyMiles. I hit the microphone button, said “SkyMiles” and Google not only informed me that I was signed up – it also gave me my number. Also, no more searching for my ticket through countless emails either. I just hit that microphone, say the route and the information is there. The best part is, I didn’t even need to download anything.

4

AVO I D T H E LU G GAG E A BYS S

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G O I N G I N CO G N I TO Ever been researching a flight or hotel and suddenly the price jumps? That’s because the website has been tracking you and knows you want it – now you will have to pay. The easy trick is to open an Incognito tab on your browser when searching the price or change browsers; if you’ve been using Chrome, search again with Firefox. Better yet, call a travel agent and let them know the flight and hotel you’ve found. Agents bypass the browser issue with their own back-end system. I’ve found they usually return a better price.

7

5

N0

Time to ditch the checked bag (and fees) and embrace your minimalist side by committing to a carry-on – especially if you have a tight connection, the most common reason for missing bags. A less common reason is that some bags are left behind to make the plane lighter when hot temperatures thin the air.

Something to think about on your next sun vacation. You should only be packing your bathing suit anyway.

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BY- PA S S I N G THE MISSED CO N N E C T I O N

Keep the customer-service number handy for the airlines. If you miss your connection and find yourself in a never-ending line, give them a call and try to rebook over the phone. It’s possible to bypass the line this way.

N0

NO MORE SECURIT Y STRESS

You finally make it to the security checkpoint and you start stripping everything away in your plastic bin to be X-rayed. Coins, keys, wallet, belt are all scattered as you feel under the gun from the person behind you. You get to the other end and you scramble to put it all together again. My last few trips I decided to use the considerable time in the lineup to remove my belt and coins, putting them into my bag while I waited. I drop my bag onto the conveyor and quickly grab it on the other side where I can return everything to its rightful place at my convenience.

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PARTNER CONTENT

What’s important to travellers?

That’s a big question.

A

nd it might not be one that’s top of mind when it comes to creating a big city infrastructure project.

But it was one of the first questions Metrolinx—the transportation agency of the Province of Ontario—asked itself when it came to building the Union Pearson Express.

UP is the dedicated air-rail link that speeds travellers downtown from Toronto Pearson International Airport in just 25 minutes, with trains leaving every 15 minutes, 19 and a half hours a day. Union Pearson Express is the reliable link travellers can count on that connects Toronto to the world.

The Greater Toronto and Hamilton area is growing fast— it’s estimated that by 2031 the GTHA will be home to nine million residents. With traffic congestion on the rise, the region needs a fast, reliable way for travellers to get in and out of the core without adding more cars to the road.

When it came to building UP Express, Metrolinx decided to make the needs of travellers a priority. Travelling by air can be hectic and unpredictable, so the goal was to create a moment of calm before or after the journey. UP is meant to be a warm welcome to the city for visitors, and a comfortable welcome home for residents—a calm oasis for travellers as they head towards their destinations, demonstrating the best of Ontarian design, service and hospitality.

UP’s design echoes the natural landscapes of the province.

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The brand colours are inspired by the sage greens, autumnal oranges and cool greys of Ontario fields and the Canadian Shield. They show up in rich solids and eye-catching graphic patterns, applied across the system from the train’s headrests to station signage to ticket vending machines. On the train, the interior design embraces earthy tones, pleasingly tactile fabrics and comfortable seating. Materials were carefully selected for warmth, comfort and durability—from seat textiles to wall panels.

Ample consideration was also given to the details that anticipate a guest’s needs—and UP was definitely designed for travellers. There’s free Wi-Fi on trains and in stations, convenient charging stations for devices, not to mention airline check-in kiosks where travellers can print boarding passes and luggage tags, as well as screens with up-to-the minute flight information. There’s also level boarding and plenty of storage so bags and strollers are never a problem.

Modern travellers are often asked to put up with a lot.

But the goal for UP was to return to a time when travel was something you looked forward to—and you can tell as soon as you walk through the station door.

NEXT ISSUE: Moving a city

HONOURING THE PAST & SERVING THE FUTURE Even the UP crest speaks to Ontario’s environment and heritage. The crest is inspired by the clock at Union Station, the trillium (the province’s official flower), the natural landscapes of Ontario and the rich local history of rail.

for more details visit upexpress.com

PARTNER CONTENT

U PGRADES E D I TO R ’ S I T I N E R A RY

Young Monks in the Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery by Guillen Perez

TRENDS OF THE WORLD Young Monks in the Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery

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OUT IN THE WORLD From the Northern Lights to South East Asia, here are Bold and Exodus’ top 10 travel trends for 2017.

G

etting up close and personal with some of the world’s most exotic creatures is one of the key reasons people travel. And with David Attenborough’s BBC series, Planet Earth II, hitting Western shores this year, there will be renewed interest in the fascinating animals it features. Among them: Brazil’s elusive black jaguar and the majestic Himalayan snow leopard. Popular memes have made social media stars of both the fierce Komodo dragon from Indonesia and the lovably slow-moving sloth from Costa Rica, which can be visited at sanctuaries tucked away in the Central American rainforests .

WELL HEALED No matter where you sit on the political spectrum, we can all agree 2016 was a stressful year on the global stage.

More than ever, travellers will be looking for healing, tranquility and peace.

Reconnect with like-minded global citizens with trips designed to open your mind and heal your soul, including some ancient pilgrimage routes. Spain’s 1,000-year-old Camino de Santiago trek is one of the world’s oldest and most important Christian pilgrimage routes. It features wondrous natural and architectural sites. In Myanmar, 66

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Buddhism, Hinduism and Nat worship come together in a beautiful array of ancient temples. On the eastern banks of the Irrawaddy River, the city of Bagan is home to 4,000 temples and pagodas, including the ornate 11th-century Ananda Temple.

LET’S GET CONSCIOUS You know how to use social media when you travel, but do you know how to use your social conscious? More than ever, travelers are considering the impact they have on the planet – including the people and the environments they encounter. It’s why respected tour companies that give back to local communities and support low impact excursions are becoming so popular. And with the United Nations declaring 2017 the “International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development,” this is one trend that we hope carries on well after the year is done.

NORTHERN EXPOSURE Aurora Borealis might be hard to pronounce but it’s certainly not hard to enjoy! Also known as the Northern Lights, the transfixing display of colours dancing across the night sky is one of the world’s most beautiful phenomena.

And with Finland celebrating 100 years of independence and Canada

celebrating its 150 th birthday, there’s no better year to trek to the Arctic Circle!

Also visible from Sweden and Norway, the lights offer an entryway into local folklore.

SAY NO TO ZIKA The Zika outbreak has put a damper on travel plans for many people hoping to head somewhere hot this winter. Until the mosquito-born virus quells, many pregnant women, or those hoping to be soon, have put off their plans for a tropical trip. But you don’t have to sacrifice the beauty and warm weather when planning your winter escape.

There are stunning destinations across the globe that have remained Zikafree, including Sri Lanka’s wild surf and lush national parks, Mallorca’s turquoise beaches in Spain, Australia’s Whitsunday Islands, South Africa’s coastal Garden Route and Croatia’s Dalmatian coast.

Northern Lights over Black church at Budir, Iceland, by Diana Robinson

ANIMAL PLANET

Inspired by the way our editors travel, BOLD presents a series of premium itineraries for extraordinary places around the globe, available for purchase through EXODUS Travels -

MONKEYING AROUND

S

ure, we’ve already covered animals, but these little guys deserve a spot on our list all their own.

Primates are always a fun addition to any travel experience, bringing humour and heart to every encounter. But this year, getting up close and personal with our closest relatives is high up on travellers’ to do lists. For chimpanzees, there’s nowhere better than Uganda’s Kibale Forest, and the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for gorillas. Head to Borneo, Malaysia for orangutans and big-nose Proboscis monkeys. Be sure to pack plenty of bananas!

THE NEXT BIG THINGS

© 2017 PULSO MEDIA GROUP INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Missed the boat, so to speak, on some of the hottest travel trends in the past few years? This year, stay ahead of the curve with nearby alternatives that offer equally impressive sights…without the crowds. Portugal is all the rage, but skip bustling Lisbon and escape to the Azores, its volcanic Atlantic islands with dramatic landscapes and blue hydrangeas. Ironically, Iceland is hot right now. Instead, head to nearby Greenland for epic fjords, Northern Lights and midnight sun. Forget cruising on the Danube River and check out its picturesque cycle path. You can ride straight from Prague to Budapest, two burgeoning cities ready to outshine other European cities this year.

GUILT-FREE FOOD TOURS

offering cultural, hiking, wildlife

Food is always the highlight of a trip, but more than ever it’s being combined with physical activities. Hike, eat and drink your way across Portugal’s stunning Douro Valley, a wine region and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Or refuel with fresh pasta on a cycling trip in Italy’s seaside Puglia region.

100 + countries worldwide.

and cycling tours to

CALL

1-800-267-3347 VISIT

WWW.EXODUSTRAVELS.COM

PATHS OF GLORY IN 2017, the modern road trip involves fewer wheels and less of a carbon footprint. Exploring your destination by bicycle path gives you the chance to explore more, see more and exercise more, all while spending less. The European countrysides are full of selfguided tours that allow you to set your own schedule, while your travel planners take care of your bags and book your hotels, where will you will get much needed R&R.

BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE Political unrest, travel restrictions, environmental changes and visa requirements might soon make it harder than ever to visit certain parts of the globe. So now is the time to visit Mexico’s ancient ruins at Chichen Itza (which could soon restrict the numbers of visitors) and experience the endangered whale sharks on Cozumel’s coast.

Culture buffs will be immersed in history, architecture, food and art in Iran. And for climbers looking for a challenge, Pakistan’s K2 is the second highest peak on the planet!

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Balloons flying above temples in Bagan, Myanmar; Northern Lights over Black church at Budir, Iceland; Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Uganda; Chimpanzee at Kibale Forest; Guilt-free pasta; Spectacular view of the Green Lake in Azores.

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Our Insider’s Guide to

TEL AVIV This underappreciated beachside city is hard not to love, with its jumble of architectural styles, great food, vibrant arts and culture scene and an appealing carefree, shabby-chic vibe. But this sexy Miami-meets-the-Mediterranean town is changing rapidly, especially in the expanding luxury market.

BY SARAH TRELEAVEN

The colourful interior of the Poli House Hotel designed by Canadian designer Karim Rashid by Yael Engelhart.

BOLD TRAVELLER

STAY EAT SEE & DO SHOP

The colourful interior of the Poli House Hotel designed by Canadian designer Karim Rashid.

BOLD TRAVELLER

The Lay of the Land JAFFA This mix Arab-Jewish area is known for its Flea Market, historic city (Old Jaffa) and the restored port, lined with open-air restaurants and cafés.

WHITE CITY Named after its whitewashed Bauhaus architecture, the White City is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

TEL AVIV PORT A series of high-design boardwalks in the north of the city, this newly renovated area offers multiple dining and shopping options right on the water. There’s also a merry-go-round for kids and a food market with a mix of bakeries, wine shops and stalls.

NORTH TEL AVIV This mixed commercial-residential part of town has long been the go-to destination for luxury shopping. Start with the stores surrounding Ha-Medina Square, which sell a mix of international brands like Isabel Marant, Pucci, Dior and other budget busters.

NEVE TZEDEK In this lovely old neighbourhood, you’ll find plenty of local boutiques. Stroll down Shabazi Street for Israeli fashion, shoes and housewares, and then wander through side streets with vine-covered walls and hidden cafés.

WHEN YOU GO Air Canada flies to Tel Aviv six times a week, daily in the summer. Using the airline’s newest aircraft, the Boeing Dreamliner 787, there are three distinct cabins of service: International Business, Premium Economy (the first time a North American carrier has offered this level of service) and Economy. aircanada.com

GETTING AROUND The best way to navigate Tel Aviv is by taxi or bus. Shared taxis (also known as Sheruts) are extremely popular. They follow set routes but can drop you off wherever you’d like.

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STAY BOUTIQUE BEDROOMS: The hip Brown Beach House has a giant neon flamingo running up one side of the building and sunny yellow design accents, while the elegant Market House in Jaffa was built on the ruins of a Byzantine chapel and offers refined Mediterranean style.

browntlv.com, atlas.co.il

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK:

FUTURE PROSPECTS:

The Poli House, which opened in October, is a monochrome high-design vision (with a “party central” vibe) smack in the middle of the Carmel Market. thepolihouse.com

There are several major luxury hotel properties under development that are poised to transform the city’s mostly no-name hotel landscape, including a W and Setai slated to open in 2017.

EAT

SNACK ATTACK

Street food is a crucial part of daily life in Tel Aviv, and visitors will find the locals unafraid to stand in line for the best of the best.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Bedroom interior of the Brown Beach Hotel; Staircase inside the Poli House Hotel.

ON THIS PAGE: Rare tuna creation by Chef Rima Olvera; The snowman cocktail at Imperial Tel Aviv Bar; The famous Sabich sandwich.

HAKOSEM Bedroom interior of the Brown Beach Hotel by Assaf Pinchuk; Staircase inside the Poli House Hotel by Yael Engelhart.

You don’t know just how delicious shawarma can be until you try it here.

Get the crispy spit-roasted turkey on laffa, spongy flat bread, and top it with cucumbers, tomatoes, pickles, cabbage, pickles, hummus, tahini and a little hot sauce. Shlomo HaMelech 1

SABICH FRISHMAN This tiny stall specializes in sabich, an Iraqi-derived delicacy, which is basically fried eggplant served in a pita; a wonderfully satisfying combination of salty, sweet, crunchy and tender. Frishman 42

HUMMUS ABU HASSAN Hummus in Israel is a little like pizza in Chicago – everyone’s got an opinion. But this no-frills Jaffa institution consistently comes out on top for its smooth warm hummus, fluffy pitas and gruff but friendly service. Ha-Dolfin 1

WINE & DINE Israeli establishments are appealing to increasingly sophisticated palettes with wonderful “nouveau Israeli” cuisine often influenced by international flavours.

Happy hour: While no-frills happy-hour bars are still the norm, you can now find award-winning artisanal options like Imperial Cocktail. Book a seat at the bar and watch the bartenders whip up elaborate cocktails garnished with dried roses and fresh herbs. imperialtlv.com Pick a pocket: Little, unfussy Miznon has developed a cult-like following – and recently opened a Paris offshoot – with its menu of pitas stuffed with chicken livers and lamb kebabs and outstanding whole roasted cauliflower. King George 30 Around the world: Rima Olvera’s Oasis restaurant fuses influences from Israel, Japan, Thailand and elsewhere. Standout dishes include steak tartare with edible gold leaf and pickled Sakura cherry blossoms and a miraculous salad composed of julienned zucchini, lemon, pecorino and white truffle. Montefiore 17

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BOLD TRAVELLER

SEE & DO TOP 5 SIGHTS

1

Take a constitutional:

Rothschild Boulevard offers a long, narrow and always-busy park with walking and cycling lanes, small cafés and juice shops, and ubiquitous mutts of all shapes and sizes. (Tel Aviv residents love their canine companions even more than they love hummus.)

2

Architecture appreciation:

Also known as the White City, Tel Aviv’s amazing collection of Bauhaus architecture has earned the city UNESCO World Heritage status.

Drop into the Bauhaus Center and take a guided tour.

Bauhaus-center.com

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3

Culture trip: Visit Contemporary by Golconda, a huge new venue for contemporary art, which has been carved out of an 80-yearold tahini factory in Florentine (Tel Aviv’s hipster central).

Contemporary.co.il

4

Hit the beach: The most famous and central option is Gordon Beach, where visitors can find sun loungers and beachside restaurants. Consider using the local bike share to ride down the protected path that winds along the shoreline.

5

Live in the past: The Museum of the Jewish People (Beit Hatfutsot) is located on the grounds of Tel Aviv University and tells a compelling history of the cultures and faith of Jewish communities in Israel and throughout the diaspora. bh.org.il

ON THIS PAGE: Inside the Museum of the Jewish People; Art display at the Contemporary by Golconda Gallery; Bauhaus Architecture.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Food stand inside the Sarona Market; A selection of Halva sweets; Olive stand.

Food stand inside the Sarona Market; A selection of Halva sweets; Olive stand by Eli K.

While the vibe is chill, there are plenty of things to do and see in Tel Aviv.

To Market Markets still play a huge role in Tel Aviv’s shopping, social and culinary life, and there are options to satisfy all tastes.

SARONA MARKET This upscale dining and shopping complex is surrounded by palm trees and manicured lawns. A main pavilion is full of high-end food, from brunch spots and artisanal cheese shops to an outpost of France’s fancy Fauchon.

saronamarket.co.il JAFFA FLEA MARKET This south Tel Aviv neighbourhood is known for winding lanes full of local boutiques selling jewelry and charming housewares.

But it’s also got a terrific flea market, where vendors hawk an amazing array of goods from antique Judaica to Turkish rugs.

DIZENGOFF ANTIQUE MARKET Every Tuesday and Thursday, tables are set up around this central square to sell a truly eclectic mix of old war trinkets, typewriters, knickknacks and vintage clothing.

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WORTH TRAVELLING FOR

AZORES M I D - AT L A N T I C E S C A P E

HOW TO GET THERE Azores Airlines has direct flights between Toronto and Punta Delgada on Wednesdays and Fridays. azoresairlines.pt/en

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D

espite their remote location out in the middle of the Atlantic, the Azores remain remarkably well connected. With recently rebranded Azores Airlines providing direct flights from Toronto to Punta Delgada, and budget-conscious Ryanair boosting its service from the continent, the journey can be remarkably painless. Each of the archipelago’s nine islands has its own defenders, but São Miguel, where Punta Delgada is located, offers an experience that’s both cosmopolitan and rural.

It’s where you’ll find the best restaurants, and some of the best hikes, with trails stretching out through the many lush green valleys and picturesque pools created by seismic pressure.

Despite all this – no crowds. - PAUL GALLANT

Thailand

​A journey that isn’t short on sensations Indulging my mind, body and soul with a massage session aboard a floating spa.

DISCOVER YOUR UNIQUE LOCAL EXPERIENCE IN 75

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LIGHT UP THE NIGHT,

ON POINTS.

ANY AIRLINE, ANY FLIGHT, ANY TIME. AVIONERS CAN DO THAT. ®

Yi Peng Festival – Chiang Mai, Thailand

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