Open Skies | December 2016

THE LOST WORLDS OF CAPPADOCIA

From A to Unlocking what lies ahead.

be.

Editor-in-ChiEf Managing PartnEr & grouP Editor EditoriaL dirECtor grouP Editor SEnior Editor SEnior digitaL / Print dESignEr digitaL aniMator VidEo Editor Sub Editor EditoriaL aSSiStant

Obaid Humaid Al Tayer Ian Fairservice Gina Johnson gina@motivate.ae Mark Evans marke@motivate.ae Andrew Nagy andrew.nagy@motivate.ae Roui Francisco rom@motivate.ae Surajit Dutta surajit@motivate.ae Donnie Miguel donnie.miguel@motivate.ae Salil Kumar salil@motivate.ae Londresa Flores londresa@motivate.ae

ContributorS

Geoff Brokate, Gemma Correll, Sarah Freeman, Marina Kay, Jamie Knights, Vincent Long, Matt Mostyn, Stuart Turton Cover: Geoff Brokate

gEnEraL ManagEr ProduCtion S Sunil Kumar ProduCtion ManagEr R Murali Krishnan

ChiEf CoMMErCiaL offiCEr Anthony Milne anthony@motivate.ae

PubLiShEr Jaya Balakrishnan jaya@motivate.ae

grouP SaLES ManagEr SEnior SaLES - intErnationaL ManagEr Michael Underdown Shruti Srivastava michael@motivate.ae shruti.srivastava@motivate.ae

dEPuty SaLES ManagEr Amar Kamath amar@motivate.ae

EditoriaL ConSuLtantS for EMiratES Editor Manna Talib arabiC Editor Hatem Omar dEPuty Editor Catherine Freeman WEbSitE emirates.com

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125,959 copies January – June 2016 Printed by Emirates Printing Press, Dubai, UAE

E D I T O R ’ S

L E T T E R

ANDREW NAGY

ON THE COVER

SENIOR EDITOR

A

few months ago, our cover story looked at a small group of people known as competitive travellers. While, for some, this was about the journey, for others, it was simply a numbers game. Keep on travelling, add a name to the list, and move on.

For me that’s a real shame. Travel should be about more than just gaining another airport stamp. It should be about new experiences and adventure – bare minimum you should make it past arrivals. That’s why we’re aiming a few

they achieved there was staggering. Not simply a hole in the ground in which to hide, but entire cities with room for thousands of people to live and survive.

It’s an awe-inspiring sight.

Survival, as required in the Swiss spor t of schwingen, is all about wrestling an opponent to the ground, ideally with a combination of brute force and panache.

We were on hand to get exclusive access to Switzerland’s best-kept secret this year, and have returned home with a whole host of new moves.

“I IMAGINE THAT THE LAST THING ON YOUR MIND AT THE PROSPECT OF A TRIP TO DUBLIN IS THE BEE SITUATION... BUT IT SHOULD BE” curveballs at your plans this month, with new angles on familiar destinations.

Yes, you’ve had an Alpine holiday, but have you ever seen the Swiss wrestle? Of course you’ve been to Dublin, but what do you know about the bees? You know very well that Turkey makes for a great weekend break, but have you seen the underground cities?

This month’s cover story heads to Cappadocia, marvels at its sci-fi moonscape terrain, then promptly heads underground. Decades of war drove the region’s population below the surface in a desperate bid for safety, but what

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Finally, I imagine that the last thing on your mind at the prospect of a trip to Dublin is the bee situation, but that’s all about to change. This month we discover how urban beekeeping is making its mark on the city by helping both commerce and community thrive.

As a sign of intent, the bees have already infiltrated high office, with Irish president, Michael Higgins, tending to a hive or two. More than a pastime, the PM now sends visiting dignitaries home with the ultimate political sweetener.

Enjoy the issue.

THE LOST WORLDS OF CAPPADOCIA The region of Cappadocia has a fascinating, and rather brutal, history.

It’s one that we couldn’t wait to document, and feel that the words and images of photojournalist Geoff Brokate do its stunning landscapes justice.

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December 7-14

Dubai international Film Festival Dubai, uaE

ThIs MoNTh sees hoLLywooD DesCeND oN DuBaI, CoMING ToGeTher wITh The BesT oF araB CINeMa For oNe aLMIGhTy FesTIvaL. DiFF managing Director, shivani PanDya, TeLLs us whaT To exPeCT If you’re heading into Dubai this month, you really couldn’t have timed your visit any better. In the space of only eight days, Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) will present 156 films from 55 countries. That’s 57 world premieres and international premieres, 72 MENA premieres, 12 Middle East premieres and nine GCC premieres.

“We’re an international film festival with an Arab heart,” says DIFF Managing Director, Shivani Pandya. “I think that defines us. Every year we showcase the very best of Arab cinema and strive to nurture and foster growth in the industry. We also look to expand our programme, too, both

during the festival and throughout the year.

This year we’re excited about The Dubai Investors Club, a unique opportunity for investors to understand the film industry and successful film financing.”

However it’s the big name talent that people truly come to see, and this month Dubai sees stellar line-up on the red carpet – from Luke Hemsworth to Bill Nighy, Ali Mostafa to Mansour Al Feeli. There’s also an ‘In Conversation’ event on Friday 9, with Oscar nominee Samuel L. Jackson.

Whether you’re heading to The Beach at JBR to watch A Fist Full Of Dollars, the classic 1964 spaghetti western directed by

Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood, or are lucky enough to attend one of the Red Carpet Gala events – this year’s festival closes with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – you’re in a for a unique experience.

“The Festival is a time to celebrate the magic of cinema,” concludes Pandya. “People can hear stories from around the world through a varied and rich slate of films, see the most anticipated releases of the year at public screenings, and interact with directors and actors in person. It’s incredible to see just how much is achieved in eight days… that’s the true wonder of the Dubai International Film Festival.”

Catch some of the films from this year’s DIFF in New Movies on ice, including The Birth of a Nation and La Pazza Gioia.

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IMPERIALE

F L A S H B A C K

SOLDIER OF FORTUNE ON DECEMBER 20, 1957, ELVIS PRESLEY WAS DRAFTED INTO THE US ARMY. IT WAS TO PROVE A CAREER MASTERSTROKE Although drafted just before Christmas, Presley didn’t report for his induction into the US Army until March 24, 1958, thanks to a deferment allowing him to finish filming King Creole.

All things considered, it was a move that outraged pretty much everybody. Fans wept knowing that their favourite star would disappear from their lives for two years, while detractors were angered by the special treatment his celebrity had afforded him.

Only one person was pleased that the King was joining up, and that was his manager Colonel Parker. Parker planned to turn the potentially career-ending announcement into the biggest piece of PR ever perpetrated by the record industry, and it began on draft day with a hoard of reporters sent to cover every moment of Presley’s induction, cameras and questions trailing him between testing stations.

It was widely believed that Presley would apply for the Special Services division, which would allow him to sing and dance his way through his conscription, but Parker advised him to reject the offer. The Colonel didn’t want people thinking his man was soft, nor did he want the army to have access to Presley’s performances – which they’d later be able to sell. Instead he was assigned to Company A of the Third Armored Division’s 1st Medium Tank Battalion.

On September 22, Presley was deployed to West Germany where his service was notable only for the parties at his house, his inability to command a tank because the noise damaged his hearing, and his failure at guard duty because of the women who regularly accosted him.

Regardless, he actually enjoyed his two-year conscription – and it was during that time that he would meet his future wife, Priscilla Beaulieu.

When it was over, Presley returned to the US a hero and, staggeringly, a bigger star than he’d ever been before signing up.

Elvis was drafted in 1957, the same year his song All Shook Up was at the top of the charts for seven weeks. Listen to all the UK no 1s from that year on ice channel 1957.

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GRACELAND AN ESSENTIAL TRIP TO THE HOME OF THE KING Elvis paid US$102,500 for Graceland in 1957, and lived there for 20 years before his death. It was opened to the public in 1982 and is now the most visited private home in the US after the White House. Time any 2017 visit for Elvis week in August – it’ll mark the 40th anniversary of his death. graceland.com

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nathan outlaw A man better known for his work in England’s southwest as opposed to the Middle East, we meet the British chef who recently relaunched Al Mahara in Burj Al Arab, over lunch at Appleton’s at the Vineyard in North Cornwall

n

athan Outlaw looks just like the chef of your imagination. Heavy-set with a broad face, topped with close-cropped brown hair, a full gingery beard and a dusting of white whiskers just below his ears. He has big, bushy eyebrows and a jolly countenance.

He arrives in Appleton’s at the Vineyard, the restaurant near Padstow in North Cornwall he’s chosen for our lunch, wearing a box fresh pair of blue Adidas Gazelle trainers, black jeans and a dark green parka.

Like most celebrated chefs used to commanding a kitchen brigade, when he walks into a room his presence is felt – but he’s not brash like Gordon Ramsay or perky like Jamie Oliver. His hands are buried deep in his pockets – he doesn’t demand to be noticed. He will tell me later that while he accepts that being a public figure – appearing on popular BBC television shows including Saturday Kitchen and Great British Menu and indulging members of the public who engage him in conversation during his five-hour train journeys to and from his Michelin-starred London restaurant, Outlaw’s at the Capital Hotel – is necessary to the success of his business, he is not an “entertainer”.

Outlaw can’t watch himself on television. He was once offered a lot of money to produce recipes for a range of celebrity chefendorsed dog food; he turned it down, as he has turned down many other lucrative opportunities. The 38-year-old, who will later beam with child-like excitement when he discovers treacle tart on the menu, has a collection of 700 cookbooks, including first editions (“it’s my thing”). He loves cooking – and he takes it seriously.

Following a friendly chat with Engin and Liz Mumcuoglu, the owners of the Trevibban Mill Vineyard and Orchard – where muddy sheep, destined for the Appleton’s pot, graze on the grass sprouting between the rows of vines – he explains that he has chosen this restaurant, opened in March 2016 by chef Andy

Appleton and his partner Lyndsey Marshall, because he admired the food Appleton produced during his nine-year stint as Head Chef at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall.

“In Cornwall there is massive support for each other, because it wasn’t always like it is now,” says Outlaw, referring to Cornwall’s transformation, over the last decade or so, into a must-visit destination for food lovers from around the world.

Like his mentor, Rick Stein, the chef, restauranteur and television personality who also built his restaurant empire and reputation in Cornwall, Outlaw is an outsider. Born and raised in Maidstone, Kent, he learned his trade in his chef father Clive’s kitchens, where he was a constant presence from the age of eight. Graduating from Thanet Catering College at 17, he began his career in London, working with acclaimed chefs Gary Rhodes and Éric Chavot. “It was a good time to be [a chef] in London. Very rock ’n’ roll,” says Outlaw.

Nevertheless, after just two years, the 19-year-old decided to move to Cornwall, where, as a child, he had enjoyed camping holidays. “I was walking down Tottenham Court Road, and in the window of a bookshop I saw Rick Stein’s Taste of the Sea,” recalls the chef. “The next day I handed in my notice, caught a train to Cornwall, knocked on the back door of The Seafood Restaurant, Rick’s restaurant in Padstow, and said, ‘Have you got a job?’

Luckily for me, they did. I instantly felt at home.”

Outlaw lived in a caravan and surfed between split shifts at the county’s most famous restaurant. He fell in love with the Cornish lifestyle; the sea, and the fish the local fishermen pulled from it; the rugged landscape; and his future wife, Rachael, who also worked for Stein. There was a brief stint in the Cotswolds, or “Middle Earth” as he calls it, after he left The Seafood Restaurant, but Outlaw has called Cornwall home since he was 25. His two children – Jacob, 13, and Jessica, 11 – were born in Cornwall and

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it is home to three of his five restaurants: Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen in Port Isaac and The Mariners Rock Public House in Rock.

We are presented with a selection of deep-fried “crispy bits”, battered anchovies, a hit of salty fishiness; crunchy crocchettes, generously filled with braised oxtail; breaded balls of olive and smoked almond; and battered oysters from nearby Porthilly, served in the shell with a daub of spicy nduja.

Outlaw himself is known for creating fish dishes marked by their simple presentation, subtle flavours and respect for locallysourced ingredients. “When I got into the kitchen fish intrigued me because it is the hardest thing to prepare and cook – you really have to look after it, you have to be a perfectionist to get it right,” he says. “I found it a challenge. Unless I’m challenged, I’m bored.”

This desire to be challenged, to learn, comes from his father. Now 62, Outlaw senior works in his son’s London restaurant. Outlaw’s mother, Sharon, a former secondary school English teacher, is his PA. His wife does his accounts. His daughter, Jessica, who wants to be a chef, is already cooking dishes from Outlaw’s cookbooks without her father’s help. His son, Jacob, who wants to tread the boards in the West End, is the odd one out, but he enjoys eating out, has been taught “the basics” and washed dishes at Restaurant Nathan Outlaw in his summer holiday. It’s a family affair.

To start, Outlaw orders purple sprouting broccoli and I order sardines. For mains, he goes for duck ravioli, which the waitress has described as “Christmas on a plate”, and I order fish stew.

“The only thing I ever wanted to be, other than a chef, was an animator,” says Outlaw. “But I have always been very honest with myself, and I just wasn’t good enough.”

Cooking was a different matter. “It sounds bigheaded, but I have known from an early age that if I did it, I’d do it properly,” says Outlaw. “There’s no point in working the long hours and giving up everything you have to give up if you’re not

w i t h

TheRe’s No poiNT iN WoRkiNg The loNg houRs aND giviNg up eveRyThiNg iF you’Re NoT goiNg To be gooD aT iT. i’m veRy DeTeRmiNeD To geT my poiNT acRoss

going to be good at it. I’m very determined to get my point across in terms of how I like food to be.”

“I’m tough on myself,” he adds. “I’m almost 40 now and I still think, I haven’t even started yet.” He refuses to just “do things by the book” – something he says he learned from Stein – and is always “searching for a better way”.

His main concern, other than continuing to grow as a chef, is building a sustainable business. “The whole thing is a balancing act,” he says. “Cooking is the nice bit.” He adds that the biggest part of his job is mentoring; he treats the people who work for him as an extension of his family, and he will never accept a new opportunity, no matter how much money

For more on great food and dining, check out top shows from Food Network on ice Digital Widescreen channel 1300, or discover more Dubai Restaurants in the podcast on channel 1506.

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INTERNATIONAL LEATHER FAIR MIL ANO

21-22-23 FEBRUARY 2017

SUM M ER 2018

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The downSide To Michelin iS ThaT yoU don’T Think, ‘iS iT good enoUgh?’ yoU Think, ‘iS iT righT? iS iT whaT They wanT To See?’ aS i geT older i have leSS paTience wiTh ThaT is on offer, unless he has the staff to ensure it is a success.

Our starters arrive: purple sprouting broccoli served with three halves of breaded quail’s egg with beautifully runny yokes drizzled with melted truffled taleggio cheese; and three shimmering sardines, rolled around handfuls of pine nuts, served with charred potatoes, fruity confit tomatoes and salty samphire.

The latest opportunity Outlaw has accepted is Al Mahara in Burj Al Arab Jumeirah in Dubai. It is not a move anybody would have expected him to make, but he had the right staff for the job – Head Chef Pete Biggs and General Manager Sharon McArthur – and it just felt right. “I don’t think I would have done it if it was anywhere else,” he explains. “If I like something or somebody I will just go with my gut feeling. When I met Tony [former Burj Al Arab Jumeirah General Manager Anthony McHale], I liked what he said. He wanted to bring it down to earth, he wanted my style. He didn’t want to change what I did. He wanted to change what they were doing.”

“I’m feeling quite happy about the way it’s going,” adds Outlaw, revealing that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who he had cooked for in London as an 18-year-old novice working in the InterContinental London Park Lane, has been in for lunch and given it the “seal of approval”, a handshake and a thank you.

Closer to home, Outlaw still has a desire to win a third Michelin star for Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, (it currently has two), but says he wouldn’t give up if he lost a

star. “Unfortunately the downside to Michelin is that you don’t think, is it good enough? You think, is it right? Is it what they want to see? As I get older I have less and less patience with that, and I just think, I’m going to do what I want to do.”

Our mains arrive and the conversation becomes more eclectic.

I devour what is a superlative seafood stew – mussels, king prawns and meaty chunks of a white fish I can’t identify, swimming in a rich dark-red tomato broth, spiked with harissa and thickened with fregola – as Outlaw eagerly spears fat yellow pasta parcels stuffed with duck, coated in a thick chestnut sauce and topped with slivers of burnt clementine.

Desert – that treacle tart for Outlaw (“Treacle tart’s my favourite”) and a gooey salty-sweet chocolate pot for me – comes and goes, and it’s time for Outlaw to get back to his kitchen to prepare for evening service.

Watching Outlaw drive off in his Honda Civic, I am reminded of something he said during our lunch: “The endgame for me is to be an old man in Cornwall cooking in a kitchen | 20 |

I own and not having to worry about money. Not driving a Ferrari but able to buy the best ingredients and the best wine and enjoy what I am doing. I know I will never retire.” In truth it’s a modest dream for a modest man. A modest man who now has a restaurant in the world’s only seven-star hotel.

The Bill 1 sage and anchovy (US$2.50) 1 oxtail crocchette (US$3.70) 1 olives and smoked almonds (US$3.70) 1 oyster (US$4.30) 1 purple sprouting broccoli (US$14) 1 sardines (US$15) 1 ravioli (US$23) 1 fish stew (US$26) 1 treacle tart (US$7.40) 1 chocolate pot (US$8.60)

Total: US$108.20

‘The most enduring legacies a re bor n of the most colour f ul lives’

A LIFE IN COLOUR L O N D O N N E W YO R K AUSTR A LI A A ZER BA IJA N BA HR A IN CA NA DA CZECH R EPUBLIC M A LTA QATA R SAUDI A R A BI A SW ITZER L A ND TH A IL A ND UA E UK UK R A INE USA

FA B E R G E . C O M

@ O F F I C I A L FA B E R G E

F A B E R G É P R O U D LY U S E S G E M F I E L D S C O L O U R E D G E M S T O N E S

S t a y : S u i t e

St RegiS Dubai Dubai, uaE

Words: AndreW nAgy imAge: st regis The St Regis Dubai doesn’t really do ‘small scale’, so the dimensions of its penthouse (9,828 square feet) should really come as no surprise.

However, as you walk out of your private elevator and into the Sir Winston Churchill suite – safe in the knowledge that it’s even bigger than the hotel’s ballroom – it’s still difficult not to lose

your cool at the sheer grandeur of it all.

Huge hallways lead to three bedrooms, a study, a kitchen, a 12-seat dining room, and four (yes, four) living spaces. Oh, and up the grand spiral staircase there’s a plunge pool overlooking the city – it’s just a mind-boggling space.

Churchill is of course prevalent throughout, with photographs, paintings,

and even his La Corona Cubano cigars.

But it’s not just the size that makes this quite possibly the best hotel suite in the world. It’s the classic design (marble floors and muted tones), the discreet service, and the fact that it’s probably the closest you’ll ever get to feeling like royalty that make it well worth the stay. stregisdubai.com

Learn more about Dubai and all it has to offer in Emirates & Dubai TV on ice, or tune into the Dubai Hotels podcast on ice channel1505.

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C l a S S i C

the Roxy hotel New York, US

Words : Marina kay iMage: the roxy hotel CBGB may be gone, and retailers have replaced iconic nightclubs – The Limelight, anyone? – but New York’s music scene is far from over thanks to The Roxy, which put the swagger back into Manhattan’s step ever since revitalising the former TriBeCa Grand Hotel.

Just steps from Canal Street, a well-lit marquee marks the spot – a bastion

of things to come. By day, the atrium lounge, clad in tobacco leathers and antique greens, buzzes with meetings over laptops. At night, it becomes The Roxy Upstairs, host to live bands until 10pm.

Downstairs, hand-crafted cocktails pour well into the night at The Django, a boozy basement jazz club.

And the beat goes on: guest rooms,

impeccably retro chic, come well equipped with Marshall Bluetooth speakers and Teac turntables, plus a selection of vinyl chosen by in-house DJ Alix Brown. Finally, rest assured that somewhere within the eight-storey property David Bowie will be playing as the sun comes up. roxyhotelnyc.com

Emirates offers four daily A380 services to New York – choose from three non-stop flights from Dubai, as well as a daily service that stops in Milan.

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Financial DiStrict, San FranciSco

S

San Francisco’s central business district looks like a virtual checkerboard. Block after block, dotcom headquarters – Uber,Yelp, Twitter, Airbnb, Salesforce – occupy pricey squares of real estate.

Though tech brands lay claim to bricks and mortar, the city keeps a firm grip on its architectural riches. Nowhere is this more keenly felt than in the Financial District, where wellpreserved buildings, symbols of a bygone era, impress with marble facades, Corinthian columns and ornate lampposts sheathed in patina. The Transamerica Pyramid and Pacific Stock Exchange may house new tenants (the latter is occupied by luxury fitness company, Equinox), but their magnificent exteriors remain unchanged.

Aside from the district’s beautiful streets, perhaps the ultimate throwback is its vintage cable car that rolls from the top of California Street all the way down to the Embarbadero. Built in the 1800s, now buoyed by modern technology, this popular attraction proves that you can’t pin a price on simple thrills.

WORDS: MaRina Kay iMaGES: VincEnt LOnG

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In The AreA ( f o u r - M i n u t e Wa l k )

WIne + DIne

Michael Mina the treasury

A gilded bar tucked in the historic Standard Oil building. Relax with a pre-dinner cocktail – the Rich & Rugged mixes ‘Prohibition’ whiskey, blackberry and black pepper shrub and lemon.

200 BuSh St #101, SAn FRAnciScO, cA 94104, 415-578-0530, thetReASuRySF.cOm

Here’s the thing about the Financial District: it bustles by day, but at night the action transitions inside. Such is the case with Michael Mina, a Michelin-starred restaurant that requires reservations even on Sundays. The celebrity chef ’s eponymous flagship – all high ceilings, solid columns, dim lighting, large mirrors – is serious about food, but has fun making it. An inventive prix fixe menu, only offered at dinner, lists three courses comprised of signature dishes as well as seasonal trios, meaning the chef presents a key ingredient three ways. For example, in summer, wild Atlantic striped bass arrives with a bounty of sides, such as Kadota fig, basil and pistachio; corn, pepper and Meyer lemon; and heirloom tomato, scallion and red miso. Come dessert, the Valrhona chocolate platter closes things out in some considerable style. The chef ’s presence shines throughout and the table service deserves a gold star.

252 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111 | 415-397-9222 | michaelmina.com

Download The Emirates App – available for iPhone, iPad and Android. Your personal journey planner makes it easy to view and arrange your trips when you’re on the go. Designed to complement the iPhone app, there’s also an Emirates App for Apple Watch.

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reAD + WrITe

In The AreA

City Lights Bookstore

( o n e - M i n u t e Wa l k )

Before Amazon, before social media, before online chat rooms, bookstores encapsulated the zeitgeist. When poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin founded City Lights in 1953, their shop became the gathering spot for the Beat generation, including author Jack Kerouac, whose titles still stand front and centre (Kerouac describes this shop in the opening pages of Big Sur). Today, City Lights holds sway over three storeys – it feels like a giant treehouse bound together by uneven staircases and floorboards that creak underfoot. The literary landmark keeps good company with the extensive selection of politics, philosophy, spiritual and out of print titles; it has also stocked its own collection, Pocket Poets Series, since 1955.

This is arguably America’s best independent bookstore, and everything from the staff recommendations (pithy reviews typed on cards) to groups debating poetry between bookshelves will have you lingering past the midnight closing hour.

261 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133, | 415-362-8193 | citylights.com

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Beat MuseuM

Located in an area once filled with beatniks, the independently-run museum pays homage to the 1950s generation of artists through its extensive collection of memorabilia.

540 Broadway, San FranciSco, ca 94133, 415-399-9626, kerouac.com

N e i g h b o u r h o o d

In The AreA ( s i x - M i n u t e Wa l k )

8. Blue Bottle Coffee

This local coffee chain elevates coffee-making to theatre. Try a Hayes Valley espresso, named in honour of the brand’s very first kiosk location.

115 SanSome ST, San FranciSco, ca 94104, 510-653-3394, blueboTTlecoFFee.com

SIP + SAVOUr

MinaMoto Kitchoan Fans of traditional Japanese sweets – or wagashi – get their fix at this quaint confectionery store, a welcome respite from the hubbub of Market Street.

Polished glass counters display colourful selections of individually wrapped desserts, all imported from Japan, including the popular yokan, a jellied adzuki bean paste first introduced in the 14th century by Zen priests. Green tea lovers must sample the maccha mochi, a tender, chewy rice ball filled with red bean paste, then dusted with matcha powder. Another rendition of the red bean mochi ball is kurogoma ohagi, delicious for its outer layer of black sesame seeds.

Decorative canisters, packed with loose leaf green tea sourced from Kyoto, Chiran (Kagoshima), and Shizuoka, pass for tableware. And Japan’s love of Swiss-style cakes comes in the form of kasutera, a light sponge flavoured with vanilla, green tea, or chocolate. Online shopping is available.

648 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94104 | 415-989-1645 | kitchoan.com

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A collection of stories from around the world

Kings of Schwing

Urban Beekeeping

Cappadocia

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BEEKEEPING Backyard Beekeeping is on the increase in duBlin, with projects helping local industry, disadvantaged youngsters, and even the irish president

words and iMages: sarah FreeMan | 37 |

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Could homegrown honey become the Irish Capital’s new Guinness?

This may not be as outrageous as it sounds. In fact, so in demand is the thick and treacly stuff that Dubliners are starting to harvest their own, setting up DIY hives on small balconies, urban gardens and allotments.

Hong Kong and London – both hotbeds of urban-beekeeping – have proven that you don’t need a large plot in suburbia to be an apiarist. Not that there is a shortage of green space in low-density Dublin. On the contrary, it boasts Europe’s largest enclosed park: the Phoenix, home to the President of

Ireland, Michael Higgins, and some 15 hives scattered throughout its 1,750 acre grounds. It’s rumoured that President Higgins even sends his visiting dignitaries home with a jar of honey.

Over in Dublin 4 at University College Dublin, bees have a more educational purpose in the Bring Bees back to Belfield project. Here, pupils embrace a hands-on-role looking after the colonies (which happens to be in one of Ireland’s most expensive orchards). The brainchild of this venture is photographer-turnedbeekeeper Kieran Harnett, who, along | 38 |

Above: Kevin Kenny oversees the apiaries at Belfield Below: The Robert Emmet Project helps disadvantaged youth in Dublin

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IT'S RUMOURED THAT the PRESIDENT SENDS VISITING DIGNiTaRIES HOME WITH A JAR OF HONEY

Gardener-slash-beekeeper Brian Quinn takes care of bee business in the walled garden at Phoenix Park

with fellow apiarist and architect Gearóid Carvill, is engaging millennials with their ambitious Dublin Honey Project, that aims to harvest the sweet stuff from every postcode in the city.

One such postcode is Dublin 1, a stone’s throw from bustling O’Connell Street and the location for their rooftop apiary at Belvedere College, coordinated by teacher Simon O’Donnell as par t of the school’s urban farm project. Situated in a heat island that is three or four degrees warmer than the

Emirates serves Dublin twice daily with the Boeing 777-300ER.

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Rose Breslin, Membership Secretary of the Co. Dublin Beekeepers Association, prepares to ‘smoke the bees’ at Rathfarnham hives to keep them calm

rest of the city, Belvedere’s bees yield a unique flavoured honey. Simon explains that the native black Irish bee tends to produce a honey with a citrus twist – owing to the huge numbers of lime trees in Dublin.

Another inner-city rooftop hive creating a buzz is pitched atop the Mendicity Institution – one of Ireland’s oldest charities. Set up as par t of the Robert Emmet Community Development Project, disadvantaged youngsters living in the nearby Oliver Bond flats can visit the hive and experience beekeeping firsthand.

Grooming the next generation of budding apiarists is the The County Dublin Beekeepers Association, who | 42 |

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IT'S LIKE HAVING 35,000 PETS. but as long as you spend half an hour a week with the hive, it's enough run beginner courses and even set up residents with a starter colony. Secretary Liam McGarry explains why urban bees are more healthy and productive than their rural counterpar ts: “Fewer pesticides in the city and greater biodiversity equals happy bees and better honey”. One of its members, hobbyist beekeeper Sharon Lally tells me “It’s a bit like having 35,000 pets”. Sounds time consuming? No, actually. “As long as you spend half an hour a week with your hive, that’s enough”.

With the Allied Irish Bank investing in a rooftop hive at their city headquar ters and restaurants keen to visibly green their businesses with on-site apiaries, it seems the future of urban-beekeeping in Dublin is looking pretty sweet.

Above: next generation beekeepers Below: Mairin O’Cuireain is an unstoppable force behind the Robert Emmet Community Project, using bees for a philanthropic cause

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The forgoTTen civilisaTion In the heart of Anatolia lies Cappadocia, a region forged by thousands of years of brutal weather, volcanic activity... and war

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Words and images: Geoff Brokate | 47 |

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c a p p a d o c i a

D

eep in the heart of central Turkey lies a remarkable land that brings to mind a world of sci-fi comic book moonscapes. This is Cappadocia, a region with terrain carved into the earth by over 70 million years of volcanic activity, wind, floodwaters and, for the last 2,000 years, human hands.

Found in Central Anatolia, it’s home to stunning natural wonders and warren-like cave dwellings that burrow through the rock, the result of a layered, and often gruesome past. Historically, this was a danger zone between the warring empires of the Persians and Greeks, and so the inhabitants of this region sought refuge deep in the rocks.

Later, some of the first Christian converts also found the cave dwelling a perfect hiding place, and came here to escape Roman oppression during the Byzantine era.

So fearful of the Romans were the early Christians that they resorted to building entire cities deep underground.

The complex networks contain living quar ters, workshops and places of worship, and are ingeniously devised to offer

the maximum protection from invaders. Some of these underground cities are so well hidden that they continue to be discovered to this day, and it’s assumed that there are more still, just waiting to be unear thed.

The landscape is littered with cave houses. So much so that it’s possible to find yourself the lone explorer of long abandoned troglodyte villages. Many of them, perched high in steep canyon walls or on cliff faces, offered extra protection from attack.

Not all of the cave houses have been abandoned, however.

Many continue to be occupied by locals to this day, and visitors keen on the complete troglodyte experience can stay at homes that have been transformed into cosy boutique hotels and quaint restaurants.

What’s truly amazing about Cappadocia is that, despite all that it contains, it’s still possible to step off the well-trodden path.

Here you can discover long-forgotten cave churches and ancient frescos created hundreds of years ago. And although the region is firmly on the tourist map, there’s no museum or entry fee... simply the remnants of a civilisation left to return to nature.

Emirates flies daily to Istanbul with the Boeing 777-300ER.

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Ballooning A popular way to explore the majestic terrain of Cappadocia is by hot-air balloon, great numbers of which leave from the main village of Göreme. It’s an early start as the village comes to life to a soundtrack of flames filling fuelling balloons across the valley. There’s a race to get up and flying before the sun rises – the prize being a breathtaking view as the first rays of sun hit the carved crevices of the canyons.

From below it’s a surreal and spectacular sight to witness the pink early morning sky filled with balloons gracefully floating into the distance. Eventually, as they begin their descent back to earth, passengers’ attention turns to the hearty breakfast that awaits them. The balloon operator, meanwhile, skillfully perches the balloon on a trailer, while the team expertly deflates and stores it away for the next morning. | 51 |

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Fairy chimneys

Another striking feature of Cappadocia’s silhouette are tall mushroom-like pillars and minarets that rise from out from the ground. Known as ‘Fairy Chimneys’ they lend to an almost mythical element in the region. There are three volcanoes that border the region and their deposits of ash, lava and basalt have laid the foundations for this landscape. The rock below the top layer of basalt is extremely soft, enabling wind and water to create pinnacles that can measure up to 40 metres high. Some formations reveal different coloured layers that have been created by the heat difference of the lava layers. The lid, or top of the chimney, is made from a harder rock and protects the layers below from eroding completely. | 52 |

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UndergroUnd cities Due to the soft layers of rock that lie under the surface, it was possible to dig down into the earth and create underground cities that offered security from invaders coming from above. There are several underground complexes in Cappadocia but the largest is Derinkuyu, which goes 60 metres underground and could house over 20,000 people along with their livestock and food.

The cities were connected to each other via long tunnels and Kaymakli, the next city, was accessible from Derinkuyu through an 8km tunnel. The cities were used even up to the early 20th century

by Cappadocian Greeks,who used them to escape periodic waves of Ottoman persecution. The Christian inhabitants of the region were expelled in 1923 due to the population exchange between Greece and Turkey, at which point the tunnels were abandoned.

They were to be rediscovered in 1963, when a resident of the area found a mysterious room behind a wall in his house. | 55 |

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ChurChes and fresCos The Open Air Museum at GÜreme is a Unesco World Heritage Site and offers the most incredible chance to see frescos from the Byzantine period.This splendid cluster of artistry, with its rock-cut churches, chapels and monasteries, was a settlement that housed monks, and since the 17th century has been a pilgrimage site.The splendidly well-preserved paintings depict typical Christian scenes and it’s possible to find examples that have survived for over 1,000 years. | 56 |

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The Kings of schwing from farmers’ pastime to a national phenomenon capturing the imagination of a country, schwingen is the greatest sport you don’t know about

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words and images by sarah freeman

n the heart of Switzerland’s Fribourg canton the hills are alive with the sound of grunting, as grown men wear giant sackcloth shorts and tussle in clouds of sawdust. This is not your average alpine scene, and we are not in some bucolic village in the Swiss hinterland – although there is a cheese-maker, several sheepherders, a lumberjack and a few farmers in the vicinity. Rather than going about their daily business, these 200-plus pound men are squaring off against each other to a raucous crowd of 52,000, in a bid to become the ‘Schwingerkönig’ (King Of The Schwingers) at Switzerland’s tri-annual Federal Wrestling And Alpine Games Festival.

The national spor t of schwingen may be largely unknown outside of Switzerland, but the ancestral form of wrestling is practically a religion here, woven in the fabric of society like baseball is in the US. Reigning champion Matthias Sempach (a butcher-slash-farmer from Berne) has become a David Beckham-like figure in Switzerland since winning the 2013 championship in Burgdorf. And while wrestlers may be regarded as amateur spor tsmen on the global stage, the top schwingen stars are revered as inspirational athletes in their home country – the most ‘bose’ (wicked ones) even starring in their own pin-up calendar. These really wicked schwingers can have careers lasting up to 25 years.

Although the big event only comes around once every three years, schwingen fever kicks in around May, with local and regional competitions taking place all over the country up until October.

Of the quarter of a million visitors who have managed to get much soughtafter tickets to the 2016 Estavayer-Le-Lac championship, around 30 to 40 per cent are female (and not all dirndl-wearing women). Its upsurge in the last decade is remarkable. In 1980 there were just 33,000 spectators – a figure that has swelled to some 52,000 today. And despite its roots being traced back to the 13th century, the popularity of wrestling amongst Switzerland’s millennial is growing. Folk sport is getting a makeover and swinging is the new sexy. There is even a schwingen app you can download – proof that modernity has found its place alongside the traditions of this ancient folk sport. | 59 |

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Size Matters A cool CHF25 million (US$26 million), 4,000 volunteers (together with some help from the Swiss army) and the largest temporary grandstand ever built for a three-day event is what it took to pull off the 44th Swiss Wrestling And Alpine Games – a festival that has been held regularly since 1895. Between the beer guzzling and sausage eating, 275 qualified wrestlers from Switzerland vied for the title of ‘King Of The Schwingers’ in eight rounds of wrestling held over two days in Payerne’s military air base, 7km from Estavayer. | 61 |

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Folk for Everyone It isn’t just wrestling that draws in the 16 to 61 year olds – the event is one giant folk festival, with yodel choirs, flag throwers and alphorn players reinforcing the Swiss culture, to which wrestling is intrinsically linked.

Water Weigh-in While the wrestlers may not always need to weigh-in, the schwingen water fountain made of ausgehohlten tree trunk – that wrestlers use to wash in before and after a match – must meet strict requirements, and hold precisely 95 litres of water.

Emirates flies to two destinations in Switzerland – Zurich and Geneva.

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The gastronomic delights of the Abu Dhabi Food Festival are back - and more mouth-watering than ever!

Don't miss the tasty treats on offer - from Street Feast to Gourmet Abu Dhabi, from the Food Art Contest to the multiple cooking activities in the emirate's malls, it will be a 19-day culinary extravaganza you won't want to miss!

Featuring both international super-chefs as well as stars of the local culinary scene, the festival will take place at Abu Dhabi's best hotels and restaurants and is guaranteed to delight all fans of fantastic food.

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GOURMET ABU DHABI

MALL ACTIVATION

Food Industry Innovation Exhibition

Food Trucks

Celebrity Chefs Celebrity Guests

Kitchen Mission

5 - 7 December ADNEC, Abu Dhabi

8 - 10 December Hazza Bin Zayed stadium - Al Ain 15 - 17 December West Plaza, Abu Dhabi Corniche

8 - 23 December Across top restaurants in Abu Dhabi

8 - 10 December Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi 20 - 22 December The Western Hotel in Madinat Zayed, Western Region Cooking with Ninja Turtles

15 - 17 December Bawadi mall, Al Ain

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The Middle Man

A schwingen referee keeps an eye on the action. A match is normally judged by three refs, with one standing in the circle of sawdust, or platz. One of his jobs is to approve the start position (which looks a bit like an awkward hug), before shouting gut (good) to initiate the wrestling.

Rule of Thumb The schwingen technique may have evolved over the years, but the rules are still circa 16th century.The idea is to hang on to your opponent’s shorts, whilst trying to hurl your fellow wrestler onto their back.The first to pin his or her competitor’s shoulders to the ground wins. However, it would be disingenuous to label this all about brute force. Like gymnastics, it’s not just beating your opponent that counts; it’s how you win.The best score is 10, awarded for a Platt throw (when both shoulders hit the floor at the same time). But even losers get points (between 8.25 and 8.75) that they can carry through to the next bout.

Between three and six judges organise the competitors and decide who fights who. | 64 |

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The Burlap

The wrestlers’ burlap breeches (which look more like oversized underwear) are actually crafted by tailors from Emmental, who are typically saddlers by profession. Made from tough jute fabric and with a special slit in the back to enable the opponent to secure a grip on the looped leather belt, schwingers pull up the shorts over their cloth trousers, which are casually rolled to the knee.

Another one Bites the Dust The average schwingen match lasts around five minutes, and in that time wrestlers can flex up to 100 different throws, but in reality the best schwingers, or die bosen (bad guys), only use about 10 different moves, such as the uberschwung (overdrive), hufter (hip check) and wyberhaken (lady-hook). | 65 |

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Ritual and Regulation The victorious schwinger wipes sawdust from his opponent’s shoulders – a gesture that is not only respectful, but also a regulation in Swiss wrestling called Dressing. Many of the competing wrestlers are friends and will also practise good sportsmanship with a classic pre-match handshake.

Wardrobe Essentials One way to pick out the cattle farmers from the city boys is to pay attention to their wardrobe in the ring. Wrestlers from farming stock or the hinterland, known as ‘Senn’, usually wear dark pants and peasant-style shirts. Meanwhile, if you see a schwinger dressed all in white, and who’s gymnast-trained, then they’re from the town.You can refer to them as a ‘Turner’. | 67 |

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Cash Cow The young bull, Clement or ‘Mazot de Cremo’ (900kg of prime beef), is paraded around the 52,000 all seater-stadium.

This is what the champion will take home, and it’s worth an estimated US$22,250.The Schwingerkönig can exchange Clement for the money after his three-year reign as King, during which time he must give a cut of any sponsorship deals back to his club.

King of the Sheepherders Eight heats and two days of sweat and sawdust later, 30-year-old sheepherder and underdog Matthias Glarner from Heimberg in Bern, defeats fellow sheepherder, 21-year-old Armon Orlik from Graubünden, in a gripping 16-minute grand final. There is no silver or gold in schwingen – just 44 oak leaf garlands, or kranzas, awarded to the top 20 per cent performing wrestlers called Federals, who also get to pick out power drills, hot tubs and a year-long supply of Shorley (a sparkling apple drink) from an unconventional prize table. | 68 |

Essential news and information from Emirates

Daily service to Fort Lauderdale

Inside Emirates

Route Map

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BRIEFING

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New geNeratioN aircraft

It has been a year of fond farewells and warm welcomes as Emirates retires the last Airbus A330 and A340 in its fleet from active service, replacing them with a new generation of state-of-the-art aircraft.

This makes Emirates the first and only airline in the world to operate a fleet of all Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft for its passenger flights.

Emirates recently retired A6-EAK from operational service, the last of the

29 Airbus A330 aircraft that had been operating as part of its fleet. A6-EAK joined Emirates in 2002 and had flown for over 60,000 hours travelling close to 45 million kilometres in 14 and a half years. That distance is equivalent to almost 60 return journeys between the Ear th and the Moon.

Looking to the future, Emirates has begun taking delivery of new generation A380s and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

The move reflects Emirates’ continued investment and commitment to flying a modern, environmentally-friendly fleet, and providing its customers with a superior level of comfort and safety.

Finally, the new generation fleet ensures all Emirates aircraft offer the award-winning ice system, giving customers full control and choice with up to 2,500 channels of enter tainment on demand.

Foreign Correspondent Christina Lamb and Syrian refugee Nujeen Mustafa retracing her incredible 4,000-mile journey from Syria to Hungary in her wheelchair.

For those wishing to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of Jane Austen, Andrew Davies will conduct a celebration of her storytelling and favourite characters.

The International Publishing Conference

and the Residential Creative Writing Course have already gained huge amounts of interest, while the Emirates Literature Foundation Media Awards will celebrate journalism in the region Listen to an interview with festival director, Isobel Abulhoul, on Emirates World, channel 1500 on ice.

For tickets visit emirateslitfest.com

Litfest gears up for 2017 success With more than 90 first time authors, a new theme and a host of exciting additions, the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2017 is gearing up to be more spectacular than ever.

Held from March 3 to 11 – during the UAE’s 2017 Month of Reading – highlights include Ahmed Khaled Towfik, the first Arab author to write in the horror, science-fiction and medical thriller genres.

James Naughtie, the BBC presenter and author of Paris Spring will offer insights into his career, while Emirati animator Mohamed Saeed Harib, the creator and producer of the popular FREEJ cartoon series, will reveal his creative inspiration.

The theme for the 2017 Festival is ‘Journeys’, and it’s reflected through a number of inspiring sessions, including

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FLagship a380 to doha

Emirates has upgraded one of its nine daily flights between Dubai and Doha to the ever-popular flagship Airbus A380.

Having recently boosted its services to Doha with two additional flights, demand has been steadily increasing between Dubai and Doha, with more than 700,000 passengers carried since January of this year alone. Doha is

Emirates’ 45th A380 destination and, at flying a distance of 379 kilometres each way, has become the world’s shor test scheduled A380 flight.

The Emirates A380 will be deployed as EK841, which will depart Dubai at 7.45am arriving in Doha at 8.05am. The return flight, EK842 will depart Doha at 9.50am arriving in Dubai at midday. The timing of the A380 service will provide business

and leisure travellers with an unrivalled experience to Dubai as well as seamless connections of under four hours to some of the most popular onwards destinations serviced by the A380.

The UAE is Qatar’s fifth largest trading partner, a situation only likely to grow as investment opportunities arise from Dubai hosting Expo 2020 and Doha hosting the World Cup in 2022.

Linkedin Learning courses now on ice You can now continue with your personal and professional development while in the sky thanks to a partnership between Emirates and LinkedIn. Select LinkedIn Learning courses are now available on ice, the award-winning inflight entertainment system, making Emirates the first international airline to make these courses available on board.

The new service is part of Emirates’ continued commitment to providing diverse inflight entertainment content. The free expert-led LinkedIn Learning courses range from 20 minutes to more than two hours long and cover topics such as leadership, general management, marketing and creative lifestyle.

The courses feature high-quality, personally curated and easily digestible information to cater to varying interests and profiles of customers on board. Among the featured content are courses such as Managing Stress and Learning from Failure by Todd Dewett, TEDx speaker, writer and coach in the leadership and life skills space.

For those looking to improve their photography skills just before landing at their holiday destination, David Hobby, photographer and

author of the Strobist.com lighting blog, hosts two courses – The Traveling Photographer: Dubai and The Traveling Photographer: London, full of useful quick tips and camera tricks.

The LinkedIn Learning courses will be regularly updated to include new topics.

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The suites at Bupa Cromwell Hospital (Just what the doctor ordered)

The Royal Suite

When it comes to your health, compromise is not an option.

To find out more about our exclusive Royal and Presidential suites, and to talk about your healthcare requirements, contact our dedicated team on +44 (0)7809 316 205 or email thesuites@cromwellhospital.com.

Bupa Cromwell Hospital, 164-178 Cromwell Road, London SW5 0TU Expect the exceptional.

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An emirAtes A380 in bloom

Emirates has teamed up with Dubai Miracle Garden to create a stunning new display for the Garden’s 2016-17 season – and it’s one for the record-books WORDs: Matt MOstyn

emirates has teamed up with dubai miracle Garden to create an awe-inspiring exhibit. For the first time ever, visitors to the garden will be able to admire a life-size replica of the emirates A380, made from half a million beautiful flowering plants.

The aircraft will be the headline exhibit for the new season, and it’s set to become a star attraction for visitors.Yet the construction of this astonishing floral replica was no mean feat. It took a team of over 200 engineers, horticulturalists, technicians and maintenance crew more than three months to complete – and as Mr. Abdul Naser, Creator of Miracle Garden explained, it’s all part of the garden’s efforts to deliver a healthy dose of disbelief, with a side of intrigue.

“The theme this year is ‘Take me on a journey to a land far, far away’ – and so each element of the garden represents a journey to a miraculous new destination. It’s our desire to show our visitors everyday objects transformed into reflections of nature, inspiring the imagination and refreshing the soul – and the A380 is a great example of that.

“The A380 is considered to be the dream of many, whether to either board, fly or even just see first-hand. I remember seeing one for the first time, and the feeling was overwhelming. I was so impressed with the technology and design of this aircraft. It was such an inspiring moment and experience – and that reaction was the inspiration behind our efforts to recreate it.”

The stats for the garden’s newest botanical beauty are pretty impressive. Fabricated from over 30 tons of steel, the structure has been planted with over 500,000 cascading plants, bearing over five million floral blooms. Featuring a dazzling array of petunias, marigolds, snapdragons, coleus, violas and gaillardia, the plants alone weigh a staggering 70 tons – and because it’s a lifesize replica, the scale of the finished aircraft is no less astonishing.

Measuring almost 73 metres in length, rising 24 metres from the ground at its highest point, and with a wingspan of 80 metres, it’s no surprise that this is the largest structure in the gardens, taking up an area of more than 76,000 square feet.

Dubai Miracle Garden’s approach to sustainable horticulture and landscaping practices means it grows and transports flowers and plants with a minimal carbon footprint, while vertical plantation practices were also used to minimise water consumption. The plants and soil will be recycled throughout the season and, after it comes to an end, the soil will then be used as an organic fertiliser.

With its status as the world’s largest three-dimensional floral structure, the floral Emirates A380 is currently in line to be awarded a Guinness World Record – and it’s just another accolade to add to the collection, with the team also winning back in 2013, for the world’s largest vertical garden.

This year’s record-breaking exhibit is literally designed to be admired, with a central multi-level viewing platform enabling visitors to get a great view of the Emirates A380, and enjoy the beauty and craftsmanship that’s been poured into this labour of love.

The attention to detail is second-to-none, with the structure even featuring moving engine fans and other key design features that capture the essence of the original aircraft design.

For Miracle Garden creator Mr Naser, the project was a particularly exciting one. “It’s an honour to associate with Emirates, the world’s number one airline. We are continuously striving to innovate and achieve limitless opportunities in this beautiful city of Dubai. We hope that our activities and innovations add value to Dubai tourism, and we look forward to welcoming visitors to witness this remarkable new exhibit for themselves.”

Turn over for the numbers behind this stunning Emirates A380

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THE FLORAL FACTS

Here are the numbers behind the world’s first A380 in bloom

24 metres high

73 metres long

80 metre wingspan

76,000 square feet

STATS

70

tonnes of plants

180 days to construct

200

people to assemble

5 MILLION blooms

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D E S T I N A T I O N

FORT LAUDERDALE Emirates launches a daily service between Dubai and Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport on December 15. Enjoy our guide to one of the most exciting cities in the US It’s apparent on arrival in Fort Lauderdale why it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States. Seemingly endless sunshine, an inviting climate and pristine beaches make for a most pleasant cocktail. And speaking of which, superb bars, cafes and restaurants ensure when the beach is done for the day, there are plenty of ways to keep smiles in place.

Golf lovers flock to the championship courses, while nature lovers can explore the alligator-laden everglades.

Cruise liners launch from Fort Lauderdale and many of the hotels

benefit from the discerning cruise customer. It has led to impeccable service levels and plenty of choice, whether you’re looking for fun and adventure, a relaxed family holiday or simply a place to unwind.

Fort Lauderdale’s other main feature is the Venetian-like waterway network that intersects through the landscape. The chic yachting crowd is more than catered to with boutique shops and fine restaurants, while the young (and young at heart) can always find a party in this city… no matter how they enjoy spending their time.

EAT

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LASPADA’S When you need a bite and a half on the go, you can’t beat the hoagies at Laspada’s. Hoagies are sandwich rolls filled with meat, cheese and other delectable fillings of your choice. This establishment is regarded by many as the best in Fort Lauderdale… hence the queues. laspadashoagies.com

THE RITZ-CARLTON, FORT LAUDERDALE Luxurious tranquillity can be found in Fort Lauderdale, and the RitzCarlton is the best place to locate it. With one of the premiere pool areas in the city, relaxing with a drink on a sun lounger has never been so stylish. Choose a room with a balcony overlooking the Atlantic. ritzcarlton.com

HIT THE BEACH Without doubt the biggest attraction is the city’s beach-life.

Whether topping up your tan or drifting away to the sound of the Atlantic lapping up on the sands, beach life is idyllic. While there is still a party scene, there are also plenty of family friendly and relaxed stretches of sand to be found.

NISI This fantastic Mediterraneaninfluenced restaurant is light and airy making it the perfect spot to indulge in mezze. Greek classics are given a modern twist and the result is mouth-watering. Try jumbo lump crab cake, flamed cheese or the stunning grilled octopus with bean puree. nisigroup.com

LAGO MAR BEACH RESORT & CLUB Boasting a spectacular 500-foot private beach, it’s nestled in a secluded 10-acre stretch of prime Fort Lauderdale real estate. Whether relaxing in a hammock or unwinding in the spacious rooms, families and cruise passengers can’t get enough of this stunning property. lagomar.com

EXPLORE LAS OLAS BOULEVARD With its boutique shops, sidewalk cafes and bars, not to mention the eclectic art galleries, Las Olas Boulevard is one of the major draws that can drag people away from the beaches. Shopping during the day turns to partying at night, all set against the backdrop of palm trees and Mediterranean influenced street architecture.

BOATYARD Eating on the water’s edge is a delight, especially when the food is this good. There is plenty on the menu to delight, but the seafood is impeccable, particularly dishes such as the pan roasted sea scallops with jasmine rice, mango sauce, crabmeat and wonton slaw. boatyard.restaurant

THE HOTEL DEAUVILLE A family-run, award winning hostel that is not only safe, clean and comfortable, but is also located within a block of the beach and has its own pool. Perfect for those on a budget, there are dormitories, shared rooms and private single rooms available. thedeauvillehotel.com

GET CLOSE TO AN ALLIGATOR You’ll be amazed by the fascinating creatures you meet as part of an airboat tour of Sawgrass Recreation Park. Florida’s Everglades are a sight to behold and these tours allow you to get up close and personal with all manner of wildlife. Book a night tour for a thrilling adventure.

EMIRATES STAFF TIPS Wellington Prado CABIN SUPERVISOR

GO EAT Try congris ropa vieja (stewed beef with vegetables) for a Cuban great, and ceviche for a Peruvian classic.

Christine Alegado AIRPORT SERVICES OFFICER

HEAD TO SEA Explore the intercoastal waterways with a water taxi. You’ll see amazing houses, yachts and boats.

Emirates’ daily flight EK213 will depart Dubai (DXB) at 3am local time and arrive in Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) at 10.25am.

The return flight EK214 will depart FLL at 8.20pm arriving in Dubai at 7.40pm the following day, with a flying time of 14 hours and 20 minutes.

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C O M F O R T

COMFORT IN THE AIR To help you arrive at your destination feeling relaxed and refreshed, Emirates has developed this collection of helpful travel tips.

Regardless of whether you need to rejuvenate for your holiday or be effective at achieving your goals on a business trip, these simple tips will help you enjoy your journey and time on board with Emirates today.

SMART TRAVELLER

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER Rehydrate with water or juices frequently. Drink tea and coffee in moderation.

TRAVEL LIGHTLY

WEAR GLASSES

Carry only the essential items that you will need during your flight.

Cabin air is drier than normal, therefore swap your contact lenses for glasses.

BEFORE YOUR JOURNEY Consult your doctor before travelling if you have any medical concerns about making a long journey, or if you suffer from a respiratory or cardiovascular condition.

Plan for the destination – will you need any vaccinations or special medications?

Get a good night’s rest before the flight.

Eat lightly and sensibly.

AT THE AIRPORT

USE SKIN MOISTURISER Apply a good quality moisturiser to ensure your skin doesn’t dry out.

KEEP MOVING Exercise your lower legs and calf muscles.

This encourages blood flow.

DURING THE FLIGHT

Allow yourself plenty of time for check-in.

Avoid carrying heavy bags through the airport and onto the flight as this can place the body under considerable stress.

Once through to departures try and relax as much as possible.

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Chewing and swallowing will help equalise your ear pressure during ascent and descent.

Babies and young passengers may suffer more acutely with popping ears, therefore consider providing a dummy.

Get as comfortable as possible when resting and turn frequently.

Avoid sleeping for long periods in the same position.

MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE Loosen clothing, remove jacket and avoid anything pressing against your body.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE Try some light exercise, or read if you can’t sleep after arrival.

c u s t o m s

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i n f o r m a t i o n

Guide to us customs & immiGration Whether you’re travelling to, or through, the United States today, this simple guide to completing the US customs form will help to ensure that your journey is as hassle free as possible.

CUSToMS DECLARATIoN FoRM All passengers arriving into the US need to complete a Customs Declaration Form. If you are travelling as a family this should be completed by one member only. The form must be completed in English, in capital letters, and must be signed where indicated.

ElEctronic SyStEm for travEl authoriSation (ESta) If you are an international traveller wishing to enter the United States under the Visa Waiver Programme, You must apply for electronic authorisation (ESTA) up to 72 hours prior to your departure.

ESta factS: Children and infants require an individual ESTA. The online ESTA system will inform you whether your application has been authorised, not authorised or if authorisation is pending.

A successful ESTA application is valid for two years, however this may be revoked or will expire along with your passport. apply onlinE at www.cbp.gov/ESta nationalitiES EligiblE for thE viSa waivEr*: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom** * SubjEct to changE ** only britiSh citizEnS qualify undEr thE viSa waivEr programmE. | 84 |

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Cut the queue at JFK with quiCK ConneCt If you’re connecting through New York JFK, you can avoid long waiting times in US immigration and queues for connecting flights with the Quick Connect service. US Customs and Border Protection Agency created the special service for passengers who have a connecting flight within three hours of arrival at New York JFK.

Follow theSe StePS:

1

2

3

4

have your boarding card or ticket for your connecting flight ready for the ground staff as you exit.

You’ll be given a Quick Connect card. Continue to the Quick Connect queue in the Arrivals hall.

After passport clearance, claim your baggage and clear US customs, regardless of your final destination.

If your bag is tagged to your final destination, hand it to emirates staff at the transfer counter for your onward flight.

quarantine in australia Australia has strict biosecurity laws, so when you arrive you’ll need to declare certain food, plant or animal items on your Incoming Passenger Card.

You also need to declare equipment or shoes used in rivers and lakes or with soil attached. All aircraft food must be left on board. Please take particular care when you complete your Incoming Passenger Card – it's a legal document and false declarations may result in a penalty.

quarantine in Japan Japan has strict rules around exposure to livestock and bringing in livestock items.

You will need to go to the Animal Quarantine Counter if: • you have recently been to a livestock farm • are bringing livestock products into Japan • your visit to Japan will involve contact with livestock the counter is in the baggage claim area. If you’re bringing meat and livestock products into Japan without an import certificate, you must see the animal quarantine officer. | 86 |

U A E

S M A R T

G A T E

BE SMART! USE UAE SMART GATE AT DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

NATIONALITIES THAT CAN USE UAE SMART GATES

UAE

Andorra

Australia

Austria

Bahrain

Belgium

Brunei

Canada

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Kuwait

Liechtenstein

Luxembourg

Malaysia

Monaco

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Oman

Portugal

Qatar

San Marino

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

South Korea

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

*UK

USA

GO THROUGH IMMIGRATION IN SECONDS AND GET YOUR VISIT TO DUBAI OFF TO A FLYING START Citizens of the countries listed on the right and UAE residents can speed through Dubai International airport by using UAE Smart Gate.

If you hold a machine-readable passport or E-Gate card you can check in and out of the airport within seconds.

Just look out for signs that will direct you to the many UAE Smart Gates found on either side of the Immigration Hall at Dubai International airport.

USING UAE SMART GATE IS EASY

1

Have your E-Gate card or machinereadable passport ready to be scanned

2

Place your passport photo page on the scanner. If you are a UAE resident, place your E-Gate card into the E-Gate slot

OK!

3

Go through the open gate, stand in the blue footprint guide on the floor, face the camera straight-on and stand still for your iris scan.

When finished, the next set of gates will open and you can continue to baggage claim

*UK citizens only (UK overseas citizens still require a visa)

REGISTERING FOR UAE SMART GATE IS EASY To register, just follow the above process and then spend a few moments having your details validated by an immigration officer. That’s it! Every time you fly to Dubai in future, you will be out of the airport and on your way just minutes after you landed. | 88 |

UAE SMART GATE CAN BE USED BY:

• Machine-readable passports from the above countries • E-Gate cards

This image is for advertising purposes.

YK98439-30/3/17

INTERNATIONALLY ACCREDITED HEALTHCARE SERVICES AT YOUR DOORSTEP MEDICLINIC MIDDLE EAST OPERATES: • • • • • •

Mediclinic Mediclinic Mediclinic Mediclinic Mediclinic Mediclinic

Welcare Hospital Dubai Mall Meadows Mirdif Beach Road Corniche

• • • • • •

Mediclinic Mediclinic Mediclinic Mediclinic Mediclinic Mediclinic

City Hospital Ibn Battuta Arabian Ranches Al Qusais Al Sufouh Al Hili

EXPERTISE YOU CAN TRUST. UAE • SOUTH AFRICA • NAMIBIA • SWITZERLAND www.mediclinic.ae

R O U T E

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M A P

R O U T E

M A P

NEW ROUTE: Fort Lauderdale: daily service starts December 15

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R O U T E

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M A P

R O U T E

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M A P

PERSONALIZED CARE AND FAMILY SUPPORT WITH DEDICATED MEDICAL TEAM

THE COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CARE SERVICES Cancer not only affects your health, but also your family and lifestyle. Understanding this, the American Hospital Dubai Cancer Care Facility offers a range of current Medical Oncology and Hematology services for adults and children. Our specialists are American Board Certified (or equivalent) and are supported by a team of expert staff trained in advanced cancer treatment techniques in the region.

We are here to ensure that you are never alone in your fight against cancer. Because when you are treated at American Hospital Dubai, you are with family.

CLINICAL OFFERINGS • Medical Hematology Oncology Chemotherapy • Pediatric Hematology Oncology Chemotherapy • Radiation Oncology MOHAP – WQ89334 – 26/02/2017

• Ablation Therapy for Thyroid Cancer • Surgery • Palliative Care • Multidisciplinary Approach

For more information, please contact +971 4 377 6369 or visit www.ahdubai.com

The first hospital in the Middle East to be awarded Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCI) The first private laboratory to be certified by the College of American Pathologists (CAP)

American Hospital Dubai accepts most major health insurance plans, please call 800 - 5500 (within UAE)

EMIRATES FLEET

Our fleet of 259 aircraft includes 244 passenger aircraft and 15 SkyCargo aircraft

AIRBUS A380-800

This month:

3 arriving

2500+

The first A380s with Live Television joined the fleet in June of this year.

This month 14 are equipped, with more coming soon.

93 in fleet. Up to 489-615 passengers. Range of 15,000km. L 72.7m x W 79.8m

BOEING 777-300ER This month:

up to

2500+ 75% 96 (75%) out of 128 Boeing 777-300ERs are now equipped with Live Television, Wi-Fi, Mobile Phone and Data Roaming services.

More are being upgraded each month.

128 in fleet. Up to 354-442 passengers. Range of 14,594km. L 73.9m x W 64.8m

BOEING 777-200LR 2500+ 90% 9 (90%) out of 10 Boeing 777-200LRs are now equipped with Live Television, Wi-Fi, Mobile Phone and Data Roaming services.

More are being upgraded each month.

10 in fleet. Up to 266 passengers. Range of 17,446km. L 63.7m x W 64.8m

EMIRATES SKYCARGO

BOEING 777F

The most environmentally-friendly freighter operated today, with the lowest fuel burn of any comparably-sized cargo aircraft. Along with its wide main-deck cargo door which can accommodate oversized consignments, it is also capable of carrying up to 103 tonnes of cargo non-stop on 10-hour sector lengths.

13 in fleet. Range of 9,260km. L 63.7m x W 64.8m For more information: emirates.com/ourfleet | 96 |

2 arriving

CONNECTIVITY AND ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES AVAILABLE

# Live Television

Wi-Fi

Mobile Phone GSM

Data Roaming GPRS

Channels of inflight entertainment

BOEING 777-300 1500+

10 in fleet. Up to 364 passengers. Range of 11,029km. L 73.9m x W 60.9m

BOEING 777-200ER 1500+

2 in fleet. Up to 274 passengers. Range of 14,310km. L 63.7m x W 60.9m

AIRBUS A319 550+

1 in fleet. Up to 19 passengers. Range of 7,000km. L 33.84m x W 34.1m

The Emirates Executive Private Jet takes our exceptional service to the highest level to fly you personally around the world. Fly up to 19 guests in the utmost comfort of our customised A319 aircraft with the flexibility of private jet travel. Further information at emirates-executive.com

EMIRATES SKYCARGO

BOEING 747 ERF This aircraft is capable of carrying up to 117 tonnes. The deck-side cargo door, with a height of approximately three metres, allows the uplift of oversized shipments that cannot be accommodated in the belly-hold of passenger aircraft. The nose door allows the carriage of long pieces.

2 in fleet. Range of 9,204km. L 70.6m x W 64.4m Aircraft numbers accurate at the time of going to press | 97 |

K N O W L E D G E

DESTINATION

KNOW YOUR CITY. THIS MONTH: ROME

ROME HAS BEEN RISING FOR 3,000 YEARS Built on a floodplain, ancient Romans would build new roads and buildings on top of old ones, raising their city by up 2m at a time.

MINORITY REPORT

DEEPER UNDERGROUND

Only 30 women are listed as permanent residents of the Vatican.

The Cloaca Maxima (“great drain”) is a sewer running beneath the Roman Forum. It was built in the sixth century BC, making it one of the city’s oldest surviving structures.

[National Geographic]

COINING IT IN

ONE PET RULE

DIGGING DEEP

Every night around 3,000 euros are collected from the Trevi fountain, with the money donated to the charity Caritas.

A traffic law in Rome states that you may carry one pet without special equipment, but any more than that requires cages or netting in the rear.

It’s believed that less than 10 per cent of ancient Rome has been excavated.

[Caritas]

[National Geographic]

[RAC]

WORLD’S SMALLEST CITIES (BY POPULATION)

451

9,893

21,097

31,595

37,286

Vatican City

Tuvalu

Palau

San Marino

Liechtenstein

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RIMOWA ELECTRONIC TAG

THE FIRST DIGITAL CHECK-IN SOLUTION FOR YOUR LUGGAGE.

The future of convenient travelling: RIMOWA Electronic Tag. Check in your luggage with your smartphone wherever you are and drop it off within seconds. Find out more at: www.rimowa-electronictag.com

RIMOWA Store, Abu Dhabi Mall.

Bloomingdale’s, Dubai. Galeries Lafayette, Dubai. Tryano Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi.

Jashanmal: Dubai Mall – Mall of the Emirates – Dubai Marina Mall – Dubai Festival City Mall.

Soaring ambition.

The most sacred number, a stunning sight.

Celebrating the art and act of creation.

7 by Richard Serra, Doha

www.visitqatar.qa