AUGUST 2019
F I N D I N G B I G C AT S
THE FADISTAS OF LISBON REGROUP
Dubai’s wildlife photographers on their biggest coups
GREENIFYING THE CITY OF LIGHTS
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OBAID HUMAID AL TAYER
EDITOR
MANAGING PARTNER & GROUP EDITOR
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
IAN FAIRSERVICE
GINA JOHNSON gina@motivate.ae
SENIOR ART DIRECTOR
ART DIRECTOR
GEORGINA LAVERS editor@openskiesmagazine.com
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CONTRIBUTORS Iain Akerman; Helena Amante; Emma Coiler; Ben East; Sarah Freeman; Dom Joly; Fedor Konyukhov; Emily Manthei; Andrea Mantovani; Marisa Paska; Marta Zaraska Front cover: Sascha Fonseca
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CONTENTS AUGUST 2019
56 DUBAI Seek, shoot, print Dubai’s wildlife photographers
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73
GLOBAL
EMIRATES
Experience 16 Stay: From Cape Town to Amman Dom Joly: Back in the motherland The sad beauty of Lisbon’s fadistas Neighbourhood: Hanoi 34 A female-led Bedouin trek in Egypt Crossing the Southern Ocean 46 Paris’s urban agriculteurs 50
18 24 26 40
Latest news 74 Inside Emirates 76 Destination: Boston 78 UAE Smart Gate 80 Route maps 82 The fleet 88 Celebrity directions: Amanda Seyfried’s guide to Vancouver 90
56
Expo 2020 Biodiesel to biodegradable pencils 66
LitFest Is social media ruining your life? 70
PRESENTS
A SERIES OF EXTRAORDINARY STORIES
CAMEL WHISPERER
Discover timeless wonders among the dunes through the eyes of a daughter of the desert WATCH HER STORY AT VISITABUDHABI.AE
13
EDITOR’S NOTE SMELL THE HONEY
If this issue had a theme, perhaps it would be one of adaptation. Take the Bedouin tribeswomen of Egypt’s South Sinai Peninsula (p40): rarely allowed to venture out, even into the local town, they decided to instead introduce groups of female walkers to the wild flora and fauna of the mountains (which they know better than the men). If trekking is not your thing, then there’s always the fadistas; follow the strains of a Portuguese guitar to find them in the small fado cafés of Lisbon (p26). Helena Amante talks to today’s singers, who have revitalised the traditional genre and risen in prominence to become Portugal’s most popular musical exports. Or there are Paris’s urban agriculteurs, who are overcoming pollution – and the odd vigorous football – to convert football stadiums, underground parking lots and rooftops in Paris into local farms (p50). The farms are typically Parisienne: unusual, eccentric, and often rather pricey. Honey cultivated on the Paris Mint – a government building that rather ironically produces euro coins – sells for around US$150 per kilo. Whether you’re travelling to somewhere truly remote or just visiting a thronging capital, it’s worth looking deeper to find the people that are making a place just a little different – and a little better. FOLLOW US
Enjoy the issue.
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Georgina Lavers, Editor
7 FOR ALL MANKIND ADIDAS ARMANI B A L LY BOGNER BOSS B O T T E G A V E N E TA BURBERRY CA LV I N K L E I N J E A N S COACH CONVERSE DESIGUAL DIESEL
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OUTLETCITY METZINGEN offers its guests numerous premium and luxury brands in flagship outlet stores with an outstanding product selection and prices reduced by up to -70 %** all year round. The picturesque town in SouthWest Germany, 30 minutes from Stuttgart and two hours from Munich, Frankfurt and Zurich is the home town of Hugo Boss and the most successful factory outlet in Europe with roughly 4 million visitors from 185 countries per year. But Metzingen has much more to offer: In autumn 2019 the new Hugo Boss Flagship Outlet Store will open at OUTLETCITY METZINGEN. As the centrepiece of Hugo Boss Square it will present fashion at the highest level with 5,000 square metres of sales space. * According to the ranking in the 'Outlet Centre Performance Report Europe 2018' of ecostra GmbH, Wiesbaden in cooperation with magdus, Troyes. The report is based on a Europe-wide survey of international brand manufacturers on the economic performance of their stores operated in different outlet centres. ** Compared to the manufacturers’ former recommended retail price if there is any.
FALKE FURLA GUCCI HACKETT HOUR PAS S IO N JIMMY CHOO JOOP! LACOSTE LEVI'S LINDT LORO PIANA MAMMUT MARC O'POLO MAX MARA MICHAEL KORS MISSONI MONCLER N A PA PIJR I NIKE P E T I T B AT E AU PORSCHE DESIGN PUMA S A LVAT O R E F E R R AG A M O SAMSONITE SCHIESSER SCOTCH & SODA
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DO NOT MISS! OPENING OF HUGO BOSS @OUTLETCITY
TEFAL THE NORTH FACE TIMBERLAND
On 11th and 12th October 2019, Germany's largest outlet celebrates the opening of the new Hugo Boss Outlet Store with many highlights throughout the city, the first Hugo Boss Café and a multitude of attractive offers.
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Culinary delights & refreshing drinks
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Global EXPERIENCE ° STAY ° DISPATCH ° NEIGHBOURHOOD ° TREKKING ° ROWBOAT ° AGRICULTURE
Amman allure Amman’s appeal is in its history – Jordan’s capital is awash with ancient citadels, Roman theatres and temples. p.22
16 / GLOBAL / EXPERIENCE
STOCKHOLM, AUGUST 25-30
“There cannot be anything more important than fresh water” During World Water Week in Stockholm this month, South African scientist Dr Jackie King will be awarded the Stockholm Water Prize. The freshwater ecologist tells us why we have to change the way we view water Why is an event like World Water Week so important, and what can it achieve? World Water Week is unique in its ability to bring together the world’s experts on matters we need to address in order to solve the water challenges – and by that, a sustainable future – for all people. There cannot be anything more important than fresh water. Just 3 per cent of the world’s water is fresh and most of that is locked in glaciers and ice caps. The remainder supports most life on Earth. World Water Week, with its global reach and high status, is a vital venue for bringing water professionals together: we share ideas, provide support for each other, and learn of innovative ways to develop and manage water in a sustainable way.
And what does it mean to you to be awarded the Stockholm Water Prize? As a river scientist, I am deeply honoured to be selected as the 2019 Laureate for the most prestigious award in the
Jackie King has been recognised for her work protecting the world’s freshwater systems
world of water. It is an important recognition of the crucial need to look after the world’s freshwater systems, for their own sake and so they can support our lives. I also see it as a wonderful accolade for African science and African rivers.
What will you talk about at your acceptance speech? We’re increasingly concerned over the state of the world’s rivers as they are dammed and diverted for human needs. In the 1970s a handful of aquatic scientists started to ask the question “How much water does a river need in order to stay healthy?” and their numbers have now grown to thousands working globally to help governments develop and manage water resources more sustainably. We have to change the way we view water: from a resource to be exploited to a support system to be nurtured. We have the techniques and knowledge to guide this, and we need the political will from governments and developers.
The theme this year is ‘Water for society – Including all’. Does it feel like water poverty is only going to be a bigger problem in the decades to come? We live in a world characterised by increased water scarcity, rapid population growth, environmental degradation and more extreme weather. Extreme weather often manifests itself in form of water. More and more regions of the world will be experiencing too much water, too little water or too dirty water. According to climate change projections, 40 per cent of the global population will soon live in basins experiencing water stress. The most vulnerable groups are the ones that will be suffering the most. The way to address this is by making the governance of water more inclusive so that knowledge and perspectives from different sectors of society are present in the decision-making process. worldwaterweek.org
AUGUST 11-14
EID AL ADHA The festival of the sacrifice is the second of two Islamic celebrations held worldwide every year, with Eid Al Adha’s customs including wearing new clothes and preparing a variety of dishes to eat with friends and family. In Dubai, there is a succession of public holidays punctuated by daily fireworks displays near Jumeirah Beach Hotel, which is transformed into a vibrant, festivallike waterfront with street performances for the duration of Eid Al Adha. Dubai and worldwide. visitdubai.com
AUGUST 1-4
AUGUST 1- SEPTEMBER 16
AUGUST 26-28
LOLLAPALOOZA
THE ASHES
One of the biggest and best music festivals in the US, Lollapalooza has begun to spread its alternative brand across the world – there’s a Lollapalooza Berlin next month. But Chicago is still the spiritual home of Perry Farrell’s festival, and this year’s diverse headliners straddle indie (The Strokes), rap (Childish Gambino) and futuristic pop (Twenty One Pilots, Ariana Grande). Chicago, US. lollapalooza.com
After a dramatic Cricket World Cup, attention quickly turns to the biggest bi-nation series in the sport: The Ashes. England will be hoping to use the momentum from becoming World Champions in the longer form of the game, but Australia is a rejuvenated side, and currently holds the tiny trophy that has become such a huge prize. Venues across the UK. ecb.co.uk
BEIJING INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR Given the Chinese book market is the largest in the world by volume and its government requires every child to learn English, it’s no surprise that up to 300,000 people will converge on China’s exhibition centre to explore what the world will be reading in the months to come. There’s also a parallel Children’s Book Fair. Beijing, China. bibf.net
18 / GLOBAL / WHERE TO STAY
DUBAI
24.8204° N, 56.1354° E
PRICE: FROM US$27 PER NIGHT
This light and bright Dubai chain proves that affordability doesn’t mean having to scrimp on the details
Quirk and cheer WORDS: GEORGINA LAVERS
FROM THE CONCIERGE The Irish bar Perambulate the slightly kitsch, 19th Century-themed Peninsula: a canal-lined piazza that comprises the centre of Riverland. A typically lively place to go is Irish Village, host of regular live music nights. The theme park If you’re going to go to any of the theme parks in Dubai Parks and Resorts, make it Motiongate. Featuring rides inspired by movies, try the Kung Fu Panda simulator or the bullet train, (somewhat worryingly) inspired by the Hunger Games. The outlet mall Just a short walk from the hotel is Jebel Ali Outlet Village, a treasure trove of designer discounts. Head to Sephora for heavily discounted makeup, or to Priceless for Frame and Off-White denim.
Budget hotel. The words don’t exactly inspire cheer in one’s heart; conjuring visions of dripping ice machines, Shining-esque corridors and sheets that you shouldn’t shine a blacklight on. It is a testament to Rove – Emaar’s mid-priced hotel chain – that all of its properties couldn’t be further from this description. With six properties so far in Dubai and four more planned, including one in Saudi Arabia, Rove has quickly cleaned up when it comes to affordability in the city. And no wonder; the hipster-lite aesthetic and hostel-esque touches like communal washing machines or games rooms have struck gold when it comes to anticipating the modern tourist’s needs. Our stay is at Rove at the Park, a twenty-minute drive outside the city but slapbang in the middle of a plethora of theme
parks and outlet malls, from Legoland to designer discount stores. The vibe is kid-friendly, but good acoustics and seemingly-permanently smiling staff mean that the atmosphere is communal, not overwhelming. Thoughtful touches abound, from the wall friezes showing guests how to play popular Middle Eastern games like kabaddi (a more competitive Red Rover), to the life jackets given to kids at the pool. There are lockers on the ground floor, bikes to rent, and a low-key concierge who sits at a bench in the middle of the lobby. The rooms are compact but refreshingly simple, with touches like a drying rack for wet swimming costumes, and minimal bathroom products – you won’t find any individually-wrapped Q-tips here. Cute, cool and culturally conscious – could this be the start of a backpackers’ Dubai?
DUBAI
Planning a visit to Dubai and the UAE? Watch Emirates & Dubai TV on today’s flight to see fun things to do including Tourist Attractions, Dining, Activities, Entertainment and Golfing.
20 / GLOBAL / WHERE TO STAY
CAPE TOWN
33.9249° S, 18.4241° E
PRICE: FROM US$157 PER NIGHT
With staff who redefine hospitality, this South African stay is filled with thoughtful touches
Feeling Gorgeous in Cape Town WORDS: EMILY MANTHEI
FROM THE CONCIERGE The Company’s Garden Walk the lush paths where the Dutch East India Company set up a stopover garden along their trade route in the 1600s. Today, it’s a green lung to the city, surrounded by historical museums, monuments and the National Gallery. Eastern Food Bazaar Choose from regional Indian foods of nearly a dozen vendors in this affordable and tasty Indian food market. Try a unique South African-Indian dish from Durban, “Bunny Chow,” made from a hollowed half-loaf of bread, filled with the Indian curry of your choice. District 6 Museum In a historic building constructed by slaves, former tenants of this central district lead guided tours about their forced displacement during apartheid, South Africa’s brutal legacy of racial segregation, and today’s wave of gentrification in Cape Town.
Walking along a bustling pedestrian promenade in the Cape Town Central Business District, you might miss the two doormen waiting to greet you outside the Gorgeous George. Once inside, you won’t miss another detail: hand-painted artisan tiles display a walking map of the city, black hallways contrast with floral carpets and rooms are outfitted with Dutch “Delft Blue” ceramic tea cups, pink painted exposed pipes and dramatic African print rugs. Beside the bed is a “pillow menu” to satisfy even the most anxious sleeper. After being purchased by a young German real estate developer, the century-old industrial building underwent a three-year transformation before opening in April. Keeping the room number small allows space for public access at the rooftop restaurant and poolside bar, Gigi Lounge, where locals enjoy craft cocktails, Cape wines and
chic lunches alongside hotel guests. Lush succulents, city views and comfy couches complete the atmosphere of a city oasis fit for George of the Jungle, Curious George, King George, St. George and the other “Georges” that inspire the hotel. However, it’s not the contemporary design elements that make the Gorgeous George so endearing, it’s the genuine warmth and hospitality of each and every member of staff. The receptionist already knows your name (she gave me a hug on departure!), each bellhop can give concierge recommendations and directions, and a personal hostess greets you with a welcome drink and tour of the rooftop bar once you’ve settled in. The George staff take time to chat at the relaxed, unhurried pace of Cape Town life, making you feel like the insider who knows how to make friends with that secretive bartender.
CAPE TOWN
Emirates operates two nonstop daily services to Cape Town with the Boeing 777300ER.
22 / GLOBAL / WHERE TO STAY
AMMAN
31.9539° N, 35.9106° E
PRICE: FROM US$222 PER NIGHT
Jordan’s capital becomes more alluring with this detail-orientated stay
Resort relaxation in Amman
THREE DINING PICKS Reem No trip to Amman would be complete without a late-night trip to Reem, a small but legendary shawarma joint located next to the city’s second circle. No tables, no chairs – just the best beef shawarma in town. Abu Jbara Another stone-cold classic, Abu Jbara serves everything you can dip a piece of Arabic bread into. Hummus with pine nuts, fatteh with olive oil, foul with homemade ghee. A hugely popular and rewarding experience.
WORDS: IAIN AKERMAN
Chapters A family-run restaurant in the trendy Weibdeh neighbourhood, Chapters may be small in size but packs a hefty culinary punch. Serving authentic homemade cuisine, try the rummaneyye: a mouthwatering dish of lentils, aubergine and pomegranate molasses.
It’s hard to miss the Four Seasons Amman. A white limestone landmark, it sits atop the tallest of the capital’s seven hills, just off the city’s fifth circle. At 15 storeys high, it provides sweeping views of the wider city, which itself offers far more to travellers than initial impressions would suggest. Don’t let the allure of Jordan’s wider attractions dissuade you from spending time in Amman. It too has its fair share of destinations. There’s the ancient Citadel, with its Temple of Hercules and Umayyad Palace, and the 6,000-seat Roman Theatre located just off Hashemite Plaza. Throw in the fashionable neighbourhood of Weibdeh, the cultural delights of Darat Al Funun, the falafel at Hashem in Downtown, the allure of Rainbow Street, and the tea and coffee at Rumi Cafe and you’ll begin to understand Amman’s subtle appeal.
All of which is complemented memorably by the Four Seasons. As with other outposts of the brand, it’s the small details that make a difference. The handwritten welcome note; the generosity of the staff; the fluffiness of the pillows; and the small wooden tray of locally-grown, in-season strawberries and jam delivered to our room. Like all of the hotel’s 192 guest rooms, ours is decorated in a contemporary residential style. There are Bulgari bathroom products, down duvets, and thick terrycloth bathrobes. Downstairs has a variety of dining venues, including the French brasserie La Capitale and the Levantine cuisine of Olea, and there’s also a spa to unwind in. It’s the Four Seasons’ two pools that prove most memorable. During a hot Jordanian summer, they provide a resort-style relaxation rare to find in a city centre.
AMMAN
Emirates operates three nonstop daily services to Amman, choose from a daily A380 service and two daily services operated by the Boeing 777-300ER.
NOTHING BE ATS A SIMPLE TECHNIC AL PREMISE; EVEN IT IS DIFFICULT TO BRING TO LIFE. THE VITROCSA SLIDING SYSTEM C AN BE ADAPTED TO SUIT ANY SITUATION, ALLOWING INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENTS WITH AN INFINITE R ANGE OF VERSIONS.
VITROCSA .CH
24 / GLOBAL / COLUMN
UNITED KINGDOM 55.3781° N, 3.4360° W
Bear killers In his excitement at exploring the world, Dom Joly has been neglecting the (creepy) delights of a UK staycation
I’ve travelled to over ninety countries in my role as a travel writer and realised recently that I’ve rather neglected home. Not home as in my family and pets – but home as in the United Kingdom. So, I’ve started to write a new book in which I embark on four road trips around Great Britain. I kicked off last week with a visit to the Forest of Dean. If you’re unfamiliar with the place then I’m not surprised, as it’s not on most people’s destination lists when visiting the UK. It’s actually not too far from where I live and has something of a reputation. People of the forest are seen as somewhat “different” and are often the butt of jokes from meaner section of Gloucestershire society. When you arrive, it’s not difficult to see why. The forest has a slightly ominous mood to it, and you can’t help feeling a little creeped out when you drive through. The attractions are a bit odd too – most famous being the Little Dean Crime Museum, which is in the old jail and holds a seriously dark collection of crime memorabilia, ranging from Ronnie Kray’s suit, to letters from the Yorkshire Ripper, Ku Klux Klan robes and far, far weirder stuff that I can’t really discuss here… I actually rather enjoyed my visit but, it’s definitely not to everybody’s taste. I am a dark tourist and have written a book on the subject so it was not surprising that I found it interesting.
Driving on, I entered the village of Ruardean, the inhabitants of which are still known as the “bear killers.” This is because – about a century ago – some French musicians arrived in the village, accompanied by two bears. There is much dispute as to what happened next, but the bears were both killed by a mob and the Frenchmen were savagely beaten. The most likely story is that somebody spread a rumour that the bears had attacked a local girl. The Forest is a place that has always been suspicious of outsiders and the arrival of a combination of Frenchmen and bears was always going to be problematic. I couldn’t help thinking about the story of the people of Hartlepool, on the North Eastern coast of England, who are known as “monkey hangers.” A French ship was wrecked in a storm off the coast of the town during the Napoleonic Wars. The only survivor was a monkey that the crew had dressed in a uniform for their amusement. The poor monkey was found by locals and – as they had never seen a monkey or a Frenchman before – was swiftly put on trial for espionage. As the monkey understandably didn’t answer any questions during the trial, it was found guilty and hanged on the beach. The moral of this story is that, should you decide to visit the UK, are French and accompanied by an exotic animal… do take care.
Opening September 2019 @ CROSSROADS Maldives
Lying just 15 mins from Male international airport by boat, this unique new resort experience offers 198 spacious guestrooms, beach villas and overwater villas. Ideal for couples, families or friends looking for an inspiring escape, the resort's generous interiors and al fresco spaces, personalized comforts and genuine service culture create an inspired playful destination getaway. The signature journey begins on arrival when guests select their own amenity set using natural ingredients from an Aroma Lab. An array of appealing dining experiences include a daily gourmet breakfast with morning inspiration by Cafe del Mar, seafood grills, Thai-inspired treats, artisa nal coffees at bean/Co, and tropical cocktails and cozy drinks at the pool bar. The resort connects directly to The Marina@ CROSSROADS Maldives, a dynamic new destination that includes an exciting collection of restaurants and bars, boutique stores, a CROSSROADS Event Hall, leisure activities and more.
GLOBAL / DISPATCH / 27
How the humble songs of the fadistas captured the world’s imagination WORDS: HELENA AMANTE
She who cries for love
The fadistas of Portugal: A new generation of female singersongwriters are redefining the classical genre for the modernday audience
The sun sets on Alfama’s tortuous streets and alleyways, enveloping the tiled facades in golden light. Inside an old building, within the white walls of a stone-floored Casa de Fado, the clinking of cutlery rises in the air with the scent of codfish and grilled sardines. As each table raises their glasses in consecutive toasts, an enthusiastic chatter fills the room; then, the lights dim and the audience falls into muted anticipation. A Portuguese guitar player breaks the silence, strumming the chords with nimble fingers, and soon a deep-voiced singer is pouring lyrics from her heart. As the night goes on and the candles burn low, the audience abandon themselves to the voice, enraptured by shivering guitars. Born in the early 19th Century in rooms across the old neighbourhoods of Lisbon, fado is simultaneously a voice of the quotidian and a desperate cry of love. The journal of those who couldn’t write or read, fado emerged as a melodic narration of daily joys and sorrows, allowing
28 / GLOBAL / DISPATCH
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each member of the community to let go of their emotions without too much disclosure. Initially rejected by society for its humble origins, perfectly embodied in Severa – a singer whose legend gave birth to songs, vaudevilles, novels, and the first Portuguese sound film – the public image of fado changed to the extent that it was endorsed by the dictatorship for international propaganda in the fifties. Following a golden age that spanned decades and gave the world the first internationally acclaimed fadista, Amália, fado braved the turn of the millennium with a tired image. “At the time, no record company wanted to sign a fado artist”, recalls Mariza. “They just didn’t sell”. Born
in Mozambique and raised in Lisbon’s old district of Mouraria, Mariza sang as soon as she could speak, and her debut album made waves from the get-go, in 2001, leading the way in shifting perceptions of the genre. “I would go to schools to talk about fado’s history, and kids would frown until I told them how it was born out of gangsters, tattooed sailors and the like. It was a sort of 19th Century hip-hop”, Mariza laughs. With a career marked by performances in the world’s greatest concert halls, Mariza has played on the influences of her African heritage, and collaborating with musicians as diverse as Sting, Lenny Kravitz, Gilberto Gil and Cesária Évora.
Often dubbed the blues of Lisbon, fado is no stranger to those influences. An amalgam of Portugal, Brazil and Africa, according to musicologists, fado was a dance as much as a music in the early days, and had a deeply sensuous nature that progressively vanished. Set on the westernmost tip of Europe and with a history of sailing the seven seas, Portugal, and its capital in particular, have long been a place of encounter for many cultures. Born out of social gatherings and improvisation, fado is a dialogue between musicians: the voice leads, the Portuguese guitar responds, the acoustic bass and the classical guitar follow. “Fado is a unique way to bring musicality into
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1. A portrait of Amália, who died in 1999. The fadista remains the best-selling Portuguese artist in history 2, 3. Vintage posters in Lisbon’s fado museum 4. Carlos de Carmo, one of the few male singers of the genre 5. Mariza has performed in venues from the Sydney Opera House to Carnegie Hall 6. Rooftops in Alfama, home to many restaurants that offer live fado
poetry, making the most of each silence and weighting the intensity of each word. It implies a specific singing and playing, and simple as it may seem, it can be very technical”, says Carminho. The daughter of a well-known fadista, Carminho was brought up among her parents’ casa de fado, where she cut her teeth at a young age. Living proof of such establishments’ prevailing relevance, Carminho went on to balance traditional fado with projects such as Carminho canta Tom Jobim, an album of songs by the legendary Brazilian songwriter. “One needs to live in their own times. Preserving the essence of fado is paramount, or it would be lost; but fado would disappear if it wasn’t rejuvenat-
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ed, become obsolete, a dead language. Amália and Alfredo Marceneiro were progressive before they became classics; no one sang poetry by dead authors before Amália, or lyrics in a foreign language”. Through the radio, Amália single-handedly drew Gisela João to the genre. “I felt as if she was singing directly to me”, recounts Gisela, “the emotional charge of her voice, the power of the lyrics; I was that little girl hooked on the radio, listening to her”. The oldest of seven brothers and sisters, the singer was born and raised far from the realms of fado, in northern Portugal, and took Lisbon by storm when she moved to the capital to pursue her dream. Trained in classical
fado and favouring sneakers over black shawls, Gisela’s sole purpose has been to make people listen to the genre. “Fado has this cathartic side to it. It makes you stop. When you listen, eyes closed, your heartbeat immediately slows down. In the fast-paced world we live in, that’s an incredibly powerful thing”. With international tours by individual fadistas and annual festivals in cities like Madrid and New York, the power of fado transcends the language barrier. “I feel privileged to sing in my own language, and I have never felt constricted by it. But I’m lost for words and humbled when someone tells me they’ve learned Portuguese to
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7. Portuguese guitars have been played in the country since the 13th Century 8. Gisela João played in fado houses for years before bringing out her debut album
understand the lyrics, which happens every now and then”, Mariza says. The headliners of these tours and festivals are mostly women. Though there is no shortage of male singers – including Carlos do Carmo, the leading figure of fado following Amália’s heyday – the generation winning a global following is mainly female. “We were all strongly influenced by Amália. Men have been seen as the guitar players, songwriters, and even the owners of casas de fado for generations. Women had the vocals”, Carminho concludes. A songwriter herself, the singer took the leap to produce her latest album. “Things are changing – it’s a matter of time and courage now”.
Far more comprehensive than the common misconception, fado has as many facets as the spectrum of human emotions. While an international audience expects mostly traditional melancholic songs, the Portuguese are now looking for more novelty. Fado is not all mournful, in the same way that it couldn’t be all clap-along songs. “There is a unique pulse to each moment, and each concert”, Gisela says. “I always go on stage with a set list prepared but by the end of the first song, I have soaked up the atmosphere and got a pretty good idea of what the audience is looking for. I forget the list and decide which songs to play on the spur of the moment”.
An urban music at its core, the soundtrack of Lisbon has relied on adaptability since the beginning. Acknowledging its vibrant history and multicultural past, fado has overcome the outdated genre label and is once more the faithful expression of a generation. Linking different attitudes and perspectives, one belief endures: fado requires truth with oneself. Only then can it pull heartstrings, regardless of geographical boundaries and cultural differences.
Emirates flies twice daily nonstop to Lisbon, and operates a four times weekly service to Porto.
ADVERTORIAL
MY FATHER’S DREAM
Bart Hickey had always dreamed of putting pedal to the metal. There’s just one problem: the car mechanic from Illinois is blind. His son, and Mercedes-Benz, found a way to make his dream come true WORDS: MARCO ARELLANO GOMES/LOOPING STUDIOS
IMAGES: JEREMY HILL
Bart Hickey is a man with a sense of humour, and a genuine plain-talker: short hair, moustache, jeans, American flag sewn onto his jacket. The 57-year-old from the Mount Greenwood neighbourhood of Chicago has been fixing cars for 30 years, the last 25 in his workshop in Alsip, Illinois – a typical working-class suburb. He loves his job, the cars and his family, and for his whole life, Bart has dreamed of one day driving himself – of tasting the speed and feeling the freedom of the road. But it’s a dream that has always been out of his reach. Bart has been blind since birth. Not that this could stop him from becoming a car mechanic. One of the best out there, according to some. Bart was 11 when his father died, so he learned from a young age what it meant to take on responsibility.
He began helping his mother repair her car so they could save money. He trained his sense of hearing, touch and smell to compensate for what his eyes could not provide. Today, he hears, smells and feels things that other car mechanics merely see. “My tools speak to me,” he says with a grin, and he means this literally: they convey data like air pressure values through a speaker. Bart has the full support of his family. Leading the charge is his 25-year-old son Brendan, who helps out in the workshop in the morning before heading to The Drake hotel, where he works as an operating engineer. The two have found their groove, and they enjoy a close relationship. Bart’s daughters, Bridget (26) and Elisabeth (27), also help wherever they can.
His children have long wanted to show their appreciation for everything he has done for them through his hard work. They knew that this was a dream of his, and that it was up to them to help him fulfill it. “Most people take for granted being able to get in their car and drive off every day,” says Brendan. “This is the one thing my father has always wanted to experience.” Full of hope and yearning, he tried relentlessly for five years to bring his father’s dream to fruition, writing to companies and institutions that might be able to help him. Eventually MercedesBenz reached out, asking if his father might fancy taking a Mercedes for a spin. “Here’s a card. Open it!” Brendan instructs his father months later, on a chilly Saturday in October. Bart can hardly believe his luck. He carefully guides his fingertips across the Braille, line by line, bump by bump. He reads the letter out loud for all to hear: “Dear Bart, we heard about your lifelong dream of driving by yourself. It would be our pleasure to make this happen. You in a beautiful car in the endless desert of Alvord Lake, Oregon. No obstacles, no speed limit, better than the German Autobahn.” Bart chuckles. A “No sh**!” escapes his mouth, and those around him begin to cheer. Brendan steps forward and pulls his father in close. Father and son, arm in arm, in front of their own workshop. It’s an unforgettable moment. Two weeks later, Bart and Brendan meet the Mercedes-Benz team at Alvord Lake. Hardly arrived, Bart runs his fingers through the dry, cracked desert floor. “I imagined it being softer,” he says. Here, it’s nothing but open space in all directions. A warm gust of wind blows unimpeded across the salt lake, caressing their backs. Brendan wipes the dust from Bart’s shoulders. Using his cane and hands for guidance, Bart walks carefully towards the Mercedes-AMG GT R and takes a seat at the wheel, where he is given final instructions. Brendan gets in the passenger seat and gives a thumbs-up. “Let’s go!” The car inches forward, gaining speed as it goes. Brendan seems a bit wary. “Let’s just drive straight,” he says and looks over at his father, who is grin-
ning behind the steering wheel. “This is great!” he says, seeming completely in his element. “Have fun and just drive!” the Mercedes engineers relay to the two via walkie-talkie. “Go!” Brendan hollers. Bart steps hard on the accelerator; the motor roars as they go faster and faster. He laughs, feeling this type of exhilaration for the first time. “How fast are we going?” he asks as the desert whooshes by. “Ninety miles an hour,” Brendan answers. Bart opens the throttle even more and Brendan breaks out in laughter. Adrenaline is pumping through their bodies. “108, 109, 110...” Brendan yells out, shifting his view between the
DID YOU KNOW? Our short film, My Father’s Dream has already generated more than three million views on YouTube. Scan the code to watch it here:
speedometer and the desert outside. “Man, you’re going 110 miles an hour!” Bart continues picking up speed. This goes on for nearly three hours, until the setting sun’s final rays reach Alvord Lake. They get out of the car and hug one another. Bart Hickey loves cars. But now he knows what it means to feel the vibration of the motor and the sudden jerks and jolts when taking a curve from the driver’s seat of a sports car. It’s an experience he’ll never forget and that he’ll recall fondly whenever he’s tinkering with a motor in his workshop at 11501 Ridgeland Ave. in Alsip, Illinois. Anyone is welcome to stop in and say hello, he says.
34 / GLOBAL / EXPLORATION
NEIGHBOURHOOD
HANOI
21.0278° N, 105.8342° E
Ethnographic antiques, a lively wet market and the city’s oldest pagoda – just a few reasons to lose the tourist throng in this locally-beloved ‘hood
Trúc Bach, Hanoi WORDS & IMAGES: SARAH FREEMAN
When downtown’s din and dust gets too much for Hanoians, they retreat to a lakeside suburb – part of the wider Ba Đình district and a few kilometres north of Hanoi’s exotic Old Quarter. The origins of Trúc B ch’s name; “small creamy white bamboo” hark back to the 1600s, when ivory-stemmed bamboos encircled its lake, which was also made famous by a certain US senator. In 1967, the late John McCain (then a naval aviator), was shot down into Trúc B ch’s serene waters, and held prisoner of war at the city’s notorious H a Lò Prison. Today, families descend on the lake’s leafy promenade to graze on lâu ch (frog hotpot) or float past Tr n Qu c pagoda on kitschy swan pedalos. Life in Trúc B ch unfolds on these riverbanks and its sidewalks – often under the shade of weather-beaten banyan trees, where locals play cards hunched over steaming bowls of ph , an aromatic beef-and-noodle broth and Vietnam’s national dish. Pull up a rickety plastic stool and join in – some of the city’s tastiest street eats hail from
this neighbourhood. And leave room for ph cu n (rice spring rolls stuffed with beef and coriander) at the intersection of M c Đĩnh Chi and Nguy n Kh c Hi u streets. With one foot in the past and one racing towards the future, gallery-cafés, fashion-forward boutiques and craft breweries like Standing Bar, are sprouting from Trúc B ch’s impossibly narrow tube-houses, crumbling French colonial facades and even Soviet-era relics. For an island escape without leaving the city (or neighbourhood for that matter), follow legume-laden pedal bikes over tiny Tr n Vũ Bridge to Ngũ Xã, which retains its former village character. Dive into its rich bronze-casting heritage at Chùa Than Quang temple and Đình Ngũ Xã communal house, then cool down with chè (a shaved ice and coconut milk concoction) at its popular hole-in-the-wall dessert bars.
1 START
CHAU LONG MARKET A whole lot of life happens under Chau Long’s corroded rooftop – one of the city’s last remaining traditional wet markets, which 200 garrulous vendors call home. A visit here is not for the faint hearted, but it’s worth it for the people watching alone. Conical-hat wearing ladies skin frogs and swing cleavers within an inch of their toes, between wriggling bowls of silk worms (nh ng), as honking motorbikes weave in and out of the aisles. More palatable are the baskets overflowing with fragrant herbs and banana blossoms, stalls grinding grains and sweet glutinous rice balls (bánh rán ngot), the perfect mid-morning pick-me-up. On the corner of Chau Long and Nguyen Streets
36 / GLOBAL / EXPLORATION
2
A FIVE-MINUTE ‘GRAB’ MOTORBIKE TAXI
TRẤN QUỐC PAGODA Set on a tranquil peninsula on West Lake’s eastern shore, 6th Century Tr n Qu c is the city’s oldest Buddhist temple, serving as a place of reverence for Vietnam’s royalty for hundreds of years. Ironically, its crowd-pleaser is a 1998 brick-built, 11 floor stupa, shaded by a heart-shaped-leaved Bodhi tree which is said to be grafted from the holy tree under which Buddha meditated for seven weeks. Follow the smoky trails to atmospheric Nhà thi u h ng, the site’s incense burning house, before marvelling at centuries-old stone and copper statues in its underrated museum. Thanh Niên, Yên Phụ, chuatranquoc.info
3 DID YOU KNOW?
The goldfish and turtles sold at Trấn Quốc Pagoda’s entrance aren’t destined for the fish bowl, or your plate. Locals believe releasing them into the lake (after parting with several thousand Vietnamese dong) brings you good luck
LESS THAN A MINUTE WALK
TRÚC BẠCH LAKE Heading left onto Thanh Niên causeway from Tr n Qu c Pagoda, embark on a leisurely loop of the neighbourhood’s star attraction. Or, glide past fishermen casting bamboo rods on one of the lake’s swan pedalos. You can rent them from Highlands Coffee – Vietnam’s answer to Starbucks. Separated from West Lake (Ho Tay) by Ð Thanh Nien causeway, Trúc Bạch
GLOBAL / EXPLORATION / 37
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A SEVEN-MINUTE TAXI
TRADE SHOP #37 Modelled on the state-run canteens commonplace in Vietnam’s bao c p era, this ration-themed restaurant is an unexpected find on Ngũ Xã. Recalling the country’s lean post-war years, Soviet era fans whirl above as sentimental songs stream from a vintage radio and war memorabilia hangs from whitewashed brick walls. Diners chew the fat at wooden tables, imaginatively repurposed from antique Singer sewing machines. You can’t go wrong with the cá kho t (a clay-baked fish hot pot), rau lang om m (sweet potato leaves marinated with
tangy fermented rice) and a generous side of pickled greens, fried in lard. 37 Nam Tràng, Trúc Bạch, +84 24 3715 4336, facebook.com/CuaHangMauDich
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A SIX-MINUTE WALK
FELIX BESPOKE TAILOR Getting measured up by a tailor is a rite of passage for every first-time visitor in Vietnam. Drop in for a 15-minute fitting at this cute-as-a-button atelier, where self-taught, Hanoi-born Vicky Taho fashions US$30-50 suits in pinstripe, dogtooth and herringbone. Fashion is thirsty business, so drop in at her husband’s annexed cat café for a cà phê nâu đá – an iced coffee with condensed milk. 02 Chau Long, 01 Ngu Xa, +84 4 666 272 89, felix.bespoke@gmail.com
38 / GLOBAL / EXPLORATION
7
A THREE-MINUTE ‘GRAB’ MOTORBIKE TAXI
TỔ CHIM XANH – BLUEBIRDS’ NEST Nestled at the end of a sleepy alley close to the old citadel gate, this multi-level café’s snug reading platform is a great place to try your first cà phê tr ng (egg coffee). Meanwhile, up on their rooftop terrace, the hipster crowd knock back passion fruit mojitos surrounded by Soviet-era apartment blocks. The community venue also hosts film nights, poetry slams and kirigami paper-cutting workshops – the new origami sans folds, we’re told. 19 Đặng Dung, Quán Thánh, +84 349 565 226, facebook.com/tochimxanh. bluebirdsnest
SOUND BITE
If 54 Traditions Gallery has whet your appetite for Vietnam’s indigenous artefacts and culture, head to the city’s Museum Of Ethnology – a must-see if you aren’t venturing to the country’s more remote areas where its 54 ethnic minorities live
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A NINE-MINUTE WALK
54 TRADITIONS GALLERY Museum-worthy antiques from Vietnam’s 54 traditional ethnic minorities cover every nook and cranny of this Hàng Bún street gallery, which celebrates the country’s fascinating ethno-diversity over four floors. Its owner is long-time expat and doctor turned art dealer Mark
HANOI
Rapoport, who has donated over 1,000 artefacts to the city’s museums, as well as his native New York City’s Met. Rummage around its themed rooms for water puppets, tribal textiles, frightful wooden masks and opium scales, or better still, have Rapoport explain their colourful history (and point out the $50 bargains whilst he’s at it). 30 Hàng Bún, Trúc Bạc, +84 24 3715 0194, 54traditions.com
Emirates flies nonstop daily to Hanoi with the Boeing 777-300ER.
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KEEPERS OF THE MOUNTAIN
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THE BEDOUIN WOMEN OF EGYPT’S SOUTH SINAI ARE RARELY SEEN IN PUBLIC. NOW, GUIDING TOURISTS THROUGH THE DESERT THEY KNOW SO INTIMATELY, THEY SEEK TO FORGE THEIR OWN PATH WORDS: MARISA PASKA
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The nomadic Bedouins of the Sinai Peninsula. Historically marginalised as a group, its women are carving out their own space in the tourism industry
SOUTH SINAI St Catherines
Without warning, our car veered off the highway toward… nothing. There was no road ahead of us, much less a signpost to mark the way. From the truck beds where we sat piled in with our luggage, I watched the last signs of civilisation disappear as we drove into the desert. “The Hamadas are a very remote tribe,” explains Julie Patterson, one of the group leaders for our hiking trip with the Hamada Bedouins. We are heading towards their village in the valley of Wadi Sahw, in Egypt. It’s a place with no telephone signal, no TVs and almost no bathrooms, but it’s not creature comforts we’re after. Our group of 23 women from six different countries is on the way to meet four very special women: the first female Bedouin trail guides in the Sinai desert. The lives of Bedouin women are normally very restricted. Many tribes don’t even allow their women to be seen by foreigners, let alone walk with them. Most Bedouin women rarely leave their houses. They aren’t allowed take their children to school, or to go to the market. “They can’t go anywhere, except to the mountains to care for the goats,” ex-
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plains Zahra Magdi, an Egyptian woman whose company, Mountain Rose Foods, works with Bedouin women near Saint Catherine’s Monastery to cultivate fruit. Yet in a culturally contradictive move, the Hamada tribe allowed four women – Rabia, our group leader, along with her sister Um Soliman and their sisters-inlaw Adia and Slooh – to lead us through their mountains on a women’s-only hiking trip organised by a co-op trekking organisation called The Sinai Trail. According to Madgi, who is part of our hiking group, female desert guides make sense. “The women are the only ones who go into the mountains with the goats. They know the mountains better [than the men].” Truly, the desert of the Bedouin women is spectacular. Follow her into the desert, and you won’t find a barren scene. Her land is teeming with life. We set off from the Hamada village and within the first hour of trekking, climb
up to a natural mountain spring, munch on a delicious lemony chard that grows between rocks, and discover plants that are used to cure stomach aches, make soap or even applied as lipstick. We hike slowly, covering only ten or fifteen kilometres per day, with frequent stops to allow even the least fit hikers plenty of rest. As we rest, we hear stories about the lives of the women and the desert they inhabit, reciprocating their kindness with stories of our own. “This experience changed my life,” says Mona Prince, an Egyptian feminist author, who joined the trip in search of
“When you came, so did the rains”: The tribeswomen welcome tourists, often their only source of information to the outside world
inspiration for her new book. “I had never had any contact with the Bedouin, but now I feel we are compatriots – we are all Egyptians.” Like Prince, the women on the trip are as impressive as our guides. Among them are software developers, a visual engineer, master’s students, filmmakers, a European Bank worker and even a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. Most of them, even the Egyptians, are meeting Bedouin women for the first time. “What struck me was the sense of humour they have,” notes Judy Hassan El Said, an Egyptian woman from Cairo who works in the outdoor industry. “They are so full of joy.” The Bedouin women still don’t have permission to sleep away from their homes, so we return each night, immersing ourselves in village life. We chat with the women of the town and played with their children. Many of the trekkers pull out notebooks, coloured pencils and foot-
NARIMAN EL-MOFTY/AP IMAGES; GETTY IMAGES
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balls that they had brought along as presents, delighting the little ones, who are rarely treated to new toys. We share simple meals of chicken, rice, bread and salad accompanied by salty cheese and endless cups of Bedouin tea. Later, when the sky was dark and the stars had come out, some of us went off to sleep in ladies’ houses – two or three-room concrete blocks with no furniture – while others stayed in the Bedouin tents that had been set up outside for our comfort. Living in the village, you can’t entirely escape the men, yet most seem to support the women in their new venture. The men drove the trucks that brought us to the village, and even help to prepare the meals for their female guests. Yasser, the 20-year-old son of Rabia, expressed pride in his mother. “She is a very strong woman. I’m happy for her.” Strength is one of the words that define a Bedouin woman. Perhaps it’s the hours spent alone in the desert, or their childhoods, like Rabia’s – spent with her mother in a cave in the mountains – that make them so independent. Even during childbirth, we found out from our guides, women are expected to go through labour unassisted. When the child is born, the mother washes herself and her baby off on her own. Women here need to be sturdy to survive. As I lie down under the three-sided Bedouin tent to sleep, Rabia appears by my side, zipping up my sleeping bag up around me. Behind her strength, I am surprised to find a maternal, feminine softness. Without a single word spoken in the same language, I feel a true kinship to this woman who I had met only days earlier. One night, towards the end of our trip, all 23 women in our group crowd into the Rabia’s tiny living room, creating a de-facto women’s circle where we are free to ask our guides anything. Leena El Samra, a financial analyst from Cairo, wonders aloud if the Bedouin women ever dream of a different life. “Is there anything you would like to do but you cannot do?” she asked them. “I prefer not to work with the goats,” replies Slooh. “I would rather make a nice house; or make dairy products [like cheese].” Rabia however, is already living her dream. “This is the best thing that
happened to us in a long time,” she told us. “When you came, so did the rains.” For the Bedouins, rain is the highest blessing, and Rabia, who I have come to think of as a maternal figure, credited us for its auspicious coming. For her, it is the ultimate sign of growth and change. Perhaps we were the seeds of change in her tiny, unmarked settlement in the valley of Wadi Sahw. Like many of the women who had joined the trip, I shared a hope that we were helping to create a future for the next generation of Bedouin girls. Riham, the 11-year-old
daughter of Aida, who had frequently accompanied us on the trail, was living proof that we already had. While tying a friendship bracelet onto my arm, her smile fades, and for the first time, she looks at me seriously. “I will be a guide,” Riham says confidently, just moments before four white pickup trucks steal us back from the desert.
Emirates operates three nonstop daily services to Cairo with the Boeing 777300ER.
ONE 67-YEAR-OLD RUSSIAN PRIEST. ONE ROWBOAT. ONE OCEAN. THIS IS THE STORY OF A SOLO CIRCUMNAVIGATION THROUGH SOME OF THE TOUGHEST SEAS IN THE WORLD.
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WORDS: FEDOR KONYUKHOV
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I have often wondered how it must feel – to cross the Southern Ocean on a rowboat. I recognised that in terms of difficulty it was considered like climbing Everest, without oxygen, during the polar night. And I know what I’m talking about – I’ve climbed Everest twice! The route is divided into three stages. New Zealand to Cape Horn, Cape Horn to Australia, and Australia to New Zealand. The entire route lies in the Southern Ocean, in the ‘roaring forties’ and ‘fierce fifties’ latitudes. It took 154 days to cover a distance of 6,000 nautical miles, and, finally, my boat crossed the longitude of the Diego Ramirez Chilean Islands on May 9 2019, completing the first stage. I make an expedition every year – this is my training – so am in fairly good shape for a 67-year-old man. I try not to make long pauses between expeditions, in order to keep my standards up. Moreover, the expeditions must be different: dogsledding from the North Pole to Can-
May 9, 2019 Konyukhov reaches Drake Passage, Cape Horn
Cape Horn
December 6, 2018 Konyukhov leaves Port Chalmers, in Dunedin, New Zealand
Dunedin
Right: Konyukhov, whose expedition was supported by Emirates, is the first and only person to cross the Pacific Ocean in a rowboat in both directions
ada, flying around the world in a balloon, crossing Mongolia on camels. The first leg started from the New Zealand port of Dunedin (South Island) on December 6, 2018. I had been waiting for the weather window for more than a month to be able to start and break away from the coast of New Zealand. It seemed that the ocean did not want to embrace me. Even the locals could not recall the headwind blowing for an entire month. Cyclones, or their regularity and power, to be exact, were my main challenge. To be honest, during this trip, I was able to row no more than 25 to 30 per cent of the whole time – the rest of the time I had to lie in my cabin, expecting the boat to capsize. On this route, I capsized four times, and each time it was a risk to my life. You do not think about entertainment when you are thousands of miles away from land, in the heart of the most deserted ocean, rowing a nine-metre long boat, 20cm away from the ocean surface. All you can think about is how to survive in these harsh conditions. There were moments when I thought I would never get out of the Southern Ocean alive. My most memorable day was the day when I saw the Diego Ramirez Chilean Islands. These are the guardians of the Drake Passage and the harbingers of Cape Horn. When heading toward Cape Horn from the west, sailors first see the Diego Ramirez Islands, which means the South Pacific Ocean has been crossed and the hospitable land of South America is ahead. I met not a single ship, not a single island, during all 154 days of my journey.
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GREENIFYING THE
CITY
FA R M E R S
IN
WHO
SOURCING
ARE
PA R I S?
BAH
STRAIGHT
OUI.
FROM
THEIR
WORDS: MARTA ZARASKA
PHOTOS: ANDREA MANTOVANI 51
OF
MEET
LIGHTS
FIVE
CITY’S
WALLS,
FRENCH
ROOFTOPS
A G R I C U LT E U R S
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AUDRIC DE CAMPEAU — M I E L D E PA R I S Discreet safety cables run along the top of the 18th Century facade of Paris Mint, right on the bank of the Seine. Wearing a harness, 36-year-old Audric de Campeau climbs up to his beehives, perched on the building’s majestic rooftop. He opens one of the hives and lifts up a frame covered in bees. He looks for the queen, he inspects the workers’ health. He seems completely oblivious to the sweeping views surrounding him: of the Notre Dame cathedral, the Louvre, the Centre Pompidou. Why the rooftops? It’s more sunny, he says, which is good for the bees. And away from the prying public. De Campeau’s “Miel de Paris” is one of the world’s most expensive honeys, selling for almost US$150 per kilo. It’s hardly a surprise: it’s cultivated atop the city’s most famous buildings, including the Musée d’Orsay. Campeau says that in certain ways beekeeping in the capital is
easier than in the countryside. “The bees are very healthy in Paris,” he says. First, there are no pesticides in the city. And second, the gardens of Paris, including the botanical gardens, offer bees an unusual and exotic abundance of flowers: from the Japanese pagoda tree and Crimean lime to Mexican orange blossom. That’s why the honey has a unique taste – one cherished by many local chefs. Yet there are challenges, too. Honey is heavy, and carrying it down during harvest is tough. That’s why Campeau is grateful that an elevator at the Paris Mint runs to the rooftop. Well, almost. There is still the climbing, the wearing of the harness. It’s worth it, he says.
OLIVIER FONTENAS — LA RECYCLERIE Olivier Fontenas is proud of his earthworms – an indication of his farm’s health. As part of a France-wide pro-
gramme to monitor earthworms, the soil at La REcyclerie has been recently analysed by an expert. “He said he has never seen so many earthworms,” Fontenas smiles. “That’s because we don’t exhaust our soil.” Occupying the site of an abandoned, 19th Century Parisian train station, La REcyclerie farm looks like a jungle. The air is thick with scents of aromatic herbs, edible flowers, wet mulch. Along the ancient rail tracks grows a wealth of vegetables and fruits: tomatoes, beans, blackberries, zucchini. There is also a restaurant where you can eat the farm’s produce transformed into delicious, vegetarian meals, and a repair-shop where locals bring their broken toasters and hairdryers for a fix. Fontenas, who has a master’s degree in ecosystem management, works hard with his colleagues to ensure that the farm is as sustainable as possible. Seventeen chickens eat table scraps from the restaurant. Two ducks, Minussio and Daisy, devour the farm’s pests: slugs and snails. Several different composting solutions
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nourish the farm’s soils. “There are also plants that protect others, like basil protecting tomatoes. The more diversity you have, the more difficult it is for diseases or pests to spread around,” Fontenas says. The challenges? Just like in rural areas, where have ravens and boars ravage crops, in the city there are rats and pigeons to contend with. There is air pollution, too, but luckily the rail tracks are relatively secluded, closed off from the Parisian hustle and bustle. Still, La REcyclerie’s production undergoes strict sanitary controls to make sure urban pollution doesn’t affect the quality.
JEAN-NOËL GERTZ — LA CAVERNE The entrance to La Caverne looks like that to any other Parisian underground parking lot. You go down a sloping ramp – one level, two. But what you soon notice is that there are no cars in sight. Then, the
scents hit you: of moisture and rich soil. That’s where the mushrooms grow. Jean-Noël Gertz wanted to be a farmer, but money was an issue, so he figured out he would find a place no one else wanted – an abandoned parking lot near Porte de la Chapelle. It was a winwin: the city administrators got rid of a place full of drug-using squatters, Gertz got his farm. Admittedly, there was a bit of work to be done at first. Test air quality, improve ventilation. Drive out the squatters. But now Gertz claims the production is not that much different from your typical farm. “It’s traditional agriculture in a place that’s not very traditional,” he says. Today, just two years after the opening, the farm is running full steam ahead: they grow oyster mushrooms, shiitake and endives (which love darkness). Each week the team – which includes Nicolas Garner and Théo Champagnat – harvests 1.5 tonnes of endives and 300kg of mushrooms. They sell almost everything locally: it’s more environmentally friendly
Left to right: Miel de Paris; La REcyclerie, an urban farm and restaurant that produces over 150 different herbs and crops
this way, but also better for the taste. And since car ownership in the city is declining, more unused parking lots are being transformed into farms. Gertz and his team have recently taken over another lot in the 19th arrondissement, where they’ve started production of button mushrooms – les champignons de Paris.
S Y LV I A N E L E P L ÂT R E — MONTMARTRE WINERY The Montmartre winery was’t really planted to produce wine. It was planted, back in 1933, to stop construction of a residential building. And even though today it produces about a thousand bottles of good quality red and rosé wines each
54 Left to right: In La Caverne, Nicolas Garnier checks on shiitake mushrooms; Endives are boxed for sale; ThĂŠo Champagnat in the lot: the team are converting another parking lot in the 19th arrondissement into a button mushroom farm
Left: Lucas Lebrun examines his hops; bashed by the odd football, the plant has nevertheless managed to produce a popular local craft beer
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year, the vignoble’s unusual origin still remains a challenge. “It has north exposure, little sun, plus wrong grape varieties for these conditions,” says Sylviane Leplâtre, an oenologist who takes care of the winery, splitting time between Paris and the vignobles of southern France. When she comes to Montmartre, she checks the health of the plants. Are there any pests? Fungus? Birds are an issue in Paris, there are simply so many of them here – the plants have to be covered with special nets for protection. Another challenge is keeping the winery beautiful. Montmartre is a tourist hotspot. Each year thousands of people come by the winery to admire it, to take photos. A typical vignoble in Burgundy or Provence could look quite poorly, but produce exquisite wines. Here in Montmartre, aesthetics are as important as taste. Despite the obstacles, Clos Montmartre is a good wine – easy to drink. The red tastes of black fruits with a hint of pepper. What’s more, with climate change, Leplâtre wouldn’t be surprised to see the wine really blossom in terms of quality in coming years. “In ten, fifteen
years this type of plantation with northern exposure could actually become a plus,” she smiles.
LUCAS LEBRUN — L A PA R I S I E N N E A group of men kick a soccer ball across a grassy field, their yells echoing through the open-air Déjerine stadium in the 20th arrondissement. Around the perimeter three gardeners are deep at work: weeding around the hundreds of hop plants that climb the outer walls of the stadium. One of them is Lucas Lebrun, who calls himself “communication manager and a part-time farmer.” After the inaugural harvest at Déjerine stadium, Lebrun’s artisanal brewery, La Parisienne, produced its first beer based on 100 per cent Parisian hops – “Intramuros”. The brewery has several sites across the city, growing hops on the facades of buildings – even in the historic district Le Marais. But these proved very challenging, Lebrun says. The access to
water is poor, and the top rings to which the hop plants are attached are high up, so much so that only gardeners with mountaineering experience can tend to them. The stadium is easier, although not without its own issues. Lebrun and his team had to give up on one of the walls because local boys kept bouncing balls off it, destroying the plants. Still, the harvests are good, and car exhaust isn’t an issue – hop doesn’t accumulate pollution the way tomatoes do. The “Intramuros” beer is environmentally friendly: it’s local and organic. It tastes good, too, with its sweet, slightly floral notes. And it’s not just about selling beverages. It’s about the community, too. For the harvest La Parisienne invited locals to participate. There was food. There were drinks – and a feeling that farming can unite people, remind the urbanites of their roots, bring them closer to nature. “That’s a big deal for us,” Lebrun says.
Emirates operates three daily A380 services to Paris.
GET THE SHOT For Dubai’s wildlife photographers, an unlikely city proved the perfect jumping-off point to capture some of the rarest animals on earth WORDS: GEORGINA LAVERS
PHOTO: THOMAS VIJAYAN
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“If I show them an ugly image, or just a normal shot? I’ve lost them”
p in the Himalayan mountain range, at temperatures that hit -25 degrees on any given December night, Sascha Fonseca is adjusting his equipment in order to catch a snow leopard. After weeks of waiting – working on parts in his kitchen at home in Dubai, followed by a flight, an acclimatisation to the altitude, coordinating with his local guide – he is finally ready. He is here for a fortnight, but finding a snow leopard is no two-week task. Some stay for an entire year and don’t find what they seek. But one fateful day, when all the stars are aligned, a snow leopard chances upon the scene. He sniffs the air cautiously; pads silently into frame. The infra-red sensor triggers the flash, and “click” – the shot is taken. The pursuit of this snow leopard is of course photographic, rather than barbaric. And the animal itself is fairly unassuming; almost resembling a cuddly toy, with its small round ears atop a quizzical face. Yet it is, perhaps, one of the most sought after creatures for wildlife photographers on earth. Speaking to Fonseca back in Dubai, where he works full-time at an engineering firm in the city: “it’s an amazing hobby,” he says, wryly adding, “although it takes a lot of time, and costs a lot of money.” Like others in the city, the German-born photographer’s passion was
borne out of a love of animals that started at childhood. It was only while on safari in Africa that he realised he wanted to progress his hobby into something far more specific. “I was getting a shot of a lion or something that everybody else has, which is nice – but when you look back on it after a couple of years, you aren’t excited by it any longer,” he says. “With a camera trap, you can get far closer to the animals, you can get unique shots with really wide angles, in both day and night. Most importantly, the animal isn’t disturbed by your presence, so you really capture it in its natural environment.” Fonseca raves about the anthropomorphic expressions that such an unintrusive method of photography captures. He christens a shy sloth bear in Rajasthan Baloo, after its Jungle Book namesake, and the other animals caught in the camera trap also seem to embody their stereotypes; a busy porcupine, an imperious peacock – a group of boisterous monkeys that have grouped together for a selfie. For Thomas Vijayan, like Fonseca: “Big cats are always my favourite,” he says. The Indian-born photographer started at age 10, armed with a roll of film and birds in his sights. “I was at a sanctuary near Bangalore, with a camera that allowed only limited clicks. I used to save up for new rolls with the little pocket money I had.” Vijayan has
used a base in Dubai to travel to Africa and Asia to photograph more than 170 big cats, including the black leopard, the Pallas cat, and many other cats including what he describes as “the rarest of the rare”, the Amur leopard. “It is so interesting to study their behaviour… I can observe them closely for hours,” he says. If you really want your image to stand out: “Give more importance to quality than quantity,” Vijayan suggests. “Be selective: one good frame from a trip is far better than too many clicks with less importance. Sometimes I spent days just to take one frame, the one that was in my imagination. Some trips, I just end up with one frame, but whatever I do get I feel very accomplished – it’s exactly what I wanted.” For Yousef Al Habshi, animal behaviour is irrelevant – his goal is to make his subjects look as inhuman as they possibly could. The Emirati photographer works in macro, an extreme closeup whereby the subject is larger than it would be in real life. His subject? The humble insect. “For me, there is a heavy detail, a whole new world you haven’t seen before,” he explains. “It’s like all of a sudden finding new treasures filling the world: some of them beautiful and multicoloured, others like monsters.” Al Habshi either captures subjects to photograph in his studio or goes into the field – often at night. His last field
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trip was to Malaysia, where days that started at 9pm and finished at 3am led to the capture of irridescent tiger beetles, assassin and stink bugs, as well as Lynx spiders. “Each insect has its own characteristic: some of them you’ll find in sandy places, others in forests,” says Al Habshi. Talking to him, you get the sense that these are his big cats. “Visually, I like insects that have metallic bodies, they look out of this world,” he enthuses. “Imagine seeing a big lion with a fully metallic body!” As well as visual advancement, part of his message is to spread awareness. “If I ask my friends, what species of insect is this or that? They don’t know. It’s the opposite with mammals. So part of my hidden message is to get people interested about the work to the point that they will want to learn about it. Even within a few years I’ve got friends and family who were so uninterested calling me going, ‘Hey Yousef, I found this beetle, have you shot it?’” “I’m really proud that I managed to give them some sort of foundation that they can grab knowledge from.” For all, the proximity of Dubai to so many wildlife destinations is what makes it the ideal place to base oneself. “Dubai is what makes this possible,” agrees Fonseca. “Within three hours I’m with tigers in India, or Nairobi with lions and giraffes. Another few hours and I can be in Asia with panda bears, or in
Europe, the US, Canada. It’s the perfect place, and its close to the biggest airport in the world in terms of international flights. Even Oman is a wildlife destination, which not many people know; there are still Arabian leopards there. I wouldn’t be able to do this in Europe.” “I’ve been living in UAE for the past 27 years, and it’s really helped me to easily travel to all the wildlife destinations around the world,” says Vijayan. “I start from Dubai in the early morning, and by the afternoon I’m on safari in Kenya.” As well as a jumping-off point, the city has been proving its commitment to local wildlife. The Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, which is fully funded and sponsored by Emirates, was in 2018 accepted as a candidate for the IUCN Green List for Protected and Conserved Areas, a global standard for the world’s most effectively managed of protected areas. The reserve hosted 285,000 tourists last year, making it one of the most visited protected areas in the region. The Arabian Oryx was reintroduced into the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve and now forms one of the largest, free roaming herds of its kind in the region. It was the first animal to be reclassified – from extinct in the wild to vulnerable – by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. For all the photographers, conservation is at the very core of what they
do. In September, Fonseca will be heading out to Siberia to look for tigers in order to bring awareness to their increasing extinction. “There’s a big problem with poaching,” he says. “There’s maybe a few hundred left in the world.” For Al Habshi, his focus is on highlighting the often-overlooked, in attempts to educate. “We cannot deny the importance of insects. Without them, us or the planet would not survive,” he states. “We rely on bees and flies for our fruits and vegetables, on cross pollination. Right now we are facing a massive issue with the disappearance of bees: 70 per cent have vanished for unknown reasons. “Day after day, our existence as human beings is perhaps less important than other animals in nature. They have their rules, but unfortunately in our modern times, we keep destroying them: their kingdoms, jungles.” Of his audience, there is an increasing desire to learn. But at its surface, people still want a good shot, he admits. “If I show them an ugly image, or just a normal shot? I’ve lost them.”
Love wildlife? Wildlife TV on ice has shows from Animal Planet and National Geographic, plus Disneynature in Movies has six full length nature documentaries, including Penguins, Born in China, African Cats and more.
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SASCHA FONSECA
The use of an unobtrusive camera trap allows animals’ natural expressions and movement to become the focus of the image
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THOMAS VIJAYAN
Vijayan constrains his photography to force precision; often returning from trips with just one or two shots
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YOUSEF AL HABSHI The use of macro photography allows the viewer to confront insects in all their psychedelic, slightly monstrous, glory
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Expo 2020’s on-site nursery is significantly reducing the event’s carbon footprint, nurturing hundreds of thousands of shrubs and thousands of trees
Biodiesel to biodegradable pencils: a green World Expo Constructing the largest event ever hosted in the Arab world is a Herculean task, but one that presents a great opportunity to set the bar high for sustainability Sometimes it’s the small things that count – especially when they add up. That’s the case when creating one of the most sustainable events in the world: if the finer details don’t line up, the umbrella idea fails. Expo 2020 Dubai’s forward-gazing sustainability ambitions must extend to every element of producing the region’s first World Expo – from start to finish and well after the six-month event, which begins on 20 October, 2020.
The sheer scale of construction across the 4.38 sqkm site, already at an advanced stage, does not make the task easy but Expo 2020 recognises that action must be taken now to preserve the planet for future generations. Those ‘finer details’ extend to something as simple as distributing eco-friendly products to Expo 2020 contractors – think reusable drinking glasses made from recycled materials, or pencils made from reused paper and newspa-
pers, some of which have an extra biodegradable flourish and even contain seeds that can be planted in gardens. At the other end of the scale, Expo 2020’s considerable off-grid power needs for construction will be heavily met through the use of vegetable oil-based biodiesel, an alternative to fully fossil-fuel-derived regular diesel. About one-fifth of the almost 37 million litres of fuel required to help power Expo 2020’s construction so far
is more convenient!
* Attach it with any fixed water supply outlet in the washroom and there you go!
*Not for aircraft use
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has been provided by biodiesel, significantly reducing harmful emissions and greenhouse gases – all of which creates a positive environmental impact on local and global levels. Solar power helps light up the Expo 2020 site at night, while energy-efficient lighting in contractors’ field offices also helps to lighten the load on the electricity grid. Expo 2020 also is not throwing away the opportunity to reuse waste. More than 90 per cent of all construction waste generated to date has been either recycled or segregated and stored for future reuse, keeping tens of thousands of tonnes out of landfill. Expo 2020’s carbon footprint is being significantly reduced, meanwhile, by the on-site nursery. More than a task to landscape a green site, the nursery is nurturing about 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 mature trees – all of which are either native or adaptable to the Middle East, and thus accustomed to the desert soil and require less water. Expo 2020’s green credentials will be further strengthened by another 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees that are expected to be added between now and event time. Through these and many other efforts, Expo 2020 hopes to show that it is possible – and critical – to leave a
meaningful and lasting impact on our planet. Expo wants to show the international community how the UAE is working to advance the sustainable agenda, while collaborating with global stakeholders to help preserve our planet for future generations. Expo also wants the millions of people who will visit Expo 2020 to take home with them the idea of building a stronger foundation for a better world. A sustainable future is possible if we all work together and we all play our individual part. Whether impressively big numbers or seemingly comparatively small gains, it will all add up to making Expo 2020 Dubai one of the most sustainable World Expos in the event’s 168-year history.
THE WORLD’S GREATEST SHOW IN THE MAKING TOUR Would you like to be one of the first people to lay eyes on the Expo 2020 Dubai site as it nears completion? Then you’re in luck, because from now until the end of August, you can take part in free, engaging guided bus tours that will take you right into the heart of the 4.38 sqkm site. The route will call at the Expo 2020 Visitor Centre, before the bus heads into the heart of the site to see what will soon become iconic structures, such as the falcon-inspired UAE Pavilion and the towering central dome of Al Wasl Plaza. The experience will be accompanied by a host of fun facts and figures on the first World Expo in the region. The tours will depart from locations across the UAE, including Dubai Mall, Abu Dhabi Mall and starting points in Sharjah and the northern emirates. This is just one in a series of opportunities for everyone to be part of the Expo story, with more exciting events and activities on the way. For more information, visit expo2020dubai.com/hayyakum
For more about the upcoming Expo watch Expo 2020: A Timeless Celebration in Emirates & Dubai TV on ice.
70 / LITFEST / THE BIG QUESTION
Ormerod is the author of Why Social Media is Ruining Your Life
How to feel good online Influencer Katherine Ormerod considers how we can make social media a force for good WORDS: BEN EAST The figures aren’t just staggering, they’re surely becoming unhealthy. The average person has eight social media accounts and spends just under two hours a day browsing them – and that’s not including any time spent on the Internet. You touch your phone a staggering 2,617 times during that day, which will eventually equate to seven whole years of a life spent on a phone. No wonder writer, journalist and influencer Katherine Ormerod felt compelled to question this revolution in the way we now consume news, products, “and most importantly each other” online. “Our lives have been completely changed by this need to stay engaged via social media, and there’s been a real effect on the way we build relationships, value ourselves, and even what we want to achieve in life,” she says.
Ormerod isn’t, perhaps, telling us anything we don’t already know about a relationship with phones and social media that is becoming so compulsive, many professionals are likening it to a behavioural addiction. But what she does do in her fascinating book, Why Social Media Is Ruining Your Life, is rationally explore the pitfalls of excessive social media use, the bearing they’re having on our mental health, and plot a course towards a more positive relationship with our smartphones. “I think we’re all familiar with seeing images of our friends having perfect holidays with their lovely children, and it perpetuates this idea that everyone is a more competent parent, has a better family life than you. But of course, it’s just a carefully curated version of a family holiday. Deep down I think we know
this, but then when we post similar pictures, we crave likes from people. When we get them, it momentarily increases our self esteem. But when we don’t… how terrible does it feel to be ignored?” The reason Ormerod’s book is so important is that her career is very much a by-product of the social media age. Her fashion journalism for magazines slowly developed into an incredibly influential Instagram account. “It’s strange – almost ridiculous – to think that posting pictures of myself online pays most of my bills,” she says. In a sense, Ormerod is poacher turned gamekeeper – someone who understands better than most how social media can be harnessed. “There is a real psychological effect from viewing all these images of ‘perfection’ every day and I think women feel that most keenly,” she says. “I think I’ve got a pretty good understanding of social media, but it’s made me feel unattractive, overweight, lonely, unpopular at times. Social media completely magnifies any insecurities we might have.” It was a trip to Mexico that brought this into sharp focus: with friends and colleagues going through issues, be they professional or personal, but still posing dreamy pictures, removed from reality. “I decided that if I was going to continue down this route of being an influencer, I would have to write about my relationships, my debt, my eating issues,” she admits. It’s been her strategy ever since – and ironically has garnered Ormerod even more followers. The solution, for others, is “off-gridding” – where people consciously decide either to close a social media account or take a break from it for a specific period of time. Ormerod, perhaps unsurprisingly, doesn’t suggest that in her book. What she does consider is a relationship of “conscious, mindful consumption, rather than unthinking binges.” “Social media isn’t going to go away,” she says. “The key is to make sure that your real life, the one you’re actually living, isn’t overwhelmingly affected by those squares on your screen.”
For more, listen to the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature podcast on ice.
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New sights, new sounds Starting on 9 December 2019, Emirates will launch a new daily service from Dubai to Mexico City International Airport via the Spanish city of Barcelona. p.74
FLEET
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New wines available for Emirates Vintage Collection Emirates has one of the most prestigious wine lists in the sky and the airline is now serving its latest wines from the Emirates Vintage Collection. Since 2006, Emirates has been buying wines for long term storage, many of which were purchased ‘en Primeur’, or when they were still in barrel. The Emirates Vintage Collection is served in First Class for limited periods, and represents the most prestigious of these wines, a rare selection that is difficult to source. The second cycle of handpicked rare wines released from Emirates’ private cellars includes Château Margaux, often referred to as the ‘Versailles of the Medoc’ and responsible for some of the greatest wines made in recent times. Its 2004, available on European routes, shows pure raspberry, redcurrant and cigar box notes with a tinge of graphite. The Château Mouton Rothschild 2004, available on US and UK routes, has a powerful nose of blackcurrants,
fruitcake, cedar and toast. Its label bears a watercolour and note from Prince Charles. The Château Cos d’Estournel 2005 is from the Medoc commune of Saint Estèphe; due to a high proportion of clay, the property also includes a high percentage of Merlot, giving the wine a voluptuous character. Other wines
include the Château Montrose 2005, again from Saint Estèphe and with hints of dried leaves, a herbal tinge to the fruit and a long and complex finish; and the Château Léoville Las Cases 1998 – once part of the historic Leoville estate and bearing scents of black raspberry, dried cherry, prune and wood-smoke.
EMIRATES TO LAUNCH SERVICES TO MEXICO CITY VIA BARCELONA Emirates will launch a new daily service from Dubai (DXB) to Mexico City International Airport (MEX) via the Spanish city of Barcelona (BCN), starting on 9 December 2019. Emirates’ Mexico City flight will be a linked service with Barcelona, meaning that customers can now travel between the two cities in unprecedented style and comfort. Citizens from Mexico, Spain and the UAE only need their passports to enjoy visa-free travel to each respective country. The new route will be operated with a two-class Emirates Boeing 777-200LR which offers 38 Business Class seats
in a 2-2-2 configuration and 264 seats in Economy Class. The new 777 flight will also offer up to 14 tonnes of cargo, opening up access to more global markets for Mexican exports such as avocados, berries, mangoes, automotive
parts and medical supplies. Emirates SkyCargo has been flying freighters to/ from Mexico City since 2014, and in the last year carried over 22,500 tons of cargo on the route. Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, said: “Due to the high altitude of Mexico City airport, it is not possible to operate a non-stop flight from Dubai, and Barcelona was a natural choice for a stopover. We are pleased to offer a direct connection on the route between the Spanish city and Mexico City that has long been neglected by other airlines and remains underserved despite the strong customer demand.”
EMIRATES / NEWS / 75 EMIRATES PASSENGERS TO HAVE WIFI OVER THE NORTH POLE
Fresh produce grown at Emirates’ vertical farm to be served at Expo 2020 Dubai Fresh produce grown at the world’s largest vertical farm, a joint venture of Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC) and Crop One Holdings, will be served to millions of visitors at Expo 2020 Dubai in order to showcase the future of sustainable gastronomy. Visitors will also be introduced to the world’s most tantalising up-and-coming cuisines at Expo Culinary Experience restaurants operated by EKFC. The eateries will serve authentic recipes from participating countries – enabling diners to sample global flavours. EKFC will launch a series of food and beverage (F&B) locations across the Expo site’s three Thematic Districts. Its fine dining restaurants will feature rotating menus and a monthly star chef from its extensive network, while Grains and Greens will offer gourmet sandwiches, bowl creations and sharing platters. Meanwhile, La Patisserie will provide sweet treats and coffee in an elegant atmosphere, and Deli2Go will serve simple and fresh bites that can be enjoyed on the move. EKFC’s 130,000 square foot vertical farm, located next door to the Expo
2020 site in Dubai South, will produce 2,700 kilos of herbicide- and pesticidefree leafy greens every day, using 99 per cent less water than outdoor fields. A proportion of its output will go to Emirates-operated outlets and various other pavilions at Expo during the 173 days of the event. Every F&B vendor that collaborates with Expo 2020 must sign the Food Ethos – a document designed to push forward sustainability and wellness through local sourcing, use of organic produce and environmentally-conscious packaging. The Food Ethos also promotes affordability and sets standards for accessibility by encouraging vendors to account for intolerances. EKFC diverts a wide range of materials from landfill through a comprehensive recycling programme and uses sustainable materials throughout its operation. As part of its ‘farm to fork’ policy, EKFC works directly with suppliers to best source the right ingredients and reduce food miles while actively supporting SMEs in the local market. EKFC is sharing these best practices with Expo 2020.
Emirates passengers bound for the US will soon be able to enjoy WiFi and mobile service connectivity, even when flying 40,000 feet over the North Pole and Arctic Circle. Every Emirates aircraft is connected for WiFi, voice and sms services. However, on its flights to the US – which often travel over the polar region – passengers can find themselves without connectivity for up to four hours. This is due to the fact that most satellites that connect aircraft are located over the equator, with aircraft antennae not able to see the satellite when in the far north due to the Earth’s curvature. Emirates partner Inmarsat will solve this problem in 2022 with the addition of two elliptical orbit satellites, thus providing coverage over the North Pole. A popular service amongst Emirates’ customers, over 1 million WiFi connections are made onboard the airline’s flights in an average month. WiFi connectivity is available on all Emirates aircraft. Customers in all cabin classes receive 20MB of free WiFi data or unlimited use of messaging apps for 2 hours allowing them to log on and stay in touch with friends, family or colleagues. Emirates Skywards members enjoy special benefits depending on their membership tier and class of travel, including free WiFi when travelling in First Class or Business Class.
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Flying high Why Emirates’ training school for future pilots is top-notch In the news Emirates Flight Training Academy (EFTA) marked a new milestone with the first-ever solo flight by a cadet pilot studying at the
academy. Mohamed Al Dosari was the pilot who flew one of the academy’s 22 singleengine piston Cirrus SR22 G6 aircraft.
The academy Completed in 2017, EFTA is a modern, world-class flight training facility
The fleet Total: 27 aircraft 22 Cirrus SR22 G6 5 Embraer Phenom 100EV
1.8km Runway
36 Classrooms
“My first solo flight was exhilarating and will remain etched in my memory forever” Mohamed Al Dosari, Emirates Flight Training Academy cadet
600 Cadet capacity
• An area of 200 football fields • An independent air traffic control tower • Ground-based simulators
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The training
1,100 hours Ground-based training
The academy has an innovative approach to training, with cadets first learning to fly the singleengine piston Cirrus SR22 G6 aircraft and then directly progressing to the very light jet Embraer Phenom 100EV aircraft. This approach
315 hours Flight training
eliminates an additional step in training and provides cadets with more experience on jet aircraft. A four-pronged approach to learning: • Interactive learning for theoretical subjects in classrooms
21mths Course duration
• Practical learning in the most capable training aircraft • Practical learning in advanced flight simulators, using a competency focused approach • Airline-focused, lineoriented flight training
HOW DO I REGISTER? To find out more about the programme, facilities, eligibility, and how to register your interest online, visit emiratesflighttrainingacademy.com
78 / EMIRATES / DESTINATION
Boston
WORDS: EMILY MANTHEI
Birthplace of the American Experiment New England’s most populous city has been a powder keg of ideas since colonists refused British taxation at the Boston Tea Party in 1773. Colonial history and architecture, some of the oldest in the United States, presents a different context to the American ideal of democracy, and a chance for visitors to step inside the philosophy of radical futurism, both then and now. It’s no surprise that the home of the American Revolution has also nurtured countless intellectuals on their journey towards scientific, political and literary evolution. Harvard University, the city’s most famous institution, counts presidents John Quincy Adams, Theodore Roosevelt and Barack Obama among its alumni, as well as other storied graduates Helen Keller, W.E.B. Du Bois and Michelle Obama. Revolutionary thinkers are a hallmark of Boston’s past as well as its vibrant, progressive present. Today, technology and research are the city’s biggest industries, which means everyday residents are often the earliest adopters of new innovations and enjoy a steady diet of political idealism, futuristic goal-setting and ocean-caught oysters. The latter, part of a balanced seafood diet, is a culinary trademark enjoyed across the economic and social spectrum, despite its bourgeois reputation. Boston is, after all, a city of we the people – all the people.
Since 2014, Emirates has operated a nonstop daily service from Dubai to Boston with the Boeing 777300ER. This summer until 30 September 2019, and from the period 1 December 2019 to 31 January 2020, flights to and from Boston will be operated by the A380.
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LIBERTY HOTEL
CHARLES HOTEL
NO. 284
The luxury renovation of a 19th Century jail, the Liberty plays up its historic bars and chains in a cocktail lounge. Nowadays, hotel guests enjoy chic, convenient, fourstar amenities, like a running concierge and seasonal yoga classes, proving that we are not always doomed to repeat the past. libertyhotel.com
Located in Harvard Square, this Cambridge hotel has served as home on the road to dignitaries and politicians – as well as parents of Havard graduates. Admire the hotel’s collection of commissioned art, peruse the library to improve your social vocabulary, or enjoy farm-to-table Italian at the on-site restaurant. charleshotel.com
Tucked inside a Back Bay Brownstone built in 1880, this 23-room boutique hotel offers the cosy, personal touches of a bed and breakfast. Design elements like personalised art and a backyard urban courtyard make guests feel like they’ve arrived at the home of a friend, instead of a hotel. no284.com
TABLE
OMNI PARKER HOUSE
SELECT OYSTER BAR It’s not a visit to Boston without slurping down fresh, local oysters, tucking into a lobster tail or savouring some New England clam chowder. The menu at Select, an atmospheric Back Bay seafood bar, offers the fruits of the sea, fresh-caught in local waters. selectboston.com
This is old-school dining, revived and elevated in Boston’s Italian quarter, the North End. Guests are seated on one of two communal tables to share family-style Italian dishes by the local owner-chef. By the end of the meal, strangers become dinner dates and new companions. tableboston.com
Parker House opened in 1855 and has been an iconic landmark in Boston’s culinary scene for almost as long. The birthplace of the Boston Creme Pie and Boston Scrod has been a launching pad for celebrity chefs and a dining experience coveted by locals. omnihotels.com
FENWAY PARK
MIT MUSEUM
FREEDOM TRAIL
The oldest ballpark in the Major Leagues inspires dedicated Red Sox fans and baseball novices alike: the stadium, which opened in 1912, has hosted multiple World Series match-ups. Daily walking tours or watching a game in the summer heat are the best ways to understand what Fenway means to Boston.
Engage the academic elite at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s hands-on museum, which showcases scientific innovation and art based on the university’s own research since 1861 with preserved technical archives, rare books, prints, drawings, photographs, films and holograms. mitmuseum.mit.edu
First-time visitors can discover the city’s role in the American Revolution by walking two and a half miles of the central city, stopping at sixteen historic sites. Many choose to follow the trail themselves, while tours guided by costumed 18th Century townsfolk are popular with groups looking for some theatre with their history. thefreedomtrail.org
80 / EMIRATES / UAE SMART GUIDE
Be smart!
NATIONALITIES THAT CAN USE UAE SMART GATES
Use UAE Smart Gate at Dubai International Airport Citizens of the countries listed on the right and UAE residents can speed through Dubai International by using UAE Smart Gate. If you hold a machine-readable passport, an E-Gate card or Emirates ID 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 machine-readable passport, E-Gate card or Emirates ID card ready to be scanned.
2
Place your passport photo page on the scanner. If you are a UAE resident, place your E-Gate card or Emirates ID card into the card slot.
3
Go through the open gate, stand on 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.
REGISTERING FOR UAE SMART GATE IS EASY
To register for Smart Gate access, just spend a few moments having your details validated by an immigration officer and 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 have landed.
IF YOU’RE A UAE RESIDENT
Remember to bring your Emirates ID card next time you’re travelling through DXB – you’ll be able to speed through passport control in a matter of seconds, without paying and without registering. Valid at all Smart Gates, located in Arrivals and Departures, across all three terminals at DXB.
*UK citizens only (UK overseas citizens still require a visa)
UAE SMART GATE CAN BE USED BY: • Machine-readable passports from the above countries • E-Gate cards • Emirates ID cards
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Emirates Mexico City: Daily service via Barcelona starts 9 December
A380 ROUTES
NEW ROUTES
Routes shown are as of time of going to press
*Suspended
**Seasonal service
GLOBAL ROUTES
Emirates Amsterdam / Auckland / Bangkok / Barcelona / Beijing / Birmingham / Brisbane / Casablanca / Christchurch / Copenhagen / Dusseldorf / Frankfurt / Guangzhou / Hamburg / Hong Kong / Houston / Jeddah / Johannesburg / Kuala Lumpur / Kuwait / London / Los Angeles / Madrid / Manchester / Mauritius / Melbourne / Milan / Moscow / Mumbai / Munich / Muscat / New York / Nice / Osaka / Paris / Perth / Prague / Riyadh / Rome / San Francisco / São Paulo / Seoul / Shanghai / Singapore / Sydney / Taipei / Tokyo / Toronto / Vienna / Washington, DC / Zurich
Emirates route
flydubai route
TRAVEL TO ADDITIONAL DESTINATIONS WITH OUR CODESHARE PARTNERS
With 24 codeshare partners in 27 countries (22 airlines and an air/rail codeshare arrangement with France’s SNCF/TGV Air and Italy’s Trenitalia), Emirates has even more flight options, effectively expanding its network by over 300 destinations.
Visit emirates.com for full details on our travel partners
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Routes shown are as of time of going to press
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**Seasonal service
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MIDDLE EAST
Emirates route
AFRICA flydubai route
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ASIA & PACIFIC
EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIA
**Seasonal service
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AMERICAS
Routes shown are as of time of going to press
EMIRATES SKYCARGO
Freighter destinations
C E L E B R AT I N G
TOLERANCE
RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
SPECIAL FOREWORD FROM HIS EXCEL SHEIKH NAHAL YE NAC Y MABARAK N AL NAHAYAN
2019 YEAR OF TOLERANCE A V A I L A B L E I N A L L L E A D I N G B O O K S T O R E S A N D AT B O O K S A R A B I A . C O M
www.motivatemedia.com
88 / EMIRATES / FLEET
Emirates Fleet Our fleet of 269 aircraft includes 258 passenger aircraft and 11 SkyCargo aircraft AIRBUS A380-800 113 IN FLEET
All aircraft 30+ aircraft
up to 4,500+
Up to 489-615 passengers. Range: 15,000km. L 72.7m x W 79.8m
BOEING 777-300ER 134 IN FLEET
HERE’S WHAT CONNECTIVITY, ENTERTAINMENT AND SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE ON BOARD EACH AIRCRAFT TYPE
All aircraft 100+ aircraft
Up to 354-428 passengers. Range: 14,594km. L 73.9m x W 64.8m
up to 4,500+
BOEING 777-200LR
Aircraft numbers accurate at the time of going to press. For more information: emirates.com/ourfleet
10 IN FLEET
Live TV, news & sport
Wi-Fi
Mobile phone
Data roaming
Number of channels
First Class Shower Spa
*Onboard lounge
**In-seat power
USB port
In-seat telephone
All aircraft Up to 302 passengers. Range: 17,446km. L 63.7m x W 64.8m 2,500+
AIRBUS A319 1 IN FLEET
2,000+
Up to 19 passengers. Range: 7,000km. L 33.84m x W 34.1m Fly up to 19 guests in utmost comfort in our customised Emirates Executive Private Jet. emirates-executive.com
* First Class and Business Class; **Available in all rows in Economy Class, and in all seats in First Class and Business Class
EMIRATES SKYCARGO
BOEING 777F 11 IN FLEET
The most environmentally-friendly freighter operated today, with the lowest fuel burn of any comparably-sized cargo aircraft.
Range: 9,260km. L 63.7m x W 64.8m
AMANDA SEYFRIED’S
GUIDE TO VA N C O U V E R The star of The Art of Racing in the Rain on plastic straws and good skiing in this BC seaport INTERVIEW: EMMA COILER I’ve been shooting The Art of Racing in the Rain predominantly in Vancouver, and I also shot Red Riding here in 2010. I love Vancouver, it’s such a diverse, fun city – but I have a lot of love for British Columbia in general. I love being outside, and BC has some of the most beautiful lakes, national parks, and mountains I have ever seen. It’s maybe just over an hour from Vancouver, but if you ski, the Whistler resort is stunning. Even if you don’t ski it’s worth going to see – it stands at the foot of the Whistler and Blackcomb mountains and is just out of this world. If you want any parks closer to the city, you have to visit Dude Chilling Park – not only to take a photo of the sign, which now has public art status in Vancouver – but
VANCOUVER
49.2827° N, 123.1207° W
also because it’s a really hip little park in a cool neighbourhood. While I was filming I got invited to a Vancouver Whitecaps games. I totally recommend it – even if you don’t really understand soccer, it is such a fun night out and believe me, the locals are passionate. We found time to visit Bard on the Beach and that’s a must if you are there at the right time of the year. Not only are there great productions celebrating Shakespeare, but you have the added bonus of that background skyline. Vancouver has also put a ban on plastic straws, which I love them for. It’s a small start – but when cities like Vancouver and its people implement changes like this – then hopefully others will follow.
Discover Vancouver and dozens of other destinations across the US and Canada with Emirates codeshare partner Alaska Airlines.