EUROPEAN TRAVEL made to meander
Time is the ultimate luxury. In our hyper-connected existence, we are often robbed of the simple pleasures that it bestows: watching a full breath dissipate before you in the cool mountain air or listening to the crunch of gravel beneath your step along a quiet country road. So when we are gifted these rarefied free moments, it’s imperative to spend them wisely.
To help you find some creative ways to savor this delicious, sought-after time, we turned to travel tastemakers Butterfield & Robinson. For over five decades, this all-inclusive travel company has served as an innovator in providing travelers with authentic cultural encounters spanning the globe. Whether biking or walking, with a group or privately, a premium is placed on taking time to interact with insightful locals and moments that give you pause, in the most pleasurable sense of the word. Rather than quickly glossing over a new destination, you can truly experience the soul of each and every place. So turn off your phone, log out of your email and get ready to take it slow.
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PREVIOUS PAGE: Piemonte’s distinctive earthy cuisine, born of 500 years of Savoy Court reign and fertile valleys, is best appreciated al fresco. OPPOSITE: Surrounded by mountains on three sides – the Alps to the north and west and the Apennine Range to the south – the views from Piemonte’s medieval towns prove picturesque in every direction. THIS PAGE: The Moorish-style homes in Spain’s Andalucian region were originally “whitewashed” to attract sun and keep bacteria at bay; the white truffle of Alba is one of the world’s most expensive foods, its delicacy status in direct correlation with its rarity.
EUROPEAN TRAVEL m a d e t o meander
Truffle Hunting piemonte, italy
While “slow” may be an en vogue adjective used to describe everything from high fashion to farm-to-table gustation, it’s long been the status quo for Italians who embrace a leisurely lifestyle. Piemonte trip designer Marya Dumont-Valli eagerly shares this sentiment, planning biking and walking journeys down to trace detail so that you can amble across this northern region of the boot nation. Stops made along the castledotted hills of Roero and Langhe are rife with encounters; a beekeeper, a nougat maker and winemakers who invite you to take in the violet and leather essences of nebbiolo varietals barolo and barbera. Dumont says longstanding local relationships make these unadulterated tastes of culture possible. This is especially true when it comes to the “white gold of Alba,” the illustrious local truffle. Investigate hazelnut groves with a bona fide trifulao (truffle hunter), Beppe, and his tuber-sniffing canine. If unearthing a delicious black variety, have it served atop your lunch prepared by Beppe’s wife and chef. During a privately arranged tour, you can traverse further afield, bettering your odds of finding the celebrated white-hued delicacy (some are valued over $2,000 per pound). According to Dumont, one couple requested a truffle-topped meal at every lunch and dinner. Their wish was granted by tapping into a coveted trifulao network’s privileged “underground” cache. Experience another profusion of truffles during the famed White Truffle Festival of Alba. Or, learn about Piemonte’s food and wine traditions and see royal relics during an after-hours visit to the Ethnographic 5 6 U LT I M AT E E X P E R I E N C E S
Museum in the castle of Grinzane Cavour, home to the annual White Truffle Auction. Behind these fortressed walls, you will also find the Michelin-starred restaurant, Ristorante al Castello, which gives your palate a historical sojourn, serving contemporary cuisine distinctive to social classes and regions throughout Piemonte – likely topped with truffles.
Biking the Hills andalucia, spain
The white frosting of residences topping a craggy limestone plateau are but images conjured while reading Tales of the Alhambra. Yet for local guide, James Boyd, it’s simply home. He spent his formative years in Ronda, Spain where his father, Alastair Ivor Gilbert Boyd – a renowned author, Hispanophile and Scottish Lord – ran an English school. During a private barbecue (Andalucian style) at the Boyd family homestead, you will be among
his many friends: esteemed winemakers who share their prized tempranillos, a cheese monger who offers you a creamy accompaniment, one of the best paella chefs in the region and other gourmands who will show you the proper way to slice jamón. His acquaintances will grant you a private tour of the most prized artifacts of a world-renowned bullring in Ronda and the bull-breeding farm of a Marquésa just outside Seville; equally enticing is the red hue of the sherry produced onsite. Boyd notes that while bull fighting and flamenco are important parts of the culture, the draws of Andalucia go far beyond clichés; Andalucia’s essence is best experienced from the seat of a bicycle. Pedal by sunflower fields backed by layers of bluehaze mountains and appreciate the play of light that evades the best of photographs. With electric-assist bicycles available for all of Butterfield & Robinson’s European trips, you can discreetly engage a quiet electric
motor to garner a little help on the hills. In 2014, a group biking tour will be offered in addition to this popular bespoke getaway, exploring from Granada, to the reaches of Ronda, the Valle de Abdalajís and Seville.
Savoring Burgundy beaune, france
A perfectly aged Burgundy wine might best exemplify the elucidation of time itself. Upon first taste, you will comprehend an elegance that can only be acquired through centuries of toil – stemming back to the medieval Benedictine monks who religiously cultivated the vines. Designated the capital of Burgundy wines is the ancient walled city of Beaune, where ambassador and guide Olivier Maillard facilitates VIP entry into the oval office of oenophile experiences. Unlike other wine regions, Burgundy’s collection of small estates typically imposes closed-door policies, harboring some of the world’s most sought after and expensive,
limited productions. (Just imagine, Henri Jayer’s Richebourg is priced at an estimated $ 14,395 per bottle.) Meandering through Côte de Nuit’s bucolic countryside, soaking in views of famous estates recognized from wine labels’ dark ink renderings prove satisfying in its own right. Yet you are granted prestigious turnkey entry to prestigious domains, ranging from names like Armand Rousseau to François Carillon. Maillard asserts that in Burgundy, kindred connections foster hospitality. With George and Martha Butterfield owning a pied-à-terre in Beaune and their son having established permanent residence here, there’s no question that you are among the inner fold. During a private trip, you can even enjoy a stay in the Butterfield’s historic landmark property, La Bastion Ste. Anne, boasting its own medieval wall and enveloped by private gardens. Within the interiors exquisitely designed by Martha herself, a team from Michelin-starred stunner Le Charlemagne will recreate the
restaurant experience for you, preparing the meal in entirety onsite. You will find that this attentiveness also translates to group tours, both walking and biking, through the iconic lands of Dijon, Châteauneuf, PulignyMontrachet and beyond. Contact us to help you craft your ultimate journey at a pace set to elude the perfunctory demands of daily life. Whether you opt for a biking or walking tour in Piemonte or Burgundy, a biking tour in the Andalucian region or prefer the customization of a bespoke tour, we provide independent advice on what pursuits best match your individual desires. Be it experienced within a group or a private vacation of your own accord, you can be certain of one thing: time will be on your side. Please contact us or turn to page 64 for more information on travel in Italy, Spain and France and for a selection of ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES.
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