Archive for the 'Travel' Category

New York is packed with fascinating corners but few are more unique and quirkily charming than über-fashionable TriBeCa.

Gaining its name from a description of its location in Lower Manhattan (the Triangle Below Canal Street), this bustling area is bounded by Canal Street, West Street, Courtlandt Alley, Broadway and Chambers Street and was New York’s first residential neighbourhood, with suitable homes being constructed as early as the late 1700s. By the mid 1800s the tone of the area had changed completely and large numbers of store and loft buildings dominated.

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From the moment I laid eyes on them, the streets of Havana captivated me. I can’t recall if it was the exuberant friendliness of the people, the fragile beauty of worn façades or the bright colours of American road cruisers from the fifties, but I was immediately fascinated by this singular Caribbean mix. Through my lens I found Havana to be photogenic, intense and multifaceted.

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The queen is dead, long live the queen. With the sad demise of the lovely Queen Elizabeth II comes the realisation that the new ‘Queen of the Seas’ is even lovelier.

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There are many beautifully appointed, luxurious hotels with a long list of comforts and amenities, but one thing that is very specific to each one is its particular location. Location, location, location: important to properties but absolutely vital for a hotel. Together with character and service this is the main distinguishing factor that makes you want to come back.

You see, it’s the small things, the details that make the difference. Like strolling towards a poolside lounger set amid opulent greenery. Pine trees swaying gently overhead and the feel of soft green grass underfoot. As you settle down on a lazy lounger, you look straight across a pine-covered hillside to the cobalt waters of the Mediterranean down below. It is a world of colours, hues of blue and green spiced up by the bright tones of flowers, with the scent of pine and floral bouquets in the air. Overhead seagulls punctuate the dulcet tones of summer with their cries – their view the only one that beats your own.

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Mars, the red planet, is one of the most seductive goals of the international space programme, so it’s not surprising that Spain has plans to become part of the great project to send a capsule to explore and hopefully uncover some of its mysteries.

In partnership with a team of scientists from Finland and Russia, a team from Madrid’s prestigious Complutense University is working on the design of a 135-gram capsule called a magnetometer.

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Paris is one of the most marvelled at cities in the world, and its crown jewel is the Eiffel Tower. However, this summer saw the opening of maybe the most exclusive, chic, and unusual restaurant ever seen in the city. Sitting atop one of Paris’ most interesting museums, the Palais de Tokyo, nestled between the Seine and the Eiffel Tower, the new Nomiya restaurant’s simplistic design is a single glass box overlooking the glorious surrounding scenery. (more…)

Rectangular buildings are SO passé: the Helix Hotel looks set to open up a whole new frontier for hotel design. Located in the heart of Abu Dhabi, the Helix has been designed by Leeser Architecture and, according to one of its harshest critics, resembles “a load of toilet seats stacked together.” Inside, the building is a continuous spiral with a hollow centre to allow the constant flow of customers throughout the hotel. (more…)