by Margaret Swaine | Dec 1, 2006
– Five Best Craft Breweries to Visit in Canada (first appeared in Ottawa Citizen, December 2006)
Craft Breweries and brew pubs are going strong in Canada with mapped beer routes now popping up for suds aficionados
1. Church Key Brewing Co., ON: The quaint town of Campbellford on the banks of the Trent Severn Waterway is home to this little brewery nestled in a Methodist Church built in 1878. In January of this year they poured their one-millionth pint of distinctive craft brews, including Holy Smoke Scotch Ale, Cranberry Maple Wheat and Decadent Chocolate Porter. www.churchkeybrewing.com
2. Granite Brewing Co. ON: In midtown Toronto this brewpub serves tasty food and great beers such as Peculiar Strong Ale and dry hopped, cask conditioned Best Bitter Special. In summer the back patio is a peaceful, green retreat from city bustle. www.granitebrewery.ca
3. Granville Island Brewing Co. BC: Canada’s first microbrewery is still going strong. Located on Vancouver’s picturesque and popular Granville Island, home of many markets and shops, it’s all natural brews are preservative free. https://www.granvilleislandbrewing.ca
4. Vancouver Island Brewing, BC: The Island’s first craft brewery has won numerous awards since it began in 1984. Still locally owned it’s now one of BC’s largest independent microbreweries. www.vanislandbrewery.com
5. Microbrasserie La Diable, PQ: In the heart of hopping Tremblant Village, this brewpub with outdoor terraces in summer and the warmth of a fireplace in winter, draws in the crowds for sausages matched with the six house-made beers kept on tap.
www.tremblant.ca
– Margaret Swaine who has the guts to have spent years writing on and sampling the brews of the world.
– Five Best Places to sip a true espresso in Canada (first appeared in Ottawa Citizen, December 2006)
The three top winners from Krups Kup of Excellence 2006 search across Canada to find the best spot for espresso (1-3 below) and other notables make this list java heaven.
1. Vasco da Gama, Montreal: The gorgeous ceramic frescoes of this chic café-restaurant create a great backdrop for sipping their fine quality espresso.
2. b Espresso Bar, Toronto: This Italian style café has atmosphere and modern high design linked with fine Illy coffee.
3. Thomas Haas, North Vancouver: Renowned chef and award winning chocolate maker, Thomas Haas serves up his exquisite chocolate with an espresso perfecto.
4. Bulldog Café, Toronto: The face of a bulldog etched in the latte, white chocolate/dark chocolate coffee and other creative, imaginative drinks as well as great espresso make this cozy spot a real delight.
5. Caffè Artigiano, Vancouver: Canadian champion barista Sammy Piccolo is the only person in history to place in the top three for three consecutive years in the World Barista Championships. You can taste his talent (and that of other champion baristas) at this Piccolo family run Italian-style bistro.
-Margaret Swaine who judged espressos on this year’s Krups panel of experts, still has the jitters of proof.
– Five Best Vineyards to Visit in Canada (first appeared in Ottawa Citizen, December 2006)
With over 300 wineries, Canada has oodles of great tasting rooms to visit but some are extra special.
1. Stratus, Niagara-on-the-Lake: This ultra cool winery certified for its leading edge environmental design hand coddles its grapes from vineyard to sorting tables to gravity-flow winemaking system. The resultant wines shine like the slick décor by interior designer Diego Burdi. www.stratuswines.com
2. Domaine Pinnacle, Eastern Townships: Okay they have orchards not vineyards but they do make great Ice Cider, awarded seven gold medals so far. Located in an 1859 farmhouse near the Loyalist village of Frelighsburg, on a breathtaking natural site, along with a tasting room and boutique is a newly open Cider Interpretation Centre. www.domainepinnacle.com
3. Quail’s Gate, Okanagan: Its fairy-tale pretty indoor/outdoor dining room among the vineyards is aptly named Old Vines Patio. Dinner here as the sun sets over the lake is a treat for the eyes and the palate. www.quailsgate.com
4. Peller Estates, Niagara-on-the-Lake: Set amidst the vineyards this is a wine country destination with an excellent restaurant, huge well-stocked boutique and daily events from wine pairings to cellar tastings. www.peller.com
5. Nk’Mip Cellars, Okanagan: Visitor’s to North America’s first aboriginal owned winery can take interpretive trails that wander the sage desert habitat of Canada’ only pocket desert learning about the Osoyoos Indian Band history and afterwards revitalize with samples of some fine cool wine at their impressive Robert Mackenzie designed winery. www.nkmipcellars.com
-Margaret Swaine who has sipped her way through the tasting rooms of thousands of wineries in all corners of the globe. Hic.
– Five Most Romantic Inns in Canada (first appeared in Ottawa Citizen, December 2006)
A peaceful scenic location, perhaps even a tad remote, luxurious beds with silky sheets and fine dining spell out romance – even for the triple A’s among us.
1. Langdon Hall, ON: Whether you’re in the circa 1902 former grand summer home of a descendent of the Astor’s or in the newer Stable and Cloister rooms, down duvets, soaking tubs and likely a wood burning fireplace or terrace awaits. Set amongst 200 acres of gardens and Carolinian woodlands, lovers can and do enjoy the full spa, walking trails, pool and Five Diamond awarded restaurant. www.langdonhall.ca
2. Sooke Harbour House, BC: This country auberge on the edge of the Pacific Ocean has just 28 eclectic artistically furnished rooms all with breathtaking views, balconies or terraces and wood-burning fireplaces. The menu in the much-acclaimed restaurant changes daily according to what’s seasonal, fresh and very local. www.sookeharbourhouse.com
3. Manoir Hovey, PQ: Built at the turn of the century as a private estate modeled after George Washington’s Mount Vernon home, the Manor offers lakeside seclusion and haute cuisine on 1800 feet of prime lakeshore. While most of the 40 rooms have lake views, the Cartier suite, a cottage on the lakeshore is the most romantic and secluded with a canopy bed and double tub. www.manoirhovey.com
4. The Post Hotel, AB: Surrounded by the majestic beauty of Banff National Park, the Post Hotel has limitless wilderness pursuits, including skating right at its doorstep. Romantics may prefer to stay by their in-room fireplace, enjoy a couple’s massage at the Temple Mountain Spa or a snifter of cognac in the piano room. Dining at the much awarded restaurant is enhanced by a wine list of over 1,500 selections. www.posthotel.com
5. Kingsbrae Arms, NB: On 27 acres of gardens in the historic town of St. Andrews By-the-Sea, this 19th century country estate boasts sweeping ocean views of the world’s highest tides. The romantic suites have canopy beds, marble bathrooms, fireplaces and balconies. Chef Marc Latulippe serves local and organic dishes from land and sea. www.kingsbrae.com
—Margaret Swaine, who has spent decades sleeping around in the best of beds prior and post marriage.
by Margaret Swaine | Jun 1, 2006
Vienna a Grand Love (Urbane Magazine June 2006)
By Margaret Swaine
Vienna’s a sophisticated seductress. It has the architectural beauty of Paris without the attitude, the arts culture of London without the traffic jams, the dining scene of New York without the noise and everywhere the sound of music. I’m a seasoned, somewhat spoiled traveler yet it lures me back year after year.
The first night of my first time in Vienna I admit was ignoble. I went to see Beethoven’s opera Fidelio at the beautiful Vienna State Opera House. Productions almost always sell out far in advance and I hadn’t planned well. The best I could do was the last row. At this hot and dizzy height, I gave into jet lag and slept. Even if the opera was a blur, the Renaissance 1869 building, the elegant Viennese society and the champagne pick-me-up salvaged the evening for me. My first night, the city left a distinctly better impression than I did.
I have learned of course that unless you have a very long stay, it’s best to plan for Vienna. There’s always more to do than time allows. My Torontonian friend Alf who keeps an apartment in Vienna says, “It has more museums on any given topic than you can think of.” Every moment becomes precious in this imperial, bustling yet very walkable, capital of Austria. The city bursts with song, dance, arts, wine and food, integral to the Viennese soul.
Mozart lovers in town for the 250th birthday celebrations of the composer have almost too much choice. They can get their fix at the Mozarthaus, where the composer lived from 1784 till 1787, at the free admission outdoor Music Film Festival on Rathausplatz square, at the Theater an der Wien (the perfect Mozart opera house), at Peter Sellar’s “New Crowned Hope” festival and list goes on. Naturally the Vienna State Opera is also staging some Mozart classics.
For dancers, the call to “Alles Walzer” is mostly heard between New Year’s Eve and mid-March every year when some 270 balls take place. Viennese love celebrating Carnival, the days preceding Lent season, called Fasching in Vienna. The balls take place in generally grand surroundings such as a former town palace of a prince or in the coveted grand halls of the Hofburg Imperial Palace. Champagne is the drink of the night and people are dressed to the hilt. Dance schools such as Elmayer’s or Fränzl’s offer ‘crash courses’ in the waltz for left-footed foreigners and others in need. When I attended the Journalists’ Summer Ball I saw enough foot-shuffling dance school dropouts among the whirl of the fancy footed not to feel too embarrassed about my own rusty dance steps. There’s hardly a professional group in Vienna without its own ball. Technologists created the Techniker Cercle, physicians have the Ätzteball and lawyers the Juristenball. Even the chimney sweeps have their night of dance. (Alf tells me those sweeps show up for work in all black with white top hats.) The crowning glory however of the ball season is the Vienna Opera Ball held in the State Opera which is transformed for the night into a giant dance arena.
One of my favourite art haunts in the city is the KunstHausWien. This former 1892 furniture factory features the works of famous Viennese painter and architect Hundertwasser. God broke the mould after Hundertwasser. His KunstHausWien is a self-proclaimed “bastion against the dictatorship of the straight line, the ruler and the T-square”. Above a museum and café are two floors that hold a cross section of Hundertwasser’s imaginative, funky, crazy-shaped, colourful paintings, tapestries and architectural models. The third and fourth floors hold international exhibits – a solo show of over 100 works of Swiss surrealist HR Giger, recognized as one of the world’s foremost artists of Fantastic Realism is being held from now until October. Fans of the Alien films will recognize his oeuvres.
The spectacular MuseumsQuartier, one of the ten largest cultural complexes in the world, unites baroque buildings with new architecture and various disciplines of art in a single location. In the heart of the city, it also has terrace cafés, bars and shops. I always try to spend a good part of a day here. One of the current exhibitions within the complex is “Summer of Love” at the Kunsthalle (to September 3) which relives the sixties and seventies in the works of artists including Verner Panton, Andy Warhol and Richard Hamilton.
Expressionism enthusiasts should not miss the “Round Table: Egon Schiele and his Circle” showing at the Austrian Gallery Belvedere until September 24th. On display are 120 works by Schiele, Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka and other pioneers of modernism. Masterworks of Venetian painting by great Renaissance artists are on show at the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts). It’s a hoot to have Sunday brunch within the beautiful walls or the unique Thursday buffet where one can munch, view paintings in the museum and return to a reserved table as often as desired.
That brings me to the Austrian’s enthusiasm for good food. Austrians love to eat. Breakfast may be simple enough, often cold cuts, cheese, bread and fruit. But before lunch many fit in either a visit a Konditorei (pastry shop) or a Kaffeehaus (café) for pastry and coffee. There must be at least one of these on every street, often several in a row – likely over 300 in the city. When hunger hits again, before dinner, they fill up once more. Viennese cafés prepare coffee as much as 41 different ways and along with sweets have international newspapers and sometimes even full course meals of traditional food. Lingering over political discussions may be a dying art but hanging out is just fine. A friend apologised once in a Viennese café for only having two coffees in the several hours she reposed there. The waiter said, “But you only had to drink one.” Among the more famous ones, Café Mozart appears in the Orson Welles movie “The Third Man”. The same owners have Café Landtmann, the elegant Viennese institution opened in 1873. Sigmund Freud was a regular and today it still draws famous visitors.
When it comes to dining, Austrian cuisine is speckled with influences from its former imperial possessions. The stuffed pancakes and goulash smack of Hungary, the risotto of northern Italy and even the schnitzel is an import from Italy. The Plachutta restaurants which serve the Viennese classic “tafelspitz”, boiled meats served in a broth with a range of vegetables and garnishes, pack people in. Some of the best meals I had recently were at the airy Restaurant Coburg in the neo-classical Palais Coburg, the Rote Bar at the Sacher Hotel, the “four toque awarded” Steirereck and the Mörwald in the Ambassador Hotel. Top city chefs of those places are magicians at turning traditional ingredients such as beef cheeks, veal lung, calf’s head and the Austrian fish zander, into sophisticated delicacies. A trendy contemporary spot is Wein & Co. I love that I can buy a wine in the adjacent store and bring it into the bar’s dining area to be popped open for a small charge. Alf has it right when he says, “Any street you walk through that you don’t have to, you can get outstanding food at a reasonable price.”
Ah wine. Vienna is the only capital in the world that can boast vineyards within the city limits. It has four wine districts clustered around its jagged border. Inns called heurige are based in any of the dozen or so wine-producing villages within the city limits and are expected to provide wine and food solely of their own production. A Viennese friend told me that there are only 150 to 160 good ones down from 200 a few years ago. The wine is generally an early drinking style of grüner veltliner served in a viertel, a quarter-litre mug. The original idea was institutionalized in 1784 by Emperor Joseph II, whose bones must be smiling at the on-going popularity of these inns.
The best heurige to visit are run by Viennese wine producers. Mayer am Pfarrplatz in Helligenstadt is a perennial favourite which produces a wide range of its own wines. Sitting in the shady garden of a heurige in the summer can be delightful. Austrian wine itself is top notch. My favourite whites in the world are from Austria’s unique grüner veltliner grape which can be made in a variety of styles from light and fruity to serious and complex. Find the higher quality styles at top restaurants.
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Walking is a good idea after most indulgence. Walkable Vienna offers more than pretty streets with stunning classical architecture and grassy parks. It has unique tours. On a previous visit I did the sewer walk, tracing the steps that Harry Lime took when he tried to escape capture in The Third Man. The sewers are enormous and not smelly…really. The walk of this year is “Sigmund Freud in Vienna. A City Walk” which takes in eight sites significant to Freud’s life in the city. This includes the aforementioned Café Landtmann. It’s the 150th anniversary of the birth of the founder of psychoanalysis and the Freud Museum has mounted an exhibition called “The Couch: Thinking in Repose”.
I plan to end my busy days in Vienna this year with a hot chocolate treatment at the new Sacher Spa. The Sacher Hotel which opened in 1876 has become a Viennese institution, renowned as a meeting place for nobility, politicians and artists through the years. Graham Greene wrote parts of The Third Man here. Historic hotels can get long in the tooth, but the Sacher is newly resplendent after comprehensive renovation, two new loft floors and the 300 square metre spa. For over a decade Viennese friends have sent me a delicious chocolate Sacher-Torte every Christmas. (The hotel’s 1832 recipe is a closely guarded secret but they ship the decadent cake worldwide.) Opening the etched wooden box brings back beautiful memories. This time I’ll enjoy the chocolate at the spa as my body is slathered with nourishing cocoa butter. From my room I’ll be able to gaze upon the Opera House across the street and think about how my love affair began. The lure continues. What a siren, what a city.
Vienna If You Go
For general tourist information: Austrian National Tourist Office, 2 Bloor Street West, Suite 400 Toronto, ON M4W 3E2 416-967-4867 www.austria.info and www.vienna.info
Austrian Airlines offers daily direct flights to Vienna from Toronto in the summer (Air Canada co-share) for Austrian call 1-800-843-0002 or call Air Canada
The Sacher Hotel internet and shop: www.sacher.com (Tel.: +43 (0)1 – 51 456 0)
KunstHausWien: www.kunsthauswien.com
Vienna State Opera House: www.wiener-staatsoper.at
Theater an der Wien: www.theater-wien.at
Vienna Mozart Year events: www.wienmozart2006.at
MuseumsQuartier info and tickets: mqpoint@mqw.at
Kunsthistorisches Museum: www.khm.at
by Margaret Swaine | Mar 25, 2006
Dead Sea Spa
By Margaret Swaine
(National Post, March 25, 2006)
“We don’t open the eyes. We cross our legs. Then we swim,” said Tareq Bdeiwi, the manager of Zara Spa at The Mövenpick Dead Sea resort. He was explaining how to swim in a sea so dense in mineral salts that it bobs the body about like a cork. “Locals believe swimming in the Dead Sea is good for you,” he continued saying they use the water from the sea in their spa and in their therapy centre.
Before I travelled to this part of Jordan, I only knew the clichéd photos of a person reading a newspaper as they floated on their back, buoyed up by the sea. The image captured my imagination and I have always wanted to experience the sensation. I hadn’t realized the health benefits of a dunking here. I really felt my ignorance when I learned the curative properties of the Dead Sea have been recognized since Herod the Great over 2,000 years ago. Cleopatra had Mark Anthony conquer the area and it was at her command pharmaceutical and cosmetic factories were built.
Actually getting into the briny water takes some practice. The sea’s edge is stony and within the water the stones are crusted with sharp jagged mineral salts. Tareq had advice for this too, “Go in four steps until the water reaches your knees. Then turn, face the shore and push off on your back.” That seemed a pretty shallow push off point given the cutting rocks below, but it worked of course. The water held the body up high and almost dry.
I was surprised at the size of the Dead Sea. Fully 80 kilometres long and 14 wide, it was impressive and beautiful, especially as the sun set over Jericho and Bethlehem across the water. The last rays of the sun poured like a stream of molten red lava across the deep blue waters bathing the resort in a warm glow. The whole atmosphere was special. This is the lowest point on the earth, at 400 metres below sea level. The air is high in oxygen and the ozone is thicker here. The dense ozone along with a haze created by evaporation from the sea creates a natural filter that allows mainly ultraviolet A waves through. Cancer causing UVB rays are mostly filtered out. Both the spa and the therapy centre have gender-segregated solariums so people can take full advantage of the sun’s good radiation – in the nude.
The Dead Sea is a ‘terminal lake’ meaning it has no way of losing water except by evaporation. The result is a concentration of minerals and salts with therapeutic properties. There’s sodium which balances the skin pH, magnesium that enhances skin metabolism, bromine that acts as a relaxant and sulphur that’s an important detoxifier for example.
Healthy for me or not, the sea was cold in this March in Jordan. I was glad of the spa for that and more reasons. Opened in 1999 on the northeastern shores of the Dead Sea, it was 6,000 square metres of pampering. Last year it won an award as the best spa in the Middle East. Both its large outdoor heated hydro-pool with 3% Dead Sea concentration and its summer infinity pool over looked the Dead Sea. The hydro pool was an adult water theme park of neck massage jets, air seats, airbeds, whirlpools and geysers. Inside was a Kneipp foot massage pool with 28% Dead Sea concentration, a floatation pool with 28% concentration and a steamy hot oversized whirlpool with 3%. Playing around in these waters felt so good.
The gender-segregated thermariums, located on the second floor, were set up to be enjoyed naked. Tareq explained to me they were a bit less hot and a bit humid than the standard sauna and steam rooms, though they had a version of each respectively called a caldarium and a laconium as well as a tropical rain shower. The idea was to get relaxed in preparation for beauty treatments and so I did.
The spa offered a complete range of treatments including facial and skin care, body slimming and firming, massages, hydrobaths and acupuncture. Products used for spa treatments were either Dead Sea based or the European Thalgo line. Treatments could be booked a la carte or as a package. Most of the spa goers were not locals but rather from all over the globe especially Russia, Switzerland and Germany. Two Russians were on a 14-day package. The lucky souls.
The large, quiet spa rooms were centered by a comfortable relaxation room for use in-between treatments. The most popular treatments were the mud wraps, followed by the Dead Sea salt scrub and the massages. Another favourite was Zara’s signature combo mud and salt scrub. It made sense. The Dead Sea mud is full of therapeutic qualities but who would want to drag mud all over their own home. That’s what inspired my selection of treatments.
I started with a Dead Sea scalp revitalizing treatment. A thick mud poultice was massaged onto my head and secured under a shower cap. I was then led to a hot steam room where mud and I baked for 15 minutes. Still muddy-headed I next enjoyed a head and shoulders Swedish massage done by the expert hands of Widjan, who had four years of physiotherapy studies under her belt and was university certified. All the spa therapists at Zara must have a certificate from the Ministry of Health and a higher education certificate I found out. Next came a healing mud facial where the mud on my face joined that still on my head. A dirty job for the good of my body. My final treatment choice was a manicure. It was minimalist with neither buffing and nor polish. I’ll know better the next time to stick to mud, the salts and massage.
The Therapy Centre housed next door in a separate building, had two doctors on staff as well as nurses and therapists. It was specifically for people with serious skin ailments but I decided to check it out just in case. Dr. Mohammad Kana’an, a specialist in physical medicine, resort medicine and rehabilitation spoke to me about their treatments. He and his colleague, dermatologist Dr. Tareq Salhab, treat patients who have psoriasis, neurodermitis, eczema and other skin diseases. “I’m here since six years and I can say all the patients get good results,” said Dr. Kana’an. Their success is such that a new larger Therapy Centre is being built on the property, due to open later this year.
The Therapy Centre assured me of the therapeutic nature of the Dead Sea. The cosmetic I could feel and see for myself. My skin felt as soft as a baby’s bum and my complexion was bright and blemish free after just two days. I even imagined if I stayed a few weeks I could reverse the aging process. Cleopatra was one smart and beautiful woman.
If You Go
Where to Stay
The Mövenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea: www.moevenpick-deadsea.com Room rates start at around $200.
The Jordan Valley Marriot Resort and Spa is on the Dead Sea right next door to the Mövenpick www.marriott-middleeast.com Room rates start at around $175.
How to Get There
The Dead Sea resorts in Jordan are a 40-minute drive from the capital city of Amman.
by Margaret Swaine | Feb 11, 2006
High Up in the Clouds
by Margaret Swaine
(National Post, February 11, 2006)
For me it was a James Bond moment with a Chicken Little heart. Agent 007 made the Schilthorn Mountain towering above the town of Mürren in Switzerland’s Jungfrau region famous. The aerial cableway and steep snowy slopes provided the spectacular stage for thrilling downhill skiing chase scenes in the film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”. George Lazenby starred in his one and only 007 role in the film shot in the late sixties but his downhill was after the movie. The death defying was left to John Eaves, the legendary Canadian freestyle champion and stunt skier for all those terrifyingly difficult ski scenes in the Bond series.
I’m no John Eaves and neither are most of the other recreational skiers who find themselves at the top of the Alps at “Piz Gloria”. This round building perched above the clouds served as the setting for much villainy in the movie. Today within the Schilthorn summit house above the revolving restaurant at the Touristorama, a 15 minute free video presentation is offered about the making of the movie, complete with clips extracted from the film.
After the video, I further delayed my descent by checking out the awe inspiring panoramic view of 200 mountain peaks from the terrace which doubled as a helicopter landing pad and curling rink in the film. I noticed just about everyone was taking their time before hitting these slopes and several parties were bolstering their courage with gulps from wineskins. Yet eventually all skiers must head downhill on the steep, narrow black diamond run, the only route to go. As I hurtled down into the clouds I didn’t need imaginary villains chasing me to be shaken and stirred. It’s challenging skiing for a non-expert but well worth it. Eventually the slope becomes gentler and broader, joining up with a fine selection of possible pistes. The Jungfrau region is skiing at its most glorious.
There are 44 modern lifts leading to more than 200 kilometres of ski runs and tracks, some up to 12 kilometres in length. In addition there are 100 kilometres of winter hiking trails and toboggan runs. Even the tobogganing is not for the faint of heart. The world’s longest toboggan run starts at the Faulhorn at 2,600 metres height and travels for 15 thrilling, often steep, kilometres down to Grindelwald. A Jungfrau Sportpass allows access to winter sports in all three extensive mountain areas namely First, Kleine Scheidegg-Männlichen and Mürren-Schilthorn. The Alpine towns of Grindelwald, Wengen, Mürren and Lauterbrunnen are all within this ski zone.
The most central spot for exploring the entire region is Interlaken, a pretty and historic town between the lakes Thun and Brienz that’s drawn vacationers for over 300 years. I spent several nights at the swanky Belle Époque styled Lindner Grand Hotel Beau-Rivage which has the bonus of an excellent gourmet restaurant. Ski in, ski out is definitely not part of the picture here but the charm of the town makes up for that. It’s off piste location also means “low season” prices compared to the peak season charges of the smaller resort towns at higher altitudes. So I did what the Swiss do. I started the morning catching a train, so precisely on time I could set my watch by it. Then switched to cog railways, cable cars and gondolas to reach the summits I wanted to ski. Occasionally I’d overhear some Americans grumbling about the trek but for me it was part of the adventure and a very scenic one indeed.
The other nights of my stay were spent in the glacier town of Grindelwald up at 1,033 metres with the Schwarzhorn, Wetterhorn and the towering north face of the Eiger as backdrops. This is a classic alpine town, though unlike Wengen and Mürren which truly cling to precipitous mountain slopes, it can be reached by car. I half expected to see the original Heidi skipping down its cobble stone streets past the wooden houses with steeply sloped roofs. The Grand Hotel Regina where I stayed was across from the train station and very close to the ski buses that headed regularly to the mountain cable cars. I had one of the posh renovated rooms but the hotel’s main appeal to me was its extensive, elaborate spa the Alpin WellFit Club with swimming pools and multitude of different temperature saunas, steam rooms and cooling chambers.
My initial ski day at Grindelwald I headed up, up and up above the tree line to the highest reachable section of First. Spectacular rugged mountain peaks, rough and sharp edged against a clear deep blue sky were the visual reward. Beneath my feet powdery white snow in all directions. An appropriately named area, it turned out to be first among my favourites for all round skiing with lots of choice.
The Kleine Scheidegg area was the busiest of the three with a good choice of runs though the ski hills’ snow was more trampled and iced. However the slope-side food was delicious and there was the additional possibility of taking the highest railway in Europe, the Jungfraubahn up to the Jungfraujoch that at 3,454 metres above sea level is know as “Top of Europe”. Perched at this height is a small village with an Ice Palace, scientific research station, a post office, restaurant and the Sphinx observation terrace.
Ski travel Swiss style involves lots of trains and lots of hiking. Even when the day is done, you might well join a small group like I did and snowshoe an hour up a mountain trail to the Berghaus Marmorbruch, a rustic restaurant specializing in fondue. Housi Wüthrich our guide made sure we didn’t get lost as night fell upon us. When we reached the Berghaus we were treated with a beautiful view of Grindelwald twinkling in the dark distance.
One can expect to eat hearty in the Alps. I always feel I’ve earned the right. Along with fondue of both cheese and meat varieties, the whipped cream topped desserts and drinks, rösti is everywhere. This grated potato pancake is so popular it’s almost a national dish. I’ve seen it enhanced with bacon, apples, herbs, onions, cheese and even topped with ham and egg.
The most lasting memory however is nature itself. Those mountains are so majestically high, so gloriously extensive, they take the breath away…with or without the James Bond moment.
If You Go:
Tourist Information:
www.schilthorn.ch
www.grindelwald.com
www.myswitzerland.com/en-ca/destinations/bern-region
www.interlakentourism.ch
www.myswitzerland.com
Where to Stay:
Grand Regina Alpin WellFit Hotel, a member of The Leading Small Hotels of the World, is the most upscale accommodation in Grindelwald www.grandregina.ch
A more typically Swiss Alpine ambiance is offered by The Schweizerhof www.hotel-schweizerhof.com
Lindner Grand Hotel Beau Rivage is by the river
How to get there:
Air Canada offers daily direct flights to Zurich www.aircanada.com
The airport at Zurich has direct train connections to the city’s central train station. Trains in Switzerland are modern, clean, efficient and run frequently to every imaginable spot in the country. There are regular daily connections from Zurich to Interlaken and Grindelwald (travel time about two and one half hours).
Swiss railways time table: www.sbb.ch
Package Tours
Skican offers ski package tours to Grindelwald starting at just over $2,100 that includes air, train transfers, hotels, ski pass, most meals and more. www.skican.com
by Margaret Swaine | Dec 1, 2005
Water? Czech
Immerse yourself at some of the oldest spas in the world
By Margaret Swaine
(Ottawa Citizen, December 2005)
It starts with the water. Health-enhancing, mineral-rich spring water anchors each day at Czech spa towns. Spa goers bath in it, drink it constantly and even watch it dance from the earth accompanied by music. Spas in the Czech Republic are serious about their water and its power to cure ailments. Yes, you can have a manicure and pedicure, but immerse yourself in the life-giving water first.
My grandmother, who lived to a very healthy 90, used to go annually to a European spa town for several weeks of rejuvenation. I’ve always wondered what transpired there to keep her in such good shape for so long. The experimental French film of the ’60s, Last Year at Marienbad, did nothing to enlighten me. The large echoing empty rooms that figured prominently in it gave off a foreboding sense of gloom. (I found out much later this tormentingly slow picture was actually shot at Nymphenburg palace in Munich.) Nonetheless when I walked into the large roman spa site within Nové Lázne hotel in Marienbad this year my echoing steps on the tiles recalled the film, but without the darkness.
The Czech Republic’s most famous spa towns are in western Bohemia bordering central Germany. The German influence is strong so that even today, well over a half a century since the German population was expelled, the towns are better known internationally by their old German names. Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary), Marienbad (Mariánské Lázne) and Franzenbad (Frantiskovy Lázne) make up what’s called the West Bohemian spa triangle: these three are all within a few dozen kilometres of each other. Since the Middle Ages,
these towns have had a tradition of balneology (the scientific study of the therapeutic use of mineral baths) based on the numerous curative springs in the area. Scores of extinct volcanoes in this hilly, forested region are the source for the hot springs, considered essential to a spa town in the Czech Republic.
Also an integral part of spas here are medically based treatments. Stanislava Maulenová, a beautiful blond with chiselled cheek bones, heads up the medical team for the Premium hotel chain. One glance at her and you’re ready to sign up for anything in the hope you can look half as good. Indeed many of the locals have a special glow that seems to spring from living in fresh clean air, drinking life-giving waters. The gorgeous and good doctor explained that a spa visit in the Czech Republic always starts with a medical examination. Then treatments, about three to five a day, are prescribed. But first and foremost is the drinking cure. The waters in the towns have different mineral contents and different temperatures. Each fountain has a list of specific ailments it’s best for and doctors will prescribe a series of drinks taken at specific fountains throughout the day. Dr. Maulenová smiled when she told me that for overweight people, the fountains she prescribes tend to be many kilometres apart. The daily walk from fountain to fountain prior to dinner is one of the rituals of spa towns.
North Americans don’t tend to have the four weeks or more that a traditional cure can take. So the Czech spas have adapted their programs to offer “wellness” treatments. A one week stay is considered energizing and preventative, but not curative. In two weeks you can do slimming or detoxifying programs. Three weeks is better for treatments that are meant to help cure an underlying health problem, for example high blood sugar. The average person who takes these programs is a surprisingly young – 35 to 40 years old – though any age, from child to octogenarian, can be a Czech spa customer.
Generally, the prescribed treatments are a pleasure rather than a pain. As an example, Dr. Maulenová showed me the daily treatment schedule for a patient with digestive issues. He was to have various types of massages, carbon dioxide baths, saunas, magnet-therapy and paraffin packs.
Shy Canadian that I am, the only thing I found unsettling was the nonchalant view of nakedness. “Cloths off!” I was ordered prior to one massage as I stood in a room with several strangers – fortunately all female.
In the famous spa triangle, Franzenbad is the most modest of the three with marshes surrounding it rather than the hills of its better known rivals. Laid out in a strict grid plan, it has less pizzazz and fewer foreign tourists. Karlsbad and Marienbad offer the best and most versatile introduction to the spa experience.
Karlsbad
Karlsbad is the most famous and largest of the spa towns. In its heyday in the 1800s it attracted the greatest political and cultural luminaries of the day including Beethoven, Goëthe and French novelist Francois Chateaubriand. Among Karlsbad’s 12 mineral springs used for drinking, a geyser that shoots up 15 metres is the largest and warmest. It’s housed in its own room and is often filled with people watching in silent reverence.
Architecturally beautiful and busy with tourists, the town is dramatically located within a narrow valley. While Karlsbad was founded in 1350, most of the spa buildings, hotels and mansions date from its boom years in the late 19th and 20th century. Pretty houses, many in the Czech version of art nouveau, line the steep lanes. The spa area is centered on two car-free streets on either side of a river with many bridges linking the two sides.
The 12 principal springs are housed within five colonnades along the river.
The main streets are lined with shops selling porcelain, tableware, clothing, amber, jewelry and crafts as well as the ubiquitous oplatky wafers (see Spa Town Etiquette). Locally made Moser glassware is famous for its lead-free crystal, gold-rimmed glasses and colourful handcut vases. The factory is elsewhere in Karlsbad, but there’s a retail outlet on the main drag that sells its exquisite, handcrafted tableware.The moneyed Russians love this town for good reason.
Even if you don’t stay there, it’s well worth going for a drink at the 18th-century Grandhotel Pupp so you can gaze at its lavish interiors. It’s not a spa hotel since it doesn’t have treatment rooms on the premises, but guests can sign up at a nearby private clinic for treatments.
I stayed at the Ambiente, which is part of the Premium Hotels group. Like many of the four-star spa hotels I saw in Bohemia, it’s clean, with attractive common rooms and neatly constructed treatment rooms, but the bedrooms are small and somewhat spartan by North American standards. Space and luxury are not part of the cure, unless you book a suite.
Marienbad
Marienbad, developed early in the 19th century, is the second largest spa town in the Czech Republic. While Karlsbad attracts 25- to 45-year-olds and has a bustle about it, Marienbad is more sedate and stately, attracting an older crowd. Germans seem partial to Marienbad, while Russians flock to Karlsbad.
Built in an isolated spot in the Bohemian forest by the abbot of a monastery, Marienbad boasts a wealth of historic monuments. Along with majestic buildings, it has a delightful ensemble of parks and pavilions grouped around 40 therapeutic springs.
It became fashionable early in its existence, attracting prominent visitors such as Nikolai Gogol, who wrote part of his novel Dead Souls while staying there. Wagner composed his opera Lohengrin at Marienbad in 1848. Strauss and Chopin were equally inspired by the place. King Edward VII of England and Emperor Franz Josef were frequent visitors.
Ornate and showy hotels and apartment buildings line the main street. The dominant feature of the town’s mainly neoclassical buildings is a magnificent colonnade dating from 1889. At the southern end of the colonnade is the “Singing Fountain”, with jets and spray co-ordinated with classical music.
In addition to gathering around the fountain and indulging in spa treatments and water cures, visitors hike the many marked walking trails throughout the surrounding woods. There’s also a casino and a 100-year-old golf course that’s open to the public.
The medicinal springs in Marienbad are all cold, acidic springs, each with its own purported therapeutic effect. For example, the Cross Spring is supposed to be good for digestive and metabolic disorders. Its high sulphates content produces a laxative effect. The Ambrose Spring, on the other hand, is high in iron and used to treat anemia; it also has a diuretic effect that’s used to treat certain urinary tract troubles. You don’t have to read between the lines to know that you should treat the water with respect – and always know where the nearest toilet is (public ones are clean and readily available).
The luxurious Nové Lázne Hotel, part of the Marienbad Kur and Spa Hotels group, has a grand spa area with Roman baths, steam rooms, foot baths, jacuzzis and private rooms for various treatments. It’s solemnly, peacefully, quiet with an older clientele. You can even book time in the baths in the Royal Cabin and the Imperial Cabin, once used by King Edward VII. Other properties in the Marienbad Spa Hotels group look almost as spectacular from the outside, but inside their guest rooms lean toward the monk-like: clean and functional, but spare.
As a first-timer and not sure what to expect, I signed up for massages and water treatments on a day-patient basis, rather than a multiple-week cure. The massages were some of the best I’ve had and the water treatments truly revitalizing. The taste of the water in the mineral springs took a little getting used to, but I soon got into the spirit and even took some in my water bottle when I left.
I figure that my grandmother was on to something: if we all went to these spas for several weeks a year, I think we might all live to 90.
Margaret Swaine is a Toronto-based writer who specializes in food, wine and spas.
Treatments (just a sampling of what you may encounter):
* Dry CO2 gas bath: A “bath” in plastic sacks pumped with naturally occurring volcanic gas containing 99.7 per cent carbon dioxide (called Mary’s gas). Said to aid circulation and stimulate sex hormones among other things.
* Inhalations: Mineral waters, with or without medicines and herbals, inhaled to improve the respiratory system.
* Peat Packs: Hot peat is packed around the body to loosen muscles, improve circulation.
* Lymphatic Hydro-massage: Massage by water jets to increase tissue metabolism and blood circulation.
* Parafango: A mixture of mud from volcanic lakes and paraffin, used to treat cellulite.
* Hydroxeur: Intensive underwater massage done in a special bath tub.
* Sigorol massage roller: A massage instrument used to strengthen and stretch muscles and tissues.
Spa town etiquette
* Use a porcelain mug with a spout for drinking from the mineral fountains. This keeps the water from staining your teeth by depositing it back on the tongue. Also, it’s a cool thing to do since you’ll be joining the locals in a time honoured tradition. Such mugs are sold at numerous nearby stalls, for $2 to $10.
* Munch on paper-thin oplatky wafers which come in such flavours as lemon, hazelnut, vanilla and chocolate, after sipping the water. These mask the heavy sulphates, chlorine, iron and other palate-torturing elements in mineral-rich water. These wafers also taste great and stave off hunger. They’re sold everywhere in the spa towns – from street kiosks to general stores – for just $1 to $2 a packet.
* No smoking in the colonnades or anywhere near the springs.
Consumables
* Becherovka: Created by Jan Becher at the end of the 18th century, Karlsbad’s herbal digestive tonic is strong on clove and cinnamon. Sample a small glass for free from a stall in the city to find out whether you love it or hate it. If the former, you can indulge by buying a mickey or litre on the spot.
* Food: Meals at the spa hotels are often buffet style at breakfast and lunch with set menus in the evening, matched to specific diet plans. They can be quite tasty, though not the prime reason to go to a spa hotel. Go to local restaurants for a pig-out at a deal of a price: appetizers for about $3 and main courses for $5 to $7. Portions of pig knuckle the size of your head, mounds of pork ribs, roast ducks, cabbage and dumplings are generously served up in these Czech eateries. One of the oldest and most famous is in the Hotel Embassy in the town centre.
*Beer: The most traditional bohemian beverage is the world’s original pilsner: the deliciously refreshing Pilsner Urquell Golden Lager, brewed in the nearby town of Pilsen and served all over the country. At $6 for a tour and tasting the brewery is well worth a visit ( see www.beerworld.com )
*Spirits: The local plum brandy, called Slivovice, is clear coloured and tasty but packs a punch if you over indulged. Green Absinthe is much rougher both on the palate and on the head. Local wine shops may offer free samples to entice you to buy.
* Wine: The Czech Republic has a wine industry and since the Velvet Revolution in 1989, when the communists were overruled, quality has improved considerably. The best hail from southern Moravia from such international grapes as pinot blanc, pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot gris as well native ones such as Frankovka. You can order Czech wines at restaurants and the spa hotels, or buy bottles at local wine shops.
IF YOU GO
Getting there
CSA Czech Airlines (www.czechairlines.com or 1-866-293-8702) offers seven direct flights a week to Prague from Toronto and Montreal and as many as 11 flights a week from New York City. Return cost starts at about $780 Cnd. The Bohemian spa towns are 120 to 160 kilometres from Prague. Prague to Karlsbad is about two hours by bus ($6), Prague to Marienbad three hours by train ($10). The train and bus stations are in downtown Prague. You’d best enjoy a night or two in wonderful, historic Prague since departures can be late evening (for schedules go to www.vlak.cz). Many of the spa hotels will arrange transport from the airport if requested at the time of booking. You could also rent a car: the drive is straightforward.
Where to stay:
Stay at spa hotels for ease of treatments if you want a spa cure. Here are some I recommend:
* Premium Hotels offers several attractive, well run spa hotels in Karlsbad including the four-star Ambiente where I stayed. Among their range of spa packages is a detoxification week (seven nights about $990), a slimming program ($1,400 to $1,600 for 14 nights) and various golf and wellness programs. Prices accommodation, breakfast and dinner daily, medical consultations, several spa procedures a day, use of spa facilities such as saunas and whirlpools.
* The three star Bohemia Lázne in Karlsbad and its sister hotels offer treatment programs starting at $120 a day for accommodation, all meals and treatments. See www.hotel.cz/bohemia-lazne
* Marienbad Kur & Spa Hotels offer the full gamut of spa treatment procedures at their various hotels in Marienbad, each specializing in different ailments. The fanciest and best is the five star Nove Lázne in the centre of the towns spa quarter. A classical spa stay starts at $1,200 a week and includes accommodation, all meals, three to four spa procedures a day and medical examinations. See www.danubiushotels.com (an English site)
* Other general hotel sites: www.travelguide.cz or www.czechhotels.cz
Packages:
A do it yourself week-long wellness package in a four-star hotel can cost as little as $850 per person for accommodations, all meals, treatments and medical examinations but not including airfare. Agencies include esprit health & wellness holidays (www.espritspas.com or 1-866-851-8882) and Spa and Wellness holidays (www.spa-and-wellness-holidays.com 1-866-631-7727) both of these agencies are based in Toronto but serve customers from all over Canada.
More: www.spas.cz
by Margaret Swaine | Sep 1, 2005
The South Florida Frugal Traveler
By Margaret Swaine
(Melange Magazine, Fall 2005)
There are two basic truths to travel anywhere. You need to walk the streets to really know a place. And traveling frugal doesn’t mean traveling poor. A five star experience can be found for a three star price if you’re travel savvy. At least that’s how I see it from my lifetime of traveling and writing about it. Where best to prove the point but southeast Florida, a place known for both costly glitz and down market cheap vacations depending upon the area. I started this trip in Fort Lauderdale, a city that has worked diligently to shed its spring break status for a better clientele and image. Then I was on to Miami and down to Florida’s Keys. I’d been to all these places before but this time proved the greatest fun at the best price.
If you can choose your vacation dates and like a bargain, travel during the off or shoulder seasons. Also quite frankly it’s fun to be loved for just showing up. Peak times in Florida are the winter months. The rest of the year deals can be found everywhere and while it’s hot, perhaps even steamy with humidity, the rest of America is pretty much in the same boat. For this trip I chose to go in late June when the weather was a sultry high eighties tempered by quick cooling showers that blew through as fast as they blew in.
My goal for lodgings was to find unique classy properties at a price tag of $200 or less a night. The internet was my secret weapon and often listed better prices than available by calling the hotels’ front desks. I was delighted to find the Superior Small Lodging program of Greater Fort Lauderdale, which listed over 85 accommodations of 50 or fewer rooms that meet a high independently judged standard. The Pillars at New River Sound, a Small Luxury Hotel of the World property caught my eye. It had all desires covered: a location on the Intracoastal Waterway with its own water taxi stop, a mere block walk from the beach, tropical landscape surrounding its pool and a landmark 1939 pedigree with fully restored rooms in British Colonial/Island Plantation themes.
My first day at the inn, I walked the boardwalk by the beach. And what a walk it was. As I strolled along I saw a wedding on the sand, complete with white tuxedoed men and ladies in pastels. A Honduran kid climbed a coconut tree in front of me and cut down a nut in three seconds flat. Several tattooed tubs of lard roared by on Harleys and on the sidewalk a frail lady in a motorized wheelchair breezed by at a good clip. There were rollerbladers, sun worshippers, Segway scooter drivers, joggers, power walkers, smooching lovers and teens with matching swim team t-shirts all enjoying the miles and miles of boardwalk and sandy beach. In the heavily populated areas of the 23 miles of beach, every few blocks I saw outdoor showers for rinsing sand, lifeguard huts and various vendors.
That evening I went to Blue Moon, a seafood restaurant by the Intracoastal waters. Locals steered me to it, telling me about the fabulous Sunday brunch, the two for one specials and great atmosphere. A happening place it had friendly staff and inventive, fresh fish dishes. As I munched on Hawaiian spiked Tuna poke served in a martini glass, I chatted with my companions at the large glossy wood bar. Anka, the gorgeous blond Norwegian bartender was excited she was going to be an extra on Miami Vice the next day. The love of a man brought her to Fort Lauderdale. The place kept her enthralled after the marriage ended. Along with the other locals she kept saying, “We are very very spoiled here”. On the way home I stopped at Beach Place, loud with music and people enjoying themselves at Hooters and other chain restaurants. From there I walked along Ocean Drive to the start of Los Olas Boulevard passing by bars and dining spots, their music and outdoor seating spilling out into the night air. At Margarita’s Café I downed a shot from among their 100 tequilas and called it a night though not by necessity. In this party town, bars stay open until 4 a.m.
Much of Fort Lauderdale is land reclaimed by dredging out channels through a mangrove swamp once teaming with alligators. Today multimillion dollar mansions perch by the waterways on thin strips of gardens and lawns in this Venice of America. The best deal for a tour of this aqueous paradise is the five dollar all-day pass for the water taxi. The taxis, 27 to 70 seat water buses, travel canals and rivers of the Intracoastal waters from early morning to late evening allowing passengers to embark and disembark at as many of the 20 stops as desired. It’s much more than transport – it’s corny but funny entertainment. On the half hour trip I took to Los Olas Boulevard shopping district captain Jim amused us with the gossip on the famous residents’ homes as we cruised by. “There’s Lee Major’s former house – he split with Farrah Fawcett before the couple even moved in. Took him two years to sell the place. Seems no one wanted a house without a faucet.” Those kinds of jokes. While movie stars still reside here, fortunes from family businesses have bought many of the spectacular properties for instance Wells Fargo, Oscar Meyer Wieners, Blockbuster Films and LA Fitness.
Las Olas Boulevard (means the wave), an historic palm tree and bougainvillea lined street in the downtown area has “Old Florida” charm, designer shops, elegant restaurants and plenty of outdoor café seating. I disembarked here and headed to Johnny V’s, the hottest newest dining spot in town. The thing about Fort Lauderdale is you could be sitting by a guy in jeans who just stepped off his 40 million dollar yacht. As I enjoyed my grilled spiced shrimp on rock shrimp potato salad I played spot the multimillionaires. The laid back atmosphere is quite unlike the Miami Beach show and be seen. There was no telling.
To get a better look at the yachts, I wandered along the nearby Riverwalk promenade. Here boats of all sizes cruise The New River gliding by the performing arts centers, opera and concert halls and restaurants. A bustling area, it also has a water taxi stop so I took my own cruise back to The Pillars this time entertained by crewman Bob. “The only cheap things on the water are the taxis and my jokes,” he began.
To get to Miami the next day, I took the A1A a pretty route in-between the ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. In under an hour I was in the heart of the art deco section of South Beach. Tropical SoBe is the centre of Florida nightlife, beautiful people, fashion and famous. It failed as a coconut plantation – its first incarnation – but as a beach destination, it excels. A pervasive Latino culture from the many Cubans and South Americans gives it a soul that’s extroverted, passionate and sexy. I needed my shades for the sun and to cover my eyes from the exuberance of exposed flesh – washboard stomachs, busting out busts, curvaceous butts and on certain northern sections of the beach, fully naked bodacious bodies. Whew it was enough to drive me to diet. My hotel, The Bentley was a quiet serene oasis in the heart of the action on Ocean Drive. It had a celebrity clientele, a discrete second floor lobby, large elegantly furnished rooms and a roof top pool with a view to the ocean.
That night I walked a gauntlet of restaurants and people so jammed onto the sidewalks that I was weaving between diners, strollers, hawkers and vendors for many blocks. Restaurants were shilling customers with mock ups of various dishes such as monster langoustines; others had musicians as the lure. Enterprising hustlers had parrots and boa constrictors tourists could perch on their shoulders or around their neck for a Kodak moment. Lincoln Road, my destination, is a pedestrian Mall which had its own crowd enjoying the cafés, posh shops, ice cream parlors, bars and eateries. All were open late into the night in this city that never sleeps.
I chose to eat at Doraku, Miami’s Nobu minus the attitude and price. Here the emphasis is on sushi rolls, something Americans have come to love. The brainchild of Kevin, a son of Rocky Aoki the founder of Benihana restaurants in America, its happy hour features two for one appetizers and drinks. On Friday when they bring out the free sushi buffet, you can’t get near the place. The last Thursday of every month they hold sushi and sake tasting dinners to showcase some of their 20 handpicked special sakes. I missed the date but was able to approximate the experience by ordering one of their tasting sampler flights of three sakes (two ounces each).
On my walk back to the hotel, I bypassed the rocking nightclub scene on parts of Washington Avenue, Collins and Ocean Drive. Even with the offers of free entrance as a woman, I decided I was having too good a time just checking out the many bars and people watching.
Day four I took a short drive through downtown old Miami and Little Havana to Coral Gables. This financial and business centre has great shopping and some fine dining. Chispa, a contemporary Latin restaurant, came highly recommended. The first generation Cubans have Calle Ocho and Café Versailles as a place to hang out and feel at home. But the second generation are hip, Americanized, looking for more sophisticated and urban cooking. Chispa (means spark in Spanish) with Cuban ownership and cuisine by hot American chefs Robbin Haas and Adam Votaw, takes the heritage and knocks it up many notches. There’s plantain, ceviches, suckling pig, empanadas, crispy tacos all imaginatively and perfectly prepared. My ceviche was mahi mahi marinated in ginger and soya sauce with coconut slivers. The suckling pig came as thin crust pizza with blue cheese, figs and caramelized onions. The empanada was chorizo sausage encased in a crispy hot corn flour. Every morsel was so delicious, when Votaw told me they planned to take the concept to other parts of America, I cheered.
After a quick diversion to nearby Merrick Park to catch the sales in the many luxury shops of this Mediterranean style shopping village, I headed back to SoBe to walk the boardwalk and beach. North from my hotel the walk took me from the Ocean Drive part of the beach to the wooded boardwalks behind many of the famous Collins Avenue hotels. They back onto the beach but can’t own any of it. That’s for everyone to enjoy. The hotels however looked so fabulous in their art deco splendor I decided I had to enter a few. The Sagamore was chic and oh so cool with its white on white décor and collection of fine modern art. The newest on Ocean Drive, The Victor was a knock-out marrying its 1930’s Art Deco with Parisian bold deep colors and style. Vix, their restaurant with its illuminated jellyfish tanks, shimmering gauze curtains and cozy banquettes, has already made a name for itself. Further down the road the Savoy had spacious modern rooms with kitchens and direct beach access. Across the road in SoFi (south of Fifth Street), The Wave offered Art Deco for those on a tight budget. It was like touring museums and art galleries but more fun and free. Only dinner kept me from visiting more.
Mark’s South Beach, is one of the four Florida restaurants owned by celebrity chef Mark Militello. He’s one of four guru chefs collectively known as the “Mango Gang”, who gave birth to Miami’s own style of cooking in the early nineties: a fusion of Latin American and Caribbean flavors with classic European techniques. This American contemporary cuisine really put Miami on the gastronomic map. While Militello is more often at his Las Olas restaurant in Fort Lauderdale where he lives, his trademark dishes are superbly rendered by executive chef Larry LaValley at Mark’s South Beach. From the diver scallop on purée of calabaza starter to the mojo pork on sweet plantain mash with calaboo and the finisher of home made sorbets and molten chocolate dessert; my meal was a culinary triumph. Mark’s and over 40 other top restaurants offer special meal deals (dinner specials at $29.95) during Miami Spice a two month long promotion that starts August 1st.
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When I reached Key Largo a world class diving destination, made rightfully famous in songs, I tuned into oldies but goodies on the radio and settled in for a picturesque two hour drive to Key West. The “Overseas” Highway 1 crosses 43 bridges, including one that’s seven miles long, as it completes the stretch between dozens of small islands to end more than 100 miles into the open seas. One on side of the road is the Atlantic Ocean and on the other the Gulf of Mexico. Its end is the southernmost tip of United States, a mere 90 miles from Cuba by boat.
Commercial fishing is the second largest industry in the Keys. Residents born in the island chain are known as conchs, after the mollusk that used to be abundantly fished in the Keys. The moniker Conch Republic is the affection term for the area. Stone crabs are still harvested and so are pink shrimp as well as many types of scale fish. As a seafood lover, I knew I was in for some treats. Meanwhile I passed by a number of Key Lime pie outlets – another area specialty though key limes are no longer grown commercially in the Keys. But enough about food when there’s such beauty and history all around.
The Keys were first sited by adventurer Ponce de Leon in 1513. Later pirates found refuge here and settlers farmed in the early 1800’s. Wreckers made fortunes salvaging goods from ships that went down on the reefs and in the mid-19th century sponge harvesting was a lucrative industry. Now more than three million tourists arrive each year, an equally good money maker. More interesting though, the varied history and laid back subtropical atmosphere gives rise to very colorful residents. Life is different here. As one Miami resident told me, “Once you’re past Marathon, things get weird.” (The area is divided into five regions namely Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine Key and Key West.)
I’d been to Key West before many years ago with my mother and we’d been refused entrance in a restaurant called La te da because they were having a tea dance for men only. Would it be still there? I was looking forward to the adventure. Once I arrived at this tiny two-by-four mile island, I headed for the end of Duval Street where my Southernmost House for the night was located. There was a confusion of signs proclaiming “southernmost” for an inn, hotel, motel, and beach front property some of which looked depressingly modern for an old town. Finally I sighted the House and it was all it billed itself to be – the Southernmost House Grand Hotel and Museum. Built in 1896 it had grandeur, a museum of artifacts in its halls showcasing original letters and signatures from every US president, a location on the water at the southernmost tip of the island and much more. My room was large with a tasteful modern marble bathroom, antique furniture and a private balcony with an awesome view of the ocean and hotel pool. Then there was the bonus of the Key West quirkiness such as the 24 pet bunny rabbits hopping around the back yard and pool area, the Carson City Saloon Bar circa 1839 purchased at auction, used as the pool bar now and the museum status which brought tourists wandering in off the streets on a regular basis.
Of all places, this town begged to be walked despite the Old Town Trolley Fleet, Bone Island Shuttles and Conch Tour Trains on offer to tourists. At day’s end there’s a daily sunset celebration when musicians, jugglers, mimes and various artists perform in Mallory Square. A hike to the other end of Duval Street, the town’s main drag, would get me there in easy time if I wasn’t distracted. I walked by a “rub” club for men, then saw La te da, now offering a drag show on one floor and a piano bar on the ground level. I couldn’t resist entering Senses at Play, a photography shop displaying beautiful erotic photos on the walls. Former headhunters from Philadelphia, John and Bernadette McCall opened the gallery about a year ago and specialize in shooting couples in nude sensual positions. They manage to capture sensuality in every shape, figure and age. No wonder their product is proving to be extremely popular with regular folks. “A couple we just shot was from Missouri. They never thought they’d do this ever” said John.
Rub, drag and shoot – eating had to be next. Locals raved about Mangoes and so I went. In the centre of Duval Street with both indoor and outdoor seating, it was a great spot for people watching. Chef Paul Orchard started with the place when it opened 14 years ago and he has the touch. My wild mushroom appetizer and fresh caught yellow tail snapper with passion fruit beurre blanc were so good I recommended them to the Italian gay guys in matching tattoos next to me. This is also a town which spirits haunt so I had to do the night time ghost tour. It was corny but full of good yarns with a base of truth. Ask town folks about Robert the doll and about the radiologist with his undying love affair with a corpse. And speaking of ghosts – I saw plenty of Hemmingway. Seems there’s an annual Hemmingway look alike contest in honor of this famous writer’s residence in Key West (his former home is open for visits) and many people stay in character in-between contests.
Before I left Key West for my final destination in southeast Florida I skipped the boring American breakfast and found Conch and the Cuban, a delightful little outdoor joint with the best fresh grouper on toasted Cuban bread (yes they also served eggs, omelets, sandwiches and more). At Hawk’s Cay I just made it in time for the dolphin swim organized by Dolphin Connection. After a 15 minute talk about dolphins the six of us who had signed for the program had a magical half hour interaction with these intelligent mammals. We hugged, kissed, held, petted and played with our new friends. They seemed to like it as much as we did (but then they got fish snacks for every interaction).
Hawk’s Cay resort is a sprawling family style resort on a sixty acre island at Duck Key, just south of Marathon in the middle of the Keys. It’s a paradise for water sports of all sorts. My last night I felt it important to sit outdoors and watch the sun go down as I dined. Water’s Edge restaurant gave me my sunset experience. It was about 80 miles to the closest shopping mall and a two hour drive to Miami airport. The world was as far away as my cares yet close enough to be practical.
Pack Your Bags
Florida general tourist information: www.visitflorida.com
Fort Lauderdale information: www.sunny.org
Miami information: www.MiamiandBeaches.com
The Keys: www.fla-keys.com
Hertz car rental: www.hertz.com
(All of my hotels had rooms under $200 during non-peak seasons)
The Pillars: www.pillarshotel.com
The Bentley: www.thebentleyhotels.com
The Southernmost House: www.SouthernmostHouse.com
Hawk’s Cay: www.hawkscay.com
Restaurants: Blue Moon www.bluemoonfishco.com Johnny V’s www.johnnyvlasolas.com Doraku www.dorakusushi.com Chispa www.chisparestaurant.com Mark’s South Beach www.chefmark.com Shorty’s www.shortysbbq.com Mangos www.mangoeskeywest.com
100 best things to do in Florida (Courtesy of Your RV Lifestyle) 100 best things to do in Florida
