http://luxurytraveler.com/blog Europe Exclusively en-us Nucleus CMS v3.2 © Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://luxurytraveler.com/blog/nucleus/nucleus2.gif http://luxurytraveler.com/blog http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1683
For further information on Salzburg, please follow this link . . . ]]> Cultured Pursuits http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1683 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:00:00 -0600 http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1688
Welcome and celebration are the key words for this, the third Thursday in November. Nearly 100 celebrations of all kinds are listed in the Beaujolais region. From cellar to cellar the visitor can taste the first wines of the year without ever coming up against a closed door. He will be welcomed with simplicity and warmth. To polish off his perambulation, after having made the most of the wonderful Beaujolais countryside, in addition to the more intimate celebrations, he has the choice of a number of big events that traditionally celebrate the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau.

• On the night of 19th to 20th November in Beaujeu, the historic capital of the Beaujolais region, the 20th edition of the Sarmentelles will take place. The celebration created by a handful of winemakers, who wanted to mark the occasion in the historic cradle of Beaujolais Nouveau, has really grown. Hundreds of voluntary workers get everything ready for a celebration that in 2007 attracted nearly 25 000 visitors.

Following the traditional night of festivities with its torch-lit parade and fireworks is a Beaujolais wine fair called the Salon des Sarmentelles from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd inclusive, set around the region’s 12 appellations, their winemakers, other regional produce, craftsmen and artisans.

The 5th ‘Marché de la création des Sarmentelles’ puts artists, artisans and craftsmen side by side with the winemakers from Thursday 20th to Saturday 22nd November.

The program is the following:

The celebrations commence on Wednesday 19th November at 5 p.m., with a tasting of the 12 appellations of our winemaking region, bringing Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages and the Beaujolais Crus to the forefront. Games and competitions set around tasting, inductions and a dinner and show (at 7 p.m.) are organised for the run-up to midnight when the newest arrival in the Beaujolais family is broached, after a torch lit procession behind barrows filled with flaming vine prunings ‘sarments’ (11 p.m.) paying homage to the vineworker’s work. In 2007 over fifteen foreign delegations participated.

They celebrations continue all weekend, not just for Beaujolais Nouveau but for all the appellations made in the Beaujolais region, so that the many visitors we get at this time can discover all the facets of Beaujolais and meet the winemakers who will be in Beaujeu. More information is available online by following this link . . .
]]> Destinations http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1688 Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:30:00 -0600 http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1680 The period inmediately prior to the outbreak of war in 1914 coincided with a highpoint of activity among the avant-garde movements. In addition, the experience of World War I exercised a powerful influence on the work of numerous artist during this period. Featuring around 180 works, this exhibition offers a survey of the development of new international art between approximately 1913 and 1917. Through the work of dozens of artist from the main artistic movements of the day -Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Vorticism, Abstraction, etc.- it reflects this artistically conflictive period. The exhibition looks at the different trends in new international art at this time; the role that the avant-garde assumed in relation to the events of the war (often a prophetic or apocalyptic one); and the way that the new cultural languages were able to express pro-war attitudes or denunciatory ones in the face of the madness of the conflict. Runs to January 11, 2009 at Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, Palacio de Villahermosa, Paseo del Prado, ]]> Gallery http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1680 Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:00:00 -0600 http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1697
]]> Gallery http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1697 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:38:42 -0600 http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1676
Using the rarest and most expensive white truffles from Italy's Alba region, Imago's Chef Francesco Apreda has created a menu devoted entirely to white truffles - appetizers, first courses, main courses and deserts: White truffle risotto with pumpkin, goat cheese and bitter almonds...bamboo-cooked scallops with cauliflower and white truffles...homemade pappardelle pasta "Gricia style" with white truffles and mushrooms...a caramelized walnut ice cream with mango, chocolate and, you guessed it, white truffles...

The menu will only last as long as the truffles do, which, as predicted by the season's rains so far, will be until December of this year.

About Hotel Hassler Roma:
Set atop the Spanish Steps and featuring a panoramic view of the entire city, the Hassler Roma has been Rome's five-star lodging of choice for the world's elite for more than a century. Each of the 82 rooms and 13 suites are individually designed and adorned in authentic Italian accents. Highlights include the panoramic rooftop restaurant, Imago, which recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation, and the neighboring, Hassler-owned International Wine Academy of Roma which offers wine classes with world-renowned sommeliers.

For more information on Hotel Hassler Roma, follow this link . . . ]]> LUXE http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1676 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 04:00:00 -0600 http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1674 For more information, please follow this link . . . ]]> Destinations http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1674 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 04:00:00 -0600 http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1669
Foodies in the know will start their tour with the region’s cheeses. The best known is Comté, a hard cheese with a fruity flavor matured over time in cellars, some of which are open to the public. Others include Morbier that is un-pasteurized and has a black line running through its middle, the Bleu de Gex, the local Emmenthal and Munster. For something more unusual, Cancoillotte is a liquid cheese prepared with garlic or white wine. Another favorite, the Mont d’Or, produced between September and March only, is stored and sold in a spruce bark box, that gives it its unique flavor.

Smoked meats are a staple on the area’s traditional menu. Visitors can take their pick from Upper Doubs ham or the Morteau and Montbéliard sausages, which are smoked in a huge pyramid shaped fireplace called a Tuyé. Luxeuil ham is another speciality and for real meat lovers, the local delicacy: Bresi, a dried and smoked beef, is worth a taste.

The local Jura wines are a perfect choice to compliment typical Franche-Comté dishes. The vineyards of Franche-Comté, which are among the oldest in France, produce several white and red wines including the distinctive Vin Jaune. This unusual white wine acquires its yellow color after maturing for precisely six years and three months in oak casks. Sweeter palates will favor the Vin de Paille, a mellow and sweet wine whose grapes are fermented on beds of straw hence the wine’s name. Apéritifs in the Franche-Comté usually include Macvin, a fortified wine made from Must and Jura grape brandy.

Ideal after a day in the great Franche-Comté outdoors or on the region’s slopes, local spirits are very much part of the area’s gastronomic heritage. Birth place of Absinthe, the area is also known for such spirits as its cherry brandy, Kirsch, or the Marc du Jura made from local grapes.

Giving their distinctive flavor to many local recipes, mushrooms are found in abundance in the Franche-Comté’s forests and local market stalls. Mushroom hunters on holiday would be wise to stock up on local morels and chanterelles to flavor dishes back home.

Those with a sweet tooth will not go home empty handed as the Franche-Comté’s orchards are laden with apples, peaches, plums and cherries used in jams and tarts. Chocolatiers that have been in operation for many generations are a particularly enjoyable stop. Another institution is the Klaus Toffee Shop in Morteau, whose doors opened in 1856 for the production of traditional toffee. Other sweet treats include honey, gingerbread and local lemonade and cordials made from the region’s fruits.

With hundreds of restaurants, markets and producers open to the public all year round, the Franche-Comté is the ideal destination for gourmets, wine connoisseurs and gastronomic shoppers alike. For more information on gastronomic holidays in Franche-Comté please follow this link . . . ]]> Destinations http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1669 Sun, 16 Nov 2008 04:00:00 -0600 http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1675

]]> Performings Arts http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1675 Sat, 15 Nov 2008 04:17:00 -0600 http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1664
The new Porsche Museum will open its brand new doors in early 2009. The ambitious project is the central place that consolidates both historic and contemporary knowledge about everything concerning Porsche and makes it accessible to the public. In addition to a spacious exhibition area for the presentation of fascinating vehicles, both Porsche AG’s historic archive and a Classic Workshop will be located in the new museum. Follow this link for further information . . .

Since 2005, the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart has been presiding in the city in the form of a glass cube, situated in its new home next to the New Palace. Inside the museum hosts collections of artists from the 18th century to the present including works from Otto Dix and Willi Baumeister. The museum represents a wide variety of styles and art forms from impressionist paintings to modern art installations or multimedia art. Follow this link for further information . . .

The Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein close to the border of Switzerland and south of the Black Forest maintains one of the largest collections of modern furniture design in the world, with objects representing all of the major eras and stylistic periods from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present. The museum is made up of several buildings, a sort of campus, designed by various world-class architects. The main building is designed by US star architect Frank Gehry. The museum is internationally active as a cultural institution that has made a major contribution to the research and popular dissemination of design. Follow this link for further information . . .

The internationally-renowned Frieder Burda Collection in the spa town of Baden-Baden concentrates on Classical Modernism and contemporary art and now encompasses almost 800 paintings, sculptures, objects and works on paper. The center pieces of the collection are works by Pablo Picasso. The museum is designed by New York architect Richard Meyer, who also worked on the Museum für Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt, the Getty Center in Los Angeles and the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona. Known as a 'natural-light museum', the Museum Frieder Burda produces an extraordinary quality inside: the filtered natural brightness that enters ensures that the lighting for the art is varied, changing according to the time of day and the seasons. Follow this link for further information . . .

The Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen is a unique combination of technique and art. Visitors can learn everything about the history of airship aviation and the Zeppelin. Core of the museum is a partial reconstruction of the famous airship Hindenburg. The museum also hosts a large collection of artists who lived near Lake Constance such as Otto Dix. www.zeppelin-museum.de/
Close to the museum at the Zeppelin hangar you can even take a flight with one of the few modern Zepelins. Discover the area of beautiful Lake Constance from the bird’s perspective. Follow this link for further information . . . ]]> Destinations http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1664 Sat, 15 Nov 2008 04:00:00 -0600 http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1673 Travel Update http://luxurytraveler.com/blogindex.php?itemid=1673 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:15:00 -0600