The Bedford Post Inn, Bedford, NY

The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, India
 

Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
 

Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, California
 

Parrot Cay by COMO, Providençiales, Turks & Caicos
 

The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, Colorado

Anamaya Resort, Montezuma, Costa Rica
 

I am on-the-go in Washington D.C., and it certainly doesn't seem like the middle of March. 

I feel so lucky to be visiting when the weather is this pleasant. I remember days as a kid touring the Nation's Capital in the middle of summer, the heat and humidity making the walk from the Monument to the Capital building lose all its romance.

Nice weather is a double-edged sword for me - it motivates me to get out of the house, however once I am under the sun and feeling the breeze I have a tendency to sit very still, to breathe it in very deeply and not worry about moving so much.

Yesterday was one of those days: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back in the day I had an opportunity to ski Alta with a buddy and missed out on the trip. I’ve always regretted not going.  At lunch we’d check out the latest edition of Ski Magazine and dreamed of making perfect ‘S’ turns in the virgin powder that was waist deep at Alta. It all looked so perfect on those glossy pages and it was! Alta is the Holy Grail for anyone who loves to ski. We were lucky to get fresh snow each morning on our recent trip. The conditions were great. It’s shaping up to be another great season at Alta.

Dreaming of Deep Snow

It’s All About Skiing
The locals all tell the same story, “I came here for one season and it’s my 15^th year now.” Another mountain girl told us it’s her 35^th at Alta. Somehow these lucky ones have figured it out. It seems that their souls have gravitated to this high place and they’ve found a balance. It all started with the same dream to come and ski Alta. Maybe you too can make it happen. You never know. Do you?

Happy Birthday Alta
Alta is the oldest family run Lift Company in the U.S. and is celebrating its 75^th anniversary. Tradition is important to the culture here and change evidently comes slowly. Snow boarders are still not able to swoosh down the slopes in order to protect the powder. We like that Alta is a good steward of past traditions. They seem to have a pretty good thing going on here. It just feels right. Happy birthday Alta. 

The Greatest Snow on Earth
So what makes this place so great?  The snow has been scientifically proven to be the driest in North America and they get more than 750 inches of it annually. It’s been coined ‘The greatest snow on earth’.  Its snows so much at times that you may experience a condition known as 'Interlodge'.  When the snow barriers are lowered you’ll know it’s your lucky day! Everyone is required to retreat to one of the five lodges for protection while the snow can be managed.  The best part of this situation is you're safe and nobody else can come up the mountain. You’ll be able to ski all the powder you want when the coast is clear and the snow barriers are still down. It’s now your very own private mountain. It’s called a ‘Country Club' day at Alta. How cool is that?

Something For Everyone
Alta has great terrain for beginners and hardcore skiers alike. It’s a blast to be a kid and learn on the gentle green runs with mom and dad. Daredevils can hike up to ridges on the mountain and descend the chutes that are sloped at 45 degrees too. We rode the Supreme chair to the summit at 10,595’ and traversed the short distance over to Catherine’s area and dropped off into a tree lined powdery chute. It was like floating in the clouds. Peaceful. Exhilarating. Fun. There’s nothing like this back east that’s for sure!

Good Service - Good Prices
The lift tickets are reasonably priced at $75.00 per day for adults and $40.00 for a children. The mountain is run as a Lift Company and not a publicly traded Real Estate Development entity. This enables Alta to focus on providing the best on-mountain experience for skiers. If you’re going to stay awhile and want more terrain to ski you can pay a little extra and get upgraded to a combined Alta -- Snowbird lift ticket. Please ask for the ‘One Ticket’ to get upgraded to this service. All together both resorts provide 26 lifts and over 4,000 acres of terrain. If you’d like to save some cash then ski the Sugarloaf chair lift and ride a loop between the two ski areas for free on the complimentary shuttle bus. We didn’t try that but it sure sounds like fun.
 

Gourmet Dining at Collins Grill
One of our pet peeves is eating cafeteria food on the mountain. It was a delight to discover the Collins Grill, which is located mid-mountain in the spectacularly designed Watson Shelter. The restaurant is located on the third floor and severs up the art of slow food. This is similar to the ‘farm-to-table’ movement, which supports local suppliers and growers. We sampled some great dishes at lunch that included:

Daily Savory Tart - This is a French style “big” pie cut in eighths, made with cream, Clifford Farm eggs, and a thin savory pastry. The flavor changes daily. Yum!

Grilled Salmon Slider - Grilled salmon on house made sourdough baguette with sliced tomato, bacon, capers and a mornay sauce.

Stuart’s Heart of Darkness Cupcake - Named after a customer from California this chocolate truffle is filled individual soufflé cakes. It was as decadent as it sounds. Delicious.

Watson Shelter • Collins Grill 

Stewart's Heart of Darkness Cupcake

Alta Lodging
When you’re staying at Alta it’s still a family affair regarding lodging. All of the five lodges are family owned and operated and provide comfortable accommodations and excellent service. We recently stayed at Alta’s Rustler Lodge. Please check out the feature review on the main section of our site. If you’re looking for an active nightlife scene then Alta may not be the best place to plan your next ski vacation. If you’re looking to ski your tail off on the greatest snow on earth then you’ve arrived at the perfect place!

Getting There 
Alta is located in the Wasatch Mountains at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon. It’s approximately 45 minutes east of Salt Lake City international airport. What we like best about it's location is that you can be on the slopes by 1:00 p.m.. if you take an early morning non-stop flight from JFK International Airport in New York.

Alta Ski Area
Highway 210
Little Cottonwood Canyon
Alta, UT 84092

General Information: 801-359-1078
Website: www.alta.com

For transportation options to Alta, Utah please visit the Ski Utah website:

Alta's Rustler Lodge: Accommodations were provided by Alta's Rustler Lodge. When you stay at Alta’s Rustler Lodge, you'll experience the cozy atmosphere of a mountain lodge along with superb services and Alta's finest amenities. For reservations please call 888-532-2582.

Alta Ski Area: Lift tickets and mountain guide service provided by Alta Ski Area. General Information: 801-359-1078

Ski 'N See: Ski rentals were provided by  Ski 'N See. They have 12 convenient rental & retail locations within minutes of all the major Ski Resorts in Utah. If you are unfamiliar with the area please visit  their Rental Rates page to find a recommendation for which location you should reserve your ski & snowboard equipment. If you have any questions concerning our locations please call their Customer Service Hotline: 1-800-722-3685.

Rudy's Executive Transportation Services: Transportation Services for this trip from the New York Tri-Sate area were provided by Rudy's Executive Transportation. Their uniformed chauffeurs are courteous and committed to responding to customers' every transportation need. Since all Rudy's chauffeurs live throughout the Connecticut/Westchester area, they are conveniently located within minutes of your home or office. They are also completely familiar with all locations and routes within the tri-state area to get you there on time, every time. For reservations please call 800-241-RUDY.

Celebrity Cruises World Tour

World tours aren’t limited to rock stars. Celebrity Cruises today announced the kickoff of “Celebrity’s World Tour 2014-15,” the brand’s introduction of guest-inspired, destination-rich, modern luxury vacations to all seven continents of the world.

The collection of itineraries in Celebrity’s World Tour will be revealed in detail as each set opens for bookings over the next four weeks. Today, Celebrity offered a preview of the type of destination-rich vacations the brand will offer in each of the seven continents, with more ports of call, more overnight stays, and the modern luxury style, design, cuisine and entertainment the brand is known for delivering onboard:

Africa: Celebrity Silhouette’s 14-night Holy Land voyage will depart roundtrip from Rome (Civitavecchia), and will be highlighted by an overnight stay in Alexandria, Egypt; an overnight stay in Jerusalem (Ashdod), Israel; and visits to Haifa, Israel; Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey; Athens (Piraeus), Greece; Catania, Sicily, Italy, and Naples/Capri, Italy.

Exotic 14-night voyages on Celebrity Infinity depart from Buenos Aires, with visits to Ushuaia and Puerto Madryn, Argentina; Cape Horn, Chile; Schollart Channel and Dalhan Bay, Paradise Bay, Gerlache Strait, and Elephant Island, Antarctica; Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, and Montevideo, Uruguay.

Asia: Celebrity Millennium’s 14-night itineraries will depart from Singapore, beginning with an overnight stay in the city, followed by an overnight stay in Bangkok (Laemchabang), Thailand; Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Vietnam; Hue/Danang (Chan May), Vietnam; an overnight stay in Hanoi (Halong Bay), Vietnam, concluding in Hong Kong, China, with an overnight stay.

Australia: Celebrity Solstice will present 12-night Australia & New Zealand vacations beginning with an overnight stay in Sydney, followed by visits to Melbourne, Australia; Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound, Dunedin, Akaroa, Wellington, Tauranga and Auckland, New Zealand.

Europe: Guests can immerse themselves in an 11-night Mediterranean vacation on the newest ship in the Celebrity fleet, Celebrity Reflection, departing roundtrip from Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy, with visits to Santorini, Mykonos and Athens (Piraeus), Greece, along with Naples/Capri, Italy, Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey, and an overnight stay in Istanbul, Turkey.

North America: Celebrity Solstice will bring Solstice Class style back to Alaska on 7-night sailings roundtrip from Seattle, Wash., with visits to Ketchikan, Tracy Arm Fjord, Juneau, Skagway, the stunning Inside Passage of Alaska, and Victoria, British Columbia.

South America: An overnight stay in Buenos Aires highlights the beginning of a 14-night voyage on Celebrity Infinity, followed by visits to Montevideo and Punta Del Este, Uruguay; Puerto Madryn and Ushuaia, Argentina; Cape Horn, Punta Arenas, and Puerto Montt, Chile, in addition to sailing through the Straits of Magellan and Chilean Fjords, ending in Valparaiso, Chile.

Celebrity’s World Tour 2014-15 also includes a collection of elite land-based adventures available nowhere else. Named “Celebrity Exclusives,” the collection will feature personalized experiences for individuals or small parties no larger than 15 guests. A sampling of Celebrity Exclusives include: A VIP hospitality package at the 2014 British Open Golf Tournament; an overnight journey to Moscow by high-speed train; roaming the hills of Rome in a Ferrari; enjoying the best of Mykonos on a private yacht; or catamaran sailing in the Finnish archipelago.

To further enhance guests’ destination experience, every Celebrity ship in 2014 will offer the services of a Destination Concierge, whose in-depth knowledge of the ports of call on every itinerary will allow the expert to guide Celebrity’s guests through every aspect of their adventures on land, including Celebrity Exclusives, or to create special excursions tailored precisely for individual guests’ preferences.

Celebrity will reveal full details of the breadth of itineraries and land-based adventures within Celebrity’s World Tour as each collection of itineraries opens for bookings this month.

With Celebrity’s World Tour, Celebrity’s valued Captain’s Club members receive “Priority Access” with the opportunity to be first to book the new sailings with exclusive offers. The first in the portfolio – Celebrity’s 2014 Bermuda, as well as Canada & New England – is now open to loyalty members.

EDWARDS rediscovers white wine while house-sitting a 15-century farmhouse in the Gers, where he can fill up straight from the local producteurs in plastic jerry cans. . . .

While I was house-sitting for three months in a 15th-century farmhouse in Gascony, with a stupefying backyard view of the snow-capped Pyrenees, I finally redeveloped a taste for white wine. But not just any white wine. In the rugged pastoral land that was the battlefield for “The Hundred Years War”--which was neither really a war nor did it last one hundred years--dominated by red AOC Madiran and VDQS Cote de St. Mont, I found myself addicted instead to a whimsical white mouthwash of unpronounceable syllables: “Pacherenc du Vic Bilh!”

Pacherenc du Vic Bilh!”

Introducing the white wine chilling to my neighbor Kevin, a British wanderer then employed by “T,” an Anglo-Irish Earl renovating a chateau nearby in the French departément of Gers, I stood awaiting his verdict. “Wow!” He drained the glass. “Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous.” I filled his glass again. Again: “Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous.” We had spent many hours together drinking Gascon wines, available in plastic jerry cans straight from the “producteurs,” while dreaming aloud to the starry asterixes in the night sky over this charmed rural demesnes, filled with medieval fortified towns called “bastides” and castelnaux.” Since during various wars, Gascons fought on the British side, we both felt like honorary “vrai gascognes” (real Gascons) in their signature yellow-mud-covered Wellingtons and beret-basques.

Flag of Gascony

One shot of “White Armagnac” (unaged) and we were no longer tourists. Unfortunately, Kevin, who used to be in a band with the merry prankster “Django Edwards” (no relation to me that I know of) told me that “T” had just fired him and asked if he could camp out on my land. I remembered a while back to when Kevin and his French wife had invited us over for dinner, which inevitably turned into a conversation about travel. The topic was rudely interrupted by a cleaver thwack into a cutting board: Chop! “Am I right that we are both happy just staying here at the chateau?” Kevin scolded his wife severely. Now I could tell by Kevin’s wife’s absence and the wild look in his eyes that a breakup was imminent. What would I do now? I settled upon, “I’m really sorry, Kevin, but I can’t let you stay without the Bray’s permission, and also ‘T’ comes over frequently to check up on us.” I could tell Kevin was on the very edge of going loco. “Also, my friends, Mox and Jox, are coming for a visit,”
 

15th-century farmhouse in Gascony

I added as an aperitif. Kevin looked madder than hell, but stiffly thanked me for the gift bottle of “Pacherence du Vic Bilh” anyway. “Be careful,” he warned cryptically in farewell, shaking the bottle. “There are poisonous adders everywhere!” (I’m a big fan of “Black Adder.”) When Mox and Jox eventually arrived, I told them about the “sitch” with Kevin, and after discovering the remains of a campfire on the blasted heath of land we were temporarily lording over, we speculated wildly whether Kevin might be hiding out here.

In case Kevin was spying on us we began referring to him as “Tim,” wondering if we were going to end up as victims in a B horror film involving vampire viniculturists—an idea for a short story I’m working on called “Vendage.” For the Welcome Meal, we dined “al fresco” (outside) on fresh Foie Gras and “Magret de Canard” (invented by nearby master-chef Andre Daguin at the Hotel de France in Auch), with roasted potatos and carrots. Although, the meal was paired with a red “fut de chen neuf” (new oak casked) Madiran obtained from the nearby Producteurs de Plaimont, I went inside and returned with the coup de gras: a bottle of friendly “Pacherenc du Vic Bilh.”

We had a field day, spittalking the satisfying collison of sounds: “Pacherenc du Vic Bilh! Pacherence du Vic Bilh!” Jox felt so free out here in the countryside, that she peed on the lawn. Then we downed several bottles of locally produced Armagnac, which unlike Cognac being distilled twice, is put through the alembic (from the Arabic “el embic”) only once. Armagnac is Gascony’s real claim to fame, the best being Bas Armagnac, and we enthusiastically took our chances with the other side of sleep. The next day, I made the mistake of taking Mox and Jox to one of our favorite local eateries in Plaisance called “The Ripa Alta.”

The Ripa Alta Restaurant - Plaisance

The master-chef Coscuella, who had a likeable stutter and a Michelin rosette, made us a special dish: pig’s feet with truffles. Jox, drunk as a sanglier, began complaining, “No way, disgusting, I’m not going to eat that!” “Jox, shh! We eat here all the time; we have to live here!” As if in just-desserts revenge for taking on a Michelin-rosetted restaurant serving four-course art to farmers with a famine of francs, Jox screamed like Janet Leigh in “Psycho” when the hot water heater at our beloved “Ferme Lasserre” conked out. The Anglo-Irish Earl “T” (one of whose ancestors was once the Viceroy of India) came to fix it. His wife handed me a business card: “The Countess de Mayo”: she dabbled in real estate, mostly small chateaux.

Not bad, having royalty at your disposal like that! “Pacherenc du Vic Bilh!” “Pacherenc du Vic Bilh!”

Delta Air Lines is transforming the sleep experience in the air by offering Westin Heavenly^® In-Flight  bedding, designed and manufactured exclusively for Delta, in all of its BusinessElite cabins throughout the world.

The new Westin Heavenly In-Flight bedding product will be available on all BusinessElite® International flights, as well as BusinessElite flights between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattleand between Atlanta and Honolulu, beginning in June 2013. BusinessElite customers will receive a Westin Heavenly sleeping pillow and a comforter with extra luxurious loft.  Passengers on flights over 12 hours also will receive a lumbar pillow.   

Delta is committed to providing our customers with the best possible sleep experience in the skies and we're excited to partner with another leader in the travel category, Westin Hotels and Resorts, who shares this goal," said Joanne Smith , Delta's senior vice president – In Flight Service. "In recent surveys, customers have told us that the most important part of the in-flight experience is sleep.  The new Westin Heavenly In-Flight bedding product is just one of the new amenities Delta is introducing to ensure customers achieve a restful, rejuvenating in-flight experience."

We are delighted to bring the Westin Heavenly experience to thousands of Delta travelers around the world especially at a time when Westin is experiencing tremendous growth in key markets around the world," said Brian Povinelli , Global Brand Leader for Westin Hotels. "Getting a good night's sleep is the number one priority for our guests and we are renowned for providing travelers with the best bed and sleep experience in the business. Westin Heavenly In-Flight bedding will ensure Delta's customers will be renewed and refreshed when they land.  Now consumers can experience the brand's Heavenly sleep experience in-flight, in our hotels and even in their homes." 

In addition to the new Westin Heavenly In-Flight bedding, Delta is making investments in several other products and services to revamp the in-flight sleep experience. These include a white noise channel on Delta Radio, and new BusinessElite amenity kits featuring Tumi and Malin+Goetz products.

Delta is also enhancing the sleep experience by expanding full flat-bed seating.  Delta is introducing full flat-bed seats in the BusinessElite cabin of all transcontinental flights operating between New York and Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattlebeginning in March 2013. All of Delta's Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft serving these transcontinental markets will offer the flatbed seats over the next 24 months.  Delta's decision to install full flat-bed seats on its transcontinental flights complements the airline's current investment in full flat-bed seats on its entire international widebody fleet of more than 140 aircraft.  By the end of 2013, 70 percent of all Delta aircraft will have flat beds and, in early 2014, Delta's entire widebody fleet is scheduled to be complete.

As a direct result of customer feedback, flight attendants are also modifying their in-flight service to better foster sleep.  BusinessElite flights now offer an "Express Meal" that features lighter fare and a one-step delivery process on all international flights departing after 9 p.m. and flights between JFK and London's Heathrow Airport. Delta will be designing a similar express meal menu for BusinessElite flights that are less than 10 hours long, as well as transcontinental flights.

To create a more restful cabin environment, flight attendants also are now proactively adjusting for appropriate lighting based on the time of day and streamlining cabin announcements to decrease noise disruptions. 

Delta is showcasing its renewed focus on sleep at TED2013 in Long Beach, California, Feb. 26-March 1.  The airline will host a talk from renowned Oxford neuroscientist and sleep expert Dr. Russell Foster addressing jet lag and how the eye tells time and demonstrate his research in action with the world's first Photon Shower – a small light chamber that conference attendees can enter for a short period of time to help reset their body clocks through a personalized, rejuvenating light treatment.

The Photon Shower, along with Delta's new amenity kits, charging stations and a juice bar, will live in Delta's "Power Up" lounge, a space designed to help revitalize and energize TED attendees. Conference goers can also relax and wind down in Delta's "Power Down" lounge, a second activation space featuring flat-bed seats with Westin Heavenly In-Flight bedding, nap pods, and white noise calming music. Delta's Sleep Bar at the Westin Long Beach will also provide conference attendees premium items and hospitality focused around aiding sleep.

Known as the travel industry's innovative leader, Westin revolutionized the travel industry with the 1999 launch of the Heavenly® Bed, an icon that inspired countless imitators.  Due to incredible popular demand, Westin became the first hotel company to sell a signature retail line with the unveiling of the Heavenly® Bed in-room catalogue in 2000.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced a new global promotion that allows Hyatt Gold Passport members to earn up to 45,000 bonus points – that’s enough points for seven free nights at Bali Hyatt or two free nights at Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome.

Bali Hyatt

Members can earn 3,000 Hyatt Gold Passport bonus points after every three eligible nights at any Hyatt hotel worldwide from March 1 through May 31. Points are redeemable for free nights, room upgrades, and now dining and spa services.

Plus, Hyatt Credit Cardmembers will receive a 20 percent point bonus – that’s 600 more bonus points after every three nights. With these additional bonus points, Hyatt Credit Cardmembers can earn a maximum of 54,000 bonus points during the promotion.

Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome

With nearly 500 hotels in more than 40 countries, it’s more rewarding than ever to make Hyatt your hotel of choice when traveling for business or pleasure,” said Jeff Zidell, vice president of Hyatt Gold Passport. “And with thousands of bonus points from this new promotion, it will be easier than ever to use them for your next free night in New York, dinner in Milan or deep tissue message in Kauai.”

Register by April 30, 2013 by visiting www.goldpassport.com/possibilities

•    Stay March 1 through May 31, 2013 at any Hyatt hotel worldwide
•    Provide your Hyatt Gold Passport membership number at check-in

New members who enroll in Hyatt Gold Passport through April 30, 2013 will automatically be registered for the promotion.


 

The best way to get to New Zealand’s “Hot Water Beach” (North Island, Coromandel Peninsula) is to stick-out an index finger “Downunder”-style (forget the thumb)--safe enough on an island idyll pasturing more sheep than people. A large Maori, with tattoos and a good-luck greenstone amulet around his neck, at last pulls over. Then off down scenic State Highway 25, you speed toward a crossing point with epiphany and serendipity, until you get to, er, a thermal beach!

On “Hot Water Beach,” a volcanic sandtrap, all you need to do is dig holes in the sand, which fill up with hot water (just like a regular bathtub or Jacuzzi) at a rate of 15 liters per minute, and at temperatures of up to 64 C (147 F). With an alchemical mix of salt, calcium, magnesium, potassium, fluorine, bromine, and silica, the otherworldly hot springs resemble gigantic glasses of Pellegrino, a thirst-quencher for Polynesian gods. Luxuriating in your private “pool,” you stare out at the endless horizon of ocean spinning out of control, wobbling like a vinyl 33 rpm record.

Ah, bliss! Oh, oblivion! The Maori passes you a (legal) spliff of some native plant and says, “Better than Mowee Wowee”—whatever that is. Manhattan is too far away to exist—imagine: an island without any beaches or volcanos? Yet this Oceania innocent wants to know , “Do you know any movie stars?!” Yep. But impossible New Zealand actually exists and was the basis for Samuel Butler’s Erewon, an anagram for “Nowhere.”

At the Brian Boru Hotel, a very British-style “public house” (inn), your new Maori friend, the owner, rewards you with a free room and a meal of moist lamb, mushy peas, and frosty mugs of Steinlager beer. “My ancestors arrived in ‘Aoteara’ (Land of the Long White Cloud) in an armada of canoes,” the Maori says eating a feijoa (similar to a kiwi but sweeter). His accent is influenced by the alien endemic languages of birds. “Then we hunted the Moa, so they are now extinct, just like the Dodo!”

Brian Boru Hotel
200 Richmond Street
Thames Thames-Coromandel
Waikato, NZ

The Moa, the largest flightless land bird to ever walk the earth, upwards of eight feet tall, was written about in Mark Twain’s Following the Equator, and was reputedly more delicious than Popeye’s. Washing the siren spit out of your matted mane, you catch some kip (sleep), amazed at how in the upside-down Antipodes, the seasons are reversed and water spins counterclockwise down the drain. . . .

Brian Boru Hotel
200 Richmond Street
Thames Thames-Coromandel
Waikato, NZ
Tel (07) 868-6523, Fax (07) 868-9760

The best way to get to New Zealand’s “Hot Water Beach” (North Island, Coromandel Peninsula) is to stick-out an index finger “Downunder”-style (forget the thumb)--safe enough on an island idyll pasturing more sheep than people. A large Maori, with tattoos and a good-luck greenstone amulet around his neck, at last pulls over. Then off down scenic State Highway 25, you speed toward a crossing point with epiphany and serendipity, until you get to, er, a thermal beach!

On “Hot Water Beach,” a volcanic sandtrap, all you need to do is dig holes in the sand, which fill up with hot water (just like a regular bathtub or Jacuzzi) at a rate of 15 liters per minute, and at temperatures of up to 64 C (147 F). With an alchemical mix of salt, calcium, magnesium, potassium, fluorine, bromine, and silica, the otherworldly hot springs resemble gigantic glasses of Pellegrino, a thirst-quencher for Polynesian gods. Luxuriating in your private “pool,” you stare out at the endless horizon of ocean spinning out of control, wobbling like a vinyl 33 rpm record.

Ah, bliss! Oh, oblivion! The Maori passes you a (legal) spliff of some native plant and says, “Better than Mowee Wowee”—whatever that is. Manhattan is too far away to exist—imagine: an island without any beaches or volcanos? Yet this Oceania innocent wants to know , “Do you know any movie stars?!” Yep. But impossible New Zealand actually exists and was the basis for Samuel Butler’s Erewon, an anagram for “Nowhere.”

At the Brian Boru Hotel, a very British-style “public house” (inn), your new Maori friend, the owner, rewards you with a free room and a meal of moist lamb, mushy peas, and frosty mugs of Steinlager beer. “My ancestors arrived in ‘Aoteara’ (Land of the Long White Cloud) in an armada of canoes,” the Maori says eating a feijoa (similar to a kiwi but sweeter). His accent is influenced by the alien endemic languages of birds. “Then we hunted the Moa, so they are now extinct, just like the Dodo!”

Brian Boru Hotel
200 Richmond Street
Thames Thames-Coromandel
Waikato, NZ

The Moa, the largest flightless land bird to ever walk the earth, upwards of eight feet tall, was written about in Mark Twain’s Following the Equator, and was reputedly more delicious than Popeye’s. Washing the siren spit out of your matted mane, you catch some kip (sleep), amazed at how in the upside-down Antipodes, the seasons are reversed and water spins counterclockwise down the drain. . . .

Brian Boru Hotel
200 Richmond Street
Thames Thames-Coromandel
Waikato, NZ
Tel (07) 868-6523, Fax (07) 868-9760

The international cruise industry must proactively face up to its challenges and respond openly to criticism, according to a leading expert in the sector and one of the critical area is safety and security.

Following the Costa Concordia accident at the start of 2012, cruisers still consider cruises to be a safe option, Professor Alexis Papathanassis, from the University of Applied Sciences in Bremerhaven, Germany said at Pisa forum. Nonetheless, according to a research study he supervised, approximately half of the respondents expressed doubts on the crew’s ability to deal with an emergency and clearly perceived safety as their own responsibility. This finding could serve as a valuable input to the improvement of safety procedures and information policies on board, he said.

Moreover, Papathanassis was particularly critical of the working conditions for cruise ship staff, especially salary-levels, which effectively mean that many workers rely on tips while working long hours and living under suboptimal conditions. In this light, some labour organisations accuse cruise-ships of being more like “sweat-ships” (a pun on ‘sweatshop’ factories), he noted.

Obviously, what constitutes fair pay and acceptable working conditions can be conveniently seen as a relative matter defined by the living standards in the crews’ source countries and by the recruiting structures in the corresponding labour supply chains. At the end of the day though, it is matter of perceived responsibility and ethical imperative at the consumption-end of the cruise supply chain (i.e. cruise operators and guests).

The international cruise industry must proactively face up to its challenges and respond openly to criticism, according to a leading expert in the sector and one of the critical area is safety and security.

Following the Costa Concordia accident at the start of 2012, cruisers still consider cruises to be a safe option, Professor Alexis Papathanassis, from the University of Applied Sciences in Bremerhaven, Germany said at Pisa forum. Nonetheless, according to a research study he supervised, approximately half of the respondents expressed doubts on the crew’s ability to deal with an emergency and clearly perceived safety as their own responsibility. This finding could serve as a valuable input to the improvement of safety procedures and information policies on board, he said.

Moreover, Papathanassis was particularly critical of the working conditions for cruise ship staff, especially salary-levels, which effectively mean that many workers rely on tips while working long hours and living under suboptimal conditions. In this light, some labour organisations accuse cruise-ships of being more like “sweat-ships” (a pun on ‘sweatshop’ factories), he noted.

Obviously, what constitutes fair pay and acceptable working conditions can be conveniently seen as a relative matter defined by the living standards in the crews’ source countries and by the recruiting structures in the corresponding labour supply chains. At the end of the day though, it is matter of perceived responsibility and ethical imperative at the consumption-end of the cruise supply chain (i.e. cruise operators and guests).

KEY WEST, Florida Keys - Dozens of contestants are to blow their own horns in Key West Saturday, March 2. The 51st annual Conch Shell Blowing Contest is expected to draw entrants ranging in age from toddlers to seniors, all testing their pucker power on fluted conch shell “horns.” They’ll take turns squawking, bleating or possibly even tootling something resembling music when the celebration of Key West’s cultural heritage begins at noon in the tropical garden of the Oldest House Museum, 322 Duval St.

Blowing into the pink-lined mollusk shells was a tradition even before the island’s settlement in the early 1800s. Natives from the Calusa tribe blew conch shells to communicate over distance, and early sailors are said to have used them as foghorns. Nineteenth-century shipwreck salvagers blew blasts to signal when a sinking ship was spotted. 

Today, the chewy meat of the conch appears on local restaurant menus in chowder and fritters, two of the Florida Keys’ signature dishes. The shell itself has become a symbol of the Keys, often called the Conch Republic.

In the quirky “conch honk” contest, winners are chosen in multiple age groups for the quality, duration, loudness and novelty of the sounds they make. Musical ability is not required (or often displayed), though a few past “pucker pros” have produced portions of melodies ranging from “Flight of the Bumblebee” to rock classics. 

Sponsored by the Old Island Restoration Foundation, the fun-filled competition is free to enter and watch. Contestants can register at the Oldest House from 10:30 a.m. to noon March 2 or at the event itself if space is still available. The competition runs from noon to 2 p.m. Those lacking their own “instruments” can purchase conch shells on site.

KEY WEST, Florida Keys - Dozens of contestants are to blow their own horns in Key West Saturday, March 2. The 51st annual Conch Shell Blowing Contest is expected to draw entrants ranging in age from toddlers to seniors, all testing their pucker power on fluted conch shell “horns.” They’ll take turns squawking, bleating or possibly even tootling something resembling music when the celebration of Key West’s cultural heritage begins at noon in the tropical garden of the Oldest House Museum, 322 Duval St.

Blowing into the pink-lined mollusk shells was a tradition even before the island’s settlement in the early 1800s. Natives from the Calusa tribe blew conch shells to communicate over distance, and early sailors are said to have used them as foghorns. Nineteenth-century shipwreck salvagers blew blasts to signal when a sinking ship was spotted. 

Today, the chewy meat of the conch appears on local restaurant menus in chowder and fritters, two of the Florida Keys’ signature dishes. The shell itself has become a symbol of the Keys, often called the Conch Republic.

In the quirky “conch honk” contest, winners are chosen in multiple age groups for the quality, duration, loudness and novelty of the sounds they make. Musical ability is not required (or often displayed), though a few past “pucker pros” have produced portions of melodies ranging from “Flight of the Bumblebee” to rock classics. 

Sponsored by the Old Island Restoration Foundation, the fun-filled competition is free to enter and watch. Contestants can register at the Oldest House from 10:30 a.m. to noon March 2 or at the event itself if space is still available. The competition runs from noon to 2 p.m. Those lacking their own “instruments” can purchase conch shells on site.

If I know Hemingway – and I think I do – my guess is he would have been laughing his ass off. We were laughing in the beginning, until we realized that the bull was certainly not.

Mismaloya Village near Puerto Vallarta

Let me catch you up: The village of Mismaloya is on the southern outskirts of Puerto Vallarta, and I’m not being cute by using the word village. Dirt roads, minimal infrastructure, and clothes lines are what you first notice, the village split in the middle by the winding road that takes you into town. Upon first engaging one of the residents, you’re most likely to get a smile and a sales pitch. On the beach end, you’ll find restaurants and boat tours. Inland, tacos and tequila.

Once you get them talking, once you get past the idea of them wanting to sell you something, you start to get a feeling for the simple life they live by the sea. It’s so easy to put your hand up when they approach, tell them you’re not interested before the conversation even gets started, but I would advise against that. When Romero approached us on the beach, not only did we find out we could take a four-hour snorkel, fishing, and hiking boat tour for dirt cheap ($200/six people), we learned that he grew up in Washington and moved here because he enjoyed the lifestyle, enjoyed meeting new people and boating and fishing everyday. Call me crazy, but methinks that boy’s got his head on straight.

We met him the next morning on the beach as the sun breached the green, lush mountain top. Sunglasses on faces and beers in backpacks, we cruised out of Mismaloya and trolled a line. We took in the coastline, enjoying the morning at sea, and eventually caught an albacore tuna (see below for photos of the feast). Our first stop was the rock formations of Los Archos, a popular snorkel area in between Mismaloya and Puerto Vallarta. It’s a photogenic spot with a lot of fish and good coral, although make sure you go at off times as large tour groups can crowd it mid-day.

Snorkeling at Los Archos
 

Now about that damn bull: The village of Quimixto is south of Mismaloya and only accessible by boat and our guide, Romero, decided he wanted to take us there and show us to a waterfall. It’s not exactly a remote village – Vallarta Adventures runs horseback riding tours through it – but it’s beautiful and you can escape the touristy vibe if you go with a small group and avoid encounters with the aforementioned horseback riding excursions.

We were successful in that department for the first part of the trip, hiking to the waterfall and swimming below in its refreshing waters (I climbed the falls as well… see photos). It was a great find, and I had a beer at the restaurant, listening to the water fall into the water, before putting my wet feet back into my socks and tying my shoes.

On the way back down was when things got interesting. We encountered a stopped-in-their-tracks horseback riding tour, most of them staring down at what we initially believed to be a sick/dying horse or cow. As we got closer, we saw that it was a bull, and that it was very much alive and healthy. Mostly, though, it was irritated. He was in the process of being led down the mountain by two “cowboys,” and upon encountering the group the bull had freaked out, and the boys had to drag him to the ground by the rope around his neck. That said, things looked under control, and we passed by without a scene. Obviously, that all changed. A handful of minutes later – I couldn’t even tell you at this point whether it was 5 or 15 – we were making our way through a narrow part of the trail, where the land rose up sharply on either side, funneling anything in the middle down the mountain. As we would soon learn, it is not a good place to be when a charging bull has gotten too far in front of inexperienced cowboys. It’s sort of like when the dog walks the owner, a game of constant catch up.

Running With The Bulls In The Outskirts  Of Puerto Vallarta
 

It all happened so fast. We scrambled, ducking for cover wherever we could, throwing ourselves behind trees. The boys had no control over the bull or its direction, allowing it to entertain its frustration and pursue us, backing one of my friends up against a barbed-wire fence. Three more feet of “leash” and this would be the printed on a police report instead of a travel site. Grabbed from behind by the horns, the bull fell to the ground at the feet of my friend, the rest of us looking on with raised eyebrows, wide eyes, and racing hearts.

Stunned, we saw the cowboy turn and yell at us in Spanish. He wanted us to get going. We collected ourselves and carefully circled around the now fallen bull, still trying to figure out if we were all right. About five minutes later, in an out-of-sight-out-of-mind sort of way, the world seemed calm again. We had survived, and laughter started to surface. I smiled at the sight of the ocean and stopped to take a few photos, letting the others go ahead. It was a beautiful view from the hillside with a dense forest of green leaves between myself and the ocean. I stood with a barbed-wire fence just over waist high, admiring the view, but noticing the fence’s presence on both sides of the trail. A thought came to my head: Why did we go in front of the bull? I thought I heard something, and I was right.

Around the corner, about 50 yards behind me, the bull came charging, the cowboys in close pursuit. There was nowhere to go given the fences – a full on sprint was the only option. When I caught up to my friends and our guide, I was at full speed and shouting as loud as I could, and the seven of us pounded through the flowing water of the stream without slowing, jumping a fence across the way and ducking into the yard of one of the village residents. We had created some space, and like spies in a bunker, we peered over the fence and waited. Down the hill the bull came, stomping through the river as if on a mission, the head going side-to-side, right on past us down the trail.

The cowboys, watching a safe distance behind from upon their horses, slowed down to cross the stream before continuing the chase.

View of My Street From the Bottom of My Steps

 

Arabic Sea From the Plane Coming From Mumbai

 

My Street, Looking Toward My Apartment

 

The Neighborhood

 

Sunset Veiw Fom My Balcony

 

Artisans at the Drum Jam

 

The Crowd at the Drum Jam

 

Playing at the Beach - Sunset

 

Walking Back to My Apartment, the Fequent Spotting of Cows, Sunbathing!

 

Cows Shop Too

 

Nothing in Her Size

 

Drum Jam

 

Crowd at the Drum Jam

 

Colombian Artisan and His Little Friend

 

Ruins of Goa

 

Cross at St. Augustine's Church in Old Goa

 

Lighting the Candle at St. Augustines Cathedral

 

The bridge to the Spice Plantation

 

The elephant just Before it Splashes

 

Me, Getting Washed by an Elephant

 

The view from Sunset Cafe

 

Steps up to Aladdin's

 

A common Looking Row of Huts

 

Inside the Huts

 

Outside Blue Pyramid and Destiny

 

Blue Pyramid and Destiny

 

Typical view. The breathtaking Sunset

Glen Brittle (Gleann Breadail in Scots Gaelic) is a large glen in the south of the Isle of Skye, in Scotland. It runs roughly south to north, along the River Brittle, which has its mouth at Loch Brittle (a sea loch). The glen is also overlooked from the east by the formidable Cuillin, the largest mountains on Skye. Many tributaries of the Brittle run down from these mountains into the glen, including a stream with waterfalls known as the Fairy Pools, a popular place to go for a walk.

Because of its location by the peaks, the area is popular with hikers and mountain bikers. A single road and power line run through the glen on the east side of the river. On the slopes on the west side there are large sections of forest maintained by the Forestry Commission. In terms of settlement there are two scattered hamlets in the south of the glen - Glenbrittle and Bualintur.

The most popular choice of accommodation is the SYHA's 1930s youth hostel by the Allt a' Choire Ghreadaidh (a Brittle tributary) just north of Glenbrittle hamlet. This is an ideal starting point for walks up to the Cuillin hills. The sandy beach at the southernmost point of the glen is the most popular attraction. It is adjacent to the campsite, where there is also a grocery shop, and campers often visit the beach and swim in the loch. Wildlife enthusiasts also enjoy the glen, as it is home to many interesting animals and plants.

In the northern woods and fields red deer can be seen. Sheep and meadow pipits graze pretty much everywhere, whilst there are also large flocks of herring gulls and hooded crows about, as well as a pair of ravens by the hostel. Rabbits and swallows tend to be restricted to the farmland in the south. Again, the beach is the star attraction for wildlife. Turnstones, ringed plovers, grey herons, dunlins, curlews and most of all oystercatchers all hang around probing in the mud for food. One of the less pleasant species to populate the beach at dusk is the common midge.

Glen Brittle (Gleann Breadail in Scots Gaelic) is a large glen in the south of the Isle of Skye, in Scotland. It runs roughly south to north, along the River Brittle, which has its mouth at Loch Brittle (a sea loch). The glen is also overlooked from the east by the formidable Cuillin, the largest mountains on Skye. Many tributaries of the Brittle run down from these mountains into the glen, including a stream with waterfalls known as the Fairy Pools, a popular place to go for a walk.

Because of its location by the peaks, the area is popular with hikers and mountain bikers. A single road and power line run through the glen on the east side of the river. On the slopes on the west side there are large sections of forest maintained by the Forestry Commission. In terms of settlement there are two scattered hamlets in the south of the glen - Glenbrittle and Bualintur.

The most popular choice of accommodation is the SYHA's 1930s youth hostel by the Allt a' Choire Ghreadaidh (a Brittle tributary) just north of Glenbrittle hamlet. This is an ideal starting point for walks up to the Cuillin hills. The sandy beach at the southernmost point of the glen is the most popular attraction. It is adjacent to the campsite, where there is also a grocery shop, and campers often visit the beach and swim in the loch. Wildlife enthusiasts also enjoy the glen, as it is home to many interesting animals and plants.

In the northern woods and fields red deer can be seen. Sheep and meadow pipits graze pretty much everywhere, whilst there are also large flocks of herring gulls and hooded crows about, as well as a pair of ravens by the hostel. Rabbits and swallows tend to be restricted to the farmland in the south. Again, the beach is the star attraction for wildlife. Turnstones, ringed plovers, grey herons, dunlins, curlews and most of all oystercatchers all hang around probing in the mud for food. One of the less pleasant species to populate the beach at dusk is the common midge.

Yours truly at “Highway to Heaven” at Solitude Resort on the Interconnect Tour.

Bobsled ride during at Olympic Park in Park City.

Morning view from Silver Star Condos in Park City.

Melted Raclette cheese at Fireside Restaurant at Deer Valley Resort.

Scenery at Canyons Resort in Park City.

The village of Saugatuck located in Westport, CT is a bastion for restaurateurs. Back in the day Paul Newman lent ‘Duke’ Merdinger the cash for his liquor license to open Via Zapta’s on Saugatuck Avenue.

The Black Duck Café has been teetering on the banks of the Saugatuck River for decades and still serves up the best hamburgers and fries. Mario Batali recently opened the Tarry Lodge in this little New England hamlet.  Foodies love this enclave because there are so many dining options within a stones throw of one another.

And the legacy lives on. The famous Winklevoss twins of Facebook and the ‘Social Network’ lore, learned to row here.  Their father Howard stepped up and transformed an antique train station into a world class-rowing club. 

The gracious Nantucket style building is spectacular. Ralph Lauren would blush if he had a chance to visit. It’s collegiate and proper. The vibe is relaxed Ivy League. The wow factor tops the Richter Scale when you head up to the new Boat House Restaurant. 

Foodies who crave Northern and Southern Italian food with a modern flair ought to make a reservation. The menu is out of this world and the views while eating alfresco from the teak deck, will transport you to Nantucket and beyond. This experience is well worth a 45-minute drive or train ride from New York City. The restaurant is only a five-minute walk from the Westport train station. Haven’t you always wanted to visit Westport, CT?  Now you’ve a great reason to go.

The restaurant is located on the second floor of the club. Access is through the main entrance off Saugatuck Avenue. There's plenty of parking off street. Please announce yourself to the attendant before using the elevator or stairs to head up to the restaurant.

The Decor
The main dining room was just renovated. The space is grand. It has lofted twenty-foot coffered ceilings that are framed in white. They look like they came from the structural stringers of a boat. The new paint scheme is smart. The valleys on the ceiling  are painted in a sophisticated New England navy blue and sound deadening material has been added to soften the ambient noise levels at full capacity. The half walls are adorned with a rattan textured wallpaper on the top and painted the same color blue as the ceiling on the bottom. The overall affect radiates a smart casual ambience. 

What's New
We especially liked the new intimate black marble bar! It's the perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine or break the ice with someone special. From this vantage point you can also appreciate the visual planning that went into this space.

The restaurant's tables are fitted with fine white linens, place settings and glassware. Overhead hangs a vintage eight-man boat that looks as if it's navigated the Henley Royal Regatta many times.  Above the cozy bench seating against the south wall proudly hangs a picture of Tyler and Cameron on the water. The north facade has enormous windows that look over the Saugatuck River and a teak deck that is hands down the best alfresco dining spot in town. 

While taking all of this in and sipping your Super Tuscan you may find yourself thinking about sitting with friends or clients and enjoying the conversation, food and wine. You may even ask yourself, who knew that this place even existed?  It's a hidden jewel waiting to be discovered. Come on... let's sit-down and stay awhile.

The Team
Raffale Gallo calls himself a 'front man'. He's been in the business since coming over to the states from the island of Capri in 1994. He started off as a waiter at Buonasera in Palm Beach and hit the big time when he opened La Contina Toscania in New York City. With the help of Chef Giuseppe Castellano and his business partner Audrey Longo, they've reinvigorated the Boat House Restaurant. The menu features fresh dishes from the Northern and Southern regions of Italy. The chef served us a tasting menu that enabled us to sample all the Italian flavors and zest the menu has to offer. 

Appetizers
We started off the night with the Speck Wrapped Scallops with Lemon Scented Whipped Potatoes and Caviar-$13.00. This modern Italian appetizer is interesting. The soft speck bacon added just the right amount of texture to the scallops. The flavors will sequentially tantalize your pallet. The caviar added a modern twist to the dish and the lemon scented whipped potatoes finshed off the expereince pefectly. This starter is filling. Please save some room for the main courses. 

Entrees
For the main course we were served a  Black and White Fettuccine with Crab, Lobster Meat and Pink Peppercorns-$21.00. This dish is superb, delicate and light. The plated presentation is gorgeous! All the pasta is homemade in-house. 

Next we sampled the Homemade Spaghetti with Smoked Salmon, Sauteed Onions and Caviar-$21.00. This decadent entre is made from fresh thick spaghetti and olive oil. The smoke salmon and the caviar blended beautifully with the pasta. The use of flesh olive oil in the dish brought the entire composition together into an elegant offering. Delicious. Exquisite. Priced right.

Desserts
For dessert we sampled the Torte Capresse Almond Cake with Pistachio Gelato. The recipe is from the island of Capri. The pistachio gelato is flown in from Torino, Italy. You can close your eyes and let the flavors transport you to Capri!

Next we tried the Lemon Sponge Cake with Lemon Zest. This is light desert with subtle flavors. It melts in your mouth. Delicious.

Here are some photos of what the presentations looked like: 

The Boathouse Restaurant
521 Riverside Avenue
Westport, CT
(203) 221-7475
saugatuckrowing.com

Cappesante Appetizer -$13.00
Speck Wrapped Scallops With Lemon Scented Whipped Potatoes
 

Carbonara Entree $21.00
Homemade Spaghetti with Smoked Salmon, Sauteed Onions and Caviar
 

Fettuccine $21.00

Black & White Fettuccine with Crab & Lobster - Pink Peppercorns

 

Torte Caprese Almond Cake with Pistachio Gelato

 

Lemon Sponge Cake with Lemon Zest