Bits & Pieces

The Verona Festival runs June 24 to August 27, 2006 with performances outdoors of Aida, Carmen, Il Trovatore, Nabucco and Tosca at the Arena di Verona.  

Cutting edge contemporary boutique hotels are still opening everywhere.  From the Hi Hotel in Nice (built by Parisian furniture guru, Matali Crasset to The Es in Rome where the Hollywood heavy hitters have been seen, the minimalist and quirky are in.  

The Verana outside Puerto Vallarta  is a move set of six guest houses in an eco-retreat of open air rooms.  You'll find lavish views of the ocean and jungle and 18 staff for 12 guests.  Your accommodations are so private you don't even need to bring clothes.  A bathing suit and pareau will take you through the day and evening.  

During a recent visit to India, we visited Delhi, Udaipur and Bombay with Greaves Travel.  Greaves is owned by the extraordinary Cambata family who have been in the hospitality industry in India for many generations.  They are very active in the "Jaisalmer in Jeopardy" program to save this UNESCO World Heritage site. The historic hotel Imperial in Delhi has an art collection that merits its own curator on staff.  

This thriving city of palaces, bazaars, fountains and gardens built around Lake Pichola ranks high among India’s favorite tourist destinations and is the preferred place for a romantic rendezvous. Udaipur rose to prominence in the 16th century as the capital of the Mewar dynasty under emperor Udai Singh who began the construction of what would eventually become the largest palace in the state of Rajasthan. Successive rulers continued to add rooms, and nowadays the City Palace has been converted into a museum containing a wealth of intricately adorned walls and ceilings decorated by the finest Hindu craftsmen. Among the highlights is a series of exquisite mosaics and some exceptional miniature paintings.

Udaipur’s lush gardens are always a welcome sight as the shade trees within these oases of green provide a relief from the midday heat. At the gardens of Saheliyon ki Bari (Garden of the Maids of Honor), visitors can relax amidst fountains and lotus pools presided over by life-size marble elephants while Sarjan Niwas Gardens has the best herbarium in northern India and a profusion of tropical and sub-tropical trees and plants. There are also some excellent Rajasthani folk arts and crafts on sale in the stores and markets with some of the best buys including puppets, masks, costumes and musical instruments.

Our wonderful private guides can show open the doors of a village, town, city or country. On your next trip spend a few hours or days with them and really get to know the local customs, markets and culture.  From Umberto in Venice to Chaal in Morocco, you'll be made welcome and become friends. 

For the opportunity to live in a piece of contemporary art, journey to Sicily and stay at Atelier sul Mare.  Artist have turned each guest room into an instillation with the caveats that there must be a place to hang clothes and somewhere to sleep.  To become part of a work of art is not an everyday happening!

For fans of the French movie Amelie about a young girl living in Paris' Montmartre, you can experience a bit of the film in real life by visiting Le Bouclard, a bistro  of dark wood with locals drinking the house Beaujolais and dining on andouillettes.

Fans of the "designer hotels" are talking about the modern K West hotel near Shepherd's Bush tube station in London.  With a dramatic glass exterior and illuminated panel artworks, flat screen TVs in the bedrooms and Philippe Starck bathrooms, it has people gaping.

Visitors to Shanghai will want to get reservations in advance to dine at T8 Restaurant & Bar, the brainchild of Australian chef Steve Baker.  Fusion is key to the food and the contemporary space is a mix of old and new architectural styles.  With only 90 seats, it's always full.