Are you travelling to the USA? I’ve just returned from a sacred place in Arizona. More than half a million Canadians make Arizona their second home. I guess it’s the quality of the sun and air. I loved it. There’s nothing else like it. Temperature in January and February usually run in the low 70’s during the day. Perfect for hiking, canyon exploring, golf, cycling and rock climbing. Although The Boulders Resort www.TheBoulders.com  boasts a 33,000-square-foot Golden Door spa, with 24 treatment spaces and a full menu of both indigenous desert and international treatments, the design affords a feeling of intimacy.

You aren’t likely to find yourself bumping into other spa guests while you seek your little bit of nirvana as there is space to spare here.  The Boulders is situated on 1,300-acres in the Sonoran Desert foothills.  It was my first time sleeping in an adobe-style structure and I adored it—stone, wood, natural light, surrounded by indigenous plants and wildlife.  It’s not unusual to hear in the distance the howl of coyotes in the night. Environmental groups have acknowledged The Boulders’ eco-friendly design and materials, earning the Urban Land Institute’s Environmental Award of Excellence among other awards.

When I arrived to the Golden Door Spa I had flown in from the province of Ontario in eastern Canada.  To say I was tired was not the half of it. I had forgotten my credit cards and money back home.  I boarded the plane with not two cents to my name.  I wasn’t a happy camper on the ‘plane with no funds to purchase more than a cup of free water.

Back home fall was coming to an end with crisp winds signalling winter’s approach.  What I left behind in Ontario was nothing like what met me in Carefree, Arizona; it tipped the balance to my total recovery. Always a fan of Hollywood’s western film I fell in love with sagebrush, cactus, ancient rock formation, and the desert when very young.  Here I was decades later full-frontal with the very landscape etched into my imagination from all those giddy up cowboy films – towering 50-foot Saguaro cactus, granite boulders in excess of twelve-million-years-old housed in the Sonoran Desert. I nearly expected to see any second John Wayne, Audie Murphy, or Annie Oakley riding over the horizon on horseback. But it was not to be…just the sounds of the winds blowing over the grasslands behind me as I made my way through the spa’s heavy ornate entrance doors to another world.

In the coming days, during a hot air balloon adventure over the Sonoron Desert, I learn that saguaro first made an appearance in the desert 8,000-years-ago and begins life first as a tiny seed before reaching heights of 40-feet between fifty to one-hundred-years later.

The Golden Door Spa offers an essential oils massage that did wonders for my lungs. The treatment is expensive but works almost like magic…at least for me. The Golden Door Spa is within the world renowned The Boulders Resort in Carefree, Arizona.  The unique labyrinth at the Golden Door Spa is inspired by ancient Hopi medicine wheels. The labyrinth is but a few minutes’ stroll from the spa entrance.  I’m also scheduled to receive a lymphatic massage that should kick-start my lymphatic system into high gear in order to help my body rid itself of the kind of bacteria I don’t want circulating in my body fluids. It is said a highly skilled lymphatic massage improves the efficiency of the immune system.  It’s the sort of treatment that improves in close succession.  I’m also looking forward to the Adobe Clay Wrap treatment slotted in for the following day.  I desperately want to try this Sonoran Desert treatment that begins with a stimulating and extremely healthful dry exfoliation from a native ayate cloth.  I inquire as to my not liking an excess of sticky oil on my skin after a massage. I’m informed that after the authentic adobe clay extracts body impurities and works on stiff and tired muscles the full-body and scalp massage are followed by a full-body hydration treatment with desert sage oil known for its healing absorption properties.  In the end I am very pleased with this treatment.  I’m in for the ride; but, I find it difficult to tear myself away from the ancient boulders both days. The landscape is breathtaking and soothing to the psyche.

I make my way into the spa waiting room. Mounds of fresh fruit greet me.  The refreshing natural sunlight streams into the room without heating the space.  Very sophisticated air circulation system I wager secretly.  I feel as if I’m outside in natural air. The room is spotless…something I like very much, too. A very tall man in a white fluffy robe strolls into the waiting room, gives me a smile, and sits down. I don’t know where to begin.  Talk or eat. Eat or talk. Spa etiquette says not to talk someone’s ear off while waiting for a treatment.  I remain silent. I’m ten minutes’ early. The fruit and health food bars look so tempting from across the spacious room. I opt for something I’ve never heard of and looks simple enough. Within five minutes of drinking the Golden Door Potassium Broth I truly felt the life and energy return to my tired bones.  I truly could not believe how energized I felt and how fast it happened. What’s best is that this special broth as well as other fresh fruits and drinks are complimentary at the spa.

The power of the universe is brought to The Boulders Resort with a special Spring Equinox dinner event. Dining with the Stars is an annual Spring Equinox dinner, offering a special dining evening with spiritual readings by noted astrologer Thomas McMullan (see below for link). There is a cocktail reception before the six course dinner and wine pairings by Long Meadow Ranch Winery.

Delightful Breakfast in Palo Verde

The Boulders Resort/Golden Door Spa is a special place…so unique that you must feel it to believe it. There is so much on tap with expert instructors you’ll have a difficult time deciding where to spend the bulk of your time.  Not to worry. The resort’s educational staff will help you through it all, from special meditation programmes to rock climbing suitable for beginners to advanced.   The Boulders Resort sports two Jay Morrish-designed championship golf courses, so I wasn’t surprised to learn of the Upper Cuts program for the golfer.  The golf course was listed in Golf Digest’s “America’s 25 Best Resort Courses.”

I would return to The Boulders just for the Yin-Yoga & Restorative Yoga. There are a multitude of programs to keep just about anybody stoked for interest. Golden Door Spa knows how to get to the core elements of health and wellbeing.  Try yoga in the spa’s organic garden followed by lunch in the spa cafe. The cafe area faces outdoors to the pool and ancient hills. The outdoor terrace serves the spa cuisine menu. You may wish to purchase chef Dean Rucker’s cookery book “Golden Door Cooks at Home: Favorite Recipes from the Celebrated Spa” written by chef Dean Rucker, Executive Chef at the Golden Door, Escondido, California, with Marah Stets, published by Clarkson Potter, April 2009, hardcover.  I’m not sure if there are any copies left but it cannot hurt to ask. The recipe for Lemongrass-Ginger Broth with Shrimp and Snow Peas is wonderful. The book may be ordered by telephoning 1-800-857-0500 www.goldendoorboutique.com or email: boutique@goldendoor.com Don’t forget the adjacent 18-holes golf course. Telephone Toll Free 1-866-397-6520 Twitter account is @GoldenDoorSpa @BouldersResort

Prickly Pear Cocktail

Arizona can see some high temperatures in July and August.  A cool cocktail in hand feels good when the weather is hot.  The Boulders Resort in Carefree, Arizona is known for luxury on all fronts. The Golden Door Spa in an adjacent complex of its own serves great non-alcoholic drinks with flourishes from the spa’s private herb garden and fruit trees…fresh mint, strawberry, lime, lemon…the list is long.  The Boulders Resort has recently introduced the  Finlandia Cactus Spritzer made with Finlandia mandarin vodka, elderflower liquor, grapefruit juice and prickly pear syrup. Prickly Pear cactus is native to the area and has been important to the Mexican and Central American diet for over one thousand years.   The prickly pear grows to 15 feet tall, the flattened pads covered in small barbed spines.  The fleshy stem stores water as well as the pads.  Prickly pears show off gloriously coloured flowers in the spring with cerise to purple to yellow.  Juice is extracted from the fruit buds and used in syrup and jelly as well as drinks. Enjoy this spritzer in the Discovery Lounge at The Boulders Resort.

Sacred Labyrinth Meditation

FYI

Truly Canadian

A Warm-Weather Desert Retreat Awaits

Discover an extraordinary desert hideaway, newly transformed, in the heart of the Sonoran Desert. Relax in our recently renovated Casitas and step into an atmosphere brimming with modern touches. These enhanced accommodations feature wood burning fireplaces, 42-inch flat screen HDTV’s, hand-hewn wood-beamed ceilings, private balconies, and much more.

An Exclusive Offer For Canadian Travelers

A “Truly Canadian” experience awaits at our unique desert hideaway in the Sonoran Desert Foothills. Canadian travelers are invited to enjoy the warm weather, nightly accommodations, daily breakfast, valet parking, access to the Golden Door Spa fitness facilities and classes, high-speed Internet access, discounts, and more, all in a beautiful, breathtaking desert setting.

Hiking hidden ancient boulders pathways

The Truly Canadian Package includes:

• Luxurious nightly accommodations in a private Casita
• Daily breakfast ($15 per adult breakfast credit per day-choice of Palo Verde, The Bakery, The Spa Café, Bogey’s or In Room Dining)
• Welcome “Boulderini” drinks upon arrival (a regional twist from a traditional Bellini)
• Complimentary access to the Golden Door Spa and use of fitness facilities and unlimited classes
• 20% off spa services at the world-renowned Golden Door Spa (excludes salon services)
• Inclusive of Resort Fee – Includes valet parking, service personnel gratuities (excluding spa and food & beverage staff), transportation throughout the resort, in-room high speed internet and daily newspaper
• Complimentary golf club and shoe rentals for golf played at The Boulders Club
• Complimentary tennis racquet rental for tennis played at The Boulders

• http://www.theboulders.com/PDF/AstrologicalSoulReading.pdf Astrological Soul Reading Golden Door Spa package. 50 minutes / $155.

• www.hotairexpeditions.com    Hot Air Expeditions has been voted the “number one hot air balloon company in Phoenix” by Fodor’s Travel for the last sixteen years in a row. Come and see why! Telephone 1-800-831-7610  Pick-up from  Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch  (7-acre lagoon with singing gondolier).  www.scottsdale.hyatt.com

www.TheBoulders.com

Golden Door Spa  telephone 1-866-397-6520

Airbus A380 launches a new dimension in travel

Luft is the German word for “air”.  Hansa is a medieval trading group.  Thus the creation of the name “Lufthansa”. Lufthansa Airlines carry 4.9 million passengers per month. Lufthansa travels to 200 destinations in over 80 countries, including daily flights to Beijing, Johannesburg, New York, Tokyo, Singapore and Houston.  Lufthansa Aviation Center (LAC) is stationed in Frankfurt, Germany and is a testiment to sensitive stewardship of the airline’s employees. LAC sports indoor gardens, modern employee cafeteria and lounge with wraparound views of the Frankfurt skyline, and a state-of-the-art air purification system.

Lufthansa’s new flagship double-deck, 526-seat Airbus A380 is the largest,
greenest passenger aircraft in the world. As of 2012 Lufthansa has ten A380 aircraft in the air with more A380 on order. Frankfurt, Germany is home base for the fuel efficient wide-body jet outfitted with four Rolls Royce Trent engines and a Global Positioning System for precision runway landing and take-off positions.

A380 First Class Loo

The Frankfurt separate First Class air terminal service offers the amenities of a small luxury hotel, including fine dining and extravagant cocktail lounge serving almost 90 whiskies, spacious bathrooms with both huge soaker bath and seperate shower, offering fluffy bathrobes, private rooms to take a nap, spacious Cigar Lounge with mini-bar serving exclusive brands, Business Lounge which offers private office units equipped with telephone, internet kiosk, laptop sockets, WLAN and office stationary. The Service Centre offers the use of a printer, photocopier and fax machine. Transport from the separate Frankfurt First Class terminal to the aircraft is by chauffeured shuttle in a Porsche or Mercedes-Benz and only takes a few minutes.

A personal assistant greets you in the foyer of the First Class Terminal and promptly and discreetly handles all of the formalities for your journey, and will accompany you through security and see that you are checked in for your flight.

It is possible to arrive at Frankfurt’s First Class separate terminal and clear exit immigration and find yourself in the aircraft within twenty minutes. But then you’d miss all that exquisite imported wine in the private lounge. Take note: the separate First Class Terminal at Frankfurt Aiport is for use by passengers flying Lufthansa First Class or Miles & More HON Circle members and only on a flight operated by Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airlines Group, Lufthansa Regional, Lufthansa, or SWISS.

For those passengers using First Class or Business Class in the main Frankfurt terminal, access to the second tier of the A380 is by separate entrance for passenger convenience. There are eight seats in First Class. Seats recline to a flat bed dressed in Egyptian cotton sheets by Fleuresse, mattress by Paradies, and a temperature-regulating duvet for personal passenger comfort. Two bathrooms similar in size to that found in many Manhattan apartments service the First Class cabin. The men’s loo is discreetly hidden away in the First Class bathroom. Amenity kit by Porsche Design with La Mer beauty products, garment bag for clothes (while you change into PJs) and turn-down service quietly announce a new way to experience the sky.

19 May 2010 Lufthansa Inaugural A380 Flight, Germany

Lufthansa has upped the pleasure quotient for First Class with personally adjustable partition screens for seats, a cabin humidification system that assists with jet lag, personal wardrobes with locks, and ottomans for storage space.  It’s like a little world of your own making. Dining is Michelin Star Chef-designed with wine chosen by Markus Del Monego, Lufthansa’s sommelier. Entertainment options are state-of-the art and include a 17-inch LCD personal screen. There is a power supply for worldwide electronic connections (iPhone USB Ports). Business Class is on the second deck of the aircraft with 98 seats that recline fully for sleeping. Economy Class is spacious and takes up the entire first deck of the aircraft with separate access terminal-to-aircraft.  Lufthansa has ordered 15 A380s. Additional routes added as A380s are delivered.

The First Class Frankfurt lounge is open daily 5:30 am to 10:30 pm. Valet parking at Frankfurt and Munich hubs for First Class passengers and HON Circle Members affords true luxury in travel. Limousine service is available at Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich and Geneva airports and also provided by partner airlines Austrian Airlines Group and SWISS at the Frankfurt airport.

Villa Kennedy

One aspect of the Frankfurt airport I especially liked is the opportunity to walk within the terminal after passing through exit customs to the Sheraton hotel which has 1,000 rooms.  The shopping along the way to the Sheraton is excellent. Another excellent hotel but on a smaller scale is Villa Kennedy, about a fifteen-minute cab ride from Frankfurt’s International Airport.

Beginning on the 1st of January in 2012 Lufthansa offers First and Business Class passengers on long-haul flights from the USA to Germany exclusive Star Chef menus created by the chefs of the luxury hotel group, Mandarin Oriental. The menus are designed and developed every two-months by the chefs of the Mandarin Oriental hotels in San Francisco, New York, Miami and Washington. The Star Chef series begins with the Mandarin Oriental San Francisco. Culinary delights will be prepared from the enormous choice of fresh ingredients sourced from local farmers and the high-quality fresh fish and seafood, combining European culinary techniques with the flavours of Asian cuisine. Mandarin Oriental currently operates the world’s most prestigious hotels in 26 countries in Asia, America and Europe.

Star Chef Norbert Kostner, a native of South Tyrol, of the Mandarin Oriental will continue to serve extraordinary menus in First and Business Class on flights from Bangkok and Singapore to Germany.

First and Business Class passengers travelling from Tokyo or Nagoya experience cuisine created by top chefs from the luxury hotel ‘The Peninsula Tokyo’.  On flights from Osaka enjoy the culinary skills of the Swissôtel Nankai Osaka. All four Star Chefs involved (Adam Mathis, Teruyuki Kojima, Gerhard Gerber and Masahiko Ikebe) have many years of culinary experience and have already received countless awards. For those First and Business Class passengers on flights travelling to and from India Farman Ali and Surender Mohan serve the highest quality Indian cuisine. Their latest menu creations will be available on board from March 2011. Both chefs work in the restaurants of the Leela Group, a luxury hotel chain in India.

In 2010 for the whole of the year First Class and Business Class passengers on flights from China to Germany were treated to two outstanding chefs’ culinary creations from the luxury hotel, The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai.

A380 Economy Class

Two heads are better than one

In January and February 2012, twins Thomas and Mathias Sühring are at the helm for the Star Chef menus in Lufthansa’s premium classes on long-haul flights from Germany. The brothers, who were born in Berlin in 1977, are chefs at ‘Mezzaluna’, one of Bangkok’s top restaurants .  “Twin chefs” is a new concept, and one which hopes to tantalize its guests with a unique blend of Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. Thomas Sühring served his chef’s apprenticeship at the Hilton Hotel in Berlin and subsequent jobs included working for Executive Chef Heinz Beck at La Pergola Restaurant in Rome. His brother Mathias trained at Berlin’s Maritim proArte Hotel and later worked for Dutch chef Jonnie Boer at his restaurant in Zwolle. The twins perfected their culinary skills together working for Sven Elverfeld at the Ritz-Carlton in Wolfsburg.

Wine with me

Markus Del Monego travels the world for Lufthansa passengers, seeking the finest wines to serve on Lufthansa First and Business Class flights. Markus was named sommelier world champion by international wine experts. He supports Lufthansa with Vinothek Discoveries, offering a unique selection of fine wines very two-months. On all intercontinental flights, First and Business Class passengers are offered a wine list with detailed descriptions, origin and vintage of each wine.   http://bit.ly/xVDrdn

Apps

mobile.lufthansa.com mobile booking and rebooking options. Download the new Lufthansa apps even faster: simply enter http://mobile.lufthansa.com/lp/bkm into your smartphone’s browser. Your smartphone type will be recognised automatically and the correct app version prepared for download.

Lufthansa Aviation Center (LAC), Frankfurt

Location of Lufthansa First Class Terminal: 

The Frankfurt First Class Terminal is in the immediate vicinity of Terminal 1. You can reach it by car via the access road to Terminal 1: take the turning on the right signposted ‘First Class Terminal’ approximately 200 metres before Terminal 1. If you are arriving by public transport, the First Class Terminal is just a few minutes’ walk away from Terminal 1.

If you are a Frequent Traveller your companions can choose between the Lufthansa Business Lounges in Germany and the USA and the Welcome Lounge at Frankfurt Airport. One-off entry costs €25 or US$35 for the Business Lounges and €50 or US$70 for the Welcome Lounge. As a Senator you are already able to invite one companion, as well as your own children under 18, to join you in Lufthansa Senator Lounges free of charge. Additional companions can purchase entry to the Lufthansa Senator Lounges in Germany and the USA. One-off entry costs €40 or US$50. Of course Senators‘ companions can also purchase entry to the Lufthansa Business Lounges in Germany and the USA and the Welcome Lounge at Frankfurt.

www.lufthansaa.com

Lufthansa A380 http://bit.ly/yiZUsO  virtual tour of first class A380

Frankfurt airport: Change of Gate letter from A to Z

Frankfurt airport, Germany’s most important gateway, will soon be expanded by the Pier A-Plus. To integrate the new pier into the existing infrastructure the first preparatory steps are being taken already. Gates in the Non-Schengen area in Terminal 1, Pier A will be re-named, overnight on 23 November 2011: Gates A51 to A65 will now be called Gates Z11 to Z25. The opening of the new pier is planned for summer 2012. Besides 23 new gates the passengers will find attractive shopping opportunities here as well as five new Lufthansa Lounges.

  lufthansa.com/in-case-of  Winter-proof your flight.

The world’s largest passenger aircraft.  What it takes to get off the ground.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfiVpOTZu9U&feature=related

A380-800 VIP experience.  http://youtu.be/gs2S0Es5-z4

Find your Lufthansa airport lounge.  http://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/Lounges

Lufthansa FlyNet® and GSM technology available.  http://www.lufthansa-flynet.com/?l=en

http://bit.ly/xM5CaQ  Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel & Conference Center

www.villakennedy.com Frankfurt

http://wp.me/pDQWN-fv  Sex And The City Shoe Fetish

London, England

Cunard Transatlantic Crossing  –  7-days on Queen Mary 2 ocean liner.  Eastbound  (New York to Southampton) May 4, 2012.  Westbound (Southampton to New York) May 22, 2012.  www.cunard.com

Cunard Line 22-night voyage departing Sydney, Australia on 14 February 2012; a 20-night voyage departing Fremantle on 8 February 2012 and a 21-night voyage departing Adelaide on 11 February 2012.  www.cunard.com

McNaught &Todd English

Canyon Ranch health resorts on land and at sea set the gold standard in fitness, health and wellness, and spa treatments with state-of-the-art equipment, facilities and personnel that cater to both sexes at all levels of endurance. Strut your stuff during a jog on the ship’s open-air 360-degree Promenade Deck around the longest ship ever built (3 laps = 1.1 miles). An entire fitness regime could be built around the Promenade Deck. It’s possible to engage in a whole new way to live and view life after taking advantage of what Canyon Ranch SpaClub® experts have to offer. There are classes for the golfer, runner, dancer, cyclist, swimmer, yoga, and cardio enthusiast.  A Cunard dog walker is available to help keep your pet in tip top shape.

Canyon Ranch SpaClub®

The SpaClub® is 20,000-square feet on two-decks with spectacular ocean views and a staff of over 50. There is a hairdressing salon and a full complement of beauty treatments and well-being classes offered for men and women. You can get your teeth whitened to make any mother proud, your bones manipulated during a chiropractic session, your scalp thanking you due to a Wild Lime Blossom massage treatment, your brain cells multiplying from one of the educational lectures, and just in case the ship’s four stabilizers built by Brown Brothers of Edinburgh, Scotland don’t keep an even keel – which is unlikely – a unique massage for a queasy tummy is on tap; perhaps a relaxing drink in the Golden Lion Pub will do the trick instead, or at any one of a number of cocktails lounges. Put on your best duds and step out in style alone or in a group. Everyone is made to feel special on the Queen Mary 2.

Chandrika is one of the Ayuredic therapists on the Queen Mary 2. She says there are two main kinds of Ayurveda treatments offered on the QM2: Abhyangam massage and Kizhi (herbal pouch treatment) utilizing imported authentic Ayurvedic medicated oils. “Authentic” is the operative word here to keep in mind. Cunard is known for offering guests the highest possible quality of service to make your voyage a memorable one. Chandrika uses a special massage to reduce pain, inflammation, swelling and in the case of post running issues to aid in the removal of waste body by-products such as lactic acid.

Thai Massage

Thai massage – where arms and legs are gently eased this way and that way for a long and careful stretch by the therapist– is one of the new treatments on the Queen Mary 2. The treatment makes use of pressure points on the body followed by deep strokes along body energy channels for cross-fibre friction massage. After our separate treatments, both my daughter and I agreed the Thai massage was an exhilarating experience that left us feeling taller, lighter, and full of energy to spare. The cocooning envelopment bed is another very popular relaxation treatment.

Empire Casino

The SpaClub® is more than a place to get gussied up in one of more than 24 massage, body and skin care treatment rooms and ready for the numerous evening balls in the largest ballroom at sea in the Queens Room, or to be appropriately seen making an entrance down one of the sweeping staircases or in the always packed G32 disco. The SpaClub® is a refuge to discover your personal qualities at your own pace. The SpaClub® is also a place to learn the six steps to healthy eating for weight loss or weight maintenance. Canyon Ranch cuisine available in all QM2 dining rooms assists with a weight maintenance plan. The menu is extensive and exciting. I think a week on the QM2 enjoying all the benefits of the SpaClub® is an ideal way in which to get ready for a wedding…exercise, beauty treatments…it’s all available on the QM2.

Spa Cuisine

A personal meal plan can be organized during a Personal Analysis session to make things really easy. Issues of sweeteners, salt, carbohydrates, fibre and protein are addressed with nutritionally balanced meals. Canyon Ranch spa menu selections involve whole-wheat buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup and fresh fruit, salads using fresh herbs and quality oils and vinegars, soups such as roasted corn chowder with dill, lemongrass coconut chicken soup, soba noodles with seared scallops and cucumber salad, crab and mango salad, sushi, fish, raspberry mustard-crusted chicken breast, sautéed snapper with kumquat vinaigrette, seared beef tenderloin with truffle, and crème brulee with Grand Marnier liqueur make up just some of the sumptuous offerings.

What’s stretching got to do with it

Brandan, SpaClub fitness instructor, suggests for the first-timer to speak with the orientation gym instructor about appropriate classes and correct use of the equipment available to you. Brandan highly recommends a sixty minutes’ Personal Training session to make full use of the weight training, Pilates reformer work or Yoga/Pilates mat work. Brandan says often the PT sessions overlap into a custom nutrition plan for fat reduction and/or muscle gain. And for anyone taking part in a marathon, a PT session will incorporate an LSD training and interval-training schedule along with stretching and strength training exercises, nutritional advice, massage, and advice to set a personal goal that leads up to race day.

And for those persons with mobility or physical limitations the “Sit ‘n’ be Fit” exercise class done in chairs and “Totally Tubing” class will teach you how to improve balance and muscle strength when getting up from a seat or toilet or when reaching up to lift objects down from a shelf, all very important movements as we age or recover from a prolonged illness where movement has been restricted. During one such class I learnt that there was an imbalance on one side of my body. Strength training on this one side was in order. Just remember when you first board the ship not to let the elegance and grandeur overwhelm you so that you forget there is some measure of organizational skill needed to tap in to the ship’s extensive activities and spa offerings.

Spa Open House

On the first day before sailing there is an open house and tour held at the Spa. Spa services may be arranged in advance of sailing (up to 21 days) or once sailing has begun. Read the “Today’s Activities” schedule delivered to your stateroom each day for important information on the ship’s activities. This piece of information is invaluable. Keep it with you as you travel about the ship just in case you have a change of heart and find yourself wanting to use the putting and driving ranges, and golf simulator on a whim and find yourself instead near one of the many fabulous pools. In addition to the SpaClub® indoor pool, there are four outside pools one with a retractable glass roof. Healthy choices on the Queen Mary 2 Cunard ocean liner.

www.cunard.com

http://www.cunard.com/Ships/Queen-Mary-2/Leisure–Entertainment-/Daytime-Activities/Canyon-Ranch-Spa/

http://www.cunard.com/About-Cunard-Line/News-Room/Cunard-News/?art=8421  Say “I Do” to a wedding at sea on Cunard!

http://www.cunard.com/Ships/Queen-Mary-2/Dining/  Chef Todd English

Here is how to pre-reserve your Queen Mary 2 Canyon Ranch SpaClub® services. Appointments may be made between 60 days and 7 days prior to sailing; if less than 7 days, bookings need to be made on board.

You can download the SpaClub Guide to Services above, or email or call us (contact details below), and we will be happy to send you a Guide to Services by email or in the post.

To book your Canyon Ranch SpaClub® services, please call Reservations:

US: Toll-free 866.860.4662.

Worldwide: Call collect/reverse charges: +1.702.414.3600 or e-mail tgarcia@canyonranch.com. This email is for questions only.  To make an appointment please call the toll free number.

Award-winning Canyon Ranch – with its family of destination health resorts, hotel, wellness communities and SpaClubs – has been the acknowledged world leader in healthy living expertise and a haven of luxury, comfort and warmth for 30 years. Experience the profound pleasures of Canyon Ranch in a spectacular setting – on board Cunard’s storied flagship. Enhance your voyage with a Passport to our inspiring health and fitness oasis and with services, presentations and exercise classes that enhance resilience, restore serenity and feel fantastic.

For more information about Canyon Ranch, visit www.canyonranch.com

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise  http://ow.ly/7ozYf was on the short list as the honeymoon location for William and Kate.  The Canadian Rocky Mountain Alberta location is world renowned.  Opened in 1890, the hotel is considered the birthplace of Canadian mountaineering. Phillip Abbot was the first man to fall to his death just shy of the summit of Mount Lefroy.  Immediately thereafter, two Swiss mountain guides were hired by the hotel to guide guests up the mountains. When I stayed at the hotel several years ago in spring I witnessed two small avalanches. I still recall the powerful rumblings of the rushing snow just across the lake. The famous lake once was known as Emerald Lake due to the blue/green colour of Lake Louise.  In honour of Queen Victoria’s fourth daughter, Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, the name was changed to Lake Louise. The Swiss influence from fondue to mountain exploration is still evident at the Chateau to this day. Take a stroll around Lake Louise.

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Balcony View

The Fairmont Banff Springs is another hotel in the Fairmont family befitting the Royal Couple. Banff Springs is fondly referred to as the “Castle in the Rockies.”  The hotel is built of rundle rock and sits within a protected national park.  It’s an all-year resort hotel known for its cuisine, exemplary service, spa, indoor and outdoor heated pools, original art collection, golf and year-round leisure opportunities in a mountain setting. The hotel is just a few minutes’ from the town of Banff. I got a real kick out of enjoying a beef sandwich in town at a great cafe with the fitting name of The Bison  www.thebison.ca on Bear Street. I then walked a few blocks to the Bow River where I rented a canoe from Blue Canoe  http://bit.ly/bJQlXG  on Bow Avenue.

If you have not relaxed outdoors in a heated pool, snow-capped mountains soaring towards the sky yet seeming close enough to touch, then you haven’t lived. Banff Springs is blessed with natural spring waters and spectacular mountain scenery unrivalled anywhere in the world.  I haven’t covered every single corner of the hotel but from the multitude of angles I’ve viewed there isn’t a bad view of the landscape.

The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

No wonder high profile film stars since the beginning have stayed here and made movies here, too.  Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s film “The River of No Return”  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf5Q5kmgZ_k .   The song Marilyn sings always breaks my heart.  The Fairmont Banff Springs converges at the Bow Valley and Spray Rivers.  The celebrated golf course follows part of the Bow River.  In 1992 the government of Canada declared Banff Springs a National Historic site.  In the 1990’s 25-million was spent on the Art Center.  The Conference Center ranks with the best of facilities. The Alberta Rockies have been well received over the years by the Royal Family.  I so enjoyed my visit to both Fairmont locations as I and everybody in my tour group were made to feel special in an individual way.

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Thinking of a visit to the Canadian Rocky Mountains, here are a few websites to make your search easier:

Fly, take the train or bus or even hop on your bike. 

Fairmont BMW programme

www.fairmont.com  Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise   http://bit.ly/rEeUoG  http://twitter.com/#!/FairmontCLL

http://www.fairmont.com/banffsprings/

West Jet  Airline www.westjet.com  http://twitter.com/#!/westjet

Air Canada Airline  www.aircanada.com   http://twitter.com/#!/aircanada

VIA RAIL  www.viarail.ca  http://twitter.com/#!/via_rail  Take VIA Rail across Canada for a winter wonderland experience.

www.banffgondola.com  Catch a town bus to the Gondola!

Banff Roam Bus

http://www.brewstertransportation.com/  Calgary to Banff, Alberta and to the Rockies as well as many other locations.  Motor Coach Charter to travel in comfort and style.   http://twitter.com/#!/brewstercanada

www.fairmont.com  Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise   http://bit.ly/rEeUoG

www.calgarytower.com  I enjoyed lunch at Calgary’s famous landmark, the Calgary Tower, at 101- 9 Avenue.  The Panorama dining room lives up to the name.  This is a “must-do” on your bucket list.

http://www.river-cafe.com   Telephone 403-261-7670  The River Cafe in Calgary, Alberta has a wonderful location adjacent a river.  The day I visited a family of ducks waddled by. Cute as a pin.  The website interior pictures are lovely and truly reflect the rustic and elegant ambiance of the restaurant. The River Cafe just won Tourism Calgary’s 2011 White Hat Awards for “Best Restaurant” and is a leader in sustainability.  Ask about the six course “Fish and Game Tasting” menu.  www.twitter.com/RiverCafeCalg

http://wp.me/pDQWN-eJ  Cocktails info

www.whyte.org  Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, 111 Bear Street, Banff, Alberta.  Telephone 403-762-2291  Here you’ll find unique exhibitions in beautiful surroundings.

http://www.banffrafting.org/   River rafting is almost at your doorstep in Banff, Alberta.

www.hotsprings.ca  You can buy a new swimsuit and take a dip in the termal waters.  Massage is available. Toll Free  1-800-767-1611  403-762-1515

http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ab/banff/index.aspx Banff Park Museum, 91 Banff Avenue, Banff, Alberta.  You’ll find this delightful museum on the main street adjacent a park.

http://www.banffpark.tv/buffalonationsluxtonmuseum/   Birch Avenue. Telephone:  403-762-2388  Excellent examples of the Indians of the Northern Plains and Canadian Rockies natural landscape are to be found at this museum. Gift shop.

www.num-ti-jah.com Simpson’s Num-Ti-Jah Lodge, Lake Louise, Alberta. The lodge has lovely river and mountains views.  Excellent base camp for skiing and mountain climbing adventures. Twitter account: @NTJLodge

http://www.mpljasper.com/hotels/chateau_jasper/   Chateau Jasper, 96 Geikie Street, Jasper, Alberta. Toll Free:  1-888-8JASPER

www.thebison.ca  213 – 211 Bear Street, Banff, Alberta.  You’ll find the highest quality selection of gourmet sandwiches. Food gift shop.  Try the Sylvan Star Grizzly Gouda (Canada Cow Raw);  Bleu Des Causses (cow, France); Chevre Noir (Canada Goat) award winners.

http://www.banfflakelouise.com/

Banff Gondola

http://www.mountroyalhotel.com  877-442-2623 Looking for plain and simple accommodation right in town?  I was so satisfied with The Mount Royal Hotel that I wouldn’t mind a repeat visit ’cause i had the best eggs over easy with bacon in the hotel’s restaurant I’ve ever had bar none!  The Mount Royal opened in 1908. My room had a great view to the main street.  But I enjoyed peace and solitude the entire night.  One point about the town of Banff.  You never know when you’re going to see perhaps one of Santa’s reindeers.  About 10: pm one summer’s eve I heard rustling in the bushes as I walked past a tiny park on main street.  Lo and behold a cute deer chewing on a leaf.  Cannot say who or what you’ll see come December.

www.banffcentre.ca  The Banff Centre.  Toll Free: 1-800-413-8368   Perfect spot for a pre or post theatre cocktail.  You’ll see live performances on a world scale such as Pride and Predjudice.  The Three Ravens Wine Bar is the go-to spot for dining with a mountain view.  Even if the dining room or the bar didn’t have the spectacular Canadian Rocky Mountains as backdrop…the Ravens is the elegant place to find the best in food and wine.

http://www.banffmapleleaf.com  137 Banff Avenue, Banff, Alberta.  Chef Morne Burger travelled from Cape Town, South Africa, his birth place, to learn the art of creating unique dishes in London, England and finally to Banff where he dishes up pizzas, using local game.  I want to try his “Sticky Maple & Jalepeno Duck Wings”.

www.giorgiosbanff.com  219 Banff Avenue, Banff, Alberta.  403-762-5114.  This is a family spot worth checking out.  Bring the kids and celebrate granny or grandpap’s birthday with AAA Alberta beef. Special seating for up to 200 guests.  If you love Italian like I love Italian then you won’t be disappointed with this Trattoria on two floors. Imported parma ham, olive oil and cheeses. Classic homemade pasta and traditional thin crust pizza baked in a special wood burning oven.  New and Old World wine list.

www.skilouise.com  Twitter account:  @SkiLouise    http://bit.ly/sVYmjZ

http://www.santespa.com     Before or after visiting Calgary, Alberta check out the Institut de Sante’s Living Better Centre.  There’s a new foot treatment at the spa!  Wendy Smeltzer, Medical Director, has over 11 years of specialized experience in cosmetic medicine. 230 – 508 24^th Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta Telephone 403.228.2772
Email your special request.  calgary@santespa.com  (Victoria, British Columbia location, too.)

If you’re not familiar with Banff and Lake Louise, you’re missing out. With three exhilarating ski areas and almost 8,000 acres of terrain, you’ll find slopes to suit every level and desire. One interchangeable lift ticket covers three distinctive areas: Mt. Norquay, The Lake Louise Ski Area and Sunshine Village. It also grants access to bus systems that whisk you from hotel to the slopes. The best thing about it: the season runs from November to May, giving you tons of time to carve your turns.

Mt. Norquay: Mt. Norquay, just 10 minutes from the town of Banff, is widely considered to be Banff’s best family ski resort and a handy place to warm up your mountain muscles. Skiers and riders will find terrain for all levels, including spectacularly groomed runs and a terrain park. This ski area has the only night skiing in Banff National Park and a tubing park if you are keen to try a different way of cruising down the slopes.

Sunshine Village: Skiers and riders swear by Sunshine Village’s natural snow, panoramic views, the casual intermediate slopes and access to true steeps. Once you’re up at the village it will seem like an entirely different winter world. Cross the border into British Collumbia. on the Great Divide Chair to enjoy powder stashes in the sheltered gullies.

The Lake Louise Ski Area: With runs spread over four mountain faces, The Lake Louise Ski Area has views to die for and enviable slope conditions that change with the weather and direction of the sun. Warm up with a few groomers on the front side or challenge yourself on the double black-diamond backside bowls. The unique layout allows families and groups of varying abilities to ski together. Beginner, intermediate and expert runs are options from the top of nearly every lift.

Banff’s vibrant apràs-ski scene offers a variety of experiences that will help you unwind after a long day at the hill. Choose from regionally inspired appetizers at a hotel lounge, a pint of locally made beer at the pub or a Swiss fondue next to a crackling fire. Banff is a ski town to the core – just walk the streets to find an après-ski experience that will fit you like a custom boot.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can get to Banff and Lake Louise this winter visit the Ski.com special deals page or give us a call at 800-299-0656 and speak with one of our experienced Mountain Vacation Specialists.

Banff Whyte Museum Gmoser, Louis, 1961 copyright photo

Photos courtesy of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

Photos Bow River / Fairmont Banff Springs  & Banff Gondola copyright May DeLory

FLASH THIS  Natalie wined herself around the world to bring you a really good read and taste of the red and white stuff.  www.nataliemaclean.com/book  UNQUENCHABLE is Natalie’s latest book on the world’s best bargain wines. Check it out at DOUBLEDAY CANADA PUBLISHERS.

Cuvée’s red carpet celebration of Ontario winemaking excellence takes place Friday through Sunday, March 2^nd through 4^th, 2012, with a record 63 wineries participating.  Tickets are available at www.cuvee.ca or by calling 905-684-8688.  Cuvée en Route passports can be purchased separately for $30.00 per person, via the same outlets or at participating wineries on Cuvée Weekend.  Ticket and event information, details about each winery’s Cuvée en Route tastings, overnight accommodation packages, and announcements about participating wineries and chefs can all be found on the Cuvée web site, www.cuvee.ca.

Win a four week Wine Uncorked course at NSCC.  To win, email two of the four wines in our Holiday Wine Suggestions article (in this newsletter) to Christine@winesofnovascotia.ca. A random draw from all emails will be made on December 21 at noon.  Better yet, take a wine tour in Nova Scotia.   http://www.winesofnovascotia.ca/

Party time and a chance to win.  http://us.riojawine.com/en/

Niagara-Grimsby: November 22
Author Series & Wine Tasting Tickets: http://tktwb.tw/NiagaraWine

Grano Restaurant, Toronto: November 23, 2011  Multi-Course Wine Dinner
Tickets: 416-361-0032 or ben@benmcnallybooks.com
Info: http://bit.ly/GranoDinner     http://www.benmcnallybooks.com/?q=events/meet_and_dine_natalie_maclean_grano

http://www.upmagazine.com//blog/top-wine-bars-quebec  Top wine bars in exciting Quebec, Canada.  My own suggestion for great cocktails, wine and food: L’Avalanche restaurant in Mont-Tremblant village, Quebec. (1.5 hr. north of Montreal).

Friday November 11th, 2011 from 4-5:30 p.m., Whistler, British Columbia
Cornucopia Wine & Food Festival

Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun, says that Unquenchable “introduces you to many winemakers who could be in novels, to out of the way places you want to add to your travel list, and, most of all, to an appreciation of vino as integral to the joy of living.”

Meet Natalie MacLean, one of the world’s great wine writers, on a Canada coast-to-coast wine tour as she meets her fans with her new wine book: Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wine. Here’s Natalie in her own words:  “I am so excited about meeting you, my fellow wine lovers, this fall! Come out and raise a glass (or three) with me during the tour for my second wine book, Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines.”

Named the World’s Best Drink Writer at the World food Media Awards, the Canadian journalist and sommelier Natalie is just back from a whirlwind trip to uncover the world’s best bargain wines and share them with you.

She’ll also share stories about fascinating winemakers and gorgeous, remote vineyards with her quirky humour and insider smarts that made her first book, Red, White and Drunk All Over, the only wine book ever to get on the national bestseller list. The Globe & Mail also named it one of the best books of the year.

Toronto & Niagara events:

Niagara-Grimsby: November 22, 2011

Author Series & Wine Tasting
Tickets:
http://tktwb.tw/NiagaraWine

Toronto
Grano Restaurant: November 23, 2011

Multi-Course Wine Dinner
Tickets:
416-361-0032 or ben@benmcnallybooks.com
Info: http://bit.ly/GranoDinner

Space is limited for these exclusive events across Canada. Reserve your tickets online now. Your ticket price includes a personally signed copy of Natalie’s new book, Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wine plus a multi-course meal with wine in Toronto or wine tasting in Niagara. Following the session, you can purchase additional copies of the book as holiday gifts and Natalie will sign them. Natalie’s tour will include 14 cities across Canada: http://bit.ly/Unquenchable

For more information about the book and an amusing video trailer about it, please visit www.nataliemaclean.com/book

Fairmont Chateau Whistler
604-938-8000
4599 Chateau Boulevard
Ticket price: $54 includes a signed copy of Natalie’s new book and tasting of 15 wines.

A Gala fundraiser for a good cause. Thursday October 27th, 2011 at 6:30pm in Toronto at Arcadian Court.
Read For the Cure Event

Arcadian Court, 401 Bay Street Simpson Tower, 8th Floor
Ticket price: $90 includes wine and hors d’ouevres

888-222-6608 or Ticket Web

  This gala fundraiser for Breast Cancer research at the gorgeous Arcadian Court is one of the most spectacular events for book lovers during the fall season. Attendees will meet authors such as Ami McKay, author of The Birth House and The Virgin Cure; Terry Fallis, author of The High Road and recent winner of Canada Reads, for his novel The Best Laid Plans; and award-winning singer Jann Arden, who’s just published a terrific autobiography, Falling Backwards. They’ll also get signed copies of their books.

Natalie will host a short, informal wine tasting before the dinner starts at 6:45 p.m., featuring some spectacular wines from Stoneleigh Estates. My book will be on sale at this event, and I’ll sign as many copies as you like. If you’re looking for an evening with readings from the book and more wine tasting, please see the event below at Grano Restaurant on November 23, 2011.

Tour Dates and Cities

www.nataliemaclean.com/book  Trailer!

http://www.nataliemaclean.com/blog/unquenchable-wine-book-tour-raise-a-glass-with-me-2/

http://www.whistler.com/

http://www.randomhouse.ca

http://www.kristineashevineyards.com

New Zealand

In 2010 I took a cruise with Holland America Line on the m.s. Volendam of the South and North Islands of New Zealand. We stopped at the port of Napier, a community founded in 1856 by Sir Charles Napier, a British official in India. A lively musical band and antique automobiles greeted us at port. Cher took a stroll along a black sand beach in the morning while I myself toured some of the top vineyards of Hawke’s Bay: Mission Estate; Brookfield’s Vineyards; and Church Road Winery. The vineyards are so lovely an entire week in the area wouldn’t be too much. At Church Road Winery, founded in 1897, I ventured deep inside the original concrete wine vats that now offer an intriguing wine museum. Brookfields Vineyards conduct an excellent wine tasting.  A bottle of wine was given away for the correct answer to a question on wine. I didn’t win. Mission Estate Winery, founded in 1851, is a vast estate ideal for weddings, fine dining and wine tastings with a landscape that undulates in green waves all about. Mission hosts an annual concert on its generous grounds.  Sting with a 50-piece symphony orchestra and his band performed in February 2011.

In Picton, originally called Waitohia, at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound, we were presented with a tiny nosegay of fragrant Old-fashioned roses when we got off the ship. The still floating hull of what is believed to be the ninth oldest ship in the world is that of the East Indian Edwin Fox. See it near the museum and the ferry wharf. We enjoyed a private lunch of unbelievably delicious-tasing and locally caught river salmon at Barewood Garden after touring Yealands Estate winery http://www.yealands.com/ . The Yealands estate is located 25 kilometres south of Blenheim, in the Awatere Valley and is the single largest vineyard in the country under private ownership. Peter Yealands is a local fellow who looks very much like a charming character straight out of a period swashbuckling Hollywood film — gray beard and hair in somewhat need of a trim; but highly knowledgeable when it comes to wine and the environment. Yealands Estate is currently undertaking Carbon Neutral certification and keeps to a minimum the use of chemicals. Green technology allows for the saving of energy. Peter gave us a tour of the vineyard which overlooks Clifford Bay…so lovely a place this is I found myself longing to live here forever. The development of wetland areas on the vineyard has resulted in the regeneration of native flora and fauna. Here you’ll find a home to species such as the Black Swan, the rare Teal Duck, White Herron, and the endangered “Muritai” tree.  (twitter account: @yealands)

Spain

La Rioja region is highly respected on the international stage for its wine.  Situated in northern Spain, the city of Pamplona is a wonderful starting point from which to travel towards the wine region of La Rioja.  But first a visit to the Old Monastery of San Juan de la Pena http://www.monasteriosanjuan.com/monasterio-san-juan-de-la-pena.php?L=en   and the New Monastery of San Juan de la Pena where you may wish to stay overnight.  The view to the Pyrenees mountains is breathtaking. When you are ready, travel towards Najera, in the region of La Rioja.

Logroño (La Rioja) http://www.logro-o.org

http://www.lariojaturismo.com/Vinobus/index.php

http://www.donjacobo.es/inicio/ Don Jacobo vineyards in Spain.  Tour the spectacular vineyards on horseback and afterwards return to the tasting room.  http://www.donjacobo.es/enoturismo/?idc=64

www.virtualwinefair.com

www.elpalacete-hotel.com  10 suites, 5-star hotel

Tour vineyards on horseback in Spain

http://www.villarrica.es/english/index.html  Senorio de Villarrica vineyards in the village of San Asensio, Spain.

http://www.villarrica.es/english/index.html Tastings and courses at Senorio de Villarrica vineyards in Spain.

Best airfares to Spain at wholesale prices. Traveling there? Call us for a quote at 1-800-387-6731. We are a Canadian Tour Operator specializing in all different types of tours in Spain plus we offer great airfares since 1973.Visit us online at www.kompasexpress.com.

Austria

http://www.austrianwine.com/news-media/news-from-us/news-from-us-2011/news/browse/2/news/jancis-robinson-a-new-austrian-empire-1000/599/   Interesting article written by Jancis Robinson in the Financial Times.

Choose the perfect glass for wine.  A good wine deserves the right ambiance, which includes the right people and the right accessories. The perfect Austrian glass culture à la Riedel – such as beautiful glasses, carafes and decanters – enhance the pleasure of wine and add to the range of gift giving ideas.

www.austrianwine.com

http://youtu.be/ZABqVdQqN9o Austrian Wine Christmas Wish

Germany

Lorsbacher Thal Apple Wine tavern

Apple wine has been popular since the time of Charlemagne, some 1,200-years-ago.  You’ll find the highest quality apple wine ( ebbel wei) in Frankfurt, Germany.  Lorsbacher Thal is in the Sachsenhausen (original parts of the city) section of Frankfurt.  It is here at Lorsbacher Thal that apple wine is made from the finest apples from Frankfurt apple orchards.  Frankfurt is known as the “City of Apple Wine“.  The original 0.3L diamond-encrusted designed glass is used at Lorsbacher as it has been for over one-hundred-years.  The diamond-design allows for a better grip on the glass.  I tried it and it works, especially after eating delicious apple strudel with my eager fingers. Williams Christ Pear Schnaps is perfect at the end of a meal.   Outside garden terrace is perfect on a sunny day.  Seats about 12o guests.  Extremely high quality simple fare. Average price of main-course: € 8,00  http://www.lorsbacher-thal.de/

Thorsten of Lorsbacher Thal

http://www.ebbelwei-express.com/   Ride the Frankfurt Apple Wine Express in Old Town Centre.

German Wines

Wine has shaped the history, culture, art and, not least of all, the people of Germany themselves. A friendly, nearly Southern European cheerfulness sets the tone not just in the vineyards, but in the cities as well.
Freiburg in the Black Forest  (Baden wine region) is famous for its “Spätburgunder” (Pinot Noir), Müller-Thurgaus and “Grauer Burgunder” (Pinot Gris) especially. Koblenz nestled in the corner where the Rhine meets the Moselle brings together two of Germany?s oldest wine areas, the Moselle and the Middle Rhine,  famous for their Rieslings. Mainz on the northern tip of Rhinehessen is where the Silvaner reigns supreme  among other stalwart whites including Rivaner and Rieslings. Trier lies in the heart of the westerly wine region, the Moselle River, which is  home to many fine whites and particularly the fruity Riesling and the  crispy Elbling; Wiesbaden in the heart of the Rheingau harvests well-regarded Rieslings and Pinot Noirs; while Würzburg in the northern Bavarian region of Franconia, offers mineral-rich but light Rieslings.
Each of these cities provides a unique combination of culture and wine,  and they are perfect for the individual traveler. They are all  convenient to Frankfurt Airport, reachable by train and still offer a  refreshing change for all of the senses.

Further information on wine tours in Germany: http://www.toeurope.eu/   Please call toll free (USA/Canada): 1.800.817.8137 or international: +49.6475.911.023

Araxi restaurant for fine dining in Whistler Village (1 hour north of Vancouver, BC). Araxi hosts several summer outdoor dinner events at its organic North Arm Farm in Pemberton, BC.  During the Whistler Film Festival in the fall, Araxi hosts a 5-course dinner, wine tasting and silent auction. Executive chef James Walt designed the 2011 shindig. http://www.araxi.com

Lakeshore district in Kelowna, British Columbia

The Canadian Tourism Commission recently chose SUMMERHILL PYRAMID WINERY as a top tourism experience. I’ve not visited the winery; but I trust the CTC review. Summerhill Pyramid Winery and Sunset Organic Bistro are two of Canada’s best tourism experiences,  according to the organization that markets Canadian tourism to the world. The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) has added the winery and restaurant to the Signature Experiences Collection®, used by the CTC in its international marketing efforts. The Collection now includes 115 adventures from coast to coast to coast, some of which I hope to write about for my readers over the coming months.

…a message on Italian wine from Le Sommelier :

One cannot talk about Italy’s most important producers without including Bruno Giacosa. A living legend, this third-generation winemaker has been making worldclass wine since the 1940s! He has been described as the “Genius of Neive” and his wines have been referred to as the “Romanée-Conti of Piedmont.”
Dante Scaglione, Giacosa’s long-time enologist, compares the 2007 & 2008 vintages, “the 2008s are more classic and fresh and will have a longer life. But they’re very young today. The 2007s were more drinkable at the same stage.”

Our annual release has arrived and I am excited that we have secured three fabulous wines! Due to the anticipated response, wines are available on a first come, first served basis. These wines are only available by ordering directly through Le Sommelier, and will not be made available through LCBO Vintages. Wines are shipped in hand-made wooden cases of six bottles. Prices include HST.
Sincerely,

Le Sommelier 416.603.7026

Recently, I was for the first time at one of Canada’s famous all-season resorts in Quebec. Mont Tremblant is about 1.5 hours’ north of the city of Montreal, Quebec in the Laurentian mountains. My tour group dined at www.auxtruffes.com .  The restaurant is but a few minutes stroll from the Westin Resort & Spa. Big, soft and fully flakes of white, white snow fell over the resort as we dined on seafood, venison and sweetbreads and enjoyed much excellent wine.  A white wine from Alsace I had not tasted before the evening. I highly suggest your giving this 2010 Pinot Gris a try; it pairs well with meats and seafood, so it is heaven sent to enjoy alone or with food.  www.pfaffenheim.com  The red wine we enjoyed was a 2010 vintage as well but from a blend of grapes grown in the south of France in the Rhone valley. Saint-chinian Donnadieu Cuvée Mathieu et Marie is a spicy and robust Syrah with the distinctive peppery taste. Saint Chinian takes it name from Anham, the Benedictine monk who founded the Saint Laurent monastery in 794 on the left bank of the River Vernazobre in France.  www.Saint-chinian.com

If you go:

www.lufthansa.com

www.aircanada.com

www.flyporter.com

www.WestJet.com

www.tremblant.ca

www.westin.com/MontTremblant

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin

www.fairmont.com

www.germany.travel

The Ritz London

© Copyright May DeLory

Cesar Ritz, the greatest hotelier of his time and perhaps since, saw his dream for a hotel to
spoil, to pamper, and to please and delight his guests come again to fruition
on May 25, 1906 in the guise of The Ritz London. Hotels on a palatial scale
were Cesar Ritz’s forte, with locations in Paris, Madrid, Rome and Budapest, in
Boston, Montreal and New York. Many a grand entrance is made and has been made
at The Ritz. The Prince of Wales and Mrs. Camilla Parker-Bowles, now the
Duchess of Cornwall, made their first public appearance on 28 January 1999 at
The Ritz. Even during the Second World War years dining at The Ritz was an
occasion. It was not until 1947 that the hotel received the go-ahead from the
government to begin essential renovations.

The Ritz London, The Long Gallery

Mewès & Davis, at the turn of the century, designed the Winter Garden (today known as The Palm Court) to command the full impact of a grand hotel for those persons who entered The Ritz from the Piccadilly entrance. Mewès and Davis were of the Beaux-Arts training. Throughout the hotel we see design on a grand scale with breathtaking
proportions, gracious line, classical detail, and ornate chandeliers, the pièce
de résistance of The Palm Court and The Restaurant. Today, one may approach The
Palm Court after first passing through the hotel’s main lobby from the
Arlington Street entrance and then passing through elegant glass panelled
French doors to the Grand Gallery. A suggestion made by the late Queen
Elizabeth the Mother to meet safety of guests climbing stairs led to the
installation of softly curving brass handrails and swirling cast-iron
balustrades in The Palm Court entrance.

The Ritz London, Palm Court

The Palm Court with five daily sittings to handle the popularity of the long-standing ritual. Reservations weeks in advance are the order of the day; but for those arriving to The Ritz London on short notice, The Rivoli Bar http://bit.ly/eVIUdW , with its gold leaf art deco ambience, panelled walls in polished camphor wood veneer, and onyx marble bar counter, entertains the identical tea service as that of The Palm Court.  The wood veneer in The Rivoli Bar is decorated with Lalique glass insets originally created for the Orient Express trains. Afternoon tea in The Palm Court serves as an alternative to lunch and begins at 11:30 a.m., finishing with a champagne tea at 7:30 p.m.  An important point to keep in mind is one need not stay overnight in The Ritz London to make a reservation for afternoon tea, breakfast, lunch, or dinner in any venue.

Alan Pouring Champagne in The Rivoli Bar

Afternoon tea is served in the gold leaf art deco ambience of The Rivoli Bar http://bit.ly/eVIUdW . The Palm Court— known as Winter Garden in the early days of The Ritz London—offers grand and opulent open spaces. If one enjoys gilded motifs derived from life and nature then The Ritz London should not disappoint.

Peter O'Donnell dance band

For those who must savour their afternoon potation with something of a kick…then there is The Ritz 100 cocktail as well as a cocktail selection in excess of 80, including signature martinis. Don’t forget to eat the real gold shavings glistening at you from the bottom of a most beautiful piece of stemware. Stay on to dance the night away in The Ritz Restaurant… “Live at The Ritz”, features a four-course dinner with dancing to
the sounds of Peter O’Donnell and his band with Cole Porter and contemporary
blues jazz selections. Peter has a voice very much like that of rock star Rod Stewart and also performs on week-ends at The Ritz London. The Christmas season at The Ritz London is especially festive with a constant array of daily activities.

The Ritz London, The Marie Antoinette Suite

In love with the Marie Antoinette Suite? I am, too. I found the room calming; it’s adjacent to The Ritz Restaurant which is at the far end of the Long Gallery. The Marie Antoinette Suite comfortably holds up to 100 guests for cocktail receptions.  The Barclay family’s acquisition of William Kent House allows for grand entertaining in stunning 18^th century
ambiance. William Kent House, a Grade II structure constructed in the 1740′s
and adjoining The Ritz London hotel, was acquired by The Ritz in 2005. After an
extensive restoration, five banquet and private dining rooms were opened in
2006. The Music Room is the largest salon in the William Kent House. So, whether your special occasion is for two in a single private dining room or for two-hundred housed in the entire ground floor, The Ritz London fits the bill.

The Ritz 100

We are delighted to present a Champagne Dinner at The Ritz on Thursday, 22^nd March 2012 together with the legendary Champagne vintner, Taittinger.

A rare opportunity to sample the world’s best Champagne by the side of a grand master, Mr. Justin Llewelyn, the Taittinger UK family representative.

You’ll be interested to know that The Ritz London opened the all new Cigar Shop & Tasting Room, welcoming both residents and non-residents to sample the finest cigars that London has to offer.   The Rivoli Bar recently introduced a relaxed dress code, so ties are not required to enjoy the bar.  Alan Cook, The Rivoli Bar Manager, created in 2006 the “Ritz 100″ Champagne cocktail with a blend of vodka, Grand Marnier and peach liqueur and slivers of 24 carat gold leaf in honour of the hotel’s Centenary Year. One of my favourite magazines, TATLER, describes The Rivoli Bar as a “gorgeous little jewel box”. And it is. Check out the Afternoon Tea menu, as it was re-launched with a delectable new selection of British pastries and finger sandwiches.  The spa salon is lovely and offers a wide range of treatments, including ladies’ and gentlemen’s hairdressing, bridal hair and make-up. Let me know if you try the hugely popular Ritz Manicure in partnership with the legendary Jeff Pink.  And, on Thursday, November 24^th at 8:00pm, The Ritz London presents The Champagne Dom Perignon Dinner and Reception. The evening begins with a Champagne and canapé reception in the Marie Antoinette Suite followed by dinner in The Music Room. The remarkable dinner menu, designed by The Ritz London Executive Chef John Williams, pairs some of the finest offerings from Champagne Dom Pérignon.  Mr. Richard Geoffroy, Chef de Cave at Dom Pérignon since 1996, will be on hand to conduct how best to taste the complex nuances of the wines. £395
per person.  Black Tie.  Immediate reservations recommended to
avoid disappointment for this unique event. For table reservations and booking information, please telephone The Ritz London.  + 44 (0) 20 7300 2233  Or email:
njones@theritzlondon.com   Please note that full payment is required at the time of booking and that cancellations made after Thursday 10th November 2011 are non-refundable. For full terms and conditions on payment and cancellation policies please refer to our website at www.theritzlondon.com/terms/

Things to do & places to see when in London

Her Majesty The Queen celebrates her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Experience St Valentine’s Day in what is considered the most romantic restaurant in Europe, The Ritz Restaurant.

Throughout February: The Ritz Salon St. Valentine’s Day Romance from £150.

The Romance And Dance’ Programme from £455.  held February 10th, 11th, 17th and Saturday the 18th, 2012.

The Rose Romance Programme from £610.

The Sweet Romance Programme from £380.

St. Valentine’s Day Afternoon Tea in The Palm Court: £55. per person.

St. Valentine’s Day at The Ritz Restaurant, February 14, 2012: from £195. per person.

The ‘Ritz Rendezvous’ programme from £395.

The Ritz Restaurant: The Christmas festivities start here with ‘Live at The Ritz’ (from £95 per person) from Friday 2nd December to Thursday 22nd December, excluding Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights. Enjoy a spectacular four-course dinner in the magical surroundings of The Ritz Restaurant and then take to the dance floor to really shake things up in style.

Afternoon Tea during the Christmas holidays. Enjoy award-winning teas in The Palm Court. A quintessentially English experience – the ultimate way to relax after shopping for gifts – enjoy and soak-up the festive season and let The Ritz London do all the work.

Christmas Day Luncheon in The Music Room at The Ritz London. Sunday December 25, 2011. Six-courses. £350. per person. £180. per child.

ONCE UPON A DECEMBER

As December’s chill sets in and the evenings draw shorter, banish the winter blues with a very special programme guaranteed to enchant loved ones and warm spirits:

• One night’s accommodation

• English breakfast the following morning

• Fruit, flowers and a bottle of Champagne in your room on arrival

• Lunch for two in The Ritz Restaurant

• Festive Christmas in The Rivoli Bar. Rates from £440, for two people sharing a room, excluding VAT. Valid from Thursday 1st December until Friday 23rd December 2011.

The ideal gift is The Ritz London gift voucher.  You will find a whole selection of gift vouchers for visits to The Ritz at the online store. You can give friends or family a voucher for our famous Afternoon Tea. The Ritz Restaurant, Salon treatments or even an overnight stay.

http://www.bigbustours.com

Big Bus tour of London

http://www.london2012.com/   London 2012 Olympic Games 27 July to 12 August 2012. Twitter account:  @London2012

ASCOT QIPCO British Champions Series. http://www.britishchampionsseries.com/home.html

Saturday October 15th, 2011.  £ 3 million in prize money.  Her Majesty, The Queen, will take part in sporting history. The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes offers the highest value mile race ever run in the country at £ 1,000,00. in prize money.  Telephone to make a reservation.  0870 727 1234

AEGON MASTERS TENNIS LEGENDS

Kick off the Festive Season Wednesday 30 November to Sunday 4 December 2011 at Royal Albert Hall. Celebrate 15-years of AEGON Masters Tennis http://www.aegonmasterstennis.com/  with a Champagne reception complimented by fine dining in the Champions Club at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Then sit back in your private box to enjoy tennis from some of the greatest legends on the ATP Champions Tour:  John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Goran Ivanisevic, Tim Henman and Mark Philippoussis amongst other tennis greats. Reserve tickets:  aegonmasters@imgworld.com  or telephone 020 8233 5854

Changing Of The Guard at Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace

At 11:30 be prepared to be regaled during the 40-minute regimental ceremony in front of the palace; it’s one of London’s great spectacles. The Guard departs the nearby Wellington Barracks at 11:27 accompanied by a band and marches via Birdcage Walk to the
Palace. Early April into the summer the ceremony takes place daily, and on alternate
days prior to April. Take the Tube to Green Park station and walk through the
park to the street (about 10 minutes’ walk). Near the time of the parade you’ll
hear the band playing their instruments as they march towards the palace.

To make a reservation or to gain further information on Valentine Day programmes at The Ritz, London please contact:

THE RITZ LONDON 150 PICCADILLY LONDON W1J 9BR TELEPHONE +44 (0)20 7493 8181 FACSIMILE +44 (0)20 7493 2687 ENQUIRE@THERITZLONDON.COM WWW.THERITZLONDON.COM

Copyright photographs supplied by The Ritz London and May DeLory

© May Georgina DeLory

Growing at the Speed of Life: a year in the
life of my first kitchen garden.

Great title isn’t it.  It’s the
title of Graham Kerr’s foray into kitchen gardening. Kerr, star of the “Galloping
Gourmet” TV show from 1969 to 1971, used to jump over a TV set dining room chair
while holding a glass of wine. Some say it was a dumb stunt. More stayed glued
to their TV and couldn’t get enough of GG.  I watched, from my own dining room chair, Kerr
slurp many a glass of rich red wine. There were always nuggets of wisdom couched between offerings by the host…if you listened carefully. There was and never will be anybody even
remotely like Graham Kerr on or off television again.
Born in London, England, Kerr moved to New Zealand in the late 1950s, eventually
writing many books, receiving countless accolades, an Emmy nomination; a James
Beard Foundation Award; recipient of the Julia Child Cookbook Award—winning Graham Kerr’s Minimax Cookbook, an honorary life membership in

Inspired by Graham Kerr: may delory's terrace

the American Dietetic Association; induction into the American Culinary
Federation Hall of Fame; and, an honorary doctorate in culinary nutrition from
Johnson & Wales University, Rhode Island.  Recently, Kerr is involved with health
organizations, government agencies, and educational facilities to light a fire beneath
those who believe healthful eating is too complicated to be doable.

Kerr offers
up a personal confession in his latest book: “Until this year I’d never met a
plant that I couldn’t kill.  I was my
very own herbicide.” Kerr admits to decades of blowing the petals off flowers
as he rushed past to who knows where, so why stop to smell the roses.  Kerr’s 29^th book reflects his change
in thinking and taste for earth-to-table wisdom.  He’s finding an exciting rhythm to this new
life, growing peas, beans, cabbage, tomatoes, chard, peppers, eggplant,
carrots, parsnips, beets, summer and winter squash and lettuce on one acre of
land with views overlooking Skagit Valley in Washington State.

Kerr’s first attempt at growing strawberries in
the first year proved a failure. A friend sent him crowns (mother plants) from
a farmers market.  The crowns were not
identified, but Kerr thinks the plants were alpine or wild strawberry crowns. The pink flowers of the fruit the first year showed off and looked pretty he
writes in his book; but, sadly, bore little delicious eating fruit. So, back to
the drawing board for the Galloping Gourmet.
Kerr has learnt a few tricks of the trade for growing strawberries the second time around.  He recommends planting beds in a series of
mounds 10 inches across and 12 inches apart and about 4 inches high. In this
manner, if you choose your variety well (day neutral), Kerr suggests you should
get less vigorous runners and berries that last all summer long. Remember to
pinch off early blooms and runners to increase the size of the fruit, he says.  Growing At The Speed of Life covers everything
from mache (great amongst a strawberry patch) to rutabaga. Fabulous section on
growing herbs, recipe section for a slew of vegetables and fruits (strawberry jalapeno
salsa), a recipe for pie crust, vegetable stock, Italian bread with olives and
rosemary, yogurt cheese, grain recipes for health, sharing the harvest with
your community, section on Ethmix recipes (Kerr’s rendition for “ethnic
mixtures”), a section on cooking methods for maximum flavor and nutrition and
more how-to stuff. It’s vintage Kerr and then again not. He breaks barriers
with taste, aplomb, and common sense. Kerr explains that he wrote the kind of book beginning gardeners would like to read, not too difficult to digest and he hopes a lot of fun to read. Kerr takes your hand and gently leads his reader through his garden gate, just like the days when he would run madly into his audience and grab someone by the hand and pull him/her up on stage to share the meal just prepared. I was one of those lucky guests, all those years ago.

In Ron and
Jennifer Kujawski’s book on vegetable gardening, Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook, it is recommended that newly planted
strawberry blossoms be pinched the first year to establish a strong root system
and produce a higher quality fruit the second year. Strawberry is an excellent
choice for container growing. Introduce a small trellis into the soil before
you plant the strawberry as this kind of fruit likes to have something to
climb. Marigolds planted near strawberries dissuade nematodes from gorging on
your fruit.

Strawberries
are the ultimate small-space berry crop and grow merrily along in window boxes and
hanging baskets, so says Andrea Bellamy in her book Sugar Snaps And Strawberries, published by Timber Press. Andrea writes
a blog on urban organic gardening; she has a certificate in garden design from
the University of British Columbia. Want to grow shiitake mushrooms on your
tiny balcony? Ask Andrea, as she herself has had great success doing so.

No Guff Vegetable Gardening published by No Guff Press is a
He-Said/She-Said-kind of gardening book written by Donna Balzer and Steven
Biggs with illustrations by Mariko McCrae is a little busy for my liking but you’ll
get truly valuable stuff like, He said:
I like to use straw for my strawberry bed. It sops up excess water, and keeps
shoes from getting too muddy.  She said: Using straw is like
broadcasting weed seeds in the garden.
Let’s face it, except for flax straw (which never seems to break down),
the other straw—wheat, barley, and oats—all have a lot of seed. I use hay on my
garlic and asparagus in the fall, and it usually breaks down by spring.

Jennifer R.
Bartley, author of The Kitchen Gardener’s
Handbook, grows strawberries as an edible groundcover, under shrubs and
trees.  She says strawberries look good
spring to fall with changing colour. Strawberries are perennial (a nice treat
each year) and will fruit for many years, with the best fruit the first year.
June-bearing berries send out many runners.
Runners are the junior plants and will be the most productive the
following season.  Jennifer suggests to
plant berries in two planting swaths.
One year let the berries send out runners into the unplanted bed. Dig up
the patch that has already produced berries and amend that soil leaving a new
bed for the strawberries to send runners to. Remove the older plants in
established beds for the younger plants to thrive. Strawberries need at least
six hours of direct sunlight a day and regular watering due to a shallow root
system.

Ice Wine from Vignoble de l'Orpailleur

Graham Kerr
reminds his readers to mulch strawberries with straw under the fruit and close
to the roots to control root rot.  I like
the way Graham’s mind works.  He
wonders:  (Could this be the derivation
of the word straw-berry?) There is a
most interesting section on choosing a greenhouse with valuable input from
Graham’s local pal Charley Yaw of Charley’s Greenhouses.  When it comes to living in a glass house you
need to know the value of your light source: HID bulb or an MH or the latest
fluorescent or the new neutron 16 that uses microwave technology.  Charley’s got the answer.

Geese at
one time were used to control grasses in strawberry plantings—great if you are
allowed to keep geese. They will not eat strawberry plants unless starved for
food. The use of geese in small plantings can still be of value.  Geese do not eat round-leaved mallow, docks
and smartweed.

Graham Kerr / Canadian National Exhibition (CNE)

FYI

Compliments
of Growing  At The Speed of Life:  

For each 100 g raw (3.5 oz; ½ cup): 32
calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 7 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 2 g
dietary fiber, 1 mg sodium.

Perennial

Water: moderate, drip irrigation. Full sun to
partial shade. May use companion planting to keep the bad bugs down, and pests
such as birds and mice. Plant melons. Do not plant nearby broccoli or anything
from the cabbage family. Don’t follow strawberry with beet, corn, tomato,
pepper or pea. Varieties: Everbearing (Day Neutral): Alexandria, Fort Laramic,
Quinault (early summer through autumn). Single Crop: Allstar, Benton, Earliglow
(late spring, early summer). Cultivated Wild: Yellow Alpine, Pineapple Cross,
Rugen.

Fresh from the farm. ABE & ANITA FEHR, Aylmer, Ontario

This, growing your own fruits and vegetables, is a lot of work and worth the labour to
some. The very idea to raise a crop may be nuts to you; but, I rather got a kick out of
reading the gardening books. I do believe I’ll try growing strawberries in a
bin or container of some sort next year on my terrace.  If you
cannot grow your own strawberries for just-picked rich and juicy flavor, there
are always the pick-your-own farms.  Healthy exercise, too, this picking your own
fruit. What can be better than sharing such an experience with a child?  Red ripe strawberries are so pretty you needn’t go to a lot of trouble  to make a serving statement. Just place in an attractive bowl, cup or glass and away you go. Drizzle your favourite preserves over the top or just add whipped cream.  The possibilities are endless and so simple.  Make sure your fresh strawberries smell sweet and not dull.  Freeze the leftovers for smoothies.  Enjoy all the sweetness and abundance of the
summer months where you live. From the blueberries of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, strawberries and peaches of Ontario, raspberries and other small fruits dressed in sweet maple syrup from Quebec, Saskatoons of the prairies, and cranberries of Canada’s east coast to the apples and quince from the West coast…fruits are plentiful in each and every part of Canada.

A pretty pie, just for you, dear reader.
South Australian Strawberry Pie (A Graham Kerr creation for an Australian Christmas,
but good year round, anywhere).

Makes pie
for 8 to 10 servings.

Mincemeat:

½ lb beef
suet, ¾ lb raisins, ½ lb sultans, ¾ lb granny smith apples, ¾ lb currant, ¾ lb
brown sugar, ½ lb mixed lemon and orange peel, ¼ lb blanched almonds, rind of 2
lemons, juice of 2 lemons, 1 vanilla bean (grated), brandy, 5/8 cup, nutmeg,
allspice, cinnamon, coriander, ginger –
all ground –  ½ tsp of each.

Pastry:

4 cups all
purpose flour, 1 ½ cups butter (fresh), 1 tbs castor sugar, 1 egg yolk, 8 tbs
iced water.

Punnet of
strawberries, cream (100%) 1 ¼ cups to garnish.

First
Prepare:

Mix all
ingredients for mincemeat together and moisten with brandy. Place in jars and
seal. Make one month ahead. (Graham says one month is the minimum)

Pastry

Cut butter
into small cubes, measure flour and sift. Separate egg.

Now
assemble:

1.      Pastry: make well in the sifted flour and
   place the butter in the well. Add egg yolk, sugar, salt and 2 tbs water.
   Combine all ingredients except flour with fingertips, then work in flour,
   adding iced water as needed. Knead several times and place pastry on plate
   and let it rest for an hour or so in the refrigerator.
2.      Roll out half pastry to fit a 10in. pastry ring. Prick with a fork and cut round of greaseproof paper, place in
   pastry case, fill with dried peas or rice.
   Prick base once again and bake pastry blend in 400 degree F oven
   for 15 minutes. Remove paper and rice and allow pastry case to cool.

3.    Fill cooled pastry shell with mincemeat. Roll out remaining pastry for cover,

crimp edges and glaze with egg yolk. Place in 400 degree F oven for 30 minutes

until golden brown.

4.   Remove pie from oven and cool. When cold cover with whipped cream and cover the
entire surface with strawberries.

Serve on a large cake stand.

Graham Kerr
suggests a good fruity hock to drink  www.nataliemaclean.com . And suggests a little freshly ground
pepper on the strawberries. Kerr says it helps to bring out their flavor.

As soon as I finished reading Graham Kerr’s section on strawberries and the tough time of it he had I promised myself I’d have a go at it.  Recently, on my way back from a visit to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto (Avenue Road & Bloor streets) I saw something I just had to have.  Teatro Verde moved from Hazelton Lanes to Yorkville Street. Sweet looking ripe red strawberries dangling from a hanging pot spoke to me in no uncertain terms: buy ME! For the first time since a forced move to Toronto after gardening one acre I will choose juicy strawberries at will and enjoy.

Strawberry Crêpe Weaver's Restaurant

FYI

www.penguin.com

http://www.grahamkerr.com/

Check out one of my favourite books by Graham Kerr: the gathering place. You’ll enter a cultural discovery in the Hawaiian islands (Pinneapple Crepes dusted with Kona coffee); or,  get your tongue quivering with the “melting pot” of Caribbean cuisine.  Food photography by David Burch; travel photography by Treena Kerr.

http://www.grahamkerr.com/index.php/blog/my-experience-on-the-rachel-ray-show/

www.timberpress.co.uk

www.thomasallen.ca

www.storey.com

www.NoGuffpress.com

http://www.saskatoonfarm.com/about.html  Saskatchewan, Canada.

http://www.pickyourown.org/canadaon.htm

http://bit.ly/li7CVL  Spadina House and strawberries.  A Strawberry Social is held annually in June on the extensive grounds of this historic house.  Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Kerr

The “Original Sacher-Torte”flown in

Salute to Vienna

directly from Vienna – wouldn’t you like one delivered to your home? Visit
www.salutetovienna.com, click on ‘HOTEL SACHER’
and enter our contest. One winner will be drawn every
month!

Congratulations to our very first winner Kay Farley
from Chicago, IL!

Events and Festivals in Nova Scotia, Canada.  Telephone 1-800-565-0000 Ask for operator 243

Wild Blueberry Harvest Festival 19 August to 3 September. www.novascotia.com

www.tasteofnovascotia.com   TF: 1-800-281-5507 Twitter.com  @tasteofns

www.RightSomeGood.ca

www.adventuresintaste.ca

www.cirillosacademy.com  Cooking classes for adults, kids, corporate events, off-site catering, and culinary gifts in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  Want a Strawberry Social for your next party in June?  Just ask John Cirillo!

www.atlantictours.com  Telephone 1-800-565-7173  They’ve tours that take in the east coast of Canada, including PEI where The Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge visited in 2011, so ask about their culinary tours.

http://www.traveltowellness.com/canada_farmers_markets

http://www.canadianliving.com/  Looking for a great recipe? Canadian Living magazine and website offer extensive opportunities to learn about making fruit pies and desserts.

Canadian Living: Cooks Step by Step by Daphna Rabinovitch is a cookery book full of fabulous recipes and photographs that help you understand the start-to-end process. Great “learning” book. Check out her “Very Berry Chiffon Pie“.

In the Sweet Kitchen by Regan Daley is another time-honoured fav cookery book of mine, published by Random House.  Daley is a woman after my own heart. She believes some things are best left as is, and strawberry shortcake is one of these things. Utterly mouth-watering recipes for chantilly cream, and what to do with berries.  Daley gives variations, using Lemon-Poppyseed Shortcakes with Blackberries; and, another for: Cardamon Shortcakes with Strawberries and Lemon Cream.  Yum isn’t the half of it. Try it!

http://www.randomhouse.ca/index.html

Edible flowers, plants & berries salad at Smoothwater Lodge

www.smoothwater.com  Caryn Colman, cookery book author and owner of Smoothwater of Temagami at Temagami, Ontario, Canada, offers the opportunity to forage in the wild for your supper to learn about local herbs, edible flowers and plants, and berries to incorporate into breads and pies and many other recipes that may indeed surprise you. Caryn shares ancient beliefs and medicinal uses for locally grown plants. The edible flowers salad pictures here was foraged in the wilds of Temagami and includes wild blackcurrents, Ribena blackcurrent syrup, snow peas, French sorrel, mallow, tomatoes, musk mallow pink edible flowers and many greens from the wild. But it truly was the Ribena blackcurrent blended with walnut oil and apple vinegar that made the day.  Within the hour after foraging for our afternoon meal Caryn has us all at a pretty table to savour our labours. Exciting weekend retreat October 21 – 23, 2011.   1-888-569-4539

http://www.preservecompany.com/ Prince Edward Island, Canada. You just have to see their gardens with a Scottish flare.  I loved the tea and gift shop where the homemade preserves are almost too pretty to consume.

www.fleursdepommiers.ca fruit wines in Quebec, Canada.

www.orpailleur.ca Vin Glace (ice wine from the Eastern Townships, Quebec, Canada) is delicious with just about any dessert.  I pour ice wine over vanilla ice cream. L’Orpailleur winery in the tiny village of Dunham in Quebec won Best Dessert Wine of the Year for the All Canada Wine Championship 2006.

http://halifaxfarmersmarket.com/  Nova Scotia on the east coast of Canada.

www.butchartgardens.com  Victoria on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

www.kingsbraegarden.com  St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada, a town known for its colourful window-boxes spilling with flowers, garden tours, and Kingsbrae Garden on 27-acres named one of the top five gardens worth travelling for.

Ontario wild blueberries Pusateri's

http://www.discovermuskoka.ca/  You’ll find many pick-your-own farms and roadside stands selling fresh fruit all summer long in Ontario, Canada cottage country.

http://www.inniskillin.com/  The finest ice wine in the world if you ask me; and it’s made in Ontario, Canada.  I pour it over vanilla ice cream and strawberries.  Just a touch of ice wine will do the flavour trick. I’ve been drinking Inniskillin ice wine since the beginning.

www.cunard.com  Most cruise ships offer wonderful fresh fruit desserts; but Cunard’s fleet of ocean liners and especially the Queen Mary 2 ocean liner offer White Glove Afternoon Tea service in the grand style of the Golden Age of ocean voyages.

Princess Cruises Valentine's Cruise

www.princess.com  I truly believe Princess pastry chefs can create your dream cake!  Crown Princess pastry chefs created a spectacular Valentine’s Day cake celebration display for their February 2010 Caribbean cruise that departed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Crown Princess did wonderful things with fresh fruit. And, of course, the huge chocolate dipped fresh strawberries were fabulous.  Trista and Ryan from the tv show the Bachelorette joined the cruise and gave a lecture on romance and renewed their marriage vows with many more couples doing the same thing. It was very romantic.

www.weaversmallhotel.co.uk  The area in Yorkshire, England is known for sweet cream and butter. Weaver’s strawberry crêpe is wonderfully rich with locally made whipped cream and fresh strawberries. A short drive from the village of Haworth (where you’ll find the museum devoted to the Bronte sisters). (And if you think eating cream and strawberries is out of the question if you’re watching your weight, think again, read Suzanne Somers’ book:  Get Skinny On Fabulous Food.  Somers gives a recipe the French use and it’s amazing!

http://youtu.be/1I0n7Z3OPDo   The Prince of Wales speaks to the issue of organic foods and trusts.

www.marthastewart.com  Queen of jams! Especially strawberry creations.

Ian Lai is passionate about food and the environment. Ian is the founder of the Terranova Schoolyard Society, a non-profit urban agriculture project engaging elementary school children in Richmond, BC.  If you want to connect with children,  Lai believes you need to introduce children to the land.  Lai is also a member of the Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver. www.nwcav.com   Telephone 1-866-876-2433

www.hastingshouse.com  A quaint manor house on Salt Spring Island, Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, where you’ll find a lovely kitchen garden with fruit and vegetables growing for use by the inn’s  award-winning chef.  Ever tasted quince jam? Take a stroll through Hastings House gardens where you’ll see quince growing like apples from trees.  Taking one of the  large BC ferry boats from Vancouver Island to Salt Spring Island (a much smaller island) is so much fun.

Who knows more about picking berries than Anne of Green Gables! Prince Edward Island on Canada’s east coast.  www.confederationcentre.com

Biologique Brightening Hand Care by L’Occitane after a heavy stint gardening. I’m using it after sanding and painting.

In Whistler, British Columbia visit www.slcc.ca to taste and learn about berries growing wild and used for hundreds of years by the First Nations people. Unique culinary creations in the SLCC cafe. Wedding receptions held in beautiful indoor/outdoor space with view to mountains. Museum, gift shop, special events. Learn to cook bannock.  British Columbia, Canada. 1-866-441-7522

www.vinelandnurseries.com  On my visit here in Ontario’s fruit and wine growing country I could not believe the exceptional quality of rare and unusual plants, trees, shrubs, perennials, dwarf selections, specimen plants, and bamboos.  Crab apple trees were lovely and the hosta plants were a dream as were the strawberry plants.  Ontario, Canada.

Vineland Nurseries, Ontario

http://www.deerhurstresort.com/  Deerhurst harvests its own honey and herbs. The resort also sources produce from Savour Muskoka food trail.  They serve smoked trout from Milford Bay with dried cranberries.  Local blueberries get the royal treatment in a cobbler with warm Kawartha dairy black bordeaux cherry frozen yogourt.  Ontario, Canada.

http://www.visitstratford.ca/culinaryfestival/  When I think of chocolate I think of big and juicy strawberries dipped in rich dark chocolate.  You’ll find a wealth of fresh fruits in Perth County, Ontario, Canada.  Best pork I’ve ever eaten outside of the Brickworks fall culinary bash in Toronto, Ontario was in Perth County at http://www.porkshoppe.com/ .  http://www.visitperth.ca/retail.php?id=159&table=shopping   Take www.viarail.com from Toronto and you’re right in the thick of things.  The swans and Avon river are lovely.

www.teatroverde.com  Strawberry hanging basket (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

http://www.niagaraparks.com/  10 minutes from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada you’ll find Niagara Botanical Gardens on 99 acres with a horticulture school on the grounds. First and second year students live on campus in an historic house and take part in garden maintenance right outside their door. Butterfly, rose, evergreen, herb, and many more gardens idea for weddings.

Niagara Parks School of Horticulture

http://www.savourmuskoka.com/

Juicy Berries by Canadian artist, Janet Morgan, St. Catharines, Ontario. 905-684-6602. © Janet Morgan

South Australian Strawberry Pie recipe & photo of Galloping Gourmet courtesy of Graham Kerr.

Copyright © photos and text by May Georgina DeLory

I’m as normal as blueberry pie!   And i’m in love!!!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMO72_TF9JY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3V-88kinMM&NR=1&feature=fvwp  Check out Graham Kerr and his great way to cook organic beets!  Order his seasoning mix for the Kerr taste.

Canada’s first female certified diamond polisher

Copyright © May Georgina DeLory

Jeannine Pilon (Jen) knew she was going to make good if it was the last thing
she ever did. The trick was to recognize opportunity when it presented itself;
and, more important, to jump at the chance to change her life for the better
and forever.

Picture a determind woman, her less-than enthusiastic husband, and a sick cat piled in a vehicle headed to the ice capital of Canada. Not a pretty picture. Except, for Jeannine Pilon, a 37-year-old Sudbury, Ontario native, the journey represented the chance to begin again no matter the cost.  Little did she know that she would one day become Canada’s jewel in the crown.

“I believe things happen for a reason,” says Jen. “I have always been a passionate person in everything I do but too shy to express myself until I started at the factory.”

Jen is speaking from the diamond capital of North America: Yellowknife, Canada, in the Northwest Territories (NWT).   The very place Their Royal Highness The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are visiting in July.

The “factory” to which Pilon is fondly referring is
Arslanian Cutting Works Ltd of Armenia where she works in Yellowknife on the
north shore of Great Slave Lake, some 400 kilometres south of the Arctic
Circle. Since the first discoveries of diamonds in the Northwest Territories in
1991, many adventurous souls have relocated to this seemingly endless landscape
with its startling waterfalls, lush forests, and icy panoramas, hoping to carve
their fortune for all time.

Jen recalls exactly for me the date she began her two-year diamond
polishing apprenticeship with Arslanian: January 16, 2003. There is another date
of great significance to this remarkable woman’s story: The 24^th of August
2005 is the date Jen received her certification in diamond polishing, affording
her the honour of first female certified diamond polisher in Canada. These
dates are forever etched into her memory much like the 99.9 per cent carbon
with which she works is now part of her very soul.

“My job made me who I am,” Jen says, during a telephone conversation. “My
confidence as a mother, daughter, and friend came out when I started this job. I
symbolise the diamonds I polish as the essence of my being. I think you have to
fill yourself up first so that you can overflow in being.”

She fought a long and difficult battle in the male dominated realm of
diamond cutting and polishing.  Her resolve to never give up and hold on tightly to a personal dream was her saving grace.

There is a slight quiver to her otherwise calm voice as she continues to
reveal just how much she herself loves the very idea of taking a piece of
carbon that very easily can be over 3 billion years-old to create a masterpiece
for someone to hand down for generations. Jen believes she has found her niche
in life.

When Jen first got the job at Arslanian after an impulse move from
Sudbury, Ontario to Yellowknife with her then husband, she had to claw her way to
become an expert polisher in round-brilliant cut diamond. At the time, Jen was
the only female in the factory, a facility that refines rough diamonds from
Ekati and Diavik mines near Yellowknife for Canada’s Polar Ice and Polar Bear
diamonds.

At first, none of the men let Jen forget her low standing in their eyes,
men from Old World European families with a pedigree of diamond expertise going
back generations. Some of the men were alone, having left wife and family back
home. Jen felt belittled with their never-ending bellowing laughter at her
slightest mistake at the bench during her difficult apprenticeship.

“In the beginning I would let people walk all over me,” Jen recalls,
weighing in at a mere one-hundred and seventeen pounds. “I lost thirty pounds
due to the stress. My mentor was a master diamond cutter from Armenia and he
would yell or scream at me and I wondered how I was going to survive.” She was
the only female on the floor for one and a half years. “I thought ‘there is no
way you are going to do this to me’”.

She was suffering through a personal divorce at the time. Jen’s
coworkers’ distain of her trying to learn what they themselves believed a
personal “calling” made things all the more difficult. When the men laughed at
her she would go to the bathroom and cry. “My eyes would be puffy and red. But
every day I would march back in and do the same thing.”   In time, she finally received

her bench certification.  With the new standing, an altered state of being began to take shape for Jen.

“My foreman would give me stones…$10,000 worth, sitting there on my
bench. I remember looking over to my foreman thinking that if my foreman can
trust me with $10,000 why can’t I trust myself? If he believes in me, why can’t
I do the same? And soon I started thinking differently about my life,” she
says. “And suddenly I thought that this is what I want and I want people to
know who I am. I want women to know that anything is possible. You have to want
it.”

Pilon’s newfound confidence gave her the courage to challenge herself
further. When Arslanian’s director asked Jen to fill in as a company spokesperson
and attend a Canadian diamond polishing demonstration in Edmonton, Alberta, Jen
couldn’t get her head around the idea. Now, Jen gives talks and demonstrations
across Canada and the US and could not be happier. She feels her life has
distinct meaning and purpose.

Yellow Brick Road

Her son is almost eleven and is very proud of his mother‘s vocation,
helping to pack Jen’s suitcase before each business trip. “He makes sure he
gives me pictures and his favourite stuffed animal to pack. I always return
with books for him.”  She agrees her life today is a very long way from her first months in Yellowknife after driving for eight days across Canada in a U-Haul with a sick cat. Jen and her husband were $10,000 in debt, without jobs, arriving in the middle of the night with temperatures below -40 C. It was the 1^st of November 1999.

Pilon had done hospice work in Sudbury for ten-years. Her first job in
Yellowknife was in a grocery store. “I am bilingual,” she points out. “French
and English. So this helped.” After her son was born, she stayed home for the
first year of his life. Her own life took a full turn with a casual stop at the
Yellowknife trade show at the local arena in 2002. “The Ekati mine was
recruiting…they wanted locals,” she recalls, fondly. “And I thought ‘there are
diamonds here? This is really cool’. Something called me over to that booth. So,
I applied,” she says with pride. “It was a 16-week course and cost $1,043.55.  It’s a 22-week course now. I was the only female at the college.”

Jen’s typical day at Arslanian begins at 7:30 am, thirty minutes earlier
than her prescribed start time at the factory, and ends at 5: pm. “I love my
job,” she says to me over and over again during our telephone interview. “The
diamonds come from the sorting plant on Diamond Row, just behind Yellowknife’s airport,
to the polishing facility. There are three (facilities): Laurelton, Arslanian, and Polar
Bear.” Everyone at Arslanian has a bench number. Pilon’s number is 46.

Jen tells me her green “box” could have $20,000 worth of rough diamonds
to be polished. She never knows what will show up. “The factory receives a
parcel with perhaps 35,000 carats. The foreman sorts the diamonds into
categories. Octahedron forms 90 per cent of the stones ¾ eight sided. The
second most common shape is a cube and the third is the macle or flat triangle.
The form of the rough diamond determines what the cut of the diamond will be.
You can get a round brilliant out of a macle,” she explains, “but you are going
to lose so much weight…. You are trying to maximize as much of the weight because
when you remove weight you are losing money.”

A polished diamond is valued for its ability to refract and carry light
and this ability is influenced with shape and cut made to its facets. Before
modern cutting and polishing advances, a finished diamond pretty much stayed
true to its organic octahedral shape. 3500 RPM is the speed used to polish
diamonds on an instrument called a scaife or disk from Belgium; it’s made of
cast iron that looks very much like a black record from the 1950s and weighs 20
- 25 pounds. A slower speed is used for corundum (ruby and sapphire). To cut
diamond a speed of 1800 RPM is used so as not to shatter the stone.

“My scaife is my brillianteering polishing wheel,” she points out.  “When the wheel gets dry, I reapply a paste
made of diamond powder and oil. The only other thing that will cut or scratch
diamond is another diamond. It’s the hardest mineral on earth. The excess
diamond just gets ground away. It’s carbon, it’s just soot,” she says. “I
usually tell people I go to work cheap and come out expensive.”

Jen tells me that the “marker” is the architect of the entire process
using Inka ink to draw a line to where the diamond is to be exactly cut in
order to get the best quality and clarity out of the stone. D-flawless,
brilliant cut stone is the ideal diamond. The line is projected on a screen
with the use of a machine called Omiga that looks like an x-ray machine. The
stone is then marked by hand or by machine. “From the marker’s point of view,”
Jen warns, “a divergence of just 0.05 millimeter on a six carat rough just cost
the factory $3,000 and lowered the value of the stone because you lowered the
weight.”

After marking, the diamond is then sent to the sawer. A copper
diamond-impregnated blade spins at 1800 RMP to saw the rough
diamond to its precise measurement. Once cut, there are two pieces, one
smaller than the other. The crown is the flat table-top-like shape area that
was sawed and the pointed end is the pavilion. The smaller cut off part is
called tops. These bits are tiny. Most of these stones are bruited, made round
and sent to the college for the students to work on. Some bruited tops are used
in native decorative art for eyes.

“The table is the largest facet on the diamond,” Jen says. “The pavilion
is polished first; it has twenty-four facets and eight main facets. You need
three tangs. You put the diamond in the pavilion tang and mark a line with a
girdle marker. I polish each and every facet evenly all the way around. I am
making a circle. Once these facets have been polished I will change the angle
and polish the sixteen pavilion halves. Now there are twenty-four facets on the
pavilion (bottom); it‘s precise work. I love it. And I love telling people
about it.”

Pilon tells me that if the pavilion has an extra facet, or an abrasion,
the diamond does not pass certification. Once polishing has met Aslanian’s
standards, the diamond is laser-inscribed with either a maple leaf on the
girdle to symbolize a Polar Ice diamond or with a polar bear to signify Polar
Bear along with a unique Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) serial
number. Each certified Canadian diamond is tracked from mine to the jewellery
retailer under the Canadian Diamond Code of Conduct (CDCC), ensuring the stone’s
origin for the purchaser and its conflict-free status.

For Pilon, the diamond process is much more than a way to make a living;
it’s a way to make dreams come true. It’s clear she has made her mark in life,
one that is eternal and shines bright.

“I love my job,” the petite brunette reminds me, at the end of a working day. “I’ve
been doing this for a long time. It’s who I am.”

FYI

http://www.spectacularnwt.com/

www.forevermarkdiamond.com

www.aircanada.com

www.westjet.com

www.thecanadiandiamond.com Soooo cool it’s clear!

http://www.ritzfinejewellery.com Jewellery shop within The Ritz London hotel

Rare pink diamond sells for world record $46 mln   http://t.co/x9xzV07

http://mediacentre.canada.travel/content/ctc_news/rendez-vous-canada-rvc-2011-review

www.spectacularnwt.com/whattodo/touring/flightseeing

Where to Go Next: Armenia – Articles | Travel + Leisure: http://bit.ly/mb3xqh

Author’s note:  check some of my Royal Wedding posts for info on the Royal Canadian tour, 2011.

Original artwork copyright © by Gloria Fraser

Photos courtesy of Jen Pilon

Copyright © 2011 by May Georgina DeLory 

A Royal Celebration on April 29th! Interested in how the royal affair went down? Read on for ideas on how to recreate your own royal wedding celebration.

 The Ritz London’s Bar Manager, Jean Claude di Lizia, created the Ritz Club Royal Wedding Cocktail in celebration of the upcoming marriage of His Royal Highness, Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton.  The cocktail is comprised of Martell XO Cognac, Cartron Creme de Cassis (a fruit liqueur made from blackcurrent berries grown on the hills of Burgundy, France), Grenadine, sugar, Ritz Rose Champagne and a few marinated red berries placed into the glass. A mixture befitting a royal coupling.

A royal tea affair will take place in The Palm Court at The Ritz London, April 29, 2011, beneath a glazed roof-light in celebration of Prince William’s marriage to Kate Middleton.  There is a long list of royal celebration at The Ritz London: His Royal Highness The Duke of Windsor dined and danced in The Palm Court; Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 80^th birthday; and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales awarded Ritz London the honour of a Royal Warrant. The April 29th 2011 “Royal Wedding” will be televised live and shown on large screens and shown again throughout the day.  Tea, pastries, scones and finger sandwiches will delight. A commemorative souvenir menu and limited edition chocolate heart bearing the initials of the Royal Couple are included with each confirmed reservation.  +44 (0) 20 7300 2345.  Toll Free from USA. 1-877-748-9536.   www.theritzlondon.com/giftshop  www.theritzlondon.com

The Royal Wedding Brunch

The Ritz Restaurant celebrates the Royal Wedding with a sumptuous April 29^th brunch, 10:30 am to 3:30 pm.  Themed food platforms serve hot/cold selections. Some of the cold offerings include: English asparagus, var oak smoked salmon, cold wild salmon, octopus, tuna, lobster, and quail egg & duck egg salad. Hot dishes include:  Lamb Belle Époque, and Beef Wellington. Expect a wide selection of salads, including watercress and pomegranate. Desserts include fruit chartreuse en gelee, strawberry terrines with Chantilly, macaroons with rosewater and raspberry, croquet en bouche and cheese board.  I adore eating out of doors…so was thrilled when I learned The Royal Wedding Brunch is served in The Terrace, which overlooks Green Park and is one of the very few outdoor venues in London. There will be fillet of beef, chicken, spring onion brochettes, lamb cutlets, prawn, sea bass and stuffed squid from The Grill. Enjoy a glass of Champagne while you toast the happy couple during live televised streaming of the wedding.

The Marie Antoinette Suite located off the Long Gallery & adjacent to The Ritz Restaurant accommodates up to 100 cocktail party guests

The Palm Court – known as Winter Garden in the early days of The Ritz London—offers grand and opulent open spaces.  If one enjoys gilded motifs derived from life and nature then The Ritz London should not disappoint.

Mewès & Davis, at the turn of the century, designed the Winter Garden (The Palm Court) to present head-on the full impact of a grand hotel to those guests who entered the Ritz from the Piccadilly entrance. Mewès and Davis were of the Beaux-Arts training. Throughout the hotel we see design on a grand scale with breathtaking proportions, gracious line, classical detail, and ornate chandeliers — the pièce de résistance of The Palm Court and The Restaurant.

Today, one may approach The Palm Court after first passing through the hotel’s main lobby from the Arlington Street entrance and then passing through elegant glass panelled French doors to the Grand Gallery. A suggestion made by the late Queen Elizabeth the Mother to meet safety of guests climbing stairs led to the installation of softly curving brass handrails and swirling cast-iron balustrades in the Palm Court entrance.

Afternoon tea is served in The Palm Court with five daily sittings to handle the popularity of the long-standing ritual. Reservations weeks in advance are the order of the day; but for those arriving to The Ritz London on short notice The Rivoli Bar with its panelled walls in polished camphor wood veneer and onyx marble cocktail bar counter entertains the identical tea service and freshly prepared cream cakes and freshly cut finger sandwiches as that of The Palm Court.  Afternoon tea in The Palm Court serves as an alternative to lunch and begins at 11:30 a.m., finishing with a champagne tea at 7:30 p.m.  One need not be an overnight guest of the hotel to enjoy either The Palm Court or The Rivoli Bar.

St. Valentine’s Day at The Ritz Restaurant, February 14, 2012: from £195. per person

For those who must savour their potation with something of a kick…then there is The Ritz 100 cocktail. Don’t forget to eat the real gold shavings glistening at you from the bottom of a most beautiful piece of stemware.  Stay on to dance the night away in The Ritz Restaurant, “Live at The Ritz”, features a four-course dinner with dancing to the sounds of Peter O’Donnell and his band with Cole Porter and contemporary blues jazz selections.  Friday and Saturday evenings.    http://theritzlondon.skchase.com/

In love with the Marie Antoinette Suite? I am, too; it’s lovely. I found the room calming; it’s adjacent to The Ritz Restaurant which is at the far end of the Long Gallery. The Marie Antoinette Suite comfortably holds up to 100 guests for cocktail receptions.  William Kent House, a Grade II structure constructed in the 1740′s and adjoining The Ritz London hotel, was acquired by The Ritz in 2005. After an extensive restoration, five  banquet and private dining rooms were opened in 2006.   The Music Room is the largest salon in the William Kent House.  You’ll be interested to know that on Wednesday, the 8th of June The Ritz London continues the Royal Wedding Celebration of Their Royal Highness The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with a Champagne and canapé reception and Champagne dinner in The Music Room.  The House of Pol Roger, founded in 1849, enjoys an esteemed history of making the British Royal Family and countless occasions attended by nobility memorable.  Pol Roger Champagne was awarded a Royal Warrant in 2004. The Ritz London’s Executive Chef, John Willimas, has created a five course menu paired with some of the finest offerings from Champagne Pol Roger — the famous Tête de Cuvée: Sir Winston Churchill. You’ll enjoy cornet of smoked salmon moscovite, foie gras bon bon, native lobster salad with sweet lemon and fennel, seabass, new season lamb, Yorkshire rhubarb mille feuille with ginger and cardamom ice-cream and much, much more all served to perfection with exceptional pairings of Champagne. Mr. James Simpson of the House of Pol Roger will be on hand as tutor for the dinner’s Champagne selection.  £225 per person.  Check out The Ritz London for their monthly featured Champagne dinners.  For reservations contact:  +44 (0) 20 7300 2233 Natalie Jones:  njones@theritzlondon.com  If you wish to stay overnight at The Ritz London in an opulent Louis XVI-inspired guest room or suite please contact:  enquire@theritzlondon.com  Beginning £300. per night, excluding VAT.

Cunard Royal Court Theatres On The High Seas

Cunard http://www.cunard.com/ has a Royal history going back over one-hundred-and-seventy-years. Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth ships will celebrate the Royal Wedding of the Century in the plush cinema comfort of the Royal Court theatres on all three ocean liners whilst at sea on April 29th with a BBC live feed from Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.  Queen Mary 2 has the largest theatre of all three ships. QM2 will be at sea April 26 to May 2 during her Transatlantic Crossing, New York to Southampton. Peter Shanks, president of Cunard, says he intends to cater to the obvious interest his passengers have in the Royal Wedding, putting into use for overflow, the planetarium and lecture facilities. Cunard has ships named by Her Majesty The Queen or by Her apparent successor, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. The April 29^th evening’s dinner on all three ships will reflect the momentous occasion with commemorative menu and French Champagne toast!  The Queen’s Room will hold a special Royal Wedding celebration dinner with Buckingham Palace wines and French Champagne.   More Veuve Clicquot Champagne will be drunk on Queen Mary 2 April 29, 2011 than on any other ship in the world.  Twinning House will serve a special tea created for the Royal Wedding afternoon tea celebration.  Many guests and especially Americans booked Queen Mary 2 — Cunard’s flagship ocean liner — in order to celebrate the Royal Wedding April 29, 2011 on QM2.  Guests will be over the moon when they see what Cunard has planned, including a Royal Wedding celebration cake.  Cunard has a Eurostar transfer from London to Paris, leaving St. Pancras Railway station. www.cunard.com  1-800-cunard   Watch the QM2 Royal Wedding preparations.  Check out Cunard’s “Feel Famous” promotion. www.cunard.com   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oejI9MVd0c&feature=youtu.be

Just launched and served in the Commodore Club on all Cunard Queens to celebrate Bombay Sapphire’s 250th birthday, a Royal Tea with a spot of Bombay Sapphire gin.   Queen Victoria is on the blue bottle.  Several other Royal Cocktails have been especially designed by Bombay Sapphire. Here’s the recipe:

SAPPHIRE^® English Tea
1.5oz BOMBAY
SAPPHIRE Gin
½ oz Earl Grey-infused honey syrup
Dash of angostura
bitters
Orange zest
Muddle orange zest and stir all with ice in a Boston
glass.  Serve over one large ice cube in a tea cup.  Garnish with a wedge of
lemon on the saucer.

Wedding Celebration Champagne Tea Garden Tour at Highgrove in England, April 26, 2011 in the Orchard Room to commemorate the Royal Wedding of HRH Prince William and Ms. Catherine Middleton.  An exclusive presentation gift box is included with your ticket.  Please telephone England:  0207-7766-7310.   Regular garden tours begin 4 April – 21 October, 2011 with reservation only.  Garden tours take place weekdays only.  Tea cafe at Highgrove.  Profits from Highgrove sales are donated to The Prince’s Charities Foundation.  www.highgroveshop.com

Bettys is a well-known cafe tea room in Yorkshire, England. Reservation at the various cafe tea rooms are not taken except in the Imperial Room at Bettys Harrogate on Saturdays between 1.00pm and 4.30pm and on Sundays from 1.00pm until 4.00pm.  Bettys Harrogate overlooks the Stray and Montpellier gardens.  For further details, or to make a reservation, please call 01423 814070.  I’m sure many will celebrate the Royal Wedding with a Bettys Simnel cake.  www.bettys.co.uk

A Royal Empress Room Dinner

The Fairmont Empress, Victoria, British Columbia, will offer a wide selection of royal-inspired events during the month of April. The hotel has a Royal pedigree: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth enjoyed a gala luncheon at the Empress in 1939. The Queen’s china has not been used since her visit in 1939—until now.  A Royal Empress Room Dinner will be offered for three nights: April 29, 30 and May 1. Served in The Empress Room, this exclusive dinner will be served on the Queen’s china (used only once and not since 1939) with dinner menu items inspired by the Royal visit in 1939. $150 per person.  www.fairmont.com  Telephone 250-389-2727.   1-866-540-4429

Empress 1908 Cocktail Recipe

1 1/2 oz of Empress Tea Infused Vodka

3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

3/4 oz Simple Syrup

3/4 oz Egg White (1/2 of 1 egg white)

Steep your favourite vodka with our Signature Empress Blend Tea for 4 hours.  We use Absolut Vodka.  Measure ingredients and shake vigorously with ice. Strain into martini glass with a half sugar rim. Pairs deliciously with a mini scone: Recipe compliments of Fairmont Empress.

Rise & Shine with the Royals 

The Fairmont Empress hotel on Vancouver Island, British Columbia is no stranger to hosting royalty.  Getting up at the break of dawn will be both breathtakingly beautiful and rewarding. Breakfast 3:00 AM, Friday, April 29 (Royal Wedding aired live from Britain). Guests are invited to don their favourite pajamas or Fairmont robe and watch the wedding broadcast live during breakfast in the Tea Lobby ($39 per adult, reservations required). Afternoon on the Empress lawn with Royal Subjects Picnic & Tea. Empress hotel guests enjoy a cup of tea, traditional scone with cream and jam, mini sandwiches, pastries and a flag to wave. $20.  And for an extra treat, dog owners should bring along their pooch for the “best dressed” dog contest on the lawn of the Empress from noon to 3pm.  April 24^th Royal Easter Brunch.  Telephone 250-389-2727.   1-866-540-4429  www.fairmont.com

Royal Wedding Afternoon Tea   

The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver will feature a special Royal Wedding Afternoon Tea for the month of April. $36 per person, 2:00pm to 4:30pm weekdays, 12:00pm to 4:30pm weekends. Reservations essential. Afternoon tea will be served early the 29^th of April starting from 11:00am with a televised replay of the Royal Wedding from London, England on a huge screen for the I-feel-I’m-at-the-wedding! sensation. Guests named William or Kate will receive 50% off afternoon tea (April 29 only, alcohol excluded). On the 29^th of April guests will receive a special castlewedding bell to commemorate the occasion. Ask about Fairmont’s Prince and Princess Tea ideal for children.  1-866-540-4452  www.fairmont.com/hotelvancouver

Royal Rocky Mountains Possible Honeymoon Locations

The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta, Canada, was built in 1915, offering golf in a glacial-fed lakes and wildlife environment with UNESCO designation. In 1939 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth stayed in “Outlook Cabin”.  In 2000 the cabin was destroyed by fire. A complete reproduction plus additional 600-square feet was erected soon after the fire using the hotel’s original blueprints for design and furnishings. Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 2005 stayed in the new Outlook Cabin when visiting Jasper National Park to celebrate Alberta’s 100 Anniversary. Jasper Park Lodge is two-hours’ from Calgary via the Trans Canada highway. The route holds stunning mountain views and abundant wildlife.  www.fairmont.com

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise  http://ow.ly/7ozYf  is world renowned and may be the honeymoon location for William and Kate.  Opened in 1890, the hotel is considered the birthplace of Canadian mountaineering.  Phillip Abbot was the first man to fall to his death just shy of the summit of Mount Lefroy.  Immediately thereafter, two Swiss mountain guides were hired by the hotel to guide guests up the mountains. When I stayed at the hotel several years ago in spring I witnessed two small avalanches. I still recall the powerful rumblings of the rushing snow. The Swiss influence from fondue to mountain exploration is still evident at the Chateau to this day. The famous lake once was known as Emerald Lake due to the blue/green colour of Lake Louise.  In honour of Queen Victoria’s fourth daughter, Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, the name was changed to Lake Louise.

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

The Fairmont Banff Springs is another hotel in the Fairmont family befitting the Royal Couple. Banff Springs is fondly referred to as the “Castle in the Rockies.”  The hotel is built of rundle rock and sits within a protected national park.  It’s an all-year resort hotel known for its cuisine, exemplary service, spa, indoor and outdoor heated pools, original art collection, golf and year-round leisure opportunities in a mountain setting. If you have not relaxed outdoors in a heated pool, snow-capped mountains soaring towards the sky yet seeming close enough to touch then you haven’t lived. Banff Springs is blessed with natural spring waters and spectacular mountain scenery unrivalled anywhere in the world. The hotel converges at the Bow Valley and Spray Rivers.  The celebrated golf course follows part of the Bow River.  In 1992 the government of Canada declared Banff Springs a National Historic site.  In the 1990’s 25-million was spent on the Art Center.  The Conference Center ranks with the best of facilities. The Alberta Rockies have been well received over the years by the Royal Family.

The Royal Wedding Celebration

You might not have been invited to Westminster Abbey to celebrate the marriage of HRH Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton, but you can celebrate this Royal love story at Sir Rocco Forte´s Villa KKennedy by joining our sparkling lunch party starting Friday, 29^th of April, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. Arrive in the morning and watch the wedding day unfold via live broadcast, enjoy unlimited sparkling wine, bring a flag and enjoy a traditional wedding day party lunch. € 59.00 per person and includes: unlimited sparkling wine; broadcast of wedding celebrations; British Luncheon; Royal Wedding Themed Surroundings. A reply is requested by 22^nd of April 2011 to Villa Kennedy snielsen@roccofortecollection.com  The first 20 RSVP’s will receive a royal surprise!  www.villakennedy.com

Villa Kennedy  http://www.villakennedy.com/health-and-fitness/  has an exalted lineage going back to 1904 when Villa Speyer was built for Eduard Beit and his wife Hanna Lucie Speyer, co-heiress of Frankfurt’s banking dynasty Lazard Speyer Ellissen.  Eduard Beit was knighted by Kaiser Wilhelm II during this period to become Beit von Speyer.  1963 saw President J.F. Kennedy visit Frankfurt. Forsthaus Strasse, the street on which Villa Kennedy is situated and just off the south bank of the River Main, was renamed Kennedyallee in honour of President Kennedy’s visit.   You’ll find Germany’s largest hotel suite at Villa Kennedy, the Presidential Suite, where your wish is their command!  Not to be out-done by jazz on the ivories in JFK Bar is Villa Kennedy’s adjacent Italian fine dining spot Gusto.  The hotel is centrally located amongst manicured gardens and just fifteen-minutes from the International Airport and a few minutes from the main train station.  http://www.villakennedyhotel.de/       www.roccofortecollection.com  http://www.villakennedy.com/pdfs/Villa%20Kennedy_Celebrations.pdf

Create your own storybook ending 

Much is being written right this second about the Royal Couple and more will follow after Prince William and Kate Middleton tie the Royal Knot and hightail it to live the quiet life in Wales. So, if following in the steps of a literary giant rings your wedding bell, a visit to Pamplona, Spain is in order.  Earnest Hemingway visited Pamplona several times to watch the Running of the Bulls, an event known as the San Fermin Festival, held annually in July over nine-days.  Hemingway usually bunked down in Hotel La Perla in Pamplona.  When I was in the “Hemingway” suite the hotel manager told me the hotel hasn’t any problem renting out the room. Not too far from Hotel La Perla is Cafe Iruna in city centre where Hemingway regularly drank and ate and used material from personal experience to write  one of his most famous novels, “The Sun Also Rises”.  Actress Ava Gardner starred in the 1957 film based on the Hemingway novel of the same name.     http://www.spain.info/

Royal-Tea-In

Le Meurice, palace hotel in Paris, France, serves Royal Tea in Restaurant Le Dali, April 29, to celebrate the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  Champagne, and pastries by Le Meurice pastry chef Camille Lesecq, marks the momentous occasion.  The hotel claims a long list of celebrities on an international standing and royalty to its coffers, including Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The press of the day constantly reported the Taylor/Burton couple were treated as if royalty.  The Duke & Duchess of Windsor, Kent, York & Marlborough, the King of Montenegro, the Shah of Iran, the Baron de Rothchild, Sir Anthony Eden and the rulers of Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Greece, Italy as well as a host of other countries all made a home away from home at Le Meurice. Bar 228 serves seventeen exclusive cocktails. The Starcky—named in honour of Philippe Starck who reinvented the decadent ambiance of Le Meurice with his signature “opulent” style. If you choose to abstain from spirits and lean more towards something “green”…try Le Meurice Tonic. The 100% Green Cocktail, introduced in spring 2010 by William Oliveri, head barman at Bar 228, is said to energize and detoxify.  Freshly squeezed pineapple juice and spirulina—what some believe to be a “whole food”.   I find Bar 228 intoxicating to say the very least!  So, bring your sweetheart pooch and celebrate the Royal Wedding in any way that touches your heart.  http://www.lemeurice.com/hotel-special-offers/royal-tea-package_en  www.lemeurice.com   http://www.lemeurice.com/

A Right Royal Bed-In

If you intend to celebrate the Royal Wedding with a cocktail in bed then consider Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada a cozy spot. The hotel has seen the likes of the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, General Charles de Gaulle and His Highness Felipe of Spain since the hotel opened in 1958. John Lennon (The Beatles) and Yoko Ono held a Bed-In for Peace that took place in suite 1742 on May 26, 1969. Fairmont mixologists of the Voyageurs Bar created an original martini for the occasion. YOKO FRESH: cucumber slices, Vodka, Sake, lime juice and sugar syrup with a cucumber slice as garnish. You can stay in the John Lennon Suite. The walls are covered with memorabilia of the famous couple, including framed gold records of the song Lennon wrote to mark the Peace Movement protesting the war in Vietnam, Give Peace A Chance. In 1969, the hotel suite was turned into a recording studio where Lennon on the spur of the moment, June 1st, wrote the music and lyrics to the famous song. www.fairmont.com Telephone the hotel directly to reserve the Lennon Suite, 514-861-3511     1-866-540-4483  http://www.fairmont.com/queenelizabeth/accommodations/suites

Jazz Brunch & Moet

Prince William was a student at St Andrews University when he met Herb Kohler, proprietor of Old Course Hotel Golf Resort & Spa, in Scotland. It is said the two men struck up a conversation in the hotel’s famous Road Hole Bar on their mutual interest in jazz. It’s fitting, then, that the Road Hole, which occupies a splendid location on the top floor of the hotel, offering views overlooking the renowned links and to the sea, celebrate the Royal Wedding the 29^th of April with a Jazz Brunch & Moet morning. The Road Hole serves over 260 of the finest malt whiskies from over 200 distilleries.  After you raise a glass in toast to the Royal Couple hit the greens, redesigned in 2006 by golf course architect Tim Liddy and listed #10 in the top 25 Foreign Golf Resorts in Conde Nast Traveler, April 2011.

http://www.oldcoursehotel.co.uk/restaurants/rhb_royal_wedding_jazz_brunch.html

Royal Wedding Weekend!

St. Andrews, Scotland is known for more than its greens—at least since the pretty Kate came on the scene. Kate Middleton starred in the now famous fashion show where it is said Prince William‘s head was first turned in Ms. Middleton’s direction. http://www.fairmont.com/standrews/hotelpackages/celebration/royalweddingpackage.htm   

Mix it up yourself celebration

The Cool Caribbean Cocktail Book by Gilly Gobinet.  Cocktail recipes from great bars and restaurants from Antigua, St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Lucia and Grenada (the Spice Island).   www.foodanddrink-caribbean.com  The Cool Caribbean Cookery Book won “Best Illustrated Cookery Book in the World 2008″ for Antigua, awarded by the Gourmand World Cook Books.

Tea Caddy  

Queen Anne Tea created in 1907 to commemorate the reigning Sovereign at the time of Fortunum’s foundation.  www.fortnumandmason.co.uk

Marco Polo, a marvellous fruity and flowery tea. Around 1660, on behalf of King Louis XIV and the French East India Company, the ancestors of the Mariage brothers sailed to far off lands on a quest for new and exotic flavours.  Tea soon became a strong family passion maintained over the centuries in a tradition of excellence in taste and creativity, giving birth to the French Art of Tea www.mariagefreres.com

A celebration of the Royal Wedding can only be augmented with a visit to the heather-covered valleys, rugged hills and North Sea cliffs of Yorkshire. The landscape inspired James Herriot, author of All Creatures Great and Small, and the writings of the Bronte sisters’ Jane Eyre and many other novels. Be sure to enjoy a lovely cup of tea by Taylors of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, after a walk over the moors.   www.yorkshiretea.co.uk By Appointment to HRH The Prince of Wales.

mariage freres, tea samovar

Macha with a light green colour is used in Japanese tea ceremony; it is produced from the buds under a cover to block sunlight. The very young leaves are steamed, dried with no rubbing and then ground by a hand mill.  www.cjaytea.com

http://www.fairmont.com/palliser Royal Tea and Breakfast, April 29, 2011

http://bit.ly/eLwhJn  Via VisitBritain.  Royal Wedding Party lookalikes dancing down the church aisle. What a hoot.

www.britishairways.com

www.cunard.com

Delicate pastries on the Crown Princess

www.princesscruises.com  Celebrates the Royal Wedding in their outdoor theatres. Movies under the Stars!  http://www.princess.com/video/dvd/MUTS.html

www.fairmont.com  The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Tea Blend. 1-403-522-1817

http://www.oldcoursehotel.co.uk/

www.villakennedy.com

www.lemeurice.com

http://www.enjoyengland.com/

www.mariagefreres.com

www.fortnumandmason.co.uk

www.tealeaves.com Served at http://www.wedgewoodhotel.com  and www.lhermitagevancouver.com  in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  Pear Tree green tea offers sweet memories of childhood; Imperial Earl Grey black tea and Lavender Earl Grey are wonderfully mild tasting. Need to calm down after all the Royal Wedding excitement?  Chamomile Flowers with Egyptian chamomile flowers. I swoon at the aroma.

www.wedgewoodhotel.com  A Royal Celebration at The Wedgewood.  With every special reservation receive a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne. A glass of Kir Royal is also included in this outstanding Royal Wedding Celebration package.  Offer available April 28, 2011 to April 30, 2011.

www.twinnings.com

www.bettys.co.uk

http://www.taylorsofharrogate.co.uk/

http://www.ronnefeldttea.ca/  The tea company was founded by Johann Tobias Ronnefeldt in Frankfurt am Main in 1823.  Fine teas primarily processed by hand using tea leaves from the best tea gardens of India, Ceylon, China, Taiwan and Japan.

http://www.yorkshiretea.co.uk/

www.tenren.com.tw Ten Ren Tea Co., Ltd. in Taipei. Check out their American Ginseng Oolong Tea next time you visit Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.

www.stratfordtealeaves.com  Get your tea leaves read in Stratford, Ontario.

www.cjaytea.com Macha light green colour Japanese tea used in Japanese Tea Ceremony

www.samova.net

www.theritzlondon.com/giftshop

http://www.lhw.com/

www.harney.com  1-888-427-6398  I enjoyed Harney & Sons’ Organic English Breakfast tea so much while visiting The Boulders Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona I purchased the Winter White Earl Grey. It comes in a pretty robin’s egg blue tin and tastes wonderful. I’m going to try Harney & Sons cherry tea next.

www.theritzlondon.com

www.theritzlondon.com  The Ritz Restaurant, Five Couverts classification. Winner of the Tea Guild’s Top London Afternoon Tea Award.  Conde Nast Traveller UK Gold List 2010.

Live Stream of the Royal Wedding. Link courtesy of @mashable on Twitter.com  http://on.mash.to/i8IiTd

FYI

To arrange for a reservation for the March 2012  Champagne Dinner please contact Natalie Jones in The Ritz Events Department on +44 (0)20 7300 2233
or at njones@theritzlondon.com.

Royal newlyweds announce Canadian tour dates http://natpo.st/lI0mhm

A very cute pooch waiting for Will and Kate in Quebec City, Canada. http://travelglossary.wordpress.com/

Ten places to spot The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on your next visit to London. www.visitbritain.com

Yahoo! Guestbook – Leave Advice http://t.co/U8X17xM

Royals tour Canada 2011. They are going to fall in love all over again…with PEI! http://www.tourismpei.com/royal-visit

Britain’s biggest celebration of trains and railways takes place this June 2012 in York. Railfest 2012 will bring together more than 30 record-breaking locomotives that have made their mark on rail history for being the fastest, largest, strongest, first, last or oldest.    National Rail Museum York, Leeman Road, York YO26 4XJ Tel: +44 8448 153139 Website: nrm.org.uk/railfest2012 Facebook: National Railway Museum Twitter: @railwaymuseum YouTube: National Railway Museum Flickr: National Railway Museum, York

Photos of The Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge in Quebec, Canada Copyright © by Cherie DeLory.

Photo credit, courtesy of Cunard

Photo credit, courtesy of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

Photo credit, courtesy of the Ritz London

Photo credit, Villa Kennedy, courtesy of Rocco Forte Collection

Photo credit, Le Meurice

Photo credit, tea pots, courtesy of Mariage Freres

Haworth, Yorkshire on the moors

FLASH THIS:   Another travel award for Yorkshire as the winner of the World Travel Award for the World’s Leading Marketing Campaign.  Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said:     “The award is testament to the 25,000 brilliant businesses that make up Yorkshire’s tourism industry; their quality ensures we are able to compete on a global scale with the best in the world. It also shows how far we have come in three years since Welcome to Yorkshire launched, that we now judge ourselves against the world’s best and not just our competitors in the UK.”

Find out where the London 2012 Games Torch Relay will travel.   http://www.yorkshire.com/olympics/torch-relay-map

Copyright 2010 May Georgina DeLory

Not just another whistle stop

Recently, and for the first time, I was in Yorkshire, England – a windswept storybook landscape, the sort of place where one expects any moment to see Heathcliff and Catherine hand-in-hand coming over the moors. The West Yorkshire moors after all is Bronte Country.  The area is made for hiking, taking long walks in incredibly clean air, and riding horse.  There’s something to be said for getting in shape and dropping a few pounds just walking in the countryside.  I believe the trick is the incredibly clean air and slightly hilly landscape. And, of course, the excitement of a new place and people to rev up the system.

http://www.yorkshire.com/features/2010/february/bronte-walk

On the way to Top Withens

You’ll find the childhood home of writers Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte and their brother Branwell Bronte, now a museum in Haworth, Yorkshire.  Charlotte moved to the parsonage when she was three-years-old; she was dead at age  thirty-eight along with her unborn child and remembered as one of English literature’s finest novelists.

The third child of six, Charlotte was born in 1816. Two older sisters, Maria and Elizabeth died of tuberculosis when Charlotte was eight-years-old. Charlotte’s mother, Maria Branwell, died of cancer when Charlotte was five.  The Bronte family first lived in the tiny village of Thornton, a few miles from Haworth. One by one the sisters as well as their brother died in early adulthood from disease. But the years in Haworth leading up to the tragic end were fodder for the Bronte legend and for the inspiration to write books still devoured to this day.

Haworth Apothecary

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte’s 1847 classic tale of love, loss, and triumph, has seen many film versions, including one in 1944 with Orson Welles.  Australian Mia Wasikowska as Jane in Moira Buffini’s adaptation of ”Jane Eyre” debuts March 2011, directed by Cary Fukunaga.  Michael Fassbender (Hunger) plays brooding Mr. Rochester; Dame Judi Dench (NINE; Madame de Sade; “M” in the current James Bond series) plays Mrs. Fairfax, Rochester’s housekeeper; Jamie Bell plays St. John the missionary, and Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky) plays Jane’s cruel aunt, Mrs. Reed.  The latest cinematic adaptation of the Bronte novel is a BBC collaboration with Focus Films.

What’s fascinating today about the village of Haworth,  is that not much has changed since the Brontes lived there behind the church where their father, Patrick Bronte, was clergy.  The apothecary–where Branwell got his drug fix that contributed to his death – is still just down the street from the 300-year-old White Lion inn on Main street, the church, the graveyard bearing headstones of those who suffered the deeds of a difficult life in Haworth, the Parsonage, and the moors and its heather. Top Withens, too, although almost lost to the ground, stands, overlooking the moors, testament to the Bronte sisters’ imagination.

Father Bronte had seen meagre times in Ireland growing up on a farm. By the time he was a young man Patrick Bronte had opened his own school, entered the church and attended Cambridge University. The thirst for achievement and education was handed down to the Bronte children.

Heather on the moors

The moors above Haworth became the Bronte sisters imaginative playground; and – especially so for Charlotte — their Haworth home the site of private class in the instruction of painting and drawing, music and reading.  Outside the walls of their simple home was much sickness and wretched living conditions. Is it any wonder then, that the sisters set their soul free on the page.

FYI

Places to see, things to do, and spots to fill the tummy

Haworth is a delightful village with everything close at hand from pastry shops to quaint book stores.  To see the beauty of Bronte Country there’s nothing like walking the Yorkshire moors or riding horse.  If travelling from Leeds, Bradford or Skipton, take the Keighley railway to Haworth.  Each fall there is the Worth Valley Beer & Music Festival where over 140 real ales, foreign bottle beers, ciders and perrys are available.  Join the beer party on a steam locomotive as you travel through Yorkshire countryside.

For further information, vacation-planning advice and access to passes and transport tickets and information on visiting cities close to Haworth please go to: www.yorkshire.com

Andrew McCarthy, Director, Bronte Parsonage Museum, Haworth, Yorkshire, England, appeals to keep a National Treasure at home in Haworth. Charlotte Bronte manuscript in private hands to fetch between £200,000 – £300,000 at auction by Sothebys in London on Thursday 15 December, 2011.  http://bit.ly/txCb3C

Haworth

Exciting “slow food” local cuisine. I love it when the chef pops out back of the kitchen to gather a few fresh herbs for my meal.

Wonderful inns, pubs, restaurants, cafes and tea houses are to be had in the cobbled streets of Haworth.

Sticky Pudding in custard: Grouse-Inn

I’m a sucker for sticky toffee pudding; a British steamed dessert which is a dense and very moist cake made with fine chopped dates or prunes and smothered in a warm toffee sauce. Custard or thick whipped cream or ice cream on the side if you like and I like. The more the merrier. I ate my heart out all across Yorkshire, England with sticky puddings. The one I liked best was served at the

Old White Lion Inn

… a family operated, 4-star, 300-year-old coaching inn in the tiny village of Haworth, Yorkshire. The pudding was a dense, luscious and very dark moist cake tasting of cloves, cinnamon, vanilla and who knows what else…very much like a spice cake. The mounds of warm toffee sauce and thick whipped local cream on top left me in heaven.  In some places the chef used one spice predominately over another for the sticky pudding…but all the sticky puddings were satisfying, as were the simple pork pies encased in thick pastry I had in the city of York.  

www.yorkshire.com  The Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter) filmed in Yorkshire Dales National Park.

www.yorkshirepass.com

www.yorkshire.com/michelinstarexperience 

http://www.hawortholdhall.co.uk/   Haworth restaurant and pub with patio.

www.grouse-inn.co.uk  Oldfield, Keighley in Yorkshire, England   

www.oldwhitelionhotel.com Famous ales to be had in Haworth, Yorkshire

www.thekingsarmshaworth.com  Village of Haworth, Yorkshire.

Fine dining to send shivers up your spine. Weavers Restaurant, 15 West Lane, Haworth, Yorkshire (the famous Bronte sisters lived and wrote their novels in Haworth — Jane Eyre & other books) expects a full house of bookings each December 19th as guests wait for the “Grey Lady” apparition to appear on the anniversary of Emily Bronte’s death.  Some say other ghosts are present at Weavers.  All I know is when I dined at Weaver’s (i had not heard of the ”Grey Lady”) I burst into tears for no apparent reason. Shaken and embarrassed…I read of the anniversary a couple of days’ afterward.   www.weaversmallhotel.co.uk

Yorke Arms is one of Britain’s leading restaurants. The Michelin-starred dining room is presided over by one of the world’s top female chefs, Frances Atkins.  Expect an elegant dark-wood and lead-windows ambiance on manicured lawns.  The Yorke Arms offers fresh vegetables from its gardens, local game, and high quality seafood.  Nidderdale lamb pie with beignet of Yorkshire blue cheese is a speciality.

Yorke Arms, Harrogate, Yorkshire

www.yorke-arms.co.uk

www.visityork.org

www.grangehotel.co.uk  Built in 1834 as private residence for a York ecclesiastical family. Converted into a AA 4-star hotel in 1990 by Jeremy and Vivien Cassel the hotel’s owners.

www.yorkfoodfestival.com

www.yorkfestivaloffoodanddrink.com Largest annual food/drink festival in the UK.

http://www.mckaybrown.com/www.mckaybrown.com/Home.html Gun making shop in Bothwell, eight miles south of Glasgow, Scotland for engraving of handmade guns and cases.

Yorkshire Museum has been selected this year for Letting in the Light – Revitalising the Yorkshire Museum for the 21^st century. Members of the public are invited to vote online at www.artfundprize.org.uk for their favourite long-listed museum.   

The Hidden Minster: a jewel in the crown for the city of York

York Minster, in the sophisticated city of York, is known the world over as a magnificent example of religious architecture. Now you can see behind the curtains and peek through lovely windows.

Bedern Glaziers’ Studio Tours every Wednesday and Friday at 2pm, £7.50 per person.   Pre-booked groups only at other times throughout the year. Tel: 0844 939 0011 or email groups@yorkminster.org   http://www.yorkminster.org/visiting/

www.yorkshiretea.co.uk

www.britishairways.com

http://www.bahighlife.com/

www.ACPRail.com  Take the classic BritRail Pass: for just $145 US* get 3 consecutive days of train travel in standard class.  That’s less than $50 a day to have the freedom to travel on as many trains as you wish to your choice of destinations throughout England, Scotland and Wales.   1-866-BRITRAIL  The attractive range of BritRail Pass products – which are not available in the UK – can be purchased from ACP Rail International, BritRail’s exclusive global distributor –  www.acprail.com or 1 866 BRITRAIL – Value is the ticket with BritRail’s range of Passes – the most convenient and economical way to explore England and Britain where the rail network, with over 19,000 daily train
departures, allows access to 2,500 fascinating destinations in England, Scotland
and Wales.

www.eastcoast.co.uk/   London, England to York, Yorkshire is less than two hours by train. Departure every 30 minutes. Also direct rail service from York to many UK main regional centres.

www.nationalexpress.com

www.manairport.co.uk  Manchester International Airport is two hours’ drive by automobile from the city of York.

www.lufthansa.com  London to Milan, Italy from only £ 49* one way (check for current rates and offers).

Haworth village

If you’re staying on in London after touring Bronte Country you should check out one of Gordon Ramsay’s fav food festivals: www.londonrestaurantfestival.com  May 11, 2011  Don Jacobo Gran Reserva 1995  is a very special wine from Spain and has been chosen to present at the festival. www.donjacobo.es  If you missed the festival there is always something to crow about.   http://www.yorkshire.com/michelinstarexperience

Of course to eat well we must honour those kindly souls who tend the good earth. His Royal Highness Prince Charles The Prince Of Wales offers common sense  gardening practises learnt over the course of  his lifetime as well as his views on the environment, architecture, education, healthcare, science, business, economics,  and the way Nature behaves and the limits of her benevolence throughout time. The Prince of Wales cautions that we should listen carefully to the principles of harmony both in ourselves and in Nature. You may like to read “Harmony: A New way Of Looking At Our World”  with Tony Juniper and Ian Skelly.  www.harpercollins.com

http://www.visitbradford.com/bronte_country/

 http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/books/Modern/The-Forbidden-Innocent-.htm  Modern take on Jane Eyre by Sharon Kendrick

Read the book Jane Eyre.  http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307744227 

http://fb.me/BBuHkUjb  Elle Canada interview with Jane Eyre director.

Jane Eyre:  The Costume Designers Guild has recognized Jane Eyre with a nomination for the award of Excellence in Period Film!  indieWIRE

www.thisislondon.co.uk     Oscar-winning British actresses Vanessa Redgrave, Tilda Swinton and Rachel Weisz are going head to head for best actress glory in the 39th London Evening Standard British Film Awards. Information courtesy of Jane Eyre Facebook page.

Congratulations to Jane Eyre screenwriter Moira Buffini for being named one of five finalists for the USC Libraries Scripter Award, honoring the year’s most accomplished cinematic adaptation as well as the authors of the written work on which the screenplay is based! Read more about the Scripter Award nominees here.  Information courtesty of Jane Eyre Facebook page.   http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/usc-scripter-award/

BAFTA has recognized Jane Eyre on its’ longlist in 8 categories including Leading Actress, Costume Design, and Cinematography. Check below for the complete list of votes.  Baftas 2012 longlist     www.guardian.co.uk  Information courtesy of Jane Eyre Facebook page.

http://ht.ly/47sys  Australia’s Mia Wasikowska talks romance.

http://ht.ly/4dgSu  Rolling Stone says “Jane Eyre” a classic for a new generation.

http://ht.ly/4bW6j  Jane Eyre a tight fit!

http://ht.ly/4bbIf  Jane Eyre’s Michael Fassbender (Hunger; Inglourious Bastards) is on his way!

www.twitter.com/alliancefilms

http://www.facebook.com/LoveUK

Railway fans check this out:   www.nymr.co.uk

Jane Eyre fans, do you want to plan a group screening of the film at a theatre near you! For more information, Call 1-855-4JANEEYRE

Royal Events in Yorkshire http://t.co/bgpbOKW via twitter.com @welcome2yorks

Photos copyright by May Georgina DeLory

Photo of Sticky Pudding with lemon custard courtesy of www.VisitEngland.com   

Jane Eyre theatrical release poster courtesy of Focus Features

Michael Fassbender photo (W Magazine) courtesy of Jane Eyre’s Facebook page.

Copyright © May DeLory. All rights reserved.  For use of images or content on this blog please contact May DeLory