Finland holidays Finland skiing holidays hiking hiking holidays
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Snowballs: Vonn Pow, Tracy Exits, Boa Wins Injunction
..... Vail, Colo. (Ski Press)-Even with a fresh gold medal and another World Cup title, few things are as sweet as a fresh powder morning. Three-time World Cup Overall champion and 2010 Olympic gold and bronze medalist Lindsey Vonn enjoyed 11" of fresh snow on Vail Mountain Friday, April 2, 2010. Vail has supported Vonn throughout her ski racing career and Vonn now represents all five of Vail Resorts? mountain resorts, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly. (Photo: Tom Green). Tracy Leaving as Women's Alpine Coach Park City, Utah (Ski Press)-After two successful seasons that included four Olympic medals and multiple Audi FIS World Cup titles, veteran U.S. Ski Team coach Jim Tracy will step down as the team's women's alpine head coach. The former women's head speed coach from 1996-2004, Tracy returned to lead the U.S. women's alpine program following the 2008 season. Tracy's career with the U.S. Team spans over two decades, including working with the men's downhill team for 10 years. "Jim was brought back two years ago to lead the team to a great performance at the Olympics in Vancouver. He leaves knowing that he accomplished that mission," U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Vice President, Athletics Luke Bodensteiner said. "He has been an amazing coach for the women's team, leading them through some of the greatest landmarks in U.S. skiing history." "I'm stepping aside having been a part of something very special with the women's team over the last two years," said Tracy, who came back to the Team two years ago when then head coach Patrick Riml left to take a position in Canada. "I have had many great friendships and great times and I wish all the best for the athletes as they move forward." Boa Technology Granted Injunction Against Rong Jou China (Ski Press)-Boa Technology Inc. announced that the Regional Court of Munich, Germany, granted a preliminary injunction against Rong Jou Ent. Co Ltd., a Taiwanese company doing business under the name A TOP. The court prohibited Rong Jou from importing, selling, or offering for sale in Germany certain reel and lacing systems shown at the 2010 ISPO Trade Show that infringe Boa Technology?s patent rights under European Patent No.1213981. ?We are very pleased the court has granted this important injunction,? said Gary Hammerslag, CEO of Boa Technology Inc. ?This ruling confirms the importance and strength of our patents that protect our innovative technology. Boa Technology Inc. has developed unique closure systems for footwear and other products for premium brand customers and we are committed to enforcing our patents to protect many years of investment and the superior image associated with our products.?
Been there photos of the year 2011
Hundreds of you enter our monthly travel photography competition. Here are the best shots ? and the overall winner
Emma's eccentric Britain
What does Emma Kennedy make when she has a block of ice and the whole of fact and fiction to choose from? A frozen R2-D2, of courseWhenever I think of ice sculpting, the image of Johnny Depp as Edward Scissorhands, speedily carving an effigy of Winona Ryder, pops into my mind. It's a statue that can never last, for a love that can never be. Ice flakes fill the air and even though his heart is breaking, we can be sure that romance is not dead. There is something deliciously quixotic about ice and here I am, in a tucked-away industrial estate in Tooting, wondering if I'm going to create something equally amorous and legendary.I doubt it. But I'm going to have a damn good crack.Today, I'm in the hands of Duncan Hamilton, the "Ice King". He used to be a top flight chef but turned his hand to ice sculpting when it became fashionable again in the 1970s. Before there were fridges and electricity, blocks of ice were a common sight, delivered week in week out in Victorian London by a Swiss-Italian family, the head of which, Carlo Gatti, seemed to have the business of staying frosty sewn up. Ice for British consumption was imported from Boston, Massachusetts, but Gatti, who was always one for shaking things up, started buying from Norway instead. He didn't tell anyone, though, so ice was always called Boston Ice, even though it wasn't. He was quite the eccentric, and was determined to transport ice to India. This he managed, but not before his name became Cockney rhyming slang for batty.I'm learning a lot about ice. I know that it used to be kept in ice houses and that you can still see one at the London Canal Museum on New Wharf Road near King's Cross. I know ice that is opaque in appearance has been allowed to sit still during the freezing process: the thick white sheen is created by bubbles that have formed in the water. Clear ice, the stuff that looks like glass, gets its appearance from the water being moved during freezing.Look at me. I'm the Magnus Magnusson of ice facts. But let's get back to the sculpting.Duncan has heaved a 100kg block of ice onto a work surface. He's slicing it into 10-inch thick squares with a chainsaw so that I and the other people here today on the Ice Masterclass can have a go at carving a shell."Can I have a go on the chainsaw?" I ask."No," says Duncan.Our blocks are then rounded and Duncan shows us how to create the gouged fan effect of the inside of a shell. Once I've got the hang of it, it's incredibly satisfying. This is just a practice run to get us used to handling the tools. Any minute now, we're going to be given our own ice block, out of which we are expected to carve our very own masterpiece. The woman to my left is going to attempt a ship. The one to my right is, rather ambitiously, attempting a head. I've thought about this long and hard and I'm going to carve R2-D2. Because I love him as much as Edward Scissorhands loved Winona Ryder. It just feels right.I have no experience in sculpting, unless you count a clay caterpillar I made once with my dad. It looked like a massive turd and was instantly relegated to the back of the garage where nobody would ever have to cast an eye on it again. I'm not holding out great hopes for my R2-D2 but somehow, with guidance from Duncan, I end up with a not-half-bad little ice robot. I stand back and stare at it. It's already beginning to melt. And it's breaking my heart a bit."You have to remember," says Duncan, in an attempt to comfort me, "that the lack of permanence is what's attractive. Being an artist is about the process. Once a piece is finished, it's time to move on.""Is it time to move on to letting me have a go on the chainsaw?" I ask, hopefully.No chance. Oh well.? Hamilton Ice Sculptors (020-8944 9787, icesculpture.co.uk) offers individual or group ice masterclasses. A three-hour class like Emma's is �114. 90-minute sessions for groups cost from �54 depending on numbers. Duncan and his team are also available for school visits or corporate eventsLondonUnited KingdomWeekend breaksShort breaksCity breaksEmma Kennedyguardian.co.uk © 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
The Authentic Ski Tour: Red Lodge, Day 1
..... Billings, Montana (Ski Press)-They say that what you seek is what you find. So I shouldn?t have been surprised in the Billings airport, the ?gateway to the big sky,? to feel like I had landed in 1975, waiting for my bags in a nostalgic mountain scene of ranchers, miners and skiers, before anyone had heard of timeshares.Maybe it was the cowboys drinking Budweisers at the airport bakery and pastry bar, the guys in the seats on the plane behind me trading Clydesdale dreams and the promise of open land, or the horse statues at the baggage carousel, the stuffed sheep and all the soldiers coming home. But that sense of grassroots wonder started as soon as I heard those two good old boys behind me talking on the plane. ?If I had one of those Clydesdales I?d just keep it like a big old dog. Here puppy, puppy,? one of them said. And the other one agreed, that they were the most beautiful horses, and started to tell a story about how he used to ship bull semen all over the world. But then the plane hit a patch of bad air and the younger one said, ?Right now I?m just imagining that I?m driving down a gravel road.? Jeff Carroll picked me up outside. Tall, blonde and eternally tan, he had been Red Lodge Mountain?s Director of Sales and Marketing for nine months now, having made the move from Tamarack in Idaho. He said he had jumped at the job, and loved the mountain, and loved the opportunity to tell his wife that she was going home. ?She grew up here,? he said, driving to Red Lodge with all the deer beside the road. ?So it?s pretty amazing to raise our family here, too. He said he had a little girl, and another baby on the way. And I told him I remembered Red Lodge from coming up from Jackson Hole to ski Beartooth Pass in the late spring when the road was plowed between high white walls of snow; the red brick parade of buildings down Broadway and all the cowboy hats and Carhartts in the bars. We ate steak at the Carbon County Steakhouse, a perfect New York and Cowboy Coffee Ribeye. And I slept at Pollard?s down the street, the grand red brick hotel with the history of ?Liver? eating Johnston and William Jennings Bryants and even Ernest Hemingway on fishing trips coming through. There was a plaque behind the counter with the quote, ?Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear, and with a manly heart,? by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, that had been saved from the heyday of the miner?s ?Theatorium? next door. ?They started clearing out a lot of the statues and stuff when that place was used to make our own special ?cough syrup? during Prohibition,? the lady at check-in said. ?They used to ship their ?cure? all the way to Chicago and San Francisco.? I wanted to ask her more in the morning but she was gone. So I walked past the neon tipi of the Red Lodge Caf�, the wine bar, antique, pottery and kitchen stores, and past a fence made of skis where I saw a truck attached to an extension cord to keep the engine warm right next to an open Subaru hatchback loaded with fishing gear and thought: ?That?s Montana right there.? Slightly more than 2,000 people live in Red Lodge. And Jeff Carroll said his destination ski traffic is heavily weighted to North Dakota and Minnesota. ?So will I see lots of snowmobile suits and Viking?s Starter Jackets on the slope?? ?Oh,? Jeff assured me. ?Those are some of our best customers.? I didn?t see any obvious Brett Favre fans, but lots of hot-rodders in camouflage came zipping by, and telemarkers, snowboarders and kids in Day-Glo. We saw them skiing off Nichols and Grizzly Peak, and down into Palisades Park where the cliffs rise up like dinosaurs. Down the tree-sided steeps of Upper Continental and True Grit, and zooming the open slope of Lazy M with Bob, a fast-skiing welder from Billings who rides Harleys and only hunts with black powder now. He led us down ?Lodge Trail,? a gullet of bumps into the base area where I wish I had stopped to pull out my camera. And he stopped and smiled up at the sunshine and said, ?I?m going to have a beer then see a man about buying a house. It?s time I made the commute from here to Billings instead of the other way around.? At the gas station, Jeff started talking to the banker who said, ?Oh, Chico Hot Springs. You guys are going to love it there.?� Links: The Carbon County Steakhouse: www.thepizzaco.com/steakhouse The Pollard Hotel: www.thepollard.com Red Lodge Mountain: www.redlodgemountain.com
Ruka ski holidays Finland Lapland holidays Lapland skiing holidays
Interactive map: Britain's best budget restaurants
Over the last three years, we have been looking for the best cheap eats on offer in Britain. So far, we've covered 35 towns and cities. Here's a map of our progress so farMartin HearnTony NaylorBenji Lanyado
Whistler in miniature
Whistler is North America's largest ski resort, but this fun film turns it into a tiny, toy-like version of itself
Friday, December 30, 2011
Stay in your very own Frank Lloyd Wright house
Three of Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic houses can be seen on a day trip from Pittsburgh ? and there's even the opportunity to spend the night in one of themFrank Lloyd Wright was coming towards me in his trademark pork-pie hat and opera-goer's cape, frosty eyebrows raised, when I woke up. As a rule I don't dream of world-famous architects ? never, so far as I recall, have I dreamed of Frank Gehry or IM Pei ? but there were extenuating factors. I'd nodded off over a biography of Wright, reading about how he'd arrive unannounced at a house of his design to see how its owners were treating it. And the house where I lay, the Duncan House, an hour south-east of Pittsburgh, was an actual FLW, one of only half a dozen where Wright-lovers can stay the night.Left in sole possession, my wife and I struggled that first evening to make ourselves at home. To begin with, we tried going for a walk. The house is at the end of a mile-long private driveway, set amid a 125-acre wooded estate. In October the trees were in their autumn finery, spanning the spectrum from deep red to palest yellow. Climbing a hill, we looked out over the rolling Laurel Highlands, one of Pennsylvania's prettiest landscapes and a favourite getaway for Pittsburghers, before following a trail to a secluded pond. On our return leg, we looked in on the estate's two other houses, both designed by a pupil of Wright's and bearing his influence.Back at home base, we tried walking around the single-storey house, considering it from every angle: the horizontal bands of bleached mahogany, the gutterless eaves, the stonework of the chimney, and the carport (Wright hated enclosed spaces like garages, attics and basements). Inside the house was a vintage 1950s American kitchen, like the set of Happy Days, but instead of cooking we made a picnic at the living room table. This was our favourite space, the heart of the house with its cathedral roof and fireplace, and the expansive windows that allowed us to sit warmly inside without missing the magnificent foliage. It wasn't until we were ready for bed that we noticed another typical FLW feature ? no curtains or blinds on the windows.So, up at first light, we made the 40-minute drive south through the Laurel Highlands to Fallingwater. Wright built Fallingwater in the 1930s, when he was pushing 70, and such was its impact that he never again lacked for commissions. People have been visiting, photographing and writing about the place ever since but it still has the power to startle at first sight. The family who commissioned Fallingwater, owners of a Pittsburgh department store, anticipated something more conventional: a weekend cabin with a view of the falls. What they got instead was a bravura exercise in modern architecture and engineering ? the core of the house resting on boulders with terraces of reinforced concrete cantilevered out over the falls. To their credit, they were content to foot the bill, which, in true Wright style, never ceased to climb.Seven miles from Fallingwater and now under the ownership of Lord Palumbo, Kentuck Knob is another FLW favourite. Crowning the brow of a hill and shrouded by trees, Kentuck Knob is built around a hexagonal kitchen and its angles just keep getting odder. Wright hated the dark, Victorian houses of his childhood, calling their rooms boxes within boxes; one of his abiding aims was to break down those boxes and blur the line between inside and out. Built for local ice-cream barons, Kentuck Knob achieves these aims with considerable charm. Adding to its appeal, the house and grounds are dotted with modern art ? works by Claes Oldenburg, Andy Goldsworthy and Richard Serra ? from Lord Palumbo's collection.Having toured these two houses, we returned for a second night at the Duncan House and found ourselves looking on "our" FLW with fresh eyes. Now that we'd learned a little about Wright's methods and motives, certain things made more sense: the absence of decoration (Wright abhorred "inferior desecrators"); the narrow gallery leading to the bedrooms (a mere passing-through space, to be minimized as far as possible); the built-in shelving; and the division of the house between living areas (spacious and open) and private spaces (smaller and darker, places to sleep and take shelter rather than for living).FLW houses try to teach their inhabitants how their paternalistic designer would you to live: together, around the fireplace; in harmony with nature; simply and without clutter. If Americans have largely ignored his lessons, holding on to their garages and basements, preferring to live in bigger and bigger boxes on sub-divided estates, that isn't Wright's fault.The Duncan House is no Fallingwater. In common with the other five Wright houses where you can stay the night (all in the Midwest), it's a Usonian. Usonians, designed and built in the last decades of Wright's life, were prefabricated houses that could be assembled according to one of a dozen blueprints. They were meant to be affordable, bringing good design within reach of middle-class America. (Though affordable was always a very relative term with Wright.)The only way you'll ever get to experience Fallingwater is on a guided tour. Staying at Duncan House felt a bit like being able to take a Rembrandt home from the gallery ? not a major work, a sketch, but a Rembrandt all the same.We certainly got to like the place and were sorry to leave ? perhaps, if we'd been allowed to stay, we'd have become better people! Lingering on our last morning, I took time to flick through the comments book. In the couple of years since the Duncan House opened, Wright aficionados from all over the world have stayed there, adding an extra, personal facet to their FLW tour. It's not cheap but very few were complaining. 'The dream of a lifetime' wrote more than one.? The Duncan House, 187 Evergreen Lane, Acme (+1 877 833 7829) costs $425 per night (two night minimum); the house sleeps up to six ? extra $50 per night for fourth, fifth and sixth guests. Fallingwater, 1491 Mill Run Road, Mill Run, (fallingwater.org; book tours several months in advance). Kentuck Knob, 723 Kentuck Road, Dunbar (kentuckknob.com; advance bookings recommended). Flights from London to Pittsburgh with various US airlines start at around �340, if booked via kayak.co.uk.United StatesSelf-cateringArchitectureCultural tripsHotelsguardian.co.uk © 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Ode to The Ski Town Job
Of all the jobs I could have chosen during my first season as a ski bum, I picked mountain host because it sounded the most glamorous. Nevermind that I was 28 and the job paid $7 an hour. My co-hosts and I were chosen from an ambitious crop of college drop-outs who rivaled?in faked earnestness?competitors on The X Factor. Sure, we could have picked jobs that repaid our Stafford loans. But who could resist the red-and-teal uniform jackets or the special privilege of leading drunk resort employees in the annual Christmas Eve candlelight ski parade? Not we.If patrollers were the skiing world?s coagluants, we were the blood that kept it pumping. Our tasks included ?assisting guests, performing mountain tours, and conducting lift-line organization,? which I mentally edited into ?show off for tips, pretend to be a ski instructor, and boss anyone who doesn?t look local in the bus line.? Karma should have crossed my tips and made me break my femur, yet I escaped by occasionally being helpful. When, while nursing a hangover at the guest services desk, I reported a highway closure, people actually did seem to appreciate it.It was, of course, all about the skiing. Before coming to Colorado, I?d staked out in Alaska, where, if you don?t live in Girdwood or own a ski plane, you don?t actually do much shredding. While hosting, I?d arrive for the on-mountain tour, wait five mintues, and then?if the greasy Germans or fat-calved Texans didn?t show?lap the Alphabet Chutes for hours. Nobody knew it was me, because I?d ditch my coat in a treewell. I did this four days a week, and on the fifth, sixth, and seventh days, when I wasn?t working, I skied Berthoud Pass, which brought me to my second epiphany: the backcountry.Over the course of that season, I cleared $4,800 and skied 150-plus days. But the job, and its wage, delivered goods of a much higher value. Because I made so little, I decided to try my luck as a writer. Now that I could really ski, I could legitimately beg my way onto assignments at magazines like this one. Tiny blurbs led to stories with bigger paychecks. Now I?ve written a book that draws on some of the experiences I had ski hosting. It?s funny how things come full circle. Thanks to that first glamorous but poverty-inducing ski job, I can now afford to ski all winter?without clocking in on anyone?s corporate time card.
Finland hiking holidays Kuusamo hiking Kuusamo hiking holidays Ruka
The Authentic Ski Tour: Red Lodge, Day 1
..... Billings, Montana (Ski Press)-They say that what you seek is what you find. So I shouldn?t have been surprised in the Billings airport, the ?gateway to the big sky,? to feel like I had landed in 1975, waiting for my bags in a nostalgic mountain scene of ranchers, miners and skiers, before anyone had heard of timeshares.Maybe it was the cowboys drinking Budweisers at the airport bakery and pastry bar, the guys in the seats on the plane behind me trading Clydesdale dreams and the promise of open land, or the horse statues at the baggage carousel, the stuffed sheep and all the soldiers coming home. But that sense of grassroots wonder started as soon as I heard those two good old boys behind me talking on the plane. ?If I had one of those Clydesdales I?d just keep it like a big old dog. Here puppy, puppy,? one of them said. And the other one agreed, that they were the most beautiful horses, and started to tell a story about how he used to ship bull semen all over the world. But then the plane hit a patch of bad air and the younger one said, ?Right now I?m just imagining that I?m driving down a gravel road.? Jeff Carroll picked me up outside. Tall, blonde and eternally tan, he had been Red Lodge Mountain?s Director of Sales and Marketing for nine months now, having made the move from Tamarack in Idaho. He said he had jumped at the job, and loved the mountain, and loved the opportunity to tell his wife that she was going home. ?She grew up here,? he said, driving to Red Lodge with all the deer beside the road. ?So it?s pretty amazing to raise our family here, too. He said he had a little girl, and another baby on the way. And I told him I remembered Red Lodge from coming up from Jackson Hole to ski Beartooth Pass in the late spring when the road was plowed between high white walls of snow; the red brick parade of buildings down Broadway and all the cowboy hats and Carhartts in the bars. We ate steak at the Carbon County Steakhouse, a perfect New York and Cowboy Coffee Ribeye. And I slept at Pollard?s down the street, the grand red brick hotel with the history of ?Liver? eating Johnston and William Jennings Bryants and even Ernest Hemingway on fishing trips coming through. There was a plaque behind the counter with the quote, ?Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear, and with a manly heart,? by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, that had been saved from the heyday of the miner?s ?Theatorium? next door. ?They started clearing out a lot of the statues and stuff when that place was used to make our own special ?cough syrup? during Prohibition,? the lady at check-in said. ?They used to ship their ?cure? all the way to Chicago and San Francisco.? I wanted to ask her more in the morning but she was gone. So I walked past the neon tipi of the Red Lodge Caf�, the wine bar, antique, pottery and kitchen stores, and past a fence made of skis where I saw a truck attached to an extension cord to keep the engine warm right next to an open Subaru hatchback loaded with fishing gear and thought: ?That?s Montana right there.? Slightly more than 2,000 people live in Red Lodge. And Jeff Carroll said his destination ski traffic is heavily weighted to North Dakota and Minnesota. ?So will I see lots of snowmobile suits and Viking?s Starter Jackets on the slope?? ?Oh,? Jeff assured me. ?Those are some of our best customers.? I didn?t see any obvious Brett Favre fans, but lots of hot-rodders in camouflage came zipping by, and telemarkers, snowboarders and kids in Day-Glo. We saw them skiing off Nichols and Grizzly Peak, and down into Palisades Park where the cliffs rise up like dinosaurs. Down the tree-sided steeps of Upper Continental and True Grit, and zooming the open slope of Lazy M with Bob, a fast-skiing welder from Billings who rides Harleys and only hunts with black powder now. He led us down ?Lodge Trail,? a gullet of bumps into the base area where I wish I had stopped to pull out my camera. And he stopped and smiled up at the sunshine and said, ?I?m going to have a beer then see a man about buying a house. It?s time I made the commute from here to Billings instead of the other way around.? At the gas station, Jeff started talking to the banker who said, ?Oh, Chico Hot Springs. You guys are going to love it there.?� Links: The Carbon County Steakhouse: www.thepizzaco.com/steakhouse The Pollard Hotel: www.thepollard.com Red Lodge Mountain: www.redlodgemountain.com
Warren Hellman, Longtime Sugar Bowl Leader, Dies at 77
San Francisco, CA ? The entire Sugar Bowl community expressed its sadness on Monday at the passing of F. Warren Hellman, business pioneer, civic philanthropist, passionate musician, devoted family man and winter sports enthusiast. As lead investor and member of Sugar Bowl Resort?s board of directors, Hellman was instrumental in providing his dedication, vision and leadership toward the revitalization of the ski resort on Donner Summit in California?s Sierra Nevada Mountains, near Lake Tahoe.
Hellman, a sharp business mind known for his extraordinary philanthropic generosity and a renegade intellectual wit, was revered equally for his professional accomplishments in business as he was for his charitable endeavors and warm personality that served to bring out the best in everyone he knew.
Born in New York City in 1934 and growing up in Vacaville and San Francisco, Hellman graduated from Lowell High School in San Francisco and went on to study at the University of California at Berkeley, served in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1957, and then attended Harvard Business School where he graduated in 1959.� Shortly thereafter, Hellman joined Lehman Brothers and quickly became the youngest partner in the firm?s history.
Warren Hellman (photo courtesy: Sugar Bowl)
Moving from Wall Street to San Francisco, he co-founded the private equity firm Hellman & Friedman in 1984.� A strong supporter of the people of San Francisco, Hellman gave generously with both time and financial support, serving on numerous boards and organizations including the San Francisco Foundation, St. Anthony?s Foundation, the San Francisco School Alliance, the UC Berkeley Foundation, the Jewish Community Federation, the Brookings Institution, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, the Committee on Jobs, and the non-profit Bay Citizen, among others.
Coupling his passion for music with his civic philanthropy, Hellman is perhaps best known for his annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, a free three-day concert in Golden Gate Park that sees over 750,000 people each year enjoying diverse musical performances from over 90 different acts, including his own band The Wronglers, which toured the country and even made a guest appearance on NPR?s A Prairie Home Companion.� Recently, Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park was renamed Hellman?s Hollow, in honor and appreciation of his extraordinary contributions to the City.
An avid sportsman, Hellman competed in ultra-running competitions such as Tahoe?s Western States Endurance Run, and long distance horse races including the Tevis Cup, which follows the same course.� Hellman combined these two pursuits to become five-time National Champion in ?Ride and Tie?, a sport that couples long-distance running with endurance horseback riding.� Warren?s passion for skiing led him to co-found the Stratton Mountain School, and also serving as president of the U.S. Ski Team in the late 1970?s.� Hellman?s skiing interests eventually led him to Sugar Bowl Resort atop Donner Summit, where he lent his business acumen and tireless dedication, vision and leadership toward bringing the resort back to its original grandeur.
?Amongst his many attributes, accolades and accomplishments in business, music and sport, Hellman?s legacy will forever endure at Sugar Bowl with infinite living memories of his enormous contributions,? said Sugar Bowl spokesperson Heather Graziano.� ?The entire Sugar Bowl community will miss him dearly.?
Hellman is survived by his wife Chris of 56 years, his sister Nancy Bechtle, his four children Frances, Tricia, Mick and Judith, 12 grandchildren and one great grandchild.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the San Francisco Free Clinic, The Bay Citizen and the San Francisco Alliance.� A memorial service will be held at Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco this Wednesday.
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Hellman, a sharp business mind known for his extraordinary philanthropic generosity and a renegade intellectual wit, was revered equally for his professional accomplishments in business as he was for his charitable endeavors and warm personality that served to bring out the best in everyone he knew.
Born in New York City in 1934 and growing up in Vacaville and San Francisco, Hellman graduated from Lowell High School in San Francisco and went on to study at the University of California at Berkeley, served in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1957, and then attended Harvard Business School where he graduated in 1959.� Shortly thereafter, Hellman joined Lehman Brothers and quickly became the youngest partner in the firm?s history.
Warren Hellman (photo courtesy: Sugar Bowl)
Moving from Wall Street to San Francisco, he co-founded the private equity firm Hellman & Friedman in 1984.� A strong supporter of the people of San Francisco, Hellman gave generously with both time and financial support, serving on numerous boards and organizations including the San Francisco Foundation, St. Anthony?s Foundation, the San Francisco School Alliance, the UC Berkeley Foundation, the Jewish Community Federation, the Brookings Institution, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, the Committee on Jobs, and the non-profit Bay Citizen, among others.
Coupling his passion for music with his civic philanthropy, Hellman is perhaps best known for his annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, a free three-day concert in Golden Gate Park that sees over 750,000 people each year enjoying diverse musical performances from over 90 different acts, including his own band The Wronglers, which toured the country and even made a guest appearance on NPR?s A Prairie Home Companion.� Recently, Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park was renamed Hellman?s Hollow, in honor and appreciation of his extraordinary contributions to the City.
An avid sportsman, Hellman competed in ultra-running competitions such as Tahoe?s Western States Endurance Run, and long distance horse races including the Tevis Cup, which follows the same course.� Hellman combined these two pursuits to become five-time National Champion in ?Ride and Tie?, a sport that couples long-distance running with endurance horseback riding.� Warren?s passion for skiing led him to co-found the Stratton Mountain School, and also serving as president of the U.S. Ski Team in the late 1970?s.� Hellman?s skiing interests eventually led him to Sugar Bowl Resort atop Donner Summit, where he lent his business acumen and tireless dedication, vision and leadership toward bringing the resort back to its original grandeur.
?Amongst his many attributes, accolades and accomplishments in business, music and sport, Hellman?s legacy will forever endure at Sugar Bowl with infinite living memories of his enormous contributions,? said Sugar Bowl spokesperson Heather Graziano.� ?The entire Sugar Bowl community will miss him dearly.?
Hellman is survived by his wife Chris of 56 years, his sister Nancy Bechtle, his four children Frances, Tricia, Mick and Judith, 12 grandchildren and one great grandchild.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the San Francisco Free Clinic, The Bay Citizen and the San Francisco Alliance.� A memorial service will be held at Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco this Wednesday.
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Ligety, Vonn Take Home World Cup Globes
..... Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany (Ski Press)-In a year when the success of the U.S. Ski Team was astounding, Lindsey Vonn and Ted Ligety capped off the excitement with some of the most prestigious awards in alpine skiing - Audi FIS World Cup titles.Vonn took the overall crown plus three other titles, while Ligety won his second giant slalom title in three years. The charge was led by Vonn who took three discipline titles in downhill, super G and super combined, to become first American to win three discipline titles in the same season. She also became the first woman to win three straight overall titles since Petra Kronberger of Austria in 1990-92. "It's so important to me. The overall title is one of the biggest things you can win in our sport. I always try to give my best every day, but it's a long season," said Vonn. "The last few years have gone really well for me. It's so hard to say whether you'll be able to win the overall title. To stand here in the finish and have a title in my hand is so rewarding." Only three other women have as many overall titles as Vonn -- Vreni Schneider of Switzerland and Janica Kostelic of Croatia have three each and Annemarie Moser-Proell of Austria leads all with six. Vonn also broke records this season with her 11 World Cup wins. She now holds the U.S. record for World Cup wins with 33 passing Bode Miller (Franconia, NH). Only one skier in the world ever had more World Cup wins in a season - Schneider with 14 in the 1988-89 season. Moser-Proell and Anja Paerson of Sweden also have 11 in a year. Finally, Vonn's career wins put her in a tie for sixth place on the all-time list with Hanni Wenzel of Liechtenstein, and Moser-Proell leads that list with 62. "It means the world to me. If you had asked me at the beginning of the season if I'd have been able to do that, I would have said 'not likely.' It takes a lot of hard work, not only by me, but from the team, from U.S. Ski Team coaches, from my husband, from Red Bull and my ski company Head," Vonn said. "It's everyone working together to make as successful a season as possible and I couldn't do it without them." Ligety brought the U.S. its only crystal globe in the men's World Cup to mark his career second giant slalom title after winning his first in 2008. With his success, Ligety joins Phil Mahre as the only American man to have two World Cup giant slalom titles. He earned the honor with four podiums in discipline this season, including one win. He also notched his first podium in super G with second at Val d'Isere in December. "Having two globes is awesome," Ligety said. "It's cool to have those and to be the best in giant slalom over the last couple of years is nice." Ligety also podiumed at first and last World Cup GS races, as well as won in Kranjska Gora for the third straight year. The success of the team didn't stop with World Cup titles, though, as the U.S. pulled in Olympic medals. On the women's side, Vonn took a win in the downhill and bronze in the super G. Teammate Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, CA) racked in two silver medals in the downhill and super combined. On the men's side, Miller took in the trifecta of Olympic medals with a bronze in downhill, silver in super G and gold in the super combined. Miller was joined on the super G podium by Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) who took the bronze. With the season now closed, the alpine team will return to the U.S. to train this summer in preparation for the 2011 World Cup season opener in Soelden, Austria and the 2011 World Championships in Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany.
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Aston Kaanapali Shores
This family-favorite beachfront condominium resort offers all the comforts of home with hotel-caliber services. Enjoy spacious suites, fully-equipped kitchens, beachfront restaurant, two pools, WiFi, spa facilities, weekly Polynesian show & year-round Camp Kaanapli for the kids.
Stay 5 nights or more in a Studio and receive a $50 food and beverage credit for the Beach Club Restaurant at Aston Kaanapali Shores. Or, stay 5 nights or more in a One- or Two-Bedroom unit and receive a $100 food and beverage credit.
Terms and ConditionsValid for travel: January 3 - June 19, 2012. Subject to availability. Blackout dates apply. May not be combined with any other discounts. Offer may change without notice. Taxes and fees may apply.
Stay 5 nights or more in a Studio and receive a $50 food and beverage credit for the Beach Club Restaurant at Aston Kaanapali Shores. Or, stay 5 nights or more in a One- or Two-Bedroom unit and receive a $100 food and beverage credit.
Terms and ConditionsValid for travel: January 3 - June 19, 2012. Subject to availability. Blackout dates apply. May not be combined with any other discounts. Offer may change without notice. Taxes and fees may apply.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
iPhone app sees language barriers as opportunities
Filed under: Arts and Culture, Learning, Europe, North America, United States, Central AmericaPotential language barriers have international travelers learning the basics of communication before arriving in a foreign land, just to make their way around. Knowing common terms, even with a limited vocabulary, can go a long way to fulfilling needs. But what about making friends during travel and communicating with them later at home? A new iPhone app has the answer and is available now.
Transfire XP brings the first chat and instant-messaging app with real-time, translated text. The free application features a user-friendly interface, fast message delivery, and supports over 50 languages.
Say for example, your new Argentinian friend, Javier, speaks only Spanish. With Transfire XP, you can now chat with each other in real-time, without any language barrier. Send a message wishing Javier a "Happy Birthday!", and he will read "Feliz Cumpleaños!" on his phone. Javier then responds, "Gracias," and you read, "Thank you."Continue reading iPhone app sees language barriers as opportunitiesiPhone app sees language barriers as opportunities originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Transfire XP brings the first chat and instant-messaging app with real-time, translated text. The free application features a user-friendly interface, fast message delivery, and supports over 50 languages.
Say for example, your new Argentinian friend, Javier, speaks only Spanish. With Transfire XP, you can now chat with each other in real-time, without any language barrier. Send a message wishing Javier a "Happy Birthday!", and he will read "Feliz Cumpleaños!" on his phone. Javier then responds, "Gracias," and you read, "Thank you."Continue reading iPhone app sees language barriers as opportunitiesiPhone app sees language barriers as opportunities originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Get to know Belarus through the art of motion timelapse
Filed under: Arts and Culture, Europe, Belarus, Video, Ecotourism, Budget Travel
This timelapse video, One Day in Life, was created by professional photographer and Minsk native, Artem Sergeevich. It shows the country of Belarus in a way that will put any negative eastern Europe stereotypes out of your head and have you booking a one-way plane ticket there. Vibrant colors wash over a mix of countrysides and cityscapes, making the factories look just as beautiful and exciting as the lakes and fountains. It isn't easy to capture images like these, and Sergeevich used a range of different cameras, some of which included a Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 60D, Tokina 11-16mm, and a Sigma 14mm, among others.
To see more videos by Artem Sergeevich, click here.
Get to know Belarus through the art of motion timelapse originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
This timelapse video, One Day in Life, was created by professional photographer and Minsk native, Artem Sergeevich. It shows the country of Belarus in a way that will put any negative eastern Europe stereotypes out of your head and have you booking a one-way plane ticket there. Vibrant colors wash over a mix of countrysides and cityscapes, making the factories look just as beautiful and exciting as the lakes and fountains. It isn't easy to capture images like these, and Sergeevich used a range of different cameras, some of which included a Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 60D, Tokina 11-16mm, and a Sigma 14mm, among others.
To see more videos by Artem Sergeevich, click here.
Get to know Belarus through the art of motion timelapse originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Ultimate Wish List Poll
Help us rank the first-round nominees for our Ultimate Wish List. We'll post results soon. Come back to vote on round two starting February 1. Make your picks now and like ISLANDS on Facebook for more updates!
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Beer of the WeekFace Plant DoppelweizenSornin Ambr�eFRIEKO'Ryely IPASnow Day Winter AleComing Home 2011 Holiday AleFrog Hop Fresh Hopped Pale AleBourbon Barrel StoutDubhe Imperial Black IPAGreat American Beer FestivalMateVeza BeerSaranac Pale AleLongboard Island LagerMamma's Little Yella PilsMyrcenary Double IPAHop Rod RyeHeadwall AltSanta Fe Pale AleHoney Basil Beer
What we're drinking now.
WILD Fall Preview
Can't wait till fall? Neither can we! Check out what's coming soon to the WILD lineup: Meet the freshest faces of Nat Geo WILD. Three rugged, adventure-seeking experts answering the ?call of the wild.? And one veteran who will give them all a run for their money. Also coming up: Animals Say the Wildest Things: Coming this August-September, Wednesdays at 10 & 10:30 p.m. A chimpanzee therapy session, a polar bear that lost her cell phone, a choir of singing sharks and a bird tribute to the ?king of Pop,? Michael Jackson. That?s just a bit of what comes out of the mouths of comedians voicing over natural history footage?with their own humorous interpretation of what the animals are thinking and doing in the new series Animals Say the Wildest Things. We?ll also meet the ?Prince of Barkness? when special guests Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne give their own interpretation for a scene. Nature?s Miracle Babies: Premieres Tuesday, September 13 8-11 p.m. & Wednesday September 14 8-10 p.m. These are special babies ? more than just adorable, they are critically important to the survival of their species. Nat Geo WILD takes viewers around the world to follow dedicated people working to save them. Each animal they raise to adulthood is a step away from extinction, with the ultimate challenge to return them to the wild. We?ll see ambitious programs to save diverse species from the outback of Australia, the savannahs of East Africa, the Brazilian Amazon and some of the most successful zoo breeding programs in the world.
Corkboard: our weekly travel news round-up
Our weekly look at the new and fun in the world of travel, including a new luxury travel agent for independent adventurers, a hot place to stay in one of New York's hippest neighbourhoods and last-minute Christmas getaways Tweet us @guardiantravel or email us about your travelsEscapismDedon Travel (dedontravel.com) is a new luxury travel agent for independent adventurers, from the makers of Dedon fancy outdoor furniture. It is offering trips to drop-dead-gorgeous accommodation: choose from the Mystique (pictured) in Santorini, Greece; Winterdream, an ice-fishing lodge in Lapland; Siargao, its own island retreat in the Philippines, or go all out and book a 17-day private jet tour of South America.Neighbourhood watchWilliamsburg is one of New York's hippest hoods, and now it has a hot new place to stay, the Hotel Williamsburg (hwbrooklyn.com, rooms from $224). Featuring a rooftop bar, swimming pool with cabanas, rooms with vintage-style record players and vinyl, and a very cool website, the world's hipsters will flock there soon.Cheap dateVirgin Holidays (0844 557 3870, virginholidays.co.uk) has a ski trip to New Hampshire for �555pp (�205 off) for seven nights' B&B at an inn in North Conway, near three different resorts, including car hire and flights to Boston from London. Available 9 January-1 February.Where's hot now? Mozambique (29C)The country's summer runs from now until April. See the sights and bars of the capital, Maputo, then head out to the white-sand islands of the Bazaruto and Quirimbas archipelagos (see our online feature about the Quirimbas at guardian.co.uk/mozambique). Flights in early January from Heathrow to Maputo cost around �750 with Kenya Airways (kenya-airways.com).What's new?The short breakJanet Reeder and Shirley Mann, journalists "of a certain age" (they say so themselves) have come up with a weekend break specifically for women over 45. Their new "Reboot Your Life" three-day breaks at a cottage in the Peak District include informal workshops and lessons on spicing up your cooking, getting more creative with a camera, restyling your look, speaking in public and boosting your confidence.? Upcoming breaks are on 3 February and 24 March, price �495pp, including all meals and transport once there (07803 160776, rebootyourlifeholidays.co.uk)The adventureAdventure operator On The Go has just added Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos to its portfolio, with group or tailor-made trips of eight-22 days, from February.? An eight-day Legends of Laos tour from March costs from �699pp, flights extra (020-7371 1113, onthegotours.com) The festivalBook now for the Jaipur Literature Festival, of which travel writer William Dalrymple is a director. It takes place on 20-24 January at the Diggi Palace, and will feature 200 speakers, including Michael Ondaatje, Fatima Bhutto, Tom Stoppard and Jason Burke, the Guardian's south asia correspondent.? Attendance is free but register in advance at jaipurliteraturefestival.org/registrationTravel trashA new "Guns & Roses experience" in the Cotswolds costs �105pp. But those hoping to rock out with Axl and Slash will be disappointed: this new activity (for stags and hens, we presume) involves "a double-barrelled day of shooting and floristry" run by professional field shooting sportsman turned florist Shelley Spencer.? 01386 853000, gunsandroses experience.co.uk Tweet ur tripWorst hotelsThe one where, when I complained about mice in my room, I was offered a live snake.@CareerBreakSiteBeach hut on Koh Phi Phi. Ants in the bed and two opium syringes hidden above a door crevice.@benholtby? Next week: kind strangersLast-minute Christmas getawaysTempted to just give up? The cooking, the wrapping, the being nice to people ... If it's all too much hassle, it's not too late to escape. Really. Look!? Inghams (020-8780 4447, inghams.co.uk) is offering discounts on ski trips including a week in La Plagne, France, in a three-star apartment, departing 23 December, for �299pp (was �639) based on three sharing, including flights from Gatwick and welcome pack.? Walk to Everest Base Camp over Christmas on an eight-day trip with Imaginative Traveller (0845 867 5551, imaginative-traveller.com/trips/GIEE) for just �1,354pp including flights, departing on Christmas Eve.? Ross Cottages (01668 213336, rosscottages.co.uk) has a selection of cute properties in unspoilt Northumberland sleeping up to six people for three-, four- or seven-night stays over Christmas, from �380 per cottage.? A Christmas break at posh Flackley Ash Hotel (01797 230651, flackleyashhotel.co.uk) near Rye in East Sussex costs �534pp for three nights full-board from Christmas Eve. The hotel is also offering a special deal for emergency services personnel who have to work over Christmas: its "999 deal" offers them a one-night stay for �99.90 (usually �175) for two people, for stays from 2 January to 25 March 2012.? If you really need to treat yourself, how about seven nights at the four star Smugglers Cove Resort & Spa on the Caribbean island of St Lucia from �1,569pp, with Virgin Atlantic flights from Gatwick on 20 or 23 December? Available through Tropical Sky on 0844 322 9360, tropicalsky.co.uk.Send us your tipsStrange and funny things you've spotted abroad, your holiday nightmares and other ideas for this page by emailing travel@guardian.co.uk or on Twitter to @guardiantravel, using the hashtag #TravelCorkboardHotelsChristmas and New Yearguardian.co.uk © 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Learning a new language made easy
Filed under: Learning, North America, United States, Travel Security If learning a new language is on your list of things to do, there are several products out there to help make that happen. The trick seems to be finding one that will work for each individual and some are a better fit than others.
Back in 2007 Gadling's Jamie Rhein introduced us to Rosetta Stone, an interactive computer software program that has been proven effective even in elementary school children. Still, the price tag of $449 per language for levels 1-5 may make many think twice. Just trying German, for example, takes $179 to get started.
Babbel, the browser based language learning program also has a mobile app for learning on the go. Both versions come with a speech recognition feature to give users a real time score on their pronunciation.Continue reading Learning a new language made easyLearning a new language made easy originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Back in 2007 Gadling's Jamie Rhein introduced us to Rosetta Stone, an interactive computer software program that has been proven effective even in elementary school children. Still, the price tag of $449 per language for levels 1-5 may make many think twice. Just trying German, for example, takes $179 to get started.
Babbel, the browser based language learning program also has a mobile app for learning on the go. Both versions come with a speech recognition feature to give users a real time score on their pronunciation.Continue reading Learning a new language made easyLearning a new language made easy originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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SkyMall Monday: O to Go Portable Wine Glasses
Filed under: Food and Drink, Video, Skymall MondayGoing out for a lavish meal with friends is one of the great pleasures in life. Elegant food, good company and, of course, delicious wine make for a wonderful night out. However, some people take their wine very seriously and anything that takes away from their vino experience can ruin the evening. The last thing anyone wants is for one of their friends to storm out of the restaurant because the glassware is substandard. Here at SkyMall Monday, we know a thing or two about wine glasses. That's why we appreciate that SkyMall is tackling the problem of wine glass disappointment. Never again will you have to worry about a lackluster wine glass destroying any chance enjoying a night out. The next time you're painting the town red, don't trust restaurants and bars to know what you require. Take care of yourself - and your wine - with the O to Go portable wine glass.Continue reading SkyMall Monday: O to Go Portable Wine GlassesSkyMall Monday: O to Go Portable Wine Glasses originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 26 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Away in a manger - in East Sussex
Tom Meltzer jumped at the chance to discover the true meaning of Christmas. How hard could it be to sleep in a stable ? and would it inspire a personal epiphany?For me, this is how Christmas began. I turned up at a sprawling Victorian farmhouse around half past seven, by which time it was already dark. Rain was falling from the sky in the kind of thick, exploding drops that go down your back and ruin your evening. I had no raincoat and no umbrella. I was cold and wet, and I wondered why exactly I'd said yes to this, and why I'd not thought to bring either an umbrella or a raincoat. I had traipsed here by the light of passing cars along the side of an unlit woodland road, soaking both my flimsy trainers in puddles. I was bedraggled. That is the best ? perhaps the only ? word for it. Bedraggled and begrudging.I was here in response to an ad posted on room rental site Wimdu. The ad offered open-minded travellers a chance to rediscover "the true meaning of Christmas" by spending a night in a farmyard stable. Not just any stable, either, "a little Bethlehem, nestled in the South Downs close to Brighton", complete with donkeys, a manger and a bed of soft, fresh straw, all mine for a meagre �12, every penny of which would go to charity. The ad had gone up just a couple of days before. And I was the first to actually stay the night.Inside the farmhouse I met Fiona Turton, middle-aged and unashamedly middle class, and infectiously enthusiastic about the joys of a back-to-basics Christmas. She poured me a glass of mulled red wine and introduced her husband Charles ? a "hospital doctor", in contrast to her, a GP ? and their three boisterous dogs. It was Fiona who posted the ad, with a little help from her son's girlfriend, Abbi Broadbent, in a bid to do something a little bit different to raise money for charity this Christmas."This isn't necessarily about being religious or whatever," said Fiona. "We are not religious people, but as medics we see quite a lot of unhappiness and quite a lot of families who are no longer families together. I think a lot of Christmas has just got too commercial. The first thing kids do is say: 'What are we going to get?'"Here it was as much about what they'll give ? Fiona will spend Christmas morning on duty at the accident and emergency department, and return home to a Christmas meal with around a dozen guests.Charity comes naturally to the Turtons. Fiona has run six marathons, and raises around �100 a week gathering bird feathers and selling them on eBay, to milliners, modellists and designers. The money from the stable is going to Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research. This was Abbi's choice; she has lost relatives to both. Although the fee for a night in their stable isn't much, the publicity has already brought in more than �600 of donations from well-wishers unable or unwilling to bed down in the straw themselves.The mulled wine finished, we headed out into the yard and surveyed my lodgings for the night. The walls were brick but the stable was unheated, the air inside a stagnant chill. They had brought in an electric heater, but I decided not to use it. My quest for the true spirit of Christmas demanded that I sleep, where possible, as they slept in the nativity. The bed had been covered with blankets, but beneath them bed and carpet blended into one, both straw, one just a deeper pile than the other.Their stable, it turned out, was more like the one from the nativity than their advert had divulged. It too had been the birthplace of a miracle child; an unlikely messiah by the name of Buggins, with long ears and cloven hooves, on account of his being a donkey. When mum Sooty gave birth a year after coming to the Turtons ? having lived in donkey solitude ? it took the family entirely by surprise. Donkeys spend 14 months in the womb, but the farm she'd come from couldn't explain it either. "They said she hadn't been near another donkey," said Fiona, "so I suppose it was an immaculate conception."Buggins and Sooty normally share the stable in winter. "We used to do school fetes and nativity plays with them," explained Charles, "but you can't get insurance now." The donkeys are docile but can kick, so they spent the night in their hovel in the field next door. (If donkeys are liable to kick, I wondered, was it an act of shocking negligence on Mary and Joseph's part to birth the messiah surrounded by livestock? Wouldn't the holy couple have been better off ushering Christ into the world in a ditch somewhere?)Moments later, it occurred to me that ? kicking or not ? animals would at least have brought warmth, which in the stable was hard to come by. I didn't dare take off my shoes or my jacket. I turned off the lights, pulled the duvet tight up to my neck and lay, cold and confused, thinking in the darkness. There was the constant sound of dripping, the occasional distant purr of a passing car, and nothing else.Many of the guests who will stay in the stable this December have come for this moment of quiet contemplation. "We've got several people coming entirely on their own," said Fiona, "and their reason for coming is just for some quiet time ? a 24-hour period on their own. I think it's just a little bit of time to think."I lay in the dark, determined to reach a festive epiphany, for an hour. Then I nodded off. I woke again just after midnight, dripping sweat. Though the air was still freezing, under the blankets I was now far too hot. The bed of straw had become a slide of straw, and my wriggling had slid me down to ground level, so that I opened my eyes staring up at the underside of what had been a bedside table, and panicked for a moment that the Turtons had somehow buried me alive in a coffin. The blankets had fallen with me, exposing the pile of straw I'd convinced myself was a bed. I kicked off my shoes and struggled out of my jacket, made a weak attempt to reshape the straw, and eventually dropped off again, both figuratively and physically.The next morning I woke on the floor refreshed but deathly cold. I headed over to the house, where the Turton family, already up and dressed, offered me toast and tea, and asked how I'd slept, and to be polite I pretended I'd slept just fine. It was then, at last, that I had my epiphany. It wasn't a particularly good one, but it would, I knew, have to do: Christmas is about pretending.It is built on a wilful suspension of our collective disbelief. We all agree to pretend a hundred different lies: that Christ was born on 25 December, a fact we've no good evidence for, and a decent amount against; that he was born in a stable, when for all we know it may have been a cave, a house, a ditch or a graveyard; that he slept peacefully in a manger of straw, which I can now say, firsthand, would have been his first and most impressive miracle. We pretend that the turkey's perfect; that the children haven't grown up; for atheists, that this means anything at all; for the religious, that crackers, the Queen and stodgy puddings is what Jesus would have wanted.We pretend a lot of things at Christmas ? to ourselves and to each other ? not because we're idiots or fantasists, but because, put simply, it's good for us to have an excuse to be around our families, and have something to do with them.That's the lesson of a Bethlehem on the outskirts of Brighton: yes, it's silly. Yes, it doesn't mean much. But if it gets us to do something good for each other, that's enough.? The Turton family are still taking bookings via Wimdu, and welcome donations to Leukaemia and Lymphoma ResearchChristmasTom Meltzerguardian.co.uk © 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Vail Throws Homecoming Party for Vonn
..... Vail, Colo. (Ski Press)-Vail Resorts will host a homecoming celebration for Lindsey Vonn in Vail, Colo. on Wednesday, March 31.The Vail resident recently won Olympic gold and bronze medals in Vancouver and captured her third consecutive World Cup Overall title, making her the winningest U.S. female skier of all time with 33 World Cup wins, including�a U.S. record�11 this season. The homecoming festivities will kick off at 3:30 p.m. in Vail Square, located in Lionshead. Supporters will be greeted with Lindsey Vonn commemorative pins and memorabilia as well as complimentary cookies, hot cocoa and�entertainment including a DJ and jumbo screen videos of Vonn?s racing career highlights to date. Guest speakers including�Co-President of Vail Resorts' Mountain Division John Garnsey, Ski & Snowboard Club Vail Executive Director Aldo Radamus,�Town of Vail Mayor Dick Cleveland�and former Olympian Chad Fleischer�will take the stage and introduce Vonn at approximately 4 p.m. followed by a special children?s press conference with the ski racing champion. Guests who ride one of several exclusive ?Welcome Home Lindsey? cars on the Eagle Bahn Gondola throughout the day can register to win one of five 2010-2011 Epic 7-Pack Passes. Winners will be announced by Vonn at the conclusion of the homecoming celebration in Vail Square. ?We could not be more proud to welcome Lindsey home to Vail after a season of unprecedented success on both the World Cup and Olympic stages,?�said John Garnsey, co-president of Vail Resorts? Mountain Division and chief operating officer of Beaver Creek Resort. ?Lindsey?s unwavering work ethic and poised representation of our country, our community�and alpine skiing continues to be an inspiration to all of us at Vail Resorts and particularly to the next generation of young athletes following in her tracks.?� Vonn fans can follow Lindsey through her ski racing career this past year via www.LindseyIsEpic.com. The site provides the most detailed background and insider?s view of Vonn?s endeavors this ski season including�27�webisodes and interviews with Vonn chronicling her successful ski career and season to date on the World Cup circuit. The webisodes give fans perspective on Vonn?s drive to becoming a World Champion from preparing and training for World Cup events in pre-season ski fitness sessions in the gym and World Cup race footage as well other unique surprises about Lindsey, including being an owner of three cows and a goat.
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Monday, December 26, 2011
Chinese tourists chart a new European Grand Tour
Filed under: Europe, China, NewsAccording to BBC Travel and the China Daily, approximately 70 million Chinese nationals traveled abroad in 2011, up from 10 million in 1999. A chunk of this new crop of Chinese tourists is traveling to Europe, but their itinerary veers a little off the trodden path.
BBC Travel outlined some of the historical highlights of the "new" European Grand Tour: cities like Trier, Germany, the birthplace of Karl Marx and home to the Karl Marx Haus Museum, and Montargis, France, where a small group of Chinese youth studied in the early 1900s and lay the foundation for the Chinese Communist Party. Many tour groups also make a stop at King's College in Cambridge, England, to visit a willow tree mentioned by Chinese poet Xu Zhimo in a famous poem called On Leaving Cambridge.
According to the article, Chinese travelers also seek out culture and shopping when visiting Europe. That brings them to Bonn, Germany, to visit the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven, and Verona, Italy, backdrop of Shakespeare's famous Romeo and Juliet. Shoppers apparently go crazy on High Street in London, at Louis Vuitton in Paris, and at the Hugo Boss factory outlets in Metzingen, Germany (who doesn't love a great bargain?).
The Chinese may have the right idea when it comes to off-the-beaten-track European itineraries, which tend to be cheaper and less crowded. Start creating your own with these top underrated European travel destinations.
[Thanks, BBC Travel]Chinese tourists chart a new European Grand Tour originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 24 Dec 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
BBC Travel outlined some of the historical highlights of the "new" European Grand Tour: cities like Trier, Germany, the birthplace of Karl Marx and home to the Karl Marx Haus Museum, and Montargis, France, where a small group of Chinese youth studied in the early 1900s and lay the foundation for the Chinese Communist Party. Many tour groups also make a stop at King's College in Cambridge, England, to visit a willow tree mentioned by Chinese poet Xu Zhimo in a famous poem called On Leaving Cambridge.
According to the article, Chinese travelers also seek out culture and shopping when visiting Europe. That brings them to Bonn, Germany, to visit the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven, and Verona, Italy, backdrop of Shakespeare's famous Romeo and Juliet. Shoppers apparently go crazy on High Street in London, at Louis Vuitton in Paris, and at the Hugo Boss factory outlets in Metzingen, Germany (who doesn't love a great bargain?).
The Chinese may have the right idea when it comes to off-the-beaten-track European itineraries, which tend to be cheaper and less crowded. Start creating your own with these top underrated European travel destinations.
[Thanks, BBC Travel]Chinese tourists chart a new European Grand Tour originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 24 Dec 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Christmas TV inspires wanderlust
As several holiday companies start their TV advertising campaigns on Boxing Day in advance of peak booking season in January and February, many holidaymakers? choices will be inspired by the films and TV programmes they watch over the festive period.Frozen Planet ? the Epic Journey has already prompted a surge in demand for expedition cruises to the Antarctic and Artic.� The Christmas highlights show is likely to boost this trend further as will Earthflight, a documentary set in the USA that follows the path of snow geese on their journey from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic. Miranda Hart and Bear Grylls are trekking across the Swiss Alps in Bear?s Wild Weekend with Miranda.
Top Gear?s annual expedition sees them travel across India, showcasing the country?s major cities, culture and countryside. In Three Men Go to New England, Rory McGrath, Griff Rhys Jones and Dara O?Briain are in search of a boat for a parade celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.
Parents may find themselves booking holidays to Paris, New York and Madagascar after their children watch films such as: Ratatouille, in which a rat travels to Paris to realise his dream to be the best chef in France, and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, where animals escape Central Park Zoo to fly back to Madagascar.�
Closer to home the Downton Abbey Christmas special is likely to increase demand for packages to visit stately and manor homes used in the popular costume drama. Harry Potter fans at home and abroad will also be inspired to visits locations such as Alnwick Castle and Gloucester Cathedral.
Victoria Bacon, ABTA Head of Communications says: ?Film and television programmes have a huge influence on British holidaymakers? travel plans. It is clear destinations benefit enormously when used as film locations, which is why many are delighted to be chosen.?
The cinema also has a huge influence on booking habits. Next year destinations such as New Zealand and the USA stand to benefit in particular from high profile releases on the silver screen. New Zealand?s stunning scenery will provide the backdrop to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and New York provides the setting for The Great Gatsby. A host of beatnik inspired road trips are expected following the release of On the Road, based on the Jack Kerouac novel, written about the writer?s travels and featuring San Francisco, Argentina and Chile. Meanwhile, Nicolas Cage?s Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance looks set to give a boost to Bulgaria and Cappodocia, Turkey.
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Tropical Drink Recipe: Apple Pie Cocktail
This delectable cocktail from Hawks Cay Resort in the Florida Keys is part of the resort's Seasonal Sips program, a tasting tour that allows guests to sample signature tropical drinks from four resort venues.
SERVES 1
? 1.5 oz. Pinnacle Whipped Cream vodka
? 4 oz. apple juice
? whipped cream
? caramel sauce
? cinnamon
? graham cracker crumbs
Coat the rim of a 12 oz. glass with graham cracker crumbs. In a cocktail shaker with ice, add the vodka and apple juice, then shake until frothed. Pour into the glass, then top with whipped creame, caramel sauce and cinnamon. Enjoy!
SERVES 1
? 1.5 oz. Pinnacle Whipped Cream vodka
? 4 oz. apple juice
? whipped cream
? caramel sauce
? cinnamon
? graham cracker crumbs
Coat the rim of a 12 oz. glass with graham cracker crumbs. In a cocktail shaker with ice, add the vodka and apple juice, then shake until frothed. Pour into the glass, then top with whipped creame, caramel sauce and cinnamon. Enjoy!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Aston Kaanapali Shores
This family-favorite beachfront condominium resort offers all the comforts of home with hotel-caliber services. Enjoy spacious suites, fully-equipped kitchens, beachfront restaurant, two pools, WiFi, spa facilities, weekly Polynesian show & year-round Camp Kaanapli for the kids.
Stay 5 nights or more in a Studio and receive a $50 food and beverage credit for the Beach Club Restaurant at Aston Kaanapali Shores. Or, stay 5 nights or more in a One- or Two-Bedroom unit and receive a $100 food and beverage credit.
Terms and ConditionsValid for travel: January 3 - June 19, 2012. Subject to availability. Blackout dates apply. May not be combined with any other discounts. Offer may change without notice. Taxes and fees may apply.
Stay 5 nights or more in a Studio and receive a $50 food and beverage credit for the Beach Club Restaurant at Aston Kaanapali Shores. Or, stay 5 nights or more in a One- or Two-Bedroom unit and receive a $100 food and beverage credit.
Terms and ConditionsValid for travel: January 3 - June 19, 2012. Subject to availability. Blackout dates apply. May not be combined with any other discounts. Offer may change without notice. Taxes and fees may apply.
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Christmas travel: journey times could double warns AA
Thursday and Friday to be busiest days as millions leave work early, although mild weather will help congestionThe great Christmas getaway began in earnest on Thursday, with millions of people expected to take to the roads and rail network for the festive season ? or to escape the UK for warmer climes.With schools finished for the year and many workers taking additional days off to get away early, the AA says it is expecting 18m cars to take to the roads over the holiday period. Journey times on major routes are likely to double on Thursday and Friday, it said.An AA spokesman said on Thursday: "Today and tomorrow will be the two busiest days. However, because it's a normal working day, we are expecting Friday lunchtime and early afternoon to be very busy."Lots of people will take half a day or employers will exercise goodwill so people will leave early. There will be a later rush hour on Friday evening going well past 8pm and there will be an overspill on to Christmas Eve with people leaving early on Saturday morning."Last Christmas, the extremely cold weather changed peoples' travel plans. "Because the weather's milder we are expecting it to be smoother, but there will be more leisure traffic," he added. The AA urged people to be well-prepared before setting off.A total of 4.25 million Britons are due to travel overseas between 16 December and 3 January, compared with just under four million for the festive period in 2010/11.This year, around 1.7 million festive travellers will be leaving from Heathrow airport, 425,000 from Stansted, 750,000 from Gatwick and 210,000 from Luton.A further 340,000 will take off from Manchester airport, 165,000 from Birmingham and 120,000 from Glasgow, while many thousands will be crossing the Channel or travelling through the Channel tunnel.Heathrow's most popular destinations this Christmas are New York, Dubai, Dublin, Amsterdam and Paris. Other hotspots include the Canary Islands, Cuba and Mexico.For those heading to the continent, there was misery on Thursday as a 24-hour strike by Belgian workers meant Eurostar's trains from London to Brussels had to start and terminate in Lille. Services to Paris were operating normally and were not affected by the strike.On the roads, it is anticipated that getaway traffic will be heavy on major routes, including the M1 in Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire, the M4 between London and Newbury in Berkshire, the M25 around London, and the M4 and M5 in the West Country.The Highways Agency, which is responsible for England's motorways and major A-roads, said it planned to complete more than 500 miles of roadworks before Christmas while a further 60 miles will be suspended from Friday until 3 January.In total, 118 sets of roadworks should be finished by Christmas, with works staying in place at 26 locations, including a 32-mile section of the M1 near Luton in Bedfordshire.Other areas where works will still be in place include a 15.5-mile section of the M25 near St Albans in Hertfordshire, a section of the M4 near Wokingham in Berkshire and a 12-mile section of the M62 near Huddersfield in West Yorkshire.At the Trafford Centre in Manchester, the Christmas getaway led to an increase in trade in the last few days before shops shut."The Trafford Centre has been exceptionally busy over the last few days and there are no signs of it letting up as we head into the home straight," said Gordon McKinnon, operations manager."The fact that there's a full week before Christmas this year coupled with people's desire to hold on to their money for as long as possible makes this year's last-minute rush even more intense and we expect this to continue right up until we close at 6pm on Christmas Eve ? getaway or not. Everybody wants a bargain this year and so the post-Christmas sales are going to be huge."The centre has extended its Boxing Day opening hours in anticipation for the demand for a bargain, from 9am to 10pm this year. Some stores will be opening even earlier to get the sales started.The Bluewater shopping centre in Kent was also experiencing an equally big influx of shoppers.On the rail network, buses are replacing trains on many routes over Christmas and new year.However rail officials have said that the number of replacement buses has halved compared with the 2010/11 festive period, and about 54,000 more trains will be running this year compared with last.As much as �109m of work is being done on the network over the holiday period, with projects including work at Birmingham New Street station and Reading station in Berkshire.Travel will be free on tubes and London buses from 11.45pm on New Year's Eve until 4.30am on New Year's Day.Those hoping for a white Christmas are likely to be disappointed, with a wet and mild one predicted instead.Temperatures could reach as high as 14C (57F) on Christmas Day, not far short of the 25 December record of 15.6C set in 1896 at Leith near Edinburgh.There will be similar temperatures on Boxing Day, which will see Scotland and Northern Ireland having more rain while in England and Wales it will be dry, but cloudy.The number of people taking the whole of the Christmas and new year period off work in the UK was expected to be higher than last year's figure of about five million, said the Centre for Economics and Business Research.Christmas and New YearTransportChristmasHelen Carterguardian.co.uk © 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. 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Golden Gate Bridge celebrates 75 years throughout 2012
Filed under: History, North America, United States
Anyone with plans to visit San Francisco in the next year should take advantage of a program of "75 Tributes" that the Bay Area is planning to honor the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. Bay Area museums, cultural centers, universities, arts organizations, and more are coming together to create a roster of exhibits, lectures, performances, concerts and film screenings that honor the iconic span--most of which are absolutely free. A full schedule of events is available at goldengatebridge75.org.
The main event, however, is a birthday bash set for May 26-27th. Unlike the 50th anniversary celebration, officials won't close the bridge to traffic (last time they tried this, an unnerving 300,000 people crowded onto the bridge at one time causing it to loose its natural curve). This year, the free celebration will be held on the waterfront and will feature music and other entertainment, exhibits with memorabilia and historic artifacts, guided walks, and a "spectacular surprise finale," according to the San Francisco tourism department.
The area around iconic span will also undergo some dramatic changes intended to create an atmosphere that is more like a national park. As it stands, visitors to the bridge are greeted by little more than a gift shop and snack bar. That gift shop, known as the Round House, will be converted into a welcome center where visitors will be able to organize a guided tour or get their picture taken in front of a green screen of the bridge (which will probably be popular on foggy days). The snack bar will be renovated into a cafe featuring a menu of locally-grown foods. Outside, the bridge plaza will get new wayfaring signs and two scenic overlooks will be built. Construction on a new 3,500-square-foot pavilion that will is also underway. Perhaps most amazingly, no bridge tolls or tax dollars are being used for the renovations--all of the improvements are coming from private donations.
(Image above: Cars crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on its opening day in 1937)Golden Gate Bridge celebrates 75 years throughout 2012 originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Anyone with plans to visit San Francisco in the next year should take advantage of a program of "75 Tributes" that the Bay Area is planning to honor the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. Bay Area museums, cultural centers, universities, arts organizations, and more are coming together to create a roster of exhibits, lectures, performances, concerts and film screenings that honor the iconic span--most of which are absolutely free. A full schedule of events is available at goldengatebridge75.org.
The main event, however, is a birthday bash set for May 26-27th. Unlike the 50th anniversary celebration, officials won't close the bridge to traffic (last time they tried this, an unnerving 300,000 people crowded onto the bridge at one time causing it to loose its natural curve). This year, the free celebration will be held on the waterfront and will feature music and other entertainment, exhibits with memorabilia and historic artifacts, guided walks, and a "spectacular surprise finale," according to the San Francisco tourism department.
The area around iconic span will also undergo some dramatic changes intended to create an atmosphere that is more like a national park. As it stands, visitors to the bridge are greeted by little more than a gift shop and snack bar. That gift shop, known as the Round House, will be converted into a welcome center where visitors will be able to organize a guided tour or get their picture taken in front of a green screen of the bridge (which will probably be popular on foggy days). The snack bar will be renovated into a cafe featuring a menu of locally-grown foods. Outside, the bridge plaza will get new wayfaring signs and two scenic overlooks will be built. Construction on a new 3,500-square-foot pavilion that will is also underway. Perhaps most amazingly, no bridge tolls or tax dollars are being used for the renovations--all of the improvements are coming from private donations.
(Image above: Cars crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on its opening day in 1937)Golden Gate Bridge celebrates 75 years throughout 2012 originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Freestyle Champs Hit Squaw Valley
..... Squaw Valley, Calif. (Ski Press)-An event half a century in the making, Squaw Valley is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games with the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships as Olympic medalists and the sport's best compete for U.S. titles March 26-28.The action kicks off Friday with men's and women's moguls where Olympic champion Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT), and Olympic bronze medalists Bryon Wilson (Butte, MT) and Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA) and World Champion Patrick Deneen (Cle Elum, WA) will ski the bumps looking for a win. For Bahrke, who plans to retire at the end of the 2010 season, the event at Squaw Valley represents special significance. "That's where I grew up, that's where I learned how to ski my first moguls course, so you know to finish it there, to start a career and finish it there is something that you know I think every athlete dreams of doing and I get to do it, so that's pretty cool," Bahrke said. "It's going to be so much fun. My whole family, my friends, you know my coaches that have been through everything with me are going to be there, so that's really going to be an awesome experience." Things keep rolling on Saturday when David Wise gets back in the halfpipe looking to mark the fifth consecutive U.S. title of his career. Adding to the action on Saturday will be men's and women's aerials, which feature an incredible lineup of athletes including Olympic silver medalist Jeret "Speedy" Peterson (Boise, ID), World Champion Ryan St. Onge (Winter Park, CO), World Cup winner Emily Cook (Belmont, MA) and Olympians Lacy Schnoor (Draper, UT) and Scotty Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA). "I'm looking forward to competing at U.S. Champs, and to get to go out and spin one last time with my teammates before I take a little break," Peterson said. I'm just looking forward to having this one last competition and seeing how everything goes." Wrapping up the weekend will be the dual moguls event where Kearney, who just won back to back World Cups in both moguls and dual moguls, is looking to shine. "Squaw last year was gorgeous. It was kind of like spring vacation. To show up on an Olympic year and share with the freestyle community is always something I look forward to," Kearney said. The Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships kick off March 26 and run through March 28. Fans can watch from the comfort of their own home on April 4 when the events air on Versus at 6 p.m. ET.
Villa holydays are the opportunity for a relaxing and liberating holiday
If you are looking for a quiet and relaxing holiday, in which you can escape from everyday life and you can let behind any stressful problem, villa holidays are the answer to your search due to the fact that they offer each tourist the flexibility and the freedom to spend the holiday as he wants, without preset itineraries or rigorous schedule of meals
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Ultimate Wish List Poll
Help us rank the first-round nominees for our Ultimate Wish List. We'll post results soon. Come back to vote on round two starting February 1. Make your picks now and like ISLANDS on Facebook for more updates!
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Your bag's perspective from Atlanta to New York
Filed under: Business, Airlines, Video, News, Travel Security
Ever wonder what happens to your bag after you send it down the tunnel behind the gate agent at the airport? I was always under the impression that it was handled by a series of Oompa-Loompas who gently carry your bags from point A to point B on their heads, quietly singing the song of the baggage handler as glitter falls from the sky.
Apparently that's not the case. The kind folks over at Delta Air Lines just released a video detailing a bag's journey through the inner workings of Atlanta (ATL) and then over to New York City. To capture the film they strapped six cameras onto a package and sent it through the system, from the conveyor belts to the baggage trucks to the belly of the plane. Though the footage is ultimately an ad for their baggage tracking app, it's still an interesting perspective.Your bag's perspective from Atlanta to New York originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Ever wonder what happens to your bag after you send it down the tunnel behind the gate agent at the airport? I was always under the impression that it was handled by a series of Oompa-Loompas who gently carry your bags from point A to point B on their heads, quietly singing the song of the baggage handler as glitter falls from the sky.
Apparently that's not the case. The kind folks over at Delta Air Lines just released a video detailing a bag's journey through the inner workings of Atlanta (ATL) and then over to New York City. To capture the film they strapped six cameras onto a package and sent it through the system, from the conveyor belts to the baggage trucks to the belly of the plane. Though the footage is ultimately an ad for their baggage tracking app, it's still an interesting perspective.Your bag's perspective from Atlanta to New York originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Breckenridge Dew Tour Round-UpTom Wallisch Tops the Slopestyle PodiumKevin Rolland won PipeTom Wallisch Cleaning JumpsRollan in the PipeThe course tripped up a lot of skierJustin Dorey Came Down in Second
Kevin Rolland and Tom Wallisch won pipe and slope at this weekend's Dew Tour stop at Breckenridge.
Shop the world
Paris chic, a Delhi bazaar, Tokyo gadgets ? experts in fashion, food, music and more tell us about their favourite fabulous shops, where the experience is as important as what's on saleKiki de Montparnasse, New York"When an erotic boutique is named after Man Ray's muse, you know it's going to be classy," says Juliet Kinsman of Mr & Mrs Smith. "There's not a whiff of Ann Summers tackiness ? this sexy salon is in fact perfumed with Kiki's own seductive scents." Decked out with moody lighting, cabinets of beautiful luxury lingerie and "some 'instruments of pleasure' that might make your eyes water ? with both their intentions and their price tags", this is the go-to place for everything from a "deluxe intimacy kit" ($275) to "fabulously elegant" cashmere loungewear (boyfriend sweaters $575) and French lace chiffon caftans ($595).? 79 Greene Street, kikidm.com C O Bigelow, New YorkOpen since 1838, America's oldest apothecary's shop is still helping to stock the world's most discerning bathroom cabinets. A favourite with Sasha Wilkins, creator of fashion blog libertylondongirl.com, it sells "hard-to-find beauty products from around the world as well as everyday requirements like toothpaste and plasters. Look out for the beautiful Victorian packaging on their very good own-brand products, too." These include lavender and peppermint shampoo ($9), rose soap ($9.50) and quince hand lotion ($15).? 414 Sixth Avenue, bigelowchemists.com Normann, CopenhagenThe Norm 69 lamp (designed by Simon Karkov) became a Scandinavian design classic almost as soon as it was first switched on. Normann's founders, Jan Andersen and Poul Madsen, knew what they were doing when they moved into an old cinema in Copenhagen's �sterbro district in 2005. Now their flagship store is a must-visit on any design junkie's tour of the Danish capital. What is less well known is how well it caters for children. "In the children's fashion and design field, the Scandinavian countries are pioneers," says Anne Duramois of luvaville.com. "Copenhagen is full of really cool children's shops, but Normann carries the best local brands in children's furniture, design, fashion and toys." This is the place, she adds, to pick up a LuckyBoySunday candy string pram decoration (around �26) or a bObles mini elephant (around �17).? �sterbrogade 70, normann-copenhagen.comKinari Bazaar, DelhiPamela Timms, food writer and blogger (eatanddust.com), recommends this Old Delhi bazaar for "everything that glitters: saris, semi-precious stones, ribbons, beads, fancy boxes and bags ? and some wonderful street snacking on the way". Known for its zari and zardozi textiles (with gold and silver threads running through them), the bazaar is an understandably popular shopping destination for Indian brides, but even the most resolute singletons are unlikely to come away empty-handed.? Take the metro to Chawri Bazaar station, then get a rickshaw to Kinari Bazaar, chandnichowk.info/KinariBazar.aspxBonton, ParisUnfathomably, this famous French brand has managed to stay under the radar for many Brits. Less surprisingly its "wonderful, colourful clothes, furniture, accessories and design items for children" have made it a favourite with Anne Duramois, co-founder of luvaville.com, a city guides website for parents: "It has several branches around Paris, but the big concept store near the Marais area is something very special. It even includes a funky children's hairdressers." Not to mention some of the coolest nappy changing tables you'll come across (?135). ? 5 Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire, bonton.fr Criminal Records, AtlantaTo understand how much Atlanta loves its iconic record store, you just need to look at how the city responded when owner Eric Levin announced that the store would have to close if it couldn't pay off $150,000 in debts, says Josh Jackson of pastemagazine.com. "Acts like The Drive-By Truckers, Kelly Hogan and Magnapop played benefit shows and fans donated enough money to keep the store afloat." It's easy to see why, he adds: "In addition to an enormous and eclectic selection of new and used music, the store carries the coolest US and imported magazines, comics and toys."? 1154-A Euclid Avenue, criminalatl.comranKing ranQueen, TokyoFor gadget junkies with money to burn, shopping means one thing, Japan, according to Kat Hannaford, editor of gizmodo.co.uk. The Bic Camera chain wins on size, with "39 stores the size of our largest Tesco, like warehouses of all the latest cutting-edge tech and gadgetry". But ranKing ranQueen is a better bet for the truly quirky. "RanKing RanQueen is a litmus test for all that's popular among younger Japanese," Kat says. "Store shelves are updated weekly with the country's best-selling products, which naturally include a lot of gadgets."? Shibuya-ku, 2nd floor, Shibuya Station, ranking-ranqueen.netGerry's Wines and Spirits, LondonThis Soho stalwart "promises that it sells almost any drink, and it does", says Lulu Grimes of the BBC's Good Food and Olive magazines . "It is the first place we check when hunting down something we need for a cocktail recipe." And no wonder. Whether you're in search of a bottle of Boca Loca Cacha�a (�19.95) to get the party started with a round of caipirinhas, or you want to rock out, Jay-Z style, on some Ace of Spades Brut Armand de Brignac champagne (�240) in its opaque gold bottle, you'll find it here.? 74 Old Compton Street, gerrys.uk.comPave, BarcelonaA bike shop, but not as you know it, this sleek industrial space displays its two-wheeled wares with the reverence normally reserved for Turner prize winners ? carefully back-lit in spare, stacked, white spaces. Described by cycling writer Rob Penn as "an architect-designed, cathedral-like shrine to the tradition, lore and beauty of road-racing bicycles", it covers most of the top names in bikes, including Brompton, Cerv�lo and Orbea. There's also a good range of cycling gear, from Mavic Zxellium road shoes (?275) to Rapha hooded tops (?150), and they'll whip you up a latte if you need sustenance before spending. ? Carrer Alcalde Ferrer i Mon�s 57-59, pave.cc The Essential Ingredient, SydneyThis gastronomic emporium is where Lulu Grimes of BBC Good Food spent "scads of money" when she lived in Sydney. "It stocks fantastic produce, world-class cookware and a great range of cookbooks that are not the usual suspects," she says. These include "covetable" copper pans (16cm saucepan from around �200) and Australian Cobram Estate olive oil (around �25 for 500ml). Since the store's move from Camperdown to Rozelle, a cookery school and an espresso bar have also been added.? 731-735 Darling Street, Rozelle, sydneyessential.com.auSaturdays Surf NYC, New YorkIt may appear to be a long way from the classic North American surf breaks but don't be fooled, says Jim Moore, creative director of GQ magazine. "This SoHo surf shack was conceived by three not-so-laid-back guys on a mission: to create a space for those living, working and surfing around NYC." The shelves are dominated by striped surf trunks (from $65) and small-collar shirts (from $108) but the shop also sells "the boys' favourite wetsuits and surfboards". If you really want to splash out, current stock includes a table made from reclaimed wood from the demolished Coney Island boardwalk ? yours for a cool $14,000.? 31 Crosby Street, saturdaysnyc.comTownhouse, ZurichTyler Br�l�, editor-in-chief of Monocle magazine, describes Townhouse as "a collection of the best, brightest and most interesting international objects, carefully assembled in a simple and smartly appointed space". Owners Mia Zeltner and Sebastiaan Vadasz have built a workspace at the back of the shop to field personal stock suggestions from customers. The result, he says, "is part retail space, part creative platform". Choose from brightly striped watchstraps (�39), stallion-shaped porcelain bottle-stoppers (�75) and cotton boxers (�36).? Weite Gasse 4, ilovetownhouse.comMalmstenbutiken, StockholmMartin Brudnizki, interior designer for HIX London and St Pancras Grand, never makes a trip to Stockholm without stopping at Svenskt Tenn, which is renowned for showcasing contemporary Swedish design. "I visit for the bright colours, bold prints and streamlined forms," he says. Malmstenbutiken is another Stockholm favourite, and less well-known among Brits. "Carl Malmsten was a Swedish designer whose focus was on home-grown handicrafts. The shop incorporates some of his greatest items. Classic buys include simple wooden stools (�205) and patterned coffee cups (�48 each). ? Strandv�gen 5b, malmsten.se Record City and Thirsty Moon, San Diego"I have it on good authority that two of the best vinyl stores still in business are within 100ft of each other in the Hillcrest area of San Diego," says Krissi Murison, editor of NME. Record City is good for "used and rare glam, punk, girl groups, indie and reggae", and has a popular $1 bargain bin, while Thirsty Moon is the place to go for "hard-to-find reissues and bizarre experimental imports".? Record City, 3757 6th Avenue, recordcityonline.com. Thirsty Moon, 525A Evans Place, thirstymoonrecords.comLate Night Chameleon Cafe, LondonThe Late Night Chameleon Cafe is a by-appointment-only concept store that is part designer fashion, books and music emporium and part arts and event space, says Mr & Mrs Smith's Juliet Kinsman. "Dalston fashionistas will steer you here for labels such as JW Anderson and New Power Studio, or to name-drop brands like SASQUATCHfabrix, and style tourists may want to swing by to visit LNCC's latest pop-up store within a store, be it vinyl- or vintage-focused." Don't panic if you're not the type to invest in some Ayame men's leopard leggings (�77); more conventional items include natural twine-wrapped lavender soaps (�12) and "super cool" incense (�9) by Japanese brand Kappa.? 18 Shacklewell Lane, ln-cc.com Africa Nova, Cape TownStylish, ethically sourced souvenirs that won't make your home look like a fresh-from-a-gap-year student pad can be harder to hunt down than a black rhino when you're holidaying in South Africa. But help is at hand from Africa Nova in Cape Town, says Sandra Fairfax, cazenove+loyd's local shopping expert. It's "a treasure trove of African artefacts from across the continent", she says. A local answer to the Conran Shop (which, incidentally, stocked work by some of the shop's artists when it hosted a celebration of South African design a few years ago), this is the place to find, among other things, felt "rock" cushions by Ronel Jordaan (from �82) or orchid silver earrings by Nic Bladen (�355).? 72 Waterkant Street, Green Point, africanova.co.zaFox & Obel, Chicago"Fox & Obel is what Americans call a food market and we call a food shop," says Lulu Grimes of BBC Good Food. "It is big, fabulous-looking in a utilitarian way, and stocks really good produce. It has knowledgeable staff, too." Now 10 years old, this vast store aims to bring the world's best foods together under one roof, from meat, fish and vegetables to wines and boutique confectionery brands such as Askinosie chocolate (from $9.95 a bar). If you prefer to try before you buy, head to the on-site cafe or bistro.? 401 E Illinois Street, fox-obel.comShopping tripsShoppingInsider guidesguardian.co.uk © 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
New eco-friendly destination for 2012: Yoyogi Village, Japan
Filed under: Activism, Arts and Culture, Stories, Asia, Japan, Ecotourism, News, Consumer ActivismWhile the existence of the Yoyogi Village in Tokyo, Japan, is nothing new, it has never been much of a tourist destination. Aside from Yoyogi Park, one of the largest parks in Tokyo, there has never been too much there to draw the attention of visitors. That has all changed this past November, as the rarely-noticed area has been completely remodeled to be an eco-friendly hub of activity.
The project is one of many for innovative thinker, Takeshi Kobayashi, who has been involved in many initiatives to help people live a more simplistic and natural life. With this latest project, Kobayashi aims to show the enjoyable side of sustainable goods and organic foods.
The new Yoyogi Village is separated into zones that symbolize the balance of enjoyment and ecology. For example, in the Container Zone you can find venues like clothing stores, book shops, a travel agent, and an art gallery, while the Village Zone features a music bar, special VIP room, and an upscale dining facility called Code Kurkku. There is also a holistic mind and body center where you can enjoy reflexology, mind therapy, and aromatherapy.
It isn't surprising that profits made from the new Yoyogi Village don't go to board members, but to other farm and restaurant-based businesses to help continue the eco-friendly cycle.
To learn more about Yoyogi Village in Japan, click here.New eco-friendly destination for 2012: Yoyogi Village, Japan originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
The project is one of many for innovative thinker, Takeshi Kobayashi, who has been involved in many initiatives to help people live a more simplistic and natural life. With this latest project, Kobayashi aims to show the enjoyable side of sustainable goods and organic foods.
The new Yoyogi Village is separated into zones that symbolize the balance of enjoyment and ecology. For example, in the Container Zone you can find venues like clothing stores, book shops, a travel agent, and an art gallery, while the Village Zone features a music bar, special VIP room, and an upscale dining facility called Code Kurkku. There is also a holistic mind and body center where you can enjoy reflexology, mind therapy, and aromatherapy.
It isn't surprising that profits made from the new Yoyogi Village don't go to board members, but to other farm and restaurant-based businesses to help continue the eco-friendly cycle.
To learn more about Yoyogi Village in Japan, click here.New eco-friendly destination for 2012: Yoyogi Village, Japan originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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