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Eating in Bangkok

March 27, 2016, 1:50 am
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Executive summary by Darmansjah


Whatever the time of day, you can feast at a street stall, open-air market or top restaurant in Bangkok. The local cuisine gets its influences from Thailand’s geography, the royal kitchens and the Chinese and Muslim minorities.

Shophouse Restaurants

Naaz

Shophouse restaurants are the most common type you’ll find in the city, Naaz (pronounced Nat), is a tiny Thai-Muslim place hidden in a nondescript alleyway, and it serves some of the city’s richest kow mok gai (chicken biryan). Various daily specials include chicken masala and mutton korma (24/9 Sol 45, Th Charoen Krung; closed Sun; mins from US$1.30).

Chote Chitr

This third-generation shophouse restaurant off Th Tanao with just six tables is a Bangkok food landmark. The kitchen can be inconsistent and the service consistently grumpy, but when they’re on, dishes such as the mee grorp (a former loyal palace recipe of crispy fried noodles with a sweet and sour flavor) and yam tooa ploo (winged bean salad) are in a class of their own (146 Th Phraeng Phuton; 11am-10pm; mains from US$1.10).

Hemlock

Taking full advantage of its cosy shophouse location in Banglamphu, this perennial favourite doesn’t skimp on flavor or presentation. The eclectic menu reads like an ancient literary work reviving old dishes from aristocratic kitchens across the country. Try the flavourful mee-ang kam– wild tea leaves wrapped around ginger, shallots, peanuts, lime and shredded coconut (56 Th Phra Athit; 4pm-12am; mains from US2.30).

Street food

Pa Aew

It’s a bare bones open-air curry stall with trays of dishes on show, but if we’re talking taste, Pa Aew is our favourite place to eat in the historical centre. Pull up a plastic stool for rich, seafood-heavy dishes such as pat chah look chin blah (freshwater fish dumplings fried with fresh herbs). It’s located near the corner with Soi Pratu Nokyung (Th maha Rat; 9am-3pm; mains from US$0.80).

Jay So

This crumbing shack is living proof that, where authentic Thai food is concerned, ambience comes second to taste. Fittingly, Jay So has no menu as such, but serves ballistically spicy som-dam (green papaya salad), sublime herb-stuffed grilled catfish and other isan (northeastern) specialities. Look for the shack decorated with Pepsi logos about halfway down Soi phipat in Tahon silom district (146/1 soi Phipat 2; 11am-4pm; mains from US$0.80).

Or Tor Kor Market

Bangkok’s highest-quality fruit and agricultural market brings sights such as toddler-sized mangoes and pots full of curries. Most goods are takeaway only, but a small food court and a few informal restaurant exist. Head to Rot Det for stir-fries and curries, and Sat Jai Kai Yaang, just south of the market, which does spicy northeastern food. Take the MRT to Kamphaeng Phet Station and exit on the other side from Chatuchak (Th Kamphaeng Phet; 8am-6pm; mains from US$1.10).

Upscale Restaurant

Nahm

Australian chef-author David Thompson is behind what is quite possibly the best Thai restaurant in Bangkok. Inspired by ancient cookbooks, Thompson has revived dishes such as smoked fish cury with prawns, chicken livers, cockles and black pepper (comhotels.com; Metropolitan Hotel, 27 Th Sathon Tai; lunch Mon-Fri, dinner daily; set lunch from US$40, set dinner from US$65).

Bo.Lan

Bo.Lan was started up by Bo and Dylan, two former chefs at the London branch of Nahm, which gained a Michelin star before it closed. The chefs take a scholarly approach to Thai cuisine, resulting in full-flavoured dishes such as Korat-style beef curry. Book in advance (bolan.co.th; 42 Soi Phichai Ronnarong Songkhram, Soi 26, Th Sukhumvit; dinner Tue-Sun; a la carte dishes from US$13; set menu US$73.30).

Sra Bua

Helmed by a Thai dan a Dane, Sra Bua takes a correspondingly international approach to Thai food. Putting Thai ingredients and dishes through the wringer of molecular gastronomy, the chefs have crated dishes such as frozen red curry with lobster and lychee. Reservations are recommended (kempinski.com; Siam Kempinski Hotel, 991/9 Th RamaI; lunch and dinner; lunch mains from US$27.70, set meals from US$73.30).

Transport

Budget airlines such as Jetstar, Scoot and Tigerair fly direct to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport (from US$250; jetstar.com). Other airlines include Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines and Cathay Pacific. Bangkok’s airport is 16 miles east of the city; you can get a train into town for US$1.50, or the express service which costs US$3.30 but is less busy. Bankok’s taxis are some of the best value cabs on Earth (US$1.30 for the first 2km), but walk away if the driver refuses  to use the meter. Other options are MRT trains (bangkokmetro.co.th) and public buses (bmta.co.th).

Where To Stay

Despite the name, Lamphu Treehouse has its feet firmly on land. Guests are housed in a quiet and attractive canal-side building or in a new annexe a few blocks away (lamphutreehotel.com; 155 Wanchat Bridge, Th Prachatipatai; from US$48.90).

Siam Heritage is a boutique hotel with homey Thai charm. The 73 rooms are decked out in silk and dark woods with thoughtful design touches, and there’s an inviting rooftop pool (thesiamheritage.com; 115/1 Th Surawong; from US$81.40).

Located behind a virtual wall of frangipani, Ariyasomvilla is a beautifully renovated ‘40s-era Villa. Demand is high for the 25 spacious and meticulously outfitted rooms (ariyasom.com; 65 Sukhumvit Soi 1, Th Sukhumvit, from US$205).

What’s on the menu

Some must-eat dishes you might spot in Bangkok : Yam blah duk foo Fried shredded catfish, chilli and peanuts with a mango dressing. Gaang Som Sour with freshwater fish, vegetables and herbs. Plah Hang Dried fish with sugar and crispy deep-fried shallots served on top of slices of watermelon. Ka-nom beuang Refined taco-like snacks that can be either sweet or savoury. Mee grop Crispy noodles with a sweet and sour flavor. Pad thai thin-rice noodles stir-fried with dried or fresh shrimp, bean sprouts, tofu, egg and seasonings, now eaten across the world.

Chatuchak Weekend Market draws tens of thousands each weekend to buy anything from antiques to live snakes. It’s a great place to grab some snacks too. Arrive around 9am to avoid the crowds and heat (chatuchak.org).

LonelyPlanet’s Bangkok is a comprehensive guide to the city and chapters are available to download at lonelyplanet.comwhile Pocket Bangkok is ideal for shorter stopovers. See eatingthaifood.com for a wealth of information on Thai food, including a free guide to 50 dishes to try in Bangkok. Thai food by David Thompson (pavilion book) is an authoritative book on Thai cooking.
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Eugenie-les-Bains

March 28, 2016, 1:56 am
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Executive summary by Darmansjah


Eugénie-les-Bains is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France.

Eugénie-les-Bains is most well known for housing a spa resort and three restaurants, all belonging to chef Michel Guérard, inventor of cuisine minceur.
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Eze

March 29, 2016, 2:00 am
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Executive summary by Darmansjah


The area surrounding Èze was first populated around 2000 BC as a commune situated near Mount Bastide. The earliest occurrence of the name "Èze" can be found in the maritime books of Antonin as a bay called the St. Laurent of Èze. The area was subsequently occupied by not only the Romans but also the Moors who held the area for approximately 80 years until they were driven out by William of Provence in 973.

By 1388 Èze fell under the jurisdiction of the House of Savoy, who built up the town as a fortified stronghold because of its proximity to Nice. The history of Èze became turbulent several times in the next few centuries as French and Turkish troops seized the village under orders from Hayreddin Barbarossa in 1543, and Louis XIV destroyed the walls surrounding the city in 1706 in the war of the Spanish succession. Finally in April 1860, Eze was designated as part of France by unanimous decision by the people of Eze.

Èze has been described as an “eagle's nest” because of its location overlooking a high cliff 427 metres (1,401 ft) above sea level on the French Mediterranean. It's so high that the light ochre church within (Notre Dame de l’Assomption built in 1764) can be seen from afar. An Egyptian cross inside the church suggests the village's ancient roots, when the Phoenicians erected a temple there to honour the goddess Isis.

Traditionally, the territory of the Principality of Monaco was considered to begin in the Èze village (outskirts of Nice), running along the Mediterranean coast to Menton, on the present Italian border.

Èze, renowned tourist site on the French Riviera, is famous worldwide for the view of the sea from its hill top. Its Jardin botanique d'Èze is known for its collection of cacti and succulents, as well as its panoramic views. Walt Disney spent a significant amount of time in Èze.

An old engraving of Èze

The oldest building in the village is the Chapelle de la Sainte Croix and dates back to 1306. Members of the lay order of the White Penitents of Èze, in charge of giving assistance to plague victims, would hold their meetings there. The shape of the bell-turret is an indication that the village once belonged to the Republic of Genoa.

The small medieval village is famous for its beauty and charm. Its many shops, art galleries, hotels and restaurants attract a large number of tourists and honeymooners. As a result Èze has become a "museum village", few local residents live here. From Èze there are gorgeous views of the Mediterranean Sea.

The motto of the village is the phrase Isis Moriendo Renascor (meaning "In death I am Reborn") and its emblem is a phoenix perched on a bone.

The local dialect (nearly extinct) is similar to the Monégasque language of the nearby Principality of Monaco, and is related to Ligurian but with some influences from the Occitan language.

Èze is one of thirteen villages grouped together by the Communauté d'agglomération de Nice-Côte d'Azur tourist department as the Route des Villages Perchés (Route of Perched Villages). The others are: Aspremont, Castagniers, Coaraze, Colomars, Duranus, Falicon, La Gaude, La Roquette, Levens, Saint-Blaise, Saint-Jeannet and Tourrette-Levens.

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Georges Blanc

March 30, 2016, 2:05 am
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Executive summary by Darmansjah


The Veyle forms part of the commune's northeastern border, flows west through the northern part of the commune, then forms part of its northwestern border.

Vonnas is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.

Vonnas has a famous restaurant with three stars in the Guide Michelin, the Hotel Restaurant Georges Blanc.
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Giverny

March 31, 2016, 2:09 am
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Executive summary by Darmansjah


Claude Monet's property at Giverny (house and gardens), left by his son to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1966, became a Museum opened to public visit in 1980 after completion of large-scale restoration work: the huge Nymphea's studio was restored and the precious collection of Japanese engravings was displayed in several rooms, hung in the manner chosen by the master himself; the gardens were replanted as they once were. The house became a popular tourist attraction (the Claude Monet Foundation), particularly in the summer when the flowers are in bloom.

The other main attraction of the village is the Museum of Impressionism Giverny dedicated to the history of impressionism and its continuation in the Giverny art colony and along the valley of the river Seine.

The Hôtel Baudy was a center of artistic life in the Giverny heyday. It is now still a café and restaurant, with period decoration.

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Hostellerie de Crillon le Brave

April 1, 2016, 9:47 pm
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Executive summary by Darmansjah


Crillon-le-Brave is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.

Like many of the older villages in the region, it was built on a hilltop for defensive purposes, and to provide more farmland on the plains below. It is a very small town, with only one paved road running through the middle. It contains little more than a café, a hotel, a restaurant, a church, and a school.

The origins of the village date back to Roman times, when it went by the name Crillonium, and later Crillon, but one could say that its modern history begins in the 14th century when a leading Avignon family acquired the feudal rights to the village. A long line of dukes ruled Crillon throughout the period leading up to the French Revolution.

The village takes its full name of Crillon-le-Brave from the most legendary of its dukes: Louis des Balbes de Berton de Crillon or "Le Brave Crillon" (1541–1615) was one of Henri IV's fiercest and most valiant generals during the French Wars of Religion in the late 16th century. The same Crillon family also gave its name to the famous Hôtel de Crillon in Paris.

Like most of the buildings surrounding the church at the top of the village, the houses that form the core of the Hostellerie have their origins in the 16th and 17th centuries and played an important part in village life. 

The Maison Roche was originally the presbytère - the priest's home, and at the same time the village school.

At the end of the 19th century Crillon-le-Brave was a prosperous village of 800 inhabitants served by several cafés, bars and stores. There was even a local philharmonic society. By the beginning of the 20th century, however, the village began a long slow decline. Two wars and a failing water supply left the village almost abandoned and many of its houses fell into ruins. But since the early 1970s new inhabitants have brought new life to the old stones, so that today Crillon-le-Brave has once again become a lively village.
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Hotel Carlton Inter-Continental

April 2, 2016, 9:55 pm
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Executive summary by Darmansjah


The InterContinental Carlton Cannes is a 343-room luxury hotel built in 1911, located at 58 La Croisette in Cannes on the French Riviera and listed by the Government of France as a National Historic Building. During the Cannes Film Festival it is the most prestigious place to stay and the undisputed headquarters of motion picture industry deal-making.

Part of the InterContinental chain, the Carlton is famous for hosting movie stars from around the world during the annual Film Festival. The hotel was also featured in Elton John's well-known 1983 music video for the single, "I'm Still Standing", and the exterior and interior features in New Order's 1993 music video for the single, "World (The Price of Love)". More famously, the hotel was a central location for the Alfred Hitchcock film To Catch a Thief starring Grace Kelly and Cary Grant. In 1970 it featured in the Peter Sellers/ Goldie Hawn comedy "There's a Girl in my Soup" and exterior scenes were filmed at the entrance to the hotel and on the hotel beach. The hotel lobby scene and interior scenes were done on a film set.

 
While staying at the Hotel Carlton during the 1955 Cannes Film Festival, Academy Award winning movie star Grace Kelly had an arranged meeting and photo shoot with Prince Rainier III of Monaco; they married in 1956.

The Carlton's distinctive domes on both seaward corners were reputedly designed to resemble the breasts of Caroline Otero ("La Belle Otero") the most famous courtesan of the French Riviera during the years surrounding World War I. The Carlton's elegant seventh floor formal dining room was named La Belle Otero in her honour. There are a couple of restaurants : the Carlton Restaurant on the ground floor and the Carlton Beach Restaurant.

Sylvie Nissen gallery in the lobby of the Carlton Hotel was established in 1980, has collection of French artist René Gruau.

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Hotel de Crillon

April 3, 2016, 10:02 pm
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Executive summary by Darmansjah


The Hôtel de Crillon in Paris is a historic luxury hotel opened in 1909 in a building dating to 1758. The hotel is located at the foot of the Champs-Élysées and is one of two identical stone palaces on the Place de la Concorde. The Crillon has 103 guest rooms and 44 suites. It also has three restaurants, a bar, outdoor terrace, gym and health club on the premises. It is closed for renovation until 2015.

The building that is now the Crillon was constructed in 1758 after King Louis XV commissioned the architect Jaques-Ange Gabriel to build two palaces in what would become the Place de Concorde. The two identical buildings, separated by the rue Royale, were initially designed to be government offices of the French state. The eastern building remains to this day the headquarters of the French Navy, the Royale. The northern building that would become the Crillon was first occupied by Louis Marie Augustin, Duke of Aurmont, a famous patron of the French Arts. The building was further enhanced by its second owner, the architect Louis-François Trouard, who had the Salon de Aigles built in 1775.

On 6 February 1778, the building was used as the venue for the official signing of the first treaties between the newly founded United States and France. Americans Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane and Arthur Lee met French diplomat Conrad Alexandre Gérard de Rayneval to conclude the French-American treaty that recognised the Declaration of Independence of the United States and a trade agreement.

In 1788 the Count of Crillon, François-Félix-Dorothee Berton des Balbes, acquired the building for his home. But it was confiscated shortly thereafter by the government of the French Revolution in 1791. Two years later King Louis XVI was guillotined in the Place de la Concorde directly in front of the building in 1793.

Eventually the building was returned to its owner whose descendants lived there for more than a century. In 1907, the Société du Louvre purchased the property and transformed it into a hotel. The building then underwent a two-year refurbishment under the supervision of noted architect Gabriel-Hippolyte Destailleur. Two neighbouring buildings on the rue Boissy d'Anglas were purchased to enlarge the property. The new Hotel Crillon opened on 12 March 1909.

The hotel housed members of the American delegation to the Paris Peace Conference after World War I, including President Wilson’s key advisor Edward House.

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At the end of the village hall

April 4, 2016, 12:28 am
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Seemed to want to buy up all the skill of the craftsmen produced manuscripts and authors in the village of Tenganan, Bali. Original text by Titania Febrianti, executive summary by darmansjah, picture adapted from google.

White clouds in blue sky umbrella stretch Tengananvillage, in Karangasem regency,Bali.The hills oflushtreesasprotection fromturnaroundtime. Chiming gamelanfaint in the distance, calling us to go further into the heart of the village. After passing through the gate divider dimensions like time with Balinese modern, wooden tables lined legged slender blue-clothed welcome. Penmanship residents brown dried palm leaves arranged beautifully into dating with streaks god pictures, wall hangings decorated with a map of Bali.

I NyomanKanta, the authorpapyrus, bookmarksscratchedwayflauntgods. OnceI choosea, shescrawledscriptBali by pengutik, sharp-tippedpen. Smallpiece ofroastedpecanrubon it thenwiped with athumb.Scarsmy namebeing realblack inkfilledhazelnut.

One of the houseslined up neatlyon theedge ofa rockyroadwhite, wallsmade ​​ofblackstone, as iflockedbuilding makesgrim. Variouscraftcrammedeverycorner of theempire. NiWayanSudiatiand her mothergreetedwith asmile, to thedeepestend, a loom andwovenfabriccrosshangingon the wall. Equipmentwas likewaking froma dreamas hedemonstrates thestages of manufacture, frombinding, dyeingyarntoachievethe unification ofmotives.

Towards the center of the village, craft vendors tables eggs, small sculpture, masks, carvings hiding compound wall facing the street, tempting tourists. Green trees on the hills even clearer when jokes and laughter in a court of whack ear. Residents are preparing quarterly ceremony for a child. Some middle-aged mothers cultivate vegetables on a large table, while the young people hanging out watching it.

Mygazefellon themattingof therootswerelyingon the bed, bathed in the raysof the sun. Toweringaround itand enter the door, I was greetedknick-knacks, totes diverse,largewickerbasketstoplacedirtyclothesuphelduppershelf, made ​​mychestnutbringpickupsboughttrinketsthat canenhance your home.

Tenganan village increasingly lonely as the sun slowly through deserted when the sun slowly past the point of culmination in the sky. Doors here with its own uniqueness is always open to travelers, winds of life for the citizens who live simply of the skills and the art that they have dropped down.




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Hotel de Paris

April 5, 2016, 10:11 pm
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Executive summary by Darmansjah


The Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo is a hotel located in Monte Carlo, Monaco, It was opened in 1863 as part of the development of Monte Carlo by the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) under the auspices of Charles III of Monaco.

Location

The Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo is a luxury hotel at the heart of Monte Carlo and is owned and operated by SBM, along with the Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo, the Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel and the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort. The hotel is regularly listed on the annual Conde Nast Traveller Gold List. It has notable restaurants, including the Michelin 3-star Louis XV and Michelin-starred Le Grill, as well as the Le Bar Americain.

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La Fondation Maeght

April 6, 2016, 10:16 pm
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Executive summary by Darmansjah


Fondation Maeght is a museum of modern art situated in Saint-Paul de Vence in the south of France about 25 km from Nice. It was founded by Marguerite and Aimé Maeght in 1964 and houses paintings, sculptures, collages, ceramics and all forms of modern art.

The collection includes works by many important 20th-century artists including Bonnard, Georges Braque, Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Alberto Giacometti, Fernand Léger and Joan Miró among others. The building was design by the Spanish architect Josep Lluís Sert.

The Fondation is entirely independently funded with no reliance on state subsidies. Adrien Maeght is the chairman of the Administrative Council of the Fondation which also includes Isabelle Maeght and her sister Yoyo Maeght .
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La Maison Troisgros

April 7, 2016, 10:21 pm
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Executive summary by Darmansjah

The Troisgros family are a family of French restaurateurs. Since 1957, Jean and Pierre Troisgros have played a significant role in the history of French cuisine. Pierre's son, Michel Troisgros, has played a major role since 1983. Michel Troisgros is the owner of the restaurant now called "La Maison Troisgros", in Roanne. The restaurant has been awarded Three Michelin stars since 1968 and was named the "best French restaurant in the world" by Gault Millau.

The restaurant specializes in French cuisine and serves Burgundy wines, in affiliation with the noted winemaker Robert Serol.

Hôtel Moderne (4 stars) is a member of Relais & Châteaux since 1966.
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Les Baux-de-Provence

April 9, 2016, 10:35 pm
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Executive summary by Darmansjah


Les Baux-de-Provenceis a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the province of Provence in southern France. It has a spectacular position in the Alpilles mountains, set atop a rocky outcrop that is crowned with a ruined castle overlooking the plains to the south. Its name refers to its site: in Provençal, a bauç is a rocky spur. The village gives its name to the aluminium ore bauxite, which was first discovered there by geologist Pierre Berthier in 1821.

Les Baux is now given over entirely to the tourist trade, relying on a reputation as one of the most picturesque villages in France. Its population of 22 in the old village is a fraction of its peak population of over 4,000, and many of its buildings (in particular the castle) are picturesque ruins.

In the Château des Baux demonstrations of huge catapults (the biggest Trebuchet in Europe,[citation needed] a Couillard also called biffa and a Bricole) are given every day from April to September.

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Les Calanches

April 10, 2016, 10:35 pm
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Executive summary by Darmansjah


Les calanques de Piana (en langue corse calanche di Piana, au singulier calanca1) sont des calanques situées sur la côte ouest, à Piana, à mi-chemin entre Ajaccio et Calvi, sur la route du bord de mer corse.


E Calanche sont une formation géologique de roches plutoniques faisant partie de l'ensemble appelé « Corse cristalline » à roches magmatiques, à l'ouest de la ligne partant de Calvi et rejoignant Solenzara. Elles sont composées de remarquables rochers de granite rose, percés de cavités, les taffoni, dues à l'action des variations de température et de l'humidité couplées aux embruns de la mer Méditerranée, aux vents forts et au ravinement des eaux de pluie.


Access


La route D81 sur laquelle se trouve ce site relie le village de Piana à Porto. C'est une route sinueuse qui passe à travers des roches de couleur rouge-orangé dont on pourrait croire qu'elles ont été taillées à coups de hache et sculptées au burin. Depuis la route, la vue est souvent assez dégagée pour permettre d'admirer la mer surmontée de hauts récifs, comme c'est le cas sur la majeure partie de la côte ouest de l'île.

Il est impossible d'accéder à la mer depuis la route dans les calanques de Piana.


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Loire Valley and Domaine des Hauts de Loire

April 11, 2016, 10:46 pm
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Loire Valley


Executive summary by Darmansjah



The Loire Valley (French: Vallée de la Loire), spanning 280 kilometres (170 mi), is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. Its area comprises about 800 square kilometres (310 sq mi). It is referred to as the Cradle of the French Language, and the Garden of France due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards (such as cherries), and artichoke and asparagus fields, which line the banks of the river. Notable for its historic towns, architecture and wines, the valley has been inhabited since the Middle Palaeolithic period.In 2000, UNESCO added the central part of the Loire River valley to its list of World Heritage Sites.

Culture


On December 2, 2000, UNESCO added the central part of the river valley, between Maine and Sully-sur-Loire, to its list of World Heritage Sites. In choosing this area that includes the French départements of Loiret, Loir-et-Cher, Indre-et-Loire, and Maine-et-Loire, the committee said that the Loire Valley is: "an exceptional cultural landscape, of great beauty, comprised of historic cities and villages, great architectural monuments - the Châteaux - and lands that have been cultivated and shaped by centuries of interaction between local populations and their physical environment, in particular the Loire itself."


The Loire Valley chansonniers are a related group of songbooks attributed to the composers of the Loire Valley and are the earliest surviving examples of a new genre which offered a combination of words, music, and illuminations.

Architecture


The architectural heritage in the valley's historic towns is notable, especially its châteaux, such as the Château d'Amboise, Château de Chambord, Château de Chinon, Château du Rivau, Château d'Ussé, Château de Villandry and Chenonceau. The châteaux, numbering more than three hundred, represent a nation of builders starting with the necessary castle fortifications in the 10th century to the splendor of those built half a millennium later. When the French kings began constructing their huge châteaux here, the nobility, not wanting or even daring to be far from the seat of power, followed suit. Their presence in the lush, fertile valley began attracting the very best landscape designers. In addition to its many châteaux, the cultural monuments illustrate to an exceptional degree the ideals of the Renaissance and the Age of the Enlightenment on western European thought and design.
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Looking at the World Differently

April 12, 2016, 10:49 pm
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Original text by Keith Bellows, Executive summary by darmansjah


IT WAS MARCH 2012, and I was sitting at a café in Milan’s Piazza del Duomo, an immense square that spreads like an apron from the foot of the city’s cathedral, a Gothic marvel. The piazza was swarming with fans of the city’s beloved soccer  club, which at that moment was playing against perennial rival Barcelona. Fans streamed from bar to bar, braying for their teams and lustily singing fight songs. At another time I would have scavenged a ticket and joined the pandemonium. However, I was in Milan for the launch of Traveler’s new Italian edition, Touring. When I leaf through a copy of touring  now, I think of my Italian meal with editorial director and some of his staff-and that Milan moment on the piazza. 

Similarly, our Chinese edition reminds me of being led by our Beijing-based editors into their city, to shops where I bought woven slippers for my kids. And when I read the Editor’s Note of traveler India’s editor in chief, I can hear her telling stories over lunch in Delhi about hiking the Western Hats and Nepal-places I dream of one day visiting.

Traveler publishes 14 international editions in 12 languages. I read-or look at, when there’s language barrier-them all. They are a window on the world, reflecting the personalities, interests, dream destinations, and visual expressions of their readerships. Our foreign siblings often run our stories, and I have long wanted to run some of their best work. Finally, we’re doing it. On page you will find ‘Made in Italy,’ from our friends in Milan, and on page “Roma Rhapsody,” from our partner in the Netherlands. Our global colleagues sharpen our international insights and, through countless contributions to our thinking and reporting, help us all deliver on our motto: “No body knows This World Better.”

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Lourdes

April 13, 2016, 10:58 pm
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Executive summary by Darmansjah



Lourdes or Lourde is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France. The former regional language of this area used to be Gascon Occitan (or Gasconha, Occitània which was the spoken language at the time of Saint Bernadette Soubirous), but has been largely supplanted by French as in many regions of France.

Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes said to have occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous. At that time, the most prominent feature of the town was the fortified castle that rises up from a rocky escarpment at its centre.

Pilgrimages

The Blessed Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to Bernadette Soubirous on a total of eighteen occasions at Lourdes. Lourdes has become a major place of Roman Catholic pilgrimage and of miraculous healings. The 150th Jubilee of the first apparition took place on 11 February 2008 with an outdoor mass attended by approximately 45,000 pilgrims.

Today Lourdes has a population of around 15,000, but it is able to take in some 5,000,000 pilgrims and tourists every season. With about 270 hotels, Lourdes has the second greatest number of hotels per square kilometre in France after Paris. Some of the deluxe hotels like Grand Hotel Moderne, Hotel Grand de la Grotte, Hotel St. Etienne, Hotel Majestic and Hotel Roissy etc. are located here.
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Megeve

April 14, 2016, 11:02 pm
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Executive summary by Darmansjah


Megève  is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France with a population of over 4,000 residents. The town is well-known due its popularity as a ski resort near the Mont-Blanc in the French Alps. Conceived in the 1920s as a French alternative to Saint-Moritz by the Rothschilds, it was the first purpose-built resort in the Alps. Originally it was a prime destination for the French Aristocracy. It remains one of the most famous and fanciest ski resorts in the world.

The town started its development as a ski resort in the 1910s when the Rothschild family started to spend their winter vacations there after becoming disenchanted with a Swiss resort, St. Moritz. In 1921, Baroness Noémie de Rothschild (1888-1968) opened an important hotel which boosted the resort's development. By the 1950s Megève was one of the most popular ski resorts in Europe and attracted many wealthy individuals and celebrities. Nowadays it is still visited largely by affluent people as is made obvious by the real estate prices
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Mont-Saint-Michel

April 16, 2016, 11:27 pm
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Executive summary by Darmansjah

Mont Saint-Michel is an island commune in Normandy, France. It is located approximately one kilometre (0.6 miles) off the country's northwestern coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches. 247 acres (100 ha) in size, the island has a population of 44 (2009).

The island has held strategic fortifications since ancient times, and since the eighth century AD has been the seat of the monastery from which it draws its name. The structural composition of the town exemplifies the feudal society that constructed it. On top God, the abbey and monastery, below this the Great halls, then stores and housing, and at the bottom, outside the walls, fishermen and farmers' housing.

Its unique position of being an island only 600 metres from land made it readily accessible on low tide to the many pilgrims to its abbey Equally, this position made it readily defensible as an incoming tide stranded, or drowned, would be assailants. By capitalising on this natural defence, The Mont remained unconquered during the Hundred Years' War with a small garrison successfully defending it against a full attack by the English in 1433. The reverse benefits of its natural defence was not lost on Louis XI who turned The Mont into a state prison and thereafter the abbey started to be used more regularly as a jail during the Ancien Régime from the sixteenth century.

One of France's most recognisable landmarks, Mont Saint-Michel and its bay are part of the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites and more than 3 million people visit it each year.

Mont Saint-Michel was used in the sixth and seventh centuries as an Armorican stronghold of Gallo-Roman culture and power until it was ransacked by the Franks, thus ending the trans-channel culture that had stood since the departure of the Romans in AD 460. From roughly the fifth to the eighth century, Mont Saint-Michel belonged to the territory of Neustria, and in the early ninth century was an important place in the marches of Neustria.

Before the construction of the first monastic establishment in the 8th century, the island was called Mont Tombe (Latin: tumba). According to legend, the Archangel Michael appeared in 708 to St. Aubert, the bishop of Avranches, and instructed him to build a church on the rocky islet. Aubert repeatedly ignored the angel's instruction until Michael burned a hole in the bishop's skull with his finger.

Unable to defend his kingdom against the assaults of the Vikings, the king of the Franks agreed to grant the Cotentin peninsula and the Avranchin, including Mont-Saint-Michel, to the Bretons in the 867 Treaty of Compiègne. This marked the beginning of the brief period of Breton possession of the Mont. In fact, these lands and Mont Saint-Michel were never really included in the duchy of Brittany and remained independent bishoprics from the newly created Breton archbishopric of Dol. When Rollo confirmed Franco as archbishop of Rouen, these traditional dependences of the Rouen archbishopric were retained in it.

The mount gained strategic significance again in 933 when William "Long Sword" annexed the Cotentin Peninsula from the weakened Dukes of Brittany. This made the mount definitively part of Normandy, and is depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry, which commemorates the 1066 Norman conquest of England. Harold, Earl of Wessex is pictured on the tapestry rescuing two Norman knights from the quicksand in the tidal flats during a battle with Conan II, Duke of Brittany. Norman Ducal patronage financed the spectacular Norman architecture of the abbey in subsequent centuries.

In 1067, the monastery of Mont Saint-Michel gave its support to Duke William of Normandy in his claim to the throne of England. This he rewarded with properties and grounds on the English side of the Channel, including a small island off the south-western coast of Cornwall which was modelled after the Mount and became a Norman priory named St Michael's Mount of Penzance.

Cannons abandoned by Thomas Scalles at Mont Saint-Michel on 17 June 1434. Currently (June 2013), only the second cannon, the one closer to the wall, is on display inside the entrance to the Mont's outer wall.
During the Hundred Years' War, the English made repeated assaults on the island, but were unable to seize it due to the abbey's improved fortifications. The English initially besieged the Mont in 1423-4, and then again in 1433-4 with English forces under the command of Thomas Scalles. Two wrought-iron bombards that Scalles abandoned when he gave up his siege are still on site. They are known as les Michelettes. Mont Saint-Michel's resolute resistance inspired the French, especially Joan of Arc.

When Louis XI of France founded the Order of Saint Michael in 1469, he intended that the abbey church of Mont Saint-Michel become the chapel for the Order, but because of its great distance from Paris, his intention could never be realized.


The wealth and influence of the abbey extended to many daughter foundations, including St Michael's Mount in Cornwall. However, its popularity and prestige as a centre of pilgrimage waned with the Reformation, and by the time of the French Revolution there were scarcely any monks in residence. The abbey was closed and converted into a prison, initially to hold clerical opponents of the republican regime. High-profile political prisoners followed, but by 1836, influential figures—including Victor Hugo—had launched a campaign to restore what was seen as a national architectural treasure. The prison was finally closed in 1863, and the mount was declared an historic monument in 174. Mont Saint-Michel and its bay were added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979, and it was listed with criteria such as cultural, historical, and architectural significance, as well as human-created and natural beauty.


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Mini Guided

April 17, 2016, 11:32 pm
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Culture in St Petersburg

Executive summary by Darmansjah


St Petersburg is a treasure trove of culture: fill your days strolling from one art-filled room to another in the Winter Palace, listening to a symphony at the Mariinsky and paying homepage to literary geniuses.

Art

The Hermitage

The State Hermitage Museum’s vast collection (365 rooms) ranges from Egyptian mummies to a collection of early 20th-century art (featuring Matisse, Picasso and Kandinsky) that’s almost unrivalled. Your ticket (reserve online to save queuing) allows you to wander the Baroque Winter Palace, part of the museum complex (hermitagemuseum.org: Dvortsovaya pl; closed Mon; US$13).

Russian Museum

While the Hermitage looks to art beyond Russia, this lesser-known gallery concentrates on domestic art, and spreads out over four sumptuous palaces in the centre of the city. The main building, Mikhailovsky Palace, presents a fascinating collection, from medieval icons to masterpieces by painters such as ilya Repin, as well as 20th-century avant garde works (rusmuseum.ru; inzheneraya ul 4; closed Tue, Thu morning; main building US$11.40).

Errata Museum

Out in the wilds of Vsilyevsky Island, this fantastic museum of contemporary Russian art is the very first of its kind in the city. The permanent collection of some 2,000 works produced from the ‘50s to the present day is particularly strong on late Soviet underground art. One nice curatorial touch is the frequent inclusion of objects (such as a bowl of apples) beside paintings that depict them (errata.com; 29-yaliniya 2; closed Tue; US$9.80).

Literature

Dostoevsky Museum

Fyodor Dostoevsky’s final home was this flat in Vladimirskaya, where he lived from 1878 until he died in 1881. The apartment remains as it was then, and includes the study where he wrote the brothers Karamazov, and the office of his wife Anna, who edited all his books (md.spb.ru; Kuznechny per 5/2; closed Mon, Wed morning; US$5.20).

Site of Pushin’s Duel

This park is a place of literary pilgrimage for lovers of Russia’s poectic genius, Alexander Pushkin, who was killed in a duel with the Frencman Georges d’Anthes in 1837, after d’Anthes had publicly courted Pushkin’s wife, Natalya A marble monument now stands on the place, where Pushkin was shot, on the Vyborg Side, around 15 minutes’ walk north of Chyornaya Rechka metro station. There are always fresh flowers here (Kolomyazhsky pr).

Anna Akhmatova Museum

Housed in a wing of the 18th-century Sheremetyev Palace, this touching and fascinating literary museum honours the life of Anna Akhmatova, St Petersburg’s most famous 20th-century poet and survivor of the Stalinist terror. Akhmatova lived in an apartment here from 1925 to 1952, and it’s filled with mementos of the poet. Downstairs is a bookshop and video room (akhmatova.spb.ru; Liteyny pr 53; closed Mon, Wed morning; US$2.60).

Music and Dance

Mariinsky Theatre

What could be more Russian than seeing a ballet at the Mariinsky? Known as the Kirov in the Soviet era, when stars such as Nureyev danced, today the Mariinsky is one of the world’s premier ballet troupes. Tickects to see ballet and opera here and at the next-door New Mariinsky are always in high demand – book early (mariinsky.fru; Teatralnaya pl 1; opera from around US$24.40, ballet from US$40,70).

Shostakovich Philharmonia

Under conductor Yuri Temirkanov, the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra represents the finest in orchestral music. The Bolshoy Zal (Grand Hall) at Mihailovskaya ul 2 is the venue for a full programme of symphonic performances, while the nearby Maly Zal (small hall) hosts smaller ensembles. Both venues host numerous music festivals (philharmonia.spb.ru; tickets from US$9.70).

Zoccolo

In its urgently orange and green underground space near pl Vosstaniya, Zoccolo has a great atmosphere and an interesting line-up of music, from indie rock to ‘ethnoelectonica’ and other styles you may not have heard of. Entry is free before 5pm, when the venue functions as an arty café (zoccolo.ru; 3-ya Sovetskaya ul 2/3; noon-midnight weekdays, to 6am weekends; performances US$3.20).

Transport

Flights on Singapore airlines and Malaysia airlines are available to Heathrow, after which a British Airways flight takes you direct from Heathrow to St Petersburg (from US$327; ba.com). Pulkovo Airport is 10 miles south of the centre; you can get a shuttle bus (US$1.10) or city bus (US$0.80) into town – see times and details at pulkovoairport.ru. Airport taxis should cost around US$24. The St Petersburg metro is sufficient, cheap (from US$0.90) and useful for travelling long distances but it can be a bit of an adventure if you don’t read Cyrillic. Metro maps in English are available in the tourist publications that are distributed around town.
Where to Stay

Facing the Hermitage across the river, Tradition Hotel has extremely helpful staff. The 16 rooms are well appointed and the great views make up for the hotel’s distance from the nearest metro station (traditionhotel.ru; pr Dobrolyubova 2; from US$98).

A dramatically lit stone stairwell sets the scene for Casa Leto, a stylish boutique hotel. The spacious quarters are decorated in soft pastel shades and filled with antiques (casleto.com; Bolshaya Morskaya ul 34; from US$179).

When it opened in 2011, the W Hotel became the talk of the town. Rooms come with iPhone docks and Nespresso coffee makes, and the Alain Ducasse restaurant is one of the city’s top tables (wstpetersburg.com; Voznesensky pr 6; from US$391).

ST PETER’S GREAT Three centuries of talented writers in the city: Gogol-Nikolai Gogol came to the city in 1829. He wasn’t impressed by it, but he wrote a number of absurdist stories, known as The Petersburg Tales. Dostoevsky-Born in Moscow, he moved to the imperial capital in 1838, aged 16, and his Crime and Pusnishment is the ultimate St Petersburg novel. Blok-Alexander Blok was one of the symbolist movement’s most renowed poets. He depicted prostitutes, drunks and others on society’s margins. Pushkin The national bard mused on the city’s fate through the eyes of a statue in his epic poem. The Bronze horseman.

The long evenings of the White Nights make June the busiest time to visit. Events include the Festival of Festivals, a film festival (filmfest.ru), and the Stars of White Nights Festival at the Mariinsky and other venues (mariinsky.ru).

Lonely Planet’s St Petersbur is a comprehensive guide to the city and chapters from the book can be download at lonelyplanet.com. A briefer St Petersburg work from the pen of Dostoevsky is white Nights, dover Thrift editions, a short story that’s been adapted for cinema several times. You can also see the city on film in Brother (1977), Russian Ark (2002) and The Stroll (2003).

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