A Day of Shopping Morning The Champs-Elysées is an area for leisurely strolls. Begin by window-shopping along one side of the avenue Montaigne, where Prada, Nina Ricci, Dior and many more have their flagship stores – the area oozes money. Have a break in the Bar des Théâtres, where fashion names and the theatre crowd … Read more
High Fashion Boutiques Giorgio Armani Stylishly cool service for one of Italy’s top names. Emporio Armani branch (Via del Babuino 140) sells the designer’s couture line at lower prices. The lowest-end line, Armani Jeans, is at Via del Babuino 70A. Via dei Condotti 77 Giorgio Armani Prada The most highly priced of the top Italian … Read more
The Champs-Elysées is undoubtedly the most famous street in Paris and the quarter which lies around it is brimming with wealth and power. It is home to the president of France, great haute couture fashion houses, embassies and consulates, and the five-star hotels and fine restaurants frequented by the French and foreign élite. The Champs-Elysées … Read more
An Afternoon Roman Passeggiata Begin in Piazza SS Apostoli to see its namesake church (see Santissimi Apostoli) and the 2nd-century AD relief of an Imperial eagle against the portico’s right wall. Then continue straight across Via dell’Umiltà and through the elaborate iron, glass, and frescoed 1880s pedestrian passage. Turn right on Via di Muratte to … Read more
Bloomsbury & Fitzrovia on Foot Morning Arrive at the British Museum at 10am (opening time) so that you can enjoy the new Great Court in peace. View Norman Foster’s glass dome while having coffee at the café here. Stroll past the great Assyrian bas-reliefs on your way out. Browse the antiquarian book and print shops, … Read more
Here is Rome at its most orderly and elegant, carefully laid out under 16th-century papal urban planning schemes. Baroque popes such as Leo X and Sixtus V redeveloped the all but abandoned area around the Corso, the extension of the ancient Via Flaminia from northern Italy, for their rapidly growing city. Romans now call it … Read more
Literary, legal and scholarly, this is the brainy quarter of London. Dominated by two towering institutions, the British Museum and London University, and bolstered by the Inns of Court, it could hardly be otherwise. It is an area of elegant squares and Georgian façades, of libraries, bookshops and publishing houses. Most famously, the Bloomsbury Group, … Read more
Accommodation Tips Directory Info 2375 3838 Reservations 2769 8822or 2383 8380 www.hkha.org 2713 9211 www.accomline.com www.asiatravel.com www.lastminute.com www.rentaroomhk.com 2522 3082 www.shama.com 41 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui 2268 7888 22 Hennessy Rd, Wan Chai 2866 6688 Making Reservations Booking through the HKTB or a travel agent will almost always be cheaper than just turning up … Read more
There’s a maple for every garden Every Canadian garden should include at least one maple tree. After all, the maple leaf is our beloved national symbol. But more than that, it’s our national symbol because maple trees (Acer species) grow so darned well in every part of the country. All they ask is sun to … Read more
Shopping Tips Directory Mandarin Oriental 5 Connaught Rd, Central, Hong Kong Island 2522 3336 94 Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui 2367 9423 12 Pedder St, Central, Hong Kong Island 2525 7333 Opening Hours Most shops open daily but not usually before about 10:30am and will not generally close before 6:30pm. Many, especially in the busy … Read more
While these were great, unplanned, fun evenings, I couldn’t leave Madrid without an evening of flamenco music. Miguel had surprised me by saying, “Flamenco must be listened to in silence”. The simplicity and absoluteness of his statement intrigued me. Isabel Viedma, the tour guide, agreed with him. “You start with the dance and then work … Read more
Places to Eat and Drink La Trucha Bar restaurant patronized by show-business types from the Teatro Español next door. Relaxed ambience and a great place to sample tapas. Try rabo de toro (bull’s tail). Calle de Núñez de Arce 6 91 532 0882 Closed Sun–Mon, Aug La Trucha Casa Alberto This historic tavern is where … Read more
Sightseeing is for the day time In Madrid, the rule of thumb is: the later the hour, the louder the nightlife. This is a city that doesn’t seem to sleep. Taxi drivers told me there are more people on the streets at 3 a.m. than at 3 p.m., and it seemed to me to be … Read more
Shops in La Latina Caramelos Paco The display windows of this famous sweet emporium are ablaze with colour. Some of the flavours – rice pudding, for example sound less appealing than others. Sugarfree sweets for diabetics. Calle de Toledo 55 Caramelos Paco El Transformista Delve into this Aladdin’s cave for antique and secondhand furniture – … Read more
Famous for its stunning cathedral nestled at the bottom of a valley, there are great opportunities for some photography in and around the cathedral grounds. Further West leads you down to St. Justinian’s Lifeboat Station with great views across to Ramsey Island, whilst heading further North will take you past Whitesands Bay and up towards … Read more
Pubs, Bars & Discos Riva This elegant and trendy bar is named after an Italian soccer player. Dircksenstr., Arch 142 6pm–4am daily 030 24 72 26 88 Bellini Lounge Head this way for some of the most authentic tropical cocktails mixed north of the equator. Oranienburger Str. 42 4pm–5am Fri–Sat, 4pm–3am Sun–Wed 030 970 056 … Read more
Booking a Room To book a room, contact the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau (CCVB). Discounted rates can be found by checking the Internet on sites such as www.877chicago.com, calling the hotel directly, or contacting a reputable, no-fee reservation service such as Hot Rooms and Hotel Reservations Network. To hold a reservation, a credit card … Read more
Tenby is one of those places I absolutely adore and never get tired of visiting, even on the most rainy days! It’s absolutely packed in the summer months due it being a highly regarded holiday destination and the economy is mainly based around tourism. It’s also a mecca for artists and painters alike. It’s not … Read more
A Day in Scheunenviertel Morning Take the S-Bahn to Friedrichstraße and explore this road, Berlin’s former entertainment district. Walk north along the street up to Reinhardstraße, and turn left here towards Bertolt-Brecht-Platz. Continue south to Albrechtstraße to the Berliner Ensemble . Once you have admired the theatre where the great playwright used to work, you … Read more
Store Hours Regular store and mall hours are usually 10am to 9pm, Monday to Saturday, and 11am to 6pm Sunday. However, Northside boutiques and stores along the Mag Mile often stay open ‘til 7–8pm. Taxes Chicago state and local sales taxes are among the highest in the country at 9 percent on all non-food items. … Read more