Back in the day (1920s to 1940s), the port city of Tangier had a reputation for depravity, where everything and anything was available … as long as you paid the price. Tangier is located in the Straits of Gibraltar, at the very tip of the African continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, inexorably linking the cultures of Europe and Africa.
In an organization known for its spectacular displays and events held both indoors and outdoors, the New York Botanical Garden’s display of “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare before Christmas Light Trail” is over the top spectacular.
The Grand Hotel Amsterdam states a truism in its name, for this hotel is truly grand. The oldest part of the building dates to 1411, and its history includes housing a convent, a Royal lodging, the Dutch Admiralty, the City Hall of Amsterdam, and now a five-star deluxe luxury hotel.
According to Homer, Ulysses found monsters, giants, and bewitching creatures galore in the waters of Lazio, Italy. While on our own “odyssey,” we found a region filled with lovely seaside hotels, beautiful sand beaches, stunning vistas, and ancient ruins that can be explored without hoards of sightseers blocking our access or cannibalistic giants hurling rocks at us.
On a trip to Treviso Italy, I was introduced to the city’s proud claim to fame as the place where tiramisù was first created. In the late 1800s, the owner and head cook at a small restaurant and sweet shop called Le Beccherie in Piazza Ancilotto, just behind the Piazza de Signori in the center of Treviso, needed a “pick me up.” Actually, “pick me up” is what the word “tiramisú” means.
Naples wasn’t high on my bucket list, but after my recent visit, I’m happy to report that I was captivated by her scintillating charms. I visited one enchanting sight after another and still only managed to cover a fraction of the rich history waiting to be explored in this ancient seaside city.
Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, is one of the largest and surely one of the most beautiful cities in all of Europe. Whether on your first trip or your fifth, the World Heritage Castle District draws you like a magnet to the Buda side of the Danube from which there are wonderful views of Pest.
In the very heart of the Mediterranean Sea ̶ south of Sicily, north of Libya, and east of Tunisia ̶ lie the islands of Malta. They make up a small archipelago with a 7,000-year-old history and the stunning physical evidence to prove it.
Kudos to Lincoln Center’s continuing commitment to inviting cultures from around the world to New York City in their Summer for the City offerings. Thanks to this program, we were introduced to the mythic performance of Samsara by the Aakash Odedra Company at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater.
We chose to cruise on Portugal’s Douro River, named “River of Gold,” because back in the day, the river was the method of transport for the fine wines, almonds, and olives produced in the river valley (the primary source of the area’s wealth). Portugal has everything we were looking for – a rich cultural history, renowned cuisine, and world-famous wines. Perfect!
Hello, all you current and to-be dads, and welcome to our very first LuxuryWeb Magazine Father’s Day Gift Guide. We have a few suggestions that you might want to pass along to spouses and children who want to celebrate your special day with that extra-special gift.
As usual, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) audience was buzzing with excitement and especially so because not only was it Mother’s Day, it was also a much-anticipated performance of the renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, featuring new works by guest choreographers, as well as Ailey’s dearly beloved Revelations.
This Mother’s Day, we are more than ever before suffering from the effects of climate change and are aware of how it’s affecting us and the cherished women in our lives. So to honor the women we love this year (especially ourselves), we are focusing on anti-aging products that use all natural, non-toxic ingredients.
New restaurants appear in Northern New Jersey all the time. However, some are just run of the mill eateries serving the same tired dishes that have been served for ages, while a few others are serving food of exceptional quality, rivaling Michelin-starred establishments around the world in inventiveness and ingredient quality. The 87 Sussex Restaurant in Jersey City is an absolute stunner – modern and upbeat.
She comes in a tiny package but with a huge voice. Pretty as a picture and full of good humor, Emmy and Tony Award-winner Kristin Chenoweth was in top form strutting her stuff on the NJPAC (New Jersey Performing Arts Center) stage during her recent appearance.
I attended the exuberant dance program Deep River created by choreographer Alonzo King for his LINES Ballet dance company. The performance was held at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater in the Deutsche Bank Center building at 60th Street and Broadway.
Boreal – from Boreas, the Greek god of the north wind – as it relates to cooking, refers to the bounty nature provides in the northern forests that are dominated by conifer trees and indigenous plants, berries, and ferns. These are native to a specific area – in this case the Provence of Quebec.
Anto is the U.S. venture of Korean chef Jeong Muk Kim who has been at the helm as executive chef of the famous Myomi (“subtle charm”) restaurant in Seoul that has garnered and maintained a Michelin star for a number of years.
One would have thought lots of water in a river would be a good thing – better than the lack of water that grounded river cruises in the Danube last year – but one would be wrong! The waters feeding the Rhône River come down from the Swiss Alps and eventually flow into the Mediterranean Sea.
The visit to Cape Horn, although physically demanding, was doable and exhilarating, and The Drake (waterway that leads to Antarctica) was unusually gentle with us which gave us false hope that it would be smooth sailing ahead.
The Rubin Museum of Art has a new exhibition entitled “Death Is Not the End.” This exhibition, assembled from the Rubin’s own collection, along with contributions from individual collectors and private institutions, is an examination of humanity’s burning questions surrounding life and death, and the desire for greater understanding of our place in the cosmos as expressed by two of the world’s greatest religions: Buddhism and Christianity. The exhibition is on view from March 17, 2023 to January 14, 2024.
We have recently experienced both a River Longship and an Ocean Cruise Ship with Viking so I have a perfect platform from which to compare. Our latest was the “Iconic Western Mediterranean” cruise on the Viking Star.
When the opportunity presented itself to take a calligraphy class during my recent visit to Casablanca I jumped at the chance to understand this omnipresent art form. The calligraphy classes are offered on the third floor of The Abderrahman Slaoui Foundation Museum in what was once a privately owned home in Casablanca’s upscale historic district.
It’s called The Dolder Grand, and it’s an incomparable example of what made the Swiss “Grand Dame” hotels coveted by royalty and celebrities alike in the 19th and 20th centuries. Now upgraded for the 21st century, with the addition of two modern wings – the Spa Wing and the Golf Wing – behind the original 1899 historic building, The Dolder Grand still maintains the elegance of a bygone day.
In 1992, Mama said “let’s go into the hotel business!” With that declaration, a new concept of museum-hotel was birthed with the opening of Auberge Saint-Antoine, a 5 star luxury property in Québec City, Canada.
Well yes… we knew it was one of the coldest places on earth, and of course, there was going to be lots and lots of water that could, without a “by your leave,” turn into ice; but I wasn’t prepared for the wind! When I say wind I don’t mean the regular kind that could send a hat flying, I mean the kind that threatens to catapult your whole body into an airborne missile.
It can be said that it is a fortunate artist who is born during times of great tribulations. Artists are defined by, and define their times, through their emotional response expressed in bold strokes and violent colors. So it is with Oswaldo Guayasamin, the native born Ecuadorian of Maya/Quechua Indian ancestry.
Ushuaia has been an ancient city with very little population and little to offer, but with the explosion of tourism and technology, the city is experiencing a wave of growth, tripling its population in the last five years.
It was a snowy, cold, winter day but the colors, sounds and energy that radiated from the Soweto Gospel Choir turned the day sunny and warm for the cheering, crowded audience. The performance was entitled “Hope: It’s Been A Long Time Coming.”
These two men, a Jewish Rabbi and a Hindu Priest, came together to work out a system of cooperation in precisely the manner and purpose for which the House of Religions was created. Sasikumar, eager for collaboration, setup a kosher kitchen at Restaurant Vanakam under the supervision of Rabbi Kohn, while Rabbi Kohn also participates by lighting the stove and taking part in the cooking to insure that it satisfies the requirements of his Orthodox community.
Whether you call it Lucerne in French or Luzerne in German, it is a very old Swiss city with many of the buildings still in use dating back to the 14th or 15th century. These buildings and the iconic Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), which was built in 1333 and links the Old Town to the Reuss River’s right bank, are lovingly restored and maintained to keep the city’s character alive.
Le Monastère des Augustines is a distinctive Wellness Retreat, not a religious center in any sense of the word. It is far from your usual state-of-the-art spa but maintains the vision of the Augustinians by offering guests the four pillars they initially established for good health.
Chefchaouen, Morocco is one of the most picturesque hill towns in a country overflowing with picturesque cities and villages! We stopped to take photographs of the sparkling blue city from a distance, but the impact doesn’t truly hit until you enter the city gates and get your first close-up look.
Our 13-day Legendary Rhine & Moselle* River Cruise with the top ranked UNIWORLD Boutique River Cruise Collection began in Amsterdam, the capital of The Netherlands, with a canal sightseeing cruise.
Far from being an exotic destination, Switzerland is nevertheless ideal for the independent traveler who is looking for stunningly beautiful scenery; wonderful year long outdoor adventures; charming old world cities with striking architecture; clean streets and smooth byways; friendly people always willing to offer assistance; great museums and cultural institutions… and let us not forget, delicious cuisine!
At last night’s event, this diverse audience was all abuzz in anticipation of the world-class State Ballet of Georgia’s program “Mostly B”. The triple bill included two out of the three ballets to be performed, choreographed by20th-century Georgian American choreographer George Balanchine.
Off the beaten track in the Veneto Region of Italy is the “something for everyone” picturesque medieval town of Treviso. This ancient walled city is replete with meandering canals, waterwheels, bridges and winding streets filled with picturesque photo ops at every turn.
Having been warned of the heat, the dirt, the poverty, the “strange” practices by western standards, and most of all, the crushing crowds, India had not been high on my list of luxury destinations to visit. But if you have been put off by these negative impressions like I was, please continue reading and rethinking your desire to visit the country.
On June 2, 2023 the newest ship in VIKING’s impressive line-up of 100+ ships was named VIKING Saturn ata ceremony held at Pier 88 on New York City’s Hudson River. During the party, raconteur Chairman Torstein Hagen charmingly recounted the company’s history that he started 25 years ago with his partner “just 2 guys with 2 mobile phones”. Due to his warm sense of humor and Norse background – along with a strong personal commitment and hands-on approach – he is playfully referred to as Thor – Norse god of thunder.
A review of the Musee de la Civilization and the Hotel-Musee Premieres Nations in Quebec, Canada.
CZEN (pronounced seaZon) is located next to the Bergen Performing Arts Center Theater on one of the town’s main thoroughfares. Entering into this bespoke eatery is like being transported instantly from New Jersey to the Caribbean… but with a very pronounced Asian accent. You are greeted by a festival of colors, music to grove to, and a menu of delectable selections of fusion dishes.
Few things are worth rising at 4:00 a.m. to see. Perhaps a full lunar eclipse or Halley’s Comet, but a hot air balloon ride over the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia also definitely qualifies!