Author: Charlotte Gill

Monolithic Montreal

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

Cosmopolitan Montréal is a truly international hot bed where business and pleasure mix seamlessly and with constant vigour. Once Canada’s largest metropolis, Montréal was outgrown by Toronto back in the mid-1970s but for most visitors it still rates as number-one.

With a metropolitan area population of 3,635,571 at the time of the 2006 census, Montréal ranks as the 15th largest city in North America and 74th in the world but its heart is as big as any.

This is the capital of Quebec, the province of the French language and a stridently Francophone culture, yet at times its feels more like London than Paris and always more European than North American. French is clearly the lingua franca but everyone understands English, be it the British or American version.

With a good public transport system, including an extensive metro (68 stations on four lines), convenient buses (169 daytime and 20 night-time routes), inexpensive cabs, safe streets and a round-the-clock ambience, it’s a great place to do business. Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau airport is a short drive from downtown and a grid-style street layout makes finding your way around easy – especially since most of the places you will wish to access are within a couple of metro stops or a short walk.

The user-friendly infrastructure extends to the famed subterranean shopping malls, some 32km of them, offering undercover access to 1,600 shops, restaurants, offices, museums and transport hubs, spread over a 12 sq km area known as Underground City – taking the bite out of winters that can be savage, with more snow than in Moscow.

A compact business district, distinct eating-out areas such as historic Old Montréal, Chinatown, Little Italy and the Latin Quarter, and short travel distances to such other key centres as Quebec City, Toronto, Boston and New York all add to the potent mix.

Though a financial disaster, the 1976 Olympic Games cemented Montréal’s place on the world stage, for both business and pleasure.

Today the city hosts a wealth of international fares, conventions and arts festivals. Cinema, jazz, comedy and North America’s native tribes all have their own vibrant annual celebrations here. The latter event, known as The First Peoples’ Festival, celebrated its 17th edition this June, showcasing the art, culture, cuisine and contribution to Canada’s evolution of its original inhabitants.

For major business events, Montréal Palais de Congrés is a world-class facility set not far from the river. Face-lifted at a cost of $240m it now provides 330,000 sq ft of meeting and exhibition space.

There’s a wealth of other exciting meeting spaces available city-wide while not-to-miss visitor attractions include the magnificent domed cathedral of Marie-Reine-Du-Monde, a profusion of churches, attractive squares – including Place Jacques Cartier with its own replica of Nelson’s Column – cobbled Old Montréal streets, superb museums and galleries, lush parks and gardens, imposing public buildings and world-class shopping.

Come rain or shine, there’s a delightful al fresco café society feel to neighbourhoods across the city – and clubs, bars and restaurants for every taste and pocket. There are more restaurants per capita than in almost any other city worldwide.

The centre of downtown is set on the island of Montréal, at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa rivers, and the port of Montréal is sited on the mighty St, Lawrence Seaway, the river gateway that links the Great Lakes into the Atlantic Ocean.

Once an industrial powerhouse, old factories close by the river have been converted to swish condos, imposing former banks and shipping offices have been transformed into trendy boutique hotels – urban regeneration has gone big-time.

There are some impressive skyscrapers, reflecting the city’s role as a major financial and business centre but, by law, none of them may reach higher into the sky than the parkland covered Mount Royal, whose summit provides the best overview of the city.

Iceland’s many offerings

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

While it is the focus of scores of wild holidays and corporate jollies (think exploring volcanic beaches on monster jeeps or quad bikes; admiring sulphurous pools with gushing geysers and plenty of steamy lagoon-wallowing), the mountain-flanked capital, Reykjavik, is also increasingly becoming a favourite destination for conducting business too.

One work-in-progress is the Danish-designed Icelandic National Concert Hall and Conference Centre, due to open in 2009 on the site of the old Reykjavik harbour, which will adjoin the country’s first five-star hotel. Iceland’s reputation as a business destination is blossoming thanks to its compact size, which offers ease and convenience in planning a trip, combined with its rapid cultural revolution that has taken place over the last 20 years.

There is no better demonstration of this transformation than in the nation’s cuisine. Iceland’s traditional dishes – sheep’s head, rotten (or ‘putrefied’) shark, whale meat and the flesh of assorted sea birds – would probably alarm the unaccustomed palate. But, thanks to the innovation of celebrated Icelandic chefs such as Siggi Hall, owner of the eponymous Reykjavik restaurant, the country has recently carved a reputation as a veritable hotspot for culinary delights.

The key, it seems, is the marriage of international gastronomic influences and the good, honest and fresh ingredients that are so plentiful locally: almost-wild lamb, hormone-free by law and often served smoked, and Atlantic Ocean-fresh seafood galore. For a city that was, not so long ago, home to just a handful of restaurants (all, I fear, focusing heavily on variations of cormorant stew), the foodie face of Reykjavik has had a remarkable make-over. From delectable street food, which largely consists of irresistible lamb hotdogs smeared in mustard, two types of onion and ketchup, to restaurants as fine as you might find in any other major European city, you will find something to satisfy every taste and budget. In the capital, Reykjavik, try the restaurant du jour, Sjavarkjallarinn, ‘The Seafood Cellar’; revolving, top-floor Perlan, ‘The Pearl’, or, for unpretentious home cooking, Mulakaffi.

In stark contrast to Iceland’s forward-thinking food, entertainment and hospitality scene, the fire-and-ice landscape that frames it all remains one of the rawest and awe-inspiring on earth. Its extreme, unpolluted and barely populated beauty is characterised by waterfalls (including Europe’s biggest, Dettifoss), geysers, red and black sand beaches, monster glaciers, the famously dramatic northern lights, volcanoes and steaming lava fields. It provides a veritable adventure playground for sporty travellers, with a huge ticklist of activities from pony trekking to white water rafting and diving expeditions to sites such as the thermal chimney in Eyjafjördur.

For sight-seeing, favourites destinations among tourists include the Blue Lagoon – a surprisingly unnatural phenomenon that came about when drainage channels adjacent to a geothermal power station became clogged by silted minerals, forming a pool – and Geysir, which used to spurt an impressive 70 feet into the air but has long since been inactive.

If you fancy venturing off the beaten tourist track, however, try the lesser-known Snaefellsjökull glacier on the northwest coast, two hours from the capital and chock-full of caves and hot springs, without the crowds. It’s a great spot for ice walking and climbing as well as salmon fly-fishing and whale-spotting nearby. Popular with eco-tourists, Hotel Hellnar, at the glacier’s base, was the country’s first to be stamped with the Green Globe badge of honour, and boasts a building fashioned “ecologically” and from natural materials, with local and organic fare on the menu.

Fact file
Despite being similar in size to England, the whole of Iceland has a population of just 294,300 – compared to England’s 48 million. It is the sixth richest country per capita in the world.

Iceland had the world’s first female president, Vigdís Finnbogadόttir, first elected in 1980.

Reykjavik celebrates National Beer Day on March 1 every year, to mark the 1989 end of its 75-year prohibition. However, today’s beer can set you back between £4 and £10 a pint, so locals often kick off the drinking at home.

Even to this day, surveys repeatedly reveal that 80 per cent of Icelanders believe in elves. Building companies – including, it is alleged, those involved in the development of the nation’s vast ring road – have been known to consult clairvoyants about the location of local elf dwellings before starting a new project.

New York – bright lights, big city

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

The upper deck of a British Airways 747 is always a welcoming prospect to me. But rarely do I look forward to taking up my favourite seat of 64K there as much as when the ultimate destination is New York’s JFK airport. BA alone offer up to 12 daily services between the UK and New York and it remains one of the most fiercely contested – not to mention lucrative – longhaul routes in the world. Why do thousands of people every day shuttle back and forth between these two cities? The answer is simple – as well as being a major business draw, New York offers something for everyone, however long your stay.

My first trip to the Big Apple was several years ago, and since then I’ve been fortunate enough to go back many times. I most often find myself in New York for business – but that doesn’t stop me making several leisure trips a year too. With myriad other destinations in the world ripe for my tourist spend, just what is the attraction of New York which keeps me coming back time after time? In one word, the answer is: diversity.

On every trip to date, I’ve experienced something different. Of course, you easily fall in to a comfortable and familiar routine of preferred flights, favourite hotels (high on my personal list are the Crowne Plaza at Times Square and the InterContinental The Barclay) and tried and tested restaurants…but New York is the only city I travel to where I don’t just feel bold enough to try something different each time, I feel compelled to.

Each time I touch down at JFK, I know my hotel is a fixed $49 (plus the obligatory US tip) cab ride away. From then on ‘the city that never sleeps’ awaits exploration. For a first timer, there’s so much advice on what to see and do to suit any taste – advice which really underlines the fact that you need to visit the city more than once to take everything in. However, there are some simple delights everyone should enjoy, whether it’s their first visit or not.

First and foremost, see the Empire State building. And don’t just see it, take some time out and go up it. To get to the observation area at the very top may require a little queuing, but it really is worth it. My advice is to go in daylight for the spectacular view (on a clear day you can see for miles around in every direction) and then go again at night for the even more spectacular view – there’s something about a moonlit Manhattan skyline, the stark outlines of buildings peppered with dots of light, separated by the wondrous symmetry of the simple avenue and block system, that has to be seen to be believed. The distant hum of the city hushed by the howl of the wind; far away car horns hinting at the pulsing metropolis below. In the distance the Statue of Liberty stands proud as the mouth of the Hudson opens up. It is an experience not to be missed.

Go down to the waterfront (not far from the Ground Zero memorial) and you can pick up one of the boat tours to the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island. Up close, some find the Statue of Liberty rather underwhelming – a result of the tired image being burnt in everyone’s mind as an over-merchandised symbol of the city. But my own skinflint’s top tip is to simply take the Staten Island ferry to get a water view of this towering monument for free. These commuter ferries are large, fairly comfortable and give you a trip going not too far from where the paid tours take you (although obviously you don’t stop) to Staten Island. The journey doesn’t take long and you can then simply return on the next ferry, taking in the views of New York from the water.

Helicopter tours are offered by several companies, as are city bus tours (with various different ‘loops’ and the customary hop-on, hop-off arrangements). Both are worthwhile doing once – your hotel concierge will be able to offer you details of a range of options. Another ‘must do’ is the stereotypical junk food – let’s face it, just to say you have. There are numerous ‘authentic’ pizza outlets offering slices you never knew existed (they are large slices) and frankly you’d be hard pushed to find one that isn’t very good. Likewise on every other street corner will be a vendor with a trolley selling pretzels, hot dogs, kebabs or other delights. Ordering from one should be perfectly safe, and will bring a cheap and easy smile to your face the first time without question.

No praise of New York would be complete without a word on shopping. With the current exchange rate, New York is even more attractive for UK residents. Start with a walk down from Times Square with its various tourist-trap shops towards the world famous Macy’s. Be sure to get the discount card for tourists (just show your passport), which makes them a huge draw for visitors. Even on the way there you’ll see a number of name-brand shops selling everything you could possibly want. From there, another ‘must’ is a walk up the distinctly more up-market Fifth Avenue for its boutiques, higher-end outlets such as Saks and, of course, for Apprentice fans, Trump Tower, where the shops end and Central Park (and expensive residential property) begins. Central Park itself (in any season) is a beautiful, relaxing haven from the chaos of the city and the perfect place while away a quite hour or two.

An afternoon in the Met (simply continue walking North through Central, Park until you hit the famed ‘Museum Mile’) with its ever-changing exhibitions is always time well spent – especially since from there it’s so easy to venture on to The Guggenheim to continue your well-earned escape from the usual back-to-back meeting regime.

Taking in all that the city has to offer and you will see that New Yorkers will continue to not only welcome you, but also surprise and delight you. If you’re ever near the Crowne Plaza at Times Square, pop in and see if Michael is tending bar. He’ll mix you the finest Manhattan I’ve ever tasted (he’ll even tell you his secret recipe if you ask). If you’re lucky you’ll also witness some pure, honest-to-God, no-holds-barred Brooklyn charm – authentic yet endearing Soprano-esque swearing and all – which you’d only ever get to see on those exaggerated TV shows and films otherwise.

My next trip there? Thankfully it was possible to arrange some meetings in Manhattan for this December. Of course, by ‘possible’ I mean ‘extremely easy’ – for a touch of pre-Christmas snow, impeccable evening entertainment and some very economical pre-Christmas shopping, the location was never even up for debate amongst the clients we had to invite – New York remains a firm favourite with everyone I know.

Out of the blue: Whale watching

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

The spectacle of a huge whale leaping clear above the waves is one of Nature’s most awesome sights. And the haunting songs of these ocean giants have fascinated and intrigued scientists for generations.

After being hunted almost to extinction in the Sixties and Seventies whales have since captured the imagination of countless millions of people across the globe and sparked a new phenomenon – whale watching.

This offshoot of the travel industry has witnessed an explosive global growth and huge economic impact, and now generates more than $1bn a year in tourist revenue. Annually, it is estimated that about ten million people go whale watching in 90 countries.

Dr Susan Lieberman, director of the World Wildlife Fund’s Global Species Programme, welcomes this expansion and says: “Whale watching eco-tourism is developing into a multi-million pound industry, keeping whales alive while helping coastal communities.”

Whale watching has grown from humble beginnings in the Fifties to become an almost universal human passion, according to Fred O’Regan, president of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

“This new industry has begun to make a dramatic difference in coastal communities worldwide,” he adds. “Whale watching educates children and adults about our ocean planet, the magnificent creatures that share our world, and the importance of maintaining their habitat. It also provides a method for scientists to gain substantial information and monitoring capability…and thereby contributes to their conservation.”

In 1991, only 31 countries were involved in whale watching and the tourist numbers were about four million people. But by 1998 this figure had grown to nine million. Expenditure figures also reflect phenomenal growth – from £311m in 1994 to £655m in 1998.

Whale watching is now carried out in about 500 communities around the world – nearly 200 more than in 1994, in areas stretching from the Far East and Australasia to the shores of Europe and America. Recent newcomers to the world of whale watching include St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, Namibia, Oman, Taiwan, Fiji and the Solomon Islands.

In many places, whale watching provides valuable, sometimes crucial income to a community with the creation of new jobs and businesses. It helps foster an appreciation of the importance of marine conservation and provides a ready platform for researchers wanting to study cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) or the marine environment.

By offering towns and villages a sense of identity and considerable pride, whale watching is literally transforming the community in a number of places.

There are 41 known species of whale – 26 toothed whales, such as the sperm whale and bottlenose, and15 baleen whales, which have plates for filtering food from water, rather than teeth, and include the humpback whale and blue whale.

Most common species for whale watching expeditions are the humpback, gray, blue, minke and sperm whales.

Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick, called humpbacks (so-called because of the way they arch their backs out of the water when diving) “the most gamesome and light-hearted of all the whales.” They are also the most communicative. Their long, complex songs, produced by forcing air through their vast noses, since they have no vocal cords, repeat patterns of low notes for up to days at a time. But only the males sing and only when in warm waters. Scientists believe mating is the main purpose but that singing has many other unknown uses. There are now reckoned to be 35,000 humpbacks, compared to the 20,000 of 30 years ago, and Tonga, in the southern Pacific, estimates that every live humpback is worth a million dollars to the small island country’s economy during its lifetime.

Other places transformed by the economic power of whale watching tourism span the globe, stretching from Kaikoura, in New Zealand, to Jusavik, Iceland; Provincetown, Massachusetts; Ogata, Japan; Andenes, Norway; Hermanus, South Africa; San Julian, Argentina; Dingle, Ireland; and Guerrero Negro in Mexico.

Most popular way to spot whales in their natural habitat is from the deck of a boat , although more than 2.55 million people in ten countries participate annually in land-based whale watching.

Iceland has experienced an astonishing boom in whale watching, with figures released by the International Fund for Animal Welfare showing that between 1994 and 1998 there was a 250 percent annual increase, the highest in the world. One out of every eight visitors now goes whale watching and total expenditure is between $10m and $13.5m.

There are now about a dozen whale watch operators along the north, south and west coasts. Beautifully restored oak fishing boats, motor cruisers, catamarans and even vessels once used to hunt minke whales have all been customised – and they boast an astonishing sighting success rate of nearly 100 percent.

Iceland, the “land of ice and fire,“ is a nature-lover’s paradise and this spectacular setting draws many whale watchers, keen to spot minke whales in the orange glow of the midnight sun or sail alongside blue whales within sight of Mount Hekla, one of the world’s most famous volcanoes.

Elsewhere, there are now dozens of whale festivals in coastal resorts – with California staging nine.  On some Caribbean islands, whale watch operators now market their tours through cruise ships, adding considerable cruise ship money to the local economy. And there is now a Caribbean Whale Watch Association.

In the Mediterranean, whale watching moved into a higher gear with the establishment in 1999 of the International Ligurian Sea Cetacean Sanctuary by Italy, France and Monaco. This is now a marine protected area and a main feeding ground for fin whales.

In Britain, whale watchers routinely crowd the top decks on P&O and Brittany ferries sailing to Spain, on the lookout for about 16 species of cetaceans in the English Channel and Bay of Biscay.

“Whale safaris” at Andenes, northern Norway, are immensely popular and in the Tysfjord area in autumn, orcas come in close to shore to feed on herring. Visitors come from more than 30 countries to these two locations.

Each year, southern right whales migrate from Antarctica to calve in the sheltered bays of the east coast of South Africa. From July to November, Walker Bay, a 90-minute drive east of Cape Town is a spectacular vantage point. The town of Hermanus even employs a “whale crier” to announce sightings.

Whether you are planning the trip of a lifetime to see whales in Antarctica or Australia or just a half-day excursion as part of a holiday or business trip to Boston, you face a bewildering choice.

For an expert view, It’s worth considering the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society’s own travel wing, Out Of The Blue, with destinations that include Alaska, the Azores, Argentina, Spain, the Dominican Republic and, closer to home, the Isle of Mull.Their website, www.wdcs.org, is packed with information.

In Britain the main locations for spotting minke, long-finned pilot and killer whales are Northumbria, Cornwall, Devon, Pembrokeshire, Gwynedd, the Hebrides, Northern Isles, Highland and Grampian, with the prime season being May to early October.

It is tipped to grow by anything up to 15 percent annually, the business of Whale Watching compares very favourably with global tourism’s three to four percent expansion predicted by the World Tourism Organisation.

Copious Copenhagen

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

For its size and relative low profile, Copenhagen punches well above its weight in figures. The city is Europe’s second-best business travel destination, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2006 business travel index, a ranking of 127 worldwide cities based on factors such as hotel facilities, transportation and infrastructure.

The surprises don’t end there. The index ranked Copenhagen as the 17th best city in the world for business travel; and the number of city hotel rooms has increased by over 40 percent since 1999. Copenhagen now boasts 24,500 hotel beds, with five 5-star hotels and 36 4-stars.

Thanks in part to the vigorous efforts of Wonderful Copenhagen, the official tourist organisation, Copenhagen is now one of the world’s leading congress destinations, beating more obvious centres such as London and Barcelona.

It hosts five big corporate venues, and the flagship business venue, Copenhagen Congress Center, holds 17,000 delegates, and is located a handy five minutes from the airport.

After Sweden, British business visitors were for the largest overseas group in 2004, accounting for 208,140 bednights in hotels.

The city frequently sits at the top of international “quality of life” surveys, praised for the strong  environmental principles of its inhabitants, its clean streets and world class health, social and education system.

City centre transformation
Yet there’s considerably more to Copenhagen than its neat, squeaky-clean image might imply. The last few years have seen a flurry of construction work. The striking Oresund Bridge, linking Copenhagen to Malmo, southern Sweden, has made passing from one country to another a matter of an easy half hour train journey, either from the city centre, or direct from the airport.

The Danes are finally turning their attention to their city’s harbour area and last year, the gleaming new opera house opened its doors. Designed by Danish architect Henning Larsen, the glass-fronted building sports nine floors, covering 41,000sq m – a similar scale to the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.

Some have criticised it for looking out of keeping with its surroundings, and it’s safe to say that, with its bold 32m floating roof, and ultra-contemporary vibes, the opera house is a bold cultural statement.

Change is afoot elsewhere. There’s a new ultra-contemporary metro system and the harbour sides to the north and south of the city are sporting glass and concrete apartment blocks in keeping with harbourside developments all over Europe.

Former red light districts – such as Vesterbro, behind Central Station – have emerged as buzzing shopping and nightlife districts, and Istedgade, once a notorious sex street – has been transformed into an area packed with cafes and boutiques.

Spare time
For a business or leisure tourist, one of Copenhagen’s winning points is its size; most of its sights are contained within a four-square kilometre medieval centre.

Any free time in the city is likely to see you strolling down Stroget, the main shopping area, the most famous street in Denmark, and allegedly the longest pedestrianised shopping street.

Somewhat confusingly, Stroget actually comprises five streets – Ostergade, Amagertorv, Nygade, Vimmelskaftet and Frederiksberggade – and stretches over a kilometre from east to west.

It’s home to a vast mix of shops and boutiques, ranging from Louise Vuitton and Prada at the eastern end, towards Kongens Nytorv, to middlebrow chain stores such as H&M and Zara.

For a change of feel and tempo, you will inevitably find yourself in Nyhavn – a small, picturesque canal-side district which bursts into life as soon as the sun emerges from the clouds. Tourists and locals alike flock to the canals, bars and restaurants.

Nyhavn came into being in 1673 when soldiers dug the canal to allow ships access to Kongens Nytorv. A few centuries on, Dutch writer Hans Christian Andersen lived in three different addresses on the canal, and in this century (the 1800s) the quayside was the city’s principle red light district, and home to Copenhagen’s more colourful characters.

It’s a great place to wile away a few hours on a balmy summer daytime, but in general the restaurants should be avoided; better value can be found elsewhere.

Another good use of a few hours is to take a boat from the quayside at Nyhavn. Around £8 will buy you an hour’s tour of the city’s main canals, and this is a fantastic way to gain a very different perspective of the city.

If palaces and stately square are more your forte, head for Frederiksstaden, an upmarket residential area which is also home to four royal palaces, the city’s grandest church, and a clutch of art galleries.

Walking from the multicoloured gabled houses of Nyhavn to the wide, French-influenced streets, brings a sharp contract. A stroll down Frederiksgade leads to the four rococo palaces surrounding a grand cobbled square that together make up Amalienborg Slot (or Palace).

The palace was home to the royal family since 1794, and today the universally popular current Queen, Margrethe II lives in Schack Palace.

For a taste of Copehnagen’s political life, make a b- line for Stotsholmen, the city’s most historically important site, and technically an island.  This area is home to the Danish parliament, Folkestinget, Christiansborg Slot (or castle), and a range of museums.

Finally, if the child in you needs coaxing out, Denmark’s number one tourist attraction, Tivoli might just do the job. Visited by a staggering 4.5m people a year (more than Legoland!) the 20 acre gardens and theme park holds an almost-mystical place in the Danes’ collective memory.

To a foreign visitor, the magic may not be immediately obvious: the area is a strange, slightly garish mix of fairytale and commercialism. It does, however, have a distinct, charming atmosphere, and night-time at Tivoli can be especially atmospheric.

Eating out
It’s safe to say that Danish cuisine is not internationally renowned. Since the mid-nineties, however, the country’s gastronomy has undergone a minor renaissance and Copenhagen now has more Michelin stars than any other Scandinavian city, leaving Stockholm plenty of food for thought.

Most of the city’s best restaurants mix French dishes with local, seasonal fare such as game, fresh vegetables, cured or smoked fish and locally caught seafood.

Restaurateur Torven Olsen (owner of Cafe Victor, Dan Turells, Ultimo and Quote) has made a name for himself with new interpretations of Danish cooking married with international styles, along with stylish décor attracting equally stylish customers.

Business visitors aren’t likely to baulk at the prices charged at Copenhagen’s restaurants – even so, it’s best to make sure the expense account has a while to run. Even at unremarkable restaurants, main courses start at around £20, and a bottle of wine can add a frightening mark-up to the bill.

For a taste of the best of Copenhagen’s new restaurant scene, head for the new, uber-cool Fox Kitchen and Bar; the Bistro Moderne, or the Japanese-themed Umami.

Despite its modest reputation, Copenhagen’s user-friendly size, its buzzy, regenerated areas and  impressive congress facilities add up to a compelling proposition.

Add the mix an eclectic mix of restaurants, great shopping and a network of international flights, and Stockholm may well have a serious contender as Scandinavia’s business and leisure hub.

Sweeter than a Madeira

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

There are some islands that are all soft blues and yellows – beach meets sea meets sky meets tequila sunrise. Madeira is drawn from an entirely different palette; something darker, more exotic, more exciting. Vibrant greens (there is plenty of rainfall over winter, so gardens are lush), black volcanic beaches around a broodingly craggy shore line, slashes of yellows and pinks from the hibiscus and jacaranda flowers, and the abundant mangos and papayas that greet you every morning.

Half the distance (300 miles) from Morocco as it is from mainland Portugal, its colours are washed by the reds and pinks of northern Africa as much as by the more European influences of its mother country. All this makes it almost surprising that the island’s reputation is as a haven for retired army majors and their doughty WI wives. Maybe it’s the lack of sandy beaches, or the absence of any low cost carriers, but Madeira has the reputation of being a playground for the rich and blue-rinsed – not helped perhaps by the fact that Winston Churchill used to summer here to paint the local fishing boats, or by the president having gone on record to declare he’s against any overly enthusiastic nightlife.

But the moment I landed at the newly-renovated airport, I started to reassess – and if you’re still not convinced that Madeira is worth exploring, wait til you’ve taken the ‘Cota 200’ road 15 miles south, and you arrive at the turn off for Funchal.

Nothing quite prepares you for your first view of the capital city, Funchal, and if you have the option of arriving by boat, I strongly recommend that you take it (preferably with someone that you are very keen to impress, like the client of your highest revenue-earning account, or that woman from accounts who never gives you a second glance.)

It has an amphitheatre layout that starts at the harbour and rises almost 1,200 gentle metres upwards, providing natural shelter from the elements. You can almost hear the first settlers (who apparently included someone called Zarco the One Eyed) looking at each other and saying, ‘well this looks alright.’ First founded by Portuguese Joao Goncalves Zarco in 1421, today over 130,000 people have joined his descendents, but despite it being a modern city with sometimes epic traffic jams, it’s full of trees, easy to walk around and frankly rather classy.

In the 16th century, Fuchal was an important stopping point between the Indies and the New World, and as a result was very wealthy. Later came Madeira wines and sugar, both prized commodities – and the result of all this was an influx of wealth, reflected today in some well preserved examples of Portuguese 15th century architecture, like the Sé cathedral. But, like much of mainland Portugal, times got a bit harder during the 20th century, especially the latter half of it, and there were a few bleak economic years until the EU stepped in, with a full programme of funding that has seen an influx of road and tunnel building, the new airport and social projects in some of the more remote areas.

To do their bit, the government has made it easy to do business, and attracted plenty of international firms in the process.  There is an International Business Centre on Madeira which until 2001 offered offshore status and very low taxes to manufacturing, service and financial companies. In late 2002, the EU approved an extension of the scheme, but excluded new financial services companies. VAT applies on the island, although at a lower than normal rate, and Portugal has nearly 40 double tax treaties that can be used alongside the International Business Centre to obtain a very low tax burden for many types of trading and commercial activity.

But the best thing about doing business here is the setting, and the ease with which you can enjoy your time off. The best way to explore Funchal is by foot – preferably starting down by the harbour as early as possible in the morning, watching the small fishing boats wrestle with hundred-foot yachts for the prime positions along the harbour (okay, so the yachts usually win). Besides the beautiful Sé cathedral (with some Moorish influences in its carved and inlaid ceiling, no doubt from the traders that passed through here), there are a number of interesting museums and galleries – and countless cobbled streets to get lost among.

The Cidade do Açúcar museum (Praça do Colombo 5, 291 236 910, closed Sat and Sun) celebrates the sugar trade, while Madeiran wine gets its official nod at the Madeira Wine Institute museum (78 Rua 5 de Outrubo, 291 224 600, closed Sat and Sun). Also worth a visit is the Blandy Wine Lodge (28 Avenida Arriaga, 291 740 110, closed Sun) where you can do tours and tastings in the 17th century lodge, part of an old Franciscan monastery. The main square, Praça do Município, is framed by the 18th-century town hall (Câmara Municipal) and the Museu de Arte Sacra (Rua do Bispo 21, 291 228 900, closed Mon), with its collection of Flemish Renaissance paintings.  And for retail therapy, head to Avenida Arriaga, the main shopping drag.

Once your feet are tired, it’s worth taking the cable car up to the top of the slopes. This is where Monte village is, the site of most of the luxury hotels, and a number of beautiful gardens that are open to the public. If you’re feeling particularly brave, look out for the men in straw boater hats – they’re in charge of the toboggan ride that takes you back down to the centre, and will happily push you down the steep roads. Don’t expect any Cool Runnings type sleek sledges though; you’ll be sitting in an oversized wicker basket that looks like a piece of 1970s rattan furniture stuck onto runners (Info on 291 783 919).

The new-look Madeira has got behind extreme sports in a big way, and there are some great trips further round the coast and inland – from mountain biking and kayaking to abseiling and hiking. But as with mainland Portugal, my money’s on the food and the festivals – the hiking and biking should be seen strictly as an appetite stimulant. A surprisingly large number of quality restaurants are found all over the island, not just in Funchal (although stroll down to the harbour and the Old Town – Zona Velha – and you’ll wonder if you need to go any further afield).

‘Funchal’ was so-named because of the abundance of local fennel (funcho), and you can expect plenty of chefs making use of the fact in their local dishes. But fish is of course the real treat. Local specialties include peixe espada (a kind of black swordfish) that can be grilled, fried with banana or cooked com vinho ealhos (in wine and garlic). Then there’s the delicate bodião (parrot fish) and salmonete (red mullet).

For restaurants, Rua de Santa Maria is a good place to start for more reasonably priced local food – try O Jango (166 Rua de Santa Maria, 291 211 280). Just opposite Blandy’s Madeira Lodge, you’ll find the Golden Gate (29 Avenida Arriaga. 291 234 383) which runs over two floors and is very popular – and open until 2am. Down by the harbour, Doca do Cavacas (Estrada Monumental, Ponta de Cruz, 291 762 057) is the place to go for fresh fish, just pulled out of the sea. Among the late-opening options are Dó Fá Sol (Largo das Fontes, 291 241 464), open, often with live music, until 4am. And leave room for the local Madeira cake – though here is means a molasses-based spicy bolo de mel (honey cake).

Carnival season begins in February and marks the beginning of Lent. Like Lisbon and Oporto, Funchal celebrates Mardi Gras with a parade (Cortejo Alegórico) through the whole town. And again like the mainland, you’re likely to stumble across the saint’s day or feast day at whatever time of year you visit.

Best of Madeira
Sé Cathedral
Probably the most central point of Fuchal, so a good place to orientate yourself. Built between 1493 and 1514 by Gil Eanes, it’s an interesting mix of European and Moorish architecture.

The Gardens
Quinta do Palheiro Ferreiro (São Gonçalo, 291 793 044). Owned by the Blandy family, and now part of a luxury hotel, this was originally built as a hunting lodge, and houses Madeira’s most famous gardens. Also try the Monte Palace Tropical Garden (Monte, 291 74 26 50).

Cabo Girão
The world’s second-highest (2,001-foot) sea cliffs. Best viewed by boat – trips leave daily from Funchal marina.

Afternoon tea at Reid’s Palace
Okay, so this is old school, blue rinse central, but it’s still one of the classic things to do in Corsica, like having a Singapore Sling in Raffles, or a Martini at the Savoy’s American Bar.

The beach on Porto Santo island
Just 50 miles off the northeastern shore of Madeira, Porto Santo has the long stretch of sandy beach so lacking on the main island (although back on Madeira, the town of Calheta has recently imported tons of sand to create its own sandy haven). The capital is Vila Baleira and this is where most of the restaurants are. There is an airport on Porto Santo, and it’s just a 15 minute flight from Madeira – or a lovely boat ride that leaves houly from Funchal marina.

Ilhas Selvagens (Savage Islands)
A group of small volcanic islands, now a nature reserve, that are 100 miles south of Funchal, and make a very interesting day trip. Jacques Cousteau used to dive here.

São Vicente
You can either surf from this village on the north coast of Madeira, or take a disconcerting walk underground through the miles of volcanic tunnels.

Whale and Monk Seal viewing
Whales are an almost daily feature of the island, but the Mediterranean monk seal – the world’s rarest marine mammal – has only been spotted again recently. They were almost wiped out by fishermen, but attitudes (and, probably far more importantly, laws) have changed and now the population is growing, with three new seal pups born in 2005.

The Laurel Forest
Madeira’s last laurel forest, the biggest in Europe, has been accepted as a UNESCO world heritage site. It occupies around 15,000 hectares of the island, and is tincluded in the Madeira Natural Park as an Integral and Partial Nature Reserve. This was the forest that covered much of southern Europe, before the last ice age, and is home to the laurel pigeon, a bird which used to be hunted by Madeiran farmers, but has now become something of a national celebrity.

The Santa Maria Galleon
Touristy, yes. But if you want the full Madeiran experience, take a night trip out on the Santa Maria Galleon, a recreation of a 15th Century ship. Sails from Funchal Marina (291 220 327).

Madeiran Wine
Madeira is most famous for its wine – which is not dissimilar to port, but is enjoying less of an international renaissance. It’s fortified with a minimum 19 percent alcohol, and has a distinctive ‘almost but not quite oxidised flavour’ that gives it a long life span, and a range of styles from the dry Sercial, to lusciously sweet Malmsey. The best bottles have reached their 10th birthday – and plenty last and improve for over 50 years.

Some names to look out for while you’re there:
The Madeira Wine Company – Try their pompously titled Duke of Clarence Rich Madeira (part of the rather more unfortunately titled Blandy brand – someone should really have a word with these people). This is the oldest surviving British presence on the wine map (in fact, all of the struggling companies banded together to form this one), and is now controlled by the Symington family, who are big in port. You can visit their Blandy Lodge (28 Avenida Arriaga, 291 740 110, closed Sun).

Barbeito – good single cask colheitas (Estrada Monumental 145, Funchal, www.vinhosbarbeito.com)
Henriques and Henriques – the biggest independent Madeira shipper, and makers of some of the island’s best wines. Their 15 year old Verdelho is particularly good (Estrada de Santa Clara, 10, 9300-145 Camara de Lobos)

Geneva’s thumping heart

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

You won’t find it written in any guidebook or printed on any map, but in reality there are two Genevas. One is ‘international Geneva’, the world-renowned birthplace of the Red Cross, the European headquarters of the United Nations and home to numerous other inter-governmental institutions and regulatory agencies.

The other is an orderly, French-looking town nestled on the shores of Lac Leman and the River Rhône, under the shadow of Mont-Blanc and the surrounding Alps.

The first is a prestige brand, its signature Jet d’eau fountain proudly spouting seven tonnes of water 140 metres above the lake. The second is an introverted, even secretive, place, with a strong banking and financial industry. With 35,000 international functionaries encamped among the leafy public parks along the lake’s north (right) bank and the local population largely congregating around the medieval old town on the south (left), the two Genevas frequently live parallel existences.

With 185 nationalities among its 185,000 citizens, shouldn’t this be the most stupendously vibrant, cosmopolitan place on earth? However, it isn’t really. Ethnic restaurants exist, but don’t necessarily outnumber Swiss and French establishments. Public manners are friendly but restrained and multiculturalism mainly goes on behind closed doors at diplomatic functions or private gatherings.

‘We are not London, Paris, or even Zürich,’ says Isabelle Hesse from the Geneva tourist office. ‘We offer a more traditional and classic city experience.’

To be fair, it is possible to sense the broad international mix that turbo-drives the economy when you wander around the working-class Plainpalais quarter southwest of the lake or in the right-bank Pâquis – Geneva’s Soho – during the week.

However, on a quiet Sunday when much of the population is away in the countryside, the prime attractions are the Red Cross Museum, the Palais des Nations UN headquarters and – bear with us – the Cathédrale St Pierre, once home to Protestant preacher Jean Calvin. Afterwards, finding little to do save to faire du lêche-vitrine (literally ‘window lick’ or window shop) among the closed luxury stores, visitors might ruefully reflect that Geneva sure can put the ‘village’ into ‘global village’.

During the Cold War, this split personality was rarely a problem. Switzerland’s neutrality between East and West guaranteed that international organisations and multinational corporations considered well-equipped, multilingual Geneva their natural habitat. But in the last 15 years, the city has found itself facing increasing competition. In 1995, the newly formed World Trade Organization wanted to set up shop in Bonn instead and had to be aggressively wooed to Geneva. Losing the huge, annual World Telecom conference in 2004 was also a major blow.

During this period, the authorities began to worry that the chasm between the international corps and local community was hurting business. A Welcome Centre was established to smooth the transition for incoming international staff and various other bridging initiatives begun.

Unfortunately, however, local politics have only widened the gap recently. A deadlock in the parliament – split between left and right for four years – has done little to redress high unemployment (at 7.1 percent, nearly twice the national average), a chronic housing shortage (with a vacancy rate of only 0.15 percent) or staggering government debt (SFr12bn or £5.3bn).

In September 2005, before a referendum on allowing citizens from the new EU countries to work in Switzerland, parts of this traditionally liberal region voiced negative opinions about foreigners – particularly commuters from neighbouring France!

‘Geneva is undergoing a kind of identity crisis,’ says journalist Stéphane Bussard from local newspaper Le Temps, who’s also written a book, Le malaise genevois, about the schizophrenic city’s recent ills. ‘I think that vote was very telling, projecting our problems on to somebody else. It shows we don’t have a vision of what Geneva’s future in the region should be.’

According to Bussard, this is crucial. He says the city’s international status has allowed it to stand apart from the rest of the canton and neglect proper cooperation with neighbouring Vaud canton, too. ‘There is tremendous potential, for example, in biotechnology field between Lausanne and Geneva.

‘Geneva has used its international status as the glue to hold things together. Now that’s not enough. It needs to reinvent itself in a regional capacity.’

Every cloud has a silver lining, though, and Geneva’s realisation that it can no longer rest on its laurels is reaping benefits for visitors to the city. For them, the hallmark of the old, unassailably confident Geneva was the stuffy and, well, conventional style of some of its hotels and restaurants. Now everything is becoming more modern and exciting, as Geneva tries to entice a new generation of guests.

The tourist office’s Isabelle Hesse articulates a frequent sentiment when she says, ‘Things are moving, quietly.’
The five-star La Reserve and the Manotel group of three- and four-star hotels are leading the way with their appealing contemporary properties, but nearly other major establishments have been upgraded, too.

The 2000-seat International Conference Centre (www.cicg.ch) reopened in October after a total revamp, while restaurants are also changing.

Much-loved gastronomic institutions remain, from the haute-cuisine Domaine de Châteauvieux (022 753 15 11; Peney-dessus) 15km from the centre, to the atmospheric, 15th-century Les Armures (022 310 91 72; Rue du Puits-St-Pierre 1), serving fondue, rösti and raclette to a clientele that once included Bill Clinton, and the bohemian Buvette de Bains (022 738 16 16; Quai du Mt-Blanc 30), for champagne fondue, a swim or drink in summer and a winter-time hammam.

However, now these are joined by sleek contemporary numbers such as elegant Italian restaurant Senso (022 310 39 90; Passage du Rhône 56), seafood specialist Auberge du Lion d’Or (022 736 44 32; Place Pierre-Gautier 5, Cologny), French ù bobba (022 310 53 40; Rue de la Corraterie 21) and the refitted, panoramic Restaurant du Parc des Eaux-Vives (022 849 75 75;Quai Gustave-Ador 82)

In the impossibly cute southern district of Carouge, a 17th-century artisans’ village built by a jealous Sardinian king to rival Geneva, locals and bankers still revel in classic cellar bars like Le Chat Noir (Rue Vautier 13), but now you can also choose to do business over a meal in the aptly named Café des Negociants (022 300 31 30; Rue de la Filature 29).

Among the low conversation and the faint chinking of glasses here, it’s apparent that the everyday mood is far from gloomy in fundamentally well-off Geneva. The city is, after all, home to the famous CERN particle physics laboratory, it’s seen multinationals such as Gamble and Procter locate their European headquarters here and its popularity with the Russian business community has transformed it into a surprisingly powerful oil-trading hub.

It will always have plenty of staunch fans, too. The managing director of English-language radio station WRG-FM, Lucy Walker, is a relative newcomer, but says Geneva has lived up to her every expectation of how international it would feel.

British Consul Alistair Church, who’s been establishing a ‘Brits in Business’ networking group, believes that for an essentially large town, as opposed to a major metropolis, Geneva is a dynamic place to do business. ‘The reputation that it once had, it no longer deserves,’ he says.

Even Le Temps’ Stéphane Bussard is ultimately upbeat, believing a new parliament elected in November could end the political stalemate. ‘I’ve been covering Genevan politics,’ he says, ‘We have a management problem, but the Genevan economy is still working wonders in a way. It’s still a fundamentally rich place.’

A revolution in Geneva’s hotels
With 16 five-star hotels in such a small city, competition is fierce at the top end of the market, but everyone – even wistful taxi-drivers – will happily declare La Reserve (022 959 59 59; www.lareserve.ch; 301 route de Lausanne) ‘le plus beau hôtel en Genève’.

The first truly designer Genevois establishment, thanks to a major revamp in 2003 by Parisian designer Jacques Garcia, it’s three miles north of the centre in lakeside parkland. The tone is of a modern safari lodge, where panels of discreet animal-print carpet and playful bird silhouettes on the light fittings accompany red leather lounge chairs, and 102 elegant, low-lit rooms and suites with clean lines and parquet floors.

Besides the lacquer-red Chinese restaurant, the canvas-ceilinged French restaurant, and a DJ bar, one definite highlight is the luxury spa, featuring products from Clinique La Prairie and Cinq Mondes. The sort of hotel you expect to see one day in Herbert Ypma’s Hip Hotels series, La Reserve even operates its own boat to the town centre in summer.

Another headline-grabbing player is the Manotel group of hotels (Reservations 022 909 81 81; www.manotel.com), which is already winning custom from major corporations interested in style at a lesser price. All its six hotels are in central Pâquis, including the four-star Auteil (Rue de Lausanne 33), with its movie-star, updated Art Deco look, and the light-filled Epsom (Rue Richemont 18), with its excellent restaurant and large conference facilities. Two of Manotel’s three-star outlets are just as noteworthy. The Jade (Rue Rothschild 55) conforms to a chic Oriental design (and the rules of Feng Shui), while the Kipling (Rue de la Navigation 27) has a colonial feel.

Elsewhere, the Hotel des Bergues (022 908 70 00; www.fourseasons.com; Quai des Bergues 33) has recently reopened, with new contemporary features, as part of the Four Seasons chain, joining Hotel d’Angelterre (022 006 55 55; www.hoteldangleterre.ch; Quai du Mont-Blanc 17) and the Hotel Intercontinental (022 919 39 39; www.intercontinental.com; 7-9 Chemin du Petit Saconnex) in recent renovations. Hotel de la Paix (022 909 60 00; Quai du Mont-Blanc 11; www.concorde-hotels.com

Picture of Poland

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

It has been known as Wretslav, Writizla, Vratislava, Presslaw, Presslau, Bresslaw, Bressla and Breslau and passed from Holy Roman to Arpad to Piast to Austrian to  Bohemian to  Silesian to Prussian, before being tossed around between the Germans and Poles for a thousand years, but the city we now know as Wroclaw in Poland has retained a dignified identity throughout its chequered history, and is now using its powers of reinvention to claim a place among the most popular weekend destinations in Eastern Europe.

Always a prized possession, Wroclaw, like Paris or Prague, owed its early importance to its geographical status as an island on a river (the Odra); later it was a pivotal point on east-west trade routes and latterly enjoyed a period as a railway nodal point; it has also often been throughout its history (though not much lately) a very wealthy city. It has recoiled from invasion by the Mongols, two devastating fires, the ravages of the Great Plague, surrender to Frederick the Great, occupation by the Austrians, devastating destruction during the second world war and extensive flooding of the Odra as recently as 1997, but this cultural chameleon has survived the national, religious, linguistic and historical lines of demarcation that have zigzagged across it for centuries with a relentless stoic dignity.  

When Pablo Picasso attended the World Peace conference in the city in 1948 he was inspired by the sight of Wroclaw’s ruins to paint his now globally famous peace dove.  Wroclaw’s beauty and power is only more exalted by its formidable capacity for restitution.

The city, famous for its over 100 bridges is thickly packed with historically and architecturally precious buildings and monuments; an abundance of gothic and renaissance spires, which battle for pre-eminence on the city’s skyline, have either remained miraculously unharmed or been painstakingly restored.

The Rynek (market square), the second largest in Poland, contains one of the most splendid gothic buildings in Central Europe; the Ratusz (town hall). Almost three hundred years in construction, its astronomic renaissance sundial, imposing towers, striking sculptures, friezes, bas-reliefs and bow windows manage to anchor the bewildering range of architectural styles and vivid colours that wall the Rynek into a remarkably harmonious whole.

It is from this hub that the growing throng of tourists are discovering the modern face of Wroclaw and of Poland. Communism is treated as a distant (if painful) memory, or as an amusing novelty; The PRL club on the Rynek, named after the old People’s Republic of Poland, encourages tourists to down shots of Zubrowka – a delicious vodka flavoured with Bison Grass –  while footage of old Communist rallies sputters black and white on wall-mounted televisions among ex-dictators’ portraits.

Clubbing is a reasonably new pastime here, but has already put down strong roots in this ever-adapting city and there are bars and clubs on the Rynek to rival any provincial British city centre (and prices to put them all to shame). Western tourists can enjoy the local food, vodka and beer – exceptional local brews are available from bars like Spiż on the Rynek, where drinkers are served frothing glasses of beer pumped direct from huge vats behind the bar – in Wroclaw’s other-worldly but welcoming architectural opulence, safe in the knowledge that a very favourable exchange rate effectively renders them wealthy for the duration of their stay.

Wroclaw has an enormous amount to offer and depths that a lot of tourists won’t fully engage with in a weekend’s stay – the city is a thriving cultural centre, playing host to many internationally acknowledged musical festivals and other artistic events – but in time-honoured fashion the city has reinvented itself again, at least for the time-being, as an awe-inspiring  weekend destination.

A taste for Budapest

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

One of the great spa cities of the world, Budapest has now shrugged off its communist cloak to embrace the 21st century in style, with luxurious five-star hotels, classy restaurants and state of the art conference facilities.
Grand and glorious buildings line the banks of the River Danube as it flows through the heart of Hungary’s cosmopolitan capital. Nine graceful bridges, heavy with traffic, link the city’s two halves, Buda and Pest. Originally two rival fortified towns – Buda crowning wooded hills on the river’s western bank, Pest strung along the marshy flatlands opposite – they were united in 1873. Between them lies the green oasis of traffic-free Margaret Island.

Beautiful in summer, and magical on summer nights, when winter mists shroud Budapest in white, it becomes one of Europe’s most intriguing cities. See the centuries collide in Roman mosaics, Ottoman domes, Gothic spires and a Byzantine synagogue, broad Eastern European boulevards and Baroque façades, innovative Secessionist style, mustard-coloured memories of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and Liberty Monument atop Gellért Hill, one of the few Soviet-era landmarks still left in place.

From a series of green hills, elegant historic Buda looks down over the Danube to flat, lively, business-busy Pest and the great dome of the neo-Gothic Hungarian Parliament building that dominates the river’s eastern banks. It is a scene memorably framed by the stone arches of the fanciful towered folly, Fisherman’s Bastion, on Castle Hill.

The Castle District, an almost traffic-free walled city with a warren of cobblestoned streets and squares, encompasses the Hapsburgs’ monumental Royal Palace, seven museums, the National Theatre, and the stunning Mátyás Church that has witnessed the coronation of Hungarian kings and is a mesmerising setting for concerts. Next door, the Hilton hotel has a 13th-century church and monastery in its inner courtyard. Reach it through the Buda Castle Hill tunnel, built in 1837 by British engineer Adam Clark, who also built the great Chain Bridge, or take a seat with a view aboard the funicular railway whose wooden cars clank up the slope from the Danube bank.

Centre of government, business, shopping, culture and nightlife, Pest is the livelier side of town. Andrássy Avenue, its leafy main boulevard, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where cafés, bars and restaurants mingle with some spectacular architecture. The opulent State Opera House was built to rival the European greats and its accoustics still rank among the world’s top five. Gustav Mahler conducted there in 1888. Full of atmosphere, it has frescoed ceilings, gilded walls – and ridiculously cheap tickets.

Further along, housed in the former Nazi and dreaded ÁVO secret police headquarters, at the House of Terror Museum a state of the art presentation explores life under the Nazis and Communists. Nearby Lukacs coffee house was a favoured haunt of the AVO.

Heroes Square, flanked by excellent art museums, and the City Park, lie at the top of Andrássy. Site of Gundel, a truly great restaurant, the palatial, neo-baroque Szechenyi Baths, and the Zoo – worth popping into just to see the magnificent architecture of the elephant house – City Park has a boating lake that becomes an ice-skating rink in winter. It dates from 1896 when the Budapest city fathers went on a building spree to celebrate the Magyar millennium. The underground Metro dates from the same time and was the first on continental Europe, second only in the world to London’s Tube.

While new über-cool cafés, designer bars and trendy nightclubs spring up by the week, the Central European coffee-house tradition holds firm. The elegant Gerbeaud, famed for its cakes, is suitably close to the pedestrianised shopping street of Váci utca, where the architecture of the buildings is much more exciting than the contents of the shops, which tend to be the usual western suspects, including M&S. But step away from designer land and you find tiny shops selling only buttons, repairing umbrellas, or stocking soda siphon replacements, secreted away among the dusty courtyards of old Budapest.

The city’ Jewish community suffered greatly during the Holocaust. The ornate Central Synagogue, Europe’s largest, remembers their fate in a museum and Garden of Remembrance. You’ll hear Yiddish spoken in the streets of the revitalised Jewish quarter with its kosher butchers, bakers and restaurants. Try an inexpensive lunch of goose leg or a thick stew at the tiny, and timeless, Kadar Etkezde at 9 Klauzel tér.

Nagyvasarcsarnok is the main food market, a vast and wondrous place that’s full of colour and life, and a one-stop shop for souvenir gifts. Bring back garlands of red peppers, wine or the strong, clear, fruit-flavoured Hungarian brandy (palinka) and scour the upstairs landings for local crafts.

If you’ve time to fit in a church, St Stephen’s Basilica is the one to see. Built in the late 19th century in Neo-Classical style, and beautifully restored, the 96m-high cupola glistens in gold mosaics.

Pest’s 21st century monument to a glittering future is the Bank Centre. Four 10-storey towers, clad in polished granite and reflective glass that mirror surrounding historical façades, take up a full city block at the heart of the banking and financial district.

Tourism has become one of Hungary’s biggest income earners, of which corporate tourism is a heathily developing segment. Over 330,000 visitors attended international conferences in the country in 2004, and Budapest appeared in the top 10 of Europe’s most popular meeting locations. As well as lavish 5-star hotels with impressive meeting and convention facilities, after its recent €8m upgrade, the Budapest Congress & World Trade Centre can hold 1800 delegates in its conference hall and has 18 other meeting rooms and 900 sq m of exhibition space.

The number of guest nights spent in Budapest has reached well over six million, with 4- and 5-star hotels showing the highest occupancy. Four new deluxe hotels are in the pipeline, including the Italian-owned Boscola group’s reconstruction of the iconic New York Palace, and the transformation of the Ballet Academy opposite the Opera House on Andrássy Avenue into a 5-star Regent Hotel due to open in June 2007.

Getting there
Malév, 0870 909 0577, www.flymalev.co.uk, flies twice-daily from London Heathrow to Budapest, also from London Stansted during the summer. Direct flights from Dublin and Cork to Budapest.

Regional flights: Malév also flies to Budapest from Aberdeen via Amsterdam, and Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester via Prague.

Where to stay
Four Seasons Gresham Palace, Roosevelt tér 5-6
Superbly restored to its Hungarian Sessionist splendour, this 1906 city landmark has sweeping staircases and stained glass stairwells, vaulted ceilings and gold tiled mosaics. Business centre, elegant meeting rooms, health club, luxurious spa, two restaurants (Pava is ranked among the best in town) and a bar. Book a room with a picture perfect Danube view of the Chain Bridge and Royal Palace on Castle Hill.

Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal, 43-49 Erszebet korut
When it was built in 1896, the Grand featured a tropical garden and A-list celebrities frequented its bars. It has now been reinvented for the 21st century with a soaring central atrium rising six floors to a glass roof, lavishly furnished guest rooms and suites, an executive floor, fitness centre, Royal Spa opening 2006, three restaurants, lobby bar; 30-room conference and exhibition centre, grand ballroom.

Hotel InterContinental Budapest, 12-14 Apáczai Csere J.u.
Next to the Chain Bridge, overlooking the Danube, guests staying in Executive floor rooms are offered complimentary buffet breakfast, cocktail hour drinks and lunch and dinner snacks. The Corso restaurant, with its show kitchen, serves Asian and Mediterranean cuisine. Conference centre, 1700 sq m of meeting/function rooms including a huge ballroom; business centre, indoor pool, sauna, fitness centre.

Le Meridien Budapest, 9-10 Erzsebet tér
Fine hotel in a listed building close to the main business district. Classically elegant, ultra-comfortable rooms and suites, faultless service, superb food. Member of the Leading Hotels in the World, and the only hotel in Hungary to receive the Five Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences. Business centre and conference facilities (ballroom and six meeting rooms), restaurant and bar, health club with indoor pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and steam bath.

Danubius Hotel Gellért, Szent Gellért tér
Faded Art Nouveau glory on the Buda side, a traditional spa hotel with spectacular thermal pool and steam room complex. Business centre, conference facilities, two restaurants and a bar.

Where to eat and drink

– Sip cocktails at Buena Vista, one of the many hip bars around Liszt Ferenc tér
– For classic, sophisticated Hungarian food, elegantly served in a grand Art Nouveau mansion, Gundel, 2 Allatkerti útca (+36 1 321 3622) is a must
– Bagolyvar, Gundel’s nearby and less expensive sister restaurant (+36 1 468 3110) serves excellent Hungarian home-style cooking and has a shaded summer terrace
– Join the city’s well-heeled for superb fish dishes at Baraka, 12-14 Magyra útca (+36 1 483 1355)
– Sample Hungary’s varied wines from different regions at the stylish Vörös é Fehér (Red and White) Wine Bar and Restaurant, 41 Andrássy útca (+36 1 413 1545)
– For a sense of history, the Astoria Hotel (19-21 Kossuth Lajos útca (+36 1 889 6000) is where the first Hungarian government met in 1919, and its grand coffee house and restaurant echo the era.

Sightseeing tips
– Traffic is nightmarish. Tram no 2 travels the length of the riverside embankment on the Pest side, passing some spectacular buildings along the way
– Summer boat trips on the Danube are a relaxing way of getting the full impact of this impressive city
– Stroll along the Pest embankment at night – Buda’s floodlit buildings are magnificent
– In summer, courtyards in downtown Pest open up as all-night terrace bars
– The view from Castle Hill is superb. For panoramic views from a different, and lesser known perspective, take the lift to the cupola of St Stephen’s Basilica
– Statue Park is where the city’s monumental statues from the Communist era ended up. Full of symbolism, it has a peace park feel about it and is well worth heading out of town to see.

Warsaw: Poland’s spring

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

It’s nudging 3.30 on a December afternoon and Warsaw is already cloaked in icy darkness. The city’s two million inhabitants are long used to the challenges of a Polish winter, and go about their business nonchalantly, fur coats and hats pulled close; bodies braced against a bone-chilling northerly wind.

Although night falls early during the city’s long winter months, Warsaw’s shops and cafes glow with a December buzz, and the streets twinkle with a fanfare of Christmas lights. In this area of the city – Nowy Swiat, or literally, ‘New World’ – the tidy, thriving streets with their Neo-Classical facades look beautiful in the winter twilight. They manage to give away little of Warsaw’s turbulent past.

Turn back the clock a little way, however, and the picture is very different. As recently as 1988, the city was under communist rule and had suffered 50 years of destruction. At the start of World War Two the Nazis invaded Poland and there followed five years of occupation, during which the Jewish population was all but obliterated.

Over the course of the war a staggering 80 percent of Warsaw was reduced to rubble and the ill-planned construction that followed left the outskirts and parts of the centre scarred by an uncompromising, jumbled landscape of high-rise concrete.

The fate of the reconstructed Old Town was brighter, however; it was meticulously restored to its original 17th and 18th century appearance and is now Warsaw’s most attractive and remarkable area, and a World Heritage Site.

Other parts of the centre are also far removed from the concrete jungle evident in some areas: the city’s palaces, parks, churches and neo-classical architecture – along with its growing café and restaurant culture – stand in defiant contrast to the harsher legacies of the past.

Certainly wandering around present-day Warsaw on a translucent wintery afternoon, the horrors of the city’s recent history seem remote. For those who do want to know more, the museums and cemeteries are a salutary reminder of what Warsaw and its inhabitants have been through.

Looking to the future
While its unforgiving past will always underline the fabric of the city, Warsaw in 2006 is resolutely forward-looking.

Sixteen years after the end of communist rule and 20 months after Poland joined the EU, the city is determined to shake off its cobwebs and stand self-confidently in the heart of the new Europe.

The authorities are keen to paint a picture of a city poised for great things and statistics suggest Warsaw could be on its way to commercial success.

In a 2005 survey, European Cities Monitor, by property firm Cushman &Wakefield Healey & Baker, Warsaw was ranked twentieth most attractive city for foreign investment – up six places from the two years ago.
The authorities are ambitious: they aim to see it ranked in the top ten within a decade. One third of foreigners who arrive in Poland come here for business reasons, many of them attending conferences and congresses.

The city is certainly changing fast. You don’t have to wander far in Warsaw to see new buildings going up and a palpable sense of change hangs in the air.

Tourism, too, is gathering pace. A host of airlines now offer reasonably priced flights direct to the airport, located a handy four miles away from the centre. Revenue from tourism in 2005 is predicted to clock around $6bn, 12 percent higher than the previous year. People are staying for longer and in greater volume, according to the Institute of Tourism: over a period of eight months, 42.1m foreigners visited Poland – 5.1 percent more than the previous year, and only 2.3m fewer than the number of tourists visiting Spain.

Warsaw’s impressive line-up of five star international hotels caters for this demand: the Intercontinental, Marriott, Sheraton, Best Western, Hyatt, Meridien Bristol and Sofitel are all here, and the Hilton opens next year.

Most, like the Intercontinental – one of the newest kids on Warsaw’s five star block – offer a plethora of restaurants, bars, conference facilities and even a spa with panoramic 44th floor views. Two acclaimed boutique hotels, The Rialto and Le Regina, complete the line-up.

Playing catch-up
But despite the new hotels and flights that are allowing Warsaw to make its presence felt on the global stage, the city’s inhabitants are the first to admit it has an image problem to overcome.

Melania Kozyra, a Warsaw citizen and public relations and communications manager for the city’s Intercontinental hotel, says: “People still think Warsaw is somehow dark and scary. Although perceptions are now beginning to change it will take a long time.”

Minister Krzysztof Trepczynski, head of economic and commercial at the Polish Embassy in London, admits there is more to be done to raise the international profile of Warsaw as well as the rest of Poland.

He says: “We do need to promote the country more. We are taking part in travel fairs and the number of people coming to Poland is increasing every year. I am convinced that the new air network will help raise awareness. Warsaw, as well as centre such as Krakow, are a very strong point of interest for foreign investors.”

Exploring
Anyone still imaging Warsaw as an inward-looking, slightly forbidding place with little to offer the business or leisure visitor, is in for a big surprise. The city has an expanding choice of cafes, restaurants and shops, and most of the centre is attractive and vibrant, punctuated by green open spaces.

So where to begin? An exploration of Warsaw should start with the re-built Old Town (Stare Miastro), established at the close of the 13th century around what is now the Royal Castle.

The town has maintained its medieval scheme, the centre of which is the Old Town Market Square (Rynek Starego Miastra) – a stunning space lined with colourful, authentically rebuilt burgher’s houses, restaurants, cafes and museums. Other sights in the Old Town include St John’s Cathedral, Pod Blacha Palace and the Royal Castle. Above all, this area of the city – the most touristy, although hardly packed – is a wonderful place to spend a few hours taking drinking a cold beer or sampling a pancake. For a traditional Polish meal in memorable surroundings, check out Fukier on the market square.

The Royal Route is another must-see area of the city. Beginning by Castle Square (Plac Zamkowy) and running along Nowy Swiat, the thoroughfare developed in the late Middle Ages and soon attracted the city’s wealthiest citizens. Seventeen and eighteenth century palaces and churches sit side-by-side with newly fashionable boutiques and cafes.

If time permits, a stroll in Lazienki Park is worth the five or ten minute taxi ride from the city centre. This area of the city boasts government departments, the two chambers of the Polish Parliament and museums. It’s also home to Belvedere, Poland’s most expensive restaurant.

Warsaw’s new-found self-confidence, its emerging café and bar culture, and its unprecedented appearance in the world’s top 20 cities for foreign investment, combine to make it an exciting proposition for the future. It’s a stoical, underrated city, only just beginning to make its presence felt. Many will be watching Warsaw’s progress like a hawk.

Warsaw facts
How to get there?
Warsaw is well-served by direct flights to Okecie airport (four miles from the city centre), Centralwings operate two flights a day in either direction, see www.centralwings.com for more details.

Where to stay?
Warsaw is not short of world-class hotels. Many are reasonably priced for international standards, at around 100-200 euros a room per night. Weekend deals can be far cheaper. The main ones are:

Hotel Intercontinental: www.warsaw.intercontinental.com
Marriott: http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/WAWPL
Sheraton: www.sheraton.com.pl
Best Western: www.bestwestern.com
The Meridien Bristol: www.lemeridien.com/poland/warsaw/hotel_pl1276.shtml
Sofitel Victoria: www.sofitel.com/sofitel/fichehotel/gb/sof/3378/fiche_hotel.shtml
Hyatt Regency: http://warsaw.regency.hyatt.com
Le Regina: www.leregina.com
Rialto: www.hotelrialto.com.pl

On a Shanghai

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

The People’s Republic of China is at its most powerful for 200 years, but there’s no reason to believe it’s about to rest on its laurels.  The nation’s leader, Hu Jintao, wants the economy to more than triple by 2020, and Shanghai is the city at the sharp end of China’s supercharged economic thrust. The city is currently undergoing one of the fastest economic expansions that the world has ever seen.

Shanghai’s economy has grown steadily since the millennium, hovering at a muscular 11 percent. Last year, while other nations in the West were digging in and preparing for the worst, Shanghai was forecasting GDP growth of 14 percent. That’s nearly three times greater than London’s projection figure.

Over the last 25 years, China has surged ahead to establish itself as a huge manufacturing base.  There are now so much goods surging in and out of Shanghai and China’s lesser ports that there are not enough vessels to carry them. And while the ship building industry has ground to a halt in Britain, shipyards in China are churning out hulls at a record rate. And still they’re struggling to meet the demand. As with the requirement for commodities, China’s burgeoning trade has triggered rises in Global freight rates which have increased fivefold last year under a deluge of orders.

Shanghai’s real building boom is just a stone’s throw away from the docks on dry land.  In 2003, half of the concrete used in construction around the world was poured into China’s cities – and most of that was used here.

Towering monuments to Shanghai’s regained strength reach for the sky and alter the skyline with alarming regularity. The process is like a game of Tetris in reverse.  The predominant style is for future-retro postmodern designs. While London flatters itself with smooth phallic edifices like 30 St Mary Axe, Shanghai’s skyline looks like the Martians have landed – The Shanghai Radisson New World Hotel, being a prime example. The cityscape could be the set of Blade Runner 2.

There are already plans in place to build 300 hotels here in the next five years – which perfectly illustrates the sheer scale of Shanghai’s vaulting ambition.

International realtor, Guy Hollis of Jones Lang LaSalle, believes the demand for new apartments, office blocks and skyscrapers will merely intensify as China’s rural population heads to Shanghai in pursuit of their fortune.  “In the next 25 years, 345 million people are going to move from the rural areas into the city areas, which is the biggest mass migration of people ever, anywhere. This happened during the industrial revolution in the last century in Europe, but we tended to do it over a 150 year period. Here we’re trying to do it in 15-20 years.”

Shanghai is now rivaling Hong Kong as China’s chief economic powerbase. In 2006, China is opened the Local currency business sector to overseas players under World Trade Organisation treaties. And recently the big guys have scrambled to position themselves ahead of the open season. US banking giant Citigroup bought five percent of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank in 2003, striking a deal to issue credit cards to Chinese customers. While US private equity firm Newbridge Capital bought 18 percent of Shenzhen Development Bank in 2004.

Hong Kong still has the advantage of a stronger legal system and greater banking and service expertise, but its island location restricts its expansion. Shanghai, on the other hand, has a freer approach to development.

Just across the Huangpo river from Shanghai, a whole new city has sprung up – this is the financial district of Pudong. Until recently, this was farmland and marshes. Now inside the space of adecade, it’s become a modern metropolis, home to huge factories, offices, and hotels.  China’s government offers huge incentives for companies to move into Pudong.

Lee-in Chen Chiu is a research fellow at the Chung-hua Institution for Economic Researc. In 1992, she, watched a corporate film outlining plans for what was then rice paddies and swamp across the water from Shanghai. She doubted the plan: “I didn’t believe that they could make a miracle here,” she says. Just six years later she was eating her words. “It is not just Pudong – the whole town changed dramatically. Every three years, there is a big wave of change.

The city has an already excellent public transportation system, with over a thousand bus lines, and a program of expansion is already in place on the flourishing Shanghai Metro. This rapid transport network is set to more than double in size before 2010. There’s two airports, including the brand new Pudong International Airport which is connected to Shanghai via the world’s first 430 km/h Maglev train. There’s no time for refreshments, however – the 30km journey takes just eight minutes. Shanghai’s physical links to the rest of China and the Asian continent also give it the edge over Hong Kong, with three major rail networks intersect at Shanghai.

There’s another even more important advantage over Hong Kong – Shanghai has intrinsically stronger links to both the Chinese interior and the central government. Since the handover of Hong Kong to the PRC in 1997, Shanghai has flexed its financial muscle and become a major destination for corporate headquarters and banking. In turn this is fueling an unprecedented demand for a highly educated and modernized workforce.

The 2000 census put the population of Shanghai Municipality at 16.7 million – including the floating population, which made up 3.871 million. That’s an increase of nearly 3.5 million people in just ten years. In the last five years, the Greater Shanghai area is believe to be home to 20 million people – nearly three times the population of London.

While many of them work in manufacturing, an increasing number of them are in possession of laminated company IDs from the likes of IBM, Siemens, Nokia, Duracell, Sanyo. An indication of just a few of the major international brands that have set up shop here to soak up some of the talented one million graduates China produces every year.

Computer giant IBM recently conducted a report which found that Shanghai is strengthening its ability to attract high-tech businesses to the region. They found that Shanghai was well placed to develop the areas attributes into a world-class high-tech industry. And of course, market-watchers will remember that IBM sold its PC hardware division to China’s number one computer maker Lenovo.

Despite China only having a three percent share of the world market, locally business is booming. Shanghai’s software industry recorded 30.2 billion yuan (US$3.72bn) revenue last year. The city’s software export amounted to US$476m, up 50 percent and 80 percent respectively over that of 2003. Shanghai is obviously taking the lead in China’s software industry.

Sun Jiarong is director of the sci-tech development & technology trading bureau of Shanghai Foreign Economic Relation & Trade Commission. He attributes the rapid growth to the trend of international division of labour in the software industry. According to Sun, the software industry plays an indispensable role in upgrading Shanghai’s information industry. Sun’s organisation backed up further efforts to build on international software outsourcing with the 2005 Shanghai Global IT Outsourcing Summit in November 2005.

With the city’s new business acumen comes new wealth. Unheard of just a decade ago, China’s rapid economic growth has boosting disposable wealth, and there’s been a rush on luxury goods.

While Japan currently dominates the global market, with 41 percent of all luxury brand sales, pundits predict that China will have a 29 percent share by 2015. Sales of luxury cosmetics and clothing here are growing at 20 percent a year.

Lamborghini has recently opened their first dealership in China making the Volkswagen-owned Italian marque the latest luxury carmaker to exploit the country’s growing taste for expensive Western goods.

Luxury carmakers have increasingly been looking east as sales in Europe and the United States have dipped, as evinced in Lamborghini’s statement: “Recent research has proven that China is the next best area for high-end vehicle growth and for that reason Lamborghini has chosen to open a dealership in China.”

Their entry level model starts at $180,000. Still, there’s no shortage of customers. A recent survey by Forbes magazine found that there are now eight billionaires in China while the country’s 100 richest people have a combined fortune of $41bn. Many of this new breed are increasingly basing themselves in Shanghai.  As is customary with any luxury item worth its hand-stitched leather seats, there is now a waiting list for Lamborghinis with a Shanghai license plate.

Representing the biggest business opportunity in decades, foreign investors are falling over themselves to moving in on the action. William Grant & Sons, the family-owned whisky distiller, is setting up a distribution and marketing base in Shanghai. Meanwhile, Chanel recently splashed out on an exclusive party in Shanghai, inviting Chinese film stars, models and local business tycoons for a ride on the airport’s Maglev train.

Shanghai even has a burgeoning contemporary arts scene – a litmus test for evidence of a cultural and financial elite. It’s epicentre is warehouse district (what else!) in Old Shanghai – one of the few areas of the city that has not undergone massive transformation in recent times.

Yvonne Han is one of two partners in a successful Shanghai chain of restaurants. She’s a typical of the consumers the luxury brands are trying to woo. She wears Prada, drives a German car, and owns an apartment straight out of the pages of Wallpaper* magazine in the heart of the Shanghai. She has around $4,000 dollars to drop on whatever takes her fancy, every month. She realises having a Porsche is quite pointless, she says, “because the roads in Shanghai are so congested, but it can show off how rich you are.”

Mao will be spinning in his grave.

Happily, not every comrade has been corrupted by the decadent and morally bankrupt ways of the West.  Some citizens are concentrating their efforts on more worldly issues.

Like, for example, the 18 Buddhist monks who recently enrolled on business classes in temple management at Shanghai’s Jiaotong University – one of the city’s most prestigious educational facilities.  Their study will include corporate strategy and religious product marketing.

After all, you can’t keep a good yuan down.

New York, New York

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

It’s no accident that New York blossomed to become The Big Apple.  It’s the most populous city in the United States, the most densely populated major city in North America, and the largest financial centre in the world.  Little surprise then, that this adrenaline-charged, history-laden metropolis also lays claim as The World’s Capital.

Of course, the city was built on commerce – it’s location has long been regarded as one of the world’s best natural harbours. However, much of the city’s success must be apportioned to the 180 different nationalities who’ve made New York their home since the city was first founded in 1624(originally named New Amsterdam).  It’s the Big Apple’s multifarious makeup that’s helped generate such a torrent of trade.

These days New York is estimated to have a gross metropolitan product of nearly $500bn. For illustration’s sake, that’s more than Switzerland ($377bn) and close to equalling Russia ($586bn), the world’s biggest nation. It should come as no surprise then that there are more Fortune 500 companies based here than any other place in the United States.

Apart from being the crux of international finance, NYC is also a huge powerbase for politics, entertainment, and culture. Consequently, with more powerbrokers per square mile here than anywhere else in the world, New York is the place to do business. And the likelihood is you’ll be coming here to do it again, and again.

Still, that’s not to say you’re ever likely to get bored. The city’s 309 square miles of streets filled with yellow cabs, inordinately grumpy pedestrians, and canyons of towering office blocks that threaten to shut out the sun, are an addiction as potent as any illicit substance you might find in the seamier neighbourhoods.

Such is the epic scale of the city’s iconic skyline – even without the twin peaks of the World Trade Centre – it retains an unsurpassable allure for frequent visitors and first-time virgins alike.  Here’s Business Destination’s guide to The Greatest City on Earth…

I’ll take Manhattan – NYC bluffer’s guide
New York City isn’t just the bit with the skyscrapers.  Along with the central island of Manhattan, there are four other outer boroughs surrounding it – Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island.  Of course, as a business traveller, you’ll be mainly concerned with Manhattan.  But even here the vibe can alter wildly block by block with each neighbourhood having wildly differing identities. To simplify things, we’ve broken it down into three sections…

Downtown
The oldest part of the city containing the Financial District and arty Greenwich Village,  this is still the engine which drives New York. Also home to NYC’s original immigrant populations in Chinatown and Little Italy, the East Village and Lower East Side have long been home to Manhattan’s poorer residents. Until the gentrification of recent years, that is.

Midtown and Uptown
Downtown gives way to Midtown at Union Square. From 14th street to 110th Street and Columbia University, much of Manhattan’s wealth resides here. Divided into east and west districts by Broadway, then by the immense green expanse of Central Park, visitors soon familiarise themselves with this part of town. Apart from the upscale residential areas of the Upper East and West Sides, Manhattan’s biggest theatres and most prestigious shopping is found here.

Upper Manhattan
After Central Park, Morningside Heights is the last breath of affluence before giving way to the grittier neighbourhoods of Harlem and El Barrio. That’s not to say you wouldn’t and shouldn’t come here, of course.  The area has improved immensely in recent years and the Apollo Theatre at 253 125th Street is the home of Black Music – Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, The Jackson Five, Marvin Gaye and James Brown have all performed here.

Dining
Eating out in New York is one of life’s greatest pleasures. The only problem is choice. A city comprised of nearly 200 different nationalities was never going to be boring, and the range of food on offer is simply bewildering.  Chinatown; Korea Town; Little Italy – all have fed their thriving immigrant populations for over a century.

Now of course, there’s been an explosion of restaurants across the length and breadth of Manhattan.  Ghettos of uber-hip bistros and all manner of gastronomic fantasies can now be found mushrooming almost daily in each and every neighbourhood across town. From high-end French cuisine of  down to the re-invented

Gotham Bar & Grill 12 E 12th St (between 5th Ave and University Place)
“The most dependable place in town for impressing someone whose tastes you don’t know but want to know better.” It’s a great way of putting it and perfectly pertinent whether it’s a new client or new beau that you’re keen on wooing.

Under ownership of chef Alfred Portale created a restaurant where anyone, dressed any way, is invited with affability and respect to partake of his superb talent for continuously making American cuisine exciting and surprising, yet as easy to fathom as a burger and fries.

Expect to be faced with delights such as braised short-rib with celery-root purée, Chinese-spiced duck breast with foie gras, or truffle-crusted Nova Scotia halibut, the Gotham is a bastion of spectacular grub.
Tel: 212/620-4020

Grammercy Tavern – 42 East 20th St
New York’s warmest, most appealing restaurant is kind of like the Ivy in London without having to watch Victoria Beckham eat. Arrive early and sit at the long wooden bar with a glass of Prosecco and nibble on the chili-and-sugar dusted pecans – which help give you a taste of delights to come.

Chef Tom Colicchio excels in pairing the ingredients you crave with elements you’d be right to shy away from – sort of like a wheel of fortune with foodstuffs.  But almost without fail, his gambles pay off.  There are tried and tested faves like roast Sirloin; more unusual pairings like Jerusalem artichokes and sea urchin-crabmeat ragout; and school dinner nouveau masterpieces like coconut tapioca.  But you’ll struggle – even in this town – to better the plain fabulous grilled baby octopus with shaved fennel, lemon and sweet onion caponata.  Miss this at your peril.
Tel: 212 477 0777

DB Bistro Moderne – 155 W. 44th St., between Fifth and Sixth Aves
There comes a time when only one one kind of meal will do.  But rather than debasing your stomach with a Big Mac, you should relinquish yourself instead to Daniel Boulud.  At DB Bistro Moderne, the humble hamburger is transformed into the ultimate luxury item. Boulud’s regal (and somewhat infamous) $29 DB Burger is ground prime rib, leavened with braised short ribs, truffles, foie gras, and a hint of vegetable root and cooked with the care you’d expect from one of the world’s most celebrated chefs.

Ketchup is eschewed for tomato compote, the bun is freshly baked with Parmesan cheese, and it comes accompanied by 48 carat pommes frites served in a silver salver.  It’s so decadent it makes Mari Antoinette look like a scullery maid.
Tel: 212-391-2400

Elaine’s –  1703 Second Ave between 88th and 89th Sts.
The food is expensive and not especially good, but that’s not the point of Elaine’s.  This is the place that exemplifies Sex In The City’s flash-in-the-pan live-life-to-the-full aesthetic more than any other.  And of course, this was SITC author, Candace Bushnell’s, stamping ground.  She was famously pictured here in 1997 showing a little more cheek than was advisable.  Of course, Carrie Bradshaw and her coven have moved on but this swish Upper East Side joint is still crawling with celebrities and household names on a daily basis.
Tel: 212-534-8114

Drinking
New York is bristling with bars of every sort.  From the no nonsense ale houses, to uber-chic bars that spring up around the East Village and across town with alarming regularity, there’s something to suit all tastes.  Then of course, there are the cocktail bars – havens of liquor lovers who don’t blanch at a $20 drink.

While cocktails were a dirty word in London until the late 1990s, the martini never went out of fashion in the city that invented them – especially in the terminally sophisticated hotels of NYC. Since Dorothy Parker and her literary pals traded pin sharp insults between rounds, martinis, Manhattans, and cosmopolitans have fuelled New York’s high society.

Of course, the rest of the world has finally ditched the wine bar and finally caught on to sophisticated boozing.  But New York still leads the way.

Schiller’s Liquor Bar – 131 Rivington Street
One jaded New Yorker once told me bad bar tenders out number the good ones by three to one. Obviously, he’d never been to Schiller’s Liquor Bar. You won’t catch them mixing margaritas using a sour mix here. Nor would they ever stoop to serving what should be an ice cold martini lukewarm.

Of course, this is by no means a place to see and be seen – nor is it at the cutting edge of mixology. Who cares! With fresh juices and other top-notch ingredients mixed with a deft hand and presented with gracious service, this is still the cocktail bar all others must be judged by.
Tel: 212-260-4555

Bemelman’s Bar – Carlyle Hotel, 35 East 76th Street,
This place has become one of the most popular places for Manhattan’s movers and shakers.  However, none of them are more important to its success than the leading shaker, Audrey Sanders – Bemelmen’s beverage director. Sanders is widely regarded as the best in the business. In fact, she’s more of an alchemist than a bar tender –  tinkering with foams, infusions, and flavour profiles.

Since overseeing the bar’s relaunch in 2002, Sanders has deconstructed classics and constantly raised her own high standards. Her Earl Grey Marteani, with tea infused Tanqueray gin, fresh lemon, and egg white is worth every last cent of the 20 bucks she charges to mix it.
Tel: 212-744-1600

Sleeping
Most of New York’s hotels are grouped around midtown Manhattan – close to theatres and the main tourist sights.  This may seem like a handy location, but after a long flight or an arduous day of meetings in the City That Never Sleeps, a good night’s rest isn’t always easy to come by …Unless you opt for these establishments:

Algonquin 59 W 44th St (between 5th and 6th aves), NY 10036
With past habitués like Dorothy Parker, Noel Coward, and George Bernard Shaw, this luxurious establishment (the oldest hotel in New York) has been elevated as the literary hangout par excellence.  Cartoons from the New Yorker adorn the corridors and cabaret in the legendary Oak Room perpetuates the air of hushed elegance.
Tel: 212 840 6800

Waldorf Astoria – 301 Park Avenue, between 49th and 50th streets.
One of the World’s original boutique hotels, the Waldorf Astoria is as an Art Deco landmark that bows only to the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings in terms of magnificence.  Built on this spot in 1931, after the original Waldorf was cleared to make way for the Empire State Building, the hotel has recently undergone a $200 million dollar refit to restore it to it’s architectural glory.  Don’t bother if you like if you’re wearing a baseball cap, T-shirt or even faded jeans.  They won’t let you in.
Tel: 212 355 3000

The Benjamin –  125 E 50th St at Lexington Ave
With a concierge employed solely to help guests chose their perfect pillow from their pillow menu, Of course, the aren’t just any old pillow – in fact the fillings range from down, to water, even organic buckwheat husks. So, it goes without saying tat the Benjamin executive-suite is serious about sleep.  Business travellers are also well catered for, with amenities and the hotel is handy for shopping trips to Bloomingdale’s and Central Park.
Tel: 212 753 2700

Hotel Gansevoort – 18 Ninth Ave at 13th St
Opened in early 2004, this cathedral to contemporary sophistication presides over the cobblestone streets and converted warehouses of the Meatpacking District.   Lit by four six metre tall light boxes, which gradually change colour throughout the evening, Stephen B. Jacobs is the man behind The Gansevoort’s eye-catching design.  Inside, cool grey hues whisper understated luxury while the private roof garden with heated pool and underwater music and a fish-eye view of the city guarantee our seal of approval.
Tel: 212 206 6700

If you see only one thing, make it…

Grand Central Station
Occupying the massive site between Madison and Lexington avenues, Grand Central Station is the heart of New York’s estimable rail transport network.  It was built in 1903 as a Beaux Art gateway to a burgeoning continent then still in its infancy.  With a barrel-vaulted ceiling standing 150 feet above the commuters, this cathedral-like space never fails to humble first time visitors.

Empire State Building
Instantly recognisable but above cliché, this 102-storey monument to thinking big is still as awesome as the day it opened in 1931.  Taking it’s place as the highest building in the city since the World Trade Centre was destroyed, it has stood as an Art Deco sentinel to this great city for over 75 years.  And with Peter Jackson’s forthcoming remake of King Kong, the Empire State Building will soon take centre stage again.  See it now before the rush.

Brooklyn Bridge
New York is a lot of city to digest in one visit.  That isn’t to say it can’t be done, however.  Brooklyn Heights is said to have the best view of Manhattan, but looking back once you’re halfway across Brooklyn Bridge is much easier and, it must be said, very hard to beat.

Simply grab your coat during a lunch break, grab a hoagie sandwich from Katz’s Deli (where Meg Ryan faked it) and start walking (or hail a cab if you’re pushed for time).  Then savour the magnificence.

Native New Yorkers
Grandmaster Flash
Woody Allen
Humphrey Bogart
Steve Buscemi
Al Capone
P Diddy
Curly, Larry, and Moe – aka The Three Stooges
Michael Jordan
Jennifer Lopez
Jack Nicholson

Life of crime?
Classic hardboiled Cop shows like Kojak galvanized NYC’s image as a tough city filled with crooks and mobsters. Of course, much of New York’s hard-bitten imagine is rooted in fact – men like Meyer Lansky, Lucky Luciano, and other ruthless mafia bosses were plying their illicit rackets from the early 20th Century. However, crime in New York has actually been on the wane since 1991.

After a continuous 15-year downward trend, NYC is statistically the safest large city in the US. Violent crime has dropped an astonishing 75 percent during this period. In fact, you are nearly three times more likely to be murdered in Dallas than on the island of Manhattan.

Neighbourhoods that were once regarded as dangerous slums are thriving with hip new bars and trendy residents – the Lower East Side being a prime example. Residents like Moby have given the area an injection of bohemian glamour.