Explore Destinations July 2006
US, France, London and Dublin. Plus, how a London hotel got a serious glamour injection, making friends with the locals, and a rather novel approach to the Olympics
US
Bon Anniversaire
EXPECT FIREWORKS AND FLAG WAVING APLENTY AS FRANCE, BELGIUM AND THE US ALL CELEBRATE THEIR NATIONAL DAYS THIS MONTH
NATIONAL PRIDE
Mark Independence Day in Chicago and Las Vegas on 4 July; Bastille Day celebrations light up the Eiffel Tower in Paris on 13-14 July; toast Belgium’s national day with chocolate and beer on 21 July.
France
Hitting the beach
Paris becomes one big plage during July. The hallowed turf of the Stade de France – more used to being trampled by football and rugby boots – is covered by more than 9000 sq metres of sand and turned into a giant beach, complete with sailing lakes and volleyball tournaments.
Once the last sandcastle has crumbled, the action transfers to the Right Bank of the Seine, where palm trees, parasols and deckchairs bring a holiday feel to the heart of the city. Stade de France 19-21 July; Paris Plage on the Right Bank of the Seine (near Pont Neuf) 21 July-20 August.
3 ways to…dine outdoors in style
FROM PARIS AND BARBADOS TO THE LOCAL PARK, HERE’S HOW TO SUP IN STYLE THIS SUMMER
1 La Terrace Montaigne, the newly opened outdoor restaurant at the Plaza Athénée in Paris, is set to be the spot for ladies who lunch this summer. A menu of light, seasonal dishes – overseen by Alain Ducasse – provides gentle sustenance after a spree on Paris’ most elegant shopping street. Diners are treated to their own private art show when sunshine illuminates prints on the undersides of the canopies, while the air is discreetly misted with water to keep them cool. All very chi-chi, naturellement – but hurry, the terrace is only open until September (shivering is never a good look, however nice the food). +33 (0)1 53 67 66 00
2 Now here’s something decadently frivolous. G. H. Mumm’s Expedition Kit (£275 from www.selfridges.com) is no ordinary backpack – it contains an insulated chilling compartment to keep your bubbly at the perfect temperature. And who else would create such a delightful luxury in the softest nappa leather than designer Bill Amberg, in league with renowned adventurer, Bear Grylls? There’s room for two champagne flutes, an embossed leather serving matt, as well as those boy scout essentials: a Leatherman pocket knife, Companion 9 Silva compass with a leather lanyard case, and, erm, a silk map of the Champagne region of Reims. Suddenly trekking got a whole lot sexier.
3 The food isn’t the only thing you’ll be savouring on board Cool Runnings’ five-hour lunch cruises: how’s this for a view? Setting out on a luxury catamaran from Careenage in Bridgetown, Barbados, the day begins in style with a rum punch and passes in a relaxing haze of sunbathing, swimming in secluded bays and a spot of snorkelling with sea turtles, before a slap-up lunch is served on deck. The likes of Yasmin le Bon, Michael Caine, Gary Lineker and Colin Montgomerie have sailed with Cool Runnings. If it’s good enough for them… Cruises run daily and cost from $75 (around £40). To book visit www..coolrunningsbarbados. com or call +1 246 436 0911
London
movers and shakers
Dirty or naked? Smoky or muddy? Gin or vodka? There’s a minefield of Martini options out there, but happily help is at hand. Jeff Masson, barman at Christopher’s The American Bar & Grill in London’s Covent Garden, is holding a series of Martini masterclasses on the second Monday of every month. With information, advice and lots of tastings, the hour-long sessions should settle once and for all why Bond always asks for his to be shaken, not stirred. And if you visit Christopher’s before 9 July, you can sample the special three-course Independence Day menu for £33, featuring American culinary classics from across the States, including New England clambake and strawberry shortcake.
Classes cost £12 (including a Martini). Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis (max. 30 per group). To book, call +44 (0)20 7240 4222. www.christophersgrill.com
Dublin
THE K CLUB’S HEAD CONCIERGE BILLY DEBERTAUT TELLS US WHERE’S HOT AND WHERE’S NOT IN IRELAND’S CAPITAL
FIRST TIMER TO DUBLIN? Trinity College is Ireland’s oldest university and has many lovely buildings. Pay a visit to its library to see the famous Book of Kells, a beautifully illustrated medieval manuscript. The National Gallery of Ireland (Merrion Square West and Clare Street; +353 1 661 5133) dates back to 1864 and has a fantastic collection of art, while the State Apartments at Dublin Castle (off Dame Street; +353 1 677 7129) are well worth a visit.
BEEN BEFORE? Buy a one-day pass for the DART, Dublin’s train, which will get you unlimited travel from the city out to the coast. The scenery is stunning and you can stop off and visit places like James Joyce’s Martello Tower at Sandycove (+353 1 280 9265), where he set the first chapter of Ulysses and which now houses a museum dedicated to his life. A day pass costs €7 for an adult or €11.95 for a family.
POWER LUNCH: Toddy’s Bar within The Gresham Hotel (23 Upper O’Connell Street; +353 1 874 6881) is just the place for a business lunch – lots of locals come here for the great food and the hotel is one of the oldest in Dublin.
TAKE A DATE: have a meal at Shanahan’s on the Green (119 St Stephen’s Green; +353 1 407 0939), an elegant American steakhouse which prides itself on using certified Irish Angus beef and fresh local seafood. Walk it off with a stroll through St Stephen’s Green afterwards – it’s Dublin’s best-known park and has lunchtime concerts in summer.
TOP TIPPLE: Guinness, of course! See how it’s made at the Guinness Storehouse (St. James’ Gate; +353 408 4800) and enjoy a free pint of the black stuff in the rooftop bar.
TAKE HOME: the recipe for real Irish stew, made from mutton, potatoes, carrots, onions and parsley. You should also find plenty of souvenirs in Blarney Woollen Mills (21/23 Nassau Street; +353 1 451 6111), which stocks everything from clothing and jewellery to china and Irish linen.
BILLY DEBERTAUT has been a concierge for the past 20 years and has worked at the K Club for eight years. THE K CLUB is a luxurious five-star hotel set in 550 acres of countryside 40 minutes’ drive from Dublin city. It will host the Ryder Cup this September.
THE K CLUB, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland (+353 1 601 7200; www.kclub.ie).
