Views March 2007
The latest news, views and events from bmi destinations including Las Vegas, Copenhagen and Palma. Plus where to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in style
AIRPORT ART
BORED WITH WAITING for your flight? Well, remember to look up once you’ve passed through Passport Control at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, as suspended above you is a museum.
Although the Rijksmuseum in central Amsterdam is partly open, it is undergoing a major renovation (due for completion in 2008). Many of its exhibitions are on tour or have been re-housed. The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Schiphol (www.rijksmuseum.nl) is the first museum to have been built in an airport and it has a permanent display of paintings, including work by Rembrandt, but also various special exhibitions throughout the year.
From 1 March to 5 June, discover beautiful depictions of country life, such as Jan Steen’s Drunken Couple at the Low Life in the Golden Age exhibition.
Make sure you don’t take off until you have indulged in some of Holland’s finest works.
Just for laughs
IF YOU FANCY a giggle, don’t miss Glasgow’s International Comedy Festival. Hot tickets include Russell Brand, Paul Merton and Alan Carr, with home-grown talent such as Frankie Boyle, Karen Dunbar and Stuart Cosgrove. 8-24 March. www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com
Animal magic
GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH A GORILLA
IF YOU’VE EVER wanted to go to a jungle, here’s your chance, as London Zoo (www.zsl.org) opens its new Gorilla Kingdom on 29 March.
After trekking through a rainforest inhabited by birds and primates from West Africa, visitors emerge in a clearing, where the gentle giants will be foraging for food. The gorillas are separated from the viewer by a moat and glass, but it’s as close to their natural habitat as you’ll get.
Western lowland gorillas from Gabon, such as the ones in London Zoo, are under threat from deforestation and people encroaching on their habitat. London Zoo is part of a breeding programme to ensure the animals’ survival.
British architect Sir Norman Foster is also doing his bit for wildlife by constructing a new Elephant House at the Copenhagen Zoo (www..zoo.dk), which is due to open next year.
Opera rock
ELVIS COSTELLO PAYS TRIBUTE TO HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
ENGLISH ROCKER ELVIS Costello has announced that he doesn’t want to just be remembered for “a handful of songs I wrote 25 years ago”, so he has written a composition about Denmark’s favourite fairy-tale writer, Hans Christian Andersen. The musician has made several forays into the classical music world, including composing a ballet, Il Sogno, for an Italian ballet company. But this is his first attempt at an opera. The opera will be staged at The Copenhagen Opera House (www.operahus.dk) and the story focuses on Andersen’s infatuation with the singer Jenny Lind, known as the “Swedish Nightingale”. Costello reveals that the story does not have a happy ending though, as all his songs “speak of a misfit’s love for an unattainable woman”. (1 March – 4 April)
Words: Emma Juhasz, Marcus Waring Photography: Rex Features
Taking stock
TRAVELLING AT THE speed of light, stock car races certainly reveal some supersonic men. Tom Cruise showed us how it was done in Days of Thunder (above) and Will Ferrell had less success but more laughs in Talladega Nights.
These popular car races pull in huge crowds and where better to be dazzled than in Las Vegas. NASCAR (The National Association for Stock Car Racing) Weekend, 9-11 March, promises some spectacular action at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Not only will cars speed around the track at an average speed of 160mph, but there will be big stars of pop, rock ’n’ roll and country music on hand to entertain the fans in the Neon Garage (www..lvms.com).
If you fancy a spin round the track yourself, Drivetech (www.drivetech.com) offers various packages for wannabe stock car racers on tracks across the US. Or, if you see yourself more as Michael Schumacher, get yourself to Silverstone (www.silverstone.co.uk), an hour from London, which offers you the chance to put your foot to the floor.
Words: Emma Juhasz, Marcus Waring Photography: Rex Features
LITTLE BLACK BOOK:
CHIAIA DISTRICT, NAPLES [BUS ROUTE #1]
DISCOVER LA DOLCE VITA OF ITALY’S THIRD LARGEST CITY IN THIS STYLISH DISTRICT
CULTI SPACAFÉ
For something completely different head to this spa/ restaurant for a massage followed by lunch. It’s all about glamour and luxury here, rather then purification, so you’ll have no guilt about buying some gourmet chocolates in the boutique on the way out. 47 Via Carlo Poerio, +39 081 764 4619
GRAN BAR RIVIERA
Open 24 hours a day, so you have no excuse not to pop in and taste one of the exquisite pastries. Try the delicious buondì notte – they’re filled with nutella and semi-cold zabaglione. It’s rare to see empty tables here at any time of day or night. Riviera di Chiaia 181, +39 081 665 026
SALVATORE FERRAGAMO
Set in one of the most exclusive areas of town, this huge store is a local landmark, occupying a whole block at Piazza dei Martiri. Elegant and original creations await the glamorous, well-heeled clientele. Piazza dei Martiri, +39 081 411 075
Twice as nice
LONDON’S NEW DINING AND DANCE VENUE HITS ALL THE RIGHT NOTES
MULTI-TASKING? THAT’S sooooo Nineties. Multi-venue? Now you’re talking. So when you put together a gourmet Pan-Asian bar and restaurant in the heart of London theatreland’s Drury Lane and add on a small dance space and art gallery, it’s no wonder that Tamarai has hit exactly the right note.
Even before it opened to the public last December, leaders of the style pack were booking Tamarai for parties, including designer shoe boss Tamara Mellon of Jimmy Choo and fashion giant Sir Paul Smith.
Tamarai, which is the Chettinad (south Indian) word for “lotus”, may have won style plaudits from the glossies – there’s sexy low lighting, lavish glass wall decorations, Swarovski crystal details on the velvet-trimmed seating and dark wood interiors – but the food more than holds its own with a journey that goes from south India to Hong Kong via Vietnam, Burma and Thailand.
A glamorous cocktail list includes the likes of China Bellini (champagne with Asian pear) and an impressive wine list keeps the high rollers happy. That and a cordoned-off VIP area plus complimentary parking (a surprising perk for central London).
But if budget or time factors mean that Tamarai’s not an option, try Sitaaray upstairs, a north Indian grill restaurant with a Bollywood theme. With reasonably priced menus it makes for a fun night out. Tamarai, 167 Drury Lane, London WC2, +44 (0)20 7831 9399; www.tamarai.co.uk / Sitaaray, +44 (0)20 7269 6422; www.sitaaray.com
GRAND DESIGNS
FOUR INSPIRATIONAL BOOKS ON ARCHITECTURE ALLOW YOU TO COVER A LOT OF GROUND WITHOUT LEAVING HOME
WANT TO SEE the world’s greatest architecture from the comfort of your own home? Then take a peek at this latest selection of fabulous books. Get a fresh perspective on designs from modern-day America to Moscow and uncover hidden castles, billowing steel structures and extraordinary futuristic proposals.
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RUSSIAN DELIGHTS Take a journey through a thousand years of Russian architectural history with this sumptuously illustrated coffee-table book. Discover the country’s masterpieces and delve into the compelling argument that, contrary to popular belief, Russian architecture was in fact influenced by designs in the West. This fascinating and beautiful book is sure to inspire your interest in the country. Russian Architecture and The West by Dimitri Shvidkovsky, Yale University Press (£50.00) |
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HIDDEN LONDON Beautifully illustrated, this is a surprising and revealing history of the capital’s historic buildings. From weird castles and tottering towers to underground warrens and gentlemen’s clubs, this book will be a true revelation to the local and tourist alike. Spectacular Vernacular: London’s 100 Most Extraordinary Buildings by David Long, Sutton Publishing (£19.99) |
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL Lavishly illustrated with photographs and graphic drawings, the book examines structures designed by 20 of the USA’s greatest architects. Discover some extraordinary places and get to grips with modern-day America. Architecture in the United States by Philip Jodidio, Taschen (£16.99) |
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FUTURE VISIONS Architects always dream of shaping the future and building structures that break the mould. Illustrated with architectural photography, this unique book reveals 40 such visionary projects. From bus stations to concert halls, from England to the USA, this is a fascinating insight into what could be the architecture of tomorrow. Buildings for Tomorrow: Architecture That Changed Our World by Paul Cattermole, Thames & Hudson (£19.95)
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Photography: Scott Frances/ESTO (Richard Meir, San José City Hall, San José, CA)
