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Words: Sophy Grimshaw A brush with Barbados Egyptian-born artist Howaida Moussa Weel lives and works in Barbados, painting scenes of island life in oil and acrylics, which you can see at the Gallery of Caribbean Art [St Peter, Barbados, +1 (246) 419 0858; www.artgallerycaribbean.com]. She also exhibits in Antigua, along with artist Nick Maley, who [...]
Words: Sophy Grimshaw
A brush with Barbados
Egyptian-born artist Howaida Moussa Weel lives and works in Barbados, painting scenes
of island life in oil and acrylics, which you can see at the Gallery of Caribbean Art [St Peter,
Barbados, +1 (246) 419 0858; www.artgallerycaribbean.com]. She also exhibits in Antigua,
along with artist Nick Maley, who previously worked in Hollywood effects and helped to create
the Stars Wars character of Yoda. This month Weel has a UK exhibition at the Falcon Hotel
Gallery in Leicestershire, but we don’t think she’ll be switching islands any time soon.
“Barbados is my home and my inspiration is limitless,” she tells Voyager. See her work
online at www.paintingsofthecaribbean.com
Smoke signals
Voyager recently reported on the anti-smoking policy of Swissôtel
Chicago, where staff are paid a bonus for every guest they catch
smoking. In fairness to passenger tastes, this month we bring you news
that Swissôtel Krasnye Holmy in Moscow (Kosmodamianskaya Nab,
52, Bld 6, 115054, Moscow, +7 495 787 9881; www.swissotel.com] has
appointed a cigar sommelier, Elena Terekhina, pictured right, to help
guests find the ideal cigar. “I will be there to find the cigar for you that
will be your favourite for a long time,” she says of her role at the hotel.
She can’t make them any better for your health, though.
Like mama makes
Get in the mood for a trip to Naples with Cucina Napoletana (£17.99,
New Holland). The new cookbook by Arturo Iengo, chef at Antica
Trattoria Pascalucci, will soon have you
rustling up a lunch fit for the locals.
Start off with an easy-peasy Insalata
Caprese then move onto four cheeses
penne or meatballs. There are handy
Italian kitchen tips (like how to peel
fresh tomatoes: soak them in boiling
water) and photos of the Naples
scenery that make this pretty enough
to leave on the coffee table. If you still
prefer not to cook, drop in to Iengo’s
restaurant, Antica Trattoria Pascalucci,
in nearby Benevento (1 Piano Cappelle;
+39 0824 778101).
Don’t worry, be Danish
Copenhagen is number one in a recent ranking of
‘the world’s 25 top cities for quality of life’. Lars
Bernhard Jørgensen, CEO of tourist initiative Wonderful
Copenhagen, welcomes the title, but says it won’t be
news to the locals. “It falls very much in line with the
self-image of the Copenhageners, who value their city as
an urban habitat designed for good living,” he says.
Jorgensen attributes the locals’ good mood to cultural
factors like “the city’s famous gastronomy, the bicycle
culture, and design and scale of the public spaces.”
To sample the feel-good factor, he suggests an
outdoor swim (weather allowing) at the urban oasis
of the harbour baths, and a stroll through the vibrant
artists’ neighbourhood of Christiania. For more ideas see www.visitcopenhagen.dk
Rock spa
A new treatment range at The Spa, Chancery Court
[252 High Holborn, London, +44 (0)20 7829 7058;
www.spachancerycourt.com], is inspired by one of
the regular customers, rock chick turned fashion
designer Pearl Lowe.
Lowe’s lace dresses are now stocked in
department store Liberty, but in the 1990s she
fronted indie band Powder and met her partner,
Supergrass drummer Danny Goffey. The ‘Inspired
by Pearl Lowe’ spa treatments include the ‘Crazy for
Daisy’ manicure, named after her model daughter,
19, whose father is singer Gavin Rossdale (Gwen
Stefani’s other half). The candlelit ‘black pearl’ back
massage, meanwhile, is London’s first Gothicthemed
spa treatment.
And it’s not only The Spa at Chancery Lane
that Pearl is a fan of: “I read Voyager on the plane
regularly,” she says. “I’m an avid reader!”
Surf’s up
Hotels often overcharge for internet access, so when
you’re travelling in Europe, log on to new website
www.free-hotspot.com. It lists more than 3,000
locations offering free Wi-Fi, such as coffee shops and
restaurants, in 18 European countries.
Just enter your location in the search engine
before your trip to find them. For instance, in Venice,
you can get online while you sip your espresso at
restaurant La Rivista (Rio Tera Foscarini, Dorsoduro,
+39 041 2401 425; www.restaurantlarivista.com).
By a nose
Tehran is not only the capital of Iran; apparently
it’s now also the world capital for nose jobs.
That’s right, the city has become – for
reasons that are not entirely clear – the
world leader in excellence in rhinoplasty,
with an estimated 60,000-70,000 nose jobs
now taking place here every year.
