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A Memorable Tapas Crawl in Madrid

We met Marcy Forman, co-owner of Valesa Cultural Services, one of our preferred ground operators for clients headed to Spain, at the lobby of our hotel, Gran Hotel Inglés. Marcy has lived in Madrid for over 20 years and one of her favorite things to do is bring friends on an authentic Madrid tapas crawl. We started at Casa Toni, known for its crispy lamb tripe, an older specialty that’s hard to find in town these days. After downing the tender meat, we strolled around the corner to my favorite stop of the night, Casa del Abuelo, known for their tasty garlic shrimp. The dish comes out sizzling with a hefty chunk of bread, and is best paired with a short glass of sweet wine. Then it was off to La Campana, known for its fried calamari served in a large bun, bocadillo style. Next stop, the splashy Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid’s main public market, serving everything your heart desires, from acorn-fed Iberian ham to razor clams to fried croquettes, all washed down with sangria or cerveza. Our final stop was Chocolateria San Gines, in operation since 1894 and known for only one item, fresh out of the oven churros. Order a half-dozen, thin or fat, and it’s served with a steaming hot coffee cup of chocolate that many customers drink after dipping the churros. Sublime! We had so much fun with Marcy that we took our daughter, Melanie, on the exact same tour the next night. 

 

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Get into the Holiday Spirit at Newport

Decking the halls with boughs of holly is not such an easy task in Newport, Rhode Island. Their opulent estates are each a city block long. The historic seaport gets into the Holiday spirit with a month-long citywide celebration simply called Christmas in Newport. The long list of activities includes Victorian dinners at the Astors’ Beechwood Mansion, tours of the rarely visited estate of Doris Duke, and lantern walks over the twisting cobblestone streets. 

 
Newport is also home to a slew of intriguing boutique shops. Near the mansions, Alloy Gallery (125 Bellevue Avenue) is owned by a Rhode Island School of Design-trained jewelry artist who displays contemporary wares created by her and her colleagues. On the corner of Spring and Church, Macdowell Pottery features crafts, towels, and women’s scarves. More women’s clothing—blouses, dresses, and jackets adorned with colorful summer prints, can be found at Tyler Boe, at Bannister’s Wharf. The kids will like the quirky games, clothing, books, and other odd miscellaneous knickknacks found at Pleasant Surprise on Thames Street. Close by is the Newport Historical Society Gift Shop, selling sea soap, shells, gardening and history books on New England, and my personal favorite, the Gurglepot, a jug that makes a gurgling noise when pouring water. 
 
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A Favoite Fall Foliage Drive–Keuka Lake, New York

Autumn in the Finger Lakes of western New York State is the time of year when leaves on the maples turn a tad crimson and the grapes on the vines are ready to be harvested for their award-winning Rieslings. Start on the northern tip of Keuka Lake in the town of Penn Yan. Head south on Route 54A and just outside of town, you’ll see signs for Apple Barrel Orchards, a third-generation U-pick apple orchard that makes homemade cider on the premises. Continue south along the shores of the 20-mile long lake to reach Dr. Konstantin Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars. Founded in 1962 and now run by Dr. Frank’s grandson, Fred, Dr. Frank put the Finger Lakes on the wine lovers’ map with his award-winning dry and semi-dry Rieslings. Have lunch on an outdoor deck overlooking the narrow northern part of the lake at Heron Hill Winery. The Blue Heron café takes full advantage of its locale nestled amidst the farmland to offer local seasonal fruit over field greens and a caprese salad with large fresh tomatoes. A perfect place to stay in Hammondsport is the octagonal-shaped Black Sheep Inn, where the owner, a former caterer in Cleveland, creates innovative and tasty breakfasts. 
 
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Allegiant and Frontier Airlines Start Flying From Providence

Providence’s T.F. Green Airport is quickly becoming a hub for low-cost carriers. On the heels of Norwegian Air’s new routes this past summer from Providence direct to Dublin, Edinburgh, Belfast, Cork and Shannon, both Allegiant and Frontier Airlines announced that they are starting new routes from T. F. Green this autumn. Allegiant is flying direct to Punta Gorda in southwest Florida (a 35-minute drive north of Fort Myers for you Red Sox spring training fans), St. Petersburg, and Cincinnati. Colorado ski lovers will want to know that Frontier now flies direct to Denver as well as Orlando. So the next time you think of booking a flight out of Boston’s Logan Airport, be sure to add Providence’s T.F. Green (PVD) to the mix. 

 
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BodyScience at St. Lucia’s BodyHoliday

I had the pleasure of meeting Andrew Barnard last night at an event in Boston. His family has owned the BodyHoliday and Rendezvous resorts on St. Lucia for 50 years. Barnard, an endurance runner, was experiencing gastrointestinal problems on his runs until he consulted a doctor at BodyHoliday who did a detailed analysis of his health, only to discover that he had a severe allergy to eggs. Avoiding eggs these past two years, Barnard told me that he feels better than ever. Now he’s helping his guests. In 2014, BodyHoliday implemented a BodyScience program that combines western medicine with the Indian practices of Ayurveda. Complete a detailed questionnaire at home and send it back to BodyHolday along with DNA samples. Once onsite, each BodyScience guest consults one-on-one with a physician who tests heart rate, blood pressure, body fat, lung capacity, sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, cardio and arterial fitness, hormone levels, and food allergens. Based on the results, BodyScience doctors will provide a unique nutrition and lifestyle plan to help the body handle stress and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Already a leader in the field of active lifestyle resorts, it seems like BodyHoliday is now setting the bar even higher with this wellness initiative. 

 
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Destinations to Visit in 2015—Any Country in the Eurozone

Last week, the euro dipped below $1.25 against the dollar. Economists say the exchange rate could be as low as $1.10 over the next year. This is due to a stimulus package the European Central Bank is on the verge of providing to support the economy. Stimulus packages tend to weigh heavily on a currency. Anyway, I’m a travel advisor, not an economist. Take my advice, that dinner at the Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris might finally feel affordable next summer. 

 
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Toronto’s Emerging South Core Neighborhood

As soon as my Porter Airlines flight arrived at Toronto Island Airport and I took the 2-minute ferry ride over to the city, I noticed the numerous cranes tilting towards the sky. Toronto has a mind-boggling 180 high-rises currently under construction, more than the combined building efforts currently underway in New York and Mexico City, which along with LA are the three cities that have a larger population than Toronto in North America. A good chunk of that construction are office buildings and condos going up in the South Core neighborhood, where I’m spending the week at the Hotel Le Germain Maple Leaf Square. This is the entertainment corridor, bookend on one side by the Air Canada Centre, home to the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors; and on the other side by the Rogers Centre, originally known as the SkyDome, where the Toronto Blue Jays play their home games under the retractable roof.

 On my first day here, Jason Kucherawy, owner of Tour Guys and guide at Toronto Urban Adventures, took me on his “Teams, Trains, and Tower Tour,” a walking tour that’s offered to the public for free (simply tip the guide). His first stop was right behind the hotel at the sports bar ESPN called the best in all of Canada, Real Sports Bar and Grill. Hundreds of folks were inside watching college football games on the largest high-definition television in the country. Then we walked along Bremner Boulevard to see Toronto’s newest attraction, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada (which I’ll describe later this week), backed by the CN Tower. Across the street is the historic John Street Roundhouse, now home to the Toronto Railway Museum. Next door is Steam Whistle Brewing, known for their one beer, a crisp, cool pilsner. If you like your brew, you’ll want to know about Jason’s other tour, a pub crawl. Other favorites include tours geared to bacon lovers, graffiti aficionados, and this being the Halloween season, ghost tours. 
 
One of our clients highly recommended Hotel Le Germain Maple Leaf Square after we put his family of four up there this summer. The location is excellent for seeing the Toronto sights, rooms are spacious, a continental breakfast is included in the price, and there’s a cozy lounge downstairs, Play, that features local microbrews and Montreal smoked meat sandwiches. What I especially love is that there’s no bottled water. You simply fill your pitcher up with filtered water in the hallway, next to the complimentary apples. Sustainable practices along with great service (the concierge Chris and Susan can answer any question) are the reasons why the Quebec-owned Germain brand is growing across Canada, with 10 properties in Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax, and Calgary and another 4 under construction. 
 

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