There is something magical about the phrase “hidden gem”. Gems are, of course, things of great beauty. They have real and symbolic beauty. So one would seek out a “hidden gem”. Of course! Lead the way!
Well. today I discovered that I live in one. Lonely Planet ranks Tartu among the hidden gems of Europe. Tartu does have its charms. And now I will look more closely.
This is part of a thread of posts about how the 21st century is likely to be very different than the 20th century. One area of difference - how we use outer space.
Eric Anderson offers some rather startling thoughts about mining asteroids and colonizing mars.
Enjoy!
Meanwhile, back on earth, Bruce Schneier points out that we have a growing problem that no one is really thinking clearly about. No. It is not climate change (we are at least talking about that). It is how the pace of technological advance will create a security threat that we may not be able to manage.
In other words, trying to stay ahead of terrorists with more complex defensive mechanisms may be a losing game. The only way out may be to take away the motivation of terrorists to destroy us all. Tough job, that one.
London is perhaps my favorite city in the world, but it is difficult to explain why. The reasons why it should not be so come readily to mind. It is huge, expensive, and not all that beautiful. Other places are more exotic and exciting. So what is it about London?
The first word that comes to mind is eccentric. London loves and has loved the eccentric for a long, long time. Eccentricity is part of London’s character. In a way, one is expected to be eccentric there. And this can be quite fun. Hmm … so what is the big deal about being eccentric?
Well, it can be fun to fit in. To feel “in tune”. Dan Pink recommends it as a critical part of selling. To be in tune with the person on the other side of the counter. But giving over one’s self like that is not a great life style. It is much more fun to pull people over to what you want. To cause an adjustment in attitude based on your tastes.
This is the main theme of the life style/fashion/interior design blog A Bloomsbury Life. It is the point of an article today in NYT about London’s quiddity. The author explains
It (is) that ineffable quality of what-ness. People have it — places, too.
Delightfully obscure.
Eric Asimov profiles a few whites including a few made an old fashioned way
Our top four bottles were all, to one degree or another, made using ancient techniques more typical of reds. Unlike modern white wines, in which the grape juice is almost immediately separated from the skins for lightness and clarity, in these wines the juice and skins are left to macerate together. This gives the texture an often pleasing tannic rasp and the wine a rosy, sometimes amber, hue.
Look out! Here comes the work week! Stressed by deadlines, rules and expectations, we won’t have the freedom of mind to wander very far.But that does not mean we lack the imagination to know where we would go if we could get away.
So before we head into that whirlwind, let’s go! I know you want to! Let’s take a moment and stroll peacefully through the 9th arrondissement in Paris. Why the 9th? Because you probably haven’t noticed it before. But it deserves a few moments of our attention.
The 9th sits on the right bank, and is not usually found in tourist guides that rush you to crowded places. So we will need a different sort of trusty and friendly guide. No problem. France Today will take us in hand
the (9th) has preserved almost intact its discreet early 19th-century architecture, charming courtyards and a timeless Parisian air.
Go ahead! Follow the link to learn about the Passage Jouffroy, Passage Verdeau and more. And if your tummy is growling,, Paris Eating has a rather large list of restaurants and cafes in the 9th all waiting for you. Want to wander farther afield? As its name suggests, Paris Eats cover the entire city. Indeed, it is part of a rather astounding listing called “city eats” that covers nearly40 cities (mostly in the UK, US and Europe). Sadly there are no listings for Tartu. On the other hand, Foursquare now has listings … including 2 for McDonalds!
About time to get to work, I’d say.
Back in the old days, one thought of countries or cities as destinations. One craved being in Paris or London. And one still does … if one can connect with the right experiences while there. In other words, wandering around Fleet Street with a bag of stuff that you could have bought anywhere doesn’t cut it.
So great destinations now are far more local. They balance a personal touch that welcomes you into a community with an exotic element that you cannot get anywhere else. And bringing this out, I think, is the essence of effective travel writing.The reader gets the privilege of access to a place that takes him or her to a higher level.
Here are two examples. The first from A Bloomsbury Life is not so much writing, but suggesting via photos. We get to join in a family excursion to exclusive destinations in London (even better, some that only “insiders” know about).Here is a snippet
(Waling in Soho) (w)e pass by Andrew Edmunds, the Tom Thumb-sized Hogarthian restaurant that I wrote about here. It’s one of those hush-hush cult haunts (no website, reservations a must) that its patrons want to keep to themselves — the food is incredible, the prices are good and the atmosphere is nothing less than incandescent.
Nice balance of the welcome and the exotic there!
The second from Saveur is a more traditional written homage to a great hotel in Tokyo, the Chinzanso. Once again, we are invited along to experience something unique.
I bask in the shade of a 500-year-old sacred tree, then wander over to a towering three-tiered pagoda, thought to be a thousand years old, and transported to the garden from the mountains of Hiroshima.
Get the idea? This is a very useful skill. To set the stage balancing the welcome and exotic.
Well, then The Daily Meal offers its recommendations for the top 15 restaurants in Russia and its neighbors. Tallinn gets its share of the glory as well as a place on Mugu Island.
Check out this NYT travel article about Valladolid in the Yucatan. Makes me want to check it out.
I do that from time to time and usually have a 3 or 4 hour lay over. Perfect time for planning a nice meal. The Daily Meal gives two recommendations - Both are great. Here is what Daily Meal has to say about these (check out the article for many more recommendations at other airports around the planet)
Dutch Kitchen Bar & Cocktails, located between Terminals 2 and 3 in the airport’s Holland Boulevard, definitely lives up to its motto: Making the Traveler’s Day Better. Soak up the Dutch experience by sitting in large teacup chairs or relax at the communal “Mad Tea Party” dining table. You’ll enjoy organic and locally produced Dutch cuisine, including kroketten (croquettes on farmhouse bread), poffertjes (traditional Dutch pancakes), and organic burgers using Koningshoeve beef from Spaarnwoude. The bar was designed with Lucas Bols B.V., the oldest distilled spirit brand in the world, and its drinks are impressive, too, focusing on taste, smell, and image. Order the Amsterdammertje, which is made with Bols Jonge Jenever (young Dutch Genever), Bols Peach, cranberry juice, and lemon juice.
Bubbles. As the name suggests, Bubbles Seafood & Wine Bar is a wine, champagne, and raw seafood bar. The sister restaurant of Amsterdam’s Bubbles & Wines, the airport location is built around a saltwater aquarium in Departure Lounge 1. Don’t leave the airport without trying sipping a flute or two of the champagne (there are more than 50 to choose from) and sampling the raw herring with fresh bread and onions — a Dutch tradition. There’s even a casino in case you’re feeling lucky.
I enjoyed reading about Ben Herman’s thanksgiving on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake. And the vegetable terrine? Just might give it a try. With appropriate modifications of course.