Canadian Class - Fairmont Luxury in the Rockies

The eyes of the world have recently been trained on Whistler, host of the skiing events in the Winter Olympics 2010. Just the other side of the mountain range, however, as it tips from British Columbia into Alberta, are the ski resort towns of Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper. The three areas are divided by the Icefields Parkway, debatably the most beautiful mountain pass in the world. Each of these small towns have no shortage of accommodation to suit every budget, and the finest five star luxury hotels in all of them happen to belong to the Fairmont Hotel Group. Styled according to appropriate mountainous themes, these hotels provide the best in ski slope luxury.

The Jasper Park Lodge is built in the style of a Canadian hunting cabin, the main structure gazing out to the turquoise Lac Beauvert (which becomes a festive ice-rink in winter months). Established in 1915, the lodge started life as a luxury tented camp and the building rose in the 1920s. Black and white photographs of Marilyn Monroe cozying up to costumed Mounties adorn the walls in the main dining room – she stayed at the lodge in 1927 while filming “River of No Return”. Other esteemed guests include King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II and an entirely different sort of royalty: Bing Crosby. After a devastating fire in the fifties, the current building was developed and since then more log cabins have been built along the lake shore. Costly boutiques, great restaurants and good service give visitors a taste of Canadian class, all year round.

Two hours drive away past the spectacular Athabasca Falls, glacier at Columbia Icefields and surreally azure Peyto Lake, the road veers off to Lake Louise. The town is tiny, and most of the action centres around the lake and the ski slopes. Famous for its colour when the sun shines, the lake becomes a teal-green turquoise with Fairmont’s Chateau Lake Louise the only accommodation set straight in front of its shores. In its current form, the creamy chateau has been in existence since 1911 and yet looks far more modern. What really shows the brand’s attention to detail; however, are the bizarre green uniforms that staff members are required to wear. The hotel is acclaimed for its restaurants and for serving the thousands of visitors who turn up at the lake every summer, hoping to see the elusive glimpse of colour, only visible when the sun peeks out from behind the clouds.

Now off the Icefields Parkway, the road from Lake Louise continues through Banff National Park until arriving at the town itself. A well-heeled student resort town whose organic bakeries, bustling bars and designer boutiques place it in the ice-cool category, Banff is the epitome of resort chic. The Fairmont Springs Hotel is set a touch away from the town – as if superiorly setting itself above it with its aura of old-money and class. The hotel’s theme is not hard to spot – the Scottish castle is true to life indeed, complete with wall-mounted tapestries, cavernous stone halls warmed by roaring wood fires and mazes of secret passages leading guests to tucked-away shops and bistros. The most formal of the three hotels, service was above reproach. The moody rainstorm pouring when we arrived set the scene perfectly, and we were more than happy to explore the hotels numerous passages. Built in 1888, the sense of solidity and history that the hotel seeps is authentic, so although luxurious the rooms are small. Eleven bars and restaurants meant that we were spoilt for choice and eventually settled for rustic fondue and Canadian reserve wine in the wood-paneled wine bar. A short taxi drive is convenient for visitors to experience some of Banff’s more vigorous night-life, and locals are a great source for recommendations.

Without these three strategically placed Fairmont spots, travelling though the Albertan Rockies would not be nearly as charming, comfortable or classy than it is. Whether one stops over at all three or merely visits for a meal, these hotels complement their majestic backdrop, becoming almost as much of an attraction as the mountains themselves.

Madrileño Highlights

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As a European destination Madrid is often passed over for cities with more international cache – Paris, Amsterdam, even its own counterpart, Barcelona. Yet, as a favourite hangout of Ernest Hemingway, this is a city of living, eating, partying and shopping. Madrid contains all the things one might want from a European city – history, architecture, museums and galleries, beautiful parks, pavement cafés, great restaurants and a bouncing party scene, all with incredible Spanish flavour and style.

1. Palacio Real

Situated in the centre of the city, this previous royal residence (now used for state ceremonies) is an architectural and artistic wonder, built between 1738 and 1764. Start off by admiring the symmetrical façade, equally beautiful when lit up at night or glowing in the morning sunshine. Must-sees inside include the Hall of Columns which is still used for functions, and the pharmacy (an antique collector’s dream, lined with ancient glass bottles and mortars and pestles. Informative placards educate visitors on the scarier aspects of 1800s medicine). Cross the interior courtyard – while imagining you live there – and enter the amoury. As someone who has always been far more interested in dashing knights than amour, it was amazing to see the contraptions that have been worn through the ages!

2. Parque del Retiro

Madrid’s Central Park – bigger than most suburbs and used by all for pet-walking, bike riding, yoga classes and boat rides on the lake – not only serves Madrileños with recreational facilities, but also contains architectural marvels such as the Palacio de Cristal. Visitors can enter the park through any of the eighteen elaborately designed gates and most of them eventually make their way through the mazes of paths and roads to Estanque, the boating lake. Built in 1631 and overlooked by a towering monument to Alfonso XII, there are rowboats for hire and plenty of spectators who while away their time buying ice creams and watching some of the 6 000 fish to be found in the lake. Don’t miss the beautifully designed rose garden which flowers at impossible times of the year and boasts more than 4 000 roses.

3. Plaza Mayor

Madrid’s most famous square was designed to hold 50 000 people. Most of the buildings now house government offices, the floor of the square surrounded by restaurants, bars, tourist information and shops and in the centre you’ll find the horse-seated statue of Felipe III. The square, although always humming with people and music, is a lot more staid than it used to be – it was previously used as a bull-ring, open-air theatre and an execution ground.

4. El Escorial

A day trip from Madrid, El Escorial is stately and unique – one part palace, one part monastery and one part mausoleum. Built by Felipe II to house the remains of his father, he instructed his architects to design it with “simplicity in construction, severity in the whole, nobility without arrogance, majesty without ostentation”. One of the complex’s most beautiful aspects is the library which is held in esteem for its possession of important holy writings dating between the fifth and eighteenth centuries, housed under intricately painted vaulted ceilings inspired by Michelangelo. El Escorial has been deemed one of the modern wonders of the world and has been declared a Monument of Worldwide Interest by UNESCO.

5. Art Galleries

Madrid is renown for its three biggest art galleries – Museo del Prado, Museo Thyssen Bornemisza and the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. The Prado is housed in a large, low building situated along a leafy avenue. Among its claim to fame is its collection of Goya, Velazquez and Rubens masterpieces.

Not far up the avenue the smaller Museo Thyssen Bornemisza can be found, which houses paintings by Van Gough, Renoir, Degas, Picasso, Rembrandt and Dali. For visitors who become footsore, the charming garden café is the perfect place to refresh.

The last of the three main galleries (there are plenty more!) is the Arte Reina Sofia which boasts Picasso’s Guernica. Not only is the finished canvas displayed, an adjoining room also contains the artist’s rough sketches of the design and other Picasso works.

6. Dining

The city of eating out, bars and restaurants in Madrid are abundant, well-priced and always full of interesting people. Almost without exception, the bars serve delicious tapas and the restaurants boast adjoining bars. Aside from great wines and European beers, the drink of choice is Anis, preferably from Chinchon. This clear spirit made from aniseed has a liquorice taste and can be likened to Sambuca. Those in a celebratory mood should try Cava, the Spanish sparkling wine. After tapas, the most delicious and Spanish of Madrid food is paella – made with rice, vegetables, seafood and other meats, and usually served straight to the in the pan. Restaurant or bar recommendations are fruitless – there is so much to choose from. Walk down a street in any busy area and wander into places that catch your eye. Most have menus posted outside so you can see whether the food appeals, and whether their prices are inside your budget.

As a city, Madrid certainly has a unique body clock. Expect lunch to end anywhere before 5pm, and supper only to start at 11pm. Although there is early business traffic, the streets only wake up after 10am when people of all kinds congregate in coffee shops for a traditional breakfast – chocolate con churros – fried pastry dipped in thick chocolate or black coffee.

Three Hours in Amsterdam

The free dictionary defines a layover as “A short stop or break in a journey, usually imposed by scheduling requirements”, but does not include the truism that it has become the curse of the modern traveller, as it can easily double the time of one’s journey.

A necessary evil to save money on flights, it is quite conceivable nowadays to fly half way around the world in the opposite direction to one’s destination before heading back the right way.

However, if one is lucky, layovers might not involve booking into an extortionately expensive airport hotel for the night or camping underneath a smelly metal chair outside your gate but rather a quick browse through duty free, followed by free champers in a plush airport lounge.

Leaving Cape Town for New York, this is what my husband and I had in mind for our three-hour layover in Schiphol Airport. As we descended into the Netherlands we started chatting to the Dutch lady besides us, who recommend we get out of the airport and see the city, assuring us that we had more than enough time to jump on a train to downtown Amsterdam and explore.

This sounded a little risky to us, as we certainly could not afford to miss our connection, so we smiled and nodded politely — both wishing we really could see the city. She was very persuasive. Refusing to let us remain content with our browse/drink plan, she ushered us out through customs (having no bags makes this so easy), helped us to buy a train ticket (we had to try four machines and eventually used her credit card at her generous insistence) and pointed us in the direction of the right platform (it was not the correct platform, and we took twenty minutes to ascertain which one we should be on – our eyes big with fear at jumping onto a train and heading into Belgium).

The train ride was clean, efficient and ever so boring, the scenery industrial and the stations generic. Only until we pulled in to Amsterdam proper, however. Old buildings loomed imposingly over cobbled streets and bicycles were everywhere, some parked in stacks and some moving in frantic motion. We narrowly dodged them, as well as the cars, trams and buses as we walked around the main square and up the narrow streets. These, even at eight in the morning, were festively decorated with rainbow-coloured flags, sidewalk café and coffee houses from whence people and music from all around the world poured out.

We finally settled on a café and attempted to order breakfast and coffees while we sat there quietly and tried to take in all that was happening around us. Funnily shaped vehicles appeared between bike riders of all ages — some towing carts as wide as a car, some transporting their children or pets while wearing high heels, floral dresses and absolutely no helmets. Getting food from our waitress and then eventually finding her to pay was painful, but we managed and strolled back to the station, hoping that the return trip would not take as long as the outbound one. We frantically checked the time as we waited and waited for the train to move. Finally it did, and we were in due course deposited back at Schiphol.

Luckily for us it is a well signposted airport, so we could literally run helter-skelter to our gate, hoping all the time that boarding was still open; ears pricked for announcements of our names. We joined the queue in the nick of time, sweaty and panting – attracting loads of weird looks from our fellow passengers.

Despite the exhilaratingly close shave, we were thrilled that we had seen a little bit of this fascinating city and even managed to eat dinner in Cape Town, breakfast in Amsterdam and afternoon tea in New York with no airport meals included. All thanks to our convincing and charitable Dutch friend at whose insistence we explored her city!

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Restaurant Review: Divino, Calgary

Divino, situated in the restaurant maze of Stephen's Walk, stands out for the overall experience it provides and is well worth the cash they demand. Even on a freezing Febrary Saturday when the street was all but deserted, we were lucky to grab the last free table for two.

The wine list stands out for having a wonderful range of all wines, set out in the least-confusing way possible. Although no international wine expert, I do claim to know a few South African labels (intimately!) and we were amazed to find the cream of the crop on their wine menu - all wines that we have never found elsewhere in Canada.

We were well taken care of and had a wonderful time. Worth a trip to Calgary!

In Search of Glamour: Starting at Home

Over the last couple of months, setting up my home in a new town (I am really a feminist I promise!) has brought me endless joy and satisfaction. In a town full of different - or weird - things, people and ways of living, my own home is one place where I can ensure class and a relaxed, refined atmosphere (all on a budget, of course). I can set the mood with jazz or a swingtime music channel, light some candles and be at home. A home on the other side of the world. I never thought I'd see the day where I paged through more house & home magazines than fashion ones! A temporary lapse. Sitting in my flat (or condo - new word for me!) I could be anywhere in the world.

Favorites for getting the most for your money: Ikea, Home Sense, Home Outfitters, Wal-Mart (don't laugh - one just has to be really selective to find good deals!) and Pier One Imports (a bit more expensive but stacked full of great investment pieces that you won't find anywhere else).

Restaurant Review: Saltlik Banff

Part of a unique chain that owns branches in Calgary and Vancouver, Saltlik definitely puts the cool in Canadian. Celebrating instead of ignoring Canadian culture, the Saltlik bar and restuarant in Banff is full of wood, leather, modern graphic design and chic touches such as the wooden elk in a mountie uniform. The menu is comprehensive and despite having no mint for mojitos (hey - at least they had heard of them!) they did manage to rustle me up some vodka and lime, the first establishment in Canada in which I've actually found lime cordial. Service was great, although in their downtimes most of the younger waitresses seemed to be occupying the manager's lap, and while not busy (late Sunday night) the other patrons looked urbane, up-market and city-bred. A good place for an early dinner or late night drink, I wouldn't hesitate to visit again.

Glamour in the Mountains

It is just as well for us that the nature of fashion takes one of the best outdoor regions in the world and turns them into hip-happening places to go, full of small town wonders that make you feel like you are in a shrunken (but awesome) metropolis - think St Barts. Wonderful hubby treated me, and himself of course, to a luxury weekend in the Canadian Rockies. I expected beautiful scenery and was not disappointed, and also luxury accomodation (will always and forever love Fairmont Hotels - check out www.fairmont.com). But we got so much more. The town of Jasper is not so fabulous, could in fact be so much cooler. But drive five minutes to Jasper Park Lodge which looks out over a turqoise lake and snowy peaks, and you can enjoy a world-class cocktail at a variety of bars, eat great steak or seafood at your choice of five restaurants and shop for international brands at bloody awfully priced boutiques. Yay!! The next day took us through the Icefields Parkway - heralded as the most beautiful mountain pass in the world - and into Banff. I. want. to. live. there. Forever. Banff is a ski town, where the buildings are quaint and the bars are full of drunk students. But more than that, there are organic bakeries and coffee houses, up-market Canadian styled bars (proving that this is not a contradiction), a Louis Voitton shop and beautiful boutique hotels. We stayed at the Fairmont Banff Springs which is a gorgeous Scottish castle-inspired building built in 1889 - a veritable maze of corridors all leading to tucked away restaurants and bars.

Another thing we really enjoyed about our mini-break (love to hate that term!) was the people we met. Our horizons were broadened from the mainly trailer-park inbred population of our own small town to tourists and travellers from around the world. We met the eccentric, the common, the fabulous and the pretty. Needless to say, this won't be our last trip into the mountains - scenery and civilization!

Restaurant Review: Hundred Bar and Kitchen

A discovery made on girls' night in Edmonton:

Set in the ground floor of an old apartment building in central Edmonton, Hundred Bar and Kitchen makes a good impression as soon as one walks in. The decor is rich and beautiful, old baroque style with oversized chandeliers, sumptous velvet and rich colours. The staff are friendly and well presented, a breath of fresh city air after the confines of a small town. The girls had cocktails (a few too many in the name of reasearch) most of which were good, bar the mojitos which were amazing. By the time we ordered food no one was really hungry but I can definitely recommend the goats cheese main - rich and melting! A tour around the kitchens (clean, I promise) and a visit to the dj booth rounded off a lovely evening. The venue is perfect both for parties (or girls' nights!) and romantic dinners - I'll definitely be back with my man.

The Ups and Downs of Glamour in a Small Town

Up 1. There aren't many classy girls here - so moi looks fab even when she doesn't.

Down 1. Having so much blah around is incentive to drop standards.


Up 2. I could make my millions as a stylist here.

Down 2. I don't think anyone really wants to improve, or even sees a problem in living in fugly, grey stretch pants.


Up 3. People stare like you're something because even at your most casual, you tend to look really dressed up.

Down 3. They also seem to think moi is a tart just for wearing high heels with a skirt. Can you imagine what some of my more eccentric outfits might do to them?