I can’t think of a food that is as wholly satisfactory as a sandwich. I could start my day with an egg and biscuit combo, followed by a tomato and mozzarella panini for lunch, and curried chicken salad on baguette for dinner. The sandwich can be as comforting and easy as a peanut butter and jelly or as globally inspired as a báhn mì or cubano.
This year, 250 years of that delicious nosh is celebrated where it all began, in the town of Sandwich, Kent, England. Though he was not the first person to put food between bread, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich gave the snack its name. Legend goes that he was a gambler and demanded meat between two slices of bread so he wouldn’t have to get up from his games.
Mumbai presents an almost implausible contrast, between skeletal dogs in the streets and people living on top of each other in slums, to flaunting its new face of modern luxury and creative ambition. You will absolutely need breaks and time to relax and reflect on the disparity. I raised my glass to the dizzying hub of India in three chic bars, all in vastly different neighborhoods:
Aurus: In Juhu, a wealthy beachfront neighborhood in South Mumbai, is Bollywood central! At Aurus, situated right on the beach (pictured, top), you're almost guaranteed to spot a star that lives nearby. An outdoor drink at Aurus might even help break the humidity of a Mumbai night. Nichani Kutir, Ground Floor, Juhu Tara Road; 011-91-22-6710-6666.
Ladies, I have found it. Thousands of miles and hundreds of destinations later, I've found the dress that works on every single body type, and more importantly, travels effortlessly and elegantly. It's the Karina dress, available in 15 styles. You can stomp on the dress, crumple it up, and it will still look smooth and polished when you slip it on. Versatile and appropriate, I wear the dresses for both weekend getaways and work trips.
Sleigh bells ring and snow glistens this Christmas in the red-brick New England seaport of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The 7th Annual Vintage Christmas celebration decks the halls with garlands of fresh greens and balsam wreaths, as the town aspires to be the Christmas Capital of America. If only we could tell Faith Hill as she croons "Where Are You Christmas" that it is here, wrapped up in a bow with fiddles, harpsichords, Victorian Christmas trees, and a free trolley through the downtown area.
Vintage Christmas events continue on December weekends this year, with historic homes dressed in their finest throughout the month. The cherished Candlelight Stroll at the Strawbery Banke Museum winds through homes twinkling in white lights, with costumed performers and hundreds of luminarias. New this year, the Market Square Carolers, a chorus of middle school students, belt out tunes as they walk around town. You just may glimpse a jolly, happy soul with a corncob pipe, a button nose, and two eyes made out of coal.
The
first time I took globetrotting fitness guru Kristin McGee’s Pilates class at the SoHo Equinox, I was
instantly a fan. Then I found out she was the instructor in Bethenny
Frankel’s first yoga DVD, Body by Bethenny. She is highly sought
after in New York City, with clients like Steve Martin, Tina Fey, Ben Stiller,
and his wife Christine Taylor. Kristin has made numerous TV and magazine
appearances, blogs daily on her own site, and has led fitness retreats in
Sicily, Cartagena, Marrakesh and St. Petersburg. No wonder she wakes up
at 5 a.m. to fit it all in!
We met for a glass of wine, talked great hotels and healthy food choices on
the road, and planned a double date with our significant others.
If you found yourself tearing up at the end of the last Harry Potter movie this summer, fear not, Muggles! For those utterly addicted to the Harry Potter universe and those who simply want to tour a piece of movie-making history, the franchise lives on. Tickets are available beginning October 13, 2011 for the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London—The Making of Harry Potter, at Leavesden, opening in Spring 2012. Tack on an extra day to a London visit and bring your broomstick for this insider’s look.
In my quest for a comfortable, super-stylish summer shoe, one winner has emerged time and again: the famed Jack Rogers Navajo sandal. I can toss a couple of pairs in my suitcase and feel confident that, while on the road, I’m set for any casual or dressy occasion.
In Valencia, the city that gave paella to the world, greedy forks scrape the bottom of the pan for the best bites of crunchy rice, or socarrat. No surprise when the Formula 1 European Grand Prix roared into Valencia last month, the city’s restaurants were buzzing with racing fanatics—all of whom took a break from their fast-paced itineraries for a leisurely lunch of paella at one of these top spots:
The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, the largest of its kind in the world, runs through July 10, and is known to attract London’s social stars along with thousands of gardening aficionados.
