Gülgün Özek, Photo Editor(pictured) Location: Sofyali Sokak, Asmalimescit “My neighborhood is historic yet cosmopolitan. Inside the Neoclassical buildings you’ll find bars, theaters, and one of the best contemporary art galleries—Arter(211 Istiklal Cad.; 90-212/243-3767).”
Seren Yüce, Filmmaker Location: Kadiköy Harbor “I love the view of the Bosporus from the lighthouse. I just had lunch at Çiya Sofrasi(lunch for two $50)—a traditional Anatolian restaurant nearby.”
Mehmet Öktem, Bar Owner Location: Galata Bridge “I come here often, just to soak in the city. This bridge connects Beyoğlu—the city’s modern, European heart—and the old peninsula, where I shop at the Spice Bazaar. It’s next to the New Mosque, which is almost three hundred and fifty years old.”
Yasemin Arpaç, Interior Designer Location: Serdar Ekrem Sokak, Galata “A lot of artists are moving into the area—it’s very trendy these days. At one end of the street there’s the Galata Tower; at the other is my favorite jewelry boutique, Aida Pekin(44A Serdar Ekrem Sk.; 90-212/243-1211). The designer creates pendants inspired by local landmarks.”
The French luxury goods label recently unveiled its first store in Mumbai. Located in a Victorian-style building in the heart of the city, the 3,025-square-foot Hermès space stocks everything from fashion to furniture; there’s also an in-house gallery with fine art on display. Available now for a limited time: a line of handcrafted cashmere, silk, or mousseline saris (price upon request). 15A Horniman Circle, Fort; 91-22/2263-0093.
Natasha Tattaglia, bar back and barista in New Orleans, talks to T+L’s Christine Ajudua:
“I bike everywhere—most people here do. Sometimes my knees start hurting since I ride in heels, but I don’t leave the house unless I’m dressed, so it is what it is. I just had lunch at Sylvain(625 Chartres St.; 504/265-8123; lunch for two $85), in this beautiful old carriage house here in the French Quarter. They do Southern-style food and delicious craft cocktails—not the cheap booze and sugar that you find on Bourbon. I live on Royal Street, but a couple of neighborhoods down on the other side of the levee, in Bywater. It's near the Ninth Ward. A lot of young people live there now, and the abandoned buildings are turning into cafés and bars and restaurants. The road is still pretty bumpy, but the area is getting hip. I love it.”
“Hong Kong is a busy, busy place. I’m pretty sure I’m not the first person to say that. There’s been this massive rush to modernize all over the city, but here in the Sheung Wan district, things seem to slow down. Walking around, you’ll come across loads of graffiti by local street artists and contemporary art galleries like Cat Street(222 Hollywood Rd.; 852/2291-0006). And then nearby on Upper Lascar Row, you’ll see these old Chinese dudes selling antique jade carvings and Buddha heads. There are still high-rise buildings, but they’re generally older, with Man Mo Temple(124-126 Hollywood Rd.; 852/2540-0350) in the middle of them all. It’s a cool mix.” —Thomas Mauritsen,
marketing manager
Raise a glass to Blackwell Rum($30): formerly available only in Jamaica, black gold, as it’s called, is now sold stateside. Reggae-music mogul turned hotelier Chris Blackwell crafted the liquor using a centuries-old family recipe, infusing it with tropical fruits such as banana and mango. Try it neat, or in the signature cocktail at Oracabessa Bay’s GoldenEye Hotel & Resort: on ice with two shots of simple syrup and a shot each of lime, orange, and pineapple juices—shaken, not stirred.
Here at T+L, beating jetlag is something of a sport. So we’re all pretty pumped for The Layover—the new show from globetrotting chef-author Anthony Bourdain, he of No Reservations notoriety—premiering at 9pm ET/PT tonight on the Travel Channel. In ten hour-long episodes, Tony travels everywhere from London to Hong Kong to Los Angeles in search of the best that each city has to offer.
Here’s the catch: the entire series was shot in 30 days, and he has only 24-48 hours in each place. The result? A whirlwind world tour that’s peppered with all the biting Bourdain commentary we’ve come to love and expect, even if it’s tempered with a dash of jetlag. I got a sneak peek at the first episode (spoiler alert!), in which Tony spends a day in Singapore.
This Giorgio Armani mother-of-pearl eye palette ($98)—created by the brand’s couture jewelry designers—doubles as an allover illuminator.
An Isla Das Rocas scrub ($36) by Red Flower will soften your skin with botanical oils and sea salts from the islands off Brazil’s southern coast.
La Prairie produces nutrient-rich sea plants for its antiaging Advanced Marine Biology line, including a moisturizer ($135) for the face, eyes, and neck.
Meant to evoke the essence of a Maldivian beach, this Linnea’s Lights soy-wax candle ($30) has hints of cardamom, mandarin, and salty air.
How’s this for a flame of the month? Paris-based ceramics company Astier de Villatte recently unveiled a range of scented candles inspired by some of the world’s loveliest locales. With hints of, say, the wisteria-covered trellises of the Grand Hôtel in Cabourg, France—where Marcel Proust penned part of his classic Remembrance of Things Past—and a patina to match, they’ll surely transport you to another time or place.
It may be getting chilly in the Baltics, but Helsinki is heating up. Finland’s biggest city—perhaps best known for its colorful Marimekko prints and Modernist works by the late, great Alvar Aalto, not to mention its abundant saunas—has been named the 2012 World Design Capital.
If you like Globe-Trotter luggage as much as some of us, you’ll love this: for the first time in its 114-year history, the British brand, known for creating vulcanized fiberboard cases (Sirs Winston Churchill and Edmund Hilary would attest to their durability), has launched a collection of discreetly stylish carry-ons, totes, and accessories all handcrafted using—wait for it!—super-soft leather.
