Tag Archives: Accommodations

3 Countries, 2 Ski Resorts, 1 Week in Europe

Wishing you had planned a getaway this past spring break? It’s not too early to start planning for next year, and to think big with a European adventure!

By Alison Ramsey

Stateside spring break destinations abound, but consider using that week of vacation time to explore three German-language European countries—Switzerland, Austria, and Germany—all easily reachable from each other by train. The Eurail Global Pass allows travelers to seamlessly cross country borders by rail using a single scannable QR code pass in the app. It’s a fantastic opportunity to maximize your time abroad and visit multiple countries all in one overseas trip.   

Eurail train travel is scenic and comfortable, and the well-designed Eurail app makes it easy to view train schedules and plan your trip.

Time in the mountains is essential if you’re headed to the Alpine countries of Switzerland and Austria. Downhill skiing in the Alps can be exhilarating, great exercise, and a fun social activity—as proven by the millions of visitors to throng ski resorts like Davos Klosters in Switzerland and St. Anton am Arlberg in Austria each year. Both destinations are part of the Best of the Alps organization’s carefully curated collection of classic mountain resorts and offer excellent ski schools.

A 2.5-hour train ride from the Zürich Airport, the 13,000-inhabitant Alpine village of Davos is the highest city in Switzerland, at 5,147 feet above sea level. Its Ski School Davos, part of the Swiss Ski and Snowboard School, is the biggest and oldest ski school in the country. Students here can learn from patient, professional instructors, who focus on safety and ensure basic skills are mastered before introducing more difficult maneuvers or terrain. Experienced skiers have 157 miles of ski trails on 81 different slopes to explore over five separate ski areas, including the iconic Parsenn skiing and hiking area, famous for its wide pistes and long runs.

Private and group lessons are offered at Ski School Davos, with ski equipment rental available at Top Secret Ski & Snowboard Shop, directly across the street from Bolgen Plaza.

The Alps are inviting even to those not wearing skis. For a fun take on tobogganing, try sledging down the 2.2-mile Rinerhorn run in Davos. Take the ski lift to the top and pilot your wooden sledge down the steep and curving 33-bend slope—one of the most challenging sledging runs around—braking with knees bent and feet flat on the snow and changing direction by shifting weight and pulling the steering rope. It’s like high-speed Mario Kart in the mountains!

Rinerhorn has slopes for skiers and sledgers.

If you’re staying at the comfy mountain chalet Hotel Waldhuus in Davos, be sure to spend time in the large indoor pool and experience the Switzerland sauna lifestyle in their bio sauna, herbal sauna, or new Finnish sauna. Usually co-ed and textile-free, sauna visitors in Switzerland use towels simply for hygiene purposes—not as a cover-up, but to sit on so sweat doesn’t touch the wood. Sauna usage is linked to many health benefits and can lower blood pressure, improve cardiovascular health and circulation, reduce soreness after exercise, promote muscle recovery, stimulate immune system support, reduce stress, and eliminate toxins. A swim and sauna session after a full day of activity feels physically and mentally healing, especially in a clean and well-maintained facility.   

Unwind in Hotel Waldhuus’ comfortable accommodations with terrific spa facilities, and try the delicious tiramisu and enormous fresh breakfast spread in the Waldhuus Restaurant.

For a taste of the Austrian Alps, a 3.5-hour train ride brings you to St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria, where you can make your home base the classy Hotel Schwarzer Adler. Here, white-glove dinner service offers perfectly flavored and artfully plated meat and vegan dishes, homemade comfort foods including butter Spätzle (egg noodle pasta), and delectable desserts like “chocolate 5 ways,” with Austrian wines for pairing. You can swim in the outdoor sky pool under the pure mountain air or unwind indoors in the relaxation room, saunas, or sparkling indoor pool. Treat yourself to a spa package from the massage menu or simply sip an espresso on your hotel room balcony with a view of snowy peaks and a soundtrack of church bells and birdsong.

The Schwarzer Adler Hotel provides luxurious dining experiences and relaxation outlets.

Skischule Arlberg is the award-winning largest ski school in Austria, founded by Hannes Schneider, the father of the modern “Arlberg technique” skiing style. Before Schneider’s development of this forward semi-squatting posture, the trend was to stand erect with rigid knees, a position derived from Nordic or cross-country skiing, which wasn’t a practical stance for the steep Tyrolian terrain. Ski instructors at Skischule Arlberg keep lessons fun and stress-free, moving at the students’ pace and providing encouragement without pushing too far beyond current comfort levels. For those unaccustomed to ski life, it’s an excellent introduction to what many Alpine locals grow up learning from a young age.  

Ski School Arlberg prepares skiers to achieve their athletic goals.

An incredible highlight of St. Anton—no skis needed—is up on the very peak of Valluga, at 9,222 miles above sea level. Ride the “Galzigbahn” ski lift to the first mountain station, where you can snack at the Galzig Restaurant, shop in the ski store, and watch athletes descend the slopes. Then ascend with the “Vallugabahn I” lift through fog and clouds to the Vallugagrat station and the Valluga View Restaurant. One more ride in the small “Vallugabahn II” cable car brings you to the pinnacle lookout point—a circular railed platform open to the intense sun and whipping wind, with breathtaking views of snow-covered Alps in every direction. You have a clear panorama from Lake Constance to Switzerland and the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany. From here, you can see the extraordinary beauty of the glacier-carved gorges as well as the splendid organization of the ski resort, with numerous lifts in motion, skiers gracefully carving patterns into the snow, and sky-high facilities with everything you might need for your day in the heights.

Unbeatable Valluga views are a highlight of St. Anton am Arlberg.

Don’t leave the Alps without an après-ski experience! St. Anton am Arlberg holds many opportunities to unwind and let loose after a day of athletics. You can party hard with club music and tasty drinks at any number of après-ski huts, or partake in a casual post-ski meal at the rustic Sennhütte restaurant right on the slopes—its entrance marked by an enormous pair of Lederhosen. Either ski down the hill right to the restaurant or take a free bus trip there from the town center and hike up the WunderWanderWeg (wonder walking way) pathway from the bus stop. The back patio balcony affords an outstanding view into the mountains—a brilliant backdrop for sampling Käsespätzle (thick cheesy noodles topped with crispy fried onions), Schnitzel and Pommes (fried meat cutlets and French fries), and gulping a refreshing beer or Skiwasser (“ski water”—an alcohol-free blend of raspberry syrup, lemon juice, and water or seltzer).

Giant lederhosen and the WunderWanderWeg lead the way to Sennhütte.

Any beer fans or German-language–lovers know that Bavaria is a nearby European destination worth visiting, so travel by Eurail from St. Anton 3.5 hours northeast and you’ll end up in Munich, Germany. A short walk from the Munich main train station through a Mediterranean district brings you to the fresh and inviting greenery-filled lobby of the KOOS Hotel. A prime location near Karlsplatz bus and streetcar stops, the KOOS Hotel is also within easy walking distance of the Altstadt, Munich’s medieval old town. KOOS Hotel’s vegan-friendly personal care products in the rooms and numerous vegetarian and vegan breakfast selections are a welcome perk for those with specific preferences and dietary needs. The hotel is also a role model for sustainability and is entirely paperless, with a digital check-in process and novel phone-activated room entry in lieu of a room key. This family- and dog-friendly haven near the city center has all you need for your stay, including an in-room washing machine and clothesline for freshening up travel clothes.

Environmental consideration and convenience are key at KOOS Hotel.

If you’re looking to buy some “new-to-you” threads, consider a walk to Holareidulijö traditional Bavarian clothing store. Affable and knowledgeable shop owner, Michaela Klein, lovingly restores and resells used Dirndl, Lederhosen, hats, vests, and myriad Bavarian accessories and jewelry, while offering an assortment of new shirts and socks to match her wares. During Oktoberfest season, Klein’s store and the extra garage unit in back are packed with shoppers searching rows of racks for colorful festival outfits and drinking the free beer she offers during her busiest weeks.

Holareidulijö is a treasure trove of authentic, high-quality refurbished Trachten.

For a fantastic meal and some Augustiner beer or a selection from about 160 different wines, head to Xaver’s—a stylish restaurant and brew pub with a warm wood interior and a mix of small and large tables for date night or Stammtisch (“regulars’ table,” where friends recurrently gather to eat, drink, and socialize). Here, young and old alike are drawn to the restaurant motto’s “refreshingly traditional” vibe that features fun and friendly staff clad in traditional Bavarian costume (including genial owner Xaver himself, a sommelier and one of several restaurant-owning brothers). The menu features classic Bavarian dishes reimagined with a fresh take using locally farmed ingredients, as well as innovative entrees that change every six weeks. The lively music and cheerful atmosphere make you want to come back and be part of the scene— same time next week.

With a fresh take on Old World style, Xaver’s serves locally grown foods, Augustiner beer, and wines galore.

Spend a sunny day walking through the English Gardens to see brave wet-suited surfers on the man-made river waves and stop at the Biergarten am Chinesischen Turm (beer garden at the Chinese tower) for a fresh-baked pretzel and a mug of beer, Maracuja (passion fruit) juice with water, or Johannisbeere (black currant) juice with water. Kids can play on the jungle gym while adults chat and people-watch, all while listening to the lively oompah band playing from the second level of the tower.

On a nice day, the English Gardens fills with picnickers, volleyball players, surfers, and groups of friends.

For a dose of education, head to the Deutsches Museum, one of the world’s largest natural science and technology museums. Through hands-on experiments and interactive exhibits, explore the physics of light and sound, observe chemical reactions, and learn about human body physiology. An enormous aviation center and historic airplane hangar allow visitors to climb into cockpits and pilot model airplanes. In the Musical Instruments exhibition, try your hand at playing the theremin—an electronic musical instrument played by placing hands in the air between two antennas that sense the hands’ positions and control frequency and volume.

Deutsches Museum interactive exhibits make learning fun.

After two nights in each city—Davos, Switzerland; St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria; and Munich, Germany—a flight out of Munich Airport concludes an adventure exploring towns in three different countries all within one week. Thanks to Eurail’s flexible Global Pass, it is a fantastic way to get a taste of multiple countries with just one set of airline flights!

Eurail offers speedy and smooth transportation, and window seats to beautiful scenery.

Looking for more ski opportunities? Visit bestofthealps.com to learn more about top ski resorts that help define and cultivate Alpine culture. Best of the Alps is a collection of 9 Alpine resorts that showcase mountain village magic and charm in Switzerland, Austria, France, and Italy. For more than 30 years, the Best of the Alps organization has encouraged exploration of the cultures, communities, traditions, natural wonders, and distinctions of these remarkable Alpine destinations: Chamonix-Mont-Blanc and Megève in France; Cortina d’Ampezzo and Courmayeur in Italy; Crans-Montana and Davos Klosters in Switzerland; and Kitzbühel, Lech Zürs am Arlberg, and St. Anton am Arlberg in Austria.

Echoes of the Past Enchant Istanbul Hotel Guests

The Pera Palace Hotel, in business since the late 19th century, retains its Old World panache, captivating patrons with elite amenities and Belle Epoque charm

By Randy Mink

Just about every major European city has a historic luxury hotel that begs nostalgia-minded folks like me to come take a peek or maybe bed down for a night or two. I tend to make a beeline to such hostelries—those with a story to tell and grand trappings to go with it—even if it’s just for a brief walk through the lobby or to soak up the ambience over a drink in the bar.

In Istanbul, the Pera Palace Hotel started life in the 1890s when the Turkish city (then called Constantinople) needed a place suitable for hosting wealthy passengers arriving from Paris and other points in Western Europe on the Orient Express, the luxury train made famous by English author Agatha Christie. It’s said that she wrote some of Murder on the Orient Express while staying at the Pera Palace in the 1930s.

The hotel has endured through the reigns of three Ottoman sultans, the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of the new Turkish Republic in the 1920s. Between World Wars I and II, it was at the center of international intrigue in the Pera neighborhood, then a hotbed of espionage and geopolitical machinations involving players from throughout the Continent. Pera, with its numerous military and diplomatic posts, was once called Little Europe.

The Pera Palace today retains its lofty position as a place to see and be seen. Trying not to gape, I entered the high-ceilinged lobby on the red carpet inscribed with the hotel’s name in gold letters, glancing up at the crystal chandeliers and plush red draperies on my way to the reception desk.  Gleaming marble walls, floors and balustrades, along with brass urns brimming with palm fronds, set the tone as well.

The Pera Palace Hotel is one of Istanbul’s elite addresses. (Photo credit: Pera Palace Hotel)

Famous Guests of the Pera Palace

Over the years, the same grandeur has greeted notables like England’s King Edward VIII and Queen Elizabeth II, Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Josef, Shah Reza Pahlavi of Iran, President Tito of Yugoslavia and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Hollywood royalty has included Zsa Zsa Gabor, Greta Garbo and Alfred Hitchcock. As a reporter after World War I, Ernest Hemingway was a hotel resident.

In Turkish eyes, the most important figure to grace the Pera Palace was Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, revered as the father of modern Turkey. When in Istanbul between 1917 and 1926, the country’s first president resided in Suite 101, which is now a museum devoted to him. A stern-looking Ataturk mannequin—holding a cane and dressed in a green army uniform and black cape and hat—stands in the sitting room. Along with vintage photographs, newspaper clippings and a Time magazine cover bearing Ataturk’s image, personal possessions on display include the national hero’s eyeglasses, goggles, pajamas, shoes, white linen suit jacket and black silk prayer rug. The museum, free to hotel guests, is open to the public for a fee.

Suite 101 in Istanbul’s Pera Palace Hotel is a museum dedicated to the memory of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the modern republic of Turkey. (Randy Mink Photo)

The guest room where Christie stayed, number 411, now carries her name, and the hotel restaurant is named Agatha. Framed black-and-white photographs of past guests, including Garbo, Hemingway, Zsa Zsa and Jackie O, adorn the restaurant’s back wall.

Dining at Istanbul’s Pera Palace Hotel

Agatha Restaurant’s bountiful buffet breakfast offers everything from salads and olives to cheeses, cold cuts and quail eggs. Pastries include mini donuts, mini croissants and simits, the sesame-seeded dough rings found throughout Turkey. For spreading on breads and rolls, I made good use of the honeycomb, tahini, grape molasses, jams and clotted cream. I had more than my share of the cheese balls covered in sesame seeds, black cumin, pistachios or poppy seeds. Among the hot dishes: cheese quiche, cheese soufflé, falafel, artichoke soup, pancakes and porridge.

The breakfast buffet at Agatha Restaurant offers many choices, including a wide variety of olives. (Randy Mink Photo)

More treats await at Patisserie de Pera, an intimate cafe reached from the hotel lobby or separate street entrance. Rose-colored walls and furnishings lend a soft touch, and red-accented Venetian glass chandeliers hang from the pink ceiling in each of the two salons. This is the place for a leisurely mid-morning coffee or tea break accompanied by a decadent fruit tart, slice of cheesecake or an assortment of chocolates or macarons.

The gift shop just outside the cafe (actually just a glass cabinet) provides a wide variety of Pera Palace mementoes. Items include socks, umbrellas, bathrobes and other things bearing the hotel logo. There are coasters, coffee mugs and souvenir plates. How about an Ataturk tea set or the paperback Murder on the Orient Express?

Patisserie de Pera is the place to linger over pastries and a cup of coffee or tea. (Randy Mink Photo)

Steps from the merchandise cabinet is an original sedan chair once used to carry Orient Express passengers from the train station to the Pera Palace.

A traditional afternoon tea with piano music is served under the six skylight domes of the Kubbeli Lounge. Featuring elements of Islamic architecture, the two-story-high room is decorated in dark reds and deep plums, as is the nearby Orient Bar, another plush spot to drink in visions of a bygone era. The equally stylish Library Room seating area, complete with bookcases and antique globes, extends from the lounge and bar.

The hotel’s Kubbelli Lounge hosts a traditional afternoon tea. (Photo credit: Pera Palace Hotel)

The Pera Palace’s Orient Bar provides an elegant setting for cocktails. (Randy Mink Photo)

Guest Rooms at the Pera Palace Hotel

More flashbacks to yesteryear are in store on a fun ride in the hotel’s original electric elevator, installed only three years after the Eiffel Tower’s elevator. The wood-and-cast-iron cage, operated by a staff member, is used only for arriving hotel guests. For normal use, a set of modern elevators services the six guest room floors.

The original elevator’s wood-and-cast-iron cage is well over a century old. (Photo credit: Pera Palace Hotel)

From tall windows in my room, number 506 in the Deluxe Golden Horn category, I had views of the Golden Horn, the waterway that separates modern Istanbul from the Old City on the other shore—and the primary inlet of the Bosphorus Strait. Amenities in the marble bath included thick white towels and robes. The pillow cases, hand towels and robes all bore the gold Pera Palace heraldic crest.

Deluxe King and Deluxe Twin rooms at the hotel feature pillowcases and plush robes that bear the Pera Palace’s heraldic crest.

Guest rooms at the Pera Palace are spread across six floors. Each floor has display cases filled with artifacts that illustrate the hotel’s colorful history. (Photo credit: Pera Palace Hotel)

On the morning before checking out, I made a point of visiting all six floors to peruse the display cases exhibiting old photos, menus, ledgers, china and silverware from the hotel and Orient Express. On the fourth floor I found the Agatha Christie Room, wishing the door would be open so I could see inside. For me, it will always be a mystery.

Monastic and Modern: Central Spain’s Parador de Cuenca

Visitors to the Castilla-La Mancha region can absorb Spanish traditions at this strategically located monastery-turned-hotel

By Randy Mink

For soaking up the heritage and romance of Spain almost by osmosis, nothing beats staying overnight in one of the country’s government-owned paradors. Many of the parador network’s 90-plus hostelries occupy former castles, palaces, fortresses and other types of historic buildings. They’re a big hit with North Americans seeking out Old World flavor.

Both for its prime location and historical ambience, the 63-room Parador de Cuenca, once the monastery of San Pablo, makes an ideal home base in the enchanting city of Cuenca. Set on a rocky outcrop high above the Huécar River, the hotel affords postcard-perfect views of ancient buildings clinging to the cliffs across the gorge. And just steps from the entrance lies the city’s photogenic San Pablo Bridge, a gorge-spanning walkway that leads to the Ciudad Alta (Old City).

Parador de Cuenca overlooks the gorge-spanning San Pablo footbridge. (Randy Mink Photo)

A destination in itself, Parador de Cuenca was built in the 16th century by the Dominican order. The monastery, with a Gothic-style church, Renaissance cloister and Baroque facade, was converted into a university in the 1800s and later served as a hospital, secondary school and military headquarters.

One of the hotel’s most striking features is the beautiful cloister that wraps around an open-air courtyard where you can enjoy a drink on a summer evening. The arcades, graced with semi-circular arches, beamed ceilings and black-and-white-tile floors, are accented here and there with antiques, including wooden chests and a grandfather clock. (On the Saturday of our visit, a wedding party had taken over the courtyard after a ceremony held under a tent in the plaza out front.)

The former monastery’s gracious cloister has been well preserved. (left, Paradores de Turismo de España; right, Randy Mink Photo)

Also impressive is the coffered wooden ceiling of the parador’s restaurant. Once a chapel where monks prayed, the vaulted room is a heavenly place for breakfast. At the buffet we helped ourselves to fresh fruits, meats, cheeses, yogurt, artisan breads and all kinds of homemade pastries. A fan of baked goods, I filled up on mini brioches with chocolate chips, pretty pink-frosted strawberry chocolate donuts, shortbread cookies made by nuns from a local convent and Manchego flowers (or flores manchegas), a flaky, flower-shaped pastry of fried dough dusted with sugar and cinnamon.

Among the many pastries offered at the parador’s bountiful breakfast buffet are Manchego flowers, or flores manchegas. (Randy Mink Photo)


From the a la carte menu we could order piping-hot churros or eggs any style, but both days I went for migas, a humble dish that became a favorite of mine while traveling in Spain. A satisfying comfort food, migas combines fried crumbs from stale bread (soaked in water to get moist), olive oil, garlic, paprika (coloring it orange) and bits of chorizo. The crispy concoction is usually topped with a fried egg.

Paradors are known for purveying the best in Spanish gastronomy, and the restaurant’s dinner menu features many dishes with traditional recipes from central Spain’s Castilla-La Mancha region. Entrees include shoulder of suckling lamb, Manchego-style roasted lamb with rosemary sauce, and baked cod with Manchego ratatouille and saffron sauce.

The word “Manchego”—known to North Americans as the name of a prized, semi-hard sheep’s milk cheese—and its various forms refer broadly to the La Mancha region. A man from La Mancha would be a Manchegan (with a capital “M”) in English, or a manchego in Spanish.

To explain it further, Americans have only heard the adjective manchego in reference to the cheese, so often when they see the popular Spanish vegetable dish, pisto manchego, they assume it has to do with cheese, but it actually has no cheese at all; it just means it’s a Manchegan dish. The parador’s menu offers a selection of Manchego cheeses, or quesos manchegos.

Like the dining hall, the bar evokes the spirit of the old monastery. Just look up at the lovely religious ceiling frescoes framed by ornate plasterwork.

Summer guests can enjoy the parador’s swimming pool. Long ago, the parador’s dining room was the monastery’s chapel.(Randy Mink Photos)


Across the road are the tennis courts, outdoor swimming pool and party room. The main building has a fitness room.

The high-ceilinged guest rooms at Parador de Cuenca are tastefully appointed. My third-floor nest had a desk, TV, refrigerator and individual temperature controls. There were two floor lamps, two upholstered chairs and a coffee table. The red-tile floors and carved wooden doors lent a rustic look. Bathroom amenities included vanity and dental kits, make-up mirror and hairdryer. In both the bedroom and bathroom, windows let in fresh air and allowed me to hear crowing roosters at the farmstead across the river.

For information on the paradors of Spain, visit www.paradores.es.

Cruising Through the Heart of Europe

In comfort and style aboard the Scenic Opal

By Randy Mink

I can’t think of a more relaxing way of seeing Europe than cruising in luxury along its great rivers. Unlike a multi-country bus tour or train journey, you unpack just once, as your ship is home sweet home for the week. And as these sleek white vessels often dock in the center of town, the tourist highlights lie just steps from the gangway.

My most recent magic-carpet ride to adventure was “Charming Castles & Vineyards of the Rhine and Moselle,” a seven-night trip filled with shore excursions in southwestern Germany, northeastern France and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Delivering us to these enchanting places was the 163-passenger Scenic Opal, one of 12 ships in the Europe fleet of Scenic, an Australian-owned cruise line geared to English-speaking guests.

The 163-passenger Scenic Opal, shown here on the Moselle River in Bernkastel, Germany, is one of Scenic’s 12 luxury river ships in Europe. (Randy Mink Photo)

The Scenic Difference

At first glance, most river ships in Europe seem to offer a similar product, but Scenic stands out in two ways. First, guests have a little more elbow room, as the vessels offer a higher-than-usual passenger-to-space ratio. Whereas many ships of the same size take on 180 or more passengers, Scenic’s four-deck floating hotels carry 163 guests maximum. (Our sailing counted 129 passengers, including 53 Americans, 27 Canadians, 37 British, nine Australians and a smattering of other nationalities.) The Scenic Opal and sister ships Scenic Amber and Scenic Jasper were built in 2015/2016 and refurbished in 2019.

Floor-to-ceiling windows in both public areas and most staterooms, moreover, give the feeling of added space. All cabins on the Sapphire and Diamond (second and third) decks feature a full-length, enclosed balcony with two padded wicker chairs, a table and a wide horizontal window that glides up or down at the push of a button. A curtain and a glass door can be used to close off the bedroom from the peaceful nook, called a Scenic Sun Lounge. For this sense of extra space, Scenic ships are marketed as “Space-Ships” (not because they’re futuristic-looking). Smaller staterooms on the less-populated lower deck, the Jewel Deck, have a large picture window but no balcony.

The other chief takeaway about Scenic is the all-inclusive price. You never have to take out your wallet and won’t even be asked for a credit card at check-in. The cruise fare includes not only gratuities, airport and hotel transfers, laundry service once per cruise, shore excursions and multiple dining options but also unlimited complimentary beverages (soda, beer, wine, cocktails, spirits) all day, not just with meals. You don’t even need to worry about using your room’s mini-bar—just help yourself to free drinks and snacks when the mood strikes. Treats in my cabin included Pringles chips and a favorite of mine—Manner cocoa-flavored hazelnut-creme wafers from Vienna. The refrigerator, replenished daily, was stocked with everything from Coke, beer and juices to German wines and miniature bottles of rum, gin and whiskey.

Left: Most cabins on the Scenic Opal have an enclosed balcony, or Sun Lounge, with a window that glides up and down at the push of a button. (Photo credit: Gillies & Zaiser)
Right: The Junior Balcony Suite offers a little more space than standard staterooms on the Scenic Opal. (Photo credit: Gillies & Zaiser)

Food, Glorious Food

In the Crystal Dining Room, I always tried to get a window table so as to look out on the sloping vineyards and fairy-tale towns flanking the Rhine and Moselle rivers. The daily breakfast buffet featured a million different items—well, at least 100 anyway—and even offered chilled Champagne. There were bagels and artisan breads, yogurts and fruits of all kinds, and hot-off-the-griddle pancakes or waffles, not to mention made-to-order omelets. The Brits and Australians appreciated the baked beans, porridge, English bacon, and grilled tomatoes and mushrooms. One morning we had bread-and-butter pudding.

The breakfast buffet also offered cheeses, cold cuts and smoked fish (herring, rollmops, halibut, salmon). What’s more, we could order from a menu that featured lamb chops, French toast and perfectly done, oh-so-decadent eggs Benedict.

Lunch also was a smorgasbord. I really enjoyed the German buffet, a special meal that put an exclamation point on our morning transit through the castle-studded Rhine Gorge and got us in a jolly mood for the tourist-thronged wine town of Rüdesheim. The spread included three types of sausage—bratwurst, Käsekrainer (cheese-filled) and Weisswurst (white veal sausage)—and three mustards. There were sauerkraut, parsley potatoes and both bread and potato dumplings. Cheesy spaetzle, freshly tossed, was served hot from the pan. I didn’t have room for the fried chicken (Backhendl), pan-seared river trout in almond butter or even a morsel of the pork knuckle.

Recorded oom-pah band music lent a Munich beer hall vibe as I washed down traditional German foods with a tall glass of Erdinger Weissbier, a classic wheat brew. Dessert was Dampfnudel, a pillowy steamed dumpling filled with blueberries. Other lunch buffets usually featured at least one food representative of the region we were traveling through.

On King Charles III’s coronation day, the River Cafe, an area of the Opal Lounge that offers a daily lunch buffet, we had fish ’n’ chips while watching the ceremony on big-screen TVs. The lounge’s coffee and tea stations had scones with jam and clotted cream, another British touch.

The River Cafe, open during the day for sandwiches, salads, ice cream and pastries, is transformed each evening into Portobellos, a five-course Italian dining experience for which each guest receives a printed invitation once during the week. Table La Rive, a sophisticated chef’s table offered once a cruise to Diamond Deck and Junior Suite guests, stars innovative fare with wine matching in a small-group setting in the dining room.

Every night, the restaurant’s a la carte dinner menu gave us appetizer, main course and dessert choices. If we didn’t want one of the three entree selections, we could order a salmon steak, sirloin steak or chicken breast.

Rather eat in privacy on your balcony? An extensive room service menu is available from 6 a.m. to midnight.

On any cruise, I tend to overeat (don’t we all?), so every day I hit the walking track on the expansive Sun Deck, a breezy area with tables, chairs, loungers and a vitality pool. Happily for me, the track was lighted after dark. I recall one night making my rounds as floodlit Reichsburg Castle loomed beyond the storybook Moselle River town of Cochem, Germany, a magical moment indeed.

Left to right: The Scenic Opal’s daily breakfast buffet offers choices galore, including many varieties of yogurt. (Randy Mink Photo)
An omelet station is part of the Crystal Dining Room’s breakfast buffet. (Randy Mink Photo)
Alcoholic drinks in the Opal Lounge and dining room are included in the cruise fare. (Photo credit: Gillies & Zaiser)
The River Cafe is the place for a wide variety of tempting small bites throughout the day. (Photo credit: Gillies & Zaiser)

A Superlative Staff

Every evening we all gathered in the spacious lounge with cruise director Alex Thurein, who briefed us on the next day’s schedule. An affable German who was born in Wiesbaden and currently lives in Salzburg, Austria, he set the upbeat tone of the cruise. From Day 1 we knew we could go to Alex for travel advice or any problem. (On a personal note, I will be forever grateful to him for helping me contact credit card companies after a pickpocket incident during a shore excursion in Colmar, France.)

One morning Alex gave a brilliant presentation on “Germany and the Germans: A Brief Overview of 1,200 Years of Central European History.” Another day his topic was Europe’s rivers, canals and lock systems.

The Scenic Opal’s crew, 53 in all, represented 14 nationalities, from Thai and Indonesian to Serbian and Polish. Our captain was Hungarian. The women staffing the reception desk always had smiles and couldn’t wait to assist or answer a question.

Also smoothing the way was the stateroom’s TV, an encyclopedia of information and entertainment options. We could watch television shows (I mostly caught the live BBC newscasts), choose from a wide selection of movies and music, view the daily schedule and lounge presentations, and bone up on the ports of call. A keyboard even let us use the screen as a computer.

With high-tech gadgetry, an all-inclusive approach and plenty of space to unwind, Scenic has thought of everything to ensure a worry-free journey on the rivers of Europe.

1: Champagne is served at the first-night welcome reception onboard the Scenic Opal. (Photo credit: Gillies & Zaiser)
2: In the Rhine River city of Koblenz, passengers relax on the Sun Deck of the Scenic Opal as cable cars to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress pass overhead. (Randy Mink Photo)
3: The Scenic Opal’s reception desk is located just off the Opal Lounge. (Photo credit: Gillies & Zaiser)
4: A passing parade of hilltop castles enchants passengers on the Scenic Opal. (Photo credit: Scenic)

Live the French Way—Celebrate the Pleasure of Life

Story and photos by Alison Ramsey

Dozens of blooming white flowers and shimmering candles in glass holders grace the center of a long dining table. Greeted with a glass of sparkling wine upon entry to the Cigale Room, Sofitel Chicago Wine Dinner guests seat themselves around the table and sip their bubbling beverages while reviewing the printed menu of culinary delights and drinks to come. The varied-height centerpieces create intimacy between clusters of conversing guests, allowing privacy within a group setting. Per French ideals, one simple joy of life is savoring food and wine that bring out the best in each other, and Sofitel Chicago is an expert in this pairing of dishes and drinks, offering fine dining experiences through its creatively curated Sofitel Wine Dinners. This series of seasonal dinners introduces guests to exquisitely prepared courses matched with wines and cocktails whose notes enhance flavors in the meal.

The September 2022 Sofitel Wine Days Dinner at Sofitel Chicago was prepared by Executive Chef Cliff Crawford, who crafts meals that embody Sofitel’s “Live the French Way” motto. He said, “I always strive to have a noticeable French influence in the menus. It can be ingredients used, such as cheeses or pâtes, or could be a modern take on French classics.” Per this ideal, the September dinner’s first course was a beautifully plated French-style tuna tartare alongside cucumber mousse and delicate cucumber curls, ponzu onion, and topped with a marquise-shaped scoop of paddlefish caviar. This flavorful delicacy was accompanied by a generous pour of golden Domaine Gilles Noblet Mâcon-Fuissé from vineyards in Mâconnais, Burgundy, France.

Sofitel Chicago began hosting these wine dinners in late 2021, and a gourmet dinner is scheduled for each of the remaining three months of 2022. The dining room’s exquisite décor changes based on the time of year, as does Chef Crawford’s menu planning. “It is really just about the season and the ingredients that are best at that time of year. It mostly revolves around produce. Wild mushrooms, for example, are one of my favorites. I love to have morels in the spring and black trumpets in the winter,” Crawford said.

The Fall Harvest Wine Dinner on October 7 will feature wines from France, Italy, and the USA, alongside seasonal spreads. The November 11 Winter Whiskey Dinner will serve an exclusive Maker’s Mark bourbon mixed into cocktails, in lieu of wine. The December 9 Art de Noel Dinner will feature holiday décor and include festive cocktails to compliment the meal.

Regarding guests at these luxurious dinner experiences, Chef Crawford said, “I would like to see them leave with plans to return. I feel we are a bit of a ‘hidden gem’ here in downtown Chicago; we are a great location, but not everyone has heard of us. I want them to feel like they have found something special.” To purchase tickets for upcoming dinners at Sofitel Chicago, please visit https://www.sofitel-chicago.com/dining/wine-dinner-series/. To round out the evening, a convenient and comfortable overnight stay in the posh rooms above can be booked at https://www.sofitel-chicago.com/.

The 5-star Sofitel Chicago is part of a French luxury hotel chain that embodies “living the French way” by celebrating life through a sophisticated and unique approach to luxury accommodations and hospitality. Its stylish avant-garde exterior is a preview of the interior’s chic design and atmosphere. Le Bar, the glass-walled bar and lounge on the lobby level of the hotel, is a trendy place to unwind and socialize while indulging in savory appetizers, flatbreads, main dishes, and desserts, and sipping unique libations like the Banana Old Fashioned. A combination of Bacardi 8-year, Giffard Banane Liqueur, Angostura bitters, Angostura cocoa bitters, and Demerara syrup, with a dark cherry and an orange peel garnish, one patron described this drink as “a really interesting take on an old fashioned. Not too sweet, and very banana, which was fun!”

The higher floors of Sofitel Chicago offer a wide-windowed, stunning view of the bustling city below, while an easy flick of a switch lowers the blinds for privacy and comfort. In the European way, the fluffy bedding provides a warm nest in which to rest beneath a soft duvet with no need for a top sheet. Room bathrooms are supplied with bath and skin products by LANVIN Paris, a soft white robe, soaker tub, and rainfall shower. Luxurious and cozy, Sofitel Chicago provides home-away-from-home accommodations that pamper and allow for chic indulgence.

Further celebrate the art of living—l’art de vivre—and say oui to a nearby adventure that will bring the soirée to new heights. A mere five-minute walk from Sofitel Chicago, you can experience elevation to an even higher viewpoint of the city, at 360 CHICAGO, the top of the former John Hancock Center. The observation deck sits 94 floors high (1,030 feet above the Magnificent Mile) and is the home of Chicago’s highest thrill ride, TILT. To get to this height, you first stroll through an exhibition celebrating the history of Chicago and nine of its culture-rich neighborhoods. A quick 20-miles-per-hour elevator ride then lifts you to the glass-walled, 17,000-square-foot level that allows breathtaking 360-degree vistas of the city and lakefront. On a clear day, you can even see four states from this lookout deck!

An add-on to the observation deck entry is a ticket to experience TILT, where guests 42 inches and taller can spend 2-3 minutes safely angling forward over the cityscape and peering downward through the glass window. While excited participants tightly grasp handles to their right and left sides, the glass wall is set into action in a series of motion profiles, allowing people to feel the sensation of leaning out into the sky and over the skyscrapers. Energizing music builds as the windows tilt farther and farther out at each interval, causing some people to close their eyes, some to giggle nervously, and others to shriek in terror. At night, colorful lights outline each panel separating participants. In “Extreme” mode (an experience that requires a prerequisite signing of a safety waiver), a window can even slide open for guests to enjoy further thrills and feel the city breeze. Trying out the basic mode, with its increasing angles and exhilarating music, Megan Pletzer from Madison, Wis., said, “You think it’s done, and then it just keeps going!”

A general admission ticket to the observation deck includes entry to the brand new CloudBar, which officially opened on September 14, 2022. Owned and operated by Magnicity, a Paris-based company, 360 CHICAGO’s CloudBar is a novel, sky-high bar and lounge that magnifies the best of Chicago by featuring local food and beverage partnerships and décor by area artisans. Magnicity CEO, Alexia Vettier, said, “We want each Magnicity location to act as a true city ambassador for our guests—encouraging exploration of the vibrant neighborhoods within our cities and forging new adventures and experiences. We are thrilled to introduce our brand-new bar concept with CloudBar.”

Photos above courtesy of 360 CHICAGO.

The Gettys Group Chicago design team fashioned the area to give people the feeling of “floating in the air.” Numerous reflective surfaces (including the ceiling, drink rails, and back wall) echo the spectacular sights visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Modern European lounge furniture and stylish lighting coupled with customized, original graphics by Chicago-based muralist Lauren Asta emphasize the blended cultures found in the city.

At this great height and surrounded by inspiring art and lights, you can also stimulate your sense of taste with snacks and sips from CloudBar’s offerings. The “Feeling Tilt-sy” cocktail carries on the “TILT” theme, served in a unique glass that leans to one side. Another colorful drink emits a haze of white mist from its lime-accessorized martini glass. Exclusively available at CloudBar is the Magnicity Pilsner, created by Moody Tongue brewery in partnership with 360 CHICAGO. Other true Chicago brands and products can be found at this exciting altitude, including wares from Garrett Popcorn, Vosges Haut-Chocolate, Carol’s Cookies, Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club, and Kikwetu Coffee Company.

Photos above courtesy of 360 CHICAGO. Pictured at center above is artist Lauren Asta.

This space in the clouds is also available to be rented for private events, weddings, and parties. For information on event reservations, please visit 360chicagoevents.com. Relax at cloud level with besties and beverages, elevate your mood, and let the spectacular city views fill you with joie de vivre, the joy of living.