From Monet’s idyllic water garden in Giverny, France, to the terraced gardens within Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore, this book introduces and explores places that uniquely celebrate the beauty of nature. Inspirational, iconic, and innovative gardens from all over the world have been selected for inclusion in this volume and are organized by theme: Carefully Curated, Mindful Spaces, Wild and Wonderful, Urban Oases, and Innovators and Influencers.
Pages from the Wild and Wonderful segment of the book include photos of the tumbling wisteria, rambling roses, wildflower-filled meadows, and sparkling crystal river that compose Giardini di Ninfa in Italy. Known as one of Italy’s most romantic gardens, lush foliage drapes over the crumbling ruins of medieval town Ninfa across a span of 20 acres. Pillaged by mercenaries and ransacked into ruin in 1381, the formerly vibrant town that Pope Boniface had bestowed upon the Caetani family became an “overgrown ghost town” until the overgrowth was cleared and some unstable structures restored in the early 20th century. This transformation, initiated by Prince Gelasio Caetani and his mother, included creating canals and a stream from once-stagnant, swampy waters. Other family members stepped in to design and maintain the gardens, add favorite plants and perennials, and set into motion the growth of a dreamy naturalistic garden gracing history-filled, ancient ruins.
Learn about unique landscape elements, native plant species, horticulture design inspiration, and history, and discover features and flora of 67 intriguing gardens that are yours to explore.
For more DK Eyewitness titles, and further information about “Gardens of the World,” please visithttps://www.dk.com/us/.
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 7will feature wines from France, Italy, and the USA, alongside seasonal spreads. The November 11 Winter Whiskey Dinnerwill 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.
Don Heimburger and Eurostar Driver Detlef Hofmann shake hands prior to departure from Waterloo Station, London, when the train left from this station.
Nearly 22,000 travelers hop aboard a Eurostar train each day, and more than 75 million have traveled the Eurostar routes over the last decade.
That figure represents more rail passengers than all the airline passengers combined on both Eurostar routes out of London.
So what’s new with Eurostar for 2008?
NEW FOR 2008
For one, since November, 2007 Eurostar has moved to a new station, from Waterloo to St. Pancreas, reducing the rail journey between London and Paris by 20 minutes. (I loved Waterloo Station!) The travel time is now 2 hours and 15 minutes, and between London and Brussels it is only 1 hour and 51 minutes.
Also opened was Great Britian’s first high-speed line (called HS1) which carries the Eurostar exclusively. This allows travelers from London to Paris or Brussels to use the train for a one-day business or leisure trip. Every day the train runs 18 roundtrips between London and Paris and 10 between Brussels.
Eurostar trains feature 18 cars each, with car configurations changed depending on if the train is designated as a Business Premier train or a Leisure Select train. The train also runs to Lille, Eurodisney/Marne La Valle, Avignon (summer only), and Bourg St. Maurice (winter only).
TRAINS SEAT 766
Trains seat 766 persons, with special cars situated between cars 7 and 12, and standard class cars 1-5 and 14-18. There are always two bar cars, 6 and 13.
If you are a U.S. citizen, you will probably want to book your trip through Rail Europe, especially if you want to purchase a Eurail Pass that can include the Eurostar (and you can receive up to a 60% discount). Go to http://www.raileurope.com for the details.
In other European rail news, last summer the new French Railway TGV East train broke the world’s rail speed record, reaching a top speed on the trip of 357 miles per hour! A Rail Europe spokesman said, “This accomplishment is monumental for the SNCF and the rail community, and will have a positive impact on all who wish to travel east from Paris.”
The average speed, however, of the TGV East trains is 200 miles per hour. Each first class seat features its own electric power outlet, and broad seat cushions; first class passengers can book a taxi through the train conductor; and on-board messages are in French, German and English.
As an example of faster speeds on the TGV, here are new travel times posted by Rail Europe for travel between some stations:
Photos courtesy the Paris Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
Museum shops. Parisian museums present the opportunity to combine culture with shopping. After a visit, you can pick up the hottest new design object to take home; find a special work on architecture, science, or cinema; or choose the latest trendy image or object as a souvenir.
THEMATIC AND SPECIFIC SHOPS Museum shops offer works and objects of a high quality representative of those found in the exhibitions themselves. They often present the opportunity to find rare or very specialized objects, recordings, or books.
Close to the Jardin des Plantes, the bookshop of the Institut du Monde Arabe, designed by Jean Nouvel, has many precious items. Once through the entrance of this magnificent institution encased in moucharabiehs, the shop offers insight into Arab culture with high-quality exhibition catalogs and books on photography, architecture and craftsmanship.
Cinémathèque Française
In the Bercy district, the bookshop of the Cinémathèque Française is housed in a building designed by the architect Frank O. Gerhy. This bookshop for cinema buffs is situated on the mezzanine of the Cinèmathèque and is the main reference for cinema in Paris. Books about the history of cinema, experimental cinema and film music, as well as posters, and photos are for sale.
The bookshop at the Jeu de Paume, at the Place Concorde, is a landmark bookshop for all areas of photography, the visual arts and cinema, and has built a collection of more than 10,000 titles. The bookshop also operates a high-quality mail-order service for visitors abroad.
The huge bookshop Harmonia Mundi is located between the concert hall and the Musee de la Cita de la Musique, at the entrance to the Parc de la Villette, in north Paris. Lovers of classic, jazz and world music can choose from among the 9,000 CD and DVD references and benefit from the advice of professionals.
Linked to the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine, just across from the Eiffel Tower, the Moniteur Bookshop is entirely devoted to the subject of architecture and stocks works on architecture, town planning and heritage.
NATIONAL MUSEUMS The national museums in Paris also have their prestigious shops. The Musée du Louvre shops, in several locations at the Carrousel, sell elegant objects like reproductions of jewelery and sculpture from the museum’s collections, as well as a selection of monographs by artists, essays and art books.
The Musée d’Orsay, a former train station built for the World Fair of 1900, has a delightful shop inspired by the collections of the museum selling posters, table and home decor objects, and exhibition catalogs.
Finally, the Flammarion bookshop at Beaubourg, in the Centre Pompidou, offers exhibition catalogs, postcards and multimedia products as well as a large selection of publications on art and design.
Musee d’Orsay
CONTEMPORARY SHOPS Some museums boast highly-contemporary shops designed like a second exhibition area to extend the length of a visit and offer a sales area with a striking decor. The ultra-trendy Palais de Tokyo, powerhouse of the contemporary artistic avant-garde, close to the Eiffel Tower, asked the graffiti artist André, the creator of the character of Monsieur A., to design its Blackblock gift shop. The design of the shop was inspired by a gas station in the suburbs of Stockholm. Encircled by refrigerated glass windows with integrated pink lights, the shop displays rare objects and limited editions. The space is also regularly used for special events.
In another vein, Le Laboratoire has opened near the Louvre; it is an experimental venue at the crossroads of science and contemporary creation with a bookshop called Laboshop. A veritable bubble in white, the shop invites visitors to discover a variety of prototypes that have been devised and created by participants at the venue, and which it is possible to test or buy. Among the most astonishing, “the Whiff” is a process which enables you to eat by inhalation, while “the Bel-Air” is a filter that enables plants to filter the air. These unique objects are signed by Designer Mathieu Lehanneur, and scientist and founder of this unique place, David Edwards.
The mezzanine of the Centre Pompidou, a dynamic Parisian cultural institution, houses the Printemps du Design, a shop with a grey concrete floor and minimalist windows. It offers 3,000 types of objects around five themes: living, savoring, charming, communicating, getting around and playing. Eggcups, seats, cameras, jewelery, sweets and spinning tops catch the eye. Striking for its selection and display of objects, it offers design classics as well as the latest in contemporary creations.
The 107 Rivoli is the sales area of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, close to the Tuileries Gardens in the center of the capital. Specializing in specific areas of the decorative arts, fashion and design, the shop offers a rare selection of books, accessories, stationary, tableware and toys. For more up-to-date shopping, celebrities and designers are invited to suggest a selection of special objects for the duration of an exhibition or an event.
The new Galerie de l’Opéra is a gem of a shop situated within the prestigious Palais Garnier. A place to discover talents and trends in Europe, it specializes in the operatic and choreographic arts and is divided into four areas: multimedia library, art for children, memory, and performance, and is linked to the artistic program of the famous institution. Educational games, designer objects, books, technological or even signature and showcase objects already make this a cult address for the latest in museum shopping.
Galerie de l’Opéra
Palais de Tokyo
The prestigious Pinacothèque de Paris, situated opposite the Madeleine church, rounds off this tour of contemporary museum shops. Its shop showcases French and European designers who are not well-known to the general public, like the La Tonkinoise jewelery brand, for example. There is also a great selection of items for children: memory games, card games, wooden toys; and for adults, superb decorative objects and even luxury stationary.
For the curious and contemporary art buffs, there is the Merle Moqueur, situated in the north wing of the Halle Curial at the Centquatre, the city of Paris art establishment in northeast Paris. The shop features an epoxy floor, suspended acoustic cassettes and ramps with fluorescent lighting. Reference works for children and adults are offered in the different sections: general, youth and arts.
Also centered on contemporary creations, the bookshop of the Maison Rouge in Paris, Bookstorming, has wall decoration by the artist Jean-Michel Alberola. Books on art, monographic works, and critical essays, as well as many original works are on sale. Numerous events and encounters with artists and authors, like book signings, talks and video displays are featured regularly.
The bookshop of the Musée du Quai-Branly, situated on the Seine quayside near the Eiffel Tower, is devoted to art from outside Europe. This unique place offers a variety of ethnic objects while advocating the values of fair trade, for example with A-Typik and its Colombian jewelery, whose profits go to the reconstruction of schools in Colombia.
UNUSUAL SHOPS Reflecting the museums in which they are housed, this type of shop offers unusual and miscellaneous articles.
At the Musée de la Poste, the shop Correspondances offers a fine choice of objects linked to the role and history of the Post Office: original postcards, objects and ideas for gifts.
Below Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre, the Halle Saint-Pierre is an exhibition area showing unusual and popular primitive art. The bookshop of the Halle Saint-Pierre is as surprising as the museum. Built of iron and glass, it houses books on art and literature, often illustrated and covering all types of contemporary creation.
Not far from the Halle Saint-Pierre, in north Paris, the shop of the Musée de l’Érotisme caters to shopping with an aphrodisiac edge. On sale are books of modern art and erotic photographs, and old films and comic strips on the same theme.
There is also the bookshop of the Hôtel de Sully, located in a 17th-century mansion. This exceptional establishment presents national heritage treasures and heritage publications.
The shop of the Monnaie de Paris delights fans of coins, medals and jewelery.
The bookshop of the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, situated near City Hall, offers atypical shopping opportunities with very specialized literary and artistic publications on the subjects of nature and hunting.
For honing technical and scientific knowledge, the shop of the Musée des Arts et Métiers offers fine objects and books linked to the current exhibitions. Badges, fans, model aircraft, and literary works provide a close-up view of the fascinating world of technology.
Finally, in the Hôtel de Saint-Aigan, in the heart of the Marais, the bookshop of the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme offers a selection of varied objects and books on religion, philosophy, history and ethnography, continually updated according to what’s at the museum.
Photos courtesy Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau
Designer hotels: everything started in Paris a few years ago with the trend toward boutique hotels.
The term is used for small capacity hotels with three or four stars, which offer clients a personalized and attentive welcome and a particularly refined and cozy decor.
Following the success of this type of hotel, certain hotels decided to take the concept further by entrusting their decor to interior designers and architects and providing their guests with a contemporary atmosphere: designer furniture, use of new materials, the latest technologies and contemporary works of art.
Some hotel groups have made this design orientation their speciality. This is the case for the Murano Hotels and Resorts, which owns the Murano Urban Resort Hotel and the Kube Rooms and Bars Hotel in Paris. The first, located between République and Bastille on the edge of the Marais, drew attention with its immaculate white design aesthetic, its bar lounge with colored seats, its lobby with a huge contemporary fireplace and its guest rooms which mix high-tech and state-of-the-art design. The second, located in the north of the capital, applies the same formula to the design of its guestrooms and offers an out-of-the-ordinary experience with its bar completely made of ice.
The Astotel group also offers 15 Parisian hotels where the designer touch captivates guests in search of a contemporary atmosphere. This is the case at Le 1223 Elysees, a hotel where beautiful materials (Swarovski crystal, marble, etc.) provide a contemporary feel, or at the Hotel Joyce, which combines the latest technology gadgets (iPod stations) with products answering to the needs of today’s travelers (a range of organic products), all in a contemporary decor that play on the codes of traditional hotel charm and character (outlines of bed heads and features of interior decor drawn on the bedroom walls).
The Relais de Paris group reinvents the classic Relais style with a contemporary, designer version. The BLC Design Hotel offers an immaculate white setting in the Charonne district. The 29 guest rooms all have a monochrome look, combining refined furniture with black and white photographs.
At the Standard Design Hotel, not far from the lively Bastille District, black and white begins in the reception areas. The young designers invited to decorate the hotel have created a contemporary, trendy place. The Color Design Hotel, between Bastille and the Gare de Lyon, lives up to its name and offers guests lively colors with special touches in the guest rooms and bathrooms. The vaulted breakfast room follows the same concept with a contrast provided by exposed stonework. Located in the picturesque Montmartre district, the Chat Noir Design Hotel plays the designer card while respecting the traditional Parisian style of this area. The decoration amusingly evokes the shadow plays that gave the Théâtre du Chat Noir its reputation, while offering refined white furniture complemented by warm orange and brick tones.
The wave of designer hotels can be found in all districts of Paris, each revealing a leading concept and specific style of decoration. Another example in the Latin Quarter is the Five Hotel. This hotel’s concept is the awakening of the five senses: smell with fragrances created just for the Five, touch with the use of sensual materials in the guestrooms and particularly the ultra-contemporary reinterpretation of Chinese lacquer, taste with a breakfast of the best Viennese pastries from the Monge bakery, sight with the fibre-optic lighting effects and luminous atmosphere of the bedrooms, and hearing appeased by the hotel’s silence.
In the same neighborhood, the Hotel Design de la Sorbonne has had a makeover and offers an upscale and elegant designer stay. Dark wallpaper, luxury fabrics and a contemporary photography exhibition on every level set the tone of the establishment.
The Hotel Le A, in the heart of the fashion district between the Champs-Élysées and the rue Saint Honore, mixes an ultra-designer look of the interior decor with a cozy feel in the reception areas designed to look like those of a private apartment, with a contemporary-style fireplace, comfortable couches, lounge with a library filled with art books, a bar under a 19th century glass roof and 25 sumptuous guestrooms where a refined sober style contrasts with bold contemporary drawings decorating the walls.
In a more understated style, design is also honored at the Hotel Arvor Saint-Georges, in the peaceful 9th arrondissement. The 30 guestrooms offer the tranquility of a contemporary and convivial private residence. In the 14th arrondissement, LeFabe Hotel stands out from the rest with its 17 guestrooms, each offering an original atmosphere. The names of the rooms (Mona Lisa, Orchidées, Together, etc.) are an indication of the designer decoration offered to guests. In the 16th arrondissement, Mon Hotel, a small establishment of 37 guestrooms a few steps from the Champs-Élysées, boasts luxury designer decor with the use of materials like leather, Alcantara fabric, and wood.
European Traveler 