02/04/2013

The Greenhouse Effect

The Greenhouse Effect

“A kitchen surrounded by fertile soil where vegetables and herbs thrive … Where daylight shines in from all sides and where the chefs are free to express their creativity daily using the best the season has to offer. It seems an obvious concept, but I spent twenty years surrounded by white tiles under fluorescent lighting before I came up with it.”

This was the vision of former Michelin star chef Gert Jan Hageman for his restaurant De Kas (The Greenhouse), which is situated in Frankendeal park in the east of Amsterdam. Originally the park was part of landhouse Frankendael, built in the late Golden Age when the city centre of Amsterdam was overflowing as it grew rapidly due to the enormous wealth. The park was restored in 2004, and has some typical curious features of the freestyle English gardens from the Romantic era, such as a fake ruin.


De Kas is situated in a former greenhouse built in 1926 when the park was used as a municipal nursery. After the nursery had shut down the greenhouse was supposed to be demolished, but in the late nineties Hageman took an interest in it. Unfortunately the greenhouse was damaged beyond repair, and it took Hageman several years to come up with the funding to rebuild it. In August 2001 the restaurant finally opened. It was designed by interior architect Piet Boon, and the concept as well as the look have been the same ever since. Because Hageman wanted to make the restaurant something permanent, an instutite, he decided to use durable materials for the interiors, such as hardwood tables.

De Kas features an actual vegetable garden, next to the entrance of the restaurant. From the beginning Hageman envisioned the restaurant as a place where seasonal and local products play a distinctive role. Nowadays durability, reducing carbon footprint (the average food item apparently has travelled 33.000 km) and so on might be a trend, but De Kas has been at it since the start.


Depending on the season, different fruits, vegetables and herbs are being grown in De Kas’ greenhouse. Just outside of Amsterdam De Kas has a 5000 sq meter field and 2000 sq meter greenhouse, where Hageman, who no longer cooks, is responsible for growing the rest of the vegetables used in the restaurant. Every morning at 7AM fresh products are harvested, and by 10AM they arrive in the semi-open kitchen where they are cleaned and prepared meticulously. Other ingredients that are brought in, usually from local farmers and suppliers, are also cleaned in the kitchen, despite the labour intensity of products like the shellfish. De Kas not only features a semi-open kitchen, but whoever wants to can even book a table in the kitchen.

Anneloes Bakker

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29/03/2013

On the Dark Side of Austria

On the Dark Side of Austria

It’s not the first time I hear about a city that for a part of the year stays in the dark, because of its geographical position. Generally, this is not a welcoming detail for the people who would decide to live there, but for a tourist, this represents a motive of fascination. Rattenberg, which with its 440 citizens is the smallest Austrian municipality that can embellish of the name of “a city”, was built in 1393 by Bavarian duke Stefan III in the shade of the mountain of the same name. The mountain defended the city from attacks, but it has always been, and still is, the cause of the almost total darkness that hides Rattenberg for six months in a year. The idea of building rotating mirrors on the rocks to reflect light and direct it towards the city, has never been put to action.


So, especially during winter, Rattenberg becomes a postcard-like venue: it lights up with candles and torches, its shady alleys fill up with snow and make you imagine how the city could have looked like centuries ago, when citizens were in two thousand, the silver mines near were in the whole of their utilization and the hundreds of people were sailing on the river Inn, that runs along the city walls, stopping by and crowding the pubs and brothels of the city.

Today Rattenberg is not that alive as it once was, a major part of its 440 citizens are aged but, especially during the summer season they receive groups of tourists who visit the famous small shops in which artisans work glass and walk along the narrow alleys photographing the Inn-Salzach style built houses, that consist of the union of the neighbor houses, creating the appearance of a unique architectural complex. Nagelschmiedhäuser, old private residences transformed today into the Museum of Craftmanship, are the most important evidence of this.


If you want a taste of The Lord of the Rings kind of location, climb on the mount of Schlosseberg Castle (there’s an elevator, if you don’t want to struggle) and enjoy the view, especially the theater used in summertime for outdoors performances. Even if you aren’t that enthusiastic with sacred architecture, enter in the baroque style Church of Saint Virgilio, really large for a small city. I visited it on the eve of the Sunday before Easter, and what attracted my attention, apart from frescoes, was seeing three youngsters who carried in boxes containing music stands that would be used for the concert of the day after. Then, on my way to the hotel, I saw another boy darting on a skateboard under the statue of Saint Notburga, the patron of Rattenberg. Maybe for the contrast between sacred and modern, old and new, I found myself smiling. The boy on the skateboard said hello to me and flied off, while the sun went quickly down in this part of Tirol, and the shutters were pulled down one by one.


Antonio Leggieri – Photos by Anton Raath

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22/03/2013

Dingle Dreaming

Dingle Dreaming

For the ultimate escape flee to a land of historic mystery, literary allure and unique – or should that be rugged – natural beauty. Nestled within the occasionally lifting cloud, verdant fields and subtle charms of County Kerry is the thoroughly enchanting Dingle Peninsula. Stretching 48 kilometers into the Atlantic Ocean, this is a corner of Ireland that seems to have fallen from the pages of a fairy tale. It is after all the home of rainbow-dwelling, gold-hoarding leprechauns.


Fantasy beings aside, the Peninsula is dominated by the Slieve Mish mountain range (home of Ireland’s second highest peak), sea-cliffs, sand splits, endless beaches, eccentric locals and pubs that let county tunes ring out late into the night. And then there’s the history. Visit a ring fort or stone circle to feel the true magic of this area. Often orientated on sight lines for the rising or setting sun, stone circles are thoroughly humbling – and shrouded in local legend. Medieval history runs deep here too. In the deepest, dankest depths of the Dark Ages, when literature looked as if it was set to leave Europe forever, a group of book-loving monks fled from the barbarian raids on the Continent and began their Irish life in isolated stone igloos, known as ‘beehive huts’, working as scribes and keeping the adoration of words alive. Venture into one of these huts and you’re transported. Dark and misty, these spaces helped save literature and still give off an air of dedicated passion. Add to this a mix of archeological sites, Iron Age promontory forts, early Christian monastic sites and seventeenth century tower houses and you begin to understand how rich and varied the history of the Dingle Peninsula truly is.


The area still feels slightly removed from the modern world. It’s a place where fishing and farming actually matter; with the boats that sail from the rain-stung harbor in Dingle (the largest town on the Peninsula) giving off a nostalgic whiff of peat and the landscape dotted with farms and houses that come in every imaginable hue. Stay here and you’ll forget to worry, forget to stress and forget that the real world actually exists. This is pure Ireland. And pure Ireland is wonderful.

Liz Schaffer

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15/03/2013

Parking in London

Parking in London

It’s that time of year when we in the Northern Hemisphere consider braving the outside world again. Even if the weather isn’t quite warm enough for frolicking just yet, it is dreams of the happy summer months ahead that keep us going through the last miserable cold days. In the interest of encouraging your sunny fantasies, we’ve put together a list of delightful London parks that we know you’ll be dying to get into by April (and, lets face it, with the right preparations, you could enjoy these parks right now. After all, the Scottish say, ‘there’s not such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing’).

1) Regent’s Park
Located in central London, Regent’s Park has many reasons to recommend it: a boating lake, the elegantly sculpted Queen Mary’s Gardens, the London zoo and even an open-air theatre in the summer months. Its location, its (relatively) small size and the gorgeous flowers on view in the gardens, make Regent’s Park an ideal spot for a workday coffee or lunch break; it is your own personal idyll in the middle of the bustling city.

2) Hampstead Heath
The rolling hills, ponds and large trees that hide the surrounding houses, all combine to make Hampstead Heath feel like a tiny bit of wild English countryside growing free in the city. Dogs gambol happily across the fields, their owners fast on their heels. The wonderful view from Parliament Hill over the rest of London makes the city feel a million miles away. Hampstead Heath is the perfect place for a summer Pimm’s and cricket party.


3) Greenwich Park
Located as it is next to the Cutty Sark museum, the National Maritime Museum and the University of Greenwich, visiting Greenwich Park is like stepping back in time to grand Regency era England. Greenwich Park’s main avenue boasts an impressive view across the Thames to the financial district. The oldest of London’s parks, Greenwich is also home to the Royal Observatory and the Meridian Line. A must-see park for naval and historical enthusiasts.

4) Richmond Park
If you’re feeling cramped and all you want is space, space, space, then Richmond Park is the place to be. The largest enclosed area in London, this is a park to forget yourself in amongst the roaming deer, the ancient trees and lovely wetlands. If you’re a fan of cycling, the cycle paths will be a treat and for those of you without your own set of wheels, there are bicycles for hire at the park entrance. A park for explorers and adventurers stuck in the metropolis.


Jennifer Williams 

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22/02/2013

My Kingdom for a Beach

My Kingdom for a Beach

Winter in Europe has its layered-up, snow-covered charms, but there comes a time when enough is enough. February and its cold snaps seem endless, snow is just an inconvenience and you can’t get the summer sun off your mind. Once you reach this point only one course of action is open to you. And that’s jumping on the nearest plane and making for the great Southern Land.

With that in mind, we’ve gathered six flawless reasons to head to Sydney by the next month.


One – Breakfast
While no one does pastries like the French or roasts like the British, Sydney truly excels on the breakfast front – thanks to the café culture that sees locals take to the streets in search of the most vibrant, fruit-packed, muesli-adorned meal imaginable.

Two – Water
Seriously, it’s everywhere. From iconic haunts like the tourist-filled Bondi, to local treasures like the harbor facing Camp Cove, Sydney is where you go to get salt in your hair and sand between your toes.


Three – The Magic of Ferries
Zipping you across the postcard-perfect harbour, ferries, possibly the most reliable part of this city’s transport system, let you experience Sydney from the water up, and as a result fall utterly and unconditionally in love. A boat network with a view.

Four – Dancing
It’s the little places that make Sydney big. Good God Small Club, where old-school, all-out dancing is inevitable, The Common, adorable and fun, and Pocket Bar, where crepes and cocktails are all the rage. Filled with Sydney-siders, music that’s beyond flawless and bar staff who know how to mix a good drink, it’s all too easy to have an epic night out in central Sydney.

Five – Designer Independence
Sydney’s saving fashion grace is its penchant for fostering independent designers, who are quietly yet confidently causing an international stir. Inspired by the country they call home, look out for Trelise Cooper, Lisa Ho and Kirrily Johnston. Your wardrobes will thank you.

Six – Confused identity
Few places in the world mix city living with beachside bliss. Convict hauled sandstone walls with cutting-edge architecture. Theatre and art with an internationally renowned, laid-back disposition. This is a city that’s constantly trying to figure itself out and, because of this, is constantly changing, constantly buzzing and, in summer, constantly amazing.


Liz Schaffer

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15/02/2013

Belgrade: I’m Just Like You

Belgrade: I’m Just Like You

The motto of Belgrade is “nema problema”, “no problem”. To make you understand the sense of it, here’s an example of a conversation with my guide: “You’re late for your date? Don’t bother!” “Do you want to leave already?” (after a three-hour lunch in the bohemian district of Skadarlija where, maybe, the concept of slowness has even artistic implications)”. “Antonio, there’s no hurry… here’s some grappa. What was I talking about?”


Even if you wouldn’t be so lucky to be accompanied by a guide who speaks well (and a lot) your language, sooner or later you will understand the motto of Belgrade by yourself. Doesn’t matter if it’s a matter of sipping a coffee in a bar or deciding a budget for a national event, the Belgradians are animated by a background of gentle lazyness that infects you (almost) without an escape. The meaning of this behavior isn’t clear to me, even if I get the sense in it. This city has a sad past, marked by wars and poverty. Maybe after years of sufferance these people are just breathing easy and, quite simply, what to you sounds like a problem or a difficulty, for them is just an ordinary setback.

The district of Terazije is the emblem of the troubled history of this city. After the Second World War it was stripped of its fountains and flowerbeds and turned into a grey jumble of squared tower blocks with a Sovietic look, which all the years made even uglier. At the end of the 90’s they didn’t manage to put in action all the good intentions for urban redevelopment, when Nato bombardments on Belgrade during the Kosovo war obligated local administration to use the few available funds for the reconstruction of the damaged buildings.

Many of them are still there today: old monsters of cement and rusty iron, in the middle of the city, between bazar-looking coffee bars and Ikea-style shops. The best way to get a sense of these brutal architectural contrasts – of the melting-pot between the ottoman heredity, the modernization and the socialist mark – is to walk up on Kalemegdan, the hill of Belgrade’s ancient fortress. Today you will find here the most important park of the city, from which you can also watch the confluence between Sava and Danube, the two rivers that flow through Belgrade. You can’t really appreciate this city if you don’t come here.

The restaurants that overlook on Danube are favored by the Belgradians, especially at evening time, for a happy hour or a dinner. The style of the youngsters of the city, generally sneakers and tracksuits for men, skinny jeans and high heels for women, can turn up some tourists’ nose (especially the Italians’, who arrive with matching belt and loafers), but that is also a nice thing. Finally, the beauty of this city is, in spite of all its problems, the effort of leaving home the Ugly Duckling clothing and looking normal, forgetting the past and, sometimes, the hard present too. This happens every year in Novi Sad, 90 km away from Belgrade, where is being organized the Exit Festival, one of the most important summer events throughout Europe. Tens of thousands of young people come from Serbia and all the world for five days of fun. In these days problems are forgotten and only music wins.


Antonio Leggieri – Images courtesy of Christof Autengruber, Xevi V, Daniele Pasci, Paradasos, Pearl Roig

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08/02/2013

Paris in Colour

Paris in Colour

Dramatic and alluring, Paris is the European capital of art and the artistic. After all, it is the birthplace of the Belle Époque, the land of the Impressionists, a playground for literary greats (Hemingway, Stein and Fitzgerald spring to mind) and a city of love and revolution. And then there are the locals. Synonymous with elegance, the Parisian, and their unparalleled sense of ‘no fuss’ style, have an in-built appreciation of all things beautiful.


But nowadays there’s more to the artistic scene of this thoroughly modern city. Yes, being exquisite, traditional and passionate are rather wonderful traits to have, but true French contemporary character is found in the lesser-known backstreets. There’s something perfectly charming and just a little bit subversive about Paris’ vibrant street art.

Covering the corners of the Marais and spreading across the city from there, these little works, painted anonymously onto walls in the dead of the night, mix quirk, whimsy and daring. Any work that springs up in the Marais quickly becomes part of a greater collage; plastered, painted or tiled over by the next artist with a creative enough thought in their head. A crepe or a falafel in hand (you’re in the food-loving Marais after all) you can spend hours pondering images of cars, space invaders and monsters in every imaginable shape – and wonder who exactly left them there. No doubt throngs of locals will join you in your ambling.


For street art with an intellectual flair head to the Latin Quarter, the centre of Parisian academic life. Packed with libraries, bird-filled squares, cafes and the Sorbonne, the art you find here may not be as chaotic and compact as that of the Marais, but it’s certainly thought-provoking. Adapted quotes, reclaimed street signs and a yearning for freedom; here colour and zeal reign supreme.

Naturally, the Musee d’Orsay, Musee de l’Orangerie and Louvre must be visited – few things are as grand as a roomful of Monet or Grand Masters – but for the newest, most uplifting art you’re going to have to take to the streets.


Liz Schaffer – Images Angela Terrell

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01/02/2013

The Land of Ice and Snow

The Land of Ice and Snow

Paradise has been found. But it looks nothing like you’d imagine. Devoid of foliage or warmth, this Shangri-La is a spirit lifting collage of blue, grey, utterly untouched white, snow, penguins and whales. Paradise is Antarctica, and it’s flawless.


Not necessarily on the top of most conventional holiday lists, Antarctica can only be reached by travellers in the fleeting, light-drenched summer months and remains almost completely untouched. Most of the human residents are scientists, who inhabit brightly coloured, eco-friendly research stations, and you’re unlikely to spot another ship, except for the ever-moving National Geographic Explorer. As a result, the wildlife simply assumes humans are larger version of themselves. This explains why penguins (when not doting on their fluff-covered chicks) chose to nibble your gumboots rather than maintain their mandatory five-meter distance.


It’s difficult to describe the beauty that surrounds you here. Even the photos don’t quite do it justice. Expansive snow-covered mountains, breaching humpback whales who find boat-dwellers fascinating, glaciers that roar and crumble into the sea, cacophonous penguin colonies, seemingly endless amounts of sunlight, sleeping seals and icebergs that take on a fluorescent turquoise hue as the day progresses. You feel so small here, so in awe and so full of joy. Looking around everything is simply stark, cold perfection.

But there’s a certain bizarreness to this place too. In the middle of nowhere you’ll stumble upon a British research station/post office, set up during World War 2 to keep an eye on the Germans, that’s now exploring the effect of tourism on penguin colonies (using penguins who refuse to stay within the boarders of their ‘control’ environment). If you’re interested, the station is called Port Lockroy and you can apply at the end of the month for a year-long posting. Miles away are the ruins of an Argentinian station, burnt down by a doctor who refused to spend yet another year alone on the ice. And then there are the bizarrely inspiring creatures you travel with.

In my two weeks I encountered a novel-writing expedition leader, wilderness-seeking doctor, a barman turned zodiac hoon and a superstitious chef with a remarkable ability to avoid parking fines and elections, simply by never being in his home country. Add to this the fact that you’ll most likely be travelling on a Russian ice breaker, that began its life as a Cold War spy vessel, and the Antarctic appeal only grows.

Uniting past and present, the bizarre and the serene, Antarctica is inspiring, incomparable and sure to leave you with ice, snow and future expeditions on your mind.

Liz Schaffer

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24/01/2013

On The Streets of Copenhagen

On The Streets of Copenhagen

Copenhagen is sure to satisfy you, whatever you are looking for. Let your inner child be enthralled by the Little Mermaid, feel suitably moody at Assistens Cemetery, the final resting place of Hans Christian Anderson, and bike along cobbles and past green-tinged states – after all, in the capital city of cycling, bikes are the swiftest way to travel between some of the Northern Hemisphere’s most delightful culinary haunts. And just relax. After all, you’re in Copenhagen, the Scandinavian home of delectable, traditional and hyggelige (cosy) delights.


On the food front you have Noma, a two-Michelin-star haunt, housed in an old warehouse by the waterfront in the über artsy, 70s feeling Christianshavn neighbourhood. Lead by chef Rene Redzepi, adored internationally and regularly proclaimed as the best restaurant in the world, Noma takes its name from two Danish words – ‘nordisk’ (Nordic) and ‘mad’ (food). Here culinary insanity rules supreme with diners served with vegetables in their own dirt, wild ants, sea urchin toast, flower salad and raw razor clams. Not for the faint foodie-hearted, you understand why people travel from across the globe to experience a single meal.

While this ‘New Danish revolution’ may be the most famed gastronomic attraction, there are traditional culinary delights aplenty. Along Jargersborggade Street going hungry simply isn’t an option. Porridge is all the rage at Grød, crowds flock to the vege-centric menu at Relæ, you’ll get wired in the most delicious way at Coffee Collective and discover bakery-chic at Meyers Bageri – this is a city that seems to live for pastry.


But Copenhagen serves up more than just food. On every corner, on almost every street (this is especially true once you stumble into the university district) you’ll find either a vintage store, packed with quirk and character, or the new home of Denmark’s next big design thing. If it gets sunny and you’re done on the vintage front, wander to Amager Strandpark, an urban beach where the water is never quite warm, but cyclists and rollerbladers are always keen to entertain themselves in. For the lovers of brave, new architecture, check out the Royal Danish Playhouse. If the building doesn’t entertain you, the happenings within surely do.


Alternatively, pass a lazy afternoon at Nyhavn, meaning New Haven. Once a bustling commercial port teeming with sailors, alehouses and mysterious ladies of the night, this area is now famed for its titling houses, ancient signs and for the thriving restaurant and bar scene. Do as the locals do, bring a beer (and pastry, of course) and simply dangle your feet – people-spotting here is utterly brilliant. If you’re a fan of formality, catch the Royal Danish Guard patrolling the royal residence Amalienborg Palace. Guard action begins everyday at 11:30 at Rosenborg Castle (built in 1624 and overlooking a rather stunning garden) before concluding at noon with the traditional changing of the guard. Often accompanied by church bells and drum beats, this is a sight to behold.

So much more than just a historic city of canals, cobbled squares, copper spires and royalty, Copenhagen is a European treasure. Just be sure to remember your appetite and wide-eyed sense of wonder when visiting.


Liz Schaffer

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18/01/2013

A Three-step Hidden London

A Three-step Hidden London

It’s not breaking news, we know, but how could one resist the temptation of speaking, with a pinch of pride of one’s discovering skills, of the hidden places of one of the most interesting cities in the world? Like no place else, London goes along with this game. Its amazing racial and cultural melting pot makes it a perfect home for local street markets, pubs, lovely small parks and essay cinemas that just a few lucky tourists visit. Just walking around Whitechapel, Lower Thames and Oxford St we found out three absolutely delicious places.


London is one of the most vintage-full cities of the world. We could give you many addresses to visit for your vintage treasure hunt, but instead we have chosen Hanbury Hall Market because, although it’s central (at 22 Brick Lane), you’ll find it cradled in the midst of small alleys that hide it from the hectic city life, especially if you arrive from Whitechapel. The market has been set up inside an old church; now, in place of candelabras and worshipers, you can find cloth hangers and hipsters looking for vintage dresses. Within, between flannel shirts and faded jeans, you’ll find a lovely café corner with patty-cakes, tea and coffee.


Have you ever heard about the small park of St. Dunstan in the East? You’ll reach it in a half-hour walk from Brick Lane. If you use the tube, step off on Monument; after exiting the station, find Lower Thames St, that will lead you straight to the park. When entering, it will be like finding yourself in the secret gardens that inspire the urban fantasy writers and movie directors. Between the ruins of the church, the beauty destroyed by the bombings of the II World War, it seems like being far away from the city.


To finish our tour we couldn’t but add a pub. Bourne & Hollingsworth, 28 Rathbone Place, in the artistic neighborhood of Fitzrovia, is so tiny you could miss it if you blink while walking past. It’s a quirky basement bar with a beautiful shabby-chic styling and mouth-watering cocktails. Some of them come in chintzy tea cups with cucumber sandwiches on the side. Londoners love it, do you?


Antonio Leggieri – Images Tag Christof

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