Tuesday Itineraries: One Night in Hamburg

Two weekends ago I had a romantic rendezvous in Hamburg. Sam flew in from London and I arrived on the express train from Berlin. We met in the hotel lobby. I looked up and there she was, a spray of pink feathers rising from one of her signature, expertly pinned coiffures.

The city’s annual Long Night of Museums event had lured us up to this north German locale. So I cashed in some Starpoints and got us a couple luxurious beds in a hotel overlooking the Alster Lake. With only one night we had little time to spare, and quickly set out on an adventure that only two girls traveling together in a new city, with no expectations, could have.

We didn’t make it far. A miniature beer garden with market stalls offering potato puffers and glasses of prosecco with strawberries got our attention and we wallowed in the neo-Hanseatic atmosphere. Continuing on our way, we figured it was time to purchase our 12 euro tickets for the Long Night of Museums when we spotted a crowd forming outside the Bucerius Kunst Forum. That night, Forty-two museums stayed open until 2 a.m., many hosted live performances, and all were accessible with a single ticket. We made it to five: Bucerius, the 113-year-old, 97-meter long windjammer Rickmer Rickmers, the Kunstverein, Deichtorhallen, and the Hamburger Kunsthalle. But we walked forever.

And when we saw Hamburg’s harbor rise up before us with its historic paddle steamers, sailing ships, lift boats, container vessesls, tugs and fishing boats, we knew we were in the right place. En route to dinner we bought tiny bottles of liquor from two different bachelors dressed up like the Statue of Liberty and a prison convict who kept spotting us and yelling “New York!” Later we cut across town on the U-Bahn and dragged our aching feet through vast rooms filled with contemporary art. DJs spun dance music in a tent where people drank beer, but we saved what little energy we had to make it back to our beds to rest up for a morning exploring the streets of St. Georg, and an afternoon plying the waters of Lake Aster. Because there’s really no better way to see Hamburg than from the seat of your very own paddle boat – if only for an hour.

Hotel

Le Royal Méridien Hamburg, An der Alster 52
www.starwoodhotels.com

Restaurants

Breakfast – Dat Backhus, Lange Reihe 29
www.datbackhus.de

Lunch – Café Koppel, Lange Reihe 75
www.cafe-koppel.de

Dinner – Hatari Pfälzer Stüble, Schanzenstrasse 2-3

Museums

Bucerius Kunst Forum, Rathausmarkt 2
www.buceriuskunstforum.de

Museumschiff Rickmer Rickmers, Landungsbrücken, Ponton 1a
www.rickmer-rickmers.de

Kunstverein Hamburg, Klosterwall 23
www.kunstverein.de

Deichtorhallen Hamburg, Deichtorstrasse 1-2
www.deichtorhallen.de

Hamburger Kunsthalle, Glockengiesserwall
www.hamburger-kunsthalle.de

Tuesday Itineraries: Two Days in Weimar

Once home to Goethe, and Schiller, and the generous arts patron, the Duchess Anna Amalia, a visit to Weimar is like stepping back into an earlier era – to a time when grand dames fanned themselves by open, silk-draped windows, while their maids went out to collect the household necessities at the morning market.

Get acquainted with the Duchess by visiting her former home, the opulent Wittum’s Palais, or Widow’s Palace. Sumptuous rooms, lined in emerald and ruby brocade are filled with 18th century furnishings, including the narrow bed where Anna Amalia once slept. Then visit her library, a short walk away, where a 30-minute visit includes an audio guide that tells the stories of the people depicted in the portraits and busts that flank the bookshelves.

At the Goethe Haus, you can see the study where the great German author worked, stroll through rooms he decorated with paintings and sculptures collected during his travels, and then spend a few peaceful moments within his tranquil garden.

Learn about that revolutionary school of modern design at the Bauhaus Museum. This year, the Bauhaus celebrates its 90th anniversary, and Weimar, the city where it all began, is hosting a series of special exhibitions, including the excellent “On the Way to Design: The Bauhaus Workshops in Weimar,” at the Neues Museum, through July 5.

See the city’s premiere art collection at the Schloss Museum, a former palace whose three levels display everything from medieval altarpieces to post-impressionist paintings.

Once you’ve had your fill of culture, go antiquing for Thurungian treasures at Antiquitaetum am Schloss on Obere Schlossgasse.

Then stroll up to the Russian Orthodox Church, surrounded by an exquisite historic cemetary where Goethe, Schiller, and the Grand Duchess Maria Pawlowna are buried.

Further on, Schloss Belvedere makes a lovely setting for an afternoon picnic. See collections of fine German porcelain and glassworks within its airy rooms, or just lounge about on the plush acres of soft green grass that surround. Take Bus 12 back into town where you can dine at Café Frauentor before collapsing into bed at the historic Hotel Elephant.

Just an hour and a half train ride from Berlin, Weimar makes an excellent overnight excursion.

Tuesday Itineraries: A Weekend in Amsterdam

Just before the holidays last December, I went on an all-girls getaway to Amsterdam. Roulie flew in from New York, Sam came over from London, and I ventured up from Berlin.

We rented a clean, modern apartment on the canal. Though we didn’t have much of a view, it was a lovely place to call home for a few days. Plus, when we stepped out the front door each morning, we were greeted by the scene above.

Our first morning, we ventured out to the Noordermarkt, one of Amsterdam’s weekly markets. Just a short stroll from up Prinsengracht from our apartment, it was overflowing with amazing farmer’s market delights. I found a few treasures at the flea market section, and Roulie got an umbrella just in time for the rain.

We made our way over to the Van Gogh Museum, stopping to take pictures of street art along the way. We found the museum rather expensive, and to be honest, unimpressive. Especially since our favorite Van Gogh paintings were hanging in other museums.

Our apartment was located in the “9 Streets” district, a wonderful grid of cobbled streets lined with cute shops and restaurants. Have you ever seen a more beautiful window display than the one pictured above? 100 amiryllis bulbs wrapped in red ribbons.

With three girls, it can be difficult to decide on a place to eat. We searched and searched but nothing seemed right. Finally, we knocked upon the door of a private cooking school. Two cute Dutch boys pointed across the way to a restaurant called BIHP Art Food Drinks. It was divine.

The next day, we headed over to the city center, and stumbled upon a wonderful cafe called De Drie Graejes. Lunch here was Sam’s favorite part of our trip.

That night, we strolled past the Flower Market, and followed the sounds of Christmas carolling to a gay pride street party. On our way home, we stopped in to Cafe de Doffer for an early evening beer. Sam got a Dutch brew, Roulie got one from Germany, and my beer was Belgian. This was my favorite part of the trip.

Here are a few places we discovered during our travels:

Hotels
Short Stay Apartments
www.shortstay-apartment.com

Bars & Restaurants
Cafe de Doffe
www.doffer.com

BIHP Art Food Drinks
www.bihp.nl

Sites & Attractions
Van Gogh Museum
www.vangoghmuseum.nl

Noordermarkt
www.amsterdam.info

The Nine Streets
www.theninestreets.com

Tuesday Itineraries: A Weekend in Aberdeen, Scotland

Aberdeen glistens. Its turreted castles and 19th century houses are all built of local granite. Last winter, despite cold winds that swept off the North Sea and kept the city’s fleet of massive oil tankers in port, we spent a delightful three days in Aberdeen.

In the 1970s, when oil was discovered in the nearby depths of the ocean floor, Aberdeen became “The Oil Capital of Europe,” and the oil industry took over traditional industries of fishing and shipbuilding. We stayed at City Wharf Apartments, overlooking Aberdeen’s immense industrial port. I had never seen boats like this before.

While Ram was at work, I walked all over town, up historic Marischal Street where the historian William Kennedy and the artist William Dyce once lived, through interesting neighborhoods that overlooked the sea…

… and down bustling Union Street, which was lined with lots of shops, before arriving at an enchanting cemetery that glowed green at twilight.

But I was swiftly shooed away by a curmudgeonly groundskeeper who called me “lass.”

Here is a list of notable spots I discovered during my visit:

Hotels
City Wharf Apartments, 47 Regent Quay
Clean, modern apartments in a historic townhouse overlooking Aberdeen Harbour. I loved the plaid carpeting in the hallway.
www.citywharfapartments.co.uk

Soprano St Magnus Court Hotel, 20/22 Guild Street
The rooms didn’t look as nice as they do on the website, but perhaps they’ve been renovated since then. Regardless, our room was nice enough for the price.
www.sopranohotels.co.uk

Restaurants
Ma Cameron’s, 6-8 Belmont Street
Aberdeen’s oldest pub. Had the best fish and chips ever.

Sam’s Chinese, 13-19 King Street
Delicious Chinese basics in strangely fancy environs.

Shops
MacBeans, 2 Little Belmont Street
Got myself a couple boxes of lovely Earl Grey tea at this coffee roaster and tea specialist.
www.macbeans.com

Silly Bears, 13 Marischal Street
The most adorable handmade new and vintage teddy bears.
www.sillybears.co.uk

Sites
Aberdeen Maritime Museum, Shiprow
Wonderful historic displays related to Aberdeen’s seafaring past, as well as fascinating exhibits on the oil industry.
www.aagm.co.uk

Provost Skene’s House, Guestrow (Between Broad Street and Flourmill Lane)
Period rooms from the seventeenth century in a medieval townhouse.
www.aagm.co.uk

Tuesday Itineraries: Two Days In Oslo

The air is pure, the skies are spectacularly blue, and the city provides a perfect short escape. It was my first time in Scandinavia and I loved it.

Day 1: Take the fifty minute “mini tour” around Oslo’s harbour, aboard a beautiful wooden schooner. You get to see little islands with tiny summer houses painted yellow, red, or blue while a knowledgeable guide discloses a wealth of interesting facts about the city, in English.

We had a delicious lunch at Cafe Tekehtopa (It’s the Norwegian word for apothecary spelled backwards, and it’s housed in a former one).

The pretty streets of Grunerlokka are lined with an amazing assortment of shops. Most offer vintage clothing and antique housewares. My husband Ram got a red Lacoste sweater and I got a yellow plaid skirt at Fretex. Then, after sifting through the treasure trove of  spoons, records, pans, and purses that is Marita, I made off with about fifteen pounds of flatware and two 1970s-style tea cups. But most of my money went to the Swedish store Granit where I purchased a cool market basket, a wooden tray, and four black plant pots (yes, I lugged them on the plane).

We stopped for a coffee and varm sjokolade (hot chocolate) and La Famiglia (Thorvald Meyersgate 25). The nicest man on the planet owns it. After our credit cards didn’t work, he told us there were no ATM machines in the area, and gave us our drinks on the house.

We had the good fortune of discovering an excellent Chinese restaurant called Dinner, right around the corner from out Hotel, the Rica Victoria Oslo. It was jam packed on a Wednesday, but luckily, we were able to get a table in the lower level dining room.

Day 2: Walk down to the harbour and see what kind of catch the fishermen brought in before taking a stroll down the boardwalk, past al fresco restaurants and beautiful boats. Then head back up to Grunerlokka like we did, stopping at Zenzi‘s shack in the park for an incredible varm sjokolade (yes, I drank a lot of hot chocolate on this trip), or Kaffebrenneriet for a more leisurely cup of coffee and a danish.

A couple museums offer an interesting stop en route to Grunerlokka. The Museum of Decorative Arts features two floors of furniture, fashion, and goods for the home. You’ll basically get an overview of the last four centuries of design, from rococo, to neo-classical, to art nouveau, to mid-century modern.

DogA, the Museum of Design and Architecture, includes a small, but stunning industrial space reserved for special exhibitions. We saw one called “Open House” which featured the ideas of a dozen architects and designers for new building practices inspired by modern technologies.

Before heading to Oslo’s Central Station (Oslo S) to catch the Airport Express Train, we had a really nice lunch at one of Grunerlokka’s hottest restaurants, Delicatessen. The menu includes about twenty different tapas. We went with the fried artichokes, green beans, empanades, chevre gratinee, and “tortilla patatas” which was basically a quiche with potatoes. All were delicious.

Tuesday Itineraries: A Weekend in Munich

Beyond Munich’s overly commercial historic center the city’s charming neighborhoods are filled with delightful cafés and shops. At the southern edge of the old town lies the Viktualienmarkt. One of Europe’s best outdoor markets, it’s open every day but Sunday, and features an assortment of wonderful goods like honey, spices, fresh pastas, meats, and of course loads of fruits, vegetables and flowers. The small beer garden at the market’s center is the perfect place to enjoy the afternoon sun after a morning of shopping.

It is best to see the major sites like the enormous Frauenkirche, and Marienplatz, Munich’s central square, first. Then set off on foot and explore quaint surrounding streets.

Here is a list of spots I discovered on a recent visit.

Hotel
Mariandl, Goethestrasse 51
An exceptionally elegant hotel with vintage furnishings in every room. It lies above the wonderful Café am Beethoven, which features live music every night. Walls are thin, and the hotel can be noisy.
www.hotelmariandl.de

Cafes
Des Fleurs, Westermühlstrasse 10 (pictured)
A gorgeous flower shop with French treats.
www.desfleurs.de

Götterspeise, Jahnstrasse 30
Beautiful café, specializes in chocolate.
goetterspeise-muenchen.de

Hoover & Flloyd, Ickstattstr. 2
Nice café with an old-fashioned diner type counter and whimsical decor. (pictured)

Restaurants
Marktwirt, Heiliggeiststr. 2
Delicious Bavarian food with lots of vegetarian options.
www.marktwirt.com

Hackerhaus, Sendlinger Str. 14
Traditional Bavarian restaurant with a large, wood panelled interior, and nice outdoor seating.
www.hackerhaus.de

Shops
Mädel, Jahnstrasse 20
Vintage clothing and houseware shop decked out in a 1960s theme.
www.maedel-objekte.de

Lebenswerte, Josephspitalstrasse 6
Lovely Buddhas, bedspreads, jewelry and other Asian goods for the home.
www.lebens-werte.com

Bottles & Glashaus, Josephspitalstrasse 1
An exquisite array of drinking glasses, from stemware to tumblers with cute embellishments like crowns to bumblebees.
www.bottles.de

Tuesday Itineraries: The Peloponnese, Greece

The summer of 2006 Rama and I got engaged on a bluff overlooking the Aegean Sea. We were told Helen of Troy and Paris spent their first night together on the island in the distance.

First Stop: Nafplio
We rented a car at the airport in Athens, and drove two and a half hours to Nafplio, a port town named after the son of Poseidon. Here, we spent two nights at Pension Marianna, a small, pretty hotel on the top of a cliff overlooking the city. I quickly discovered that the beach here would become one my favorite beaches in the world. At umbrella-covered tables overlooking a pebble shore and a serene sea, we had our first taste of ouzo, while the sounds of Sarah Vaughn singing “Whatever Lola Wants” blasted from the speakers. That night, dinner at one of the restaurants on the town’s main pedestrian street, featured the freshest Greek salad and stuffed tomatoes. Afterwards, we strolled to the town square and watched the children kick around a football under a string of twinkling lights.

Nafplio Hotel: Pension Marianna
www.pensionmarianna.gr

Next Stop: Monemvasia
Through the rugged, hilly landscape, we made our way south. We drove on windy roads that climbed up the side of a mountain, past olive groves, and offered an occasional peak at the sea below. In this hot, peaceful terrain, nary a soul ventured. And we were left alone to absorb this quiet dusty place.

Monemvasia sits upon an enormous rock at the end of a long, thin peninsula. We parked along the road, and entered the medieval fortress on foot. Houses, built into the rock, connect to one another by narrow passageways, and ancient stone steps. At the top, a beautiful Byzantine church looks out over the bay. We ate spaghetti at one of only three restaurants, while stray cats looked on from adjacent rooftops. Quiet filled the night.

Monemvasia Hotel: Goulas
www.gialos.gr

One day, we rode the ferry to Elefonisos, an island just off the end of Cape Malea. Wide sandy shores, beach side restaurants, and outdoor showers, shrouded by bougainvillea greeted us.

Final Stop: Kyrimai Hotel, The Mani
Finally, we arrived at Kyrimai Hotel, in Gerolimenas, a tiny fishing village on the southern tip of the Mani. This lovely hotel is housed within ancient buildings, restored using original stone and wood materials. There’s an excellent restaurant under the veranda, by the pool, that overlooks the moonlit waters of the Aegean Sea.

The Mani Hotel: Kyrimai
www.kyrimai.gr

On our way back to Athens, we took the main highway through Sparta. We had some time before our flight, so stopped at a beach near the Corinth Canal to immerse ourselves once more in that cool, heavenly lagoon.