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New Thoughts on Mallorca

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I had many misgivings about visiting Mallorca mostly because it brought up images of holiday charters from the UK and Germany, full of pasty skinned tribes of beer drinkers and football shirts! It is the largest of the Balearic Islands, sitting just off the coast of Spain, equidistant between Valencia and Barcelona, and has been a holiday retreat for the Brits and the Germans for many years. However, my dear friend had bought a house in the northern part of Mallorca some years ago and had sent back wonderful reports. Maybe this island was not quite the Costa Blanca nightmare that I had imagined. It was time to investigate.

Its sister island, Ibiza, is party central. That old expression about Las Vegas surely applies to this place as well. If Ibiza is sex, drugs, and rock and roll, then Mallorca, from what I had heard, was fish and chips and lager with not much Spanish required.

First and foremost, Mallorca is easy to get to. Flights from London are plentiful and flights from most other European countries are relatively easy although they require a stopover in Barcelona or Madrid. There is also a ferry service from Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca. But the cost of the ferry versus the speed and cheapness of the flight makes that a less desirable option unless you do not like to fly.

When we arrived in Palma, we had some concerns. Ten charter flights were in the process of being cleared and every single one of them was a German charter plane. Maybe the Brits had moved out but the Germans had moved in. They like their lager just as much as the Brits do.

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The drive from the airport to the center of Palma was easy and we were able to pass along the harbor which was jammed with very expensive boats that reminded me of the setup in Marbella in southern Spain. The first iconic sight that we caught was the Palma Cathedral up on the hill. It is a beautiful yellow ochre stone structure which dates back to 1300 A.D. It’s a fantastic sight with its flying buttresses and a Renaissance portal, and it towers above the city and the port below. Inside, there are designs by Antoni Gaudí and the renowned Contemporary artist, Miquel Barceló. It just is not what you would expect

We checked into the hotel and headed straight back towards the cathedral and to the beautiful lanes that make up this old city. For me, the wonders of Spain are the influences of the Moors. In southern Spain, the jewels of Seville, Cordoba, and Granada and the white villages that served as fortresses all the way to Jerez de la Frontera, leave us with a spectacular snapshot of a civilization that brought literacy and learning to this country. Palma has been occupied since the Roman times. By the 12th century however, Medina Mallorca was one of the most flourishing Muslim capitals in Europe. After the re-conquest in the 13th century, it prospered as one of the great cities in Spain. The language here is first and fundamentally Mallorquin; a dialect of Catalan. Although English and German are widely accepted as well as Spanish!

We visited the Banys Arabs that were nestled in the old lanes. Although small in size, these Arabian baths are the most important survivors of the Muslim settlement. They are quite charming and were probably attached to a private house. It is a paid entrance but the gardens that surround the baths are a delightful place to sit, read, and imagine the great history of that era. Out and about and into the lanes a little more, we grabbed some almejas and manchego before walking back along the port to the hotel.

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Palma is indeed a livable city. This is a gorgeous climate and beautiful Mediterranean colors pop up everywhere across the island. Bougainvillea and oleander provide reds, pinks, and whites alongside the old buildings, and the scent of orange blossom was still hanging in the air. There is good transportation inside of the city including running trails and bike trails that reminded me of the promenade along Copacabana. There are beautiful beaches just a few kilometers to either side of the harbor.

I have new thoughts on Mallorca, all in all, it really did take me by surprise. I never once found a fish and chip shop and never saw an English football fan in a Liverpool shirt (thankfully) but it had a buzz to it. We booked our restaurants every night at 10:00 pm and bars stayed open until the early hours without giving the impression of disco mania. Mallorca clearly had conceded that title to Ibiza. Tomorrow we would investigate some other parts of the island but today I sort of fell in love with the place and could not wait for my next date.

Italian Spa Culture

I will always remember the time I went to Montecatini, a spa town outside of Florence. I pulled up to this beautiful gate and saw an elegant driveway that led to one of Italy’s famous spas. Fully expecting hot water thermal springs I was quickly initiated into the non-hot water type of spa. Here it was all about drinking the waters which includes tasting water pulled from taps that looked like beer spigots. You have to taste it to believe that anyone in a sane state would ever believe that this stuff is actually good for you. And so my introduction to the whole spa deal in Italy came full circle, I began to learn about the Italian Spa Culture.

I had previously taken the waters at Saturnia and recently at the delightfully trendy Fonteverde Spa in San Casciano. But here is what is interesting about spa culture in Italy – it is paid for by the government! This is because Italians actually believe that taking in the waters (i.e. drinking awful tasting rotten egg water and lounging in sulfur baths) is going to make a huge difference to our health and longevity.

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The Italian government allows a week every year to indulge in these ancient spas. Every tax payer has the right for one cycle according to the National Health System. In order to access this, the tax payer needs a prescription by a national health GP. Tax payers between the ages of 6 and 65 are charged a fee of 50 euros for the entire treatment. If your income is less than 36,000 euros, you are entitled to the spa treatment for three euros. Yes, that is right, three euros.

The board and lodging expenses are fully paid by Social Security. It is still not quite as liberal as the “old days” when you could get as many “paid holidays” as you liked within your “nine week vacation allotment.” Also, each spa configures its own scientifically based period for the treatment cycle. Water or mud treatments apparently have a different time period with different spas. So you may be entitled to 14 days according to the specific treatment that you are looking for and who would not look for the 14 day treatment? All hotels located in a spa location have an agreement with Italy’s Social Security to host the tax payers that have been prescribed spa treatment. This includes 5-star deluxe hotels as well as 3- or 4-star hotels. In other words, it is a wonderful paid vacation that even with the chronic economic situation in Italy is still ongoing. Nice!

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Recently at San Casciano, I pulled up to this groovy 5-star retreat and saw a classic Italian moment. There was a wealthy looking guy with his younger companion both in their robes, both smoking cigarettes and with a glass of wine in hand. The notion that spas could have a wellness component that involved working out, yoga, and meditation is a just a mind boggling concept that is not understood in Italian culture. Here lounging in a hot bathtub fed by ancient sulfur springs while taking in the sun and taking time out for a quick cigarette is still all the rage.

So as I was having dinner of pasta with wild boar complemented by the inexpensive and delicious Montepulciano wine, I asked myself, “Who has it right?” I am making my reservations for next year already.

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With the Monsignor in Vatican City

I feel like I have spent an awful lot of time around the Vatican recently. There was Easter and there was the beatification two weeks after when half of the world came down to witness the first time in the history of man that four Popes would be in the square at the same time – two of whom would be canonized. It was a remarkable day with the city full of pilgrims from all over the world. And then there is the papal audience, held every Wednesday, but specifically the Wednesday after Easter when I had arranged to meet with my Italian friend and Monsignor Pablo Colino who is the musical director for the Vatican.

I grabbed a cab with the Monsignor in Vatican City, it dropped us off in the back of the Vatican where there is a discreet entrance, went through a security check, and then headed across the Vatican courtyard to be met by the Monsignor. Here we were in the quietness of Vatican City undisturbed by tourists and in the shadow of the great dome of Michelangelo. Two guards protect a small entrance in this square and above the entrance is where the Pope has a modest apartment. He elected not to take the more opulent papal apartment and instead chose his relatively humble quarters to live in.

We then had this moment. A tiny covered golf cart was parked, waiting, and the Monsignor indicated that the Pope would be down very shortly. As we continued across the courtyard, sure enough, we looked back and there he was. The two exchanged a wave and we carried on about our day. In the meantime, the Pope scooted off to join the millions who had gathered in the front of the piazza for his papal audience. This Pope commands extraordinary numbers – so much so that all of the audiences have been switched to the main piazza in order to accommodate the vast crowds.

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We walked along beautiful corridors adorned with statues and art and eventually arrived at the Monsignor’s apartment. We had our own “audience” with the Monsignor who is a delightful character. We posed for pictures on the balcony outside and looked down to the square to see the crowds who had gathered waiting for the Pope to arrive. We revisited some of our groups who would be performing at St. Peter’s and then strolled down and through a passageway into the main basilica. I have been to the basilica many times but never have I walked into it when it is completely empty. Today, on this morning, it was shut off because of the papal audience. There we were, inside of the great basilica of St. Peter’s with its magnificent altar and art from every age in every corner of this – the largest interior space of any cathedral in the world. It simply was a stunning moment and a moment to reflect on the wonder of travel.

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We left Monsignor Pablo and walked to the exit gate that was protected by the Swiss guards. Here we were, inside looking out at the crowds who were looking in. We drifted into the street, walked around to the main piazza which was teeming with people, saw the Pope from a distance, smiled at each other, and walked away with our secret intact.

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On the Subject of Seating…

On the Subject of Seating… have you ever wondered why you feel like a million dollars when you get an upgrade to business or first class? Is it because you have escaped the back of the plane? Well, partly of course. Who really wants to sit cramped up for 8 hours playing elbow war with your fellow passengers? Or worse still, knee war with the person in front of you who actually thinks that it’s cool to lower his seat so you can barely breathe or function. But the reality is that this feeling of elation as you settle into your semi luxurious environment and as you watch the coach passengers cramped into their seats has been carefully stage managed. After all, it is still the same long tube. Imagine if I said, “How about a hotel night for $24,000 with a lousy meal and your bed is a single bed and you’ll be sleeping next to someone you don’t know who snores all night?”

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So, architects have to create a dream or illusion. A great article in the New Yorker called “Game of Thrones” by David Owen tells the story of how it all started. In 1995, British Airways was the first airline to introduce fully flat beds in first class. From then on in, horizontal sleeping in airplanes became a competitive war of out-maneuvering and upping the ante, eventually spreading to business class while the poor coach fliers felt their knees touching the backseat of the passenger in front of them more and more. I recently went to an Emirates launch where they boasted of having showers for first class passengers.

One of the amazing things about the experience of flying in comfort is that it becomes addictive and can often be the highlight of the trip. A company based in the Shoreditch area of London designs airline seats for both Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific. James Park, its founder, started the company in 1974. His job is to create a space that is compliant with the safety regulations with a cool entertainment system and seating that can be acceptable in coach and astonishing in first class. All of this comes at an enormous cost. One of the amazing things is that the small video screen in coach which serves as your in-flight entertainment can cost around $1,000 per inch. That means that it’s roughly $10,000 per screen in coach alone. Not a bad precaution as it ensures that there are no cross wires so that somebody in 33C is not suddenly flying the plane. Seats have to be refreshed and ready for immediate re-boarding. Think of a wine spill or something even more grotesque!

Both Singapore and Cathay have been number one and number two in alternating years in airline comfort and first class/business class travelers’ choice for many years. The amount of design that goes into creating the space that you are sitting in is where the architects make their money. If you are flying on Alitalia in “Magnifica” class, then you know that they did not spend any money on their interior architecture. If you fly Delta, United, or American, for the most part you will not experience that same dream sequence as Singapore, Cathay, or Emirates. These are the big players in comfort zones and it stretches from the front to the back of the plane. No detail is left behind. You can even sleep with your wife in a double bed with a private curtain if you want to.

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British Airways reaches for a place in the upper hierarchy and even though their fleet has been upgraded, it is still miles away from the design and style of those three airlines. The fishbone-style seating in Virgin is cramped and out of date. Even on American Airlines, which has just upped the ante on its New York – London route by refitting its first class cabins, it misses the most important aspect of all of flying which is the service, the attentiveness, and the enthusiasm of the flight attendants from the top to the bottom of the plane.

Ultimately, you can spend all the money you want on refitting a plane but the flight attendants have the potential to undo it all in one second. That is the most reassuring part of the ever-changing tube we spend our lives flying in. No matter how fancy they make it inside, the fact is that the winning formula has to have the human element. The smile, the special attention, and imagining that every single person especially in coach is doing this for the first time and you have only one chance to make a first impression.

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The Airline Blues

When you get on a plane, do you ever think about how bizarre it really all is? We queue up and are herded into our designated sections of coach, premium coach, emergency exit priority seats, business, or first.

The plane essentially is a long narrow tube with varying degrees of comfort depending upon what you pay. We pray for upgrades to try to escape the nastiness of coach and use miles wherever we can to increase the likelihood of better seating and then get ready for the long journey across the Atlantic or Pacific or down the east coast. We expect to be served the worst food in the world, are grateful for the small bag of peanuts (unless there is someone on board who has a peanut allergy in which case you are forbidden from that small pleasure), pay for dreadful wine and warm beer, purchase the earplugs that are so bad that it’s not worth the cost, and put up with for the most part dreadful service from flight attendants who really gave up liking their jobs 30 years ago.

Well good news on the food front. Airlines are starting to understand that there is revenue to gain in food. Most people on long haul don’t invest in sandwiches or carry on food at airports. Wolfgang Puck and Gordon Ramsay have made inroads here but we still anxiously wait for the moment when we are handed the menu and pick the plastic chicken with congealed rice.

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Now overseas airlines are offering special cuisine food. On Air France you can choose from a variety of food options. There is French cuisine foie gras, duck confit, or Asian healthy or the usual but dramatically improved vegetarian options. Different from the past is that they charge you more for this service. The cost is between $20 – $30. But the food is actually decent and it’s worth it simply to watch the passenger in the seat next to you with the congealed and shriveled piece of over cooked meat (animal not known) stare at your appetizing concoction longingly.

It’s being rolled out in Europe first and American carriers, ever slow to move on this, are evaluating. Evaluating! This is a business opportunity. You can make money and have well fed happy fliers in coach. Hang on. Let’s not rush into this. They are our clients after all!!

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Bags to Check

I never like to check bags unless I am skiing. I have had the experience of losing too many bags for weeks at a time. This simply becomes a huge inconvenience and it is costly. Airlines provide you with barely enough compensation to buy a pair of underpants and socks.

So that is my rule. In addition, there always seems to be a hopeless wait time over busy periods for the ground staff to get your bags from plane to carousel. Of course, there are good airports and bad airports. Good airlines and bad airlines. But the golden rule I use is always to hide my bag behind a post if the plane is full and small. This has easily checked out before.

When the check-in attendant asks you if you have any more bags than your simple carry on, I always state that this is it. When you get to the gate, and the bag happens to be too big and they spot it as a rebel carry on, they take it from you. But, at least you have minimized half the risk because you know now that the bag will be on the plane as it’s checked at the gangway entrance. Now you only have the receiving airports ground staff as your final obstacle. This happened to me on my recent flight from Lyon to Rome. And of course, what could be worse than Aeroporti di Roma for that final possible glitch. Yes, the delightful Fiumicino Airport lost my bag.

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I reported it lost after waiting endlessly for the carousel to churn around. That sinking feeling you get. The quick check to ensure you have your baggage receipt. Then the forms and the bureaucracy. The absolute lack of enthusiasm to find your bag. One of the three people sitting doing absolutely nothing and telling you, “It’s here, but it’s busy, and we don’t know where it is!” LBS or “lost bag syndrome” can haunt you for days, affect your sleep, and cause hyperventilation. They have got my Paul Smith suit!

So, if you have to check a bag, make sure you have a backup of sorts. Mine turned up the next day. I actually thought to myself that things maybe had improved dramatically at Fiumicino and that it was a new world where bags didn’t get lost, toilets were always available and clean in arrivals, and taxi drivers weren’t looking to rip you off as you wearily exited the doors. Maybe aliens had taken over the country after all. A new prime minister, a new world order. Nah, Italy wouldn’t feel the same.

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New Adventures in Vieux Lyon

Gare de Lyon

My confession is that I had never been to Lyon. Well, at least never inside the city proper. I had passed it in my rental car when I was a young kid on my way down to the south of France. I had overlooked this place, and much to my shame, I had never returned until now.

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Here I am, heading to the Gare de Lyon, en route to the city of Lyon, via the TGV. The journey time is two hours. This is the gateway to the Alps and to the south of France. The station has a beautiful glass atrium and houses the Train Bleu Restaurant which has been serving good food to train travelers and Parisians for over 100 years. Famous for its central clock, it is one of the busiest stations in Paris, especially during the summer and winter months. The skiers come in the winter, the sun worshippers in the summer, and wine drinkers all year round.

The station was advertising a mini exhibition of Caillebotte and it got me thinking about museums and how many I need to visit. Too many and not enough time. I grabbed a sandwich at Paul, fearing the refreshments that would be served on board, and boarded the upper-deck of the train for a sprint across Burgundy, through Beaujolais and into the Rhone Alps.

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Lyon

What is unique about Lyon is that it is a city of two rivers – the Rhone and the Saone. It has a fabulous transportation system that uses trolley buses and also has a brand new metro system. It is a hilly city, which keeps you fit, and it was the first city in the world to introduce the city bike concept, the Vélo’V. Paris followed shortly after and since then the proliferation of city bike is everywhere from Berlin to Boston, Washington to Turin, and even the Romans have a city bike system! There are bike lanes everywhere and like Amsterdam, you feel the power of how modern transportation thinking has taken over this city. In addition, there is a delightful funicular much like the one in Montmartre that takes you from the lower town to the upper town in Croix-Rousse.

The old part of the city, Vieux Lyon, is the largest Renaissance center in France. The original Roman remains of the city are not terribly impressive, but the Cathedral of Saint Jean Baptiste and the old, winding streets with Medieval and Renaissance architecture mixed together more than make up for the lack of decent Roman ruins.

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Lyon was the capital of silk and up to 60,000 looms wove fabric destined for the beautiful parlors of Europe. In the area of Croix-Rousse, silk craftsman and weavers moved up onto the high point of the city as a healthier option and essentially created a worker’s cooperative in this area. The silk workers were called Les Canuts.

Because of the terrible conditions that they were subjected to, there were many mini revolts against the establishment. A number of insurrections took place during the 19th century and the Canuts Revolts are a huge part of the history of Lyon. When the Croix-Rousse was incorporated into Lyon in 1852, it became the most important working class city in France. Now a trendy neighborhood, the history of Les Canuts is marked by several museums and is etched in the minds of the people of Lyon.

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In addition, Lyon has a grand reputation for its murals. There are several huge murals called Les Mur des Canuts that decorate a block of buildings in the Croix-Rousse. Fantastic and extraordinary trompe l’oeil paintings that grace what was once a dilapidated wall block. Now they are the most famous murals in the modern world! They truly are larger than any other and are refreshed every 10 years to keep up with the ever changing neighborhood.

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Lyon is the home of French gastronomy. Its dishes served in the ubiquitous Bouchons are not for vegetarians or the faint of heart. Gratin d’andouillette (sausage with cheese), quenelles de brochet (fish or meat wrapped in egg and breadcrumbs), lots of brains and cow stomachs, plenty of animal heads, blood sausage, and kidneys stare at you on the menu. Saucissone de Lyon is the game here. This is also home to the world famous Paul Bocuse who has a bunch of chain restaurants and one particularly amazing three star restaurant just outside of the city called Auberge du Pont de Collonges. Book a year in advance!

It is the home of the Lumiere brothers who founded cinematography, one of the largest squares in all of Europe – Place Bellecour, beautiful Renaissance buildings, Medieval walkways, and it is a lively city because of a large university population with a large university population and a great nightlife.

It has easy access to the south of France and to the capital city of Paris. Not to mention, you are one hour away from the Alps and skiing, one hour away from Beaujolais country, and you are in the heart of the great Rhone wine areas like St. Joseph. Currently, they are building a tunnel through the Alps that will make the connect time between Lyon and its Italian twin city Turin only one hour and twenty minutes. Right now it takes around 5 hours. It is a great idea although the neighbors are up in arms. Progress…Oh, well.

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