TRV_W06_XCSKI

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www.metrotravel.comMONDAY, 07 FEBRUARY 2011

00 travel

What’s inside

More thanEdam: Dutchcuisine goes

gourmet{page 04}

Essentialaccessoriesfor a mobile coffee break

{page 06}

Top 5exciting food

markets {page 05}

we live where you’re going

{page 03}

Get crosscountry

fit

TRAVELMETRO WORLD NEWSMonday, 07 February 2011www.metrotravel.com

Top 5 food markets {page 05}

+ Actress’ guide to the Chilean capital {page 02}

DUTCH CUISINEGETS SOPHISTICATED{page 04}

{page 03}

Get crosscountryfit

On-the-goCoffee

essentials {page 06}

we live where you’re going


02 travelGET INTO MY CITY: SANTIAGO, CHILE

Been therebefore?Go and visit the port ofValparaiso and go to thetop of the Cerro Alegre orCerro Concepcion hillsoverlooking the bay. Re-lax with a cup of tea, or aglass of wine - Chileanwine is amongst theworld’s best andcheapest. If you can, headto the Colchagua Valleyand embark on thefamous wine route(rutadelvino.cl).

Iwould say Santiago isone of the safest cities inLatin America. What youwill notice throughout

your stay is how kind, openand loving everyone is.

The quality of life here isamazing and it’s a city con-stantly offering you new op-portunities and the chanceto discover its amazingsources of arts and culture.

At the end of the day,Santiago is a city where Ifeel happy and with all thetips I’m about to give you,you will without doubt havethe coolest guide to Santia-go ever.

Setting the pace in Santiago

xxx

First time?I never get tired of spend-ing the day skiing in theAndes (chileanski.com).The famous mountainrange is a dramatic back-drop for the city and it’svirtually impossible to notsee the snow-cappedmountains every time youturn your head. This canbe strange when you walkaround in the summer in30-degree heat and stillsee the snow! It takesabout 40 minutes to get tothe top but it’s worth itonce you are there. Staywithin the ice theme and

go for an ice cream at Em-poria la Rosa(emporiolarosa.com/em-porio/) in the Lastarriasdistrict.

xxx

VISIT CHILE

Shopping!Chileans are big fans ofAmerican-style shoppingmalls and Santiago is fullof them. If you wantsomewhere with an out-side space where you canhave a drink during or af-ter your shop go toParque Arauco (parquear-auco.cl). When I am hereI go to Topshop or the Ar-gentinean shop, Paula Ca-hen Danvers(paulacahendanvers.com.ar) for ethnic clothes. Forthe best boots andleather accessories I go tothe Argentine store Rap-sodia(rapsodia.com.ar/chile) lo-cated in Las Condes. Thestyle there is verybohemian, hippie-chick.For some very chic finds(and to go somewhereother than a mall) go toCalle Alonso de Cordobawhere you will find any-thing from jewellery andclothes stores torestaurants. I go to ‘LaSuite’ to stock up on coolBrazilian shoes.

Shopping in the sun in Santiago

VISIT CHILE

EatI go to Divertimentowhen I want the bestChilean food. It's a littlehaven of peace located onthe Cerro San Cristobalhilltop. Order a plate ofmixed grilled fish and aglass of wine. (divertimen-to.cl) You can’t go wrongwith a pizza at Tiramisuon a lazy Sundayafternoon (tiramisu.cl), ortry my favourite Thairestaurants, Restaurant Ky(restobarky.cl) andVietnam Discovery (viet-namdiscovery.cl). For a

taste of the beautiful seaurchins or the more sim-ple Italian stuffedsandwich try Bar Liguria(liguria.cl). I go to El Caféde Buenos Aires for a love-ly afternoon tea. It’s locat-ed on the ‘Plaza de lasLilas’.

Cerro San Cristobal

VISIT CHILE

Stay inBoutique hotel TheAubrey is in thebohemian quarter,Bellavista, and very re-laxed. You will also bewithin walkingdistance of the CerroSan Cristolbal.(theaubrey.com)

Go outDance the night awayat The Clinic bar (Mon-jitas 578). After youhave been out partyinggo for food at the Mer-cado Central market.It’s open 24/7. One ofthe best things to eat(to fight off a hangover)is Caldillo de Congrio,eel soup.

Bar life

VISIT CHILE]

The capital of Chile, Santiago is a vibrant city sandwiched between beaches to the west andsnowy mountains to the east Your guide to the city is its hottest actress and TV

presenter Javiera Acevedo A regular at the coolest and most glamorous fashion, music and television events, she knows exactly where you should be eating, shopping, dancing,

skiing and having a great time. JAVIERA ACEVEDO

For more informationcheck out www.visit-chile.org

Tirasmisu

TIRAMISU


03travelTRAVEL WITH A TWIST: CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING

In some parts of the Alpsthe hills may indeed be‘alive with the sound of mu-sic’, but on this particularwintry weekend the Frenchmountains around Morzinewere echoing more with thesound of shuffling andgrunting mixed in with theoccasional swear word.

Rather than speedingdown the slopes, I was cross-country skiing, something Ido every January as a new-year ritual. Not only does itget you fit (in my case froma very low base – hence thecursing), but it’s also a greatfor clearing your mind asyou swish along the snowunder a sunny blue sky.

There are other benefitstoo. For a start it’s cheaperthan downhill skiing; equip-ment rental is around 11 eu-ro a day and you won’t needan expensive lift pass – espe-cially in Morzine where youcan catch a free bus to thetrails if you don’t want totake a gondola. There are alsonearly 100km of cross-coun-try routes in the Portes duSoleil area so you don’t haveto bump into other skiers.And there’s also the joy of nothaving to lug around a heavypair of skis or boots: whatyou wear for cross-countryski weighs a fraction of whatyou put on for downhill.

There are two types ofcross-country skiing. Havingpreviously tried the ‘classic’method - a sort of back-wards-forwards shuffle set

in tracks, which is easier topick up but slower - I want-ed to try ‘skating’ this time,the sort of cross-country yousee Winter Olympic athletesdoing. It’s faster and morefluid but requires greaterphysical effort, as I soonfound out. My guide, Fran-cois Petitjean, started bymaking me waddle like apenguin to teach me topush correctly with eachfoot and find my balance.After a series of other exer-cises – most important of

which turned out to be mas-tering the snow-plough stopon such narrow skis, whichare only attached to theboot at the toe – we wereoff. Before you could say vinchaud we had covered 15kmof Morzine’s empty backcountry, before stopping fora well-deserved lunch on aterrace under a glorious,cloudless sky.

Quick tipsLESSONSCross-country ski lessonswith French ski school ESF(www.esf-morzine.com)start from €55 pp per dayincluding lunch as part of agroup.

STAYWill Hide stayed with TGSki (www.tgski.co.uk)which offers B&B lodgingfrom €299 per person perweek.

TRAVELLINGTransfers from Geneva air-port to Morzine withMountain Bus Company(www.mountanbuscompa-ny.com) are from €40 ppone way and take around 1hour 15 minutes.

The beauty of cross-country is having the snow to yourself

THINKSTOCK.COM

Cross-country skiing is a great way to get healthy before spring It is great exercise, and thesunshine and mountain air will do you good Will Hide gets fit in Morzine, France

Keeping fiton the snowy tracks

“Not only does it getyou fit, but it’s alsogreat for clearingyour mind as youswish along thesnow under a sunnyblue sky”

For more informationcheck out www.morzine-avoriaz.com

ANDERMATT Switzerland

Quaint Andermatt has asleepy, laid-backatmosphere. There’s greatcross-country skiing herethrough lovely scenery, andsome challenging downhilltoo. www.andermatt.ch

3PLACES TO

CROSSCOUNTRY

BEITOSTOLENNorway

Fly to Oslo airport then hopon the resort bus (www.val-dresekspressen.no) andyou’ll soon be on the 320kmof prepared cross-countrytracks, some of whichstretch into theJotunheimen National Park.There is also a portion thatis floodlit for night-time ski-ing for those who haven’talready found their way tothe Svingen pub, which haslive music at weekends. www.beitostolen.com

RAMSAU Austria

World Cup athletes train hereon the 150km of cross-coun-try tracks so try and pick upsome tips from the best. Thenearest airport is Salzburg,about 1.5 hours’ drive away.Skiing is possible until Easteralthough the season isextended on the Dachsteinglacier. After a hard day youcan grab a drink in town, orfor livelier après-ski Schlad-ming is 7km away. www.ramsau.com

WILLHIDE METRO WORLD [email protected]

WWW.TGSKI.CO.UK

Morzine

MORZINE AVORIAZ TOURISM

Morzine eats

Lunch: If you’re cross-coun-try skiing towards Avoriaz,grab a seat on the terrace atChez Lenvers and tuck intotartiflette - potatoes, reblo-chon cheese and becon, 17euro. Dinner: In Morzine try

L’Etale, Le Grillon or LaGrange for an evening meal. Apres-ski: Hit the boisterousCavern on a Tuesdayevening: chalet staff havethe day off on Wednesdayso Tuesdays are when you’llfind them letting their hairdown till the early hours.


04 travelGOURMET TRAVELLER: HOLLAND

“Gastronomy can beaffordable here too”

Not long ago, Holland was aculinary wasteland. Theheight of gastronomy wassteak and chips at the Vander Valk hotel chain, recog-nizable by its toucan mascot.

But in 2011, Holland hasbecome a culinary paradise.Three top chefs started themetamorphosis and and in-spired a next generation oftalented chefs. Helped by aflourishing economy Hol-land now has dozens ofMichein-starred restaurants.

It’s hard to book a sponta-neous dinner at three-star-restaurants Oud Sluis(number 19 in the world) orDe Librije (number 37), witha six-month waiting list for a€500 dinner for two. But ifyou want to taste ‘six prepa-rations of oyster’ famouslyprepared by Holland’s topchef, Sergio Herman, thendrive to his Oud Sluis restau-rant in Sluis, and for a €65lunch. Or dine at Pure C,

Herman’s ‘resto-bar’ downthe road in the nice coastaltown of Cadzand, near theBelgian border. This beachrestaurant offers local prod-ucts — fish, shellfish andcrustaceans from theprovince of Zeeland — and athree-course-dinner costsabout €35. It’s like Ibiza, butDutch.

There’s affordable gas-

tronomy in Rotterdam, too.Cees Helder was the firstDutch chef to earn threeMichelin stars. He sold hisown restaurant, and is nowthe mentor at the beautifulriverside restaurant in theWorld Museum here. See anexhibition then eat an ex-traordinary meal, from €30.Sometimes the master him-self is in the kitchen. Or try

the fancy Ivy. Chef FrancoisGeurds got his education atthe famous Fat Duck in theUK.

In Zwolle, at De Librije,you can have a lollipop ofgoose liver or tomatoes thatlook like strawberries. Forthose on a budget chef Jon-nie Boer has opened up Lib-rije’s Zusje (Librije’s Sister),in a former women’s prison.

There’ll be a circus on yourplate for €65. Try the codsalad with pickled mush-rooms.

Michelin-ratings a bit toomuch? Look for a toucanalong the motorway, for theother side of Dutch cuisine.

PEA SOUP

Pea soup, or ‘snert,’ is one ofHolland’s most popular win-ter dishes. The thick soup ismade of split peas, celeriac,leek and pork. It’ll warm youup during long skating tours,and costs just four euros. Thedish is not complete withoutrye bread and smoked bacon.

5DISHES TO TRY...WHENYOU’RE GO-ING DUTCHFOR LUNCH

POFFERTJES

Poffertjes are like pancakes,but smaller, thicker, sweeterand soft from the inside. Pof-fertjes are made from flour,buckwheat and milk andcooked in special pans. Findthem in special ‘poffertjesrestaurants’ in big cities. Chil-dren love them.

KROKET

This snack, made from ragoutin a covering of egg, flourand breadcrumbs, is availableeverywhere. You can get onefrom a vending machine insnackbars for about €1. Getone for example at FEBO’s inAmsterdam or at trainstations. Have it with mustardor with fries.

HOTCHPOTCH

‘Stamppot’ is a hearty mashof potatoes, vegetables andbaked pork. The most popu-lar ‘stamppotten’ are thosewith sauerkraut and kale, ac-companied by smokedsausage. Hotchpotch withcarrot and onion isrecommended, it goes withrib of beef.

MUSSELS FROMZEELAND Mussels are the speciality ofthe watery province ofZeeland, and you’ll find themin every restaurant near theOosterschelde estuary wherethey grow. They come all-you-can-eat for €20, natural, withbeer, wine, Provençal or evencooked with sambal.

Quick tipsEATFrom April until Octobertop chef Marco Westmaasserves beautiful dishes in awooden beach hut on thebeach at Ter Heijde aanZee, a village near TheHague, not far from Rotter-dam. He cook simply, withbutane gas, perfect for asultry summer evening.www.elzenduin.com

STAYTrendy Rotterdam hasgreat hotels for everybudget. Cheapest is award-winning ROOM (from €20a night, www.roomrotter-dam.nl). RomanticCherrycake & Chocolate isthe best bed & breakfastin Holland, and it’s locatedin a 19th century mansion.(From 105 euros,www.cherrycake.nl)

TRAVELLINGFrom Amsterdam and Rot-terdam you can be in themost northern or mostsouthern part of theNetherlands within threehours, so day trips areeasy. Do mind the speedlimit: speed cameras aremore numerous than wind-mills. The ramified publictransport, to every village,is a good alternative.

The gourmets have anew home: Holland

Holland’s top chef Sergio Herman gets to grips with the country’s seafood

ED OUDENAARDEN /ANP

For more informationcheck outwww.holland.com

ANP ANP ANPANPANP

Holland is no longer a culinary z-lister, known just for cheese wrapped in red wax There are now three DutchMichelin-starred-chefs Be clever and you can sample their world-class creations at a reasonable price

ROBERT VANBRANDWIJKMETRO [email protected]


05travelTOP 5: FOOD MARKETS

1THE FOODIEBorough Market,

London Held three days a week inLondon’s historic LondonBridge, this gourmet mar-ket is home to independ-ent traders selling highquality, seasonal producethat will thrill your tastebuds, from organic fruitand vegetables, dairy,ciders and baked goods. Eat there: Try an ostrich,kangaroo or venison ‘bam-bi’ burger or pan-fried scal-lops at ‘Shell Seekers’. Take away: Brownies fromFlour Power Bakery or porkpies from Sillfeild Farm.boroughmarket.org.uk

2THE SPICY

Mercado De La Merced,Mexico City

Spread out across fourmassive blocks, the city’sbiggest market brings to-gether culinary traditionsand produce from allregions. Eat there: Enchiladas, bur-ritos, tacos and quesadillasbursting with ‘queso blan-co’, chewy Oaxacan cheese.Try a side order of cactuspaddles ‘Nopales’ or‘frijoles’, creamy re-friedbeans. Take away: Intoxicatinglyfragrant vanilla pods, driedchilies, sweet guavas andboiled candy.

5THE ROMANTICKauppatori Harbour

Market, Helsinki This pretty morningharbour-side market offersdried reindeer meats andbreads as well as freshseafood. Eat there: In summer trycloudberries, blueberriesand lingonberries. For atypical local lunch eatalmond-flavouredpotatoes and grilled rein-deer sausages. Take away: Smoked rein-deer tongue is a local spe-ciality. Stop at the bakerystall to stock up on meatpies and cinnamon buns. www.visitfinland.com

3THE SNOB

Eliseevsky Food Hall,Moscow

Open 24/7, this century-old food emporium is opu-lent, extravagant andexclusive. Its aisles lit bychandeliers, no wonder itused to be known as the‘Temple of the Gluttons’.Eat there: Have a cup ofperfumed tea with a Geor-gian cheese pie or jam-filled gingerbread. Makeyour way to the freshseafood for some oysters. Take away: Red caviar, truf-fles, vintage alcohols (gofor the Beluga Vodka) andRussian chocolates. www.eliseevskiy.ru

4THE FISHY

Tsukiji Fish Market,Tokyo

It’s the worlds largest fishmarket and global hub offish and seafood exchange.More then 40,000 peoplecome to buy and sell 2,500tons and 450 varieties offresh produce daily. Eat there: Try the bluefintuna, sardines and seaurchins or the poisonousfish ‘fugu’ - if you dare.Take away: Take homedried sea slug caviar andon your way out stop andat the sushi, noodle andtempura stalls for ahealthy snack. www.tsukiji-market.or.jp

“Eating on holidayis always exciting,and visiting an foodmarket can be atheatrical andatmosphericexperience.”

A country’s cuisine isshaped by numerousfactors, including climate,geographical location, his-torical events and religion –and you’ll often find all ofthose qualities combined atthe local food market.We’ve picked a top five ofthe most exciting ones inthe world.

For more informationvisit the websites listed.

Smell, sample, shop, then eat! ADAMBAKER JNTO.GOFLCIKR CC ADACTIO SEBASSTIANMORALES FLICKR CC IZIK

Visit a food market to get a real taste of the country’s culinary life The cuisine can tell you a lot about a place And besides, where else are you going to find reindeer meats sold next to seafood?

ROMINAMCGUINNESSMETRO WORLD [email protected]


06 travelGADGETS: MOBILE COFFEE BREAK

3 ACCESSORIES TO GUARANTEE AHOT COFFEE WHEREVER YOU ARE

1 2 3

Disposable cups are environmentally-unsound and make your coffee taste crap. TheFlatterware collapsible cup is moulded from asingle piece of flexible plastic with a helicalstructure, so it folds flat then pops up out ofits puck when you need to use it. It looks andfeels a little funny but it does work. $12, www.flatterware.com

1 FLATTERWARE FOLDABLE CUP

Coffee-addicts will love making fresh espres-sos with this hand-held machine, whetherthey’re camping or taking a long road trip.Pump up the pressure, pour in the boiling wa-ter and insert the pod, and this eco-friendlygadget will produce a delicious espresso.Euros 99, shop.handpresso.com

2 HANDPRESSO ESPRESSO MAKER

Inventors of the famous insulated drinks bot-tle, Thermos, claim that their King Vacuumflask will keep your drink hot for up to 24hours thanks to its TherMax double wall insu-lation. We found hot tea had cooled to warmbut was still very drinkable after 24 hours.$19.99, Euros 49.99, www.thermos.com

METRO WORLD NEWS

3 THERMOS STAINLESS

KING VACUUM FLASK

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