Table of contents for Sep/Oct 2018 in AFAR

I RECENTLY CELEBRATED my 60th birthday with a trip to Ireland and Italy, and, as one does on milestone occasions, I found myself reflecting on my life and on how much I have to be thankful for. I’m so fortunate to be doing something I love and believe in: At AFAR, we help inspire, guide, and enable people to have deeper, richer, and more fulfilling travel experiences. And if I needed a reminder of why that matters, all I had to do was look around me. I was traveling with five good friends to Kenmare, Ireland, home of my ancestors, and Cortona, Italy, where one of my friends recently purchased a home. We had a ball. We biked up to Healy Pass in Ireland (a trip organized by AFAR Travel…

Most diners probably don’t realize it, but when they order the curried eggplant at Verde Mesa restaurant in San Juan, they’re helping build a more sustainable Puerto Rico. Every meal of locally grown ingredients supports farmers rebounding from Irma and Maria, the hurricanes that ravaged the island in 2017. Before the storms, Puerto Rico imported about 85 percent of its food. Agriculture had declined steadily after World War II, as government policies encouraged industrialization. Then, just as farming was beginning to stage a comeback, the hurricanes hit. The storms not only destroyed crops, but they also made it harder for imported food to reach the island for distribution. It was clear to two San Juan chefs—Verde Mesa’s Gabriel Hernández, a 2018 James Beard Award semifinalist, and José Enrique Montes, a…

1. The Bourse Philadelphia A former commodities exchange dating to 1895, the Bourse on Independence Mall opened in July with 27 vendors. At Baby Buns, Haitian chef Sylva Senat serves surprising sliders such as falafel on brioche; Bluebird Distilling pours cocktails with its house gin and four-grain bourbon. A nine-story atrium floods the space with natural light that illuminates the oak tables and Beaux-Arts ironwork. theboursephilly.com 2. Zeppelin Station Denver You’ll find smoked-meat sandwiches, Japanese whiskey cocktails, banh mi, masala chai, poké bowls, and a mural by the street artist Whatisadam at Zeppelin Station, which opened in March in the fast-growing RiNo (River North) district. Upstairs, bar Big Trouble shakes tropical libations. zeppelinstation.com 3. Grandview Public Market West Palm Beach, FL Twelve food and retail stalls now occupy a former…

HEAD TO 1. Arches National Park Start from: Salt Lake City (4 hours by car) or Denver (5.5 hours by car) What’s there: Red rock spires and more than 2,000 sandstone arches Why now: Arches is one of three area parks that joined forces for the first time this summer with the Utah Dark Skies Astronomy Outreach program to co-host monthly star parties. In the evening, stargazers meet at the visitor center for a talk of 30 to 40 minutes followed by constellation spotting and opportunities to peer through telescopes at distant star clusters. Also on display: the Milky Way galaxy, which 80 percent of North Americans can’t see at home due to light pollution. HEAD TO 2. Statue of Liberty National Monument Start from: Manhattan (15-30 minutes by ferry)…

ENTER NOW For A Chance To Win We want to highlight the diverse and creative ways in which photographers like you are celebrating the world with the first-ever AFAR Travel Photography Awards. We’re joining forces with LensCulture and United Airlines to seek out and honor the world’s best contemporary travel photography—by both amateurs and professionals. Show us the world through your lens! Winners will receive international exposure, publication in AFAR, cash awards, and more. AFAR.COM/TRAVELPHOTOAWARDS lensculture NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Entries must be submitted between 8/1/18 and 9/16/18. For Official Rules, visit afar.com/travelphotoawards.…

PEOPLE ARE A LITTLE confused when they meet me, because I have an Indian name but my accent is Italian. My father is from Jaipur, but I was born in Bologna, where my mother is from. In 2010, I moved to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. There aren’t many half-Italian half-Indians in India; I think I know all of them by now. My family’s business, the Gem Palace, is located on Mirza Ismail Road (people here call it M.I. Road), in central Jaipur. Our family has owned the jewelry store for nine generations—and the decor hasn’t changed since it opened in 1852. People are amazed when I show them Jackie Kennedy’s signature in our guest book. But that’s nothing compared to the jewelry we make. Much of it features different…

We are drawn to cities for their dazzling lights, their bustling streets, and their dynamic cultural blends. But sometimes we need a break from the noise, the crowds, the urbanness of it all. And when we find a green space—tucked between buildings, growing from a wall, blooming in a reclaimed lot—another side of a city reveals itself. “Humans have this incredible ingenuity to turn little corners of spare space into remarkable green resources for the public,” says Toby Musgrave, the author of the new book Green Escapes (Phaidon, 2018), which features a diverse collection of more than 260 urban parks and gardens around the world. For travelers, parks— particularly ones off the beaten path—offer both a new angle on a city and a place to simply absorb your experience. “I…

In 2015, the year following the completion of Manhattan’s High Line, the 1.45-mile elevated park attracted 7.6 million visitors to the city’s Chelsea neighborhood. But New York wasn’t the first city to turn its old rails green. Paris built the first elevated, linear urban park in the world, the Promenade Plantée, on the abandoned Vincennes railway line in 1993. Now the model has spread to more U.S. cities. Chicago, Detroit, and Atlanta have rehabilitated their own disused railroads to create linear parks. Opened a year after the High Line, the elevated 606 trail runs for 2.7 miles on the former Bloomingdale Line route, connecting four neighborhoods in northwest Chicago. Detroit’s Dequindre Cut links the city’s Eastern Market neighborhood with the riverfront via two paved miles of the former Grand Trunk…

1. Barn the Spoon Measure, stir, or serve using a wooden spoon carved by Barnaby Carder, aka “Barn the Spoon.” He also hosts spoon-carving classes at his East End workshop. From $64. barnthespoon.com 2. Hartley Cycles Each steel bicycle at Caren Hartley’s South West studio is made to order, designed specifically for its rider and his or her riding style. From $4,640. hartleycycles.com 3. Blenheim Forge Self-taught blacksmiths and buddies James Ross-Harris, Jon Warshawsky, and Richard Warner create Japanese-style chef knives by hand at their South London forge. From $210. blenheimforge.co.uk 4. Andreas Hudelmayer Passions for woodworking and music intersect at Andreas Hudelmayer’s workshop in Central London, where it takes months to make each violin, viola, or cello. From $21,200. hudelmayer.com 5. Bellerby & Co. Globemakers Customized globes by Peter…

Sara Hylton Photographer The Real Jaipur p.57 Get personal: “My background is in documentary work, and I really try to understand who I’m photographing. While shooting [a local’s guide to] Jaipur, I sat down and spoke with many of the artists and shop owners.” Beginning to see: “Back when I didn’t even know what a shutter speed was, I traveled to Vrindavan, India’s city of widows. This community of women living on the outskirts of society fascinated me, and I learned how to take pictures by spending time with them.” Focus with her: on Instagram at @sarahyltonphoto Kathleen Squires Writer From the Ground Up p.24 Tasty tales: “You find out about so much through eating: the people, the culture, the economy. Food can tell so many stories; that’s why I never get…

1. The Siren Hotel Detroit The latest sign of downtown Detroit’s renaissance? The Siren Hotel, which is giving new life to the 1926 Wurlitzer Building, abandoned since the 1980s. The 106 guest rooms feature colorful terrazzo showers and custom-made blankets from Maine Heritage Weavers. The lobby channels Detroit’s early 20th-century glory days with velvet sofas, ornate Italian mirrors, and a Murano glass chandelier. At the Candy Bar, locals gather on bubblegum-pink banquettes beneath a giant disco ball to sip craft cocktails. Try the New Gimlet, made with gin infused with kaffir lime. Reservations are required for the on-site restaurant Albena, an eight-seat tasting counter where chef Garrett Lipar pays homage to Great Lakes ingredients. From $139. thesirenhotel.com —LAURA ITZKOWITZ 2. The Assemblage New York City The wake-up call takes on…

Earlier this year, Montgomery, Alabama, saw the opening of the National Memorial to Peace and Justice, the first public memorial dedicated to victims of slavery and racial terror in the United States. At the center of the six-acre site you’ll find 800 six-foot-tall rusted-steel monuments—one for every U.S. county where a lynching took place from 1877 through 1950. Each is engraved with the names of the deceased, some “Unknown.” As you descend into the space, the steel columns—suspended higher and higher above your head—evoke hanging bodies. Elsewhere on the memorial grounds, duplicate pillars stand. The hope is that each county with a history of lynching will claim its column and find an appropriate site to display it. A short walk from the new memorial, the Legacy Museum, located in a…

July 27–August 3, 2019 | 7 days Barcelona to Civitavecchia (Rome) Join AFAR Sailings on its maiden voyage. This one-week summer cruise with Silversea calls at some of the Mediterranean’s most idyllic ports in France, Italy, and Spain, and you’ll be among an exclusive small group of guests with access to private lunches and yacht tours alongside AFAR’s very own tastemaker, EVP/CRO Ellen Asmodeo-Giglio. On board the all-inclusive Silver Shadow you’ll experience the very best accommodations and finest amenities, such as spacious suites, butler service, and signature Relais & Châteaux culinary selections. You’ll enjoy special programming both in ports and on board, as well as discover the region’s art, architecture, and history on private tours. For exclusive AFAR amenities, book this cruise now at afarsailings.com/silversea. LEARN MORE AT AFARSAILINGS.COM/SILVERSEA, by…

IT’S LUNCHTIME IN THE food-crazy island nation of Singapore, and I’m at a food court in the Katong district, breaking a double sweat. It’s not just the tropical heat, but also the aromatic steam billowing from my bowl of curry laksa, a Singaporean concoction of noodles and seafood in a flavorful coconut-milk broth. My first messy spoonful of “gravy” with slippery bee hoon (rice noodles), fish cakes, and briny cockles and shrimp seems almost mellow—an equatorial answer to New England chowder. Then comes the heat of the chili, the funky umami oomph of dried shrimp, and the mini-explosions of blue ginger and lemongrass in the hand-pounded spice paste called rempah. To finish, the minty flavor of laksa leaves, aka Vietnamese coriander. Ah, laksa, laksa,” I murmur before addressing the chili…

1 St. Dunstanin-the-East Church Garden London An English parish church built in 1100, St. Dunstan-in-the-East was first damaged in the 1666 Great Fire of London. It was restored but again ravaged during the Blitz in 1941. Instead of rebuilding, the city of London used the church’s shell to create a public garden in 1967. Halfway between the Tower of London and London Bridge, this Gothic green space filled with trees and climbing vines offers a refuge from the city and a reminder of its resilience. 1 St. Dunstan’s Hill 2 Biblioteca Vasconcelos Greenhouse Mexico City Beloved for its suspended bookshelves and whale skeleton, Mexico City’s “mega-library” is a sanctuary for more than just books. In a 6.4-acre botanic garden, a factory repurposed as a greenhouse shelters an array of palm…

1 Palácio do Itamaraty Rooftop Garden Brasília Brasília’s Oscar Niemeyer–designed Palácio do Itamaraty houses Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, one of the country’s largest public art collections, and a delightfully understated top-floor garden. A slatted roof allows sunbeams to reach the beds of palms, ferns, and grass, and the arched facade offers views of Niemeyer’s National Congress building. Esplanada dos Ministérios Bloco H 2 ACROS Fukuoka Prefectural International Hall Fukuoka In this multipurpose building on Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s main islands, 15 terraces draped in greenery sit atop 1 million feet of space that holds Fukuoka Symphony Hall, exhibit spaces, and a tourist information center. At the top: a deck offering views of the city and Hakata Bay. 1-1-1 Tenjin, Chuo-ku 3 Salesforce Park San Francisco Just opened this…

Anasagasti Step through the unmarked wooden door on a quiet Palermo street and grab a tufted chair under the art nouveau chandelier to peruse the craft cocktail and tapas menu. anasagasti.com.ar Crystal Bar The Alvear Icon Hotel opened last year in Puerto Madero, and its 32nd-floor bar offers some of the best views in the city. alvearicon.com Florería Atlántico Beneath a flower shop, behind a refrigerator door, a speakeasy serves drinks inspired by the home countries of Argentina’s immigrant population: For instance, Spanish drinks feature Andalusian sherry. floreriaatlantico.com.ar The Harrison Speakeasy at Nicky Harrison You might have to sweet-talk your way into the Prohibitionstyle spot tucked behind a sushi restaurant, but the cocktails are well worth the effort. nicky-harrison.com Parque Bar Botánico Visiting this bar in Palermo Soho is like…

1. Westfalia Fort Point Beer Company San Francisco, CA The sibling-run brewery spins sublime modern takes on traditional styles, such as German rotbier. This caramel-rich red ale is cashmere smooth. fortpointbeer.com 2. Clarity of Purpose Fair State Brewing Cooperative Minneapolis, MN Excelling at fruited sours and unfiltered pilsners alike, Fair State has partnered with Surly Brewing Company to create a hugely fragrant, double dry-hopped IPA that’s as clear as the Caribbean. fairstate.coop 3. Big Papi Commonwealth Brewing Company Virginia Beach, VA This brewery is one of the East Coast’s best producers of barely bitter double IPAs. The can’s juicy colors evoke the contents’ aroma and flavor. commonwealthbrewingcompany.com 4. Deer Snacks Shacksbury Vergennes, VT The brewery forages for the wild apples used in a dry cider that, like many of Shacksbury’s…

1. Banneker-Douglass Museum This year, Maryland’s official museum of African American heritage, located in Annapolis, celebrates the bicentennial of the birth of native son Frederick Douglass, the former slave turned social activist and the first black citizen to become a high-ranking U.S.government official. Film screenings, lectures, and other events are taking place statewide. bdmuseum.maryland.gov 2. Birmingham Civil Rights Institute This Smithsonian-affiliated center in Birmingham, Alabama, highlights the city’s most significant civil rights events. Inside, visitors will see the cell door behind which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” An exhibit by the Alabama photographer Chester Higgins Jr., Foot Soldiers: Profiles of Courage Then and Now, runs through November. bcri.org 3. Mississippi Civil Rights Museum The museum opened last year in Jackson and focuses on the…

PLAN YOUR CARIBBEAN ADVENTURE Three sun-kissed islands, and seven ways to explore them. AFAR Journeys is dreaming of island life right now, so we have turned our attention to some of the most beautiful in the Caribbean: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman. Whether you want to explore the islands’ culinary traditions, their spectacular beaches and reefs, or spend some time on the route to wellness—and whether you are traveling with your loved one or the entire family—AFAR Journeys has an itinerary suited to your interests. Explore all the Cayman Islands itineraries, just launched in August. afar.com/journeys…

1. The Original Katong Laksa Descendants of a legendary laksa street peddler nicknamed Janggut serve a creamy-complex version at this stall in the Roxy Square mall. 50 East Coast Road, Roxy Square 2. National Kitchen by Violet Oon At her gorgeous restaurant inside the National Gallery Singapore, chef Violet Oon serves a variety of refined takes on Singapore classics, including chili crab and laksa, which she garnishes with prawns and tau pok (fried tofu cakes). 1 St. Andrew’s Road #02-01. violetoon.com 3. Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa Rich, thick laksa cooked in a clay pot draws locals to this lesser-known hawker center. The restaurant has earned Michelin Bib Gourmand status. 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-75, Alexandra Village Food Centre 4. 328 Katong Laksa Chef-owner Lucy Lim is…

MARCH 2–4, 2019, IN New Orleans Experience Mardi Gras with AFAR and gain insider access to this magical celebration of music, food, and traditions. You’ll meet influential local dignitaries, enjoy the best of the city’s delicious culinary offerings, and have the unique opportunity to ride on a float with the storied Krewe of Orpheus. These are just a few of the many highlights you’ll enjoy alongside fellow AFAR travelers on this two-day AFAR Experiences. To learn more about this event and how to register, visit: www.afarexperiences.com/mardigras…

1 Tree House Singapore At the time it was completed in 2013, the Tree House’s 24,640-square-foot, west-facing green facade, which spans 24 floors, broke the Guinness World Record for largest vertical garden. The 429-unit building is as green as its surrounds: It’s located in Singapore’s park-filled District 23, and from their apartments, residents can enjoy a view of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Upper Peirce Reservoir. 60 Chestnut Ave. 2 Namba Parks Osaka Created in 2003 on the site of Osaka’s former baseball stadium, Namba Parks is a meandering green space incorporated into a massive shopping mall. A rock canyon winds through the mall, and each terrace offers something to be discovered: Tree groves, waterfalls, and vegetable gardens await among boutiques and restaurants. 2 Chome-10-70 Nanbanaka 3 Bosco Verticale…

California’s Napa Valley is home to Michelin-starred restaurants, luxurious hot springs and spas, and wineries set amid oak-covered hills, making the area synonymous with the good life and laid-back luxury. On this intimate trip, you’ll travel with AFAR’s founders and editors as you see and taste the best of the best, while gaining rare insider access to truly incredible places. You’ll receive a warm welcome as you spend time with the winemakers, chefs, and artisans who make Napa Valley what it is today. You’ll experience the many facets of the world’s favorite wine region on this three-night, two-day trip: • Access to private homes and gardens • Group discussions with artisans • Culinary adventures with top chefs • Tastings with exceptional winemakers If you’ve been meaning to visit—or revisit—Napa Valley,…

BARN THE SPOON IS NOT HAPPY TO SEE ME. A flannel-clad mountain of a man, he shakes my hand warily at the urban farm where I’ve found him, before assuring me that he absolutely does not have time to talk with me. He is about to fly to Sweden for a speaking engagement, and he has a class to prepare for, which—he turns to his assistant, who does a quick check—is completely full and therefore could not possibly admit another person even if only to observe. He also, he says, nodding toward a tripod set up across from him, has a video to shoot. I prepare to slink off, duly chastised for thinking that I might just waltz in and interview a man who carves spoons for a living. Clearly…

As a backpacker a few years ago in Peru, I fell hard for the country. In March I returned to lead a 10-day AFAR + Nikon “World in Focus” photography trip. We visited many of the same places I had explored on my first trip: We saw hundreds of people parade through the streets of Lima during Holy Week, met female weavers from the Sacred Valley’s indigenous Amaru community, and watched the ruins of Machu Picchu emerge from a mass of fog. But I was most eager to revisit Cuzco. On our first day there, nostalgia swept over me as we gathered in the Plaza de Armas, where a church and the cathedral frame the square’s central fountain. Some members of our group joined me for a tour of my…