Eats: In a city jam-packed with steakhouses (known as parrillas) serving up tender grass-fed beef, Rio Alba (Tel: 54-11-4773-5748) is the best, hands down. The old-school waiters wear vests and bow ties and refuse to write down your order, but they always remember your name and favorite cut of meat (mine is the bife de chorizo, a punto, a New York Strip steak, medium-rare, accompanied by a nice Malbec red). I like this place so much I had my wedding rehearsal dinner here; 75 visiting Americans went home very happy that night.
Sleeps: Home Hotel (Tel: 54-11-4778-1008) has been praised by the world’s hippest travel publications for its undying coolness, and rightly so. It’s located in the happening Palermo Hollywood neighborhood, near lots of restaurants, bars and television studios. All the rooms are decorated in a minimalist vibe with wacky French wallpaper. The outdoor garden and infinity pool are perfect for lounging off the effects of a long BsAs night. Stop by on a Friday evening to sip stiff drinks with local scenesters and expats. The hotel’s owner, British music producer Tom Rixton, can usually be found behind the bar spinning tunes.
Drinks: Buenos Aires is currently undergoing a cocktail craze. Many Porteños are no longer content drinking straight beer or booze and are now demanding well-mixed libations for their nights out on the town. Mundo Bizarro (Tel: 54-11-4773-1967) in the chic neighborhood of Palermo Soho, has been leading the charge, with scores of original concoctions, like “the Sinner” (bourbon, peach schnapps, pastis and orange juice). The place is decorated in kitschy fluorescent colors, yet it feels like a biker bar—without the bikers. Nearby, Ocho7Ocho (Tel: 54-11-4773-1098) was once a hush-hush spot for a quiet cocktail amongst friends, but the secret’s out now. Regardless, it’s worth a visit for the speakeasy atmosphere. Across town, in the heady tango neighborhood of San Telmo, Club 647(Tel: 54-11-4331-3026) opens its doors to the city’s most fabulous people and offers Shanghai-inspired concoctions, like the eponymous “647” (sake, grapes, mirin and champagne). Dress to impress.
Sights: My favorite museum in the city is the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA) (Tel: 54-11-4808-6500) which houses the impressive personal collection of local businessman Eduardo Costantini. It’s one of the largest collections of Latin American art in the world and includes works by Antonio Berni, Xul Solar, Tarsila do Amaral and Frida Kahlo. There are also rotating exhibits from international artists, such as Scotland’s Douglas Gordon (currently showing) and American photographer David LaChapelle. When LaChapelle arrived for the opening-night party at MALBA a few months ago, I watched him get mobbed by local fashionistas looking for a photo-op. Uber-cool, LaChapelle sipped slowly on a bottle of beer and grinned away.
Sports: Argentina is the undisputed world capital of polo. The best players and the best horses come from the surrounding pampas, where polo is played year-round. For a glimpse of the sport of kings at its absolute finest, head to the Palermo Polo Fields in the southern hemisphere spring for the Campeonato Argentino Abierto de Polo (Argentine Open Polo Championship), the most prestigious tournament on the planet (Nov. 17- Dec. 8). Look for Adolfo Cambiasso, the Roger Federer of polo, to lead his team, La Dolfina, to their third title in a row.
Barbie Nadeau has lived in Italy since 1996, enjoying la dolce vita and reporting on politics, culture and travel for NEWSWEEK and a variety of travel publications and guidebooks. Having thoroughly explored the southern coast of Italy and Sicily, the tiny islands of Malta and Gozo seemed like the natural place to go for a beach holiday. Here’s what she found over the summer:
Sleeping Malta is tiny—just 316 square kilometers—so traversing the island on the labyrinth of narrow stone-walled roads is simple. Base yourself on the waterfront near Mellieha Bay or St. Paul’s Bay or better yet, sleep on Gozo nearby to get the full feel of Maltese life. Consider renting a private villa or old farmhouse (a great selection at www.holiday-malta.com) since the hotels tend to be buffet-food havens with little character.
Best Vertigo Experience Park safely out of the way of the quarry trucks and walk (very slowly) down the narrow headroad along the Dingli cliffs midway between the towns of Siggiewi and Dingli. Buy a peeled prickly pear from the roadside stand and gaze out at the perfect view.
Nightlife and Waterside Dining The capital city of Valletta may seem like the obvious choice for nightlife, but the food and the views are better looking at Valletta from across the bay in Sliema. For authentic Maltese cuisine, head straight to Ta’Kolina (+356 335106) at 151 Tower Road. Skip dessert and after dinner cross over to the boardwalk for an ice cream to take down to the limestone rocks on the beach.
Best Beach While the Blue Lagoon on the island of Comino is easily the best place to swim, the beaches are too crowded and rocky to spend any time out of the water. For serious sunbathing, head over to the red sands of Ramla Bay (Ir-Ramla on the map) on Gozo and bask in the true Mediterranean glory of sand and turquoise sea–not to mention Gozo’s famous statue of the Virgin Mary.
Sights It’s not often that you get to ramble around prehistoric ruins, but Malta has been settled since 5200 B.C. The Hagar Qim Temple and the ruins of Mnajdra on the clifftops near Qrendi top the list.
Feel like James Bond Both Sean Connery in “Never Say Never Again” and Roger Moore in “The Spy Who Loved Me” filmed nuke submarine scenes off the rock cliffs of Gozo. Take your snorkel or whatever Bond-like gadget you may have and explore the clear waters off Xlendi and the Azure Window, Blue Hole and Fungus Rock along the coast of Dwejra.
Long obsessed with the Western Balkans, NEWSWEEK’s Ginanne Brownell has trudged through former war zones and explored the Adriatic’s breathtaking coasts. But with Bulgaria and Romania (in the Eastern Balkans) now members of the European Union, she felt it was time to expand her Balkan repertoire. She headed to Romania for the weekend to discover the villages, countryside and the capital, Bucharest, of this intriguing nation.
Sleeping: Bucharest’s hotel scene got a lot more posh this summer with the opening of the sumptuous Carol Parc Hotel (www.carolparchotel.ro), a five-star boutique residence within walking distance of downtown. Walking into the hotel, which is at the end of a quiet cul de sac, feels like entering a palace. And the hotel–which takes its name from a nearby park–was a former palace of a German architect friend of King Carol I of Romania. During Romania’s communist days the building was the center for the secret police. After 6 million euros’ worth of renovations, the hotel has reaffirmed its palatial roots with gorgeous marble floors and a stunning Murano chandelier resplendent with more than 2,000 crystals–one of the largest of its kind ever made.
Eating: Bucharest has some fantastic eateries, and Balthazar (www.balthazar.ro), close to the strip of spectacular gothic embassies, is one of the best. When I walked in I was struck by the cool minimalist design: there were several small potted tress throughout the restaurant with branches decorated with handwritten notes and marvelous little baubles. Though the music was a tad loud, the food was fantastic. The Thai-French fusion included marinated eel with coconut and pepper garnish and other interesting starters. For my main course I had sushi–a mix of sashimi, nigiri and maki rolls–that was some of the best I’ve ever had. The udon noodles with tofu also looked good, and their steaks and seafood are said to be divine. For lunch, head to Bistro Vilacrosse, right off of Bucharest’s main drag, Calea Victorei. The chicken livers with peasant potatoes are delish!
Visiting: No trip to Bucharest is complete without a tour of the Palace of Parliament (known still as the Palace of the People). After the Pentagon, it’s the world’s largest building; it takes 20 minutes to walk from one side to the other. It was dictator Nicolae Ceausecu’s whim to build a grand palace in 1984 (while the population was starving), and one-sixth of Bucharest was bulldozed–including historic churches and grand palaces–for this monstrosity. Though there is no estimate on the cost, several books quote a figure of about 3.3 billion euros. Today the building houses the country’s parliament, and you can take a 45-minute tour of several rooms. Walk around to the other side of the palace and visit the National Museum of Contemporary Art. Be forewarned there aren’t any guidebooks in English, but the building is good for a wander and the art ain’t bad either.
Driving: Transylvania has stunning forested landscapes and stupendous castles, such as Peles, Rasnov Fortress and Bran (closely, but wrongly, associated with Dracula). If you have time and really want to explore the land of Dracula, head to Sighisoara. This charming medieval town is the birthplace of Vlad Tepes, who was the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s famous blood-sucking character. Britain’s Prince Charles has been involved in the Mihai Eminescu Trust, which works on conservation and regeneration of Saxon villages and communes nearby. The city has a citadel and an announcer who wears traditional dress while he welcomes tourists to the city.
For those willing to brave the climate, Iceland’s thriving capital offers a generous helping of Nordic culture, aquatic cuisine and Viking history. Just don’t forget your jacket.
Bathe in the therapeutic waters of the Blue Lagoon, conveniently located near the airport, or one of the city’s prevalent “hot pots”—outdoor tubs heated to withstand the cold.
Eat at Seafood Cellar and sample a native dish: lundi (puffin) or hakarl, rotten shark meat buried underground for three months and served with a necessary shot of brennivin, strong Icelandic liquor (sjavark jallarinn.is).
Ascend the tower of the Hallgrimskirkja, Iceland’s largest church, which offers spectacular bird’s-eye views of the city.
Shop for hundreds of luxe Scandinavian design labels like Marimekko, Iittala and Filippa K along chic Laugavegur, the city’s main stretch.
