globetrotter

10 reasons to travel right now

Words by Johanna Derry & Sophie Griffiths

london

#1. see björk on tour
Catch the weird and forever wonderful Björk on her first tour for four years. The tour introduces the new set from the Icelandic pop star’s latest album Volta. Worldwide festival performances of the Volta concert have already gained critical acclaim. As well as the usual flamboyant costumes and crazy sets, the show includes an all-female Icelandic 10-piece brass section. Björk will be playing three dates at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, as well as various venues across the UK.

» Fly Sterling to London
14, 17 and 20 April, for more information on Björk’s UK tour visit

www.bjork.com

prague

#2. the gordon ramsay happy meal
Heading to the Czech capital? Here’s some news to put a smile on your face. TV chef Gordon Ramsay has added a Prague restaurant to his Michelin-starry empire. Maze at the Hilton Prague Old Town is based on Ramsay’s London restaurant of the same name, and serves French-style taster dishes such as lobster salad with apple and fennel, or foie gras and poached chicken with fig marmalade and brioche. The main difference in Prague is the price, thanks to exchange rates. Prague’s Maze offers an excellent value seven-course set dinner for CZK1795 (around €70) – a deal compared to London where dishes average €12 each, and the only prix fixe deal is at lunch. Hilton guests can also enjoy Gordon Ramsay room service.

» Fly Sterling to Prague
Hilton Prague Old Town ,ÐV Celnici 7, Prague, + 420 221 822 300, www.gordonramsay.com

berlin

#3. the bikers’ flying circus

© 2007 steh.de / ifmxf.comFreestyle Motocross (FMX) professionals show off their daredevil skills at the Night of the Jumps in Berlin this April, part of the third FMX World Championships. Competitors perform risky jumps up to 11 metres in height and a variety of hands- and feet-free stunts, with names like ‘Cliffhanger’ and ‘Tsunami’. The more daring the jump, the more points riders earn towards the coveted world FMX title, making the competition a breathtaking spectacle.

» Fly Sterling to Berlin
5-6 April, www.ifmxf.com

brussels

#4. all that jazz

© Getty Every year in venues all over Belgium, the VW Spring Sessions attract the world’s top contemporary jazz musicians. Previous editions have hosted Shirley Bassey, Cesaria Evora and the Cuban All Stars and this year maintains the same level of quality. With a leading artist in each style, you can hear performances from tango musician Melingo and the stunning voice of Mayra Andrade (pictured).

» Fly Sterling to Brussels
Starts 1 March. Melingo performs 27 March. Mayra Andrade performs 4 and 5 April www.vwspringsessions.be

nottingham

#5. float before you fly
A recent visitor to Ragdale Hall’s new hydro spa left an internet review saying, “Recently my husband walked out on me. So I booked myself into Ragdale Hall to cheer myself up and it worked.” Well, we can’t second her claim that the spa will help heal a broken heart, but a weekend of Clarins treatments and water massages certainly did pummel away the stress of a busy week.

Set in a large Victorian country house overlooking the green fields of Leicestershire, Ragdale Hall is an old-school English health spa that recently added a multi-million pound hydro and thermal complex. Since this opened late last year, the retreat now offers all the coloured mood lights, heat rooms, steam chambers, salt baths and scented saunas you’d expect in a state-of-the-art spa.

Bells and whistles include the bath-warm Candle Pool, a series of underground caverns where you can float away with your thoughts, and the steamy heated outdoor Waterfall Pool for bobbing around with lovely garden views – warm even as keen Midlands winds gust overhead. Due to fairly-priced packages, spa areas can get noisy on weekends with gaggles of gal pals, but if you need to retreat the old house has plenty of quiet nooks to curl up in your bath robe. And despite Ragdale’s slightly corporate look, guests are very much encouraged to make themselves at home.

Top-flight treatments use mainly Clarins, Decléor or Elemis products. You can also book fitness coaching, tennis, golf or even archery sessions. A two-night Taster Break starts from £249 per person based on two people sharing, with 50 minute massage or facial, all meals and full use of facilities including Thermal Spa.

» Fly Sterling to Nottingham (East Midlands)

Ragdale Hall is a 25-minute taxi ride from Nottingham’s East Midlands Airport. Ragdale Hall Health Hydro and Thermal Spa, Ragdale Village, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, +44 (0)1664 434 831, www.ragdalehall.co.uk

amsterdam

#6. for starry starry nights
Amsterdam’s Hotel Okura might just be the perfect one-stop gourmet getaway. The hotel’s Ciel Bleu has recently been awarded a second Michelin star for hot talent Onno Kokmeijer’s French-style cooking, and its Japanese restaurant also has a star. The upshot is that the hotel now holds 75% of the city’s Michelin stars. Lazy foodies need never leave the building: you can lunch on the best sushi and sashimi in the Netherlands at Yamazato, have a small post-prandial siesta, then head for award-winning mojitos at the Twenty Third cocktail bar and dine with a view at Ciel Bleu, also on the 23rd floor. Signature dishes include turbot with rich, acorn-fed Pata Negra jamón. The price of a three-course meal at Ciel Bleu is around €82. Yamazato offers various menus with starters from €6 and mains from €18.

» Fly Sterling to Amsterdam
Hotel Okura Amsterdam, Ferdinand Bolstraat 333, Amsterdam,+ 31 (0)20 678 7111, www.okura.nl

florence

#7. tangle with the tangueros
Whether you’re a beginner or a full-blown tanguero there are plenty of opportunities to glide over the 2,500 square metres of dance floor during the four-day Firenze Tango Festival in Florence. You can join top instructors for dance workshops during the day, watch artists from Argentina and Europe perform every night, and even dance until sunrise in the ‘After Hour’ sessions if you have the energy.

» Fly Sterling to Florence
24-27 April, www.firenzetangofestival.com

rome

#8. make like russell crowe
© Helen Cathcart
helencathcartphotography.co.uk

Here’s a workout with a difference… Rome’s Cavalieri Hilton is offering guests the chance to learn the art of ancient gladiatorial battle, complete with togas and swords. Arm yourself with a wooden training sword, and embark on a two-hour session of – almost – mortal combat with expert tuition from trainer Nero (yes, it’s his stage name). Fast learners are upgraded to a metal sword, and those who truly master the moves receive a medal along with the title of tiro or novice gladiator. The real reward, however, is that once you’ve sweated like a slave attempting to earn his freedom, you can then indulge in a pampering worthy of an emperor at the Cavalieri’s five-star spa and steam rooms. A two-hour session for up to eight guests costs €500. Given the price tag, the Cavalieri’s Gladiator School is more popular with corporate groups than holidaymakers.

» Fly Sterling to Rome
Rome Cavalieri Hilton, Via Alberto Cadlolo 101, Rome, +39 06 350 920 40, www.cavalieri-hilton.com

geneva

#9. mecca for petrolheads
Bigger, better, faster, sexier… the Geneva Motor Show is turbo-charged heaven for speed freaks. This famous motor show is among the top five in the world for the motor industry and the only European one to take place annually. Showcasing the big brands’ sleek new creations, the Geneva event in March is always an opportunity for car makers to herald their vision of the automotive future. This year, the 78th show will not just look at innovation and invention but will also cast a critical eye on how the industry is dealing with environmental challenges.

» Fly Sterling to Geneva
6-16 March, www.salon-auto.ch

innsbruck

#10. catch the new snow train
Acclaimed British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid’s redesigned funicular, the Nordpark Cable Railway, opened at the end of 2007. Hadid, who has already made her mark on Innsbruck with the Bergisel Ski Jump, designed four landmark stations that look like stunning ice sculptures. The railway is Europe’s first city to mountain-top line, and its first ‘designer’ route. It whisks passengers from the old town up to a height of 700 metres in a mere 20 minutes, bringing the ski slopes of the Alps ever closer to the city centre.