10 reasons to travel right now
Words by Johanna Derry
naples
#1. sunset at the nabilah beach club
Now that Sterling flies to Naples, it’ll be easier to jet in for a night at the Nabilah Beach Club, a glamorous spot that DJ Gilles Peterson lists among his favourite clubs worldwide. Join Naples’ style tribes from around 8pm for cocktails by the pool, pretty platefuls from the open grills and, later, for fireworks and beats on the beach where DJs play with their backs to the glittering Med. Dance barefoot on the sands or lounge on king-size day beds, Prosecco in hand… life doesn’t get much better. Nabilah is just a 15-minute cab ride west of Naples on the shores of Bacoli – near the ancient remains of the Cuma Acropolis.
Nabilah Beach Club is open mid May to mid October; music varies from deep house to lounge and world music.
» Fly Sterling to Naples
Club open to the public Friday & Saturday from 11pm; Sundays from 4.30pm. Entry €15. Restaurant open every day from 8pm; reservations necessary. Via Spiaggia Romana 15, Bacoli, near Naples, +36 081 8689 433, www.nabilah.it
copenhagen
#2. dancing on the streets
Now in its tenth year, Distortion is Europe’s ultimate street party with gigs revolving around music, art, fashion and food. It’s a truly movable feast, invading a different Copenhagen district on each of the five days with as many as 40 different urban parties. None of the venues, which can be as eclectic as backyards and buses, is used more than once. Anything goes and spontaneity is the key – the wildest night is of course the last, with round-the-clock dance marathons.
» Fly Sterling to Copenhagen
4-8 June, www.cphdistortion.dk
rome
#3. life’s a beach
When the mercury rises, traffic-crazed Rome can get a little too sticky. But locals know how to escape the heat. After work, they head for the gelaterias and open-air bars on the cool, green banks of the Tiber, and on weekends they go to the beach. One popular resort is the small seaside town of Fregene, just a short trip from the city. A golden beach fringed by a pine forest, this is also one of the best places for kite sports in Europe and nowhere near as hectic as Ostia along the coast. As at most Italian resorts, beaches are divided up into privately run ‘stabilimenti balneari’ with changing cabins, restaurants, bars and even pools – admission with deckchair hire for the day starts around €7.
» Fly Sterling to Rome
www.romaturismo.it
barcelona
#4. sun and stars at sonar
For three days and three nights, art, multimedia and music meet at Sonar, one of Europe’s edgier summer festivals. This year will see Goldfrapp (pictured), Roisin Murphy, Boys Noize and Diplo top an eclectic line-up. By day, events are held in Barcelona’s Centre of Contemporary Culture. By night, coachloads of festival goers are bussed out of the city to four huge superclubs where the hottest DJs and VJs show off their skills.
» Fly Sterling to Barcelona
19-21June. Tickets cost from €30 for a day pass, to €170 for three days’ unlimited access, including opening night concerts. www.sonar.es
europe
#5. bruce springsteen in concert
Recent triple Grammy Award winner and veteran of American heartland rock, Bruce Springsteen is on tour around Europe with the E Street Band. Magic, Springsteen’s 23rd album, won two Grammys for the track Radio Nowhere, and so far the tour has received rave reviews from press and fans alike. One of the must-see concerts of 2008.
Catch the Boss in London, 30 & 31 May; Amsterdam, 18 June; Brussels, 23 June; Paris, 27 June; and Copenhagen 29 June.
» Fly Sterling to all cities listed above
www.brucespringsteen.net
prague
#6. magic potions and a T55
Forty minutes by limo from Prague airport and you’re deep in the woods of Bohemia, sitting in a T55 Soviet tank. The chance to drive one of these bruisers is just one part of a very different gourmet weekend on offer at Chateau Mcely.
In 2006 two American millionaires, Jim and Inez Cusumano, saved this 17th-century chateau from demolition. Now they’ve opened it as the Czech Republic’s first ever country house hotel, where tank driving sessions are not the only unusual extra. Jim, a “committed alchemist”, also offers rejuvenating elixirs and potions in the basement bar.
Less mystical fare is served in the exquisite white-painted dining room. On Sterling’s visit the wine selection (predominantly French) was imaginative and the menu featured duck foie gras with beetroot, local venison, and chocolate fondant served with port.
The hotel lacks a fireplace where you can curl up on a lazy afternoon but one is planned for the new spa, to open next year. This will also solve the problem of the cramped treatment area. Rooms are individually decorated with thick rugs, chandeliers and antique furniture, and service is exemplary. Jim and Inez believe your bedroom should be made up even on the day that you’re leaving. How may hotels do that? ADRIAN MOURBY
» Fly Sterling to Prague
‘The Tiger Within You’ weekend costs from 32,000 CZK (€1,260) per person and includes 2 nights stay, two 3-course gourmet dinners, a spa treatment and a 2-4 hour Soviet tank-driving session. Chateau Mcely welcomes company retreats.
berlin
#7. a midsummer night’s screen
On a balmy summer’s evening there’s an old-school air of romance about open-air cinemas. Berlin has several and one of the best is the Freiluftkino Kreuzberg, which shows classics and cult films in the original version. Set in the grounds of an old hospital and surrounded by trees, it’s a great place to catch arthouse cinema from all over the world, as well as the odd American blockbuster. Just grab one of the 500 deckchairs, pick a spot and cosy up in the twilight.
» Fly Sterling to Berlin
Entry €6. Freiluftkino Kreuzberg, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Mariannenplatz, Kreuzberg, Berlin, www.freiluftkino-kreuzberg.de
london
#8. match point
Nothing heralds the start of a quintessential English summer quite like Wimbledon. Although it is just one of the Grand Slam tournaments, the All England Club competition has a unique atmosphere. Tennis whites and green grass, strawberries and Pimm’s, the serious calling of the scores, the arguments with the umpire – these are the things that make people queue overnight in all weathers. This year Centre Court has gained a roof, so even the British rain can’t get in the way of the excitement.
» Fly Sterling to London Gatwick
23 June – 6 July, www.wimbledon.org
tuscany
#9. dyrink in chianti
The wind in your hair, a thrill in your stomach, and a wonderful 360-degree view. Flying in a hot-air balloon is one of those experiences you should try at least once. In recent years the sport has had something of a revival in Tuscany, where the pale moonscapes, patchwork fields and medieval hilltowns make for dreamy scenery – the perfect antidote to the stress of everyday life. Take off from the small Tuscan town of Tavarnelle in the Chianti district, and the wind decides which way you’ll fly. The main ballooning season runs from May to October but you can also request flights other months, weather permitting.
JESPER STORGAARD JENSEN
» Fly Sterling to Florence
‘Flying free’ package costs €220 and includes a Tuscan breakfast with spumante, plus a bottle of Chianti on landing. The flight lasts about an hour. Children must be 10 or over to climb aboard. Call +39 055 8077 940 or email info@balloonintuscany.com. www.balloonintuscany.com
milan
#10. worship at the altar of design
In keeping with its reputation as a style capital, Milan has opened a new design museum – the first dedicated to design alone in Italy. The Triennale Design Museum, located in the Parco Sempione, opened in December last year after four years in construction. Designed by industrial designer and architect Michele De Lucchi (head designer at Olivetti) the space, with its bamboo bridge entrance spanning the main hall, is worthy of an exhibit in itself.
The opening show What is Italian Design?, curated by Italian architect Italo Rota and British film-maker Peter Greenaway, sets 100 objects by the likes of Ettore Sottsass, Enzo Mari, Vico Magistretti and Gaetano Pesce against new films made by Greenaway and six other directors. Billed as “an emotional response to the obsessions of Italian design”, the display is certainly getting a heartfelt response from design geeks everywhere.
» Fly Sterling to Milan
What is Italian Design runs through 2009. Full price admission is €11. Exhibition opening hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 10.30am-8.30pm. Triennale Design Museum, Viale Alemagna 6, Milan, +39 02 724 341 www.triennale.it
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