Globetrotter
top 10
10 reasons to travel right now
#1. europe
catch coldplay on tour
Megastars Coldplay will be performing in several Sterling destinations throughout September and October, promoting their fourth studio album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. The British band fronted by Mr Gwyneth Paltrow called in legendary producer Brian Eno to work on this long-awaited latest offering, and it doesn’t disappoint. According to NME’s Mark Beaumont, it’s “steeped in traditionalism, yet striving for something greater, grander, better”.
Fly Sterling to Barcelona, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, Oslo, Budapest, Milan, Amsterdam or Brussels
See them in Barcelona 6 September, Paris 9-10 September, Berlin 15 September, Stockholm 17-18 September, Oslo 19 September, Budapest 23 September, Milan 30 September, Rotterdam 2-3 October and Antwerp 4 October. For ticket information on each country see www.coldplay.com
#2. england
bliss beside the sea
The seaside towns of England’s south coast are much like their inhabitants: aged, frequently eccentric and in need of a paint job. Some, like Brighton, are a mix of arty style and seediness. Hastings, an easy train trip from Gatwick airport, is a town of two halves: on one side, the old town’s cute antique shops and organic delis and on the other, run-down pubs and tacky arcades. Still, if you want to get a blast of sea air before your flight, two recent additions here make for a blissful weekend. Staying at Zanzibar, Hastings’ new boutique hotel, is like having the run of your own period house with sea views; help yourselves to prosecco from the honesty bar and films from the DVD library. The sense of indulgence is total. Sterling’s hotel spy loved her room with freestanding Jacuzzi the size of a Hummer, and the generous champagne breakfast menu which encourages you to order as many dishes as you like (included in room price). A short walk from Zanzibar is a cosy spot for dinner, opened by a chef who was previously cooking at London celeb magnet Le Caprice. St. Clements restaurant (right) specialises in fresh local produce such as smoked fish, crab, lemon sole, and organically reared lamb.
Fly Sterling to London Gatwick
Rooms from £99 (€126). 9 Eversfield Place, Hastings, www.zanzibarhotel.co.uk
#3. barcelona
let your hair down
Join the party as Barcelona is overrun with giants, devils and human pyramids at Les Festes de la Mercè (Festival of the virgin of mercy). The Catalan capital’s festa major, a final burst of pre-winter madness for the Mediterranean city, is dedicated to its co-patron saint, the Virgin of Mercy. Nostra Senyora de la Mercè, whose image lies in the church of the same name on Plaça de la Mercè, was named co-patron after she single-handedly beat off a plague of locusts in 1637! Then in 1714, as Barcelona faced defeat in the War of the Spanish Succession, the obviously desperate town elders appointed her commander in chief of the city’s defences.
Some 600 events take place, most of them in the city centre. There’s a swimming race across the harbour, a fun run and a series of free concerts. Adding to the local colour are the essential ingredients of all self-respecting Catalan festivals: sardana (folk dancing from northern Catalonia) and parades of gegants (giants), dancing in synch with the costumed groups carrying them. Brave combatants known as castellers (pictured} compete to form the highest human pyramid; the towers rise up to eight storeys high. The correfoc (fire run) is a pyromaniac’s dream. Crowds hurl themselves along Via Laietana before ‘devils’ and other fire-spurting beasts – not to mention kids armed with firecrackers. Take the opportunity to visit Barcelona’s museums for free and to sample the local Cava.
Fly Sterling to Barcelona
The festival runs from 19 to 24 September. For more information, visit www.bcn.es/merce. Excerpt reproduced from A Year of Festivals, €25, published by Lonely Planet, 2007
#4. san sebastián
dinner and a movie marathon
Less Hollywood-centric than Cannes, San Sebastián’s film festival has heaps of arthouse cachet. There’s a retrospective of director Terence Davies’ work including The Long Day Closes (pictured). As an added bonus, pintxos, the local tapas, is worth a trip in itself.
Fly Sterling to Biarritz
18-27 September. Screenings from €5.20. www.sansebastianfestival.com
#5. krakow
peek behind the iron curtain
If you ever find yourself pining for the days when the Iron Curtain split Europe in half, check out Krakow’s Cold War past on a quirky tour of the city. Driven by English-speaking locals in genuine Eastern Bloc Trabants or Polski Fiat 125 automobiles, the guides take you off the beaten path for a glimpse of Soviet chic Stalin-style and show you the side of the city that was once a model of Communist perfection. The ‘Deluxe’ version includes a trip to a re-creation of a 1970s tenement flat complete with a ‘rare’ opportunity to eat pickled gherkins on toast.
Fly Sterling to Krakow
The Communist tour costs 119zl (approx €37) per person and the Deluxe version costs 169zl (€52) per person. www.crazyguides.com
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