Taking in Turin: a look at the city’s contemporary art

 

When most people think of Turin, first thoughts immediately go to one of three things – The Shroud of Turin, Juventus Football Club, or the conveniently close location of the airport to the ski slopes. But that is by no means all this hidden gem of Italy has to offer. Usually overlooked by tourists for cities like Rome, Florence and Milan, the former capital of Italy located in the north of the country, definitely has something to offer other than a conveniently close location to the ski slopes in winter.
Arriving on a late flight we dropped off our baggage at the NH Santo Stefano located just a few minutes’ walk from several major Turin landmarks including the royal chapel of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, where the Shroud of Turin is located and Turin opera house, not to mention many excellent restaurants, cafes and shops just a stones throw away from our hotel. The four-star Santo Stefano offers 125 guest rooms, wireless internet access, minibar and LCD TVs with satellite service and excellent customer service.

We were promised on our trip a look at the contemporary art Turin has to offer which became no more apparent as we entered the hotel that they had their very own contemporary art installation for guests. Created by the people at Posterheroes, the installation featured thousands of postcards suspended from the ceiling of the hotel’s main entrance. Walking down the sloping staircase, there are many posters each with a unique message.
From there we spent the evening walking around Turin looking not only at the usual sights the city had to offer but also the newly installed light installations scattered around the city which was aglow with bright-coloured lights covering the streets, climbing across the city landmarks and decorating the piazzas. It wasn’t just the light installations though. Seemingly at every turn there was more to be seen – and this is just in the streets. The city really is a home for contemporary art. After our tour of the city at night, we dined at a local restaurant where we enjoyed a wonderful four course meal including an excellent pork and apple dish in a walnut sauce which is traditional of the region. Another site to take in early the next morning was the Porta Polazzo market – the largest market in all of Europe. Chances are if you want anything from everyday items to the more traditional or speciality delicacies of Turin, it’s probably on offer here. Again just a short walk from the Santo Stefano, the market is worth going to even if just to look and listen to the sights and sounds of Turin, which is seemingly a melting pot of different cultures.
We spent the day absorbing the art and sights that the city had to offer and the amount on tap was astounding. Driving from destination to destination, we had to stop several times to take pictures and view statues and architecture. Just walking around the city during the daytime probably would have been enough to keep us entertained but one particular place we stopped in that really was fascinating was the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo. The gallery which is open on Thursdays from 8pm to 11pm and on Friday to Sunday, 12pm to 7pm offers two of the most unique art concepts you could ever see… especially in Italy! First off we were taken into a room that had 144 images of a man in speedos. Painted by Ragnar Kjartansson over a period of 6 months, the unique project saw Kjartansson spend his time painting the portrait of the same model every single day; walking into the room offered a completely surreal experience, the walls covered in paintings of the same man painted in varying styles, carrying out various tasks, plastered from floor to ceiling – it really was a unique sight to behold.

The rest of the gallery looked at art influenced by Presidential campaigns, focusing on the United States elections and taking a look into the art of the propaganda behind those elections. Not only does the exhibition have some fascinating artworks and videos from Presidential campaigns but there is also a room which featured an array of Presidential campaign aids. From buttons supporting Jimmy Carter to become president, to a bobble-head doll of Hilary Clinton, it really was fascinating looking at all of the pro and anti candidate paraphernalia that has been created for the various elections in previous years.

From there we moved on to a shopping centre, but this was no ordinary shopping centre. The Lingotto building in Via Nizza originally housed the old Fiat factory. If you access the roof not only is there an excellent art installation with classic works by the likes of Picasso and Manet located at the top of the building, but you can also see the old Fiat test track – a must see for any motorhead. 80 different models of car were produced there in its lifetime; each Fiat would be taken on to the roof and driven around the high-banked race track to make sure each car was up to standard. In fact if you own a Fiat that was made between 1923 and the 1970s chances are it has gone round this track.
For the finer shopper in you, have a look in ‘Eataly’. Located opposite the shopping centre, the high quality supermarket offers only the finest ingredients including the world famous Italian truffles. Offering the best food and drink you’re likely to find as well as the best environment in which to discover and expand your tastes, Eataly is definitely worth a look if not just to pick up a few local delicacies.

The high end supermarket was in fact such a hit that they opened up a store in New York in 2010 and have several stores in Tokyo also. It is as much a supermarket as it is a fascinating place just to see what’s on offer and maybe treat yourself to some of the finer things in life.
A must see spot during a trip to Turin has to be the Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, located at the Castello di Rivoli. Open Tuesday to Friday, between 10am and 5pm, and on Saturday and Sunday between 10am and 7pm, the castle not only offers on a clear day one of the most spectacular views in Italy of the city and the Alps, but also the grandeur of the castle itself. Located in the Turin suburbs and easily reachable by bus, the castle houses some fantastic works of art – over 300 pieces in its 38 rooms, scaling 3 floors, the castle has one of the largest and most influential collections of contemporary art in Europe. As you visit each floor you are taken in by a new piece of fascinating work.
In the building next to the castle is perhaps the most striking art work. ‘Tulkus 1880 to 2018’ which features more than 1000 photographs of tulkus – men who in Buddhist culture are thought to be the reincarnation of a previous Buddhist master (a highly realised teacher or lama such as the Dalai Lama). The project aims to achieve a comprehensive survey of tulkus in all areas of the world where Tibetan Buddhism is practiced and it is a sight to behold as you walk along the very long corridor, which is so long you would have to phone someone at the other side of the room in order to have a conversation with them!

One of the most notable things about Turin is for a city that size it is incredibly quiet and peaceful. For every person in the city there is an estimated space of around 15 square meters of grass and free space. Even during the busiest hours it is still relatively easy to get around which was a pleasant surprise and made touring the city a much more enjoyable experience. To simply put it there is much more to Turin than a handful of sites. The entire city is immersed in a rich and historical culture, and it seems to have become a hub for contemporary works of art from across Europe, so when you plan your next holiday, don’t think Rome, Venice, Milan or Florence – give Turin a go, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

 

Accommodation, Asia, China, Hong Kong, Hotels, Regions- Read 2327 times

A Chinese Valentine’s – top 5 romantic hotel getaways in China

Valentine’s can be a difficult period. When romance blossoms, clichés bloom in equal measure – Paris, London, Rome and the like are all tried and tested destinations to spend a romantic trip, but ironically, tried and tested is not in the least bit romantic. With Valentine’s Day following immediately after Chinese New Year (11th-13th February), why not head over to the Far East to celebrate the Lunar New Year in style, and spend a loving holiday with your significant other in China?

If you have already been to China, then you know of the uniquely mystic romantic nature of the country, capable of being awe-inspiring and exasperating in equal measure, but always keeping you curious to find out more. If you haven’t yet, then this mysterious nation may just be the trip to light up an old (or new) flame…

1. The Peninsula, Hong Kong
‘The grand dame of Hong Kong’, ‘The finest hotel east of the Suez’: The Peninsula has many nicknames, including the affectionate ‘The Pen’, as it is known to many residents. Opened in 1928, the hotel and the Peninsula Group have long maintained a tradition of legendary service. With a modern tower addition that blends well with its original art deco structure, the hotel has everything from classic interiors to modern day amenities to a million dollar view. With a slew of world famous restaurants, including the regal Gaddi’s (if you’re going to propose, that’s the time to do it!), your dining options are also catered for in style. But to truly charm your loved one, pick the Peninsula Suite (one of the world’s most expensive) – exceptional views come with an exceptional price.

2. Park Hyatt, Shanghai
Occupying the 79^th to 93^rd floors of the world’s fourth tallest building, the Park Hyatt, housed in the Shanghai World Financial Centre in Pudong, ensures one thing: a dizzying view to take your romance to dizzy new heights! Contemporary minimalist décor may not elicit those memories of old, but if the view can’t help take your relationship to the next level, then nothing can! If it’s too late to book the Park Hyatt, try the alternative Hyatt on the Bund, which looks out onto the Shanghai World Financial Centre and the rising Pudong skyline from across the river.

3. Aman at Summer Palace, Beijing
If it’s old memories you’re looking to rekindle, look no further than Aman at Summer Palace in Beijing. The Summer Palace was once the guest quarters of Empress Dowager Cixi, but today provides a throwback to the Ming dynasty. With acclaimed boutique resort group Aman in charge of hospitality, a romantic retreat is sure to be featured heavily on the menu. If the prices don’t impress your significant other, then the spa treatments are sure to.

4. Banyan Tree Lijiang Resort & Spa, Lijiang
Man-made wonders wow, but natural miracles astound. Set high on a plateau in Southern China, the Banyan Tree Lijiang lets you drift off to an ethereal state. With sweeping views of the deep-cut valleys of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, with its peaks covered in glaciered snow, and its base in a picturesque supple green, the resort is unique in both its altitude and its architecture, replete with pagodas and villas shrouded with a traditional Chinese roof. Take a deep breath and let the thin, crisp air make you giddy with love again.

5. Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake, Hangzhou
If your idea of romance is akin to Hollywood movies, then the Four Seasons at West Lake may be the perfect sentimental getaway. Set amid the exotic suburbs of Hangzhou, the calm lake is a sight to be hold in the morning as the sun’s rays gently warm the city and break the mist that shrouds the lake, piercing the still water. If ever there were an occasion when you wouldn’t be mad for being woken up early, witnessing this spectacle would be it!

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Luxury travel trends in 2013

 

 

With 2013 now well and truly underway, what can we expect the year to bring as far as luxury tourism is concerned? We got in touch with three members of the travel industry – all Directors at their respective travel businesses – and asked them what they each anticipated the year would bring. Here’s what they had to say:

“We are seeing strong growth in private and custom tour requests from young, successful families. Clients in their early 30s and 40s are planning adventurous Ireland trips for the extended family including grandparents, young children and even babies. They want their children to have authentic cultural experiences whilst retaining their own travel freedom. Private touring provides the independence they want with the structure and local insight that makes for a fantastic tour. For 2013, we are also seeing a trend towards ‘value based luxury’ – clients opting for smaller, boutique accommodations that can reduce overall costs by 20-25%.” Andrew Carr, Managing Director, Kennedy & Carr Ireland Travel.
“As the world moves ever faster there is an even greater need to escape the hurly burly; we see clients wanting to get more off the beaten track to find space and authentic experiences in 2013 and to take advantage of more personal experiences – tailor made expert advice, premium travel by air and rail and smaller upmarket character hotels along with smaller luxury cruise ships. We expect less well known destinations to secure a firmer place in 2013 as true journeys of discovery – places such as Namibia, Malawi, Burma, Cambodia, Mongolia, Oman and Colombia. Within the established favourites we expect to see more travel beyond the icons and the expected, as people explore ‘new’ parts of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA and Morocco, and seek out new experiences such as the northern lights, private safaris and the last great frontiers such as Antarctica. As always exchange rates and safety will be key underlying considerations for our travellers, so expect specialist cruising to continue to grow, along with escorted tours, and US dollar denominated destinations to perform well. Our travellers all enjoy the research and planning stages of their trips, and given the plethora of sources they will rely even more on their trusted travel partners, the companies who genuinely know the destinations and who are passionate about their role in making dreams come true. Our brand essence at WEXAS is “serious travel personalised” which we believe is exactly what the luxury traveller wants in 2013. Steve Allen, Managing Director, WEXAS Tailor-made Travel
“We are definitely experiencing an increase in guests wanting a ‘truly memorable stay’ with a much more substantial itinerary than a simple self-catered house hire and we have seen the demand for fully catered and staffed breaks increase. Clients are also tailoring their stays more with luxury activities and country pursuits such as clay shooting or archery in a sunny English garden, private cheese and wine tasting sessions or an exciting murder mystery evening.

First-class flying

The Lufthansa 747-8I takes to the skies and does not fail to impress
Two thousand and twelve has been an important year for German carrier Lufthansa’s premium product and service offering, with the start of a gradual roll-out of a new Business Class cabin across the fleet, and the receipt in May of the first of several new aircraft – Boeing’s new 747-8 Intercontinental.
In the seven months since Lufthansa brought the 747-8I into commercial service as the launch customer, the aircraft has received rave reviews, from both within the industry and also premium class passengers traveling between Frankfurt and Washington DC, Los Angeles, New Delhi and Bangalore.


A new level of flying on board Lufthansa’s First Class cabin

In early November, TTN was invited by Lufthansa to experience the 747-8I from Frankfurt to Washington, and to see whether the Queen of the Skies lived up to the considerable hype of the marketing brochures – which quoted one Boeing spokesman as saying that when passengers enter the 747-8 “they will notice that they are in a completely new aircraft and will experience a new kind of flying”.
Immediately upon embarkation, the 747-8I does feel different to its closest cousin, the 747-400. Subtly at first, the aircraft quickly begins to come into its own with a distinctive style and ambience.
Such an observation is, perhaps, hardly surprising. Boeing says it hired architects and psychologists when developing the interiors, and the results are very effective.
The sense of space in both First and Business Class cabins, particularly compared to the 747-400, is striking, thanks to clever lighting effects and what Boeing says is a more ‘open architecture’. 

     Guests can indulge in a quick pre-flight massage at the First Class Spa                                                                                     

Furthermore, the First Class cabin on the 747-8I is cocooned in the nose section of the main deck – eight seats, each convertible into a lie-flat bed just over two metres long and 80 cm wide, cocooned in what Lufthansa claims is the world’s quietest First Class in the air, and avoiding through traffic from other cabins on the ground too. So secluded is the cabin, which features outer skin insulation, sound-absorbing curtains and sound-deadening material in the floors – that Boeing calls it a ‘jet in a jet’.
Joseph Ozimek, Boeing’s vice president of sales and marketing and product marketing for the 747-8I, says the extraordinarily quiet First Class section is due primarily to its location.

The overhead of the First Class cabin is shielded from boundary layer noise [the noise of air rushing over the external surface of the plane] because that is where the upper deck is. And the lower deck is where the cargo is, so you only get boundary layer noise from the side,” he explains.
Unlike its Middle East rival Emirates, which has pioneered private suites in First Class, Lufthansa has opted for a more conventional fit out. Carsten Schaeffer, the airline’s vice president, sales and services for Southeast Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Pakistan, says this was a conscious decision made based on customer feedback.
“Our customers asked for bigger washrooms in First Class, and we provided that,” he says. “They [the passengers] clearly said they did not want a shower, because the challenge with a shower is that everybody wants to take one before arrival – and how do you manage that without queues?

We provide lounges in Frankfurt where you can shower in a clean, safe and comfortable environment. We found that more valuable, and that’s also the feedback we received from our customers,” he adds.The lounges in Frankfurt Airport, not least the exquisite and exclusive Lufthansa First Class Terminal – a 1,800 sq m haven at the hectic European transit hub – certainly do provide the highest levels of luxury and comfort, from bedrooms, a spa and relaxation areas to a la carte fine dining and fully equipped office units.
Yet it is the Terminal’s practical convenience – passengers can, for example, drive right up to the front door, have their car valet parked or rental car returned, and be greeted seconds later by a personal assistant to complete check-in and security formalities, which is arguably its most valuable attributes, further enhanced by personalised limousine transfer service straight to the door of the aircraft.
Schaeffer insists that achieving ‘seamless’ service throughout the entire First Class travel experience is a core goal for the airline.
“First Class prices are high so it is all about the product, both on board and on the ground. It is important to have a consistent, seamless offering for First Class passengers from pre- to post-flight,” he explains. “We see from the double digit growth we have in First Class travel that this strategy is proving successful,” he adds.
Taken together, the new 747-8I and First Class Terminal at Frankfurt are a very compelling proposition for the discerning traveller. With more 747-8Is to be delivered through 2013, even more passengers will experience the steadily growing legend in the near future.
And while there is no word from Lufthansa on when or if the new plane will serve Middle East routes, in our opinion the First Class product and service is well worth experiencing sooner rather than later.

(Top to Bottom) On board the 747-8I are spacious washrooms, two-meter long lie-flat beds and a service quality that is second to none



Luxury travel firm opens Dubai HQ

The Travel Attaché, a premier luxury travel specialist, has launched its Dubai headquarters, the first in a series of offices to be unveiled across the Middle East and Asia by 2015.

Working with over 200,000 of the globe’s leading suppliers, The Travel Attaché enjoys access to the world’s most desirable properties and offers a diverse portfolio of sumptuous hotels, villas, chalets, yachts, cruises and private jets, a statement said.

In addition, the independent consultant presents a unique experiential offering, a first for the region, with tailor-made experiences ranging from kite skiing in Antarctica to private viewings of the Northern Lights.

Founded by a panel of industry experts with over 50 years combined experience across the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors, The Travel Attaché is run by a team of connoisseurs who each enjoy individual acclaim as leaders in their field.

Chairman Mishal Kanoo, deputy chairman of the Kanoo Group, is joined by vice chairman Gaurav Sinha, Founder and managing director of Insignia, the Middle East’s first luxury branding and brand marketing agency; Liam Wholey, chief executive officer, formerly CEO for elite concierge service Quintessentially Group’s Middle East & Africa division; and managing director Jeremy Sutton, founder and former managing director of Quintessentially Travel.

The announcement comes the day the World Travel Market opens in London, a reflection of the company’s international outlook.

“Our decision to create The Travel Attaché is reflective of the region’s growing need and desire for an exceptional travel proposition,” said Wholey.

“The Middle East remains one of the most dynamic parts of the world with a rapidly progressive consumer base and we are excited at the prospect of redefining levels of service and expertise in the leisure and business booking sectors.

“With our unique offering, we are confident that we can deliver unforgettable experiences in a seamless and sophisticated manner and redefine the region’s perception of travel,” he added.