Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:32:29 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Anthony Grant :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/authors/Anthony+Grant istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/field-steam/54894/ Mon, 21 May 2007 00:00:00 EST The cover of an issue of the Jetlag Hot Guide, a satirical take on the Condé Nast Traveler-style magazine, recently led with this headline: "Tuscany Loses Hot Status: Defer Non-Essential Travel." But I was not buying it. Sure, the half-slumbering region, which lies roughly between Florence and Rome, has seen much ink spilled in its name, as well as a film reel or two. But it was worth visiting long before it became trendy to impress your neighbors by purchasing an old farmhouse there and waving... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/opinion/free-speech-a-faux-pas-in-france/53814/ Fri, 4 May 2007 00:00:00 EST Last month, I wrote a piece for this page questioning the merit of some cultural developments in France. One of those was the launch of an Arabic-language version of a largely government-funded news channel where I worked. The other was the sale of the Louvre name to developers in Abu Dhabi. My basic thesis was that some of these projects were questionable. Unsurprisingly, there was a backlash. Mistaking criticism for disdain, French bloggers denounced the article to my employer. What happened... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/opinion/frances-new-surrender/52226/ Wed, 11 Apr 2007 00:00:00 EST This time, it's cultural. Proud, cocky France has given up yet again, and on two fronts at once: an all-Arabic version of the cable news network that is mostly government-funded, France 24, launched this week, and the ink is barely dry on an agreement France signed with Abu Dhabi to open a branch of the Louvre in that desert emirate. These developments are not unrelated. Which one underscores more the deep malaise affecting the French nation is debatable, but clearly France is in no mood to put... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/after-the-party-a-tranquil-ibiza/42498/ Mon, 30 Oct 2006 00:00:00 EST The Spanish island of Ibiza is — like a few other islands I can think of — as much a state of mind as an actual destination and its reputation precedes it. It is utterly Mediterranean, of mythical status almost by default. A lot of Ibiza's allure is in the name, which sounds like baby prattle spiked with a soupçon of something savage. And how apt that is, because with hardly any effort on your part, Ibiza will tease your senses and transform ordinary sensibilities into something altogether more... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/style/bonjour-brussels/30357/ Tue, 4 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST PARIS - Paris is finished, but Brussels is just beginning. It is blessed with bad weather that fuels creativity, whereas weary Paris cannot seem to shake off the burden of being a brand name. From social crises to fashion runways, there is a palpable sense here that the French have simply run out of ideas. They are by and large a convention-loving lot, the French, and the weight of an only sporadically glorious history (but a lot of history) tends to keep a lid on unfettered thinking. It's... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/european-getaway/27876/ Tue, 21 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST As Mother Nature was cooking up the blizzard of the year last week, I was breezing around Bairro Alto in Lisbon, nose to the warm February sun. If you've had it with snow and snarled traffic, Lisbon, the closest major European city to New York, is a short plane ride away. And in March, you can go for just $530 round trip nonstop from Newark on TAP (www.flytap.com). Lisbon is chock-full of the museums and cultural treasures befitting a large European city. I am proud to say that during my brief... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/southern-fried-road-trip/24657/ Mon, 19 Dec 2005 00:00:00 EST When it feels like the earth is spinning just a little too fast, there's no place like the family-friendly Deep South to slow it down. So even though as a confirmed Yankee I've always felt it necessary to look down on Dixie, last summer I couldn't resist tagging along on a trip that my mother, Pam - a diehard "Gone with the Wind" fan - had been planning for some time. With the help of Triple A, she had it all mapped it out (somewhat inaccurately, but that's what highway rest stops are for). My... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/cruise-control/23604/ Mon, 28 Nov 2005 00:00:00 EST Every age has its archetypal travel moment. In ours,it takes place on an airplane: It's after you land, when that little "bleep" sounds and everyone bolts up for the wait to get off the plane. That's when you realize how inhumane and nasty the whole experience of flying has become, because that instant - when you are surrounded by a bunch of bounced-about, disheveled people who have made no attempt to know you because they are so fixated on their cell phones they've forgotten what actual... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-11-28/23612/ Mon, 28 Nov 2005 00:00:00 EST ALASKA CRUISE How does a cruise to Alaska sound? Cold, perhaps - if you were to go now. But it's not too soon to be thinking about next spring or summer. Club ABC Tours has, and is offering a luxurious 11-day Glacier Discovery Cruise aboard Holland America's M.S. Statendam on departure dates from May 19 through August 29. The package includes seven nights and all meals on the ship as well as a three-night express tour of the vast Denali National Park. That tour-within-a-tour features a ride on... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-10-24/21955/ Mon, 24 Oct 2005 00:00:00 EST UTAH The Quick START (Ski Today and Ride Today) promotion in Park City, Utah, allows visitors flying into Salt Lake City International Airport to receive one same-day complimentary lift ticket for the day they arrive at any one of Park City's three ski resorts - The Canyons Resort, Park City Mountain Resort, or Deer Valley Resort. To redeem their complimentary lift ticket, guests must visit www.parkcityinfo.com for program rules and restrictions. QUEBEC Mont Tremblant, in the Laurentian... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-09-26/20510/ Mon, 26 Sep 2005 00:00:00 EST CAPE COD Autumn is one of the finer seasons to spend on the Cape. Traffic has thinned out, the beaches are all yours, and the air is deliciously crisp. One of the most attractive Cape towns to hang your hat for a weekend is little Brewster, as charming a New England village as any, replete with broad bay beaches, sea captains' homes, and good restaurants. Brewster is also home to the excellent Ocean Edge Resort & Club, right behind Route 6A (the historic Old King's Highway) on a bluff that... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-08-05/18158/ Fri, 5 Aug 2005 00:00:00 EST SPAIN Haven't thought of sunny Spain as a luxury travel destination? Think again. The Crown Collection is inaugurating a custom-designed 10-day escorted tour from September 2 to 11 that covers the heart of Spain: Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, and the wine region of La Rioja. Highlights of the "Through Open Doors" program include access to private gardens and the kitchens of some of Spain's most renowned chefs and a visit to the Marques de Riscal winery, designed by Frank Gehry. The tour price of... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/danish-modern/17793/ Fri, 29 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST There is a lot more to Copenhagen than its diminutive statue of a mermaid on a rock. The city is a compact metropolis that combines hip, modern design with old-fashioned Danish charm. Patrolling the patchwork of cobblestone streets and red brick buildings in its medieval center, for example, are dragons, a favored motif of Danish urban architecture. The mythical beasts glower above doorways with their wings splayed, cropping up on cornices and usurping positions occupied in other classic... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-07-29/17808/ Fri, 29 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST HOTEL The Wauwinet is a beautiful seaside retreat on the island of Nantucket, Mass. It's the only Relais & Chateaux property on the island and is also home to a great restaurant, Topper's. Through September 1 travelers can partake of the hotel's Irresistible Midweek Rate (available Sunday through Thursday) of $500 a night, based on double occupancy. The rate includes breakfast as well as activities, which range from use of sunfish sailboats and bicycles to daily boat excursions to Coatue... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-07-22/17444/ Fri, 22 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST PET TRAVEL There's nothing like the dog days of summer to whet one's appetite for travel, and nothing like having a beloved pet to make the decision to lock the door and go a tormented one. But it doesn't have to be. Historic Hotels of America, part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, features a list of 60 pet-friendly hotels on its Web site, www.historichotels.org. But that's not all: Several HHA-member properties also offer packages that cater to or otherwise involve pets, and... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-07-15/17083/ Fri, 15 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST NEVADA GOLF The MonteLago Village Resort in Lake Las Vegas encompasses two top golf courses: Reflection Bay (a Jack Nicklaus signature course) and the Falls. As part of the Stay & Play Golf Package, guests are entitled to unlimited play at either course and deluxe accommodations in a studio condominium. The price is $137 a person, based on double occupancy, and is valid until September 5. For reservations, call 866-399-2753 or visit www.montelagovillage.com. TURIN HOTEL Leave it to Renzo... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/garden-party-with-twists-turns/17084/ Fri, 15 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST Contrary to what many would expect, transport strikes aren't the only events happening in Paris this summer: A new festival has blown into town, called "Les Etes de la Danse," which will be headlined in its inaugural year by the San Francisco Ballet. The festival is taking place in the gardens of the Hotel Rohan-Soubise, the mostly 18th-century pair of hotels particuliers (one turret dates to 1375) that house the French National Archives. Explaining the festival's unique choice of venue, Valery... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-07-08/16732/ Fri, 8 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST HOTELS Hospitality giant Starwood Hotels & Resorts is offering a variety of summer specials at its 18 Florida and Caribbean properties. Through May 31, 2006, the Sheraton Bal Harbour Beach Resort - which will be closing for good on June 1, 2006 to make way for the new St. Regis Residences - is offering complimentary breakfast for two and a $50 resort credit to guests. In celebration of its one-year anniversary, the Atlantic in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is offering rates from $209 a night plus... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-07-01/16428/ Fri, 1 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST TOURS There's more to Quebec than Quebec City, and summer is the best time of year to check it out. Explore the best of the Gaspe Peninsula on one of two 10-day tours from Toronto-based Horizon & Company Journeys begin on the shores of the majestic St. Lawrence River and work their way north, from the crimson cliffs of the Ile-aux-Coudres, where Jacques Cartier anchored in 1535, to the rocky coastlines of the Perce coast. Along the way keep your cameras ready for beluga whales, scenic... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/hail-bretagne/16055/ Fri, 24 Jun 2005 00:00:00 EST Flung like a defiant forearm against the Atlantic, Brittany is as near to New England - literally and figuratively - as France gets. Its vast, wind-bitten littoral is the province of old salts and a magnet for nature lovers, and is mostly unsuited for the sorts of gentrified seaside resorts one finds up the coast in Normandy. Brittany is all cliffs and wide, deserted beaches, villages with sturdy granite houses, and fractured coasts of pink granite. To get a sense of the social texture of the... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-06-24/16057/ Fri, 24 Jun 2005 00:00:00 EST SWITZERLAND This summer, Alpine beauty meets Ayurvedic rejuvenation at the legendary Badrutt's Palace Hotel in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Guests who participate in the Ayurveda Health and Beauty Week, available from August 5 to 12, will receive individually tailored expert consultations based on the ancient Hindu philosophy of healing and life, movement classes, restorative nutrition, and spa treatments. The package includes seven nights in a deluxe room with breakfast buffet, six hours of spa... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/island-of-myth/15261/ Fri, 10 Jun 2005 00:00:00 EST What do a great conqueror, the Greek goddess of love, and I have in common? Maybe just one thing: a special fondness for Cyprus. Alexander the Great once ruled this Mediterranean island, where Aphrodite is said to have ensconced herself long before him; each recognized the value of a good location. This spot on the map, at the intersection of many civilizations (some more civilized than others, to be sure), made Cyprus a springboard to the lands of classical antiquity. It only achieved its... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-06-10/15262/ Fri, 10 Jun 2005 00:00:00 EST ARIZONA As temperatures in the West hit their summer peaks, look for normally expensive hotels and resorts to lower rates in an effort to attract travelers. The Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix, for example, is offering rooms for $125 weekdays and $145 weekends through Labor Day (September 5), representing a 36% and 25% savings, respectively, off the regular rack rates. And remember, it's a dry heat, so partaking of any number of outdoor activities at the resort - which was designed... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-06-03/14860/ Fri, 3 Jun 2005 00:00:00 EST AIRLINE JetBlue is now offering nonstop daily service from New York's JFK airport to Portland, Ore., the low-cost carrier's 30th destination. Flight 165 leaves New York at 7:55 p.m. and arrives in Portland at 10:59 p.m.; the return flight departs Portland at 11:59 p.m., arriving in New York at 8:15 the next morning. For schedules and fares, call 800-538-2583 or visit www.jetblue.com. RESTAURANT OPENING Fans of the Old Homestead Steak House, established in 1868 in Manhattan's Meatpacking... Anthony Grant http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-05-27/14587/ Fri, 27 May 2005 00:00:00 EST CATSKILLS If you're looking to get a little fresh air this Memorial Day weekend but haven't made plans yet, remember the scenic Catskills are just a couple of hours away from the city by car. Some of what's going on this weekend: Civil War reenactments in Walton and New Paltz, an Irish Festival in East Durham, a major arts and crafts fair at the Ulster County Fairground in New Paltz, and a Memorial Day parade in the town of Andes (in Delaware County). For more details, call 800-NYS-CATS or... Anthony Grant http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-05-20/14191/ Fri, 20 May 2005 00:00:00 EST BARCELONA You've embraced the footwear, now exult in the hotel: Camper, the stylish but functional Spanish shoe brand, has entered the hospitality trade with the new 25-room Casa Camper in Barcelona's bustling Raval quarter. Each room in the eco-conscious hostelry is double sided: the bedrooms face a quiet vertical garden composed of 117 aspidistra plants while lounge areas and balconies front the street. There's a high-tech water recycling system based on solar heating, and smoking is not... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-05-13/13817/ Fri, 13 May 2005 00:00:00 EST CANADA From our friends in Canada comes this innovative adventure trip: Spirit Bear of the Great Bear Rainforest. The journey, organized by British Columbia-based Aurelia Adventures, is part of that company's "Destinations at Risk" program, which highlights ecologically sensitive areas. The Spirit Bear in question is the elusive Kermode, a species of white-colored black bear of which only 300 remain. They live on the land of the Gitga' at First Nation, situated in B.C.'s midcoast section... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/almost-paradise/13463/ Fri, 6 May 2005 00:00:00 EST Confession: My too-fair skin is terrorized by the sun; I think the kinds of people who happily shell out $17 for a hamburger at a hotel restaurant are only marginally less offensive than those who impose those kinds of prices; and come what may I will never, ever qualify as a honeymooner - so why on Earth should I be in the middle of the South Pacific? Because, if I'm not ready to concede that Tahiti is synonymous with paradise (my version requires just slightly more asphalt), I also won't deny... Anthony Grant http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-05-06/13465/ Fri, 6 May 2005 00:00:00 EST AIR FRANCE If you're already thinking ahead to fall travel, consider an unusual offer from Air France. Passengers who purchase tickets on the airline between May 5 and May 15 for travel between November 1 and March 31 can take advantage of rates as low as $299 round trip from East Coast gateways (including JFK and Newark) to Paris, plus, for an additional $5.05, add a round-trip ticket to Nice, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, or Toulouse. For an extra $50.05, travelers can fly round trip to a... Anthony Grant http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-04-29/13091/ Fri, 29 Apr 2005 00:00:00 EST RIVER RAFTING You can spend six days of warm weather commuting to the office this summer or six days river rafting in Class II/IV rapids in Idaho on Mountain Travel Sobek's Middle Fork of the Salmon River Tour. The tour is just $1,690 a person, with a 10% discount for kids 15 and under. Tours run six days, five nights from May through September. Accommodation is camping-style. For information and reservations, call 888-MT-SOBEK or visit www.mtsobek.com. BIKE TOUR Discover the Portuguese wine... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-04-22/12717/ Fri, 22 Apr 2005 00:00:00 EST AIRLINE SERVICE Starting May 9, Delta will offer daily service from JFK to Chennai (Madras), India, with a stopover at the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. This will make Delta the only American airline to offer flights to two cities in India (the other is Mumbai, formerly Bombay). For more information, call 800-241-4141 or visit www.delta.com. TUNISIA The Residence, one of the best hotels in the Tunisian capital of Tunis, is situated on the azure coast outside the city center - making it a... Anthony Grant http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-04-15/12342/ Fri, 15 Apr 2005 00:00:00 EST CAPE COD What better place is there to cool off over the summer than Cape Cod? The Dan'l Webster Inn, a classic Cape hostelry in Sandwich, Mass., opened a full-service spa last year and has created a summer Cranberry Spa Package to help guests discover it. The package includes overnight accommodations in a deluxe room, a $60 meal voucher (the inn has two noted restaurants), a cranberry gift basket upon arrival, and three spa treatments, two of which leverage the antioxidant power of the humble... Anthony Grant http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-04-08/11962/ Fri, 8 Apr 2005 00:00:00 EST TAHITI Want to trade Broadway for Bora Bora? Come July 4, it will be a lot easier to do so - that's when Air Tahiti Nui inaugurates nonstop service from JFK to Papeete in Tahiti, from where it's a short hop to the other palm-studded Society Islands such as Moorea and Bora Bora. The airline will transport you from concrete jungle to tropical bliss in 12 hours. For more information, call 877-824-4846 or visit www.airtahitinui-usa.com. CAPE MAY Here's a novel idea for dinner in charming Cape May... Anthony Grant http://www.nysun.com/travel/tips-trips-2005-04-01/11565/ Fri, 1 Apr 2005 00:00:00 EST AIRFARES Studio execs take note: Starting May 24, JetBlue will fly three times daily from JFK to Burbank - more manageable than LAX, more convenient than Long Beach. Fares start at $134 one way with seven day advance purchase. For more information, visit www.jetblue.com. CHILDREN'S TRAVEL It may be that your children are tired of weekends at grandma's - so why not take them to the French Riviera instead? The Hotel Martinez in Cannes is offering a complimentary adjoining bedroom to up to two... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/cork-capital-of-culture-really/10471/ Fri, 11 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EST Cork, Ireland has made the big time, culturally. With only 160,000 people, it's not London or Paris (or even Dublin), but this city is bent on changing the course of culture not only in Ireland, but in Europe as well. Cork's designation as the European Capital of Culture in 2005 - a European Union initiative to encourage urban innovation and regeneration - means visitors will be greeted with an ambitious cultural calendar rivaling and probably surpassing any city of this size. Planners are... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/coolest-of-the-hot-desert-hangouts/9117/ Fri, 11 Feb 2005 00:00:00 EST Palm Springs in winter is like New York in the fall: the only place to be. The weather is flawless, with luxuriously bright days absent of cloud or care. Abundant rains earlier in the season carpet the rocky foothills with green and crown the towering San Jacinto Mountains behind them with snow, creating a dazzling backdrop for this slightly wacky desert hamlet where the circa 1962 beat goes on. Happily so, because the secret of Palm Springs' appeal has always been its lack of complication... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/christmas-in-the-city-of-light/6142/ Fri, 10 Dec 2004 00:00:00 EST Staring down the Champs-Elysees the very second the Christmas lights set the grand avenue sparkling is a reminder that no place does the holidays quite like Paris - and there has rarely been a better time to sample the luxe life as only the Parisians can dream it. Indeed, anyone with merriment on their minds just now might consider a visit to the French capital, abuzz as it is with new outlets for indulgence. For "fooding," as the French say, it is hard to do better than the newly refurbished... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/greetings-from-molvania/2945/ Fri, 8 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST In fifth grade my class was given an assignment that involved inventing a country from scratch, right down to making a salt-and-flour relief map. My creation was Iberocco, an island off the coast of Spain that combined Andalusian allure with good things like couscous and democracy. Now I write guidebooks for a living, so I guess I was on to something. But the authors of "Molvania: A Land Untouched by Modern Dentistry" (The Overlook Press, 176 pages, $13.95) have outdone my profession by... Anthony Grant Lechtman http://www.nysun.com/travel/normandys-bucolic-battlegrounds/2201/ Fri, 24 Sep 2004 00:00:00 EST Dairy cows lazing in meadows of shimmering green, half-timbered farmhouses blanketed in mist, and beautiful beaches where it's too cold to swim: At first glance there is little in the topography of Normandy that hints at the region's place along the fault lines of history. But despite its bucolic allure and well-deserved reputation for good eating (think Camembert and caramels), Normandy is foremost a land of memory. William the Conqueror had his moment in the sun - or, more likely, fog - but... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/man-at-the-spa/1569/ Fri, 10 Sep 2004 00:00:00 EST My idea of exercise is bicycling to the ice-cream parlor. I view abbreviations like "abs" and "carbs" as contortions of the lexicon by people who would have the temerity to suggest that chocolate isn't good for me. But if at first I found the idea of a week at a famously low-key health spa about as appealing as a slice of tofu pizza, I am old enough to realize that I have been spending perhaps too much time with my friends Baskin and Robbins. When it comes to spas, Rancho la Puerta in Baja...