Good eating down on Tim Stark's farm.
Photo: Mollie Chen

by Michael Snyder

Last weekend, the New York Times Magazine released its food issue, coinciding with the Food Network's New York City Wine & Food Festival. Michael Pollan's feature article in the issue, titled "Farmer in Chief," considers the rising political, social, and economic significance of America's food culture. It's not a pretty picture, but there is hope. Across the American political spectrum, Pollan sees Americans "paying more attention to food today than they have in decades, worrying not only about its price but about its safety, its provenance, and its healthfulness."

Maybe it was just the bright October sun in the sunny main room of chef Scott Conant's restaurant Scarpetta, or maybe it was the free-flowing prosecco, but when Tim Stark, guru of the heirloom tomato and luminary of the American slow food movement, spoke at the Wine & Food Festival he didn't exactly seem to be worrying--at least not about politics. He was more concerned with plucking fast-ripening tomatoes from the 20,000 plants on his farm outside Reading, Pennsylvania. As he read from his new book, Heirloom, describing his former life as a starving writer and relating anecdotes of his current one as an upstart tomato farmer, Tim seemed interested in only one thing: tomatoes.

by Guy Martin

Good pilots would not be good were it not for a steely confidence brought about by training. Arrogance can be defined as the abuse of that training. We have an excellent example of such arrogance out of Heathrow: On Sunday, a 44-year-old United Airlines pilot was arrested in the cockpit of his San Francisco-bound aircraft. He's strongly suspected of drinking before the flight.

The investigation will tell us more, but given the early departure--9 a.m.--it's likelier, or it's more generous to believe, that he was hung over and still had an elevated blood alcohol level from a bender the night before than it is to think that he was slamming shots for breakfast. Although some headlong drinkers certainly do both.   

The terse early reports from the Metropolitan Police/Heathrow Station are that the man is out on bail, due to report back to Heathrow police in January on the equivalent of a desk-appearance ticket. For their part, United swiftly placed the pilot on leave, pending investigative results. The thornier questions remain. What was he thinking? The answer to that is, obviously, that he wasn't. Put another way, his arrogance was such that he thought he could pilot a Boeing 777 for 5,300 miles under the influence. According to the Daily Telegraph, one of the ground staff is thought to have turned him in. But: Just when it seemed that our pilots were the last bastion of our inflight trust--the bastion of trust that need not be doubted--this incident seems to raise the specter of yet another "control" system.      

Because the only thing that worked this time was that he got ratted out by somebody who saw him drinking, or who thought he was drunk.

So, to our passengers out there: Should we run a Breathalyzer test on all pilots before each flight, or just some of them some of the time, or none of them ever?    

by Mollie Chen

Aside from exclusive treatments and a gorgeous tiled hammam, the most compelling reason to go to the Plaza's brand-new Caudalie Spa is its decadent café menu. They take a liberal view of spa cuisine, focusing on lush, full-fat cheeses and shaved truffles rather than rabbit-like salads and insipid broths. What better way to follow up a honey-and-wine wrap than with a plate of jamon de pata negra and quince paste? They've also got France's famed Poilane bread to go with that earthy foie gras terrine and, in a nod to the Big Apple, a classic New York bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese.

Further reading:
* The New York Plaza Web site
* Amazing: Simple ideas done right

Never fear, hotel deals are here.
AP Photo

by Ondine Cohane

While I was at Columbia College in the economically challenged New York days of the early nineties, one of my favorite signs on the Upper East Side was Gray's Papaya's "Recession Special," with two hot dogs and a Coke for $1.75. I don't eat hot dogs, mind you, but I liked the fact that the guys at GP were thinking about their customers.

It seems like those days have come again, and already travelers are starting to see a number of deals and price cuts throughout the industry--a smart group that very clearly doesn't want to lose your business. I thought I would start to mention some noteworthy specials in my weekly blog because even if you have to start watching your budget, you don't have to give up your style. Case in point: The chic COMO Hotels and Resorts owned by Christina Ong has just slashed its prices by 200 pounds at its fashionable London properties, the Halkin and the Metropolitan, through May 2009. That's over 300 bucks off the normal rack rate, and both properties have great locations close to Hyde Park, Mayfair, and the shopping of Knightsbridge. And the Met Bar in the Metropolitan is still one of the most happening bars in the city, perfect for nursing a martini in case the FTSE continues to plunge. Travel is a great way to forget the bad news, and savvy shoppers will find plenty of deals and sparser crowds in the next six months. Stay tuned...

Further reading:
* The Halkin
* The Metropolitan
* Word of Mouth

Host Jane Krakowski, Andrew McCarthy,
and his girlfriend, Dolores Rice.
Photo: Billy Farrell for Patrick McMullan

by Beata Loyfman

Every year the stars come out en fuego to celebrate the Readers' Choice Awards. And this year was no exception. After dolling up in full "party" mode, I parked myself (and my high heels) in front of the red carpet to await the arrivals.

I didn't have to wait long. The lovely Jane Krakowski of the hit 30 Rock was first to stop by and chat. Fresh after playing hostess for the award ceremony, Jane was excited to tell us about her favorite travel moments. She loved her trip to Vienna (where she ate the perfect pretzels), Venice (where she ate the best fish), and St. Petersburg (where she drank a few too many "shodka vots").

Former Brat Packer Andrew McCarthy stopped by next. When on break from playing a difficult billionaire on NBC's Lipstick Jungle, Andrew travels as much as possible, especially to Ireland, one of his favorite places. Check out his piece on Dublin in National Geographic Traveler and his tales of Hollywood ups and downs in Slate.

Mario Cantone of Sex and the City stopped by next to give us an update on his travels. As we learned from previous red carpet interviews, Mario is a rabid traveler, rattling off hotels with the ease and frequency of a pro. But because the dollar hasn't been very kind to European travelers lately, Mario has been checking into American lodgings much more. His recent favorite is the Castle Hill Inn & Resort in Newport, Rhode Island. Turns out the celebs are just as funds-conscious as the rest of us.

Mario then had some choice words for the Vice Presidential nominee from Alaska. But we'll save those for another time.

Further reading:
* Our award winners' dream trips
* The complete list of this year's winners
* Boldface

Babar makes his way to New York.
Photo: NYTimes.com

Why they're coming in droves to Sydney's seacoast this month.

What cartographers do for fun.

Have trunk, will travel--a globetrotter in New York.

Babar, phone home.

Some airports are named after people, and some people are named after airports.

Suspect giant shampoo bottle.

by Barbara S. Peterson

Given all the bad news for fliers lately--more fees, fewer flights, and more trouble redeeming your miles--it's not surprising that a mere suggestion that something about air travel might improve got a lot of traction in the media. That something is the annoying drill at the checkpoint. You know, the Kabuki dance that entails removing your shoes while simultaneously guzzling that last bit of spring water you will shortly surrender--and that's while plucking your laptop from its case and somehow clinging to your boarding pass.   

Of all these rituals, the liquids rules are the most loathed. Introduced in the wake of a foiled plot to bomb airliners out of London in August of 2006, the resulting "3-1-1" routine struck most travelers as confusing, if not downright silly (see the whole list of rules here). And worse, it may have been unnecessary. Aviation experts question whether liquids carried aboard in innocent-looking soda bottles could bring down an airplane (see my story on TSA last spring). During their recent trial, the London bomb plotters denied that they were attempting to destroy airplanes (although they did admit to planning to set off an explosion near a terminal), and while their testimony was obviously self-serving, the prosecution wasn't able to prove they were capable of pulling off another 9/11-style attack. And yet, we continue to dutifully present our baggies full of doll-size shampoos and mouthwash at checkpoint.

by John Oseid

Pop Quiz: What's the hottest address in Puerto Rico these days?
Answer: Calle 13.

Sure, Calle 13 means Thirteenth Street. But it's also the nom d'artiste of two half-brothers known as Residente (singer) and Visitante (producer, multi-instrumentalist). Three years ago the San Juan duo exploded onto the Latin music scene with original eclectic beats and droll lyrics that swing from politically sophisticated to rude. Their crafty Spanglish wordplay and shrewd pop culture references have helped them win a handful of Grammys.

The brothers' tongue-in-cheek wit shows in the above video to their first big hit, "Atrévete Te-Te" (Dare to), a tune built on a clarinet and Colombian cumbia rhythms.

Last week the duo put on an insanely frenetic show at the Nokia Theater in Times Square, backed by a 12-member band and vocals by their younger sister dubbed "PG-13." For good measure, Visitante threw in a melodica and a theremin to the charivari of sounds.

Due out next week, their latest album, Los de Atrás Vienen Conmigo (Those Left Behind Come with Me), is another madcap mix of music genres. This time, Balkan brass meets electronica, with hints of tango, country, Dixieland jazz, and movie soundtrack themes. Mexican experimental rock band Café Tacuba collaborates on "No Hay Nadie Como Tú" (There's No One Like You), making the single a hit already. Famed Panamanian actor and salsa singer Rubén Blades raps on "La Perla," a tribute to Old San Juan's famous waterfront barrio. Song titles alone--"Gringo Latin Funk," "Fiesta de Locos," and "John the Schizophrenic"--give a hint of Calle's brilliant nonsense that follows.

More music:
* From L.A. to Miami, Calle 13 has several more concerts coming up in MTV Tr3's Tr3spass Concert Series. The music channel Web site has a complete bio on the duo with the show dates listed. Videos uploaded on the site include the acclaimed song "Pal' Norte" (Going North), a paean to immigrants performed with the Cuban hip-hop group Orishas.
* Calle 13 albums come in explicit and clean versions. Lyrics Mania has translations for many of their songs.

Tango on the red carpet: 30 Rock's
Katrina Bowden and Argentina's
Carlos Enrique Meyer.
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage

by Julia Bainbridge

Last night's 21st annual Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards was awash in black cocktail dresses and liberal-leaning jokes. Tony Award-winning actress Jane Krakowski, our host, poked fun at her tendency to photograph foreign food (Viennese pretzels, in particular), editor-in-chief Klara Glowczewska shared fond memories from a recent trip to Cairo, and celebrity attendees piled into the Champagne- and blue light-fueled after party at the New York Public Library.

What the event was really about, though, was honoring the winning hotels, resorts, islands, cities, and modes of transportation as decided by our readers--32,633 of them, to be exact. 

The night's theme? "Dream Trip." So right after their photo ops with publisher Lisa Hughes and their Frank Gehry-designed trophies, we asked the award winners: "What is your dream trip?" Below, some of the more interesting answers:

Weerasak Kowsurat, Minister of Tourism and Sports in Thailand, was ready to leave steamy Bangkok behind, if only for a week. "If I have a chance, I would like to go to Alaska for once. I just would like to see what it's like in Alaska."

Not surprisingly, Pamela Conover, President and CEO of Seabourn Cruises, will hop on a ship this January. A 14-day cruise on the Seabourn Spirit will take her from Hong Kong to Singapore and down the coast of Vietnam. "It's really an opportunity to visit those places in Vietnam that it's hard to do by land," she said.

Vikram Oberoi of the Oberoi Group said, "I'm terribly boring. I ride a motorbike, and my dream trip is to go up to a place called Dak To on a motorbike." Doesn't sound so boring to us.

Although we didn't talk extensively about his dream trip, Carlos Enrique Meyer, Argentina's Secretary of Tourism, was too passionate about his homeland to resist a mention. (And he should be: Buenos Aires was voted the number one city to visit in the Americas this year.) When asked what it is about the city that resonates with people, he was short and to the point: "the tango." 

And finally, President and CEO of SFCVB Joe D'Alessandro just wants to stay in San Francisco. "It's not like any other U.S. city. We try to be different. We like the fact that we don't fit in any mold," he said. An insider tip from our readers' favorite U.S. city? "Of course, there's Fisherman's Wharf and Union Square, but people don't necessarily know that the Mission is one of the hottest neighborhoods in the U.S. right now. They have great places to eat, great galleries, phenomenal murals--this kind of eclectic culturally young life. I think it's fantastic." We do, too.

Read the full list of winners here.

This morning, Condé Nast Traveler's Kate Maxwell talked with the Today Show's Matt Lauer about the Readers' Choice Award winners.

Okay, so perhaps it wasn't the best night to host the travel industry's event of the year. But in all fairness, both the presidential debate at Hofstra University and our very own travel specialist-packed gala at the marvelous New York Public Library had something in common . . . the power of the ballot. This year 32,633 Condé Nast Traveler readers voted on their favorite hotels, resorts, islands, cities, and modes of transportation, with the end result being perhaps the most varied and highly ranked group of properties and locations ever. Not bad! Thank you, readers, for your participation.   

Click here to view the complete list of tonight's winners. Any surprises? Let us know what you think.

Samburu women pump clean water
from a new well in their village.
Photo: The Samburu Project

by Julia Bainbridge

The Samburu Project (TSP), an organization that builds wells in East Africa, just celebrated its third anniversary in September. In three years, the nonprofit has donated 22 wells, bringing clean, safe drinking water to more than 20,000 people.

"Women used to spend their days looking for water," says Kristen Kosinki, founder of the project. "They had no time to do anything else, like start businesses and generate income. If you can't generate income, you are beholden to your husband or father." In a country where HIV runs rampant and female genital mutilation is still heavily practiced, Kosinski says this reliance on men is no good. But with water comes change: "Now they can start making their own choices: who they marry, who they have sex with, et cetera."

Interested in African women's empowerment since she was a little girl (she credits her grandfather's subscription to National Geographic with inspiring her), Kosinski traded Tinseltown for Kenya in 2005. The same day she left her position as a Paramount TV executive, she hopped on a flight, landed in Kenya, hailed a cab, and told her driver to take her "where the indigenous people live." So they traveled to Samburu, to a women-only village, starting a series of talks with women all over northern Kenya. After hearing their stories, Kosinski found a glaring solution to so many of their problems: clean, accessible water.

She certainly hasn't forgotten her LA roots, though. TSP's headquarters are there, and old film friends are helping Kosinski reach her news goals. (Jeffrey Katzenberg, among others, is a big supporter.) And next spring, the LA-based shop Intuition will launch a TSP T-shirt line by Mighty Fine.

Beyond wells, TSP has helped women create self-sustaining (and income-generating) gardens, it has given families mosquito nets, and it has plans to work with local schools. "With water, development happens," says Kosinski.

Further reading:
* The Samburu Project
* Find out how you can help here
* Bicycles for female empowerment
* Actress Ashley Judd, a spokesperson for Population Services International, gave an amazing clean-water demo like this one at the 2008 World Savers Congress. Read about PSI's safe-drinking-water initiative here.

Every May, Condé Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

Created by renowned entrepreneur Pontus Frithiof, this new three-level nightlife beacon in Stureplan Square deserves its kudos: It includes an oysters-and-champagne bar, a cocktail bar, a sushi bar, a dim sum station, and a restaurant. Custom-made wallpaper creates the illusion of being in a fantastical library where The Dangerous Book for Boys and Our Man in Havana are stacked alongside Pontus!'s own cookbook. Every night, as nearby offices close, sharply dressed Swedes flood in to order Nordic- and Asian-influenced cocktails such as the Dragon's Kiss, with fresh ginger juice and Absolut Citron.

Address: 1 Brunnsgatan, Stockholm, Sweden
Tel: 46-8-8-545-273-00

Further reading:
* Pontus! Web site
* Hot List 2008
* The Stockholm Guide
* Hot List on the DT

Saving the forests is as important as saving the economy.
Photo: andredemaret for
Conde Nast Traveler's Dream Trip Contest

by Brook Wilkinson

Amidst news of the financial crisis that has hit markets around the world, it's valuable to take a moment and consider another, arguably more perilous problem: the environment. An EU-commissioned study recently revealed that the loss of forests around the world is costing humans from $2 trillion to $5 trillion every year. How did the study's economists come up with this figure? They calculated the cost of the services that forests provide--cleaning water, absorbing carbon dioxide, and the like. In comparison, the $700 billion bailout is a drop in the bucket.

It's crucial that such messages continue to get through at a time when all eyes are turned toward the economy. If we care about restoring the economy for our future and our children's future, shouldn't we care as much--if not more--about bringing nature back into balance?

Further reading:
* Global Financial Crisis Endangers Conservation Gains (National Geographic)
* The Little Green People Show's take on the issue
* Financial crisis could promote clean energy (The Guardian)
* Margaret Kriz reports on topic on environment 360

Mason and his liquid nitrogen dispenser.
Photo: Melissa Hom for New York Magazine

by Michael Snyder

Marrow beads, miso butterscotch, beet parfait: these are dishes you might find on a typical night at Sam Mason's year-old restaurant, Tailor. So it was no surprise that the chef served a deconstructed PB&J at Food Network's Wine & Food Festival this past Sunday in New York. As he dripped grape juice into a bowl of liquid nitrogen, I thought I might be watching a kids' science show.  Then I noticed the tattoos and the slightly off-color language, and I realized that the beverage Mason was carbonating wasn't apple juice, it was sake, which he'll use in his Japanese riff on a classic Black Velvet cocktail. When I got my little cup of frozen grape juice beads with peanut butter powder and toast, the biggest shock was just how much it tasted like the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I used to munch on as a kid. 

This kind of tongue-in-cheek culinary high jinx is par for the course for Mason and the growing ranks of chefs experimenting with molecular gastronomy (a term despised by some of its pioneers--but who wants to call it food science?). This year, the three top chefs in the world, according to the English Restaurant magazine, have all been influenced by this scientific approach to food; now is the time to put your taste buds (not to mention your sense of adventure) to the test. Here are some of the world's best places to sample molecular gastronomy at its most cutting edge:

* El Bulli: Ranked world's best restaurant time and time again, El Bulli is Ferran Adria's laboratory. Here in the Catalonian countryside of Barcelona, he spends half the year developing new techniques and half the year serving the mere 8,000 people who manage to nab tables during the six-month season.

* The Fat Duck: Heston Blumenthal's restaurant in the small English town of Bray vies with El Bulli for the top spot in the world, and has even managed to wrest that accolade from Adria's hands.

* Alinea: Home of Grant Achatz, winner of this year's James Beard Award for Best American Chef, Alinea has been showered with praise for what some consider the most creative food to be found on this side of the Atlantic.

* wd-50: New York's food science pioneer Wylie Dufresne works nightly from the kitchen of his casual 70-seat Lower East Side restaurant.

Further reading:
* Grant Achatz's take on the PB&J
* Wylie Dufresne plays with ingredients on Gourmet.com
* Ondine Cohane's gastronomic tour of Spain takes her to El Bulli
* Catch of the Day

Tomorrow evening, Condé Nast Traveler will host the 21st annual Readers' Choice Awards, a celebration of the destinations, lodgings, and modes of transportation that manage to exceed our expectations. It is also a credit to the worldly expertise of Condé Nast Traveler readers: More than 30,000 of them voted this year for properties from Baden-Baden to Bora Bora. (Their Top 100 is truly global.) So from 6:30 to 11 p.m., cocktail dress-clad hoteliers will fill the New York Public Library with their hosting know-how.

Our Boldface celebrity travel guru, Beata Loyfman, will interview red-carpet strutters as they stream out of their town cars, and Julia Bainbridge, the gluttonous one, will chat up award winners as they exit the stage, gleaming trophies in their hands. Stay tuned for the list of winners, an interactive Google Map of the Top 100 properties, and much more from our Readers' Choice Awards. It'll all be here, on the Daily Traveler, starting moments after the event.

PS. The full Readers' Choice list will hit Condé Nast Traveler's Web site on October 21.

Every May, Condé Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

A speakeasy and brothel for naughty weekending movie-industry types in the 1930s, the 56-room Colony Palms has a new incarnation as a cool restaurant-hotel. Located in a part of downtown Palm Springs now favored by the West Hollywood crowd, the motel-style Spanish colonial revival buildings surround a garden with cypress trees and a pool that is an oasis of palm-fronded, brightly flowered old California. Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, who has designed houses for Cher, among others, has boldly updated the interior decor with arresting Suzani appliqué pillows, Indonesian settees, Moroccan tray tables, and black-and-white thirties-style photography of scantily clad starlets. A huge Moroccan daybed fronts one side of the pool outside the superlative Purple Palm restaurant.

Address: 572 North Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, California 92262
Tel: 800-557-2187

Further reading:
* The Colony Palms Hotel Web site
* Hot List 2008
* The Palm Springs Guide
* Hot List on the DT

Word has it that the general wasn't in Bucks
for the apple picking.
Photo: Washington Crossing

by Bryan Pirollli

The fall has arrived and an escape from city life is downright mandatory. But why not enjoy the crisp air and beautiful scenery while seeing some sites at the same time? Even though I've lived there for 18 years, I only recently discovered the historic delights that Bucks County has to offer a mere 30 minutes north of Philadelphia.

As I child I knew a few things about Bucks County: There were cows, there were houses, and I lived here. The travel potential never really struck me. But the county is, as I learned in fourth-grade history class, famous as General Washington's jump-off point for his Christmas night invasion of Trenton, New Jersey. 

Washington Crossing Historic Park is a major destination for history buffs and families alike. The park includes the Revolutionary-era hospital, called the Thompson-Neely House, as well as the Soldiers' Graves, where only one soldier buried is named. Kind of creepy.

If you're up for a hike, the park has plenty of winding trails, riverside views, and old canals to explore. You can also head up Bowman's Hill to the castle-like lookout tower for a breathtaking, miles-deep view of autumn foliage. Called Bowman's Tower, the structure opened in 1931 and commemorates Washington and his army's contributions to American independence.

Reenactments and special events occur year-round, but the big spectacle happens on the second Sunday in December. Locals don costumes and stretch their sea legs as they cross the Delaware River, just as George Washington did in 1776. (Check the Web site if you're interested in taking part.) I'll confess, 18 years and I've managed to miss this consistently. 

Not far from the historic park, in beautiful Lahaska, Peddler's Village will bump you back into the twenty-first century with some high-end shopping and dining. You might think you're still in colonial times, though, in this quaint town setting adorned with brick buildings and pathways. A dinner at the Cock 'n Bull will round out a day of sightseeing with some classic American fare. It was a treat for my family to visit Peddler's Village, but we always ended the day with dinner at home. Cock 'n Bull has nothing on Mom's cooking.

Franck serves traditional
French treats like this tarte Tatin,
an upside-down apple tart.
Photo: Gourmet.com

Every May, Condé Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

In the former French Concession, this chic bistro-cum-épicerie wears its Francophilia with pride: black café chairs and tiny tables, chalkboard menus, nostalgic photos and maps of the motherland, and a soundtrack of throaty French ballads. Naturally, Gallic fare takes center stage: gallete de cochon, tarte Tatin, and a deliciously nutty pâté de campagne. Sea bass in a light, frothy cream sauce and filet de cerf, or deer, are finds in Shanghai. A gourmet counter sells mustards, hams, olive oils, and jams (entrées, $14-$24).

Address: 376 Wukang Road
Tel: 86-21-6437-6465

Further reading:
* Hot List 2008
* The Shanghai Guide
* Etiquette 101: China
* Hot List on the Daily Traveler

A hallway fit for a king--or a cherub.
Photo: Four Seasons

by Ondine Cohane

If you have ever wondered whether Italian bureaucracy is actually as monumental as people say, the fact that it took the Four Seasons seven years to open in Florence might give you a clue. Every few months, builders stumbled on yet another fresco or statue and things came to a standstill as the Bella Arte committee tried to ascertain how to proceed with restoration.

Things do seem to take a long time in Italy. In the case of La Bandita, the property my husband opened in Pienza last year, it took two and a half years just to get permits. When you see how great things look here in the end, though, you realize the painstaking process is worth the time.

After hearing a lot of great things about the Four Seasons in Florence, especially its beautiful artwork and top-notch service, I stopped in to see the property for myself. It is made up of two restored palazzos from the 15th and 16th centuries with eight acres of surrounding gardens. A relatively nondescript façade on a quiet side street belies the beautiful arrival--you enter a glass-covered cortile with a copy of Michelangelo's Bacchus and a bas relief that runs all around the top of the room. Throughout the public areas (and in many of the bedrooms) original frescoes, elaborate Italian chandeliers, flowery moldings, and Italian prints remind you that you are in one of the world's most famous cities for art and sculpture. But for me, the gardens were the absolute highlight: an oasis of towering old trees, little walkways with secluded places to sit, and a pretty pool (with a Jacuzzi on one end) next to the spa. Green space is what makes the property that much more compelling; it's a tranquil counterpoint to the more touristy and chaotic atmosphere of central Florence.

Further reading:
* The Four Seasons Florence Web site
* Word of Mouth

Mystery man: Nobel winner Le Clezio.
Photo: Flickr

by Sara Tucker

A whole lotta mud was slung this past week over the Nobel prize for literature, providing a welcome diversion from McBama bashing and the world economic meltdown. The literary hissy fit began when a Nobel judge told the Associated Press that America is "too insular" to produce Nobel-worthy literature. Americans are little interested in translating foreign books and "don't really participate in the big dialogue of literature," said Horace Engdahl, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, which doles out the award. "That ignorance is restraining."

The howl of protest that followed was anything but restrained. "You can criticise a nation's politics, or its cuisine, or even its dress-sense," commented one bystander, "but to describe a nation's books as 'ignorant' is fighting talk."

The maligned nation retaliated with a firestorm of insults: "You would think," huffed the New Yorker's David Remnick, "that the permanent secretary of an academy that pretends to wisdom but has historically overlooked Proust, Joyce and Nabokov, to name just a few non-Nobelists, would spare us the categorical lectures."

"There is no argument like a literary argument," observed  The Independent's John Lichfield as the vitriol began to spew. "Expect a vicious, transatlantic war of words." Calling for a revolt, Slate's Adam Kirsch wrote: "America should respond not by imploring the committee for a fairer hearing but by seceding, once and for all, from the sham that the Nobel Prize for literature has become."

Across the Internet, American bibliophiles jumped into the fray. At Omnivoracious, one gave the Swedes a taste of "American rube" vernacular ("Hey Horace, Stick your Nobel where the Sun Don't Shine!!") while another reached for satire ("They give out Nobels for LITERATURE? When did this start?"). Cynics were quick to point out that literary awards "don't really 'mean' anything. They're like the Academy Awards, except the recipients are old and ugly instead of young and beautiful." Idealists, however, were less willing to give up the fight. At the Literary Saloon and Words Without Borders, there were shout-outs on behalf of the perennially snubbed, such as Philip Roth and John Updike, and a host of lesser-knowns and long shots: "I hope Bob Dylan finally gets it," wrote a wistful fan.

Too soon, though, the fight was over. On Thursday, the academy named French novelist Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio as this year's recipient, and the furor ended in a collective "Who?"

Further reading:
* An interview with Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio (in English)
* Nobel notes: Engdahl Fallout (Literary Saloon)
* "Jean-Marie Who?": Nomadic novelist wins Nobel Prize for literature (Adam McDowell, National Post)
* The Aggregator: News of the day in links

A retreat over the barrier reef.
Photo: Condé Nast Traveler

Every May, Condé Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

Tucked away on 30 acres of Hamilton Island's northernmost point, this adults-only retreat has rocked the Great Barrier Reef when it comes to island comfort. The 60 pavilions--elegantly constructed in native timber, limestone, and slate--have floor-to-ceiling windows, plus (in the Windward Pavilions) infinity-edge plunge pools overlooking glorious tropical surroundings. While this resort is all about nature's beauty--exemplified by abundant tropical foliage and the warm ocean waters--there's fun to be had, too. Pavilions come with an electric golf cart for tooling around the island, and room rates include non-motorized water sports, on-site meals (though not alcohol), and dining at Hamilton Island's best restaurants--perhaps wise, as Qualia's island-time service can be spotty.

Address: Hamilton Island, Australia
Tel: 61 2 9433 3349

When to go: September and October to avoid the intense humidity and the jellyfish.
Which room to book: Pavilion No. 6 for its views, seclusion, and cute walkway to the beach; or the Beach House for a private lap pool and guest quarters.

Further reading:
* Qualia's Web site
* Spa Qualia
* Nicole Kidman's Baby Magic: Australia's waterfalls have pregnant-making powers
* Hot List 2008

This could happen to you!
AP Photo

by Beata Loyfman

Be careful of swimming in Kununurra's waterfalls--you might accidentally find yourself with child! Well, at least that was Nicole Kidman's happy predicament while filming Baz Luhrmann's newest flick in Australia last year. Check out the awesome trailer here.

Kidman is convinced that it was the Kimberley waterfalls in northwestern Australian that made her and six other women working on the film pregnant. Is it an accident that Kununurra means "Big Water" in the Aboriginal language? No reports of male pregnancies have surfaced, so fellas, it's safe to swim.

Beyond the magical fertility waters of Kununurra, the Kimberley region also has one of Australia's 17 World Heritage Sites: Purnululu National Park, otherwise known as the Bungle Bungle Range, for its famous red sandstone domes. Their fertility powers have not yet been confirmed.

Check out the rest of the continent's wonders in our Amazing Australia special section. 

Further reading:
* Helen Mirren doesn't look too shabby in her swimsuit, either
* Take a peek at Kidman's best pre-baby fashion hits
* Boldface

Three's not a crowd:
Treatment rooms here are spacious.
Photo: Desert Springs JW Marriott Resort

Every May, Condé Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

The 21-year-old Desert Springs JW Marriott Resort, a monolithic 800-plus-room Coachella Valley property built around a lake and a golf course, has added a spa, providing watery relief for sun-parched active types. The standard sauna, steam room, and whirlpool have been supplemented by a hammam; just outside, a bin of refreshing herbal-soaked washcloths awaits. The Desert Journey body treatment ($190) is more than an hour of being rubbed in citrus body butter, scrubbed with brown sugar, and prodded with basalt river rocks (with a bit of foot paraffin masking and scalp rubbing thrown in). The only thing missing is an in-room rinse, so guests are left to find the shower in their post-massage narcotized state (massages, $130-$140).

Further reading:
* The resort's Web site
* Hot List 2008
* The Palm Springs Guide
* Hot List on the Daily Traveler

by John Oseid

Nobody ever shared the wonders of South African Township Jazz with me when I was in preschool. By grade school, I'd still never heard a Hindi or a Russian song. If only Putumayo Kids' Sesame Street Playground compilation had been around when I was a tyke...

What would Sesame Street be without visuals? The brand new album comes with a five-video DVD set showing versions of the famous children's show from around the world. With Christmas not far away, I'm ordering early for my nieces and nephews. Sesame Street isn't kid-exclusive, though: The DVDs are a hoot for adults, too. Here's a quick sampler:

The video to my favorite tune, the "Pollution Song," from South Africa's Takalani Sesame is a sweet introduction to the magnificent sounds of that nation. "Take the papers and throw them in the dustbin," sing human and puppet characters as they clean up their streets.

In India, the name of the show is Galli Galli Sim Sim, as is the theme music sung in Hindi. The French call their version 5, Rue Sésame. Who knows where the "cinq" comes from, but the goofy song "La Chanson de l'Amitié" should disprove any canard about French sullenness. The characters in Tanzania's show, Kilimani Sesame, teach about health and hygiene as they sing their lovely Kiswahili tune "Usihuzunike," or the "Don't Be Sad Song."

And lastly, a special mention goes to Mexico's Plaza Sésamo (there's even a Parque Plaza Sésamo theme park in Monterrey, should you want to hang with Bert and Ernie's global cousins). Mexican wunderkind singer/songwriter Aleks Syntek, whom I shared with you last month, composed a tune called "Ricas Frutas," or "Delicious Fruits," which he sings with a giant parrot named Abelardo and a pink girl named Lola. The tasty little tune had me humming about bananas all day.

Further reading:
* Aleks Syntek: Mexico's Mr. Eclectic
* Boom Box