Jewish
28 January 2016
Travel Supplement
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The Jewish News 28 January 2016
www.jewishnews.co.uk
Brazil
Now I know that
RIO’S GRAND? Brigit Grant took her family to check out the buzz in Brazil ahead of the 2016 Olympics
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“
id you have a good time?” is generally the most people want to know about your holiday. Unless it was a disaster the details are of no interest and a tan acknowledgment is the most you can hope for. But not if you go to Brazil and Argentina. Evidently there is something so magical and far away about South America that everyone has questions about the food, weather, music and accommodation. It wasn’t an obvious choice as a family destination with an eight-year-old in tow; but as our oldest son has been living in Buenos Aires improving his Spanish, Argentina was a must and the forthcoming Olympics in Rio de Janeiro gave us a reason to make it a two-centre affair. It was a good decision as both places offer so much enjoyment, but I would urge anyone toying with the idea of attending the Olympic games to book it now as the host nation will provide a warm, dance-driven welcome fuelled by passion fruit caipirinias. Of course you need to plan such a trip wisely and the expertise of independent
travel company- Bespoke Brazil – ensured we had the holiday of a lifetime. SO I’M REALLY GOING TO RIO? One email exchange with Simon Williams who owns Bespoke Brazil with his wife Kirsty was enough to know we were in good hands. Specialising solely in Brazil means they know this vast country like the back of their hands and their vast array of contacts are also friends who help to give clients special treatment in Rio and often it’s a free hotel upgrade. Bespoke Brazil make you fill like an A’lister and they will amend your itinerary - which comes in an information-packed binder as many times as you like prior to departure. With only eight days in Rio and a flight prebooked for Buenos Aires, Simon really wanted us to see Rio and set us up with one of the city’s best guides Marcelo Fontes and booked us into three very different hotels. The Belmond Copacabana Palace Hotel is almost as famous as the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio and its art deco grandeur dominates
The Belmond Cocacobana Palace Hotel
the Avenue. Atlântica. Like all good hotels with a rich history (it opened in 1923) it operates like clockwork and nothing is too much trouble for any of the staff. As we were escorted to our ocean front junior suite I had to wait until we were on our own to squeal, though containing my excitement the next morning at the impressive breakfast buffet was trickier when I tasted my first Brazilian mango. Though I’m no nectar connoisseur, the fruit I ate in Rio is the closest you get to food for the godsand when its squished and mixed with vodka its sublime. Lunching on the terrace of the Pérgula restaurant by the vast swimming pool you get to sip caipirnihias beside Rio’s cognosecenti (a fascinating mix of handsome retired polo players and silicon-enhanced Barbies) and for evening dining there is the Rio branch of Venice’s famed Cipriani restaurant or the Michelin-star pan-Asian restaurant, Mee with a menu devised by celebrity chef, Ken Hom. For real Rio, the beach is a hop, skip over the road, though the pool offers welcome afternoon shade in 40 degrees as well as a threepiece band playing samba. • Belmond Copacabana Palace - from £215 a night The Santa Teresa Hotel which has a panoramic view of the city, harbour and Guanabara Bay
shops, galleries and even a tiny foreign film cinema is somwehere that stays in the memory. • Hotel Santa Teresa - from £195 MIRAMAR BY WINDSOR Champagne on arrival, L’Occitane products in the spacious bathroom, huge beds and an unprecedented view of Copacabana Beach from the rooftop pool certainly puts you in the right mood at the Miramar. As with all the hotels we stayed in the staff couldn’t do enough and at
Santa Teresa Hotel
couldn’t be more different to the Palace. Uber stylish with lots of wood about the place to reflect its previous incarnation as a colonial farm, Santa Teresa is a hip residence beloved by the late Amy Winehouse. I couldn’t find anyone who looked after her, but they looked after us pretty well and the yummy artisanal-style breakfast was served to the sounds of the Bosa Nova. The pool – black tiles and decking – is pure Elle Interiors, but it is also a heat conductor that is tough on the feet, though the Watermelon Ginger Martini is a great rescue remedy. This is a very specil boutique hotel and its bohemian location in the hillside which is filled with unusual handicraft
Miramar Hotel
the busiest time of year. Ditto the ever-expandconstantly replenished along with the unbeatable Brazilian coffee. A contemporary hotel that doesn’t rely on designer pizzazz to impress, the Miramar is well-located ( Ipanema Beach is a walk-away) really relaxed and ideal
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28 January 2016 The Jewish News
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Brazil FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD The food at all three hotels was well above average with a good choice of international cuisine as well as traditional dishes. Outside the speciality is BBQ restaurants (not kosher) shich offer an endless parade of meat on rotisserie sticks and Marcelo took us to feast at one of the largest the Churrascaria Palace. Garota de Ipanema (Girl from Ipanema) restaurant is where composer Tom Jobim was sitting with poet Vinicius de Moraes when they spotted the beauty who inspired that legendary song. Sadly long queues sent us to the Vinicius café across the road which was no bad thing as the Bosa Nova club upstairs permits entry to eight-year-olds.
Sunset on Ipanema
for tourists on the go which will no doubt make it a firm favourite with Olympic games visitors. • Hotel Miramar by Windsor from £175 THE MAN TO KNOW I balked when I saw the words ‘Full Day Tour ‘ twice on our Bespoke Brazil itinerary as I know how hit and miss the guide experience can be; particulary with an eight-year-old. Marcelo Fontes instantly allayed my fears by presenting my daughter with his self-penned children’s book, Leo the Penguin in Rio. Poet, musician and proud Rio native, Marcelo is the guide of your dreams as he goes at your speed, tells you as much as you need and takes you off the beaten track to visit places like Prainha Beach (just past Barra da Tijuca) to eat freshly barbequed fish at a restaurant-owned by a pal. With Marcelo we went to Corcovado on the train to see the intimidating statue of Christ do a disappearing act behind the clouds and had a face to face with the forest monkeys by Praia Vermelha (Red Beach). At the Maracanã football stadium which will host the opening of the Olympics, an imaginative local allowed us to pose with his replica World Cup and then we stopped at a fruit market to sample Jaca (Jackfruit) ; remarkably sweet bananas and saw a carnival band in rehearsal. As a Rio resident Marcelo was also handy at meal times.
CUE THE MUSIC “I want to go to a bar where they play samba,” said I to my husband. After one day in Rio you realise there isn’t a bar that doesn’t play samba. And everyone owns a drum which they bring to the beach. OLYMPICS 2016 Wherever you stay in Rio for the Olympic and Paralympic games - if it isn’t in Barra da Tijuca, it will take some time to reach the park. Think Cockfosters to Stratford in terms of distance but with beaches when you get there. Marcelo was kind enough to take us on that trek to see the venues in various states of completion along with the metro extension and athletes village. The area is so different to the rest of Rio, it could be Florida with all the minute-old architecture and absence of favelas. Forget what the doubters say it will be ready for August 3 and the sale of mascots – Tom and Vinicius - is under way along with a Rio fragrance and obligatory caps. We bought them all and I only wish we could go back for the games and once again see the sunset on Ipanema beach sitting on the Arpoador just as Marcelo recommended.
USEFUL CONTACTS Bespoke Brazil can get you there for the Olympic Games in August and any other time. With itineraries that encompass trips to Rio, Pantanal , adventure tours and family focused holidays they can tailor Brazil to your taste. Visit bespokebrazil.com or call T: +44 1603 340680/T: +44 7786 325215
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020 8922 1234
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The Jewish News 28 January 2016
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Argentina
Tango
ARGENTINO Brigit Grant and family attempted dancing, dining and Yiddish in part two of their South American trip
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“
H MY GOODNESS THAT WOMAN IS PREGNANT,” announced an elderly American from the crowd in Plaza Dorrego. This was not an astute observation as we could all see the female in a slinky black dress was due any day. What was extraordinary was the fact she was being held tight by a wild-eyed man wearing pinstripe who spun and then suspended her inches from the floor. Not even the advanced stages of maternity gets in the way of a tango in Argentina and the theatrical passion of the dance can be seen on every street corner of San Telmo’s Sunday market in Buenos Aires.
Eva Peron (aka Evita) who has a tomb in Recoleta Cemetery that isn’t that easy to find.
Jewish tour and were picked up by gregarious Natalie who took us to the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA). The centre operates admirably as a mixture of Jewish Care and JW3 by looking after those in need and supporting the arts. Tragically it is better known as the site of Argentina’s most deadly bomb attack which killed 85 people in 1994. It has since been rebuilt and activities take place 24/7, but the sad history is depicted in all the art work. A visit to the oldest synagogue is part of the tour and the wholesale clothing district which seems to be occupied by our people wherever you go in the world. Natalie was delightful company and chatted away until she dropped us at the Recoleta cemetery to pay our respects to Eva Peron. Let’s just say her tomb isn’t that easy to locate. We did however find our way to the parental home of our son’s girlfriend where we really got to meet members of the Jewish community, many of whom are fluent in Yiddish. This was handy as I don’t speak Spanish but a bit of ‘sechel’ and a lot of ‘nachas’ got me through - at least until they suggested a tango.
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Performed by all ages at various levels the national dance was the lunchtime cabaret at the restaurant we chose and where our eightyear-old got to Tango with the handsome dancer on stage. For all the music being played it was much more serious than the samba-humming beaches of Rio we had left behind, but the second part of our two-centre trip in Argentina was fascinating,European in flavour and much more Jewish than we ever expected. It was in Buenos Aires that we got
A painting of children in the holocaust at AMIA was a powerful lesson for Madison aged eight
• The Jewish tour in Buenos Aires is £170pp for a private tour with two people, and can be booked through www.realworldholidays.co.uk/argentina/.
Inside one of many shuls in Buenos Aires
to hear our son take command of the Spanish language and order the hot chocolate classic in the Cafe Tortoni (one of the oldest cafes ) and direct difficult cab drivers to La Boca, home to La Bombonera football stadium, pink and blue houses and yet more street tango. Having opted for an AirbnB apartment close to Palermo Soho (or one of the Palermos) rather than a hotel we were delighted to find it looked just like the photos
Glamorous, but pricey shops
and there was a bakery on the corner. Corners are what you look for in Buenos Aires as most of them feature a restaurant you struggle to walk past because of the design, lighting or smell coming from the kitchen. Steak is king in Argentina and if you aren’t a kosher keeper this is carnivore- heaven. Sushi is also excellent and abundant along with ice-cream and the Malbec wine which I’d readily have on tap in London. We never made it to the only kosher McDonalds outside Israel, but with a Jewish community the size of our own we wanted to take the
Steak is at the heart of Argentina
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28 January 2016 The Jewish News
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Israel
Embracing
EILAT!
If you haven’t visted Israel’s beautiful south lately, Richard Ferrer asks: ‘What’s kept you?’
B
et it’s been a while since you last dipped a toe in the warm waters of Eilat. Minus Tel Aviv’s big city buzz or Jerusalem’s biblical city culture – and an extra plane ride or four-hour drive away – the resort can often seem a bit Red Sea pedestrian to us Brits, who tend to go once then rarely again. Well, if you haven’t been to the beautiful south in a while, now’s the perfect time. It’s never offered so much, or been within such easy reach. Last month Monarch Airlines became the first UK carrier to fly direct to Ovda Eilat [it also offers six weekly flights to Ben Gurion from Luton and Manchester]. The airline’s ample Airbus A320s guarantee a comfy four-and-a-half hour flight to a riviera that delivers everything you’d expect – plus plenty you didn’t know existed. SO WHAT'S CHANGED IN EILAT? A lot. For starters, its iconic attractions have really upped their game. The Coral World Underwater Observatory has given guests a rare glimpse beneath the waves for decades. It’s also housed the world’s freakiest fishes and creepiest crawlies such as red-bellied piranha, tarantulas, anacondas and
for their teeth, livers and fins. An estimated 11,000 are killed every HOUR. The focus is on informing and entertaining, inspiring the next generation to do a better job of conserving and sustaining the planet than their parents. The park was also the first to grow coral in captivity. It runs school projects for children cultivate their own [When I was at school we just grew cress]. It’s a lifelong process with a metre of coral [underwater ecosystems where fish thrive], taking up to a century to form.
dear old Hannah, the 100-year-old turtle. But its breathtaking new Shark World exhibit, with 20 species viewed from an underwater tunnel and vast viewing window, is an entirely different kettle of fish. Every lunchtime children eagerly gaze in wide-eyed wonder as a diver plunges into a 790,000-gallon tank to present these kings of the deep with a giant lunch menu. [The guide tells the children to scream ‘Noooo!’ if the sharks order pizza]. Elsewhere, interactive stations reveal chilling lessons about man’s inhumanity. Some 110 million sharks have been taken from the ocean
Eilat’s Dan Hotel
DOLPHIN MASSAGE ANYONE?I Israel has found more common ground with its Arab neighbours below the water than above. Egyptian and Jordanian scientists pay regular visits to the park to work on joint conservation projects that benefit the entire Middle East. Our impressive young guide Alex summed this miraculous place up in five understated words: “We’re not a normal zoo.” Another local favourite worth a second look is the much-loved Dolphin Reef, where visitors have swum with man’s best aquatic friend for decades. Its botanical garden, featuring rainwater, seawater and Dead Sea-style salt-water relaxation pools, is less well known. It was the per-
fect setting for my first watsu water massage – a back-to-the-womb experience that involved a therapist gracefully cradling, stretching and dragging my weightless body hither and tither across the warm water. Just writing about it makes me drift awa… OK. Back in the room. Other attractions worth your time include the impressive Ice Mall with its huge rink and giant igloo, encircled by an array of top-brand shops – the perfect place to take advantage of the 17 percent off tax-free shopping for tourists. Kids will also love swinging by the new Top 94 Extreme Park with its 20-metre high rope park, go-karting, archery, paintballing and giant climbing cliff. SWEET DREAMS IN THE DESERT? Eilat's secret ingredient is getting holidaymakers to abandon their beach towel for an hour or two of adventure. From some of the finest diving sites on the planet to camel rides, nature tours and camping trails deep into the desert mountains, with stunning views of neighbouring Egypt and Jordan. Israel and Jordan may have signed a peace treaty, but a Red Sea boat ride will soon reveal the heated “Mine’s bigger that yours!” flag
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Israel
Dolphin Reef
war that’s broken out across the ocean. On Jordan's Aqaba coastline, standing 80-metres wide and 150-metres high, the flag of the King of the Hashemite kingdom flaps proudly in the wind. Israel’s response? A whopping 135-metre wide, 80-metre high Star of David painted on the side of a vast storage container. For the sake of Middle East stability, we’ll call it an honourable draw. There are some 50 hotels to choose from, standing shoulder-to-shoulder along the chaotic coastline. Most visitors book one of the big four – Herod’s Palace, The Hilton, Royal Beach and The Dan, where I checked in. They all offer deluxe five-star luxury, but none can match The Dan for sumptuous in-house restaurants. There are five, all overseen by one of Israel's most celebrated chefs, Ophir Kedem.
Meze restaurant Shipudei Habustan, which dishes up some of the finest hummus on the planet, is equally popular with tourists and locals. It's also worth splashing out at picturesque Pago Pago, one of Israel’s finest fish restaurants overlooking the marina. The crane – “the national bird of Israel� according to our expert guide Herzl – is busy working on the new Eilat Ramon Airport [named after Israel’s first astronaut Ilan Ramon]. With the ongoing suspension of international flights to nearby Sharm el-Sheikh over security fears, the airport is gearing up for a busy opening in 2017. Eilat is a seaside city with a constantly changing landscape. It may not have Tel Aviv’s modernity or Jerusalem’s antiquity, but for a sun-splashed, action-packed, exhilarating adventure holiday, it’s got Eilat to offer!
FACTBOX MONARCH, the scheduled leisure airline, operates year-round flights to Tel Aviv from London Luton airport with fares, including taxes, starting from ÂŁ99 one way (ÂŁ189 return) OR FLY with Monarch to Ovda, the gateway to Eilat, from London Luton airport with fares, including taxes, starting from ÂŁ99 one way (ÂŁ198 return) FOR FURTHER information or to book Monarch flights, Holidays or Hotels, visit www.monarch.co.uk Dolphin Reef http://www.dolphinreef.co.il Underwater Observatory Marine Park http://www.coralworld.co.il/en/Default Herzl Ein-Eli Tours, call: 00972 50 670 0400 or search "Herzl Ein-Eli Tours" on Facebook.
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Morocco
Make some time for MARRAKECH It’s a city that’s perfect for a relaxing five-day weekend or a longer stay if you want to see the Atlas mountains, as ‘Mr & Mrs O’ did. Stephen Oryszczuk tells all... oliday review website TripAdvisor recently voted Marrakech the world’s top destination, but for Jews it has appealed for 2,600 years, since the destruction of the First Temple. Part of the draw was its position: on a trade route at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, beyond which lies the Sahara. Today, an easy hour’s drive from the barking madness of the city’s main square, the stunning High Atlas should be incorporated into any trip to Marrakech. Stay near the beautiful Berber villages nestled high up in the running valleys and snowy crags, home to Africa’s second tallest peak. Pitch up along the Ourika River, acclimatise, see spectacular scenery, watch
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women making Argan oil and walk up waterfalls, before heading back into the hustle and bustle of the souks. MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY...... The eco-chic Fellah Hotel. If Lewis Carroll did hotels, this would be it. An ageing cowboy takes your bags at the gate while you wander past goats, donkeys, libraries, an apothecary of spices and a full-blown image of a young, muscle-bulging Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s a hotel with personality, and we loved it, not just because it’s nuts, but because it involves the local community villagers even run their own restaurant on-site,
selling street food. But you don’t stay here for charity. You stay for tranquillity, hidden gardens, yoga, three swimming pools and all the fresh Atlas air you can breathe. Oh, and the cocktails, to quench that Moroccan thirst, from which Mrs O suffered terribly every day from about 3pm. DON’T JUST LIE THERE..... Let the hotel organise a driver and guide to take you high up into the mountains, with villages once populated by dozens of Jewish families (there is even a shul at 1,700ft). Jews lived happily here, until they left for Israel in two waves, the first in 1948. Arabic is the national language, but Berbers outnumber Arabs in Morocco, and up here in Berber country, the people are among the most gentle you’ll meet. Jews and Berbers get on, they told me, without knowing where I worked. I could tell the old man showing us around the village museum genuinely missed his old friends. MOVING ON TO MARRAKECH After a few days at Fellah, head into Marrakech itself. For pampering in 5-star luxury, go with the Four Seasons, set in acres of gorgeous grounds just outside the old city walls. Food at the on-site Italian restaurant is insanely good (warning: you WILL get fed up of tagines after a while). This hotel does everything well, from its huge rooms to its fabulous pools and phenomenal spa, but the quality and choice on offer in the breakfast buffet are worthy of special mention. Eating it outside in the sun, overlooking cascading waters, you feel truly spoilt. At night, the panoramic bar is a treat from where you look down on fountains bordered by bougainvillea and roses. It was unfaltable. That said, if you want a more traditional
Moroccan experience, stay in a riad, the best of which is La Sultana, located in the enigmatic Kasbah, within the old city walls. Even if you don’t stay here, go for a few hours, if only to see the exquisite detail of this fabulous place, its carved walls and intricate arches more akin to a national treasure than a hotel. Its restaurant (serving a fish tagine which critic Mrs O categorically states is the best meal she’s ever had) is worth a visit in itself, as is the spa, where they do a mean Hammam. The roof terrace, which overlooks one of the city’s main mosques and a busy street market, is a great people-watching hideout by day and one of the best spots for a sundowner by night.
SNAKES, SPICES AND SECURITY This being North Africa, you don’t dwell indoors. The old city offers enchanting calls to prayer, sumptuous sunsets, humming street life, subtle-asa-brick souk salesmen, smells, spices, snakecharmers and camel burgers, which may or may not be kosher. It’s a hypnotic, crazy place, with a heavy French influence (Yves Saint Laurent’s gardens are a peaceful oasis if you want to escape for an hour or two) as well as a vibrant mix of cultures. Hundreds of Jewish families still live in the Mellah, the city’s Jewish quarter, which is currently being refurbished, and Moroccans are proud of their 2,000-year history of interfaith relations. Ironically, during our ten-day stay, Paris was attacked and Brussels went into lockdown, but everyone still asked if we felt safe. Yes, absolutely, safer than we do in London, in fact. This trip should be on everyone’s bucket list, but with the list of ‘nogo’ Arab world countries seemingly growing, I wouldn’t leave it too long to book.
At the Fellah
La Sultana
Four seasons Marrakeh
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28 January 2016 The Jewish News
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Italy
Revisiting RIMINI
Remembering those fortnights on the Italian Riveria is a reason to return... IF YOU WANT TO GET HOLD of Stephanie Viner this summer, try calling the Grand Hotel in Rimini. Better still, go there - as the hotel which first opened its doors 100 years ago is the place to head this summer for the ultimate Italian Riveria experience. I have my own memories of falling in love with a doe-eyed waiter at the Hotel Mare Pineta in Milano Marittima which I shared with an amused Stephanie who has as many stories of her own about the resort that is now her second home. “The Grand has a unique history and been host to so many famous people,” she says citing Princess Diana, Christian Barnard, ex-President Gorbechov, Sharon Stone and Sofia Loren as glittering examples. “And film director Federico Fellini
was in almost permanent residence and based one of his most famous films Amacord on his memories of the building from when he was a young child growing up in Rimini.” Not that you have to be a star to stay at The Grand or the Mare Pineta as both play host to entireItalian families who descend for the month of August along with UK families who can’t stop coming back. So what is so unique about a summer holiday at The Grand and now the Marie Pinenta? Stephanie explains: “The Grand Hotel is situated in Rimini, which as you know is a typical buzzy Italian resort. The hotel itself is like an oasis of calm and has it's own private beach which is the only one on the entire coastline.”
The Mare Pineta which opened in 1927 is in a smaller, more intimate resort that is perfect for tennis players as it has ten private courts. But the formidable agesof both properties has not prevented them from keeping up with the times as they have all the modern comforts (airconditioning, free wi-fi access, etc) and kids clubs operating in July and August. “Both resorts cater for all ages - think 8 to 80,“ says Stephanie who fell in love with Italy while working for Ailitalia. “There’s shops, cafes, water parks, childrens playgrounds and organized visits to nearby cities of historical interest. There really is something for everyone and the summer packages which include half board also offer a limited number of free places
For the ultimate urban vacation, Located in the bustling & vibrant area of Rothschild Boulevard, Tel-Aviv’s new IN .It is surrounded by myriad restaurants, bar's & clubs and it's just steps away from Neve-Tzedek & the Carmel Market. The Hotel is ideal for a City Break.
Rates start from:
85GBP
per person per night sharing double room includs breakfast
For Reservations: +972-3-5110099 or call your travel agent
for children sharing a room with their parents.” Stephanie says rates are so diverse you need to call her for a quote as room type, number of people and the dates determine the price. So give her a call on and if she doesn’t pick up you know where she’ll be.
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The Jewish News 28 January 2016
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England
THE ACCIDENTAL
Tourist
DESPITE IT BEING AFTER 11AM, ordering a cappuccino was not frowned upon. And it was one of the nicest cappuccinos I’ve ever had – perhaps because I was in an authentic milieu, surrounded by smartly-dressed Italian gentlemen playing briscola. I was not in Italy, however, but in London; Clerkenwell to be precise. I was on a SharedCity tour of ‘Little Italy’ and our guide – and SharedCity co-founder – Deborah Chatterjee, had just taken me and four others around the beautifully ornate St Peter’s Italian Church in Clerkenwell Road, which dates back to 1863 when it was the only church in Britain designed in the Roman basilican style. Deborah, who is half-Italian and half-Indian, told us that Clerkenwell used to be the epicentre of the Italian community. Formerly a slum, with scenes reminiscent of Dickensian London, it had been packed with Italian immigrants – alongside their Jewish counterparts – who came to London from Italy in several waves, before many were able to move out to Soho and onto more suburban districts, including Southgate and Finchley.
Grand Hotel, Rimini
Alex Galbinski sees a different side of London on a Shared City Tour A capital Indian experience
Deborah then took us next door, to The Social “The penny dropped that there are so many club for coffee and pastries – including cannoli, communities in London that you don’t necessarily sfogliatelle and cornetti – and a chat with the need to travel,” says Caroline, who took off locals. We met Tony, its treasurer, who around the world twice before she gave us some more insight into settled down to have two children. Italian immigration into London “On my travels, I had visited and to the club, which still holds mosques and temples and you confirmation and marriage get into other cultures and classes and organises the experiences. Even though biennial Under 21s ‘Olympic I couldn’t travel anymore Games’ held at Trent Park,. because I wasn’t so free, I was Caroline Bourne, Deborah’s getting a similar type of fix by friend and co-founder of talking to people and learning SharedCity – whose strapline is about different cultures. I was ‘travel the world without leaving getting invited into different London’ – thought the tours would people’s homes and mosques, be a wonderful way to introduce sharing meals with them, which was SharedCity’s Deborah people to the capital’s diverse lovely,” she explains. and Caroline communities. “I realised that there were so many Caroline, who is Jewish, was a private consultant parts of London I don’t know and hadn’t in urban regeneration and worked with several experienced before, despite growing up here.” communities in the East End, including Somali and Around two years ago, she and Deborah Bengali groups, organising events and festivals. organised some smallish trips to test the water, and then a big family day when they visited a temple in Alperton. The pair now offer trips to ‘South India’, including a guided tour of a temple and samples of authentic street food, ‘Turkey’, ‘Italy’, ‘Norway and Finland’, ‘Brazil/Portugal’, multicultural London, Arabic London and Jewish London. The Jewish tour involves a trip to a bagel bakery, bookshop and sampling of kosher food, with the option of a glatt kosher meal and a synagogue visit. Similarly, the optional extra on the Arabic London tour includes a visit to a mosque and the sampling of Middle Eastern delicacies. Caroline – who describes herself as having a “traditionally Jewish” upbringing in Chigwell – admits that the mosque tours have even challenged her own understanding, when I ask her
SPEND SUMMER 2016
what she’s most proud of. “My perceptions are completely changed and you can see other people’s preconceived ideas are changed as well and that’s really nice,” she says. “Before I went into a mosque in London, I thought people wouldn’t be friendly, that I wouldn’t be accepted and that we’d hear things we didn’t like the sound of. But the people we met on the mosque tour have been the friendliest, warmest, kindest and open people we’ve met on all the tours.” While there are, of course, other organised tours of London, Caroline says SharedCity’s ones are extremely immersive and believes there are no other tour companies specifically celebrating multicultural London. “There are a number of Jewish walking tours and historic walking tours, but they don’t necessarily get to meet the communities they are visiting,” she says. ““With ours, you get under the skin of a community.” Indeed, on the Turkish tour as an optional extra, you can choose to visit a steamy hammam, take a belly-dancing class or watch a performance and have a Turkish meal. On the Italian tour, you can take an Italian cookery lesson or have a homecooked Italian meal, and you can visit a traditional Finnish sauna on the Norway/Finland tour. Caroline, whose maternal grandparents lived in Israel and has family on her father’s side that date back to the 18th century in England, believes it is important to learn about other cultures. “There are more than 300 languages spoken in London and if we don’t try to understand our neighbours, it means we’re segregated. It’s good to learn about different cultures so we can understand each other a bit better.” www.sharedcity.co.uk
on the Italian Adriatic Contact us now for early booking discounts Limited free places for children Best rates guaranteed!
Call Steph Viner on 020 8346 4742
Hotel Mare Pineta
Temple
St Peter’s Italian Church in Clerkenwell
www.jewishnews.co.uk
28 January 2016 The Jewish News
T11
NEW (thing to do in)
YORK
Louisa Walters gets a taste for Jewish life in one of Britain’s oldest cities THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS IN YORK is pretty well known but not at all pretty. I refer, of course, to the 150 York Jews who lost their lives on 16 March 1190 in York Castle, where they were taking refuge from the mobs who were attacking Jewish properties in the city. Rabbi Yom Tov (great name) commanded them to take their own lives rather than fall into the hands of the mob, and most did. Those who didn’t were massacred and the wooden castle was set on fire. Despite this tragedy, the community continued to flourish and between 1210 and 1250 the Jews of York contributed more tax to the King’s coffers than the whole of London. Today, a stone edifice called Clifford’s Tower stands on the site of the old wooden castle and visitors to the monument can learn about what went on there more than 800 years ago. But when I visited York last summer, I didn’t do that. Truth be told, I’ve done it before. For this trip I focused on something equally Jewish-related – food!
things are made and sample them, you also get to try your hand at making them. Our day began with a visit to Puckett’s Pickles, a successful pickle and chutney business run by Sarah Puckett in her tiny Victorian terraced house. We studied Sarah’s grandmother’s handwritten pickle recipes that form the basis of the various flavours she makes today, using only locallysourced fruits and vegetables. This one-woman powerhouse produces 2,000 jars each week for farmers markets and delicatessens in York and further afield. I made my own version of picked cucumbers (see pic) and they tasted fab. Our second stop was Haxby Bakehouse, where Phil Clayton explained the traditional slow fermentation methods for his ‘real bread’. Fermentation starts at least 16 hours before the dough goes into the oven and the traditional process gives the breads plenty of flavour without the need for artificial flour improvers and additives. They also use less salt than many industrial bakers, without STAY..... compromising on flavour. At the magnificent Middlethorpe Hall, a splendid Next up was chocolate. Peter Guppy gave up Historic House Hotel and National Trust a career in the financial services sector to property just outside the city centre embrace his passion for chocolate and with a spa and an award-winning in just five years expanded the busirestaurant run by talented ness from his kitchen table to a chef Ashley Binder. Prefaced modern industrial unit that, by drinks and canapes in despite the clinical look and the wonderfully traditional feel, is still very much the home antique-laden lounge, dinner of artisan-made chocolate. in the wood-panelled dining Peter took us right through the rooms overlooking the garchocolate-making process, from dens is a first-class, candlelit, silbean to block, and we had the ver service treat worth getting chance to make our own. dressed up for. Breakfast is oldeAt York Coffee Emporium school English country-hotel style Philippa Beardmore took us through Middlethorpe Hall (yes, of course I had kippers) and defthe journey travelled by the (green – initely the best way to start the day. who knew?) coffee bean from plantation to cup and gave us several ENJOY..... different varieties to sample. Bettys for lunch (it’s de rigueur The mere smell of the place is to go to Bettys at least once enough to entice any coffee during a visit to York) and lover and I learnt so much I tucked in to the best Eggs about making and drinking Royale in the country and great coffee – instant will then stocked up on tea, shortnever cut it again. bread, jams and chutneys in the The trail culminated in dinner shop (which you can also buy at The Star Inn the City, a stunonline). ning riverside restaurant housed in an old engine house on the edge of Bettys BOOK..... York's Museum Gardens. Here we The Yorkshire Food Finder Trek in feasted (literally!) on a specially the City which launched in created menu featuring the pro2012 and celebrates the finest duce seen on the trail and food and drink England’s other great Yorkshire food. largest county has to offer The Trek in the City is just with one-day trails run one of various food trails run by by husband-and-wife team Yorkshire Food Finder and they Aidan and Sue Nelson, who can also create bespoke trails. take you behind the scenes of USEFUL CONTACTS artisan food producers. www.middlethorpe.com The Trek in the City is a serious yorkshirefoodfinder.org foodie treat, because not only do Puckett’s Pickles starinnthecity.co.uk you get to learn about how various
York, ramble in The Shambles
Haxby Bakehouse
Guppy’s chocolate slab
Guppy’s chocolate making
Star Inn’s divine dining
Malcolm Green Welcomes you to his 25th year of Pesach House Parties This year at the
Cisswood House Hotel near Horsham, West Sussex. England The hotel features its own Gym, Indoor Pool, Sauna and Jacuzzi, Complementary WiFi, free parking and acres of mature landscaped gardens, with eruv
Shul on premises, entertainment, trips, great food and service. “THE MOST EXPERIENCED AND FINEST PESACH PROGRAMME IN THE UNITED KINGDOM”
Bookings hotline: 01273 330533 koshercaterer@yahoo.co.uk Under the Supervision of the Kashrut Division of the London Beth Din (U.K)
koshercaterer@yahoo.co.uk www.kosherservicesworldwide.com
T12
The Jewish News 28 January 2016
www.jewishnews.co.uk
Land and Sea
CARRY ON
CRUISING
Keith Sanford has a challish for life on the open seas in a balcony stateroom SIXTEEN DAYS AT SEA SOUNDS like a punishment for some, but to seasoned cruisers it’s music to the ears. Trust me once you embrace your inner sailor the sight of Celebrity’s ‘Eclipse’ – all 122,000 tonnes of her parked at the dockside – is thrilling. And once on board in our comfortable and well-appointed balcony stateroom, we are itching to set sail. Miami was our ultimate destination, calling at Boston, New York, Bermuda and Port Canaveral en route, (with overnighters in New York and Bermuda on the ship) and with Eclipse having recently enjoyed a multi-million pound refit, we were glad for the time to explore. Most ships’ layouts are pretty similar and tend to revolve around a grand central atrium with a num-
ber of flowing staircases. The theatre is located at the front, the main dining room at the rear, and a vast gym to help burn off extra calories provides amazing views over the front of the ship . You’ll find the swimming pools, Jacuzzis, a rock-climbing wall and in Eclipse’s case, the only glass blowing factory at sea on the upper decks with bars, eateries pastry shops, etc., spread throughout the ship. The selection of speciality restaurants, (which attract a modest surcharge), will differ depending on what vessel you’re on. Eclipse has the Tuscan Grille for great steaks, pastas and salads ; Murano which leans towards a French palette,with numerous dishes flambéed tableside and Qsine, which I can only describe as ‘fine dining, made fun’ as you order from an iPad menu .
Relaxing during the initial seven days crossing the Atlantic can be tiring, (especially after eating so much), but they’re never boring, with activities for every age throughout the day. These range from a variety of educational classes, tours of the ships, enrichment lectures with guest speakers, to various classes in cookery and painting. If you do find yourself with free time, you can always pamper yourself and head for the Canyon Ranch Spa which hasr facilities and a range of services and treatments that are mind-blowing. My wife could happily visit on a daily basis, with different facials, hot stone treatments, body wraps, massages, etc., all available and I won’t pretend to understand what everything on offer is, but I did particularly enjoy visiting the Persian Garden, a
serene adultonly area of the spa, that has piped music, heated stone beds to relax on, a choice of water-jet showers to choose from and different steam rooms, (wet and dry), that provide sanctuary from the rest of the ship. The reason my wife and I are hooked on cruising, is because service levels are faultless, amenities and facilities rival those of any five-star hotel and you only ever need to unpack once. In return, we get to visit different countries and cities, whilst bathing in a wide range of varying cultures and all the while enjoying breath taking scenery, as the ship sails around the world and we eat our way round it.
A WEEKEND IN THE COUNTRY Tracie Elmaleh went to Flitwick Manor
M
y new year resolution is to take more weekend breaks which is why I’m meandering along the long sweeping drive of Flitwick Manor, a gorgeous Georgian manor house hotel in mid-January. It looks very romantic and the fact that the manor advertises that it has ‘kissing baths’ in its master bedroom is
a good sign as was our large and spacious room with huge bay windows. Roaring fire? Tick. Antique furniture. Tick. There are 18 bedrooms at the Hallmark property with croquet as a cute addition, but not one you can enjoy in wet January. Still we had packed for the weather and out came the Hunters and Burberry for a walk
in the tranquil grounds. If only I had brought Barney my dog with me I thought as Flitwick is actually dog friendly. On a country weekend you can nap before dinner away from London 's bustle and hustle and we were able to eat later in front of the huge fire, rather than sitting in the big dining room, which was not
as cozy. Great food from a varied menu which was not too complicated either, our meal was served by matronly ladies who seemed like part of the furniture comfy and safe – if not a tad too relaxed. I’ll be certain to bring Barney next time I come as I think he’ll like it. •Visit www.hallmarkhotels.co.uk or call 01525 712242
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PESACH 2016 Luton Special Economy from £289 Business Class from £859 Special senior citizen business class fares * * * * * * *
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TEL AVIV
PESACH IN SALOU SPAIN NEGRESCO HOTEL AND SPA Enjoy a wonderful family beach holiday in beautiful surroundings
Seats available 21 April -1/2 May THURSDAY 21 APRIL-SUNDAY 1 MAY From £475
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JEWISH HERITAGE ESCORTED TOURS 2016 PORTUGAL 29 MAY VENICE 29 MARCH
500 years since formation of 1st Jewish Ghetto 2 nights/3 days guided tour Tickets for official ceremony and concert plus Merchant of Venice
JEWISH RENAISSANCE TOURS Morocco 20 March Greece 11 May
Porto to Lisbon
Join Belmont Shul 4 day mission to Belmonte and discover the miracle of Jewish survival since the Inquisition JEWISH CULTURAL FESTIVAL
Krakow from 24 June
Call Marcel 020 8954 5074 marcel.manson@westendtravel.co.uk