A few blocks off the bustling pedestrian thoroughfare of Karl Johans Gate, in the heart of central Oslo, lies the city's newest luxury hotel -- albeit one with a decidedly different flavor than the traditional (and traditionalist) high-end standard bearers, The Grand and The Continental. 
The most recently added member of the international Design Hotels consortium, the Grims Grenka - which opened in March -- is unabashedly modern, with a stark, art-gallery sensibility that hits guests from the minute they step inside the lobby. With 66 sleekly-designed rooms on six floors, the Grims Grenka bills itself as Norway's "most fashionable hotel," and everything certainly has a patina of cool, with the characteristic Scandinavian twists (think Jensen beds, frosted glass bathroom walls and waterfall shower heads) and slick touches like mirrored walls.
Several categories of rooms and suites offer varying degrees of size and amenities. "Summer" and "Winter" rooms are decorated in subtle shades of green and wintry white, respectively, while larger Garden Suites feature a throne of a bathtub situated on an elevated platform in the main room itself amidst a small, lush indoor garden setting. Among the amenities are the (now obligatory) flat-screen TVs, wireless Internet, and iPod docking stations. Egyptian cotton linens and an incredibly comfortable mattress make it easy to stay in your room and sleep in, though when you're ready to venture outside, the Grims Grenka's smiling, exceedingly friendly staff members are (like most Oslovians) happy to offer suggestions on the best places to eat, drink or hang out.
Be sure to take advantage of the buffet breakfast offered each morning. Smoked Norwegian salmon, herring and an assortment of cereals, breads and pastries provided enough fuel to get me through tours of Akershus Castle, the Royal Palace and the major museums -- all of which are within walking distance from the hotel.
Rounding out the property are the Asian-fusion restaurant MADU and adjacent nightspot, Ghost Lounge, as well as the rooftop Q Lounge (pictured), for those rare balmy Oslo summer nights, all of which are sure to draw after-work patrons from the neighborhood's design firms and galleries. Fitness facilities and an urban spa will be available later this year.
Grims Grenka
Kongens gate 5
NO-0153 Oslo
Tel: +47 23 10 72 00
reservations@grimsgrenka.no
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Scent and memory merge at the Paris home of Serge Lutens Parfums, the enchanting fragrance collection with cult followings in France and abroad. Here, at Les Salons du Palais Royal, Lutens spotlights his evocative creations in a dreamy landscape awash in indigo, violet and black (pictured below), where the scent-savvy traveler can sample perfumes sold nowhere else in the world.
Tucked beneath the arcades of the picturesque Palais Royal Garden, Les Salons provides a perfect distraction for visiting fragrance fanatics. Though
only steps away from the Louvre, it nonetheless remains well off the
tourist track.
As Serge devotees know, Lutens releases three
scents each year -- two "Export" scents available at select retailers
globally, and one "Exclusive" scent that can't be purchased in person
outside of Paris. Look for the latter's signature 75 ml bell-shaped
flacons (105 euros), shapely sisters to the lanky bottles sold in the
U.S., when you visit Les Salons.
El Attarine, the latest of the Paris-only scents,
is a golden, spiced-honey fragrance. Just released on August 1, it's
consistent with the olfactory auteur's fixation on the Orient. The
sensual aromas of Marrakech, Lutens' adopted home, haunt much of his
collection. If the thrill of acquiring this Paris-only fragrance isn't
enough, Les Salons also offers thirty limited-edition El Attarine
flacons, intertwined with black arabesques and stamped with Serge
Lutens's initials (850 euros; pictured after the jump).
Either way, the memories of your Paris trip are sure to smell sweet.
Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido
142 galerie de Valois
75001 Paris, France
+33 (0)1 49 27 09 09
Our other favorite scent shops in Paris, after the jump...
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While other visitors are trekking the tourist-lined Inka Trail this summer, those in search of the truly untrammeled Peru should take advantage of last minute specials at the private eco-boutique Inkaterra Urubamba Villas, tucked into the mountain hamlet of Higuspucro in the Sacred Valley.
The oft-overlooked spot is an ideal Andean headquarters for exploring the area's rich collection of historical sites and Inca ruins, which are enough to keep you busy for a week or two. But you'll also want to check out the area's Quechua-speaking villages, like the charming walled colonial-Inca town of Ollantaytambo. Visitors can stock up on chichi morada (blue corn beer) and fragrant banana-leaf stuffed tamales at nearby Pisac's Sunday food market, or browse the vendors' stands for baby alpaca wares at Chinchero's excellent handicraft market.
The spacious Andean-style villas at Urubamba are regional highlights themselves. Each of the five deluxe casitas is named after its respective female caretaker (choices include the Villa Sonia or Villa Berta), and comes with wood-stocked fireplaces and 24/7 maid service, which includes tea, laundry and breakfasts like home-cooked quinoa hotcakes and eggs, which were ideal on chilly pre-hike mornings. The homey but stylish interiors are decorated with local tapestries, crafts and antiques, and offer breathtaking views of a surrounding stream-flanked garden, back-dropped by area's surrounding arid mountains.
The villas are expertly managed by an English-speaking concierge team that happily arranges excursions to the above-mentioned places. But be forewarned: the property is so comfy and cozy, you'll be tempted to ditch the activities and stay home in front of a crackling fire with a bottle of Tacama Brut (an excellent Peruvian sparkling wine), or at the very least spend your evenings gazing at Urabumba's unparalleled nighttime stars...which is, after all, how evenings should be spent in August.
800-442-5042
Caserio Higuspucro KM 7, Urubamba - Valle Sagrado de los Incas
Dept. of Cusco, Peru
Trump International Hotel & Tower New York invited Town & Country Travel to the kitchen of its famed Jean Georges restaurant last week for a preview of the ultimate experience in cooking courses: a $9,000 private master class with Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
While showing us how to whip up dishes of charred-corn ravioli and lobster scented with mace (see the video below), Vongerichten -- who was in a fine mood following the four-star review of his new noodle restaurant, Matsugen, in the Daily News -- explained that the class was a response to ongoing requests from guests. Diners have been clamoring for more face time with the chef, and advice on recreating the dishes available at his restaurants, which include the Michelin three-star Jean Georges, JoJo, Vong, Spice Market and Perry Street.
The Jean Georges Master Class, designed for two to four people, takes participants behind the culinary curtain to learn the techniques and secrets of Vongerichten's vibrant cuisine, which favors the intense flavors and textures created from vegetable juices and fruit essences over the traditional use of meat stocks.
Along with the demonstration, guests receive Thursday through Sunday accommodations in an executive park view suite, daily breakfasts for two at Nougatine, dinner and Champagne at Jean Georges, and finally, a signed copy of the multi-faceted master's newest cookbook, Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges (Broadway Books; $40). For more information on booking a class, visit trumpintl.com.
Never has your carry-on seen a more perfect union of fashion and beauty than Derek Lam’s new travel kit, created exclusively for Kiehl’s. His distinct sense of elegance and simplicity (instantly recognizable in his signature sheath dresses and wide-leg trousers) lends itself to airline-approved sizes of products in a Lam-designed pouch that goes hand-in-hand with the luxury and functionality that Kiehl’s has embraced since 1851.
Inspired by his travels and collaboration with Kiehl’s at his Spring 2008 fashion show, the kit is stocked with Lam’s favorite products -- which are also among Kiehl’s best-selling -- including Crème de Corps lotion and body wash, Amino Acid Shampoo and Lip Balm #1. The dark leather case comes with a spill-proof pouch that can brave turbulent flights and strict airline security. The kit is ideal for the stylish jet setter and makes the perfect gift, and is a polished way to say goodbye to generic hotel-room products.
"Derek's collections speak to the customer who loves the city, loves to travel, loves the finer things in life. As we are soon to launch our classic formulas in travel size, we wanted to create a beautiful kit. We naturally turned to Derek to create this limited edition accessory, which is a nod to the jet set lifestyle that so many of our customers enjoy," said Chris Salgardo, President of Kiehl's USA.
The kits, $225.00, are available at Kiehl’s counters in September. See www.kiehls.com for store locations.
Parents of dinosaur lovers everywhere have a chance this summer to get their broods up close and personal with 15 mesmerizing, and incredibly lifelike, prehistoric creatures that are touring the U.S. in "Walking With Dinosaurs - The Live Experience."
Though humans and dinosaurs never co-existed on Earth, this show -- already seen by more than a million people in Australia and the U.S. -- creates the awesome illusion that you're looking at the real deal: the life-size dinosaurs snarl, move with incredible fluidity (hit the "play" button below for a look), and act out compelling narratives as the animals try to adapt to a changing world and deal with earthquakes, volcanoes and comets.
The show starts in the Triassic period, and a paleontologist narrator describes how the animals evolved amid the climate and tectonic changes that ultimately did them in 65 million years ago. The "characters" include a Tyrannosaurus Rex (who is welcomed with wild cheers and applause by thrilled children), an impressive Brachiosaurus measuring 36 feet tall and 56 feet from nose to tail, and 8 other species from various eras.
Ticket prices start between $25 and $32, depending on the venue. The show runs in New York at Madison Square Garden through Aug 3, then travels to Chicago, California, Arizona, Iowa and North Carolina. Ringside seats (around $99) may be a bit imposing for the youngest audience members, but I can whole-heartedly recommend the show for anyone trying to get in touch with their inner child or to understand the awe their own kids have for the lumbering monsters.
When the Wine Spectator's Bay Area tasting coordinator set out to start his own winery, oenephiles paid attention. The resulting Copain Winery and Cellars is the dream and brainchild of wine publishing maverick Wells Guthrie, who joined forces with software designer pal Kevin McQuown (the term Copain, pronounced "co-pehn", is French for "buddies") to found the handsome new winery. Perched on a vine-gartered hill overlooking Sonoma's Russian River Valley, the winery is now open by appointment to visitors or bookable for special events.
The tasting room, designed by Guthrie's wife Stacy and McQuown's partner Doug, is stocked with furniture from Mitchell & Gold and one-of-a-kind pieces from local Windsor-based furniture distributor Cokas-Diko. The views from the grounds of the wine barn embody the romantic ideal of American wine connoisseurship, and are unparalleled by any other tasting room in Sonoma.
Visitors to the winery should sample flights of the winery's carefully chosen Syrahs and Pinot Noirs, which are created using the malolactic fermentation process (without the addition of cultured yeasts and bacteria). They should also sign up for food pairing tastings with catering done by Mirepoix and Thomas Keller Private Dining. And of course, no one should go home without a bottle: try the 2005 Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch, a medium- to full-bodied wine that was given high marks by The Wine Advocate's Robert Parker.
To schedule a winery tour and tasting, contact James Castaneda at 707-836-8822, ext. 104.
Copain Wine Cellars
7800 Eastside Road
Healdsburg, Calif.
The cultured traveler knows the value of a good book to pass the hours, whether high in the air on a Trans-Atlantic flight or speeding through the Chunnel aboard the Eurostar. And while many of the sumptuously produced titles published by Paris-based luxury bookseller Assouline are too substantial to cart in your carry-on, they effortlessly capture the glamour and élan of the grand holiday.
At Assouline's new New York boutique, which opened in the Plaza Hotel this month, you'll find yourself transported abroad by elegantly
photographed tributes to the "spirit" of destinations like St. Tropez,
Aspen, Venice and more ($40 each). Or if you're in France this summer,
stop by the Paris flagship store to pick up a copy of "Hotel du
Cap-Eden-Roc" ($50). It's a rare opportunity to peek inside the grounds
of the famously discreet hideaway on the French Riviera, and might just
convince you to add an extra stop to your itinerary.
What sets Assouline apart from its peers in the world of high-end picture book publishing -- Taschen, Phaidon, Abrams -- is the cohesiveness of its aesthetic: to buy a book here is to buy a slice of founder Prosper Assouline's clear-eyed vision of cosmopolitan chic.
Fortunately for the literate road warrior, Assouline offers the "Bon Voyage Suitcase" ($295, pictured above left). Adorned with vintage destination stickers, it contains four neatly wrapped, best-selling travel titles - "In the Spirit of Cannes," "Paris Hotel Stories," "Island Hotel Stories" and "Adventure Hotel Stories." If, on the other hand, you prefer to bring the whole library with you, select a custom-designed Goyard trunk in black or white leather, packed with one hundred art, fashion and design books from Assouline's signature "Memoirs" collection ($20,000, special order).
Don't know where to start? A list of our top five Assouline travel books after the jump...
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When I met Paul Zuest, managing director of the Chatham Bars Inn,
in New York last month, he was going on about the virtues of his newly
renovated resort at the elbow of Cape Cod, especially about its spa and
its fine-dining options.
"You can have all the best dishes from the restaurants of Europe," he
said in his German-accented English (Zuest hails from Switzerland). He
paused. "Of course, you can also order a lobster roll," he said, with a smile, quite bemused at this New England phenomenon that has not extended beyond our shores.
He
needn't have worried that roll-lovers would be settling for less than
the best. Last week, under the blue-and-white-striped awning at the
inn's Beach House Grill,
I took on the $24 lobster roll -- "mound" is a better word for it, with
succulent pieces of meat falling out of a brioche bun. As I stared out
at the harbor seals congregating on a distant sandbar, trying to eat
this lunch with something resembling proper decorum, I couldn't help
but think that I was enjoying the ultimate Cape Cod luxury experience (complete with malt vinegar for the french fries)...
It isn't every day that you find a perfect item of clothing with which to travel -- something that can seamlessly take you from the beaches of Malibu to the sidewalks of Paris, fold up to the same size as a small square handkerchief, and won't wrinkle when packed in a suitcase stuffed to bursting.
Perhaps that's why the launch of Mayer, a new line of vintage-inspired dresses by Jenny Galluzzo (sketches pictured, left), is cause for such celebration (namely: a cocktail party this weekend at Maison 24, the impeccable home furnishing store in Bridgehampton). Mayer, which is named for Jenny's ultra-chic grandmother, Florette Mayer, offers six silhouettes (two tops and four dresses) based on a collection of caftans Florette purchased in the 1970s while traveling around the world. 
"My grandmother was always seeking adventure," Jenny (pictured, right) says. "And she brought back treasures from her travels. Going through her closet is like shopping in the best vintage store you can imagine."
Now, Jenny's gain is ours, too.
Purchasing information available soon on Mayer's website.
In the Fall 2008 Issue of Town & Country TRAVEL (on newsstands Aug. 5), the delightful Clotilde Dusoulier, creator of the beloved food blog Chocolate & Zucchini and author of two books, Chocolate & Zucchini and Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris (pictured, right), chronicled a recent meal at Le Jules Verne, the landmark restaurant in the Eiffel Tower.
A
native Parisienne, Clotilde recalled her childhood fantasies of what it
would be like to eat in this most famous of places. She discovers that,
since the kitchen was taken over by Alain Ducasse, its acclaim is much
deserved. As interested as we were by Clotilde's insights into Le Jules
Verne, we were equally as eager to discover what foodie spots she would
single out as her own personal "landmarks."
Her answers are perhaps a small taste of what one can expect from her new book, which she describes as "a window onto my Paris, this delicious stomping ground for the food enthusiast."
"It
is the companion I wish I had for every city I visit, pointing me to
the edible highlights and giving me the lowdown on the dining scene,
the best food-shopping haunts, and the locals favorites," Dusoulier
says.
Her top picks in Paris, as told to T&C, after the jump:
All the talk of "staycations," reducing one's carbon footprint, and
the wastefulness of private jet travel are enough induce a guilt attack
when one thinks of jetting off to New Zealand to explore Great Mercury Island (pictured, left) or driving back and forth to a summer house every weekend. But
our friends over at the The Daily Green have a different take on the impact of travel on the earth's resources:
"...how do you measure the value of expanding your horizons, gaining knowledge and insight about other places, ecosystems and cultures? The powerful desire to protect tends to follow exploration. Those who have visited an ecotourist hot spot tend to be much more likely to do something to protect it...Read More
The Plaza, arguably New York's most storied hotel, has come to life once again. In bits and pieces this past spring and summer, the wraps have been taken off the renovated property, which is being operated as a small hotel within what is now a white-glove luxury condo building.
If you'd like an excuse to drop in to see the transformation, I suggest you treat yourself to the hotel's afternoon tea. (Image, right, by Ellen Easton.) Fans of this civilized ritual (whatever you do, do not call it high tea, which will immediately brand you as a rube) will be thrilled by the diverse selection of loose-leaf varieties to sample from Kenya, Malawi, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Japan, among other nations.
Presented in the hotel's heart -- the opulent, domed Palm Court -- the tea is poured from gorgeous teapots as you sit back in one of the room's comfortable and conducive-to-privacy high-back chairs. There are two ordering options from which to choose: $60 for a plentiful menu of sandwiches (like English cucumber with diced mint and peekytoe crab salad), savories and pastries and sweets, or $80 for the same menu, but with sevruga caviar. Champagne and sherry also are available.
The light from the translucent ceiling above is artificial, but you'd be forgiven for not realizing it. The hue changes during the day to reflect the appropriate color of sunshine outside. By the time you've finished your treats (and the attentive staff will be sure to send you home with anything you can't finish), you'll be bathed in a pinkish glow -- the Plaza's homage to a New York sunset. Fortunately, there's no reason to expect the sun to go down on this glorious tea ritual anytime soon. Served from two in the afternoon to five o'clock.
The Plaza Hotel
Fifth Avenue and Central Park South
New York, NY 10019
212-759-3000
Town & Country's August issue is on the stands and we are rolling out its travel stories online:
Going to visit your friends in the Hamptons and want to bring more than the de rigeur bottle of wine? Always wanted to see gorillas in the wild? Wondering what people are buzzing about in Chicago (a new museum, pictured left), or where to dine in Dallas? Check out these stories:
- Chicago's New Gem: The Driehaus Museum
- Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek Gets a Makeover
We'll continue rolling out August's travel stories throughout the month, and in early August, look for our coverage from Town & Country's fall issue, including our reports on trips to Yunnan province in China, New York's Hudson River Valley, Easter Island, and Copenhagen.