As domestic air travel in my part of the world - urban North America - grows more pinched and ever more tedious, it's good to know that flying can still be fun sometimes, somewhere. Generally, this means long-haul flights on well-run, profitable carriers, and even more specifically, it means flying in the front of the cabin on international routes.
Why? Well, this is where most major airlines make money. Catering to high-yield business and corporate travelers who can pay for good service is good business.
One of the very best premium services I've experienced recently is the new business class on Swiss International Air Lines. Swiss, a unit of the profit-making Lufthansa Group, has just started to reconfigure its business product. I flew the old business class from San Francisco to Zurich last week; it was far from bad, but the new product is better - an upgrade in the sky. This is in keeping with Swiss' recent track record. The airline, which carried 13.8 million passengers last year, is one of Europe's best upscale boutique carriers.
I flew the new business class on my way back to California from Zurich on board an Airbus A340, the biggest aircraft in Swiss' 77-strong fleet. The first thing I noticed was the unusual, and unusually attractive, seating arrangement: 2-2-2 or 2-2-1. Every seat in the cabin is either at a window or on an aisle. I had a window, which I always prefer, and did not have anyone sitting next to me, which gave me room to spread out. My seat, like all the others in biz class, was backed by a hard plastic shell; so, when the passengers in front of me inevitably put their seats back, then all the way down, on our 11.5 hour flight, there was no intrusion into my space. I was, of course, able to do the same.
Swiss has a true flatbed, reclining to 180 degrees, not one of those inclined seats that makes you feel you'll slide right out onto the floor if you don't wear your seatbelt the whole time. That said, a seat is not a mattress. Passengers are able to tweak the hardness and softness of the aircushion seat, which helps a lot, though you can feel, slightly, the component parts of the seat. Movement in the cabin, aircraft noise and anticipation of arrival usually prevent me from sleeping on all but the most exhausting, middle-of-the-night flights. This was an afternoon flight. So, I didn't sleep. My fellow passengers didn't seem to have that problem; they were off in dreamland. Everyone I talked to afterward said they loved the new seats, and I found them decidedly better than what you usually find in the sky, even onboard top international carriers.
Then, there was the food. Airline food has long been the butt of complaints and jokes. In my days as a newspaper comedy critic, I heard comedians crack wise about airline food in nearly every stand-up show I reviewed. But, surprise. The food on Swiss is good. True, the airline ran out of my first choice on both flights, a minor annoyance that has happened on many airlines I have traveled with. Shouldn't customer surveys alert airlines about which of their main courses are most likely to be most popular, so they can order more? I missed the veal in cream sauce created for the airline by a Swiss celebrity chef. This was not entirely tragic. The moist salmon that I did have was more than acceptable, and I liked the emphasis the airline puts on fruity, fragrant Swiss Pinot Noir and mild Swiss Chardonnay. For dessert, there was good cheese and fruit salad but I, of course, also went for the fine Swiss chocolate, as who wouldn't?
The amenity kit came in smart, zippered Navyboot fabric bags and included the basics: eyeshade, earplugs, toothbrush and toothpaste. An enclosed card told male passengers that a shaving kit is available on request, as are other items such as a shoehorn and sewing kit.
The in-flight entertainment system was very good, offering a wide range of choices for video on demand, TV, games, movies, many genres of music, a changing electronic map showing the progress of our journey - in short, the long menu of electronic distractions international business- and first-class passengers have come to expect. Creature comforts are, as always, nice, but I especially appreciated the work of the flight crew. The pilots often shared information - not a given at many airlines - and the seasoned flight attendants were friendly without sacrificing efficiency; there wasn't a grump in the bunch. That stands in sharp contrast to the attitude of too many FAs on U.S. carriers, where a sense of resentment mingled with a sense of entitlement has replaced hospitality; United Airlines, I'm looking at you.
Swiss is a member of Star Alliance, the largest of the three global alliances of airlines. Travelers on the twentysomething Star member-carriers can not only use airline code-shares to extend their routes, but also use other members' airport lounges. In Zurich, that's a good thing, as the sparkling, two-level Swiss lounge is a lovely, spacious place to unwind before or between flights. One suggestion: If the airport agrees, the lounge should be moved from before security to beyond security; travelers never know how much time they will spend in screening lines, and this would ease anxieties.
Swiss International Air Lines is based in Basel, Switzerland. More information can be found online at http://www.swiss.com/ or by toll-free telephone in the U.S. at 1-877-FLY-SWISS.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
The Baur au Lac Hotel, Zurich
ZURICH, Switzerland - Back in 1844, the Baur family opened a newly built grand hotel on the shores of Lake Zurich. It was criticized at the time by local burghers because it was far from the center of the city - today's Old Town - and because it faced the lake; they couldn't figure out why a hotel would turn its back on the city just to provide views of some water.
Today, the Baur au Lac Hotel is 166 years old, still on the lake and still operated by the same family - now in the sixth generation. But what is most notable about the venerable Swiss property is not its longevity but its quality. The Baur au Lac, renovated in 2009 and featuring amenities like WiFi and a 24-hour business center, is unlike some heritage hotels in that it still has a palpable sense of history without looking or feeling worn. The multilingual staff is first rate, the hotel is lovely - especially inside - it has a great location near the shopping-mad Bahnhofstrasse and a classical concert hall, and the green expanse in front of the hotel is beautifully landscaped and manicured. There has been no shortage of celebrity guests at this Zurich landmark, from King Ludwig I of Bavaria, to Richard Wagner, Thomas Mann, Marc Chagall, Henry Moore, Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn. Actors Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere and Daniel Craig are regulars. I didn't spy any stars, but I am not an enthusiastic celebrity-spotter, so I wasn't disappointed.
Oh, and the hotel serves up awfully good food, too, both in its canalside Rive Gauche restaurant and bar, and in the fine-dining Pavillon, with its beautiful, circular main room. The restaurant lays out a sumptuous breakfast buffet from 6:30 a.m. and pours light, fruity Swiss and international wines at dinner. Pavillon also features toothsome menu creations such as a slightly sweet-fleshed monkfish entree that I dined on the first night of my two-night stay. There are no fewer than 700,000 bottles of wine stored off-site for use by the hotel, which distributes vintages from 60 producers throughout Switzerland and Liechtenstein. There is no wine - but there is good beer - in the guest room minibars. And in an unusual twist, the minibars are free; that may be unique in my hotel experience.
One of the best things in this upmarket, tradition-rich hotel is also free - namely, walking around the sumptuous public spaces and just looking at things. Hotel stairwells feature lovely stained glass windows, public rooms are graced with period furnishings, and a majestic black Rolls Royce owned by the hotel sits outdoors by the compact, well-appointed main lobby. The top-floor fitness center has an outdoor terrace with views of Zurich and the lake.
Just before I checked out to head for ultra-modern, spotless Zurich International Airport and my return flight, I heard peppy brass band music emanating from a vestpocket park across the street and saw a bandshell and people sitting in rows of chairs, listening to the music in the June warmth. It was a sunny morning in Switzerland, and a more serene scene would be hard to find.
The Baur au Lac Hotel is located at 1 Talstrasse, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland, tel. 41 (0)44 220 50 20, fax 41 (0)44 220 50 44, Web: http://www.bauraulac.ch/.
Today, the Baur au Lac Hotel is 166 years old, still on the lake and still operated by the same family - now in the sixth generation. But what is most notable about the venerable Swiss property is not its longevity but its quality. The Baur au Lac, renovated in 2009 and featuring amenities like WiFi and a 24-hour business center, is unlike some heritage hotels in that it still has a palpable sense of history without looking or feeling worn. The multilingual staff is first rate, the hotel is lovely - especially inside - it has a great location near the shopping-mad Bahnhofstrasse and a classical concert hall, and the green expanse in front of the hotel is beautifully landscaped and manicured. There has been no shortage of celebrity guests at this Zurich landmark, from King Ludwig I of Bavaria, to Richard Wagner, Thomas Mann, Marc Chagall, Henry Moore, Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn. Actors Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere and Daniel Craig are regulars. I didn't spy any stars, but I am not an enthusiastic celebrity-spotter, so I wasn't disappointed.
Oh, and the hotel serves up awfully good food, too, both in its canalside Rive Gauche restaurant and bar, and in the fine-dining Pavillon, with its beautiful, circular main room. The restaurant lays out a sumptuous breakfast buffet from 6:30 a.m. and pours light, fruity Swiss and international wines at dinner. Pavillon also features toothsome menu creations such as a slightly sweet-fleshed monkfish entree that I dined on the first night of my two-night stay. There are no fewer than 700,000 bottles of wine stored off-site for use by the hotel, which distributes vintages from 60 producers throughout Switzerland and Liechtenstein. There is no wine - but there is good beer - in the guest room minibars. And in an unusual twist, the minibars are free; that may be unique in my hotel experience.
One of the best things in this upmarket, tradition-rich hotel is also free - namely, walking around the sumptuous public spaces and just looking at things. Hotel stairwells feature lovely stained glass windows, public rooms are graced with period furnishings, and a majestic black Rolls Royce owned by the hotel sits outdoors by the compact, well-appointed main lobby. The top-floor fitness center has an outdoor terrace with views of Zurich and the lake.
Just before I checked out to head for ultra-modern, spotless Zurich International Airport and my return flight, I heard peppy brass band music emanating from a vestpocket park across the street and saw a bandshell and people sitting in rows of chairs, listening to the music in the June warmth. It was a sunny morning in Switzerland, and a more serene scene would be hard to find.
The Baur au Lac Hotel is located at 1 Talstrasse, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland, tel. 41 (0)44 220 50 20, fax 41 (0)44 220 50 44, Web: http://www.bauraulac.ch/.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
A Talk With Swiss Air CEO Harry Hohmeister
EN ROUTE TO ZURICH - Aboard Swiss International Air Lines' flight 039 en route to Zurich from San Francisco, the first order of business after the pre-take-off flute of Champagne is a tete a tete with the carrier's CEO. For this I moved up to first class where, Harry Hohmeister, a tall, lanky 46 year old, was sitting.
This LX 039 was the first-ever Swiss flight to Zurich, the Swiss financial and technology center, from San Francisco, the titular capital of California's Silicon Valley high-tech whirl. Hohmeister made it clear that business travelers are driving the new, six-day-a-week, nonstop service.
"Ideally, what percentage of business and corporate travel would you like to see on this route?" I asked.
"100 percent,'' Hohmeister shot back, smiling. Realistically, he added, it will probably be about 35 percent. But given that business travelers typically pay premium prices, filling a third of the new Airbus A340 - the biggest plane in Swiss's fleet - with high-fliers will not be too shabby.
Swiss is now a member of the Lufthansa Group, having gone belly-up as an independent carrier in 2001. Hohmeister is himself German, but he emphasized in our interview that Swiss retains its corporate identity, its livery - a white cross on a backdrop of red, i.e., the national flag of Switzerland - and a bit of wiggle-room within Lufthansa, Germany's major airline. Lufthansa, which also encompasses Brussels Air, the British carrier bmi and Austrian Airlines, prefers to have a suite of brands rather than just one. This enables Swiss to offer direct service between San Francisco and Zurich, rather than forcing passengers to change planes in Frankfurt - and it leverages Switzerland's reputation for hospitality and efficiency.
As for those business travelers, Hohmeister pointed out that Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche purchased Bay Area bio-engineering company Genentech last year. E-Bay and Google also have significant corporate operations in Zurich, Switzerland's largest city.
"We like San Francisco and the Bay Area - it has a lot of important technology companies and environmental engineering. Also medicine and electronics. There is a high degree of linkage with Zurich's pharmaceutical companies.''
The pretty, hilly region around Zurich and its scenic lake is an incubator for "small and medium-sized environmental businesses, small start-ups,'' he told me. Switzerland is, for example, a leader in the production of commercial solar technology, and the whole Lufthansa cluster of companies is focusing on becoming more environmentally minded, experimenting with biofuels and flying lighter, less polluting and more efficient airplanes.
Although the parent Lufthansa mainline carrier is taking possession of its first Airbus A380 superjumbos, Swiss will not be flying the huge new planes. "Our own market is too small for the A380s,'' he said.
As for the other potentially game-changing new aircraft - the lighter, composite-material, fuel efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner - Swiss is taking a wait-and-see approach. "The 787 decision-making will not be this year, but we are in contact with Boeing.''
As it is, Swiss has done up an A340 is swirling, psychedelic-style designs, recalling the flower power age in hippie-era San Francisco, when the Haight-Ashbury district was briefly the center of the universe. The design was chosen by 30,000 voters in a contest by a Swiss newspaper.
There's nothing retro or nostalgic about the new Swiss business class, which I flew on the way back to San Francisco, on flight LX038. (I'll write about that in another post shortly.) With seats that convert to true flat-beds, plenty of personal space and an advanced in-flight entertainment system, the new Swiss business class - being rolled out over the next year or so -"is a very good product that is Swiss-based. You will not find a better business class anywhere.''
Hohmeister also weighed in on political matters dear to the heart of European airline executives. Like most of his counterparts, Hohmeister - a former Lufthansa and Thomas Cook executive who became CEO of Swiss last July - supports creation of a unified continental air-traffic control system. Known in aviation shorthand as "a single European sky,'' such a reform could cut operating costs on some routes by up to 25 percent, he said.
Hohmeister looks with disfavor on a new tax on air travel that Germany plans to institute this year as one means to pare its budget deficit. The tax could generate up to $1 billion USD a year in revenue for Berlin, German government officials estimate.
The industry opposes "taxes for environmental reasons that are going to the government. Where is the money we spend going to go?" If it was to go directly to environmental agencies and causes, and not into a general fund, it might be acceptable. "Then I would not be against it,'' he said.
This LX 039 was the first-ever Swiss flight to Zurich, the Swiss financial and technology center, from San Francisco, the titular capital of California's Silicon Valley high-tech whirl. Hohmeister made it clear that business travelers are driving the new, six-day-a-week, nonstop service.
"Ideally, what percentage of business and corporate travel would you like to see on this route?" I asked.
"100 percent,'' Hohmeister shot back, smiling. Realistically, he added, it will probably be about 35 percent. But given that business travelers typically pay premium prices, filling a third of the new Airbus A340 - the biggest plane in Swiss's fleet - with high-fliers will not be too shabby.
Swiss is now a member of the Lufthansa Group, having gone belly-up as an independent carrier in 2001. Hohmeister is himself German, but he emphasized in our interview that Swiss retains its corporate identity, its livery - a white cross on a backdrop of red, i.e., the national flag of Switzerland - and a bit of wiggle-room within Lufthansa, Germany's major airline. Lufthansa, which also encompasses Brussels Air, the British carrier bmi and Austrian Airlines, prefers to have a suite of brands rather than just one. This enables Swiss to offer direct service between San Francisco and Zurich, rather than forcing passengers to change planes in Frankfurt - and it leverages Switzerland's reputation for hospitality and efficiency.
As for those business travelers, Hohmeister pointed out that Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche purchased Bay Area bio-engineering company Genentech last year. E-Bay and Google also have significant corporate operations in Zurich, Switzerland's largest city.
"We like San Francisco and the Bay Area - it has a lot of important technology companies and environmental engineering. Also medicine and electronics. There is a high degree of linkage with Zurich's pharmaceutical companies.''
The pretty, hilly region around Zurich and its scenic lake is an incubator for "small and medium-sized environmental businesses, small start-ups,'' he told me. Switzerland is, for example, a leader in the production of commercial solar technology, and the whole Lufthansa cluster of companies is focusing on becoming more environmentally minded, experimenting with biofuels and flying lighter, less polluting and more efficient airplanes.
Although the parent Lufthansa mainline carrier is taking possession of its first Airbus A380 superjumbos, Swiss will not be flying the huge new planes. "Our own market is too small for the A380s,'' he said.
As for the other potentially game-changing new aircraft - the lighter, composite-material, fuel efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner - Swiss is taking a wait-and-see approach. "The 787 decision-making will not be this year, but we are in contact with Boeing.''
As it is, Swiss has done up an A340 is swirling, psychedelic-style designs, recalling the flower power age in hippie-era San Francisco, when the Haight-Ashbury district was briefly the center of the universe. The design was chosen by 30,000 voters in a contest by a Swiss newspaper.
There's nothing retro or nostalgic about the new Swiss business class, which I flew on the way back to San Francisco, on flight LX038. (I'll write about that in another post shortly.) With seats that convert to true flat-beds, plenty of personal space and an advanced in-flight entertainment system, the new Swiss business class - being rolled out over the next year or so -"is a very good product that is Swiss-based. You will not find a better business class anywhere.''
Hohmeister also weighed in on political matters dear to the heart of European airline executives. Like most of his counterparts, Hohmeister - a former Lufthansa and Thomas Cook executive who became CEO of Swiss last July - supports creation of a unified continental air-traffic control system. Known in aviation shorthand as "a single European sky,'' such a reform could cut operating costs on some routes by up to 25 percent, he said.
Hohmeister looks with disfavor on a new tax on air travel that Germany plans to institute this year as one means to pare its budget deficit. The tax could generate up to $1 billion USD a year in revenue for Berlin, German government officials estimate.
The industry opposes "taxes for environmental reasons that are going to the government. Where is the money we spend going to go?" If it was to go directly to environmental agencies and causes, and not into a general fund, it might be acceptable. "Then I would not be against it,'' he said.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
The Gratz Park Inn
LEXINGTON, Kentucky - I stayed in the renovating, century-old Gratz Park Inn for four nights on my first-ever visit to Kentucky's horse capital. I liked it - with one exception, noted shortly. The place is pretty, graced with flowers outside, and a warm, clubby bar and lobby inside, with antique reproduction furniture in the guest rooms and an unbeatable location.
Indeed, the hotel's location, location, location is a prime reason for staying there. (To wit: 120 W. 2nd St., tel. 859.231.1777, www.gratzparkinn). You can walk to the lively bars and restaurants in downtown Lexington, and the lovely, historic Gratz Park neighborhood is right there.
Unlike most heritage hotels, the inn is well-soundproofed; I heard little street noise or sound between rooms. Moreover, my room had a large, really comfortable four-poster bed with a first-rate mattress, set high off the floor.
That said, this vintage hotel - a member of the Historic Hotels of America trade association -
inevitably shows signs of age. The double latch on the door to my room didn't work (though the secure chain did), and I found it difficult to strike a balance between cool and warm; I never did figure out how to turn off the fan and keep the constant flow of air off me, though that's mostly my fault, as I should have just asked for help. The hotel staff was unfailingly polite and helpful.
The Gratz Park Inn falls somewhere between a three-star and a four-star property: a 3.5 maybe. The rating could be higher if a few things were fixed - and they may be when the current renovation is finished.
The aforementioned flaw has to do not only with the physical plant but also with the food: Specifically, breakfast. Served in a low-ceilinged, windowless room in the basement, with a big-screen TV playing, the breakfast was uninspired and service slow. I found the coffee, served with non-dairy creamer, undrinkable. But then, I'm a coffee snob.
This is a puzzlement, as the hotel hosts a first-rate fine-dining establishment: Jonathan's at Gratz Park; it is open only for lunch and dinner. The chef, Jonathan Lundy, looks like a college kid, but be not deceived; he is accomplished. Lundy's food is full of flavor, robust and hearty, and the restaurant has a good wine list with a fine selection of California wines. A Kentuckian, Lundy likes to tweak and update traditional Kentucky fare. He put his best recipes into an obligatory celebrity chef cookbook: "Jonathan's Bluegrass Table: Redefining Kentucky Cuisine.''
So, the hotel isn't perfect. I didn't expect it to be, and I didn't find its flaws off-putting. Not even the resident ghost that reputedly haunts the premises. In any case, I didn't see any ghosts, just generally well-satisfied guests, in this enjoyable heritage hotel.
Indeed, the hotel's location, location, location is a prime reason for staying there. (To wit: 120 W. 2nd St., tel. 859.231.1777, www.gratzparkinn). You can walk to the lively bars and restaurants in downtown Lexington, and the lovely, historic Gratz Park neighborhood is right there.
Unlike most heritage hotels, the inn is well-soundproofed; I heard little street noise or sound between rooms. Moreover, my room had a large, really comfortable four-poster bed with a first-rate mattress, set high off the floor.
That said, this vintage hotel - a member of the Historic Hotels of America trade association -
inevitably shows signs of age. The double latch on the door to my room didn't work (though the secure chain did), and I found it difficult to strike a balance between cool and warm; I never did figure out how to turn off the fan and keep the constant flow of air off me, though that's mostly my fault, as I should have just asked for help. The hotel staff was unfailingly polite and helpful.
The Gratz Park Inn falls somewhere between a three-star and a four-star property: a 3.5 maybe. The rating could be higher if a few things were fixed - and they may be when the current renovation is finished.
The aforementioned flaw has to do not only with the physical plant but also with the food: Specifically, breakfast. Served in a low-ceilinged, windowless room in the basement, with a big-screen TV playing, the breakfast was uninspired and service slow. I found the coffee, served with non-dairy creamer, undrinkable. But then, I'm a coffee snob.
This is a puzzlement, as the hotel hosts a first-rate fine-dining establishment: Jonathan's at Gratz Park; it is open only for lunch and dinner. The chef, Jonathan Lundy, looks like a college kid, but be not deceived; he is accomplished. Lundy's food is full of flavor, robust and hearty, and the restaurant has a good wine list with a fine selection of California wines. A Kentuckian, Lundy likes to tweak and update traditional Kentucky fare. He put his best recipes into an obligatory celebrity chef cookbook: "Jonathan's Bluegrass Table: Redefining Kentucky Cuisine.''
So, the hotel isn't perfect. I didn't expect it to be, and I didn't find its flaws off-putting. Not even the resident ghost that reputedly haunts the premises. In any case, I didn't see any ghosts, just generally well-satisfied guests, in this enjoyable heritage hotel.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
A Prince of a Fellow
LEXINGTON, Kentucky - Saudi Arabia is bankrolling most of a big new art and archeological exhibition about the long relationship between man and the horse - and to promote it, a Saudi prince came to this central Kentucky city to talk Arabian horses and Saudi soft power.
The thirtysomething royal, grandson of the country's founder, is head of the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation. Thus, Prince Nawaf Bin Faisal Bin Fahad Bin Abdul Aziz's interest in the exhibit, called "A Gift From the Desert,'' which opened at the Kentucky Horse Park's International Museum of the Horse (http://www.imh.org/) May 26 and runs through Oct. 15.
I interviewed the prince, with Reuters writer Verna Gates, at a downtown Lexington hotel the day of the opening. Prince Nawaf entered in full desert regalia, accompanied by an entourage of watchful Saudi men nattily dressed in Western-style business suits. Gates and I were right on time. The prince was not, arriving 40 minutes late in the mode perfected by U.S. politicians and Hollywood movie stars. Once on the scene, though, he was affable and available, speaking largely through an interpreter whose English was not as good as his; the prince studied at UCLA.
We, who had been touring Kentucky horse farms, were not neatly dressed for the interview, but it was a rather quick invitation, almost a summons. We decided to go, despite our casual look; it's not every day that you chat with a prince. Not wishing to provoke an international incident, we lobbed softball questions and the prince stepped up to the plate.
Saudi Arabia, run by the hundreds-strong Saud family, decided to put this splendid exhibition - subtitled "The Art, History and Culture of the Arabian Horse'' - in Lexington, because, Prince Nawaf said in so many words, Lexington is just so darned horsey. It bills itself as "the horse capital of the world.''
"With its history and knowledge of Arabian horses, putting it in any other city would, in my opinion, be a mistake,'' he said.
So, Lexington it is. The show (I'll write more about it in a future post) is magnificent. If you're in or near Kentucky, it is well worth seeing. Some 400 objects are on display, with the oldest going all the way back to the ancient city of Ur, 4500 years ago.
Ironically, though he is intensely interested in the sturdy, beautiful breed of horses developed on the Arabian peninsula, the prince doesn't ride - not anymore. "I used to be a rider, but after an accident I had on the horse, I stopped riding,'' he told us.
In theory, "A Gift From the Desert'' could have been put on anywhere, but it has been mounted in the U.S. the prince explained, because "Saudi Arabia and the people of the United States have a long-time relationship. Some do not know of this relationship. We want to enhance the connection between the United States and Saudi Arabia outside of the political phase.''
That has got to be a good idea, given the sometimes close but fitful relationship between these two very different nations. Both nations do, however, have a lot of people who know horses and care for them, and both have thriving breeding and racing traditions.
The prince opined that "a very limited number among U.S. people realize this fact,'' but said he feels "The ruling government of the United States realizes the friendship.'' Indeed, Prince Nawaf added that he considers U.S. President Barack Obama to be an interested and friendly head of state, and "all the people around the world'' have high hopes for Obama.
"I had the pleasure to meet him in Copenhagen,'' the prince said of Obama. "Although it was a short meeting, the way he greeted me showed that he really loves Saudi Arabia.''
I asked the prince if the Saudis would consider taking "A Gift From the Desert'' to other cities and countries if it is a hit here. He said they would.
One more thing about Arabian horses, and their importance in Saudi history and tradition: "The founder of Saudi Arabia, my grandfather (King Abdul-Aziz lbn Saud), unified the country from the back of a horse.'' Meaning, he rode far and wide in military expeditions, resulting in the creation of the modern Saudi state, in 1932.
With that, a smile, a handsake and a sweep of his robes, the prince was gone. That night, we would see him again at the show's opening gala, with its fashion show, Araby-meets-disco sound track, non-alcoholic wine (i.e., grape juice) and some very fine displays of jewelry inspired by Saudi traditional designs. And, of course, by horses.
The thirtysomething royal, grandson of the country's founder, is head of the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation. Thus, Prince Nawaf Bin Faisal Bin Fahad Bin Abdul Aziz's interest in the exhibit, called "A Gift From the Desert,'' which opened at the Kentucky Horse Park's International Museum of the Horse (http://www.imh.org/) May 26 and runs through Oct. 15.
I interviewed the prince, with Reuters writer Verna Gates, at a downtown Lexington hotel the day of the opening. Prince Nawaf entered in full desert regalia, accompanied by an entourage of watchful Saudi men nattily dressed in Western-style business suits. Gates and I were right on time. The prince was not, arriving 40 minutes late in the mode perfected by U.S. politicians and Hollywood movie stars. Once on the scene, though, he was affable and available, speaking largely through an interpreter whose English was not as good as his; the prince studied at UCLA.
We, who had been touring Kentucky horse farms, were not neatly dressed for the interview, but it was a rather quick invitation, almost a summons. We decided to go, despite our casual look; it's not every day that you chat with a prince. Not wishing to provoke an international incident, we lobbed softball questions and the prince stepped up to the plate.
Saudi Arabia, run by the hundreds-strong Saud family, decided to put this splendid exhibition - subtitled "The Art, History and Culture of the Arabian Horse'' - in Lexington, because, Prince Nawaf said in so many words, Lexington is just so darned horsey. It bills itself as "the horse capital of the world.''
"With its history and knowledge of Arabian horses, putting it in any other city would, in my opinion, be a mistake,'' he said.
So, Lexington it is. The show (I'll write more about it in a future post) is magnificent. If you're in or near Kentucky, it is well worth seeing. Some 400 objects are on display, with the oldest going all the way back to the ancient city of Ur, 4500 years ago.
Ironically, though he is intensely interested in the sturdy, beautiful breed of horses developed on the Arabian peninsula, the prince doesn't ride - not anymore. "I used to be a rider, but after an accident I had on the horse, I stopped riding,'' he told us.
In theory, "A Gift From the Desert'' could have been put on anywhere, but it has been mounted in the U.S. the prince explained, because "Saudi Arabia and the people of the United States have a long-time relationship. Some do not know of this relationship. We want to enhance the connection between the United States and Saudi Arabia outside of the political phase.''
That has got to be a good idea, given the sometimes close but fitful relationship between these two very different nations. Both nations do, however, have a lot of people who know horses and care for them, and both have thriving breeding and racing traditions.
The prince opined that "a very limited number among U.S. people realize this fact,'' but said he feels "The ruling government of the United States realizes the friendship.'' Indeed, Prince Nawaf added that he considers U.S. President Barack Obama to be an interested and friendly head of state, and "all the people around the world'' have high hopes for Obama.
"I had the pleasure to meet him in Copenhagen,'' the prince said of Obama. "Although it was a short meeting, the way he greeted me showed that he really loves Saudi Arabia.''
I asked the prince if the Saudis would consider taking "A Gift From the Desert'' to other cities and countries if it is a hit here. He said they would.
One more thing about Arabian horses, and their importance in Saudi history and tradition: "The founder of Saudi Arabia, my grandfather (King Abdul-Aziz lbn Saud), unified the country from the back of a horse.'' Meaning, he rode far and wide in military expeditions, resulting in the creation of the modern Saudi state, in 1932.
With that, a smile, a handsake and a sweep of his robes, the prince was gone. That night, we would see him again at the show's opening gala, with its fashion show, Araby-meets-disco sound track, non-alcoholic wine (i.e., grape juice) and some very fine displays of jewelry inspired by Saudi traditional designs. And, of course, by horses.
Doughnut Nation
LEXINGTON, Kentucky - Nearly every culture has its own take on a basic staple snack: fried dough. In North America, doughnuts have been the fried dough of choice for generations, during which time people have formed firm opinions about who fries, shapes, sweetens and sells dough best. In this town, the capital of Kentucky's verdant horse country, that would be doughnuts from Lexington's own Spalding's Bakery.
A Lexingtonian described the glazed doughnuts at Spalding's, a local champion founded in 1929, as "Krispy Kreme on steroids.'' Spalding's may not have the nationwide fame that Krispy Kreme, another product of the South, enjoys across the United States, but it definitely takes pride of place here. Patrons line up early outside and inside the nondescript building across from the Jif peanut butter plant on Winchester Road, all to get an early start on the first doughnut of the day. I waited about 40 minutes last Saturday, and locals told me that was nothing.
But perserverance furthers. I took my first bite shortly after leaving Spalding's and savored it with a cup of coffee in hand. It was a glazed. It was sublime: sweet, aromatic and light considering the unavoidable calorie content. I'd recommend it to anyone. I am recommending it.
Spalding's had to close once, after spending 70 years at the same, too-small location. It reopened in new digs across from the Jif plant about 18 months later, after sending central Kentuckians into a frenzy of sugar withdrawal. Things are fine now. The customer lines are back, and you are as likely to see a judge waiting patiently to make his purchase as you will a man or woman in a blue-collar job. The family-owned bakery makes cakes, pies, cupcakes and other treats, too, but it's the doughnuts that prompt the line-ups.
These days, you have your muffins and you have your bagels, but doughnuts are not going away. Americans still love them - glazed, covered in chocolate, crusted in sprinkles, filled with jelly or cream - or should I say creme. Even so, the USA cannot claim the mantle of Doughnut Nation. That distinction falls to Canada. I have lived twice in Canada and can attest that Canadians have a love of doughnuts second to none. They eat twice as many doughnuts per capita as any other nation - maybe the cold weather and all that ice hockey makes doughnuts more essential. The top chain in Canada is Tim Horton's, named for a former hockey star, natch.
Americans don't have to cross an international border for their doughnut fix, though. If you're in the neighborhood, just head to Spalding's. It's located at 760 Winchester Road, at the intersection of Walton Avenue. It's closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Otherwise, Spalding's opens at 6:30 a.m. (7 a.m. on Sundays) and stays open till noon. (http://www.spaldingbakery.com/).
A Lexingtonian described the glazed doughnuts at Spalding's, a local champion founded in 1929, as "Krispy Kreme on steroids.'' Spalding's may not have the nationwide fame that Krispy Kreme, another product of the South, enjoys across the United States, but it definitely takes pride of place here. Patrons line up early outside and inside the nondescript building across from the Jif peanut butter plant on Winchester Road, all to get an early start on the first doughnut of the day. I waited about 40 minutes last Saturday, and locals told me that was nothing.
But perserverance furthers. I took my first bite shortly after leaving Spalding's and savored it with a cup of coffee in hand. It was a glazed. It was sublime: sweet, aromatic and light considering the unavoidable calorie content. I'd recommend it to anyone. I am recommending it.
Spalding's had to close once, after spending 70 years at the same, too-small location. It reopened in new digs across from the Jif plant about 18 months later, after sending central Kentuckians into a frenzy of sugar withdrawal. Things are fine now. The customer lines are back, and you are as likely to see a judge waiting patiently to make his purchase as you will a man or woman in a blue-collar job. The family-owned bakery makes cakes, pies, cupcakes and other treats, too, but it's the doughnuts that prompt the line-ups.
These days, you have your muffins and you have your bagels, but doughnuts are not going away. Americans still love them - glazed, covered in chocolate, crusted in sprinkles, filled with jelly or cream - or should I say creme. Even so, the USA cannot claim the mantle of Doughnut Nation. That distinction falls to Canada. I have lived twice in Canada and can attest that Canadians have a love of doughnuts second to none. They eat twice as many doughnuts per capita as any other nation - maybe the cold weather and all that ice hockey makes doughnuts more essential. The top chain in Canada is Tim Horton's, named for a former hockey star, natch.
Americans don't have to cross an international border for their doughnut fix, though. If you're in the neighborhood, just head to Spalding's. It's located at 760 Winchester Road, at the intersection of Walton Avenue. It's closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Otherwise, Spalding's opens at 6:30 a.m. (7 a.m. on Sundays) and stays open till noon. (http://www.spaldingbakery.com/).
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The Way We Fly Now
Travel news in-boxs are filled with word of new, first- and business-class service on long-haul, international routes - where the world's major airlines make their money. Meanwhile, domestic, short-haul service in the United States, which used to lead the world in civil aviation, just gets worse.
Latest case in point: A trip I took this past week between California and Lexington, Kentucky, a city I liked. Getting there, however, was not half the fun.
I flew both ways on United Airlines between San Francisco International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport. The flights were packed. The seats back in steerage, where I flew, were lumpy, narrow and had almost no pitch - i.e., room between rows. The food for sale during the flights looked barely edible. The cabin crews were superannuated and often grumpy. Occasionally someone smiled.
Then it got worse. For flights between O'Hare and Lexington's delightfully named Blue Grass Airport, I transferred onto needle-thin regional jets contracted out by United to ExpressJets and operated as United Express. Think one flight attendent, even less room than on the mainline carrier and very limited space for carry-ons. I had to check my bag, something I almost never do, as it wouldn't fit into the Lilliputan overhead bin; at least, there was no checked-bag fee. Coming back, it was more of the same. And not a single empty seat - the result of fewer flights and smaller planes that United and other major airlinjes have put on domestic routes throughout the past decade, as they have been losing money and have thus downsized with a vengence.
Before the return flight from O'Hare to SFO, I bought a three-berry muffin at Starbucks. It was so lacking in flavor and loaded with sugar, I tossed it. Still hungry, I bought a tomato caprese sandwich at the rather grandly named Stefani's Tuscany Cafe in O'Hare. I figured it might be better than the food sold on the plane to economy class passengers.
Right after take-off, the passenger in front of me put his seat all the way back, and thanks to the usual paucity of pitch, it nearly became a windpipe-crusher. Then, oops! I dropped the fully wrapped sandwich on the floor; it bounced under my seat. Wiggle, bend and stretch though I may, there was no way I could pick up the wandering sandwich; there was simply no room. A United flight attendant made a sickly, sorry-about-that face and continued pushing the beverage cart down the single-aisle of the plane, not offering to help. Nearly four hours later, when we landed in San Francisco, I was finally able to retreive the sandwich.
So much for lunch. But, hey, I'll chow-down at home. Mistake. The tomato caprese 'wich ($8.35) was soggy and tasteless, threatening to give bland a bad name. I ate maybe half and dumped the rest; it had been like eating a fistful of Kleenex.
Ah, well, at least Lexington was interesting and fun. The way I see it, it's still rewarding being in new places, but more and more, I have come to dread taking air or land transportation in the U.S., with its neo-third world infrastructure and couldn't-care-less notion of hospitality.
Just another day in the sky in the United States of America, 2010.
Latest case in point: A trip I took this past week between California and Lexington, Kentucky, a city I liked. Getting there, however, was not half the fun.
I flew both ways on United Airlines between San Francisco International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport. The flights were packed. The seats back in steerage, where I flew, were lumpy, narrow and had almost no pitch - i.e., room between rows. The food for sale during the flights looked barely edible. The cabin crews were superannuated and often grumpy. Occasionally someone smiled.
Then it got worse. For flights between O'Hare and Lexington's delightfully named Blue Grass Airport, I transferred onto needle-thin regional jets contracted out by United to ExpressJets and operated as United Express. Think one flight attendent, even less room than on the mainline carrier and very limited space for carry-ons. I had to check my bag, something I almost never do, as it wouldn't fit into the Lilliputan overhead bin; at least, there was no checked-bag fee. Coming back, it was more of the same. And not a single empty seat - the result of fewer flights and smaller planes that United and other major airlinjes have put on domestic routes throughout the past decade, as they have been losing money and have thus downsized with a vengence.
Before the return flight from O'Hare to SFO, I bought a three-berry muffin at Starbucks. It was so lacking in flavor and loaded with sugar, I tossed it. Still hungry, I bought a tomato caprese sandwich at the rather grandly named Stefani's Tuscany Cafe in O'Hare. I figured it might be better than the food sold on the plane to economy class passengers.
Right after take-off, the passenger in front of me put his seat all the way back, and thanks to the usual paucity of pitch, it nearly became a windpipe-crusher. Then, oops! I dropped the fully wrapped sandwich on the floor; it bounced under my seat. Wiggle, bend and stretch though I may, there was no way I could pick up the wandering sandwich; there was simply no room. A United flight attendant made a sickly, sorry-about-that face and continued pushing the beverage cart down the single-aisle of the plane, not offering to help. Nearly four hours later, when we landed in San Francisco, I was finally able to retreive the sandwich.
So much for lunch. But, hey, I'll chow-down at home. Mistake. The tomato caprese 'wich ($8.35) was soggy and tasteless, threatening to give bland a bad name. I ate maybe half and dumped the rest; it had been like eating a fistful of Kleenex.
Ah, well, at least Lexington was interesting and fun. The way I see it, it's still rewarding being in new places, but more and more, I have come to dread taking air or land transportation in the U.S., with its neo-third world infrastructure and couldn't-care-less notion of hospitality.
Just another day in the sky in the United States of America, 2010.
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