THANKSGIVING: THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX; ALTERNATIVE IDEAS FOR THE HOLIDAY

For the most part, I can hear the responses now:  “Good lord, I have to think about Thanksgiving ALREADY??” That is the common denominator this time of year.  Why do the holidays have a way of creeping up on us seemingly earlier and earlier, and why is Thanksgiving both loved and often loathed – not the holiday itself but the planning, execution and deciding who goes where??

I, like so many others, had a tradition in place for a long time, hosting the dinner at home with mom, siblings (sometimes every other year), and assorted offspring.  Then the offspring moved and/or had significant others, and of course some of the family was no longer here to celebrate, arguably the toughest of all.  I am particularly reminded of loss this year, as I know many of you are who read this blog.

My tradition changed mainly for two reasons.  The first is due to the growth of an annual Hanukkah party which often is close to Thanksgiving (last year they intersected) so planning two overlapping events frankly became silly.  The other reason was the desire to take advantage of traveling over the holiday but avoiding the killer days (the Wednesday before and the Sunday after).  In fact, our first Thanksgiving trip incorporated the weekend before the holiday when the hubby, son, daughter and I went to London for a week.  They were in their senior and junior high school years, respectively, and we justified the time away with them gaining historical perspective!  The bottom line is we were hooked on traveling for this holiday.  

After that is it was off to various cities in the U.S. (NYC, Chicago, New Orleans and Nashville) where the kids joined us from their colleges and we had a great four days, truly shared together. So what's the plan this year?  With my Bay area cousin graciously accepting us joining their large gathering with not a moment's hesitation (I would do the same -- what's four more when you're having a crowd?), a no-brainer decision to visit Napa once again required little additional thought. More about the upcoming trip in a future post.

I found at least one kindred spirit for Thanksgiving travel -- Pilar Guzman, Editor in Chief of Conde Nast Traveler -- who writes in the current issue: "Imagine having Florence, which you readers told us in our 27th annual Readers' Choice Awards was your favorite city in the world, more or less to yourself" as she discovered on a family trip years ago.  She continues "The weather was pretty perfect:  After 15 minutes of walking we found ourselves peeling off scarves and extra layers.  It was equally true for Venice and Rome during the same trip and for Paris the year before. Our kids, not to mention my in-laws, covered the city on foot with far fewer break requests than they would have if it had been in the summer."

So what is the takeaway?  Consider taking the road(s) less traveled if you can at this or other times of the year and avoid the crowds.  I love a family gathering as much as anyone, but combining that passion with the travel passion provides a double dose of goodness!

TRAVEL TIPS, HABITS, AND EXPERIENCES FROM SOME FAMOUS NAMES

One of my favorite things to read is the Wall Street Journal’s column “20 Odd Questions” posed to inveterate travelers -- people whose names might be familiar to us and some that are more obscure.   This occasional column provides some wonderful insights into what folks gain from their travels.  Herewith, a cross-section of tips, stories, habits and great information!

FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA (Oscar-winning director, wine maker, and lifelong traveler):  

My first big travel experience was: a road trip from the East Coast to the West Coast. I may have been 11 or 12. I remember somewhere in the middle, we stopped at an A&W Root Beer stand, something I'd never seen before. There was a girl working there, probably 14 years old, in her A&W clothes and hat. She had jet-black hair and was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. She looked like Snow White all grown up.

The most underrated destination is: Ireland. It's a beautiful country, and the people are extraordinary. They have such a wonderful literary tradition, one of warmth and humor. Also, Irish ice cream is among the best in the world, which no one knows.

The first time I visit a city I: like to book one of those tour buses that stop at all the hotels picking up guests that signed up, and then a guide talks you through all the areas of the city. The second day I like to go with a car to the areas I found interesting.

My favorite souvenir is from: Paris. I don't have many souvenirs, but I remember when we first bought an apartment there about 25 years ago. My kids were all thrilled, and they ran out along the Seine, and Sofia came back with a little Eiffel Tower. It made me think of that wonderful Alec Guinness movie, "The Lavender Hill Mob," where they attempt to smuggle gold disguised as miniature Eiffel Towers, some of which accidentally get sold to a bunch of schoolgirls. They then have to run around trying to buy them back. So, I have this little 10-inch Eiffel Tower, and when I see it I always have a laugh.

My favorite luggage is: Ghurka, a line of very beautiful leather [goods] made by a wonderful American company. I won't give my bag up. My wife is always saying, "Well, why don't you get a new rolling bag?" But I love this one.

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The Hotel Metropole Hanoi Aaron Joel Santos for The Wall Street Journal

What makes a hotel great is: sort of like what makes a great wine; it's much more than the fruit you drink, and the bottle and the label. It's the story connected to it; the context and the history. A hotel is made great by the guests who stayed there 100 years ago, and all the detail and personality that developed over that time. The Hotel Metropole in Hanoi has a wonderful story. Somerset Maugham stayed there.

The ultimate luxury is: traveling with family. My family is spread around in different places, and travel means we can get together with the kids and see the grandkids and have time with them. At a certain point in your life, you get the idea that if you buy a new car, it's a thrill for about a week. After a while it no longer continues to give you that pleasure. Material objects are very short lived, but a memory with your family lives forever.

PROSPER ASSOULINE (Publisher of luxury coffee-table books): 

My first travel memory is: my parents taking me to Seville, Spain, when I was 5. It’s still one of the most important places in my life. I like the bullfights, the elegance, the walls that are a little bit broken, the smells.

My favorite restaurant is: L’Ami Louis, in Paris. The chicken costs a fortune, but it’s the best in the world. Another favorite is Al Moro, in Rome, where you’ll have the new chairman of Fiat in one corner and the president of something else with a beautiful woman in the other. They’re not welcoming at all. But they respect good product.

The place I’d most like to visit one day is: Copenhagen. I want to see this restaurant, Noma, and understand why some people go just for that.

The world’s best hotel is: Tawaraya in Kyoto, Japan. Each of the rooms has its own garden. Some of the old people have worked there since they were children. They change the soup bowls depending on the color of the sky. There’s a person in charge of just arranging flowers. It’s totally unbelievable.

One thing I always bring on the plane is: a cashmere T-shirt from Hobbs, in Paris. I’ll also buy 20 magazines before I go on and spend the flight tearing out the most interesting pages.

My favorite museum is: the Metropolitan Museum, here in New York. I visit every two weeks. I’ll go for musical instruments or Roman sculptures—something different every time.

A movie about a foreign place that has always stuck with me is: “Shanghai Gesture,” with Gene Tierney. It’s about China in the ’30s—the furniture, the fashion, the opium—and everything in it makes you want to travel.

The worst airport in the world is: JFK [in New York]. The toilets, the people, everything—a disaster. Can you believe all these people arriving in America for the first time and seeing that?

The best places for shopping are: the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, and the Paris flea markets. If you are upset because you didn’t find anything in these places, you don’t understand them! I go to Istanbul more for textiles. You can have things made there by artisans. In Paris you have no idea what the antique dealers will have, because they don’t make it. That’s the beauty of it.

JANE NEAL (British art curator):

WHENEVER JANE NEAL visits Cluj, Romania, she goes into Euphoria—literally. “It’s this amazing music hall with a beautiful garden,” says the 41-year-old British curator, who recently oversaw “This Side of Paradise,” a show highlighting Eastern European artists at Sotheby’s S2 gallery. She found its Hungarian equivalent in Szimpla Kert, a Budapest beer garden she frequents with painter Zsolt Bodoni whenever she’s in town. Just avoid the local plum brandy, she says: “Every region has its own version and it’s incredibly potent.” We caught up with the jet-setter to talk about her favorite spots in Eastern Europe, being prepared for café debates and where to find boars near Budapest.

I discovered Cluj’s main Házsongárdi Cemetery through Adrian Ghenie, who told me one of the first things I should do when discovering a city in Old World Europe is visit its cemeteries, including Prague’s amazing Old Jewish Cemetery and Olšany Cemetery. Throughout the whole Austro-Hungarian empire, in classical cities you find these monumentally beautiful cemeteries, including Vienna’s Hietzinger Friedhof and the Kerepesi Cemetery in Budapest. 

Remember when you visit cafés and restaurants like Baracca, Via or Bricks in Cluj, or the plethora of restaurants in Budapest on streets like Andrássy út or Hajós utca near the opera house, that you are in Old World Europe. The EU smoking ban doesn’t seem to have taken hold at all. And there will be hat and coat stands, so don’t leave your jacket on the back of your chair, it’s rude!

Victor Man first took me to Hoia-Baciu Forest near Cluj in 2005 to bike, which is a great place for wildlife. You can also barbecue there.

In the summer, it is wonderful to head up to the hills of Buda for hiking or horseback riding. Zsolt Bodoni’s studio is in this area called Budakeszi that has wild boars that socialize around outside. It looks like “Little Red Riding Hood” territory. If you want to stay closer to Budapest, go to Margitsziget—Margaret Island in English. It’s in the middle of the Danube, away from the madding crowds in the summer.