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Wanda Lust: Holiday Deals

Published December 3rd, 2008 in Sky Magazine | 1 Comment →

Here we are, Mates, nearing the end of the year and approaching a holiday season that many consider “magical.” Well, let “Magic Wand-a” spread a little good mojo and grant a wish that’s no doubt on everyone’s lips. Ready? Here goes: Abracadabra! Recession, begone!

Whew! Now that I’ve created this lovely alternate universe, I know what you’re thinking: WWWS? (What Would Wanda Spend?) The answer: Oodles. Yes, you read correctly. But on what, you ask? Why, on travel, natch! My first dream vacation: The Krug Escape, courtesy of the Dorchester Collection. It involves a two-day romp in three Dorchester hotels in London and Paris, including a champagne breakfast. Ah, champagne! (Wanda’s beverage of choice.) Whether you call it that or “bubbly” or “bug juice,” who wouldn’t love gallivanting through Europe’s two most beloved capitals, staying at swank lodging and swilling the elixir of life? It’ll only set you back $20 grand.

But why cap your travel budget there when you can double it—yes, double it—in America’s capital January 18–21? Just sign up for the Eco-Inaugural Package at the Fairmont Washington, D.C., for the hottest ticket in town, the 56th Presidential Inauguration. For four nights, you and your beloved will stay in the hotel’s eco-suite, have use of a Lexus LS 600h L hybrid luxury vehicle and indulge in organic spa treatments. And whichever one of you is the “Fairmont first lady” gets to wear an organic and custom-tailored designer gown to the inaugural balls where you’ll be dancing the night away. Oh, yes, $2,000 of the $40,000 price tag goes to the National Geographic Society—the better to deduct guilt . . . and taxes!

So why am I even tantalizing you with these over-the-top vacations? Because, Dear Ones, it never hurts to dream. And it doesn’t cost a thing to do so. Now, why don’t you tell Wanda what your travel dreams are? There’s always the chance that they’ll come true.

Cheers,

Wanda
Delta Sky

The Omnivore: A World of Coffee Travels

Published November 26th, 2008 in Sky Magazine | 1 Comment →

The best part of being a travel writer is—duh!—the travel, of course. Followed closely by all the fabulous food you get to wolf down in exotic locales. During my various peregrinations, I’ve eaten everything from guinea pigs roasted by Peruvian Incas to “grasshoppers of the sea” in Slovenia.

Then there’s the coffee. I guess you could say I’m coffee-obsessed. For proof, check out the November issue of Sky, which is all about coffee, front to back.

Which brings me to the photograph of my Illy X1 Francis Francis espresso machine. Instead of using prepackaged pods like so many new espresso machines do, my Illy accommodates freshly ground coffee, which prompts colleagues to bring presents of coffee back from their far-flung treks. Check out the labels on the shelves behind the machine. Sometimes while I’m waiting for the machine to warm up, I find myself just reading the exotic names out loud: Kopi Kampung from Sulawesi, Indonesia; Cafe Molido from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Espresso Regalo, from the Yergacheffe region of Ethiopia; Costa Rican Orgánico Bajo Sombra, Café Grano Entero; Tchoupitoulas Blend from good ol’ New Orleans. I frankly can’t think of anything we eat or drink that’s as global—or as easily accessible—as java.

Favorites? Café Alta Gracia, grown in the Dominican Republic on Julia Alvarez’s plantation. Raven’s Brew Coffee, which hails from the rainiest inhabited place in North America: Ketchikan, Alaska. For a longer list, see the tasting I attended with Theodore Erski, a Chicago prof who uses coffee to teach geography in his classroom.

The most interesting coffee I’ve ever had? That would be Indonesian Kopi Luwak, which you may have read about. The beans have had the advantage of “curing” in the digestive track of a civet cat, which is more closely related to a mongoose than a house cat. The animal eats the beans, and nature takes its course. The beans are then gathered from the forest floor, cleaned and roasted.

What did it taste like? On the front of the palate, it had a dusty note, like some African coffees—maybe more earthy, as you might expect, than dusty. I’m almost certain from its bitterness that the beans were robusta instead of arabica. But as it hit the back palate, there was a je ne sais quoi (but maybe I do)—a bitter/sour aftertaste that was definitely a little beyond funky. About a half-dozen people tried it. One taster, who’s really got good taste buds, said after long deliberation and smacking of her lips and gargling that its taste reminded her of “decay.” I and others could see instantly what she meant. Though not complex, Kopi Luwak is, if nothing else, distinctive. I’m glad to have tried it, but—at a whopping $150 or more per pound—probably won’t buy a whole lot more.

What’s the most interesting coffee you’ve had? Will you be enjoying a cup this Thanksgiving?

David
Delta Sky

The Green Advocate: The Bright Side of Life

Published November 19th, 2008 in Sky Magazine | No Comments →

As I’m sitting down to write this entry, I have a little ditty playing in my head: “Always look on the bright side of life / Always look on the light side of life.” I guess it’s only fitting that my topic this week is compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs.

You’ve probably heard that on average, CFLs use between 66 percent and 75 percent less energy than the old standby incandescent bulbs and can last up to 10 times longer. Sure, they cost more, but if you use them in the five lamps/lights you use the most, you can save more than $50 on your energy bill each year. And who doesn’t want to save money?

What you might not know is that each CFL contains a small amount of mercury, which means you can’t just throw the spent bulb away. Mercury is a toxin that’s tough to clean up, so the last thing you should do is send it to the landfill. It needs to be disposed of properly.

Contact your local recycling center to see if they’ll take your spent CFLs (you can’t just put them in with your recyclables). I went to www.earth911.org to find out what my options are, and discovered that my local Home Depot store will take them, no questions asked, even if I didn’t buy them there. In fact, there’s an in-store consumer CFL recycling/disposal box at every Home Depot location in the United States and Canada. It’s free and convenient, which totally works for me.

CFLs are one way to save money and help the environment. Do you have any other Green money-saving ideas you’d like to share?

Katherine
Delta Sky

Travel Style: Ella, Get Your Hat

Published November 12th, 2008 in Sky Magazine | No Comments →

“Grab your coat and get your hat / Leave your worries on the doorstep / Life can be so sweet / On the sunny side of the street.”

Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra each famously sang “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” and they had another thing in common: They both wore hats. Perhaps that’s why their side of the street was so sunny?

Let’s face it: There’s just something about wearing a crackerjack hat and the smiles you get from folks who are thinking, “Wow, I wish I had the confidence to wear one.” Especially now that they’re all the rage, with everyone from George Clooney to Johnny Depp sporting cool lids. Recently an incognito Brad Pitt flew into LAX wearing a dark burgundy velvet fedora with the numeral 5 on the side. Très cool. Reminds me of the flamboyant styles at Anthony Peto in Paris.

But if Spendy Wendy were going to drop some coin on her man, she’d think Big Ben and go with this wool houndstooth fedora with a black leather band by London Fog. It’s classic, but current, and costs a cool $52.50. It also comes in brown houndstooth check—why not buy two?

Packing Tip: Don’t even think about cramming it into your bag. Pack it on your head, and then you don’t have to worry about bad hair days (guys have them, too!). For gals, I’d say wear it if you can, but if it’s more of a formal hat with a wide brim, then consider shipping it ahead. Or you could devote one piece of luggage to it, and pack lots of tissue in the crown and on all sides, so it doesn’t lose its shape. Me? I’d never consider buying a hat unless it’s crushable or “packable”—a style many top designers are sensibly adopting, even Eric Javitz.

To check out another awesome lid— J. Peterman’s Owner’s Hat—turn to the “Mode:Road” section in the November issue of Sky.

Have you tried packing a hat? Share your tips!

Wendy
Delta Sky

Wanda Lust: Thanksgiving Memories

Published November 5th, 2008 in Sky Magazine | 1 Comment →

Come, ye thankful Readers, come! As you know, it’s all about coffee in the November issue of Sky—a fitting theme, given that this is the time of year when “they pass around the coffee and the pumpkin pie.” It’s also the height of travel season for Americans.

Typically, the Thanksgiving holiday celebrates home and hearth. When I was a child, hours upon hours of televised football—a trial for pint-sized Wanda—preceded the long-awaited meal. But who’s to say Thanksgiving can’t include a getaway?

In recent years, I’ve been packing my bags—and golf clubs—to spend some quality time with loved ones on the links (an antidote to all those calories in both pumpkin and mince pie!). A friend tells me that she and her family head for the coast every November and feast on . . . spaghetti and meatballs. And of course there are themed excursions, such as the “I Love a Parade” package at New York’s Mandarin Oriental, celebrating that great tradition, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

That’s the beauty of this uniquely American holiday: It can be anything you want it to be. So please satisfy my curiosity by revealing your Turkey Day traditions and/or memories, especially if they involve travel. I’m all ears…

Your faithful Pilgrim,
Wanda
Delta Sky

Note: Delta Sky magazine will contribute to Under the Wing each Wednesday. Tell us what you think!

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