This weekend has been, like I had planned, a culture filled one. The best thing, which I had stated in my portfolio (100/100 points on that one) about luxury is, that I used all my senses to enrich myself. It was a see-smell-taste-feel-hear weekend and it was magnificent. Some might consider it a quiet one, with one day staying inside and the other being inside an exhibition, but I have a huge feeling of happiness right now. I'm afraid it might be spoiled by the routine of the workplace tomorrow, but will smile and enjoy it until then.
This weekend also left me hungry for more: more adventure, more discoveries, more quests. Next week it's the harbour's anniversary here in Hamburg. The amazing Queen Mary II is again on her way to this city and I will be more than glad to welcome her. But until then, I am dreaming again of the ancient Greek, the 18th century English, the gastronomic pleasures, the old and lovely city of Berlin and the land of pharaos. IT WAS AMAZING! I promise I will write a full description of these days and add some pictures. Till then, I wish you a good night!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Surprising news on boring day
Yesterday was a really boring day. Awfully boring! The type of days that does not want to end. Wonderful weather outside, but as usual, due to the behaviour of a mole which my boss sometimes adopts, there was no light coming into our office. Funny thing was that today there is a mole on the cover page of the Hamburger Abendblatt. They seem to be the destructive creatures tortureing the gardeners of this nation.
So who was this winner? In a converted 18th century shipping warehouse, 32 year old chef Rene Redzepi serves Nordic specialities in the winning restaurant Noma. His fame grew worldwide for his specific way of using local and seasonal ingredients to create strange dishes such as radishes in edible soil. if time allows me, I will travel soon there in search of this restaurant. Until then, I will be on a gastronomic quest this Saturday, as well as a cultural one. There is an exhibition which just opened on the 29th of April 2010, on Tutankamon. Promise to bring back pictures (if allowed)!
I even got bored yesterday by the news on the luxury industry. Louis Vuitton launches cases for Ipad in 2011. Nothing surprising! They had cases for the IPhone. Surprising is just the fact that they don't react too fast to the market development. But they can afford it. According to another item of news, the world's most valuable luxury brands were ranked, having LV at the leading position ($19.8 billion) followed by Hermes ($8.45bn), Gucci ($7,58bn), Chanel ($5.54bn) and Hennessy ($5.36bn). The study was compiled by reasearch firm Millward Brown Optimor.
The only not borig, but rather surprising news was the named best restaurant in the world. I am talking about S.Pellegrino World's Best 50 Restaurants list. The 47-year-old wonder chef Ferran Adria landed another blow when his restaurant ElBulli went from being first to being second on the list, just after a restaurant from Copenhagen, Denmark!!! I didn't believe it myself. Furthermore, there are NO French restaurants in the top 10 of this top 50 list. Still, in order to decide that, there were 800 international critics, journalists and food expersts on the panel. And they should know their job!
So who was this winner? In a converted 18th century shipping warehouse, 32 year old chef Rene Redzepi serves Nordic specialities in the winning restaurant Noma. His fame grew worldwide for his specific way of using local and seasonal ingredients to create strange dishes such as radishes in edible soil. if time allows me, I will travel soon there in search of this restaurant. Until then, I will be on a gastronomic quest this Saturday, as well as a cultural one. There is an exhibition which just opened on the 29th of April 2010, on Tutankamon. Promise to bring back pictures (if allowed)!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Two in One
Actually, today was supposed to be a day in I would talk about alcohol. What better moment to pick than this one, when I cannot touch any alcohol as I'm on antibiotics. But there are two topics to discuss.
Grey Goose, the French super-premium vodka which you get to enjoy especially on the French Riviera in clubs (I had it in Monaco), is co-Branding. And not for the taste, no no, but for the bottle. Chopard has designed for them the new bling bottle. The Swiss and French companies decided the magnum should have a glittering globe on which a goose figure is seated. Another way of making it more exclusive. You decide if you like it or not. It will be available until September 2010 in important grocery stores in Paris. The price? 350 Euros! Do the maths to find out how much this will cost in a Cote D'Azur night club.
Still, the second part of this entry is dedicated to a more shocking item of news I read today.
You all have heard about the Birkin bag, the status bag, THE BAG of all bags, THE statement bag. It sounds like the Birkin is my second religion, but how could it not be when I know what all it means. But the news today seemed to bring every stable pilar of this religion down. The bag for which you don't only need to have money, but you need to be accepted and seen as loyal and a good acquirer is said to have no longer waiting lists. WHAT??? So, the bag for which you previously would have invested thousands of dollars in other merchandise from Hermes, you would shop probably weekly at the brand, you would get a chance through a personal shopper to have your name put on a waiting list and would wait 1-2 years for a bag for which you could not even choose the colour, that bag should be now available on the spot to anyone who can pay more than 6500 dollars??? Can this be true? Can it be that even the empire of Hermes is not recession proof anymore? This statement was close to blasphemy in my eyes. I just imagined all the women who had invested in such beauties,...oh yes, you can invest in them just as well as you can in diamonds. But now? The market value would go down... What a hit this news was! The official statement of Hermes was that "yes, there is no more silly waiting list". Nevertheless, there was later a clarification: it can happen that you can find or two bags in a shop and buy them immediately, but there are still lists available for preferences. Ufff......what a relief! I had read once that there are really 1-2 bags available sometimes, also sold through personal shoppers, to special people. The day is saved! Now we can all sleep happily!
My favourite colour of a Birkin
The worst example of what can happen to the Birkin!
And to end this blog entry, here's some news for you: I had alcohol today, even if I should't drink while having antibiotics. But I didn't drink,...there's a better way to "cheat" in this way: a wonderful chicken in an onion-sour cream-white wine sauce. Mmmmmmmmmmmm!!!
Grey Goose, the French super-premium vodka which you get to enjoy especially on the French Riviera in clubs (I had it in Monaco), is co-Branding. And not for the taste, no no, but for the bottle. Chopard has designed for them the new bling bottle. The Swiss and French companies decided the magnum should have a glittering globe on which a goose figure is seated. Another way of making it more exclusive. You decide if you like it or not. It will be available until September 2010 in important grocery stores in Paris. The price? 350 Euros! Do the maths to find out how much this will cost in a Cote D'Azur night club.
Still, the second part of this entry is dedicated to a more shocking item of news I read today.
You all have heard about the Birkin bag, the status bag, THE BAG of all bags, THE statement bag. It sounds like the Birkin is my second religion, but how could it not be when I know what all it means. But the news today seemed to bring every stable pilar of this religion down. The bag for which you don't only need to have money, but you need to be accepted and seen as loyal and a good acquirer is said to have no longer waiting lists. WHAT??? So, the bag for which you previously would have invested thousands of dollars in other merchandise from Hermes, you would shop probably weekly at the brand, you would get a chance through a personal shopper to have your name put on a waiting list and would wait 1-2 years for a bag for which you could not even choose the colour, that bag should be now available on the spot to anyone who can pay more than 6500 dollars??? Can this be true? Can it be that even the empire of Hermes is not recession proof anymore? This statement was close to blasphemy in my eyes. I just imagined all the women who had invested in such beauties,...oh yes, you can invest in them just as well as you can in diamonds. But now? The market value would go down... What a hit this news was! The official statement of Hermes was that "yes, there is no more silly waiting list". Nevertheless, there was later a clarification: it can happen that you can find or two bags in a shop and buy them immediately, but there are still lists available for preferences. Ufff......what a relief! I had read once that there are really 1-2 bags available sometimes, also sold through personal shoppers, to special people. The day is saved! Now we can all sleep happily!
My favourite colour of a Birkin
The worst example of what can happen to the Birkin!And to end this blog entry, here's some news for you: I had alcohol today, even if I should't drink while having antibiotics. But I didn't drink,...there's a better way to "cheat" in this way: a wonderful chicken in an onion-sour cream-white wine sauce. Mmmmmmmmmmmm!!!
Monday, April 26, 2010
I Love Good Food!
It had to happen to me as well...eventually...I guess. I am down with the flue. Or so I think. The doctor here was never really clear about what I have. Probably she doesn't know. Went to her on Thursday and she prescribed homeopatic treatment. I am not really a fan of it, but took it, and things got worse and worse over the weekend. Hence the repeated break in writing.
But the topic has been on my mind since Friday night. Didn't know if I would have the power to go on the field for some fresh documentation, but Saturday I was already feeling better. So I dressed well and went to look for what I love most to shop for: food! I had the target set to the Alsterhaus, a department store belonging, just like the KaDeWe in Berlin and the Oberpollinger in Munich, to the Karstadt Premium Group. The Alsterhaus is open since 1911. It has a long history, for the city, for the group, and for myself and my family. I think that even my grandmother stepped through this store. There have been many changes for sure, even I saw it before and after the latest renovation. But there is a certain atmosphere which seems to rest between these walls on the Jungfernstieg.
After a 30-40 minutes relaxed Saturday ride in order to get there, I get off at U Jungfernstieg and 1 minute later I am entering this must-see place for shopping in Hamburg. Ground floor walking to the escalators and memories of my mother come up. Not just today, but every time I come here. I think it's normal since here are the perfumes and cosmetics. It was funny how I used to be her tester years ago. Of course there were testing papers available, but you all know that the scent develops differently on skin. And since she likes to change a perfume according to season, but more according to mood, she tested a lot. Probably that is why I am so loyal to a scent...and only one!
My feet take me to the 4th floor and when you see the picture below you might anticipate just a tiny bit of what gastronomic treasures lie there for the customer to discover.
The 4th floor is the delicacy department. The best place to be (at least for me). On the right you can already see my favourite bubbly drink: Champagne. Just whatever brand you like. There's even a Champagne-bar, where they serve - you've guessed it - Champagne at the ideal temperature.
There is also a wine collection. And you can choose from a huge range of cheese to go with the wine. Or maybe you want to sit at the caviar bar? There's a big collection of soft drinks from all over the world. Kusmi Tea is also available there, yet there is also another teastore. Food from around the world is also easy to find, they even have a Japanese store with fresh ingredients for the Japanese cuisine. There's also a "house" of the truffle. And you can eat there fresh dishes including the tasty ingredient. A wonderful place I could spend hours in. Chose some colours of food and spices for you to see:
After several rounds and the time I would never spend in a hypermarket while doing a week's purchase, I leave this empire of good taste (literally) and start my way back home. I take 2 more pictures (the weather is a bit warmer - 10 degrees - for mid April - so that's why there are a lot of people outside) and stop for a while to see the swans which are back.
Once arrived home I open my little purchase and, before taking a nap, I already dream of the lovely dinner:
Truffle tagliolini in butter with freshly grated Parmesan and a tea spoon of sour cream. Lovely!!!
But the topic has been on my mind since Friday night. Didn't know if I would have the power to go on the field for some fresh documentation, but Saturday I was already feeling better. So I dressed well and went to look for what I love most to shop for: food! I had the target set to the Alsterhaus, a department store belonging, just like the KaDeWe in Berlin and the Oberpollinger in Munich, to the Karstadt Premium Group. The Alsterhaus is open since 1911. It has a long history, for the city, for the group, and for myself and my family. I think that even my grandmother stepped through this store. There have been many changes for sure, even I saw it before and after the latest renovation. But there is a certain atmosphere which seems to rest between these walls on the Jungfernstieg.
After a 30-40 minutes relaxed Saturday ride in order to get there, I get off at U Jungfernstieg and 1 minute later I am entering this must-see place for shopping in Hamburg. Ground floor walking to the escalators and memories of my mother come up. Not just today, but every time I come here. I think it's normal since here are the perfumes and cosmetics. It was funny how I used to be her tester years ago. Of course there were testing papers available, but you all know that the scent develops differently on skin. And since she likes to change a perfume according to season, but more according to mood, she tested a lot. Probably that is why I am so loyal to a scent...and only one!
My feet take me to the 4th floor and when you see the picture below you might anticipate just a tiny bit of what gastronomic treasures lie there for the customer to discover.
The 4th floor is the delicacy department. The best place to be (at least for me). On the right you can already see my favourite bubbly drink: Champagne. Just whatever brand you like. There's even a Champagne-bar, where they serve - you've guessed it - Champagne at the ideal temperature.
There is also a wine collection. And you can choose from a huge range of cheese to go with the wine. Or maybe you want to sit at the caviar bar? There's a big collection of soft drinks from all over the world. Kusmi Tea is also available there, yet there is also another teastore. Food from around the world is also easy to find, they even have a Japanese store with fresh ingredients for the Japanese cuisine. There's also a "house" of the truffle. And you can eat there fresh dishes including the tasty ingredient. A wonderful place I could spend hours in. Chose some colours of food and spices for you to see:
After several rounds and the time I would never spend in a hypermarket while doing a week's purchase, I leave this empire of good taste (literally) and start my way back home. I take 2 more pictures (the weather is a bit warmer - 10 degrees - for mid April - so that's why there are a lot of people outside) and stop for a while to see the swans which are back.
Once arrived home I open my little purchase and, before taking a nap, I already dream of the lovely dinner:
Truffle tagliolini in butter with freshly grated Parmesan and a tea spoon of sour cream. Lovely!!!
Friday, April 23, 2010
The Luxury for your Taste Buds
They are known and enjoyed especially in Europe and outside the old continent, especially in cosmopolitan cities. New York, Hong Kong, Sydney, Toronto, Tokyo...all love it and buy it! But the one we know today originates from Paris (altough historians still fight about its origin).
Traced back to 1533, they were served 1830 two by to next to jam, liqueurs or spices. But the Macarons as we know them today came from Pierre Desfontaines creation. At that time he was working in the French patisserie Laduree. They were composed of two meringue disks with a layer of buttercream, jam or ganache filling. Making the little flavour miracles takes a lot of discipline, exactitude, technique and a top equipment. It is hence a difficult recipe to master and well trained patissiers can have succes.
I remember sitting on a bench in Monaco and enjoying them like a small kid who had just discovered some misteries of life. They are crunchy on the outside but when you get to the cream inside, that just melts on your tongue into an explosion for the taste buds, an explosion of flavour. And they are also attractive for the eye. They lure you with those fresh colours until you go home with a packet (if you manage to get till home and don't eat them already on the way).
The Laduree Macarons are the ideal balance between flavour and texture. For them to be ready, they have to "age" 48hours before being sold and eaten. Apparently it takes that much time for the flavour to develop to that heavenly taste.
Each season there is a new flavour which comes out (parfum). The novelty is based on the existing perfumes and colour palette. It seems that they consider the colour the essential to seduction.
And they do seduce. Here a few examples:
Italian luxury brand Marni teems up with Laduree for a limited edition of Macarons.
Louboutin brand partners with Laduree for a series of cobranded boxes.
Boucheron creates mouth-watering jewelery.
Have you seen enough? Hungry? Or should I say, greedy?
Here are the flavours Laduree offers:
The New 2010 Collection
Cherry Macaron
Apple Macaron
The Collection of Macarons:
Permanent perfumes
Chocolate - Bitter Chocolate - Vanilla - Coffee - Rose Petals - Pistachio - Raspberry - Violet Blackcurrant - Caramel with salted butter - Red Fruit - Orange Blossom - Licorice - Lemon
Summer Scents: Coconut - Icy Mint - Almonds - Citron
The scents of winter: Spices & soft fruits - Chestnuts - Praline - The macaron Fig and Dates
P.S. This Blog entry has been written for and is dedicated to the most wonderful reader of my blog, my mother!
Traced back to 1533, they were served 1830 two by to next to jam, liqueurs or spices. But the Macarons as we know them today came from Pierre Desfontaines creation. At that time he was working in the French patisserie Laduree. They were composed of two meringue disks with a layer of buttercream, jam or ganache filling. Making the little flavour miracles takes a lot of discipline, exactitude, technique and a top equipment. It is hence a difficult recipe to master and well trained patissiers can have succes.
I remember sitting on a bench in Monaco and enjoying them like a small kid who had just discovered some misteries of life. They are crunchy on the outside but when you get to the cream inside, that just melts on your tongue into an explosion for the taste buds, an explosion of flavour. And they are also attractive for the eye. They lure you with those fresh colours until you go home with a packet (if you manage to get till home and don't eat them already on the way).
The Laduree Macarons are the ideal balance between flavour and texture. For them to be ready, they have to "age" 48hours before being sold and eaten. Apparently it takes that much time for the flavour to develop to that heavenly taste.
Each season there is a new flavour which comes out (parfum). The novelty is based on the existing perfumes and colour palette. It seems that they consider the colour the essential to seduction.
And they do seduce. Here a few examples:
Italian luxury brand Marni teems up with Laduree for a limited edition of Macarons.
Louboutin brand partners with Laduree for a series of cobranded boxes.
Boucheron creates mouth-watering jewelery.
Have you seen enough? Hungry? Or should I say, greedy?
Here are the flavours Laduree offers:
The New 2010 Collection
Cherry Macaron
Apple Macaron
The Collection of Macarons:
Permanent perfumes
Chocolate - Bitter Chocolate - Vanilla - Coffee - Rose Petals - Pistachio - Raspberry - Violet Blackcurrant - Caramel with salted butter - Red Fruit - Orange Blossom - Licorice - Lemon
Summer Scents: Coconut - Icy Mint - Almonds - Citron
The scents of winter: Spices & soft fruits - Chestnuts - Praline - The macaron Fig and Dates
P.S. This Blog entry has been written for and is dedicated to the most wonderful reader of my blog, my mother!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
These shoes are made for walking!
It's time for an entry which is more women-targeted then the previous. And here is the news: Jimmy Choo is launching its trainers' collection, the first one.
These shoes have come to my attention, and must I say, not at all positively, during a fashion show last year in Monaco. Of course the design was great and appealing, but it seemed that those stilettos I was seeing there had been made to be showpieces for a museum. Or as torture instruments! Fact was, the poor girls were not able to walk in those shoes. With evry step they were taking I thought that those articulations and legs had seen their last helathy minutes.
These shoes have come to my attention, and must I say, not at all positively, during a fashion show last year in Monaco. Of course the design was great and appealing, but it seemed that those stilettos I was seeing there had been made to be showpieces for a museum. Or as torture instruments! Fact was, the poor girls were not able to walk in those shoes. With evry step they were taking I thought that those articulations and legs had seen their last helathy minutes.
So, it seems just wonderful when you get an item of news such as this one: they make trainers! Here you can see them:
The snake-skin sneakers are so wanted that there is even a waiting list for them. Their prices range from 350€ to 475€.
Which one is your favourite? Here are some detail pictures of my favourite one:
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