38772057 National Geographic Traveler 2010 10

traveler.nationalgeographic.com

ALL TRAVEL, ALL THE TIME | October 2010

THE OTHER MEDITERRANEAN

ISTANBULISTANBULGERMANY’S

CASTLEHOTELS

GERMANY’SCASTLEHOTELS

IN SEARCH

OF THE

BLACK PEARL

Into the Land of

MythA Quest for Home

in Transylvania

Port of Call:Charleston

IN SEARCH

OF THE

BLACK PEARL

Into the Land of

MythA Quest for Home

in Transylvania

Port of Call:Charleston

ULTIMATE DRIVES27 of the World’s Best Road TripsULTIMATE DRIVES

Pico Iyer explores where East meets West,

past meets future

CONTENTS

Draped in coats of sheep wool, shepherds spend the summer in the Transylvanian Alps of Romania.

N A T I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C T R A V E L E R | O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 , V O L U M E 2 7 , N U M B E R 7

N AT I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C T R AV E L E R

Story by Pico Iyer Photographs by Dave Yoder

Istanbul: City of the FutureIts mix of East and West, secular and spiritual, makes this

complex crossroads a Turkish delight. ZBonus video: Istanbul’s lively street food vendors.

Introduction by Peter Jenkins

Ultimate Road TripsThe road is calling. These 27 routes, from California to

Uzbekistan, inspire asphalt adventures.

Story by Andrew McCarthy Photographs by Aaron Huey

In Search of the Black PearlA quest for the perfect gift leads to the glistening South Pacific.

Story by Amy Alipio Photographs by Catherine Karnow

At Home in…Transylvania?A house-hunting couple find themselves entranced by a

myth-filled land in the heart of Romania.

features

On the Cover: Istanbul’s Ortakoy Mosque overlooks the Bosporus. Photograph by Ayhan Altun/Alamy.

storemags & fantamag - magazines for all

CONTENTS Mini Coopers tour London sights.


Editor’s Note

Inbox What our readers are saying.

Real Travel Read all about it—locally.

The Insider Pros and cons of travel insurance.

Unbound Boyd Matson searches for enlightenment.

ZBonus video: The psychic scene in Sedona.

One on One Q&A with geneticist Spencer Wells.

Smart Traveler North Africa: The other Mediterranean… Swinging

’60s London revisited… 48 hours in Edinburgh…

Walking tour of Jerusalem’s Old City… Sleeping in

German castles… Sicily’s spa hotels… San Francis-co stays under $150… History field trips for fami-

lies… Port of call: Charleston… Buying authentic

Amish quilts… Horsepacking trips… Tangoing in

Buenos Aires… Cape Cod escape.

Tipping Point Showing the way forward.

Traveler 20 Hot happenings around the world.

Your Shot/Travel Flags over Gozo, Malta.

columns& DEPartments

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CATHERINE KARNOW (TRANSYLVANIA), SMALLCARBIGCITY (LONDON), BECKY HALE/NGS (BOWL).



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MASTHEAD

EDITOR & VICE PRESIDENT

KEITH BELLOWS

MANAGING EDITOR SCOTT S. STUCKEY

ART & WEB DIRECTOR JERRY SEALY

SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR DANIEL R. WESTERGREN

SENIOR EDITORS NORIE QUINTOS, JAYNE WISE

GEOTOURISM EDITOR JONATHAN B. TOURTELLOT

ASSOCIATE EDITORS AMY ALIPIO, SUSAN O’KEEFE

ASSISTANT EDITOR JANELLE NANOS

DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR LEIGH V. BORGHESANI

SENIOR DESIGNER MOLLIE BATES

PHOTO EDITOR CAROL ENQUIST

ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR KRISTA ROSSOW

CHIEF RESEARCHER MARILYN TERRELL

SENIOR RESEARCHER MEG WEAVER

ONLINE EDITOR KATHIE GARTRELL

ONLINE PRODUCERS CAROLYN FOX, JARED PEARMAN

EDITORS AT LARGE

SHEILA F. BUCKMASTER, COSTAS CHRIST, PAUL MARTIN

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

SISSE BRIMBERG, LINDA BURBANK, ANDREW CARROLL, JAMES CONAWAY, COT-

TON COULSON, CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT, ANDREW EVANS, MACDUFF EVERTON, DON

GEORGE, JUSTIN GUARIGLIA, CARL HOFFMAN, AARON HUEY, CATHERINE KARNOW,

PATRICK J. KELLY, P. F. KLUGE, BOB KRIST, CHARLES KULANDER, BARTON LEWIS,

MARGARET LOFTUS, BOYD MATSON, RUDY MAXA, ANDREW MCCARTHY, DAISANN

MCLANE, MICHAEL MELFORD, PALANI MOHAN, ADDISON O’DEA, CHRIS RAINIER, JIM

RICHARDSON, JOHN ROSENTHAL, DAVID SWANSON, JAY WALLJASPER

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

DANIEL BORTZ, KELLY CORRIGAN, CAITLIN ETHERTON, JONATHAN KING, ERIN MC-

NULTY, BLAKELY MILLER, LAURA REINEKE, CINDY SCOTT

DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL MARKETING LYNN ACKERSON

EDITORIAL MARKETING INTERN CARISSA BENNETT

PUBLICIST HEATHER WYATT [email protected]; 212-610-5535

ADINGstoremags & fantamag - magazines for all

Ready, set, go: The Denali Highway in Alaska.


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EDITOR’S NOTE

Man on the MoveB Y K E I T H B E L L O W S , E D I T O R

A BOUT 13 MONTHS AGO, Peter Jenkins, a man I hadn’t seen

in more than 20 years, came chugging back into my life in

a funky 1957 Chevy. We spent a weekend together, tooled

around in his car, and talked about his plan to drive it across America,

with no real itinerary, just his instincts to lead the way. The first time

he went in search of America was in 1973. Straight out of college with

a BFA in sculpture and ceramics, he decided to walk from New York

to the West Coast.

On the way, he dropped into the National Geographic Society’s

D.C. headquarters and managed to land an impromptu meeting

with National Geographic Editor Gil Grosvenor. He arrived in Gros-

venor’s office in Converse sneakers, sweatpants, and T-shirt. “I was

just a bearded hippie,” Jenkins recalls. Cooper, his half-Alaskan mal-

amute, began drinking out of the toilet.

“How long are you going to be out?” Grosvenor asked.

“About five months,” Jenkins replied.

“Well,” Grosvenor said, “the longer you take, the better your ex-

perience.”

Grosvenor, clearly intrigued, gave him a camera and film. A pho-

to editor, Tom Smith, took him under his wing. “He finally told me

my captions were better than my pictures,” says Jenkins. “So I tried

my hand at writing an article.” It was the first of two he did for the

magazine (he was also on the cover of the August 1979 issue). The

trip eventually took five years. And he went on to write the bestsell-


Readers commented on the efficiency of European trains.


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W H A T O U R R E A D E R S A R E S A Y I N GINBOX

Summer Loving

THE ROMANCE of train travel that inspired our story “Rail-

way to Heaven” (July/August 2010) spoke to many of our

readers. Journalist Rich Truesdell of Sun City, California,

wrote of the allure of travel by rail on the blog Automotive Traveler:

“I love what I do, and I love cars, but I know there’s a better way. In-

stead of putting up with the trials and tribulations of modern-day air

travel, we should do as the Europeans do. They take their train travel

seriously: The trains are fast and efficient, and their metro stations

are architectural wonders that are almost always clean and safe. You

can hear the sound of the timetables spinning and clicking, updating

departures and arrivals. I absolutely love that sound.” Judie Matterof Minneapolis, Minnesota, recalled her rail trips in North America:

“Each summer when I was a child our family went from Minneapolis

to Seattle on the Northern Pacific Railroad. Such beautiful mountains

and the creaky sounds crossing the bridges! I’m now 65 years old,

and it seems like yesterday.”

Beauty and Bhutan“The column by Boyd Matson on Bhutan (Unbound, July/August

2010) was very interesting,” writes Mike Fowler of Rancho Santa

ADING


Seasoned travelers know that nothing beats the local paper for getting a sense of a place.

READ ALL ABOUT IT!

B Y D A I S A N N M C L A N EREAL TRAVEL

EL DICTAMEN, a popular newspaper in Veracruz,

Mexico, leaves smudges of ink on my hands as I

thumb through it over a breakfast in the zocalo,

or town square. It cost me four pesos (about 50

cents), but the headlines—in Spanish—are priceless: “There

was something for everyone at the Candelaría Festival!’’

reads an exuberant article about a running of the bulls in a

nearby town. “Music! Happiness and fun! Wounded bulls!”

I chuckle at this list of the festival’s highlights and dig into

my plate of huevos and tostadas.

The musicians I’ve come to see here, who will play ma-

rimba music on large wheeled wooden xylophones and the

renowned Veracruzan son jarocho (think “La Bamba”) on

guitars and harps, haven’t yet set up in the zocalo. But gra-cias to El Dictamen, I’m getting a taste of Veracruz while I

wait. A flip of the page to the section labeled “Sociales” of-

fers a glimpse of lovely high-society Veracruzana teens in

fabulously puffy white gowns celebrating their traditional

coming-of-age 15th birthday—the Quince—in typical Mex-

ican fashion: with a party. Another page flip, and I find the


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Going native: Scanning regional newspapers dips you into local doings.


B Y C H R I S T O P H E R E L L I O T TTHE INSIDER

More people are buying policies. But what happens when you have to file a claim?

INSURANCE OVERSELL

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM about travel insur-

ance was that if you can’t afford to lose the va-

cation, insure it. Take out a policy on a round-

the-world cruise if it costs more than a Honda,

but consider cheaper vacations disposable (if not partially

refundable). Before 9/11, roughly one in ten leisure travel-

ers bought insurance, estimates the U.S. Travel Insurance

Association (USTIA), a trade group. But after the 9/11 at-

tacks, interest in travel insurance took off. So-called take-up

rates—the portion of leisure travelers who buy insurance—

jumped to about one-third. More recently, a once-in-a-

generation recession, an Icelandic volcano that choked off

air travel to Europe, and several airline strikes created even

more interest in insurance, turning conventional wisdom

upside down. Now, if you can book it, you should insure it.

Or should you?

Maybe not. The industry wants us to believe we can’t live

without travel insurance, of which there’s a seemingly infi-

nite variety covering far more than just big-ticket excursions.

Book a discounted airline ticket, and your air carrier will offer


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Iceland’s Eyjafjal-lajökull snarled travel plans.

“Just because

insurance is offered on a travel product doesn’t mean you

need it.”


B Y B O Y D M A T S O N

In Sedona, a slew of spiritual guides (accepting Visa and Discover) can help you find yourself.

THE CAPITAL OF WOO-WOO

UNBOUND

MADAME KIMBERLY, in her office at the

psychic center of Sedona, Arizona, flips over

a tarot card, studies it briefly, then asks me,

“Did you recently lose your job?” I wonder

if she’s reading her cards or just the newspapers. Given the

state of the economy, a psychic has a better than even chance

of getting that one right. “Not yet,” I reply, “but I’ll call my

boss for confirmation as soon as we’re done.” When she tells

me, “You’ll be shedding some old friends but adding some

new ones,” I’m reminded of a fortune-teller I visited in Los

Angeles during an election year. I asked who her crystal ball

said would be the next President. She said: “I have a feeling

about one person...but I forgot his name.” Great, a psychic

who can see the future but can’t remember it.

If it’s really possible to peer into the future, to look into the

rearview mirror of past lives, or even to get in touch with your

present inner self by reading your chakras, then Sedona is

the place to do it. This small resort community nestled in the

dramatic red rock formations south of Flagstaff (and 84 miles

from Grand Canyon National Park) is a mecca for spiritual-


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Good vibrations: Healing via didgeridoo at a vortex outside of Sedona.


Agriculture made civilization possible, but it has also brought on a crisis in the modern lifestyle.

GROWING PAINS

B Y K E I T H B E L L O W SONE ON ONE

SPENCER WELLS’S latest book, Pandora’s Seed: The Unforeseen Cost of Civilization, explores the

downside to the agricultural revolution. Over time,

he says, farming has created a world crowded with

sedentary city dwellers whose bodies are better suited to fol-

low the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. The result? Obesity, dia-

betes, tooth decay, mental illness, even warfare. Wells, a ge-

neticist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence,

says the challenge now is to change our lifestyles to save our

planet—and ourselves.

How did farming plant the seeds of our downfall? We

evolved as hunter-gatherers, our population growing accord-

ing to the carrying capacity of nature, that is, staying in har-

mony with nature, reaching about five to ten million people.

Then, about 12,000 years ago, we were plunged back into

an Ice Age, and hunting and gathering could no longer sup-

port as many people. That’s when we started planting seeds.

As climatic conditions turned benign again about 10,000

years ago, the population really started to explode. We’re at


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Wells says humans have evolved to be hunter-gatherers.

“We have to change

our lifestyles, to slow down, want less, not

ship in so much of our food from thousands

of miles away.”


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TRAVEL AT ITS BESTr


North Africa Unveiled Swinging Sixties Lon On Foot: Jerusalem European Olive Oils

Family Field Trips Port of Call: Charleston


ndon 48 Hours in Edinburgh Tango Tale German Castle Stays Sicilian Spa Hotels

n Horse Packing Trips Cape Cod Escape


SMART TRAVELER

SMART TRAVELER

Dine alfresco at an eco-hotel in the Egyptian oasis of Siwa.

North Africa: Different continent, different cultures, same sea. | By ANNA LOUIE SUSSMAN

The Other Mediterranean

I N EDITH WHARTON’S TIME, the “Grand Tour” meant a jaunt

around Europe’s capitals, sunning on the Riviera, and admiring

ancient ruins. Similarly grand, but less well trod, is a tour of North

Africa’s Mediterranean coast with its pristine beaches, small fishing

villages, and archaeological sites to rival those in Europe. Inland, most

of these countries converge on the Sahara, where travelers can camp

amid pink sand dunes or surreal rock formations. And since many of

the larger cities along the coast retain a degree of French convention,

you’re as likely to start your day with a breakfast of croissants, jams,

and café au lait as Wharton and her ilk were on their Med tours of yore.

SMART TRAVELER

PHOTOGRAPH BY PHILIP-LORCA DICORCIA


SMART TRAVELER

TUNISIA: BOUTIQUE EXPLOSION Tunisia boasts high literacy and has made significant

strides toward gender equality. It has long been a destina-

tion for European holidaymakers on sun-and-fun package

tours that include outings to the country’s famous archae-

ological sites: Dougga, Bulla Regia, Oudna, and El-Jem. In

recent years, tourism has gone upmarket, with boutique

hotels opening in and around the capital, Tunis, such as

the Villa Didon in Carthage and the Hotel Dar Said in a

19th-century mansion.

While many of the prime spots along the country’s 700

miles of coastline have been developed into large resorts, a

little effort will get you off the tourist trail and onto some

lovely sand. The port town of Bizerte was the last to be

abandoned by the French departing Tunisia. It’s an easy

day trip that swings you past the archaeological site of

Utica. Djerba, a sandy, palm-clad island off the southeast-

ern coast, is billed as a model of peaceful Muslim–Jew-

ish coexistence. The Jewish community, about a thousand

strong, worships at the El-Ghriba synagogue in Erriadh.

Two hotels have opened in this enclave, Dar Dhiafa and

Dar Bibine, the latter with Armani linens and Philippe

Starck furnishings.

Nearby is the small port town of Zarzis. While not one

of Tunisia’s most elegant cities, it has excellent nearby

beaches and a new boutique hotel, the lushly landscaped

Residence Sultana. From Zarzis, set off into the desert

to visit sites such as Chott El-Jerid (described by scientists

as one of the most Mars-like places on Earth) or the trog-

lodyte villages of Matmata, where George Lucas filmed

scenes from Star Wars in the 1970s. PHOTOGRAPH BY REINHARD SCHMID/SIME

The Tunisian town of Hammamet boasts a 12th- century casbah.


SMART TRAVELER

LIBYA: BACK IN THE FOLD This desert nation was an international pariah until 2003,

when it renounced its nuclear program and took respon-

sibility for the airliner bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland.

With the lifting of visa restrictions on U.S. citizens in May,

Libya is poised to welcome leisure travelers. Marriott and

Intercontinental have announced the construction of

large hotels in the capital, Tripoli. “The day we sent out

the press release that visas were being granted, bookings

came in,” says Perry Lungmus of tour company Travcoa.

Its tours usually revolve around archaeological sites (“sit-

uated beautifully on the coast”).

The Libyan coastline is as varied as the moods of its

mercurial leader Muammar Qaddafi, ranging from rocky

cliffs to powdery white sand. At the western end, the sev-

en-mile-long sandbar of Farwa curves out into the water,

forming a clear blue lagoon. On the eastern side, the year-

old Hotel Al-Burdi is a contemporary, landscaped resort

set into a bay and surrounded by cliffs. Most visitors hone

in on Libya’s magnificent Roman ruins, particularly Lep-

tis Magna, a nearly complete Roman city on the north-

ern coast. And since the Sahara covers 90 percent of the

country, it’s worth giving it a nod, particularly the Acacus

mountain range, with its 12,000-year-old cave drawings.

PHOTOGRAPH BY GIOVANNI SIMEONE/SIME

The archaeologi-cal site of Leptis Magna, in Libya.


SMART TRAVELER

MOROCCO: LUXURY AND TOLERANCE Morocco has of late garnered media attention for host-

ing the filming of Sex and the City’s risqué sequel, after

the United Arab Emirates’ government backed out, judg-

ing the film too scandalous for the conservative emirates.

More tellingly, perhaps, Morocco welcomed the gay Brit-

ish singer Elton John at its Mawazine festival in Rabat this

year, a sign of real-life tolerance that triumphed over pro-

tests by hard-line religious groups. While beach goers gen-

erally flock to Morocco’s more developed Atlantic coast,

the Mediterranean village of Oued Laou is an oft-over-

looked alternative north of the popular mountain town

of Chefchaouen, known for its hash cafés. Oued Laou is

a quiet fishing village, but the surrounding landscape is

among the most lush in Morocco, and the nearby beach-

es are sparsely populated. New development in Tangiers,

where European travelers disembark after a ferry ride

from Spain, is revitalizing the city, says Joel Zack, presi-

dent of Heritage Tours Private Travel. He has seen the

town emerge from seediness to welcome its first boutique

hotels, including the Nord Pinus.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARTIN CHILD/GETTY IMAGES

A suq in Marra-kech offers a colorful array of shoes.


SMART TRAVELER

EGYPT: GREENING THE DESERT Egypt’s Red Sea coast is known for its world-class diving

and has the tourist facilities to match. The north coast is

starting to blossom as well with the opening of the intimate

Peace Spa at Marsa Matrouh. The 137-mile drive from

Alexandria takes you past the World War II battlefield site

of El Alamein as well as Sidi Abdel Rahman, a favorite

beach spot for locals. Beginning with the elegant Adrère Amellal eco-resort (no phones and lit only by candles) on

Siwa’s shimmering salt lake, several upscale retreats have

sprung up around Egypt’s desert oases. A pair of hotels

in the Farafra and Dakhla oases, owned and operated by

a Bedouin family, feature traditional mud-brick construc-

tion and homecooked meals.

ALGERIA: THE REAL THING Adventure travelers can capitalize on Algeria’s relative ob-

scurity and discover its beaches and ruins. Many Algerians

cool off at the beaches around Bejaia. For truly unspoiled

coast, enter the Gouraya National Park in Bejaia Prov-

ince, a UNESCO biosphere reserve inhabited by endan-

gered jackals, wildcats, and sperm whales, as well as a few

thousand Berbers who farm and keep bees on the reserve.

Farther east lies Annaba, a university town noted for nine

nearby beaches. Rachid Hammoudi, a French-Algerian

based in Paris who plans to organize trips to Algeria, notes

that the country offers an authentic experience few other

North African countries can match. “When people laugh

and smile, it’s genuine; they’re not trying to sell you any-

thing.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL PANAYIOTOU/SIME

Boats bob on Eastern harbor, Alexandria, Egypt.


SMART TRAVELER

TOP FIVE

Sixties style is back. How to find it in the city where it all began. | By JONI RENDON

London’s Decade of Cool

T HE MUSIC. The clothes. The hair. Bond, Twiggy, and the Bea-

tles took the world by storm in the 1960s, when Time magazine

immortalized “Swinging London” as the capital of cool. Fifty

years on, there’s new interest in the city’s most daring decade.

1 RETRO ROADSTER TOUR › Post-war fuel shortages gave birth to the

Mini Cooper, which first hit the streets of London in 1959 and has

ruled its roads ever since. One tour company (www.smallcarbigcity.com) offers chauffeured rides in the retro roadsters that were beloved

by everyone from Princess Margaret to the Beatles.

2 COUNTERCULTURE HAUNT › The Troubadour, one of London’s

oldest folk clubs, was the site of Bob Dylan’s first impromptu gig

in the city in 1962. Throughout the ’60s, the gritty bohemian café

hosted the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, and Paul Simon, and

its eclectic mix of live performances and poetry readings still draw an

artsy crowd today.

3 SECRET AGENT MAN CAVE › Old-school Brit James Bond became

the era’s suave style icon when Sean Connery launched the Mar-

tini-sipping, Aston Martin–driving spy onto the big screen in 1962.

The martinis at clubby Dukes Bar (a haunt of 007-creator Ian Flem-


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A city tour in vintage Mini Coop-er cars stops at Trafalgar Square.


SMART TRAVELER

In autumn, Edinburgh’s historic streets are at their atmospheric best. | By JULIANA GILLING

Accent on Scotland48 HOURS

P EEL THE LAYERS of Scotland’s capital city—which has inspired

both Robert Louis Stevenson (Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde) and J. K. Rowling (Harry Potter)—and you can find

contemporary theater and organic rhubarb vodkas as well as ages-old

monuments and single malts.

WHAT TO DO “Edinburgh is a compact city, which means that a few

hours of exploring on foot can unearth a lot,” says best-selling crime

writer and Edinburgh resident Ian Rankin.

Slip into the Real Mary King’s Close, a warren of streets and

rooms dating to the 1600s buried beneath the Royal Mile. Guides in

period costume show you merchants’ workshops and private homes,

including that of a gravedigger who lost his family to the plague. To

evade the crowds, even in August when the Edinburgh festivals dou-

ble the population, head to the cobbled streets of Dean Village—little

changed from its milling days centuries ago—and amble alongside

the Water of Leith river. Leith Walk is lined with small and unusual

shops such as vinyl and book dealer Elvis Shakespeare.

St. Margaret’s Chapel at Edinburgh Castle deserves a pilgrim-

age; the city’s oldest building dates to around 1130. This Romanesque

chapel is King David I’s tribute to his mother, Queen Margaret. “The

chapel is tiny, but if you can get it to yourself first thing in the morning


LOAD

A prized bottle at the Scotch Whisky Experience.

DING



Calton Hill provides a sprawling overview of Edinburgh.



Folk fiddles and classic pints at Sandy Bell’s pub.


Edinburgh’s Castle RockEdinburgh Castle—symbol of Scottish pride—sits atop a volcanic crag that dominates the city skyline. Here, Edinburgh experts offer tips and local lore for the best experiences on and around Castle Rock.

By JULIANA GILLING


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INFOGRAPHIC BY JAVIER ZARRACINA

48 Hours

DIGITAL BONUS


SMART TRAVELER

Jerusalem modernizes, but a walk in the Old City reveals the place’s enduring soul. | By MARGARET LOFTUS

Treading Sacred GroundON FOOT

W ITH THE striking new Chords Bridge designed by Santiago

Calatrava, an expansion of the Israel Museum unveiled this

past summer, and the debut of the modernist Mamilla Ho-

tel, Jerusalem has burnished its contemporary side. Even the Old City

is undergoing a $4-million restoration of its thick limestone walls. But

the soul of this ancient labyrinth of markets and sacred sites central to

the beliefs of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism has remained unchanged

for centuries.

1) Jaffa Gate Built in the 16th century by the Ottoman Sultan Sulei-

man, this gate was the entranceway to the Holy City for pilgrims who

began their journey from the port of Jaffa. It reopened last spring after

a restoration that included re attaching an original Arabic inscription

above the entrance.

2) Tower of David Museum Brush up on some 4,000 years of Holy

City history here, part of a complex that encompasses ruins of a cita-

del built 2,000 years ago by Herod the Great.

3) Church of the Holy Sepulchre Empress Helena of Constantino-

ple in A.D. 326 deemed this the site of the crucifixion and burial of

Jesus. In a byzantine arrangement, the church is shared by six denom-


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The Dome of the Rock rests on Temple Mount —a site holy to Muslims, Christians, and Jews.


SMART TRAVELER

Germany’s castles—medieval fortresses to Tudor-style châteaus—welcome guests. | By JEANNETTE KIMMEL

Sleeping Like a KingHOTEL CENTRAL

C ENTRAL AND southern Germany are idyllic in the fall, when

temperate weather permits terrace dining, beer gardens are

open late, and vibrant foliage beckons long drives through the

castle-dotted countryside. Germany boasts some 25,000 castles, many

of which offer accommodations. Guests can expect royal treatment

with four-poster beds, velvet drapes, candlelight dinners, and lush es-

tate grounds.

Located south of Hanover along the 270-mile Fairytale Road, the

12th-century Dornröschenschloss Sababurg (from $145, including

breakfast, www.sababurg.de), otherwise known as the Sleeping Beauty

Castle—so named by the Brothers Grimm —features an exquisite

rose garden whose flowers are used in the restaurant’s cuisine. View

performances in the medieval cellar vaults; from your bedroom win-

dow watch deer and the endangered Przewalski’s horse roam in Tier-

park Sababurg, Europe’s oldest zoological garden.

To the west, in the North Rhine-Westphalia region, stands the re-

gal Schloss hotel Hugenpoet (from $344, including breakfast, www.hugenpoet.de). Destroyed in the Middle Ages, rebuilt, and transformed

into a hotel, the castle features unique architectural details, such as a

16th-century sandstone fireplace and a black-marble staircase. The

25 guest rooms are furnished with antiques, artwork, and modern

comforts (flat-screen TVs and Wi-Fi). Sample some 400 local and in-


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Virginia creeper covers the historic Schloss Sommersdorf castle.



Walk among 800-year-old oak trees at Tierpark Sababurg (left) or climb the winding staircase at the Schlosshotel Bühler-hühe in the spa town of Baden-Baden.



Breakfast with a view is served on the tower bal-cony of the Hotel Schoenburg.


SMART TRAVELER

Sicily’s west coast is an oasis of rejuvanating hotels that draw from local resources. | By AMY M. THOMAS

Italian Spas for the SensesCHECKING IN

VERDURA GOLF & SPA RESORT › SCIACCA

Scattered across this new resort’s 570 acres are Sicily’s fragrant natu-

ral resources. Fresh lemons, olives, and basil make their way into the

cuisine and drinks of the property’s four restaurants and bars. The

258 rooms and private suites are simply but elegantly designed in

earth tones, primarily using stone and wood. At the sprawling spa, opt

for the Volcano Soul Oil facial, which features mineral-rich products

that are massaged into the skin using hot lava stones from Mount

Etna. There’s also a mile-long private beach. (From $390; www.verduraresort.com.)

MAHARA HOTEL › MAZARA DEL VALLO

Erected from the ruins of an ancient winemaking building, the Ma-

hara Hotel offers a peaceful respite from the boisterous seafood res-

taurants and gelaterias on the strip where it’s located. The modest

77 rooms overlook the town’s boardwalk on one side and courtyard

pool on the other. At the spa, the region’s olive oil takes center stage,

blended with orange and lemon essences used in body treatments.

(From $90; www.maharahotel.it.)

KEMPINSKI HOTEL GIARDINO DI COSTANZA › MAZARA DEL VALLO

The heart of this hotel is the outdoor pool, and with good reason. Fea-


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Verdura’s amenities include a private pool for guest who book the presidential suite (upper) and spa products made with local ingredients.

DING


Olive oil producers in the Mediterranean are creating a new interest in the local fruit. | By RAPHAEL KADUSHIN

Europe’s Golden Elixir

SMART TRAVELER

TASTE OF TRAVEL

O LIVE OIL may have only recently found a firm place at the

American table, next to that smug pat of butter. But in the

Mediterranean, where groves of olive trees are a fixed part of

the landscape, the oil has liberally infused the culture and cuisine for

millennia. Now certain epicenters of the liquid gold—Spain, France,

Greece, and Italy—have witnessed a resurgence of smaller, artisanal

olive oil producers that are welcoming visitors and helping fuel a local

celebration of this ancient cash crop. That means travelers can map

their own olive oil odyssey—one that leads from the olive estates them-

selves to olive oil tastings, boutiques (where the stock is bottled to clear

customs), festivals, and meals overseen by an olive oil sommelier.

The 17th-century Moulin Jean-Marie Cornille (www.moulin-cornille.com) sits in Provence’s Vallée des Baux, one of France’s olive oil

centers, and is considered by some chefs one of the most authentic ol-

ive mills in the country. Visit in late October and November to watch

the granite millstones crush the harvest of tiny green and brown ol-

ives. Year-round, the Moulin features a film on olive oil production

and a degustation of three types of the cold-pressed house specialty.

Stop at the nearby boutique Jean Martin for a variety of Provençal

olive oils, sauces, fig confit, and cooking classes ($26 per person).

Just below the Sierra Subbética Mountains in the southern

Spanish province of Córdoba, the Núñez de Prado family (www


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Olives (upper) are harvested by hand in Provence’s Vallée des Baux.Núñez de Prado’s organic olive oil (lower) is bottled and sealed with wax.

ADING


CASA MARGHERITA Trevi, ItalyAll olives, all the time? Adopt a tree from Casa Margherita’s grove and receive some of Umbria’s finest oil throughout the year, pressed from your tree’s own olives. $92 per year www.casa-margherita .com/olive-oil/oliveoil.html

Dip Into Europe’s Olive Oil Offerings

Artisanal olive estates are opening their doors to travelers, but if you can’t take a gustatory getaway, let the oil come to you. Check out these products from France, Italy, Spain, and Greece, available online. Crusty bread not included.

By GIOVANNA PALATUCCI


SAN LEANDRO Córdoba, Spain

Spanish olives from this ancient Andalusian grove

were first pressed in 1916. Today’s San Lean-

dro extra virgin olive oil is delicate and aromatic.

$127 for 6 bottleswww.med-int.com

CASTELAS Vallée des Baux de Provence, FranceFrench for “old castle,” Castelas extra virgin olive oil is pressed from the olives of a 100-year-old grove and tastes of basil and green vegetables. $20 per bottle www.castelasshop.fr

Taste of Travel

DIGITAL BONUS


MOULIN JEAN MARIE CORNILLEVallée des Baux de Provence, FranceLike Provençal wine in its delicacy, the Moulin Jean Marie Cornille black extra virgin olive oil contains hints of underwood, cocoa, and artichoke. $26 per bottlewww.moulin-cornille.com


ELEAAthens, GreeceElea, an award-winning olive oil from Sparta and Corinth, is both organic and kosher for Passover. $19 per bottlehttp://eleaoliveoil.com/commerce

ANTONIO CELENTANO Córdoba, Spain

This extra virgin olive oil from Córdoba, Spain is

produced from a variety of olives including local picudos. $15 per bottle

www.antonio celentano.com

PHOTOGRAPHS BY REBECCA HALE/NGS


SMART TRAVELER

Weekend getaways bring history to life in these four fun cities. | By LISA ARMSTRONG

Hands-On Field Trips FAMILY

WASHINGTON, D.C. › With its many museums and monuments, the

nation’s capital is an obvious place to learn more about American his-

tory. Learn about ordinary citizens in the “We The People” exhibit at

the National Archives and see the original Declaration of Indepen-

dence. Visit President Lincoln’s Cottage in northwest D.C., a sea-

sonal residence of the Lincolns. Here, families can sit around a replica

of Lincoln’s Cabinet table and, using digitized letters and documents,

decide how they’d advise the president on important events such as

the Civil War. Stay at the Willard hotel, where Lincoln slept before his

inauguration (his ten-day hotel bill is on display) and where Martin

Luther King, Jr., finished writing his “I Have a Dream” speech.

BOSTON › Take a walk through history on Boston’s Freedom Trail, a

2.5-mile route with stops at 16 historic sites. You can join a scavenger

hunt, answering questions that will guide you to various artifacts in

the Old South Meeting House, where angry colonists gathered in

December 1773 and launched the Boston Tea Party. Then climb the

294 steps to take in the view from the top of Bunker Hill Monument. On Boston’s other historical walk, the 1.6-mile Black Heritage Trail in the Beacon Hill neighborhood, stop by the Abiel Smith School,

which was the first public school built for blacks in the U.S. Stay at

the Omni Parker House, where several notables have spent time—Ho


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A warm greeting at one of the museums along Boston’s Freedom Trail.


SMART TRAVELER

Six off-the-ship excursions in Charleston, from low-country tastes to Gullah tours. | By SUZANNE WRIGHT

Southern ExposurePORT OF CALL

L AST MAY, Carnival Cruise Lines launched year-round cruises

from Charleston to the Bahamas and Key West. Whether you’re

a first-timer or a return visitor to this gracious southern town—

nicknamed the Holy City for the church steeples that punctuate its

skyline—there’s plenty to see downtown before or after the cruise. Or

head to the rural coastal islands just south of the city for vineyards and

local seafood.

TOP CHEF TIPS 2.5 hours

Learn the secrets of delicious low-country cuisine from culinary mas-

ters on the Chef’s Kitchen Tour ($42; www.culinarytoursofcharleston.com). Lunch on praiseworthy hush puppies and shrimp corn dogs

slathered with Carolina mustard at Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar.

THE WORD ON GULLAH 2 Hours Gullah refers to both the people and the language of the region’s ear-

ly black inhabitants, mostly descendants of African slaves. Historian

Alphonso Brown brings the patois to life on his Gullah Tours ($18;

www.gullahtours.com).

MEANDER MEETING STREET 3 or more hours

Museum Mile (www.charlestonmuseummile.org) offers a rich concen-


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Church steeples are a common sight on a tour through the “Holy City.”


SMART TRAVELER

On a horse-packing trip, sleep under the stars and roam the open range. | By SUZANNE B. BOPP

Saddle Up and Ride ’EmADVENTURE

D AYS ON THE TRAIL, evenings around the campfire, serenaded

by sounds of the night forest: Few modes of travel can match

the romance of going into the rugged backcountry on horse-

back with all your food and gear. “You can get to places you couldn’t

easily access any other way,” says Anderson Vacations’ Joseph Mac-

donald.

ALBERTA, CANADA › With voyages to the Kananaskis Valley, Waterton

Lakes National Park, and Banff National Park, Home on the Range Adventure Tours (www.homeontherange.ca) lets you pick your trip by

surroundings (mountain meadows or rugged foothills) and accom-

modations (tents, cabins, or lodges). Travelers comment about the

wildlife, the hearty Western food, and the serenity.

BISHOP, CALIFORNIA › Outings at Rock Creek Pack Station (www.rockcreekpackstation.com) have offered an educational element ever

since the first outing in 1947. Guests can observe wild mustangs and

learn the fundamentals of horse packing while they ride through the

eastern Sierra Nevadas and the John Muir Wilderness.

GLENWOOD, NEW MEXICO › The Gila was America’s first designated

wilderness, set aside in 1924. Known for wildflowers and wildlife—elk,


LOA

Horseback riders and a dog gallop in the shadow of Canada’s Rockies.


SMART TRAVELER

The Argentine tango is a sure way to get into the soul of this South American country. | By CAMILLE CUSUMANO

So You Think You Can Dance?EXPERIENCE

N OW AND THEN in Buenos Aires, I have the urge to rub against

a man I’ve never met. When that occurs, I usually go to La

Boca, the barrio that throbs with the afterglow of brilliantly

colored paints poured by Italian immigrants over their drab tenements

in the early 20th century. This afternoon, I find my guy near El Cami-

nito, a pedestrian way where the polychromatic hues are even louder

than my pink high heels.

Gustavo and partner have just performed tango on a raised stage

for the entertainment of tourists dining alfresco. He greets my request

for a spin warmly, “¡Por supuesto!” (“Of course!”)

Since 2006, I’ve been a regular at many of the city’s milongas, dance

halls where modern tango’s first steps were crafted and refined over

time. This new kick—dancing tango with a complete stranger—is, in

part, schoolyard-showoff stuff. But it’s also that this torso-to-torso

dance is a thrilling narrative, a romantic miniseries, improvised anew

with each partner. As with many love stories, first times bring that

added flush of excitement.

Tango, renowned for its sensuality, has been blushing complexions

for at least a hundred years. In old and new milongas, one dances with

a cross-section of Argentina—from taxi drivers to psychotherapists—

assuring the deepest cultural immersion, almost literally, on famously

packed dance floors. I revel in watching each swaying body project


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Getting to know you: The author does the tango at a milonga in Buenos Aires.


ESCAPE

Like a Painting DRIVE UP A DIRT ROAD in Truro,

Massachusetts, and the forest starts

to recede, giving way to marsh and

swaying sea grass. As Cape Cod Bay

comes into view, with that dramatic

spit of land curving toward the tip

at Provincetown, a white clapboard

home emerges atop one of the high-

er slopes. Decades ago, an easel and

canvas could be found beside an extra

large window—a hint that this was the

summer residence of Edward Hop-

per, one of America’s most innova-

tive artists. Typical of Hopper’s sub-

ject matter, the small house is isolated

and unassuming, ordinary fare that

the master somehow made extraordi-

nary. Hopper, Thoreau, Rothko, and

Mailer are just a few of the luminar-

ies from American arts and letters

who took solace in this unvarnished

setting. Choose between the bay or

ocean side, sketch pad in hand. The

sea, dunes, and moors await. Hop-

per’s house, now privately owned, can

be seen from Stephens Way Road, off

Route 6. The ocean side of Truro is

part of the Cape Cod National Sea-

shore. —Stephen Jermanok

Artist Edward Hopper’s former summer house on Cape Cod.PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS RAMIREZ/THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX


P L A C E S & P E O P L E S H O W I N G T H E W A Y F O R W A R DTIPPING POINT

Mapping’s Future

Medellín’s new library center.


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Medellín Redux

Deep-Sea B&Bs?

DING


Familes enjoy Sultanah-met Park in old Istanbul.

Beloved for its complex, layered past, Istanbul, where East meets West, may also offer a vision of what’s to come.

by Pico Iyerphotographs by Dave Yoder


Minarets are ubiquitous in this busy city.

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don’t think I’d ever stepped inside a cinema restroom to see little video

screens along the wall projecting fashion runway footage until

I went to Istanbul a few months ago. But then—my life is so

sheltered!—I’d never seen mini-screens lining an elevator on the

way to the movies, either. The hit song from Slumdog Millionaire, “Jai Ho,” was pulsing through every floor of City’s Mall in Istan-

bul’s Nisantasi district when I visited, and the restrooms next to

the cinema lobby were marked by life-size cutouts of Brad Pitt

and Angelina Jolie (starring in Mr. and Mrs. Smith).

On sofas overlooking the lights of the city, salon-tanned kids

stretched out before a blue-lit cocktail bar—not to be confused

with the espresso bar (offering tiramisu) in another corner or

the regular popcorn counter serving up Pepperidge Farm cook-

ies and tubs of Häagen-Dazs. It took me a while to realize that

these glamorous teenagers weren’t here to see Public Enemies or

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past; they’d come to the cinema lobby just

to make the scene.

I’d heard for years that Istanbul, one of the official European

Capitals of Culture for 2010, calls itself “Europe’s coolest city.”

It’s certainly one of the most complex—the center of a country

that is 98 percent Islamic yet increasingly famous for its wa-

termelon martinis. Here is a place whose Blue Mosque has an

LCD screen flashing the time in Paris and Tokyo. Turkey’s most

cosmopolitan metropolis has more billionaires than any city but

iding


In Istanbul, ferries zigzag constantly across the Bosporus strait, shuttling passengers from Europe to Asia and back again.


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Fish (above) graces the menu at many of the shoreside restaurants that line the Bosporus and boast of stunning marine views. A water-melon martini (left) tempts with colorful garnishes.



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An ice-cream vendor delights young patrons in Beyoglu.

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A tram navigates Istan-bul’s Istiklal Avenue, one of the busiest shopping venues in Europe.



Istanbul’s Blue Mosque welcomes the faithful as well as visitors by the thousands.



Pilgrims weep at the tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, friend of the Prophet.



Dating to the 15th cen-tury, the Grand Bazaar, housing thousands of shops, is a spectacle of color and commerce.



Clockwise from left: The Blue Mosque is nicknamed for the color of in-terior tiles. Visitors negotiate a slippery walkway in the Basilica Cistern. Fishermen crowd the Galata Bridge over the Golden Horn at dusk.



Students dance to Turkish music at the Vosvos bar in the Beyoglu district.


P L U S !

TOP DRIVES

FOR FOOD,

HISTORY & PURE

PLEASURE

Ultimate

Head out on the highway—and byways—with these five drives

of a lifetime, ranging from California to Uzbekistan.


I t is hard to kit is crystal cAmerica, in

Tennessee and nVirginia is “northas Homer, a mousays. We’re gettin

INTRODUCTION BY P

Jenkins's 1957 Chevy.


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know how deep a river is when clear. I am on a road trip across a part of Virginia not far from not far from Kentucky. West

h a here, over them mountains,” untain man I’ve known a while, ng ready to drive through the

Holston River, at a crossing locals have used for genera-

tions. Strangers shouldn’t cross here unless accompanied

by someone everyone “hereabouts” knows, Homer says.

Even though the river is up some, he says we can proba-

bly make it across without drowning the motors or flipping

the four-wheelers. (He mentions, with classic Appalachian

understatement, that he once saved an old lady’s life here

during a flood.) All I need to do is keep from getting as “wet

as a bloodhound running after an escaped convict through

an uncut hayfield after an all-night rain.” His words. Once

across, we are going to explore the sacred mountain places

that Homer and his people consider their inspiration, their

hunting grounds, their secret hiding places. “Just follow me,

gun the motor, don’t stop, see you on the other side,” Homer

shouts out as he enters the river.

For a second I look down the river and wonder where I’d

PETER JENKINS

ding


DOWN UNDER'S FINEST COASTAL DRIVE

AUSTRALIA

The Great Oc


The limestone Twelve Apostles

formations.

cean Road


MELBOURNE TO WARRNAMBOOL THE ROUTE: Built in memory of those who served in World War I, the Great O

golden-sand beaches, rugged cliffs, and quiet fishing ports, all set against the forest

says National Geographic photographer Annie Griffiths Belt. “Don’t miss the Tw

formations.” DISTANCE: 260 miles; DRIVING TIME: 12 hours round trip; WHE

1

100

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Colongulac LakeCorangamiteH

opkins

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Melba GullyState Park

Cape OtwayLighthouse

Twelve Apostles

ErskineFalls

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Terang

Mortlake

Cobden

PortCambell

WattleHill

ApolloBay

LaversHill

ColacWarrnambool

Camperdown

Princetown

0 mi

0 km

ALL MAPS: COSMOGRAPHICS LTD


Ocean Road in Victoria remains Australia’s finest coastal drive, skirting deserted

ted Otway Ranges. “The Great Ocean Road winds past stunning coastal scenery,”

welve Apostles, where the sea crashes with amazing force against the gigantic rock

EN TO GO: Year-round; PLANNING: www.greatoceanrd.org.au

START1

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GroveSorrento

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Melbourne

Geelong

Winchelsea

Werribee

Anglesea

Torquay

20

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AUSTRALIA

Areaenlarged


HIGHLIGHTS

A t Geelong, the National Wool Museum displays a working

example of a 1910 loom and a re-created shearing shed;

the gift shop offers the museum’s own “manor house rug”

woven on-site. At Narana Creations, an Aboriginal cultural and

tourism center, shop for handcrafted boomerangs and didgeridoos.

Bells Beach near Torquay is one of the world’s most renowned

surfing beaches, loved for reliable waves that regularly swell up to

12 feet high. The beach has also inspired two global surfing brands:

Quiksilver and Rip Curl. The Rip Curl Pro, a premier international

surfing event, takes place here every Easter. The SurfWorld Mu-seum in Torquay celebrates surfing with exhibits of old and rare

surfboards. They even have a facility for shaping surfboards on site.

The steep Otway Ranges, clad in rain forest, offer views of the

ocean and the rolling green hills. About 12 miles past Apollo Bay,

take a left on winding Otway Lighthouse Road to Cape Otway light

station, built from local sandstone in 1848. Since then, the light has

never failed.

At Port Campbell National Park, a series of limestone stacks

known as the Twelve Apostles rises more than 200 feet from the

sea. Frequent pull-offs along the road allow for different viewing

angles of these striking rock formations.

Southern right whales frequent the shallows near the old whaling

town of Warrnambool as a nursery in winter months (May-July).

In town, the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village includes tours of the

lighthouse, the lighthouse keeper’s cottage, and the fortifications

built in 1887 to thwart Russian invaders. A sound and laser show,

“Shipwrecked,” tells the story of the nearby sinking of the clipper

Loch Ard in 1878.

Just outside Winchelsea on the way back to Melbourne on

the Princes Highway, stop at Barwon Park (open Sundays and

Wednesdays), one of Australia’s grandest mansions. Its 42 rooms

retain their original Victorian interiors, including a majestic cedar

staircase.

REFUEL: The Talimanidis family serves fresh fish at their modern

Greek/Australian restaurant A La Grecque in Aireys Inlet. Sunny-colored


walls and a hearty “Yia Sou!” welcome travelers and locals alike. www.

alagrecque.com.au SLEEP: Guests at the Great Ocean Ecolodge, about

four miles north of the historic Cape Otway Lighthouse, enjoy a solar-

heated rain- water shower, continental breakfast while overlooking a

field frequented by grazing kangaroos, and afternoon tea. This environ-

mentally friendly guesthouse is located in the Cape Otway Centre for

Conservation Ecology. Guided walks at dusk get you up close with koa-

las and other indigenous wild animals in their habitat. From $313, includ-

ing breakfast, tea, and walk; www.greatoceanecolodge.com.au

Cape Otway Lighthouse.


ITALY

Langhe ValleTHE WINDING ROAD TO GREAT WINES


Love with the Twelve Apostle

caption here.

Nebbiolo grapes (top) go into the making of Barolo wines, which visitors sample at Castello Falletti (above). Left: The wine town Grinzane Cavour.

ey


Tan

aro

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ITALY

Areaenlarged

LOOP ROUTE FROM ALBA THE ROUTE Robust red wines and the world’s fin-

est truffles make Piedmont a gourmet’s destination.

This drive runs along gentle roads through the fertile

heart of the Langhe Valley, a region of single-estate

vineyards and medieval hilltop villages, including

red-roofed Alba and the winemaking center of Barolo.

In fall, delicate mists give the hills an ethereal beauty.

DISTANCE 93 miles; 105 miles via detour through

Mango and Barbaresco; DRIVING TIME 4 hours; WHEN TO GO May through mid-October; PLANNING Most of the region’s roads are unnum-

bered and follow north-to-south-running valleys and

ridges. Few lateral links cross the hills west to east.

www.piemonteitalia.eu; www.fieradeltartufo.org; www.castellogrinzane.com; www.comune.monesiglio.cn.it

This feature was adapted from the new National Geographic book Drives of a Lifetime, available at www.nationalgeographic.com/

books. With additional reporting by Daniel Bortz, Caitlin Etherton,

and Erin McNulty.


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Ricca

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Viglierchi

NiellaBelbo

MombarcaroSan Biagio

Cravanzana

olo

CastiglioneFalletto

Roddino

Serravalle Langhe

Castino

Benevello

Gallo d’Alba

GrinzaneCavour

Alba

Dianod'Albara

Monforted'Alba

Serralungad'Alba

Bossolasco

Murazzano

Cortèmilia

Borgomale

Barbaresco

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White truffles of Piedmont.


HIGHLIGHTS

P iedmont’s white truffles are rare and costly (ranging from $600 to $15,000 per pound). When ripe, usually in November,

they exude a highly charged perfume redolent of earth and

for a few brief days are sniffed out by specially trained dogs. Savor

them in local restaurants such as Ristorante Dulcis Vitis and at the

International White Truffle Fair, both in Alba.

Grinzane Cavour Castle houses an ethnographic museum and

the Enoteca Regionale Cavour, where you can taste and buy local

wines, grappas, and foods like hazelnut biscuits and jam, chestnuts,

and chocolates, all rigorously selected.

In Barolo, which gives its name to the most famous Piedmont red

wine, you can sample and buy different Barolos and other vintages

at the Enoteca Regionale Del Barolo in the Castello Falletti. The

city is also home to a museum of viticulture and the cantina of the

Marchesi di Barolo, an historic wine estate.

From Viglierchi, make a detour on the road that strikes east to

Monesiglio, following it as far as the hamlet of San Biagio. The tiny

Romanesque Santuario di Santa Maria d’Acqua Dolce boasts rare

12th-century frescoes of Christ and the saints.

REFUEL: With vineyard views, Belvedere restaurant serves classic

Piedmont cuisine: tajarin (long flat noodles), vitello tonnato (a cold

veal dish), porcini, and white truffles. The restaurant perches on a nat-

ural balcony on the site of La Morra’s ancient castle. www.belvedere

lamorra.it SLEEP: On a hilltop overlooking the vine-covered Langhe,

the Hotel Villa Beccaris grants guests views of the historic village of

Monforte d’Alba from the comfort of its sun deck. Fresco-covered ceil-

ings, terra-cotta floors, and antiques evoke the villa’s former owner,

19th-century royalist general Fiorenzo Bava Beccaris. From $294;

www.villabeccaris.it


THE SILK ROAD

Uzbekistan

The Uzbek national dish of plov. Right: Boys play soccer outside the massive Bibi Khanum mosque in Samarqand.

AT THE INTERSECTION OF CULTURES



caption here.


380

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BADAI-TUGAINATURE RESERVE

Khiwa

Nukus

Chimboy

Turtkul Zar

Uchquduq

Urganch

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Bukhara

Gizhud

Turkmenabat

TURKMEN I S TAN

UZB E K I S TAN

50

100

0 mi

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UZBEKISTAN

Areaenlarged

TASHKENT TO KHIWA THE ROUTE: For more than 2,000 years, trade routes ran across Asia, connecting

precious goods, and with them came new cultures and fresh ideas. This route thr

and Khiwa—which flourished in the golden age of Islamic architecture. DISTANCor September to October; PLANNING: Uzbekistan’s road network is fairly good b


START

37

39

39 34

379

380

378

377

376

Aydar Kul

rafshon

Samarqand

Qarshi

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KA ZAKHSTAN

TA J I K I S TAN

g China to the Mediterranean. Caravans of camels, horses, and mules transported

rough Uzbekistan connects three fabled Silk Road cities —Samarqand, Bukhara,

CE: 745 miles; DRIVING TIME: At least 2 days; WHEN TO GO: April through May,

but exercise caution. www.visit-uzbekistan.com


uzbekistan › tashkent TO khiwa Carpetmakers weave the color-ful rugs Khiwa is known for.



caption here.

HIGHLIGHTS

I n 1889, British statesman Lord Curzon described Samarqand’s

central square, the Registan, as “the noblest public square in

the world.” The square is surrounded on three sides by tower-

ing, tile-decorated arches, domes, and minarets of madrassas (reli-

gious schools) dating from the 15th to the 17th centuries.

The sheer number of mosques and madrassas in Bukhara have

earned it the nickname “The Divine.” But it is also known as the

“museum city,” due to its 140-plus architectural monuments.

Built in 1514, the iconic Kalyan mosque is the most impressive of

Bukhara’s mosques for scale alone: Its minaret rises 155 feet. The

emirs once lived in Bukhara’s old citadel, now a museum complex

where visitors can wander the ages-old jewelry workshop, chancel-

lery, and harem quarters.

Toward the end of the 300-mile stretch from Bukhara to Khiwa,

the landscape softens from desert scrubland to farmland. Most

buildings in the walled city of Khiwa date from the 18th and 19th

centuries, although many stand on the sites of more ancient struc-

tures. The rectangular Ichan-kala (royal court) contains the Kuhyna Ark (citadel), where architectural beauty provided an incongruous

setting for the tyrannical rule of the khans. Outside the old town,

the sprawling Tash-khauli palace housed the khans; its gilded opu-

lence evokes the rulers’ immense power.

REFUEL: Like many Tashkent restaurants, the intricately decorated

Caravan is part restaurant/part coffeehouse. The menu lists strong

coffees, teas, and national foods like plov (a rice-and-meat pilaf), manti

(dumpling), and somsa (a meat-and-onion-stuffed pastry). Caravan also

doubles as an art gallery promoting handmade silk, clothing, painting,

graphic art, jewelry, and ceramics of local craftspeople. 22 Abdulla Kakh-

khar St., Tashkent; www.caravan.uz SLEEP: Step inside the family-run

Amelia Boutique Hotel in Bukhara to find modern conveniences com-

bined with classical architecture and authentic Bukharian style—color-

ful wall paintings, carved wood ceilings, and local artwork. During sum-

mer evenings, Uzbek, Tajik, Russian, or vegetarian cooking is prepared

alfresco on the patio. From $50; www.hotelamelia.com


UTAH

Arches & CanTHE QUINTESSENTIAL AMERICAN ROAD TRIP

Ditch the car and hike Canyonlands National Park.


nyonsstoremags & fantamag - magazines for all

DEAD HORSE POINT STATE PARK TO GOBLIN VALLEY STATE PARK

THE ROUTE: “Long before Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah were

created, the forces of time were busy carving and painting this desert into a

pastiche of natural wonders,” says National Geographic Traveler contributing

editor John Rosenthal. Southern Utah’s canyons, chasms, arches, and spires,

finely chiseled over millions of years, are among the most dramatic landscapes

in the U.S. This route includes geological marvels, as well as prehistoric and

Native American sites. DISTANCE: Around 860 miles; DRIVING TIME:18

hours; WHEN TO GO: Late spring through fall; PLANNING: Set out with a

full tank of gas and plenty of water. www.discovermoab.com; www.nps.gov/hove; www.utah.com/stateparks/goblin_valley.htm

Mesa Arch frames a view of Canyonlands National Park.


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HIGHLIGHTS

Arches National Park contains the world’s largest concen-

tration of stone arches—some 2,000 of them, ranging in

size from 3 to 300 feet wide. Delicate Arch is Utah’s signa-

ture formation. Information on self-guided walking tours, including

a short tramp around the Windows section of the park, are available

at the park visitors center.

The town of Moab provides a good base for hikes, mountain bik-

ing, and river trips. Nearby Newspaper Rock is a sandstone wall

crowded with 1,500-year-old petroglyphs.

The small town of Blanding is known for its Native American art

and handicrafts. Watch artists at work at Cedar Mesa Pottery and

purchase handmade pots in the gift shop.

Hovenweep National Monument preserves the ruins of a

Puebloan community that lived here from the 5th to the 13th

centuries. The square, circle, and D-shaped stone towers remain a

mystery.Were they celestial observatories, defensive structures, or

did they serve some other function?

The iconic buttes and mesas of Monument Valley.


Road tripping doesn’t get any better than the ride across

Monument Valley. Colossal red, orange, and yellow sandstone

buttes tower overhead, while sagebrush dots the desert floor.

Even in a part of the world dominated by geological dazzlers, the

bizarre mushroom formations of Goblin Valley State Park stand

out. Some sandstone structures reach 200 feet in height.

REFUEL: A local landmark for almost 15 years, the Moab Brewery in

Moab serves microbrews—with such apt names as Dead Horse Ale,

Scorpion Pale Ale, and Raven Stout—along with bar fare such as crab

and artichoke dip, vegetarian chili, fish and chips, and steaks. The brew-

ery also offers gelato made on-site (flavors include tiramisu, vanilla

bourbon, and hazelnut), a welcome relief in the Utah desert heat. www

.themoabbrewery.com SLEEP: The hilltop Defiance House Lodge on

Bullfrog Marina offers 48 rustic-style rooms with views of Lake Powell

from small outdoor patios. Chill on rocking chairs on the deck of the

in-house restaurant. The lake buzzes with activities like hiking, camping,

biking, and all manner of water sports. From $140; www.lakepowell.com/

accomodations/bullfrog-resort-accommodations.aspx


Broadway Tower is the second highest point on the Cotswold escarpment.


ENGLAND

CotswoldsOVER THE HILLS AND DALES IN ONE OF BRITAIN'S MOST CHARMING CORNERS


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DOUBLE LOOP FROM CHELTENHAMTHE ROUTE: Easily accessible from London

or Oxford, the tiny Cotswold villages, with their

trademark golden-hued stone buildings and

fields divided by hedgerows, have retained their

quintessentially English character. The Cots-

wolds remains the rural fantasyland of children’s

book illustrations. Its picturesque communities

evoke an England of timeless calm. These two

drives are centered around the 18th-century spa

town of Cheltenham, one looping east from the

village, the other south. DISTANCE: 140 miles;

driving time: 5 hours; WHEN TO GO:Year-

round; PLANNING: www.the-cotswolds.org

With its sheep-dotted greens and miles-long views, Chipping Campden is typical Cotswolds.



caption here.

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HIGHLIGHTS

Cheltenham possesses a broad, tree-lined prom-

enade and some of Britain’s best Regency

architecture, including the domed Pitt ville Pump Room, built for galas and balls.

The Donnington Way, a 62-mile circular hike through

the North Cotswolds, links 15 country pubs owned by

the local Donnington Brewery. Enjoy a pint (or more)

after rambling the pristine countryside. Traditionally the

hike begins in the ancient market town of Stow-on-the-

Wold; the two closest pubs are less than two miles apart.

Snowshill Manor, near Broadway, is home to an ex-

traordinary collection of 22,000 objects, including full

suits of samurai armor, amassed by architect and poet

Charles Wade.

Sudeley Castle is a highlight of the well-marked Cots-

wold Trail. The castle dates from the 11th century and is

famed for award-winning gardens, pheasantry, and the

tomb of Katherine Parr, King Henry VIII’s sixth queen.

Guided tours are available from March through October.

Westonbirt Arboretum, near the town of Tetbury,

contains one of the world’s largest collections of trees,

including maples, a Lebanese cedar, and the so-called

toffee-apple tree, the decaying leaves of which give off a

caramel scent in autumn.

REFUEL: Try the seared pigeon breast with a side of

cumin baby carrots or other seasonal fare at The Daffodil,

located in a converted art deco cinema in Cheltenham.

www.thedaffodil.com. SLEEP: Originally a 17th-century

farmhouse, the Dormy House Hotel in Broadway supplies

an old-country feel in its 45 rooms, some with four-

poster beds, while embracing modern conveniences

like free broadband Internet. The hotel also provides self-

guided walking tours around Cotswold country. From

$271; www.dormyhouse.co.uk.


In Bibury, former weavers' cottages get their bloom on.


DRI22MO…and


Mount McKinley catches some last rays in Denali.

IVESThe best routes for food, history, and sheer driving pleasure.

ORE GREAT


Ruta 40 zips south to north through Argentina. Right: A grizzly bear hangs out in Denali National Park.


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DRIVERS’ DRIVES

1 Highway 89, Arizona/Utah/Idaho/Wyoming/Montana

This geological field trip traverses the Sonoran Desert to

the Rocky Mountains, passing a volcanic plateau with lava

flows and the Great Salt Lake. Take a detour if you want

to see the red rocks of Sedona. Open roads rarely come

finer. PLANNING: Visit the 1,250-mile route’s national parks,

including Yellowstone. www.untraveledroad.com

2 Denali Highway, AlaskaThis largely gravel road offers bracing views of un-

tamed wilderness with few signs of human occupation. The

135-mile road, completed in 1957

to give access to Denali National

Park, became largely redundant in

1971 when a newer road, the George

Parks Highway, opened. PLANNING:

The highway leads from Paxson

Junction to Cantwell Junction, and is

closed in winter. www.bellsalaska.com

From the adrenaline rush of a Formula One track to the gritty charms of a remote Alaskan highway,

here’s our choice of roads that are pure fun to drive.

ing


Crustaceans chill at Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Right: Cherry pie on the move in Michigan.


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WAYSIDE BOUNTY

1 Cheese, VermontTo enjoy artisanal cheeses year-round, follow U.S. 7,

within the “Vermont Cheese Trail,” north from Benning-

ton, through to Middlebury (with seven cheese makers

in the vicinity), then to Burlington. Aside from the fa-

mously aged Vermont cheddar, choices now include feta,

goat cheese, and ewe’s milk cheese. PLANNING: The Vermont

Cheese maker’s Festival is held every July. www.vtcheese.com

2 Blueberries, Rhode IslandAs you journey along R.I. 77 from historic Tiverton

Four Corners to Sakonnet Point, watch as the landscape

changes from stone-fenced pastures

and woodlands to vineyards. After a

wine tasting at Sakonnet Vineyards

in Little Compton, enjoy the cool-

ing breezes at Sakonnet Point, then

return to Tiverton for blueberry ice

cream at Gray’s Ice Cream Shop.

PLANNING: Visit in August when the

Road fare doesn’t have to be from a chain restaurant. Here are routes where you

can savor local produce.

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Native Americans were first to find an oasis in Morro Bay in central California. Right: George Washing-ton slept here, in Mount Vernon, Virginia.


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HISTORIC TRAILS

1 George Washington Memorial Parkway, VirginiaA scenic gateway to Washington, D.C., this short drive

begins at Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home from

1754 to 1799. It then follows the Virginia shoreline of

the wide Potomac River, through beech, maple, and oak

woodlands, past wetlands cherished by bird-watchers, to

the colonial port of Old Town Alexandria. The parkway

runs up to Great Falls National Park. Watch for signs of

the seasons: dogwood, redbud, and daffodils in spring;

the fiery hues of red maples, oaks, sumacs, and hickories

in autumn. You may also see wild turkeys and bald eagles.

PLANNING: Avoid rush hour. The 25-mile route ends at the

junction with I-495. www.nps.gov/gwmp

2 Selma to Montgomery March Byway, Alabama

This drive follows U.S. 80 through

a landscape where some of the key

events of the American civil rights

Three hundred years of U.S. history come alive along these six roadways.

ing


138 N AT I O N A L G E OG R A P H I C T R AVE L E R | O C T O B E R 2010

A QUEST TO FIND THE PERFECT GIFT LEADS THE WRITER INTO THE FAR REACHES OF PARADISE. BY Andrew McCarthy PHOTOGRAPHS BY Aaron Huey

IN SEARCH OF THE

Pearl diver Hugo Dariel ascends with a net full of oysters.


In French Polynesia, visi-tors find a vision of para-dise—and sometimes a black pearl. Right: A hand-made hat brings smiles.


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I T ’S L A T E A F T E R N O O N , and I’m standing at the end of a long dock jutting out over the

glistening South Pacific. I check my snorkel and mask, cinch

my fins one last time, and leap into the turquoise water with

only one thing on my mind: I want to find a black pearl. I can

hear my breath, steady and deep, through my

snorkel as I swim out past the parrot fish to

where the water deepens into a richer blue. I re-

mind myself that the hammerhead and blacktip

sharks that patrol this lagoon at sunset won’t ar-

rive for a few hours yet, by which time I should

be back on land. Shafts of sunlight cut deep.

Suddenly I see them, hundreds of encrusted

oyster shells secured to a rope stretching from

an anchor on the sea bottom to buoys floating

on the surface. At last! These gnarly looking

shells house some of the ocean’s finest treasures.

I dive, but I haven’t taken enough air. Fearing

that my prize will be lost if I retreat for even a moment, I go

deeper. Pressure screams in my ears. I clutch the algae-covered

rope and grab for a shell. Will it hold the pearl I came to find?

THIS QUEST FOR THE BLACK PEARL began in New York

City. My mother, with a big birthday coming up, had coyly

told me, “Years ago, I saw a single black pearl hanging from

a simple chain. I’ve never forgotten it.” That was all I needed

to hear. I spent the next uninspiring day traipsing from one

jewelry shop to the next, finding only a few (pricey) black

pearls. Then I asked a jeweler a simple question: “Where do

these come from?”

“Tahiti.”

My mind swam with images of white sand and cool breezes.

Instantly, I hatched a plan. I would pluck my mother’s gift from

ding


Black pearls, which actu-ally grow in a variety of shades, shimmer in the hands of Ron Hall, a shop owner on Moorea.




Dancers perform at Moorea’s popular Tiki Village Theatre.



Young swimmers leap off a resort pier in Fakarava.Left: A local diver chose an apt tattoo motif.



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Sharks prowl the waters off the Fakarava atoll, where the tide carries a circus of reef fish through the South Pass.

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Mount Moua Puta domi-nates the Moorea horizon.


AT HOME IN… TRANSYLVANIA?

Traveling through this myth-filled land, a house-hunting couple looks for their dream home—

and finds much more.

by AMY ALIPIO

photographs by CATHERINE KARNOW


A couple slow dances on Sibiu’s main square. Opening pages: A shepherd tends one of h

is flock in the mountains of Transylvania, home to turreted Bran Castle.


Tastes of Transylvania include poppy-seed strudel. Old World touches mark Café Wien (right), in the medieval town of Sibiu, a traditional center of Germanic Saxon culture.


Dormer windows in Sibiu seem to peer from roofs.


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“HOW MUCH WERE THEY ASKING?” I inquire. “Eighty-five

million U.S. dollars,” answers the gentleman showing me around

the property overlooking the Carpathian Mountains. The place

doesn’t have central heating, and the windows are awfully small,

but the 14th-century pile is a residence fit for a queen. Which it

once was. Queen Marie of Romania called 57-room Bran Castle,

complete with a secret stairway to a wood-paneled library, her

home from 1920 to 1938. Oh—and Dracula may have slept here.

My husband, Stefan, and I are scouting for a vacation home in

the long-contested central region of Romania known by Roma-

nians as Ardeal, by Hungarians as Erdely, by German-speaking

Saxon settlers as Siebenbürgen, and by horror-movie fans and

English-lit majors around the world as Transylvania. Stefan, who

grew up in western Romania, knows it as the place that his grand-

parents are from.

Our week-long itinerary has us threading our way through

Transylvania’s cultural quilt, from the walled Saxon fortress city

of Sibiu to the rural, Hungarian-flavored region called Szekely-

fold (Szekely Land).

I’m looking for cozy, while Stefan, Mr. Mid-Century Modern,

prefers sleek. But we’re in agreement that we don’t want any-

thing like the residential developments going up in the region,

which seem pitched toward British buyers who’ve been following

‘REMARKABLE,’ STEFAN KEEPS SAYING. A BUILDER HIMSELF, HE SINGLES OUT

A MARVEL OF CRAFTSMANSHIP: A TAILOR-MADE WINDOW THAT LATCHES

SHUT WITH A SATISFYING FIRMNESS.“

”ding


Faith and fine craftsmanship grace a church (above) in Szekely Land. Maria Poenaru Deac, the last of five generations of icon painters, sits among her works (right).


Serious business: A group of church goers pause for an after-church portrait in the smal

l Szekely Land village of Aita Seaca/Szarazajta.


A room at the hilltop Inn on Balaban features handcut beams and specially made woode

en furniture painted by traditionally trained artisans.


A real Transylvanian count, Tibor Kalnoky (right) enjoys a conversation in his guest-house, where visitors are welcomed with a glass of caraway brandy (above).



A couple marry in a Romanian Orthodox church in the town of Baile Tusnad (left). Brasov’s orange-tiled roofs and steepled churches (above) reflect its Saxon roots.


Guests dine on robust Szekely fare in the Kalnoky guesthouse wine cellar, heated with a

green ceramic-tiled stove.


Miclosoara’s version of rush hour sees cows and goats returning to their village barns aft

ter a day in the pastures.


TRAVELEROCTOBER 23 WAKULLA COUNTY, FLORIDA Butterfly Watch The tiny southern towns of Florida’s Panhandle are best in autumn—as monarch butterflies well know. St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge is the monarchs’ last stateside pit stop as they migrate to Mexico. At the refuge’s 22nd Annual Monarch Butterfly Fes-tival, watch as park rangers and trained volunteers tag hun-dreds of the winged wonders. www.fws.gov/saintmarks


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R20 T R AV E L -WO RT H Y E V E N T S &

H A P P E N I N G S

Picnickers spread out on Sydney Harbour Bridge.

OCTOBER 1FRANCONIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Rock of Ages The Old Man of the

Mountain, a rocky cliff face shaped like a

man’s profile that serves as New Hamp-

shire’s official emblem, crumbled off its

lookout on Cannon Mountain in Franco-

nia Notch State Park in 2003. The first

phase of a multimillion-dollar memorial

commemorating the icon opens on the

shores of Profile Lake. In a granite plaza, a

set of “profilers,” shaped metal rods that

each form an outline of the famous vis-

age, point to the spot where the Old Man

perched for centuries. www.oldman

ofthemountainlegacyfund.org

OCTOBER 1BUENOS AIRES

App-y in Argentina Apple tech ad-

dicts may be particularly interested in the

opening of the 27-room Fierro boutique

hotel in the Palermo Hollywood district.

Not only is the hotel well situated for the

neighborhood’s art galleries and design-

conscious restaurants, but Fierro also

offers complimentary iPads (and free in-

room Wi-Fi) for guests to use during their

DING


C E L E B R A T I N G P H O T O G R A P H YYOUR SHOT/TRAVEL

We want your photographs. Upload your favorite travel picture with a caption of no more than 200 words to Your Shot/Travel at ngm.com/yourshot. Tag all submis-sions with the keyword “travel.” We will publish one photo we love in each issue.


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T HE SMALL ISLAND of

Gozo is an easy 20-minute

ferry ride from northern

Malta. I have been coming here for

a number of years and recently re-

turned to stay. I love Gozo’s hos-

pitable people, its hills and valleys,

tranquillity, and Mediterranean cli-

mate. Last April I visited the main

town of Victoria for the Feast of St.

George, one of the beautiful festas celebrated during the summer. Be-

ing fond of church bells, I decided

to go up to the roof of St. George’s

Basilica for the noontime ringing of

the bells. With cotton in my ears, I

climbed up and found a few kids

there taking turns pulling the rope.

As expected, the tone of the bells

was magnificent. After they finished

the bell ringing, the kids began put-

ting up flags to decorate the basilica’s

roof. It was quite breezy, so when

they unfurled the flag with the coat

of arms of Pope Pius XII (by whose

decree St. George’s became a minor

basilica in 1958), it was caught by a

Gozo, MaltaPhotograph and text by Ted Attard

DING


In the next issue of

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER

RETURN TO L.A.

99 PLACES RATED

WILD THINGS

48 HOURS IN BROOKLYN

TOP 5 OUTDOOR ICE-SKATING RINKS

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