Ice Cream was a luxury for the author of Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Mansfield Park, and Sense and Sensibility. Jane Austin might never have imagined something called “movies” being made of her stories or people sitting in air conditioned theaters eating ice cream or an American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) handing out “no electricity” ice cream recipes with her name on it.

Jane Austen at the American Museum of Natural History © AMNHD. Finnin

“Known for her sharp-witted novels about love and manners among the English gentry, Jane Austen did most of her writing in the early 1800s, more than a century before most European households had electricity. Although she lived comfortably and ate well, she had fewer food choices than most English people do today. At the time, a summer treat as simple as ice cream was quite a luxury” per information provided by the museum to go with the photo above.  Only the wealthy tended to have “ice houses” in the summer, sometimes a cave-like feature in the shade far from the house.

(c)AMNH Summer of 2013

The recipe below was one of the goodies gained when I recently visited the AMNH and enjoyed this summer’s “Global Kitchen: Food, Nature, Culture”  exhibit. Visitors can be given tickets through package deals at the nearby Belleclaire Hotel or purchase tickets in advance for the “timed exhibit.”  Such crowd control makes it easier to sample that day’s free tastings, make a “virtual meal,” explore the complexities of “farm to fork” today, or get a better look at what people of the past ate.

Thanks to the AMNH for the following recipe. The ziplock bags seem to be a bit anachronistic, but this museum houses both great dinosaur skeletons and a cosmic walk through eons in space, so I’m not questioning temporal matters.  But I may go make some ice cream- glad to have ice so readily available.

“Jane Austen” No Electricity Ice Cream in a Bag

Ingredients

  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup whipping cream (heavy cream)
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla or vanilla flavoring, if desired
  • ¼ cup frozen or fresh currants, plums, blueberries, or peaches
  • ½ to ¾ cup sodium chloride (NaCl) as table salt or rock salt
  • 2 cups ice
  • 1-quart plastic zip bag
  • 1-gallon plastic zip bag

Procedure

  1. Add ¼ cup sugar, ½ cup milk, ½ cup whipping cream, and ¼ teaspoon vanilla to a blender or mixing bowl.
  2. Add the fruit and blend until smooth.
  3. Add mixture to the quart bag. Seal the bag securely.
  4. Put 2 cups of ice into the gallon bag.
  5. Add ½ to ¾ cup salt (sodium chloride) to the bag of ice.
  6. Place the sealed quart bag inside the gallon bag of ice and salt. Seal the gallon bag securely.
  7. Gently rock the gallon bag from side to side. It’s best to hold it by the top seal or to have gloves or a cloth between the bag and your hands, because the bag will be cold enough to damage your skin.
  8. Continue to rock the bag for 10-15 minutes, or until the contents of the quart bag have solidified into ice cream.
  9. Enjoy!

-Lisa TE Sonne for Luxury Travel Mavens.com

The adventures of the known and unknown…

Are you itching for a travel experience that is rare and “hot”? Or looking for a trendy trip for a great luxe gift to someone wonderful? Customized travel group Kensington Tours shares their top ten travel trends for 2013 with vacation adventures that include dragons, lemurs, soccer, white sand beaches in Africa, the land of the Hobbit, and the best Northern lights in 50 years.   They polled people they call Destination Experts  i.e.  in their own words “Kensington’s team of seasoned nomads, globetrotters and adventure enthusiasts.”  I have never experienced a Kensington trip so the specific adventures linked below are not personally vetted,  though I have enjoyed exotic river cruises, safaris and night-time lights shows in other ways and recommend the concepts ! Read on for the top travel trend results as Kensington sent them to Luxury Travel Mavens:

Trending Wonders in their Words:

1. Asian Safaris – Dragons, Tigers, Orangutans & More
One wild trend that is on the 2013 hotlist – More families are requesting animal safaris in Southeast Asia than ever before!  Borneo’s orangutans, Cambodia’s elephants, Thailand’s tigers, Laos’ gibbons and Indonesia’s komodo dragons, these animals add another dimension to the temples and treasures of these culturally rich countries.

2. Glamping – The Glam In Latin American Camping
Take some of Latin America’s wildest destinations, a large dose of fresh air, mobile tents and evening campfires, add porters to carry your gear, breakfast mimosas, and a personal chef – this is what glamping is all about! Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and Patagonia all have a growing collection of luxury mobile camps for those who love the great outdoors but don’t want to miss out on prerequisite holiday pampering.

 

Discover……

3. River Cruises – From Europe To The World
The popularity of European river cruises in past years has gone global.  Quickly cruising their way on to the top of 2013’s travel hotlist are small ship adventures along the Irrawaddy in Myanmar, South East Asia’s Mekong, the Brazilian Amazon and Botswana’s Zambezi.

4. Island Hopping, African Style
Mozambique’s Benguerra, Zanzibar, Seychelles and Mauritius. After a week of going wild on game drives, safari-goers aren’t shy to ask which way to the beach? While the white sands of these African isles aren’t near as busy as Miami, Phuket, Bondi or Rio, 2013 sees them drawing more North American sun-worshipers than ever before.

5. Set Jetting – Lights, Camera, Travel
A blockbuster hit in this day and age can play a real role in driving tourism. Hollywood movies inspire people to visit far off lands and can arouse a strong sense of wanderlust for the destinations showcased on film. For 2013 we anticipate fans building trips around New Zealand’s The Hobbit, India’s Life of Pi and the Wild West’s The Lone Ranger.

6. 2013 Year Of The Northern Lights
Give into the call of the north as the dancing green glow of the Aurora Borealis will be shinning brighter than ever for winter of 2012-2013. NASA has predicted a 50-year peak in the auroral cycle and there’s no finer place to see this natural phenomenon than now through to the end of March from Sweden, Norway or Iceland.

If your dreams take flight, where will you go?

7. Last Call For Untouched Sri Lanka
With publications like Lonely Planet and the New York Times putting Sri Lanka on the top of their 2013 bucket lists, the time is now before crowds hit and prices rise.  Go at your own pace with a private guide and driver for a more personal experience and discover Sri Lanka’s tea plantations, elephant sanctuaries, wild jungles, divine temples, sun-kissed beaches and more.

8. Brazil World Cup Warm Up – 2013 Confederations Cup
Held the year before World Cup, Confederation Cup is regarded by football aficionados as the dress rehearsal for the big event and will be drawing travelers in droves to stadiums across Brazil June 15th- 30th 2013. Die-hard fans who want to experience Brazil and World Cup without the high prices are making travel plans for 2013 as they know this is the perfect kick-off

9. Lemur Fever! Madagascar
Bizarrely beautiful, this eco rich isle’s playful lemurs, phenomenal beaches, baobab trees and outlandish creatures are quietly climbing their way to the top of every globetrotter’s hit list. The country is only now beginning to embrace tourism after years of being off the map and it’s an exotic add-on to any African safari.

10. Travel Smart – With A Smartphone
HD cameras and travel apps on smartphones are bringing the days of lugging around heavy gear, books and other gadgets to an end. With apps such as Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter, you can share their travel moments those instantly as opposed to weeks later when the postcard arrives.

You

What are you own predictions for travel trends?  Which of the above would you add to your bucket list? Which have you already enjoyed? What was it like? Please add your thoughts in the comments section below the field of wildflowers.  Happy Travelling!

Posted by Lisa TE Sonne for Luxury Travel Mavens

Photographs by (c) Lisa TE Sonne Please contact her for permission to re-use.


Cancun

View from the Balcony of Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach Resort and Spa, a good place to recall a wonderful trip

The lyrical lapping sounds of the Caribbean Sea below are my happy hour soundtrack as I sit on my balcony, overlooking the rich, dark blues of the interconnecting lagoon-like pools of the Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun Resort and Spa and the tiffany and turquoise blues of the sea beyond.

Sitting now feels like a satisfied sigh for my whole body, after a full day that included rappelling into a cenote; ziplining over lakes; canoe-ing in a lagoon; hiking in the jungle with a big black monkey, blue butterflies, and yellow frogs; riding a bike to the main Mayan temple of Coba: and then taking the 120 steep steps up the Yucatan’s highest Mayan pyramid — and down again. I am definitely ready to rest and bask in the memories

I shared the two-hour each-way drive from resort-filled Cancun to the jungle Yucatan Mayan area with eight buff 20-somethings who had travelled from parts of the US and Russia. We were on the AllTourNative ‘s “Mayan Encounter Adventure,” which included 63 copas (speed bumps) on mostly good roads with comedic narrative provided by a guide who kept the activity pace moving whenever we piled out of the air conditioned van.

AllTourNative aims to support the local cultures, economies, and environments by taking

Up the pyramid of Copa in the Mayan Yucatan, two hours from Cancun resorts
Lisa TE Sonne

visitors on memorable day trips that intertwine different degrees of culture, nature, and activity and opportunies to buy local souveners or photos by a local person. Originally, I had wanted their Tulum package, which includes a dramatic Mayan archeological site on the coast, visiting Mayan families and snorkeling in the fantastic-sounding underground river and caves, but it wasn’t offered on the only day I had left in Cancun. So then I intended to be on the Cultural tour of the Coba Mayan ruins, which includes visiting Mayan villages.

cancun trip

Instead I was on the Adventure trip, which falls somewhere between Disneyland rides and true exploration. The bats and tarantula were not holograms or animatronic creations. The winds on the zipline were real, not piped in. But our itinerary was partially a fast line up of quick doses of active things that many people had done before us. Call it designer adventure or an Indiana Jones appetizer menu or channel surfing mini-experiences- rushing to get a rush.

Ziplining in the Yucatan, Photo by Lisa TE Sonne


Now, back in my room, I am feeling no aches, pains, or strains. I am enjoying the post glow of cardio vascular endorphins, pseudo-survival smiles, and some decent photos of new sites and experiences. I think a large reason was the lovely balance of nurturing relaxation and activity that I had enjoyed at Le Blanc during the first part of my trip, and my soothing visit to the Gem spa the night before this busy day.

The spa connoisseur has many choices here in Cancun, a X kilometer region that evolved solely for beach resort tourism. The Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Resort and Spa boasts the largest spa of the almost 200 hotels.
The staff at the 40,000-square-foot Gem spa made me feel like only my two feet (and the body they are attached to) were important. Ixchel (a beautiful Mayan name) introduced me to the hydrotherapy pleasures of the alternating hot and cold treatments route. I had heard some people take five hours to really unfurl their knots and anxieties, but with a departure time of 7am the next morning, I “settled” for shorter immersions.

“The Ice Room,” a cooling complement to the steam room, part of the alternating cold and hot offerings of the Hydrotherapy journey at the Gem Spa, the largest in Cancun. Photo provided by Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach Resort and Spa.

I already felt more relaxed thinking about what I had read on the website: It is the only spa in Cancun and Latin America that provides a complete 10-step hydrotherapy program. You can start in the enormous Sensations Pool, with an amazing view of the Nichupte Lagoon. It caresses the body with thousands of bubbles. Afterwards, you head to an aromatherapy steam, a vigorous shower, clay steam room, ice room, sauna, rain shower, Jacuzzi, polar pool and foot bath.

Ixchel tended to me as if I were royalty, waiting with dry towels and beverages after each water treatment. For the steam room, she offered chocolate mud to pull out the toxins. The ice room was refreshing. Walking on rocks in hot and cold pools prepared my feet for the next treat.

The Gem spa offers various gemstone therapies, but I was looking forward to continuing the water theme of my Cancun trip, going from the biggest fish in the sea (whale sharks) to little fish that nibble off dead cells.

The Garra Rufa are small fish imported from Turkey that eat your upper layers of dead skin cells instead of having them sloughed or scrubbed away. Supposedly they also can help circulation. My husband and I had tried the little guys in Singapore several years before and had actually researched how we might bring them into the United States. They were so funny, novel, and seemingly effective! We could laugh and get smooth skin at the same time. Regulatory mazes in the U.S. were beyond our enthusiasm, though, so it was wonderful to see that top spas in Mexico were offering them as an option.

While I was sitting with my feet in the water, providing a banquet for the little ones, Xchmel started rolling her palms over my scalp. Her massage continued on my arms and hands. Instead of laughing at the nibblers, I closed my eyes and relaxed.  My thoughts floated. All of me had been floating earlier that day when I was scuba diving  in the world’s second-largest reef. Brightly colored tropical fish still meandered through my mind.

I had also scuba dove around poignant sculptures by Jason de Caires Taylor in the largest underwater museum in the world. Hundreds of human

The Underwater Sculpture Museum
Photo by (c) Lisa TE Sonne

shapes based on real people were beginning to form an artificial reef that would provide meals for future sea creatures. And even as I was sitting on  a pillowed throne, offering my feet and calves to the garra rufa, those  artful underwater human forms were becoming fish food.

Xchmel gently brought me back to the present and showed me seven different gems lined up. She asked me to select the one that spoke to me. She then told me how each gem corresponded to a different energy chakra and held a different guiding message for the well-being of the person who chose it.

I slept very well that night, and the next morning, dawn did her finger painting on the sky over the lapping waves as I gathered my stuff for a road trip to the jungle and Mayan ruins. The early AM staff at the hotel desk changed money so I could be ready for shopping and tips, and the maitre d’ at the bountiful breakfast buffet  (free for Fiesta  guests) helped me pack up foods and coffee to make the long drive more enjoyable. In both cases the staff ended our encounter saying, “It is my pleasure” with a cultural sincerity.

Every day I had heard “it is my pleasure” from people who had done something to add to my pleasure. With the exception of one negative dive master, service was very professional and also genuinely warm. People seemed to want to add to the happiness of those around them.

Sitting on the balcony, now, recalling all the vignettes that fed my spirit on this day, my stomach starts to rumble. The Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach Resort and Spa offers Isla Conroy, a seafood restaurant, La Joya, for local delectables with Mariachi music, or I could indulge in culinary delights at the five diamond Le Basilic — all for an extra fee at this family-welcome resort that is EP (European Plan or Extra pay for lunch and dinner and certain added services).

On arrival, however, I had been enrolled in what one staff member called the “Double Upper” – the Grand Club plan. I went up the marble stairs to the quiet, private Club lounge with deluxe service, where an artfully laid out array of fresh appetizers and sushi and an open bar always waited with wonderful views of the coast. Well-fed and back in my room, packing for the trip home, I realize I am happily sated this trip, but not done with Cancun.  It won’t be Cancun’s 13 signature golf courses, five shopping malls with luxury shops, or dynamic nightlife that would lure me back. It would be cultural roots — the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza and seaside Tulum and lesser known archeological sites,  the unique way “The Day of the Dead” is celebrated in Mexico,  the new curiosity-invoking Positive Pyramid and other events  being developed to end one Mayan era and begin a new one

Gracias

Another magnet for return for me would be the opportunities of staying at wonderful resorts and spas as luxurious rejuvenating home bases to explore nature— from the underwater ocean wonders, to the jungle canopies, to getting to snorkel in the  underworld’s vast system of rivers and cenotes.

And of course there is the warmth of the Mexican personality.  I kept hearing and experiencing“  “It’s my pleasure!”

And for me the trip was “con mucho gusto” (with much pleasure.) .

So Muchas Gracias and hasta la vista, Cancun!

 Lisa TE Sonne for LuxuryTravelMavens.com

 Photos by Lisa TE Sonne, unless otherwise credited. @ExploreTraveler

Enjoy the prequel to this article

LuxuryTravelMavens-Sonne-Ink 48-GuppyLoveI took a photograph of a goldfish in a bowl on a purple yoga mat next to a 12-foot high window. In the background, a sweeping view of the Hudson River included the floating Intrepid Museum of Air, Space, and Sea —the moored aircraft carrier with the Enterprise Space Shuttle onboard. I was wearing a black and white Zebra-striped hotel robe pulled from the closet with a little card that said, “Go Wild.” Indeed! I clicked away gleefully with my camera—sailboats going by.

Welcome to Suite 1015 at Ink48, a Kimpton hotel on 11th Avenue near 48th Street. Our perch in this whimsical haven in the Hells’ Kitchen section of Manhattan has floor-to-ceiling windows stretched about 30 feet across, joining the bedroom and sitting area, as well as a corner bedroom window for some cityscape eye candy. We turned the bedroom’s actual flat-screen TV sideways, so we could watch the ships, barges, ferries, helicopters, and airplanes while sitting in bed­—real reality-programming featuring life on the Hudson River.

My husband Victor and I had flown three thousand miles to attend a June wedding and didn’t want the gorgeous newlyweds to be the only ones enjoying honeymoon-like romance. We stayed the first two nights of our trip lusciously renewing ourselves in The Pierre, a Taj Hotel with a memorable view of Central Park.

Now we wanted the luxury of a spectacular view of another Manhattan feature, and we wanted to try something with more playful vibes, not far from the theater district.  The bride and groom to be, had recommended Ink 48 on their wedding website to out of town guests as  “Located just steps from the Hudson River on Manhattan’s west side, this Kimpton Hotel offers boutique style with terrific skyline views from many rooms.”

Guppy Love , Gyms, and Spas—Oh, My!

Our cab pulled up to the hotel’s entrance, where doggie treats welcomed four-legged guests at the front door. Upon check-in, when it was revealed that we did not arrive with a treasured creature, “Guppy Love” was offered. A goldfish with bright orange rocks in the bowl was brought to our room to be our pet-away-from-home.Ink48 Canines are Welcome

My husband and I are both writers, so I liked the idea of staying in a converted printing house with a publishing motif. In the elevator, the non-guest floors are named after type fonts: Courier, Garamond, and Helvetica. The restaurant next to the lobby is named The Print. The rooftop bar, renowned for outstanding views, is called The Press.

The drink coasters in the room have a definition of white space on them: “… the area that does not carry any type or image.” Another guest instruction card explains that four-color process printing uses Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black to make all the other colors.

There are other creative touches (some of them for the context of the location and others typical of the Kimpton line of hotels). The back wall of the elevator is very tactile. I was told it was all horsehair, because the horses that pull carriages in Manhattan board close by. Ink48 offers afternoon wine and cheese gatherings for guests, sometimes with a visiting author.

The work-out gym has typical machines and bright colored hula-hoops you can take to your room. Our suite had a yoga mat and a card with yoga positions printed on it. It may be hard to get someone on the phone, but when you do, you can ask to borrow water bottles, work-out belts, and all kinds of goodies. You can also ask to borrow bikes for a ride along the nearby Hudson River. I imagined a real adventure of riding a little further over to nearby Broadway and Times Square

We never got to the cycling, cabernets, or hula hoops, but before checking out, I did indulge in a visit to the hotels’ soothing Ink Spa and a relaxing treatment called “Indelible Expressions.” The only stress was trying to decide which essential oil I wanted/needed (i.e., did I want to be de-toxed, relaxed, or energized?)

Spa Ink48 choices

Hmmm. Hard to choose. I may need a lot of practice with such questions in the future to hone my massage decision-making acumen. Jennifer suggested I smell each oil and select the one most appealing to me. Lavender won, and in that quiet space, her skilled fingers eclectically blended massage styles to tease away knots.

Best Luxury Memories

While getting increasingly relaxed, I re-enjoyed some of my other luxury memories of Ink48, now imprinted (can’t resist) on my brain:

* We invited two married Manhattan couples we love to come visit us. We showed them the suite and enjoyed drinks on the roof, where 360-degree views include the river scene and the lights of Times Square and the Chrysler building. The night air and lofty panorama were stunning.

The husband of each couple told me separately that he hoped someday to live in a high-rise place in New York with a “real view” like the ones we had at the hotel. In this city, that’s high praise, considering one couple lives in the historic Apthorpe, one of Manhattan’s most desired addresses, and the other lives in three floors of a classic Brownstone on the West Side, a fantasy home.

LuxuryTravelMavens Roof View from Ink48, Sonne

* My next luxury memory: The bathtub was actually deep! I could bend my knees and be immersed! And if I left the bathroom door open and edged to the side, I could see the Hudson and the Intrepid! And, the tub was big enough for two people. I can tell you empirically that this is true, and that for all the dirty things couples may like to do on romantic get away vacations (Like biking), getting clean together can be very romantic.

*Lying in bed, we had an expansive view of sky only. One day it was the thrills of seeing storm clouds battle it out, but it was our last morning I remember best. We watched clouds – the fluffy clouds of childhood memories and languid days, when time seemed infinite.

We played a Zen game. Pick a cloud and think about it drifting into separate pieces until it disappears. This actually works. We would each pick a separate cloud and focus on it and watch it dissipate until it was gone. Any worries we had also seemed to become smaller and just drift away and vanish as we laid in bed on our backs staring at the sky—comfortably sharing the wonders of nature in one of the world’s greatest cities.

Luxury indeed.

—Lisa TE Sonne for Luxury Travel Mavens

view of clouds from bed, Ink48