Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2023 i Town & Country

In its early 20th century prime, the Orient-Express was hailed as a “Magic Carpet to the East,” a revolutionary—and impossibly glamorous—way to get from Paris to Istanbul. Haute cuisine, the finest wines, and sumptuous decor (rosewood marquetry, silk shades, Lalique crystal—even tiny velvet pillows for pocket watches) attracted royals, presidents, artists, and tycoons, including the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Dwight Eisenhower, the Fitzgeralds, Agatha Christie, and a maharaja who tipped in rubies. After languishing for decades post–World War II, the train was reborn in all its period opulence in 1982 as the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. T&C climbed aboard—and we were transported to another era. “Unlike its predecessors, it will not revolutionize European travel,” we wrote, “but it may help civilize it again.” That remains true 41 years later—this issue’s cover…

It’s easy to take for granted now, but gourmet soft-serve didn’t exist before 2008, when pastry chef Christina Tosi opened the first Milk Bar bakery and introduced us all to her cereal milk–flavored ice cream. “I never understood why soft-serve wasn’t a thing in the big city,” she says. Like most of us, she associated it with roadside custard stands, carnivals, fast-food chains—but why shouldn’t it be a little fancy? “It’s operationally a light lift,” Tosi says, “and emotionally and creatively a nostalgic delight with infinite flavor possibilities.” Today, Milk Bar has expanded beyond New York to Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, and other outfits are taking frosty swirls to new culinary heights. At Laser Wolf in Philadelphia, brown sugar–infused soft-serve is sprinkled with hazelnut shortbread crumble and…

WHO IS SHE? Van Cleef & Arpels calls the female figure in this one-of-a-kind clip DeaEterna: Eternal Goddess. Real name: Hebe, the goddess of youth and daughter of Zeus and Hera. She was the one who brought heaping cups of ambrosia to the deities of Olympus, offering them sustenance and the fountain of youth. She was the inspiration for four sculptures by Antonio Canova, including the one below ordered by an English lord in 1814 and displayed at Chatsworth House. HISTORY LESSON, PLEASE Voyagers on the Grand Tour eventually came home, and when they did they brought back souvenirs and memories of their travels. Their experiences made a mark on jewelry design, reviving classical motifs and ancient goldsmithing techniques, as well as the use of cameos, intaglios, and micromosaics. WHERE…

Egypt gives us what no other country can: the chance to see up close, in situ, the astonishing creative impulses of the world’s most long-lived ancient civilization. If it’s your first time, you’ll want to concentrate on the historic mustsees. They are scattered the length of Egypt, mostly in the narrow band along the banks of the Nile. The classic itinerary is Cairo–Aswan–Nile cruise–Luxor, then back to Cairo. (Aswan and Luxor can be switched, depending on which cruise you take.) But Egypt has not been standing still. There are new museums. There is a fever of excavations, with new sites opening to visitors and others restored. And there are off-the-beaten-path places to explore, including the newly accessible Sahara oases (the desert makes up about 95 percent of Egypt’s territory and…

There are 15 weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day. In between the obligatory Grecian reverie (opposite) and the bucket list tour of Egypt (page 64), America’s sprawling back yard becomes quite attractive for a three-day getaway. So get out of here! HIKING Sedona For subscribers to all things woo-woo, Sedona is heaven. There are several vortexes (translation: spots where the earth’s energy is felt most strongly) clustered around this desert town, located two hours from Phoenix (on the way to the Grand Canyon and Lake Powell, should you be inclined to turn this into a longer roadtrip). But mystical leanings are not required to feel the power and majesty of those soaring red rock buttes and mesas, and plenty of cathartic release will certainly be had on one of…

CEO The planner, the decision-maker, the guiding force. Those in this role couldn’t stand not to be. Everyone else is grateful it’s not them. COO The president’s right hand isn’t afraid of a little busywork in service of the grand plan. HR REP This is who you complain to when anyone else is being annoying or presumptuous. Usually the most neutral or diplomatic member. CFO In days of yore, this person sent around pristine spreadsheets at the end of the vacation. Now they can’t stop yakking about Splitwise. MANAGING EDITOR Without one, your group would arrive at every reservation even later than you already are. CULTURE MINISTER Reads the guidebooks, knows the history, won’t let you go home without at least one museum visit. ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR Blame this person when…

Traveling is not the same for everyone. We are never the same person twice in one day, so how could we have the same tastes as others? I like Rome, my wife likes London, friends from Los Angeles with whom we like traveling prefer Paris. They like to book tickets to museums, like to reserve tables at restaurants, while I’ve always avoided programmed itineraries of any sort. What we share, though, is wanting something that only travel can offer and that occurs once we’re elsewhere and have an alternate hold on things, a different pair of lenses. What it is exactly is something we seldom disclose to others, because we’re not quite sure we can fathom it ourselves. Maybe this is why we travel, though we give it many names.…

f you step inside the Tiffany Landmark store at 57th and Fifth at just the right moment, you will spot a diamond Jean Schlumberger bird flying across a screen. If you miss it, the real thing sits atop an enormous amethyst in a vitrine just steps away. Another is perched on a kunzite, one on a citrine, one on an aquamarine, and another on what might be morganite. That’s only the main floor. On the fourth there’s a dedicated Schlumberger area, and on the seventh, the floor that showcases Tiffany High Jewelry, Schlumberger dominates. At the opening of the Landmark in New York in May, more than 30 notable guests wore his pieces, including the three men behind the whole affair, Alexandre Arnault, Tiffany CEO Anthony Ledru, and architect Peter…

INFORMATION COVERS ASPINAL OF LONDON PASSPORT COVER, ASPINALOFLONDON.COM. BRUNELLO CUCINELLI SWEATER, SHIRT, AND SKIRT, BRUNELLOCUCINELLI.COM. CARTIER WATCH, 800-CARTIER. CARTIER HIGH JEWELRY BRACELET, 800-CARTIER. GIORGIO ARMANI DRESS, ARMANI.COM. GLOBE-TROTTER SUITCASE, GLOBE-TROTTER.COM EDITOR’S LETTER PAGE 28 CARTIER, 800-CARTIER. GINORI 1735 BY LUKE EDWARD HALL, GINORI1735.COM. GIORGIO ARMANI, ARMANI.COM. HANDSOME STOCKHOLM GLOVES, HANDSOMESTOCKHOLM.COM. MOSCHINO, 212-226-8300 THE RIDE OF HER LIFE PAGE 76–81 CARTIER, 800-CARTIER. CHANEL, 800-550-0005. MARC JACOBS, MARCJACOBS.COM. MAX MARA, MAXMARA.COM. SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO, YSL.COM. SCHIAPARELLI, SCHIAPARELLI.COM. VALENTINO, VALENTINO.COM. VAN CLEEF & ARPELS, 877-VAN-CLEEF SBAGLIATO SOUVENIRS PAGE 110–115 CAROLINA IRVING & DAUGHTERS, CI-DAUGHTERS.COM. DIOR, 800-929-DIOR. FENDI, FENDI.COM. GINORI 1735 BY GIO PONTI, GINORI1735.COM. GUCCI, GUCCI.COM. HERMES, HERMES.COM. LA DOUBLEJ, LADOUBLEJ.COM. LORO PIANA, LOROPIANA.COM. MANOLO BLAHNIK, MANOLOBLAHNIK.COM. MOSER, ABASK.COM. SABYASACHI, 646-799-9400. STRIULLI VETRI D’ARTE, ABASK.COM. TORY BURCH, TORYBURCH.COM. VAN CLEEF &…

I have already booked my summer travel, which for a notorious last-minute planner is an article of interest. According to our trusted travel spies, I’m not alone. People are booking earlier, and they’re looking for escape. Take me far, far away seems to be the general mood. Can you blame us? So take that trip to Bhutan (page 82) or walk the hills of Umbria in a feather-trimmed silk robe (page 116) or go to Vegas for the food (page 66) or Greece without the islands (page 73) or insist on going everywhere by train (page 76). It seems this is the summer of the wonderfully unexpected, which is at the heart of all the best trips, isn’t it? (Even when you’re traveling with friends, though we tell you how to…

PERFORMING ARTS Stagedoor Manor The list of famous actors (Robert Downey Jr., Lea Michele) who first broke a leg at this Catskills theater camp gets longer by the summer. French Woods Dance, music, art… This performing arts camp in upstate New York allows kids to choose from a wide variety of programs. Alums include actor Natasha Lyonne and producer David Stone. ADVENTURE/SPORTS Camp Dudley This boys camp located on the shores of Lake Champlain (it has a sister camp in Vermont) is for the sports-obsessed, with courts, playing fields, and adventure courses galore. ActionQuest Teens pick from a rotating list of summer adventures, from snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef to learning to sail in the British Virgin Islands. MATH/SCIENCE Stanford University Mathematics Camp The university welcomes a small group…

Colson White-head’s new novel, Crook Manifesto, is a sharp, funny tale of a 1970s NYC underworld and the people who made it into its playground. Make room in your beach bag for Paul Murray’s The Bee Sting, a doorstop of a novel charting the long arc of a captivating Irish family’s triumphs and tragedies. A life well lived would be an understatement for Rose Styron, whose memoir Beyond This Harbor recalls the harsh glare of the literary spotlight.…

When you arrive at Porquerolles, via train from Paris and ferry from the Côte d’Azur, you’ll already be thirsty for a glass of cold rosé. They will have one waiting for you on this island off the south coast of France in the Mediterranean Sea. And it just might be the chicest rosé of them all. Sit right back and you’ll hear a tale of a monsieur named François-Joseph Fournier, who made a killing in gold in Mexico and acquired the entire island in 1912. He gave it to his wife as a wedding present. Fournier quickly noticed the same thing about Porquerolles that you will: Water is everywhere. You will see it on hikes, at the foot of steep cliffs, and when you walk along the sandy beaches. His…

1. FRIED CLAM CHOWDER Skipper Chowder House, Yarmouth The clam shack thickens its chowder, chills it, then breads and fries it to gooey perfection. 2. FANTASY SEA SALT FUDGE Chatham Candy Manor, Chatham This dark, creamy confection with a sprinkling of Atlantic sea salt has been on the menu for 69 years. It’s no wonder why. 3. COD CHEEKS Strangers & Saints, Provincetown Fishermen historically discarded these jowls, but a renaissance is on thanks to this version: pan-fried with crispy shallots and chili oil. 4. HOT DOGS Depot Dogs, Harwich The franks from this stand are an obsession for Cape locals. The secret? They’re custom-made with a proprietary blend of spices and fillings—and that perfect snap.…

HOW DID WE GET HERE? Bulgari’s cornucopia of precious gemstones, the ne plus ultra of status produce. Mediterranean Summer The symbol of the cornucopia traces its roots to Greek and Roman mythology. There were deities who represented worldly bounty: Gaia (earth), Demeter (harvest), Plutus (wealth). And there was the tale of the baby Zeus, who, while being cared for by a goat named Amalthea (the infant god had been hidden away in a cave from his father Cronos, who had a thing for eating his children), accidentally broke off one of her horns. It ended up supplying him with infinite sustenance. Must be nice to be a god. But what of us mere mortals? Thanks to Bulgari creative director Lucia Silvestri, our horn of plenty can also be an eternal…

hat would make a lipstick heirloom-worthy? Peter Philips, creative and image director for Dior Makeup, asked this when conceptualizing Dior Beauty’s most unique offering to date. “I wanted to make an object so precious it could be handed down from parent to child,” he says, “like a couture dress or a jewel.” Such a treasure must be beautiful, yes, but also incredibly durable and infinitely reusable. Five years in the making, Dior Rouge Premier is finally available to those who wish to literally put their money where their mouth is. The case, a ceramic cylinder handcrafted by 160-year-old French porcelain house Maison Bernardaud, is a feat of engineering that took countless revisions to perfect. It is decoratively enrobed in toile de Jouy—a nod to the motif that dressed the accessories…

Most of us go to Las Vegas to enter a bubble of indulgence, to suspend reality for a few days. Some go for the slots, some for craps, some for strippers, and some for the shows. There may be others who go for the replicas of architectural icons, though I can attest that it is very disorienting, after a night of drinking, to wake up and see the Eiffel Tower outside your window. I go to Vegas to eat. A gourmand can spend several pleasurable days and nights here without being remotely tempted to catch David Copper-field onstage. Of course, one needs a base of operations. One of my first choices is the Four Seasons, because it’s the only luxury hotel that doesn’t have a casino on the ground floor.…

If I rent a villa or house with friends, who should get the best room? Anyone who has ever watched The Real Housewives knows that one way of doing it is to manically run around assessing the bedrooms and then claw the eyes out of anyone who gets between you and the suite with the marble steam shower. Among civilized people, the following rules apply: First dibs goes to anyone paying for the entire trip (or a large portion thereof). If the cost is split equally, the person who found the house or did the most planning gets preference. The exception is if there aren’t enough rooms and two single people have to share; then they get to choose. Just remember that a small room is a better fate than…

Nantucket has always been part fantasyland, part economic miracle. That’s as true today as it was in the 18th century, in the years before the American Revolution, when the island was the equivalent of Silicon Valley. It was at the cutting edge of the technology of the day: harvesting and manufacturing whale oil. Thirty miles off the southern coast of Massachusetts, with an average elevation of around 30 feet, Nantucket is also essentially a 48-squaremile pile of sand that’s busily eroding into the Atlantic Ocean. Whether it’s that ephemeral quality, or the fact that the island’s overlords long ago decreed that its quaintness be preserved in perpetuity, or that a 1,300-foot extension of the airport’s main runway in 1970 made it possible for private jets to come and go with…

Perhaps no word better captures the magic of Sir David Adjaye’s architecture than alchemy. For Adjaye, alchemy is a material manifesto, a meditative meeting place of space, time, and memory. It is the combination of the physical with sensory elements such as light, sound, air, and smell. It is the humble understanding that one day the materials he uses will return to the earth and so must be revered and respected. From some of his earliest commissions in London, such as Dirty House (2002), to more recent projects, such as the Abrahamic Family House interfaith complex in Abu Dhabi (2023), Adjaye has brought new life to neighborhoods, streetscapes, and landscapes. As he did in the ethereal central atrium at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in…

WHERE ARE WE GOING? Even a singular genius like Pablo Picasso was inspired by the greats who came before him. El Greco, titan of the Spanish Renaissance, was a particular influence; a new show at Madrid’s Prado explores the connection (OPENS JUNE 13, MUSEODELPRADO.ES). And what’s a summer in Spain without a few days on Majorca? Picturesque charms abound at La Residencia, Belmond’s art-filled hotel in Deià (BELMOND.COM). WHAT ARE WE WEARING? While fantastical whimsy may be the calling card of Dior Joaillerie mastermind Victoire de Castellane, a common thread links her creations: The spirit of Monsieur Dior is ever present, and always infused into her modern ideas. Take this Gem Dior watch, an homage to couture and nature in lapis lazuli and malachite cut asymmetrically to evoke a swirl…

Who says you can’t go home again? Chef Dominique Crenn, the French-born force behind San Francisco’s Atelier Crenn, has committed herself to a summer in Paris—and to opening her first restaurant on her native soil. In June the chef will unveil Golden Poppy at the Hotel La Fantaisie in Faubourg Montmartre. Its name nods to the gardens surrounding the property, designed by Martin Brudnizki, and the inspiration behind her vision. “A golden poppy is the state flower of California, so it’s the feeling and flavors of California,” Crenn says of the 82-seat space. Even on the grayest Parisian day, the interior conveys a sense of sunlight, and guests can linger over such dishes as abalone tacos with sauerkraut kimchi and pineapple salsa. The wine list comprises California and French labels.…

Nothing beats the heat like a frozen cocktail. Luckily, an icy renaissance is upon us as creative mixologists are saying so long to the sickly-sweet daiquiris and margarita slushies of yore and reshaping the summer cocktail scene. SWEET TEA BATIDA The Brazilian batida is given a Southern twist at Brewery Saint X in New Orleans—where the citrus drink has Wild Turkey bourbon instead of cachaça and is topped with an amaro float. FRAPPE At the Bamboo Room in Chicago, a tropical version of the icy classic is blended with fresh fruit, Jamaican rum, and raspberry eau de vie, before getting a lava flow of sweet Pedro Ximénez sherry. LYCHEE MARTINI In L.A., Kato’s Han Suk Cho pays homage to classic Chinese desserts with lychee puree and Beijing yogurt poured over…

Loel and Gloria Guinness once confided to a journalist that the hardship of jet-setting to five homes scattered around the globe, from Palm Beach to Lausanne, was one thing, but packing and unpacking was an altogether more tedious chore. So they took to keeping a complete wardrobe in each residence and traveling with nothing but the clothes on their backs. If the Guinnesses did not care for the burden of luggage 60 years ago, it is safe to assume they would have a distaste for the current state of affairs. Recall the record flight cancellations, delays, and baggage mishaps of last summer? Even optimists say it’s looking as if this year will be more of the same. “We’re going to see more flights this year than ever before, and whenever…

WISH YOU WERE HERE? One whiff of Un Jardin à Cythère will whisk you to the Greek Isles. Hermès perfumer Christine Nagel created the scent based on her memories of Kythira, using a blend of olive wood and fresh pistachio notes to conjure the impression of a garden of dancing trees and golden grasses near the sea. MOOR, PLEASE Don your tweeds for a sensory trek through the herbaceous, wild, and remote land of Balmoral and Brigadoon. The four scents in Jo Malone London’s Highlands collection conjure misty moors, ruined castles, and purple expanses of heather with notes of nettle, achillea, mallow, and heliotrope. DRINK IT IN What could be more L.A. than a scent inspired by a detox juice? For Pacific Chill, Louis Vuitton perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud took cues…

1 USE A SPECIALIST Do not book a sailing trip online or through a cruise line’s reservations agent. You need comparative know-how. Cruise specialists have been on every ship and understand the differences among vessels and cruise lines: their sizes, cabins, itineraries, excursions, culinary creds, and overall vibe. Beyond booking the right ship for you (and making sure you don’t end up in a cabin under the jogging track), they’ll also help with specialty dining reservations, shore jaunts, and pre- and post-cruise hotel stays. Our go-to pros: Tom Baker (TOM.BAKER@CRUISECENTER.COM) and Mary-Jean Tully (MARYJEAN@TULLYLUXURYTRAVEL.COM), who both specialize broadly in all luxury ships—large, medium, and small. And Ashton Palmer, a former expedition leader and naturalist whose expertise is small ship expedition cruises (ASHTON@EXPEDITIONTRIPS.COM). 2 STUDY PORTS OF CALL Nothing kills the…

A year ago, while sitting in a café in Milan, I asked a recent American transplant to the city for spots off the beaten path that I wouldn’t have patronized during my fashion week tours of duty. What she did next surprised me. Pulling out her iPhone, she chirped, “I’ll share my Google Map with you!” Now, I had been a casual user of “My Maps,” the feature Google rolled out in 2007 for the sole purpose of making navigation easier, and I had even exchanged such atlases with friends, but this one was curated by someone with exceptionally good taste who was plugged into a matrix of travelers with supremely covetable tips. As it turned out, I got a digital pushpin chart not just to Milano but to every single…

1659 Thomas Mayhew, the first European to hold a deed to Nantucket, sold an interest in the island to a small group of investors (the island’s so-called founding fathers) for £30 and two beaver hats (one for Mayhew and one for his wife). 1700s At the height of the whale oil trade, eligible Nantucket bachelors wore chock pins—wooden dowels used on whaling boats—in their jacket lapels to signal to potential brides that they had helmed a boat that successfully landed a whale. MID-TO LATE 1800s Local sailors stationed on lighthouse boats began weaving baskets in their free time, and soon the still-thriving Nantucket lightship basket industry was born. VISIT A MUSEUM DEDICATED TO THE BASKETS AT 96 MAIN ST. 1920s Waiting lists to join the island’s private golf clubs—Sankaty Head…

GEMINI MAY 22–JUNE 21 Deal with all you can, but be ready to put some issues aside in June. Getaways will do much to raise your spirits. Your intuition is your best guide in July, not other people’s responses; unpredictable situations force you back on your own considerable resources. With Mercury, your planetary ruler, out of sync in August until the 23rd, wait and see should be your motto. SELIM MOUZANNAR ($3,600), SELIMMOUZANNAR.COM SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 23–DECEMBER 21 Your adventuresome spirit will excite and motivate you in June, and close relationships will be demanding more attention. July emphasizes taking control of nebulous situations while refusing to be unnerved or stressed out. You should let yourself be drawn into pleasurable pursuits in August; concerns about unresolved issues will begin to lift off.…