뉴욕 이튿날은 언니, 형부와의 점심약속으로 시작해서 맨하탄의 다운타운, 자유의 여신상을 둘러 보고 유니언 스퀘어까지 올라오는 꽤 바쁜 날이었다. 


둘다 Ground Zero 근처에 사무실이 있어 다운타운까지 내려가는 김에 지난 몇 주동안 뉴스로만 듣던 Occupy Wall Street 의 한 장면을 포착할 수 있었음. 









올해 3월 이후로 처음 보는 언니와 형부 덕분에 푸드채널에서 자주 본 셰프 Anthony Bourdain의 Les Halles 에서 fancy 한 런치를 맛봄.

(난 "얼마만인가..." 하며 침을 다시는 동안 K는 escargot 애피타이저를 맛봐야 하는 수난을 계속 걱정.)




'






Thank you, 정말 맛있게 먹었다.
(K와 나는 집에서 갖고 온 홈메이드 goods 들을 (저 가방 포함) 언니에게 unload 하는 기쁨을 나눔. 언니는 감사히 받는 마지못한 표정, 형부는 "You must have a lot of time,"을 몇번 반복함. 아하하하.)










그리고는 언니의 사무실을 방문해 Ground Zero full view 를 감상할 수 있었다. (지난 9월 11일, 911 테러의 10주년을 기념해 오바마 대통령이 방문했을 때 건물 위에 배치된 snipers 들도 모두 볼 수 있었다고 한다.) Ground Zero 뿐 아니라 맨하탄의 업타운 모습도 beautiful.










멋진 전망을 뒤에 두고 왜 저런 표정을 지었는지 기억이 안 난다.
그리고 자유의 여신상 크루즈를 타기 위해 Battery Park 로 걸어가는 길.









어느 동네든, 어느 골목이든 사람이 북적북적이는 뉴욕의 광경에 K도 무척 감동하는 듯 했다. This is what I mean by a "city."

처음 뉴욕 구경하는 K를 위해 웬만한 관광 destination은 다 둘러 보려 한다. 그래서 탄 Liberty Cruise: Statue of Liberty 를 향하여.









99.9% 관광객들 사이에서 여러개 언어와 표정, 포즈, 스타일들을 구경하는 재미도 컸다. 그런 의미에서 Libery Island - Ellis Island 관광 크루즈에서 Ellis Island 는 생략. (...)











새벽 4시반부터 깨어 있어 하루종일 잠이 쏟아지는 K를 끌고 관광 다니는 기분이란. -_-.









하지만 월말 전까지 하루하루를 꽉차게 보내야 한다는 일념 하에 꿋꿋이 끌고 다녔다.










Battery Park 에서 Wall Street 의 New York Stock Exchange 를 지나 South Street Seaport 까지 걸으며 Brooklyn Bridge 구경까지 해 World Trade Center 주변의 다운타운은 구경 끝.










그리고는 West 4th St. 근처의 NYU까지는 지하철을 타고 올라감. (아침에 산 29불 짜리 unlimited ride metro card 를 잃어 버려서 too bad. 청바지 뒷주머니에 뭐든 넣는 버릇 버려야 한다. 샌프란시스코에서는 버스에서 전화기를 잃어 버릴 뻔 해 큰일 났었던 적이 있었는데도, 이 나쁜 버릇.)










유학시절, 언니와 외식을 하고 걸어다니다 Washington Square Park 에서 uptown 을 바라보면 Empire State Building, downtown 을 보면 World Trade Center (twin building) 이 보이던 때가 기억났다.










그리고는 형부가 추천한 Num Pang 에서 간단한 coconut shrimp sandwich 저녁을 먹고는 추억의 장소 Union Square로.









예전 살던 동네로 간 김에 211 E. 18th St. 빌딩 앞까지도 걸어가보고 17th St. & Lexington 의 추억의 스시집 Yama 앞에서도 기념 사진을 찍음. (위 사진은 하루 6-8시간도 지냈던 동네 Barnes and Noble.)


사진은 이탈리아의 Albergo Il Monastero.
내가 가보고 싶은 1, 2. 3 순위는 이탈리아, 라오스와 모로코이다.


...


1. The Balancing Barn, England

Find a little balance in this precariously perched hotel. It was built by Living Architecture, the brainchild of Swiss philosophical writer Alain de Botton who wrote "The Architecture of Happiness."

The group created a series of homes in the United Kingdom based on high-quality, modern architecture and de Botton's work on the connection between environment, architecture and happiness.

The Balancing Barn in Suffolk, on the edge of a nature reserve, sleeps eight people. Clad in silver tiles and with large windows giving great views, it has also won a series of travel and design awards.

Living Architecture has also just launched its sixth property: a boat-shaped room where you can spend the night, perched on top of the Queen Elizabeth Hall on London's South Bank.

Cost: From US$38 per person, based on eight-person occupancy.

2. The Mountain Retreat Inn, China

With views of the peaceful Yulong River near Yangshuo in Guanxi province, the Mountain Retreat Inn has been named a top hotel by TripAdvisor and The Telegraph.

It's all very eco friendly, with sustainable local bamboo used for furnishings where possible, but it's the mountain scenery that makes this one for the scrapbook. The dramatic karst peaks along the nearby Li River are a big tourist draw, while the hotel itself has comfortable, simple rooms.

Cost: A single room from US$62. tel: +86 773 8777 091

3. Wild Brown Bear Hotel, Finland

It's the surroundings here that are the attraction rather than the hotel -- but you can't trek through the forests of eastern Finland's Karelia region, over spongy carpets of moss and blueberries and under birch and pine canopies, without feeling as if you're walking through a fairy tale.

The Wild Brown Bear Hotel is a great base for getting close to Finland's natural side, and from here you can arrange an overnight stay in a hide looking out for wild brown bears and wolverines (a photographer's hide is also available).

Other activities in the area include kayaking around peaceful lakes, cycling and enjoying the great Finnish outdoors.

Cost: A one-night stay in the bear-watching hide starts from US$213 per person.

4. Hotel Saratoga, Cuba

If you're in Cuba chances are you will pass through Havana, and there is no cooler place to stay than the Hotel Saratoga.

Its rooftop pool has some of the best views in town and goes some way to offsetting the traffic noise and hustle of the Paseo del Prado. It features on the Guardian's list of top 10 hotels in Havana and is considered one of the better bolt-holes in town. But avoid the food if you can.

Cost: Deluxe patio rooms start from US$238.

5. Houshi Ryokan, Japan

For an authentic, and Zen-like, Japanese night, try a ryokan. These inns offer simple tatami-matted rooms with futons, traditional Japanese food and communal hot water spas.

The Houshi Ryokan in Hokuriku, Ishikawa, north-west of Tokyo, is one of the oldest ryokans in Japan. It's been managed by the same family for 46 generations and has been in business for more than 1,300 years.

Its elegant sukiya-style rooms are designed according to Japanese architectural ideals and the ryokan's legendary hot spring, or onsen, is reputed to have curative properties. Local dishes are served for breakfast and dinner.

Cost: Guest rooms start from US$91 per night.

6. Akköy Evleri Cave Hotel, Turkey

Get in touch with your inner caveman with an overnight stay in this rock-cut hotel in Cappadocia. Built near the historical village of Akköy near Ürgüp, the family-run Akköy Evleri hosts five boutique rooms built inside former cave houses.

There are plenty of other good cave hotels in the region, but the friendly management, good food and views make this place special. Use it as a base to explore the surrounding area -- including the underground cities at Kaymakli andDerinkuyu, the nightlife and architecture of Ürgüp or the nearby Byzantine caves.

Cost: Prices range from US$106-284 for a room.

7. Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Tanzania

If it's a view of Tanzania's northern savanna from the rim of a volcanic caldera that you're after, this is the hotel for you.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to 40,000 Maasai semi-nomadicpastoralists as well as a high density of wild animals -- time it right and you might glimpse migrating wildebeest, zebra or gazelles.

The hotel's suites are inspired by Maasai manyattai, but have a cosy colonial feel. Game drives are the main activity, so there is plenty of time for admiring the spectacular views over the ancient caldera.

Cost: US$720 per person per night.

8. La Résidence Phou Vao, Laos

One of the best hotels in Laos' old royal capital of Luang Prabang, this white-walled colonial mansion nestles amid a forest of palm trees on a hill a short way outside the country's second biggest city, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Furnished with a monastic combination of dark woods and simple white cotton wafting across doorways, it's a Zen-like base to explore the surrounding stupas, observe Buddhist monks collecting their alms each morning and feel at one with nature.

9. Adrère Amellal eco lodge, Egypt

The Adrère Amellal eco lodge lives in harmony with its fragile Saharan environment and allows its guests to experience the freedom and beauty of the unspoilt desert too.

With no electricity, no Internet and no phone signal, you'll soon be appreciating the sunrise over the sand dunes, discovering the ancient Siwa way of life and learning how local artisans and herders are surviving in this parched landscape.

It's all built using traditional techniques -- part rock-hewn and part kershef (mud and rock salt) -- and the lodge's restaurant serves quality local vegetarian and meat dishes. Don't forget to dip your toes in the Roman springs. The lodge is a 10-hour drive (about 750 kilometers) from Cairo, it's not easy to get to, but is well worth it.

10. Palacio de Sal, Bolivia

If you can't stand bland, try the Palacio de Sal, with walls, floors, beds and chairs made entirely of white rock salt.

Set on the eastern shore of the Great Salar de Uyuni, a vast expanse of white salt 3,650 meters above sea level, it's also great for stargazing at night and watching sunset colors reflect off the salt lake.

You can try your hand at a bit of trick photography -- like this intrepid traveler who appears to be relieving himself of his travel companions.

The hotel also has a spa and salty golf course. Not recommended for slugs.

Cost: Rooms start at US$100 for a single.

11. Albergo Il Monastero, Italy

The small island of Ischia is sometimes overlooked by tourists who flock instead to the crowded Amalfi coast or neighbouring Capri during summer months.

For a more relaxed view of the gulf of Naples, this hotel -- an ex-convent -- has a simple Mediterranean cloistered feel.

It's part of the 16th-century Aragonese Castle, which stands on a picturesque outcrop of rock connected to the main island by a bridge. Ischia is popular for its thermal hot springs and volcanic mud treatments. This hotel also offers wellness massage packages to visitors staying two nights or more.

Cost: Rooms start at US$142 but watch out for discounts on the website.

12. Alila Ubud, Indonesia

This hotel's wow factor has to be its infinity pool that seems to merge with green rice terraces and the luxuriant foothills of central Bali.

Take a dip in this pool and you'll feel like you're swimming with the native Balinese birds and macaques.

Certified by Green Globe, the hotel is eco friendly and offers four-star quality and services, including cool, contemporary design and an on-site restaurant specializing in local cuisine.

13. Great Orme Lighthouse, Wales

This old lighthouse, built in 1862 and in full use as a warning to ships until 1985, certainly has a room with a view -- a 180-degree view over the cliffs of north Wales and the Irish Sea.

Don't expect luxury, but do expect a very warm welcome from the hostess Fiona and an insight into the history of this living monument.

Cost: US$129 per person per night.

14. Riad L'Ayel d'Essaouira, Morocco

This renovated traditional Moroccan house in the heart of Essaouira's old quarter has four beautifully designed Berber-style rooms.

Colorful ceramic tiles and traditional tadlakt-coated walls blur the indoor and outdoor spaces, while detailed attention to carved-wood furnishings and silky fabrics make this small riad a Moroccan visual feast.

It's also listed as one of Essaouira's best luxury hotels by professional travel writers on the Travel Intelligence website, but comes in well below the average price of four and five-star hotels in the city.

15. The Oberoi Udaivilas, India

Your big chance to live like a Mughal Emperor -- at least for one night.

The Oberoi Udaivilas at Udaipur is built in the style of a traditional Indian palace, with gold-leaf domes and sand-colored walls reflected in the waters of Lake Pichola and the hotel's pools.

Voted the best resort in Asia by Travel + Leisure's 2011 readers' poll, the hotel's marble interiors and hand-painted frescoes will make you feel every inch a Rajah.

The setting at the heart of the old Mewar kingdom combines historical atmosphere with the Oberoi group's high standards. The city's network of lakes and the backdrop of the Aravalli Hills are a spectacular setting.


(Source: cnn)

+ Recent posts