Author Archives: Qin Xie

Uppity eating: 10 London eateries with bird’s-eye views

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Published on CNN on 4th June 2013:

The opening of the first restaurant in the Shard, the tallest building in the European Union as of early this year, has upped the ante in the London altitude dining stakes.

One company, Dinner in the Sky, takes the concept to perhaps its ultimate conclusion: guests are strapped into their seats around a table and hoisted 100 feet into the air by crane.

There chefs prepare a meal for them in situ from a central kitchen area.

But you needn’t risk spilling your aperitif onto gawkers below to enjoy elevated eating in the British capital. There are plenty of more comfortable indoor options.

Beginning with the Oblix at the Shard, we take the measure of 10 of the best — and most thrilling — uppity eateries in London.

Read more at CNN

How fashion is saving Italy’s monuments

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Published on CNN on 24th May 2013:

Italy is famed for fashion, food and, of course, history.

In fact, Italy has the highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites of any country in the world.

As other social needs have taken priority in economically turbulent times, however, the country’s budget for maintaining and restoring some of its greatest tourist attractions has been drastically reduced. While the Italian State Tourist Board said it couldn’t supply statistics,as much as a third of culture budgets (€1.42 billion/$1.83 billion) have been cut over the past three years, according to a September 2012 report in The Daily Beast.

Read more at CNN

Think your flip-flops have been through hell? Try a pair of Gandys

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Published on CNN on 20th May 2013:

If there’s a single iconic travel fashion accessory, it’s flip-flops.

The universal footwear is worn the world over by backpackers, package tourists, beach bums and wealthy vacationers alike.

It’s a multi-billion dollar industry.

For British brothers Rob and Paul Forkan, flip-flops also represent a memory, a legacy, a way of life and the avenue toward a dream of establishing a successful business, as well as a network of orphanages.

In 2012, the entrepreneurial pair launched Gandys, a brand of colorful flip-flops they hope to make a household name around the world.

Read more at CNN

Ten photos from Cuillin Hills Hotel, Skye

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Published on Life in Luxury on 17th May 2013:

Cask finished whiskies that you must try

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Published on Yahoo Lifestyle UK & Ireland on 10th May 2013:

A recent trip to the Isle of Skye revealed a whole new side of whiskies for me – the cask finished whiskies.

By law, all whiskies are aged in oak barrels for a minimum of three years. A select few also go on to be “finished” in special casks, which would impart additional flavours to the whisky. Majority of the casks were from sweet or fortified wines, giving the finished whisky a sweeter and fruitier note. Some, like Auchentoshan Three Wood, are even aged in three different types of casks.

I was in Skye for the unveiling of the Talisker Port Ruighe – the latest and permanent addition to the Talisker portfolio. Port Ruighe is the classic Talisker 10 finished in a port cask, a process which gave it a caramel hue, softened smoke and fruitier notes. Some might say, Talisker for the ladies.

Read more at Yahoo!