Spacey Town, Arty B&B

LATIMES.COM/TRAVEL SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2017 L5 SPACEY TOWN, ARTY B&B

[Finger Lakes, from L4] Ithaca Commons or one of the state parks, you can’t help but stumble on a waterfall. Ithaca is a laid-back, funky university town. Ithaca Commons, its downtown square, has recently had a major makeover that’s created a wide pedestrian way with galleries, artisan shops, eclectic in- dependent record and book stores, farm-to-table eateries and a far- mers market. Ifollowed Sagan Planet Walk, a walkable scale model of the solar system winding through the city and named after Cornell astrono- my professor Carl Sagan. In homage to the late Sagan, artist Leo Villareal created “Cos- mos,” a spectacular public art in- stallation on the ceiling of the sculpture court at Cornell’s Her- Photographs by Katherine Rodeghier bert F. Johnson Museum of Art. THE HAWA MAHAL,built in 1799, gives visitors a grand view of Jaipur’s Old Quarter from atop the five-story “Palace of Winds.” Using 12,000 LEDs on a gridded framework attached to the ceiling, swirling images of galaxies and creative light dance over your head and are best seen at night from the zero gravity bench below. The art museum itself is a spec- ‘PINK CITY’ OF tacular contemporary building de- signed by Chinese American architect I.M. Pei and houses wonderful exhibits. The bonus: a 360-degree view of surrounding lake country from the top floor. Iclimbed the 161 steps up Mc- Graw Tower and reached the top INDIA ENERGIZES just in time for the Cornell Chimes concert when the tower’s 21 bells are played primarily by student chimes masters several times daily. Jaipur, the nation’s first Ithaca has dozens of excellent If you go eateries, and I chose an institution, planned city, is awash in the vegetarian Moosewood Cafe, color and history, with whose cookbooks were culinary THE BEST WAY TO JAIPUR, INDIA bibles that got me through the architecture that inspires. 1970s. That’s when I lived with a From LAX, Jet Airways, Etihad, KLM, Qatar, British, China vegetarian, and there was precious By Katherine Rodeghier Southern, Virgin Atlantic, little in the way of creative guid- Cathay Pacific, Air Canada and ance. JAIPUR, India — “You, sir, get Turkish offer connecting service After a day of Ithaca culture, it down now.” (change of planes) to Jaipur. was a rare pleasure to return to The incline proved too much for Restricted round-trip fares from Jupiter Hill B&B in the nearby vil- the elderly rickshaw bicyclist, so $1,059. lage of Trumansburg, where I had my hefty husband got out to push the inn’s gallery of fine American the rickety contraption through Hire a driver or book a taxi Impressionist paintings from the the old quarter of Jaipur. through your hotel. Take an auto early 20th century all to myself. Me? I sat like a maharani, pass- rickshaw (tuk-tuk) for short Isavored them slowly, sipping a ing the Hawa Mahal palace where trips, but carry small bills chilled glass of Finger Lakes Ries- ladies of the royal court once stood because drivers may claim they ling, of course. behind its small latticed windows can’t make change. to view the goings-on in the street [email protected] below. WHERE TO STAY Ihad no such protection. Cars, Hotel Arya Niwas, Sansar overloaded buses and tuk-tuks Chandra Road, behind Amber roared past, horns blaring. A cow Tower, Jaipur; www.aryaniwas If you go poked its nose at my elbow, its nos- .com. Family-run hotel in a trils flaring. renovated haveli, or mansion, Jaipur had burned in my imagi- about three miles from City THE BEST WAY TO nation since colleagues raved Palace. Doubles from $38, ROCHESTER, N.Y. about their visit decades earlier. including breakfast. From LAX, Southwest offers direct Every article I read about its ex- Hotel Diggi Palace, Diggi House, service (stop, no change of planes) traordinary architecture, every Shivaji Marg, C-Scheme, Jaipur; to Rochester, N.Y. , and vivid picture I swooned over kept www.hoteldiggipalace.com. Delta, American, Southwest, bumping it to the top of my bucket Doubles from $92. United and JetBlue offer list. connecting service (change of Rambagh Palace, Bhawani Singh When my daughter’s career planes). Restricted round-trip Road, Jaipur; lat.ms/rambagh fares from $429, including taxes took her to New Delhi, I jumped at palace. Former palace of and fees. The Finger Lakes region the chance to visit and make a side Maharajah Sawai Man Singh II. is about 40 minutes east of trip to Jaipur, about 160 miles Doubles from $663. Rochester. southwest. I timed my visit for win- ter to avoid the dreary monsoons WHERE TO EAT and unbearable heat of summer. WHERE TO STAY Photo buffs like me are drawn Baradari Mahal at Diggi Palace, Diggi House, Shivaji Marg, Vintage Gardens Bed & Breakfast, to the colors, patterns and exotic JANTAR MANTAR,built in the early 18th century, is the best C-Scheme, Jaipur; 310 High St., Newark, N.Y. ; (877) faces of India’s “Pink City.” Pink, preserved of five observatories built by Maharajah Jai Singh II. www.hoteldiggipalace.com. 331-6045,www.vintagegardens the tourist brochures say, but Rajasthani and continental fare bedandbreakfast.com. Elegant more tangerine to my eye. The col- Mughal and Rajput architecture. Tudor manor with formal gardens. AFGHAN. served in a pillared pavilion.; or is a soothing antidoteto the Members of the royal family live on CHINA Fall specials from $115. terrace seating overlooks lawn gray grit of the streets, where the the upper floors of the seven-story New and courtyard. Mains about $15. Belhurst Castle, 4069 W. Lake sweet fragrance of flower stalls Chandra Mahal, but most of the PAKISTAN Delhi LMB, LMB Hotel, Johari Bazar; Road, Geneva, N.Y. ; (315) 781-0201, mixes with diesel fumes from the City Palace is a museum exhib- BHU. NEPAL Jaipur; www.hotellmb.com www.belhurst.com. Spa, restaurant nightmarish traffic. iting carpets, paintings, weaponry and winery on the grounds. /restaurant.aspx. Vegetarian Jaipur’s walled city is the and royal costumes. Among the Jaipur Doubles from $185. restaurant and sweet shop masterwork of Maharajah Jai unusual objects are a pair of huge inside the Pink City offering a Juniper Hill B&B: 16 Elm St., Singh II, something of a child silver urns used to transport Gan- variety of ethnic cuisines. Mains Trumansburg, N.Y. ; (607) INDIA prodigy when he ascended to the ges River water for the mahara- $3 to $9. 387-3044 or (888) 809-3167, BANG. throne at age 11 . In 17 27 he chan- jah’s use during his visit to London juniperhillbnb.com. Exquisite B&B Copper Chimney, Hotel Mayaa neled his interest in architecture for the coronation ofEdward VIIin Mansion, M.I. Road, Jaipur; with a collection of fine American Arabian Impressionist paintings. Doubles into the creation of this new capi- 1902. Bay of lat.ms/copperchimney. Sea Bengal from $209. tal for his kingdom, employing Jantar Mantar, a UNESCO Continental and Indian dishes; architect Vidyadhar Bhat- World Heritage site, is an early mains $7.50 to $9. SRI tacharya to design the first 18th century astronomical ob- LANKA WHERE TO EAT planned city in India. servatory. Its 20 main instruments Sources: Mapzen, 250 MILES TO LEARN MORE Upstairs Bistro at New York Wine The streets, laid out in a grid, were used to track the planets and OpenStreetMap &Culinary Center, 800 S. Main were surrounded by high walls stars, predict an eclipse, tell time Los Angeles Times Rajasthan Tourism, St., Canandaigua, N.Y. ; (585) with nine ornate gates. In 1876 an- and forecast monsoons. tourism.rajasthan.gov.in/jaipur 394-7070, www.nywcc.com. A other maharajah painted the city It’s the largest and best pre- rets stretching along a ridge. We Government of India Tourist one-of-a-kind nonprofit with pink, the color of hospitality, for served of five observatories built shared the wow moment with Office, 3550 Wilshire Blvd., classes and tasting rooms. the visit of Britain’s Prince of by Jai Singh II; the objects spread others who pulled over to drink Suite 204, Los Angeles; (213) Wales. across the outdoor site resemble in the view reflected in Maota 380-8855, la.indiatourism Red Newt Cellars Winery & Bistro, @gmail.com 3675 Tichenor Road, Hector, N.Y. ; Major streets, such as the Trip- monumental sculptures and Lake. The fort is a popular day trip (607) 546-4100, www.rednewt olia Bazaar, are a swirl of activity works of architecture in masonry, from Jaipur, less than seven miles .com. Cozy bistro overlooking with fruit and vegetable vendors marble and brass. The largest, the away. Seneca Lake. as well as shops selling sweets, Samrat Yantra sundial, is 88 feet Even a snake charmer and his sion of courtyards surrounded by shoes, jewelry, handicrafts and sa- tall. cobra couldn’t distract us. red sandstone and marble struc- ris silky to the touch. The pyramid-shaped facade of The fort, begun in 1592 by Man tures built in a fusion of Rajput WHAT TO DO the pink sandstone Hawa Mahal, Singh I and enlarged by successive and Mughal styles. Harris Hill Soaring & National Exploring history built in 17 99, rises like the head- rulers for more than a century, was Inside the Sheesh Mahal, or Soaring Museum, 51 Soaring Hill Three of Jaipur’s most impor- dress of a maharani. Its hundreds the royal family’s home until over- Mirror Palace, a single candle Road, Elmira, N.Y. ; (607) 734-3128, tant historical and architectural of carved lattice windows permit- population and water shortages once illuminated the room cov- www.soaringmuseum.org. To take sites lie within the Pink City. All are ted women in purdah, the practice forced it to move to Jaipur. ered with a mosaic of mirrors and aride in a glider, go to www.harris within walking distance of one an- of shielding women from strang- Getting inside requires deci- glass. Attendants reclined on the hillsoaring.org or call (607) other and can be explored in a day ers, to observe street life without sion-making. Climb the steep carved pillars of the Sattais 734-0641. $96 per person for a —two for those, like me, who suffer being seen and allowed cool steps to the fort’s Sun Gate, Suraj Katcheri colonnade while keeping 15- to 20-minute flight from sensory overload. breezes to flow into the courtyard Pol, or make a grand entrance rid- tabs on the maharajah’s fortune in Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell Get an early start to avoid the behind it, giving it the nickname ing an elephant, a practice People record books. University, 114 Central Ave., Ithaca, midday heat and crowds. A combi- “Palace of Winds.” Inside, stairs for the Ethical Treatment of Ani- The three-story Ganesh Pol, a N.Y. ; (607) 255-6464, www nation ticket (about $15.50 for lead to the top of the narrow struc- mals has sought to ban. gate leading to royal pleasure pal- .museum.cornell.edu. Free; book in adults, $3.10 for students) good for ture, where you can look out over Athird option, easy and politi- aces, takes its name from the advance for excellent tours. two consecutive days includes ad- Jaipur’s Old Quarter. It now ex- cally correct, is by car through the Hindu elephant god. From its top mission to Jantar Mantar and hibits elements of Islamic and town of Amer to the fort’s Moon floors, the veiled queen would peer TO LEARN MORE Hawa Mahal, as well as the Amber Hindu architecture. Gate, Chand Pol. from its lattice windows awaiting Finger Lakes Wine Country, Fort just outside the city. Each route ends at the en- her king. www.fingerlakeswinecountry.com The City Palace complex of The Amber Fort trance courtyard where the ele- No word whether he arrived by Finger Lakes Tourism, buildings and courtyards, begun Our driver rounded a bend in phants parade, red cloths draping elephant. www.fingerlakes.org shortly after Jai Singh II moved his the hilly road and the Amber Fort their backs. capital here in 17 27, is a mix of appeared, its golden walls and tur- Stairs lead through a succes- [email protected]