ISSUE SIX PLAN Heritage hotel review, Sydney; drive to view silo art. DESTINATIONS Exploring Launceston; going Christmas solo on the Ghan; 5 highlights of the Maldives; finding mystery in Tangiers. INSPIRATION Markets Tasting the best of Indian Anyone for Gluhwein? food; China’s warriors, tame and terracotta. CRUISING The traditional history of Japan; intergenerational cruising; luxury cruising through Indonesia. EUROPE – TASMANIA – MOROCCO – INDIA – CHINA FUN FACT: GOATS IN TREES This is not a fake photo. On top of a tree, in The argan nuts pass through the digestive the south west of Morocco, in North Africa system of the goats and once they are where the plants and trees are far apart and excreted, people gather them from the fewer, goats use their climbing skills to find droppings and crack them open to expose food. Here the animals have climbed up an the seeds. The Argan Oil from the nuts is a argan tree (8-10metres) to get to the fresh fruit nutritious resource for Morocco. at the top. And even after feeding their faces, the goats Goats eat the whole fruit even though their just hang around on the branches of the trees bodies can’t digest the nut. just looking out at the horizon . IMAGE: BEV MALZARD BEV IMAGE: Make one day today 30 Expert Travel 30 Day Booking 5 Month Great Save On Knowledge Guarantee Interest Free Discounts Travel Insurance Call 1300 404 606 Get your preferred Enjoy 5 monthly Up to 40% off for Travel stress-free or visit dates within 30 days payment options at My Discoveries with discounts on mydiscoveries.com.au or your money back no extra cost customers travel insurance 2 MY DISCOVERIES | www.mydiscoveries.com.au 20 47 24 08 Contents PLAN 28 Morocco’s mystery city – Tangiers. 04 Book early for a MY DISCOVERIES TEAM marvellous European General Manager Christmas and its INSPIRATION Janeece Keller sparkling markets. 32 Tasting the best of Indian Features Editor 08 Suss out a Sydney traditional food. Bev Malzard heritage hotel. 35 Meet the greatest army of Digital Editor 12 Ride on down the road warriors – the Terracotta Alison Godfrey on a driving holiday to Warriors of China. Staff Writer find wall art in Australian Sophie Cullen country towns. Designer CRUISING Jon Wolfgang Miller 42 Cruise to find the ancient Contributors DESTINATIONS tales of the Last Samuri of Alison Godfrey; Sue Wallace; Japan. Bev Malzard; Rob McFarland; 16 Launceston – Tassie’s Bethany Plinth; Roderick Eime; top town. 47 Mixing it up onboard Tiana Templeman; Julie Jones; Wendy Fernandes. 20 Solo train travel is the with an intergenerational family. Contact new singles favourite @mydiscoveries holiday – go for the Ghan! 52 Accessible cruising. @mydiscoveries [email protected] 24 Five highlights of the 54 Luxury cruising through www.mydiscoveries.com.au Maldives. Indonesia. 1300 404 606 MY DISCOVERIES | www.mydiscoveries.com.au 3 PLAN toTO MARKET,market... Traditions dating back hundreds of years come into play at the charming and twinkling Christmas markets throughout Europe. Anyone for gluhwein? SUE WALLACE 4 MY DISCOVERIES | www.mydiscoveries.com.au There’s no better way to discover the charm of Europe’s many wonderful Christmas markets than with a mug of steaming gluhwein laced with cinnamon and cloves, in hand. The delicious aroma of roasting chestnuts is often in the air as you wander by wooden chalets decked with twinkling fairy lights, bright baubles and fresh holly and pine tree branches. Intricate beaded Christmas decorations, timber toys, handmade soap, felt slippers and treats that are almost too pretty to eat top the list of must-haves as Yuletide fever sets in. Christmas markets start from mid-November and by early December are in full swing across Europe as crowds flock to buy gifts for family and friends and stock up on goodies for Christmas stockings. There’s keen competition among European cities when it comes to the best Christmas market accolade but each one has something special to offer. The market circuit has become a huge tourist attraction for Christmas revellers who wander along cobbled stone streets to pretty squares where markets have been held for centuries. Here are some of the best: AUSTRIA Austria stages some of the oldest and prettiest Christmas markets with many dating back to the Middle Ages. Vienna has 20 markets in the city with stunning historical buildings as dramatic backdrops. Rathausplatz in front of the neo-Gothic City Hall is a sight to behold with more than 150 chalets stocked with wooden houses, puppets, gingerbread hearts, RATHAUSPLATZ IN FRONT OF THE leather clothing and woollen NEO-GOTHIC CITY HALL hats. There’s a big skating rink MY DISCOVERIES | www.mydiscoveries.com.au 5 BATH, UNITED KINGDOM and children can learn to make traditional carols. located between Strasbourg Christmas cookies. Dresden’s ancient Christmas and Mulhouse. The glorious Belvedere and market, Striezelmarkt started Schonbrunn palaces, Altes AKH 583 years ago and is known for ITALY - a former hospital and Maria- its traditional crafts. Mulled wine There are stocking fillers galore Theresien Platz look amazing in cups are designed and produced at the Florence market where their Christmas garb. Gingerbread, locally, in Neukirch in East Saxony the beautiful Franciscan Basilica cheese, meats, punch and wine by Kannegießer Keramik. Piazza Santa Croce stands. Piazza from regional producers feature at del Duomo has a nativity scene the Advent pleasure market at the FRANCE and an impressive Christmas tree, Opera House. Strasbourg in eastern France is which is lit up on 8 December as Salzburg and Innsbruck markets known for its pretty markets that part of the Feast of the Immaculate are just as magical. started in 1570. The lofty Great Conception. In Trento, the gateway Christmas Tree, a towering spruce to the Dolomites, there are 90 GERMANY that looms over Place Kleber wooden stalls showcasing local Cologne, Hamburg, Worms, Leipzig, attracts big crowds. Taste French food including sheep’s cheese and Nuremberg and Stuttgart stage Yuletide treats including pain dried orange slices in the Piazza great markets while Berlin goes d’épices with ginger, clove, Fiera and Piazza Cesare Battisti. all out boasting more than 60. cardamom, anise, and other spices Gendarmenmarkt is one of the and menele cookies in the shape of SWEDEN most popular and there’s nothing St Nicolas along with local Alsatian Glogg is the popular Christmas like enjoying a traditional bratwurst wine. drink spiced with cinnamon, apple, and German ale while listening to Another star market is at Colmar, and brandy at Sweden’s Christmas 6 MY DISCOVERIES | www.mydiscoveries.com.au TIVOLI GARDENS, COPENHAGEN INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA TIVOLI GARDENS, COPENHAGEN markets including Gothenburg and barbecued pork or trdelník, UNITED KINGDOM where there’s a three kilometre a hot, rolled pastry rolled in Bath stages a spectacular twinkling Lane of Lights. cinnamon and sugar and cooked Christmas market with more than The city’s Liseberg Amusement over a grill. 180 light-strewn stalls around the Park is home to Sweden’s largest iconic Roman Baths and Abbey. Christmas market with more than ESTONIA In Manchester you can visit a 80 stalls, an ice-skating rink and real The Tallinn Christmas Market is European market in Albert Square, reindeer. where the first Christmas tree was a German-style market at St Ann’s displayed in Europe in front of Square and French-themed stalls at NORWAY the town hall back in 1441. Black King Street. Dried reindeer meat, moose pudding and sour cabbage are burgers and beautiful Christmas the local treat and can be tried in No matter which Christmas market trees from Trondelag Woods the Town Hall Square where Santa you visit – it’s easy to fall under feature at Trondheim’s market and his sleigh pulled by a team of the spell of fairy tale festivities, square. Visit during the beautiful reindeers often drops by. twinkling lights, local treats and blue hour which gives everything spicy gluhwein. outdoors a magical blue glow. DENMARK Copenhagen’s historic Tivoli CZECH REPUBLIC Gardens puts on a spectacular PLANNING FOR A EUROPEAN WINTER? Prague’s Old Town Square and show with 1000 Christmas trees @mydiscoveries Wenceslas Square are the homes and 70,000 Christmas baubles plus @mydiscoveries [email protected] of stunning Christmas markets 27 fun rides and a cosy Christmas www.mydiscoveries.com.au where you will find mulled wine market full of goodies. 1300 404 606 MY DISCOVERIES | www.mydiscoveries.com.au 7 PLAN Primus Hotel Sydney Want a classy staycation in Sydney or heading to the big smoke for a holiday? Enjoy comfort with history and heritage. BEV MALZARD PRESIDENTIAL SUITE 8 MY DISCOVERIES | www.mydiscoveries.com.au When is a hotel not a hotel? Well, In 2008, 339 Pitt Street was listed copper and aluminium. it’s always a hotel if it’s a hotel! But as a heritage item of the Sydney Above the entrance are low relief if it’s not a tall, shiny new property, Local Environment Plan and listed bronze panels depicting the water a sprawling resort, a boutique, on the State Heritage Register of industry and its technological bespoke building – it just might be New South Wales. progression. (Originally designed a hotel created within an historic The building was deserted by by Stanley James Hammond, the building that still has the bones of the M.W.S & D. Board around 2009 panels have been restored to their the past, the ambience of a bygone when the staff were relocated to original mellow beauty.) era and the gravitas of heritage. Sydney’s western suburbs. Entering the lobby is a gasp- One such property is Sydney’s And the rest is new history! Down worthy moment.