Jetsettersblog

The luxury four-star Montague on the Gardens in London’s Bloomsbury district marks the start of National Barbeque Week (May 30 to June 5) with the launch of its summer season of al fresco dining.

The sounds and aromas of rosemary- and garlic-roasted suckling pig, grilled tuna steaks, sticky baby spare ribs, surf ‘n’ turf, burgers and more will fill the air as the chef gets the charcoal burning on the Montague’s outdoor decking.

There will be plenty for vegetarians too, with marinated halloumi skewers, corn on the cob with chilli salt and Cajun-spiced Portobello mushrooms, just some of the dishes on the menu.

The Montague on the Gardens overlooks private gardens belonging to the Duke of Bedford, and the outdoor decking and adjacent cigar terrace create an oasis of calm in Central London.

The al fresco burger menu is available for residents and non-residents alike and will be served every day from lunch until late, though visitors are advised to check ahead, in case of any prior bookings. Sunday afternoons will feature Porchetta suckling pig served between 12:30 and 2:30 p.m., accompanied by live music all afternoon. The fuller Al Fresco menu will be available for larger parties of 35 or more.

The Montague on the Gardens is a four-star Georgian townhouse hotel.

The 100 rooms and suites, including one two-bedroom apartment, are furnished with luxurious fabrics. The hotel is within strolling distance of the West End and The British Museum, and five minutes from the Eurostar terminal at St. Pancras. Guests find themselves just minutes from London’s Financial District, Covent Garden, shopping on Oxford and Bond Streets, the West End theaters and Russell and Bloomsbury Squares. The Montague on the Gardens is part of Red Carnation, a luxury collection of five- and four-star boutique hotels.

For more information, call 011-44 (0) 207 637 1001 or visit www.montaguehotel.com

GRANTS PASS, Ore.–This brand new fitness vacation offered by Rogue Wilderness Adventures is ideal for real workout enthusiasts, and pairs whitewater rafting with Pilates classes taught by a professional instructor.

Nothing beats a great workout in the great outdoors, and Pilate’s practitioners will love the excitement of riding the Wild & Scenic Rogue River’s rapids and then toning up with an active Pilate’s session.

Guests will feel rejuvenated and refreshed after days of soaking up nature while expanding their Pilates practice under the close guidance of a professional instructor. Making friends and sharing stories by fireside are all part of the experience as participant’s camp under the stunning Oregon sky at night.

Add yummy fireside fare and expert guides and instruction, and this is an unforgettable fitness vacation. 3 days/ 2 nights. Cost: $929 per person plus government fees ($36). Departs August 29th, 2011. www.wildrogue.com

George Lucas, the creator of “Star Wars,” and Bob Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, wielded lightsabers amid a legion of stormtroopers on Friday to open “Star Tours-The Adventures Continue,” a new 3-D adventure at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park in Walt Disney World Resort.

A cast of hundreds of Star Wars characters and performers – including Anthony Daniels, who has played the golden droid C-3PO since the first film debuted in 1977 – were in attendance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the launch of the attraction, which is a much updated version of one that has been in the park since the 1980s.

The launch of Star Tours anchored the opening day of Star Wars Weekends, a popular event in the park celebrating the Star Wars legacy with special shows, presentations, motorcades and memorabilia. Star Wars Weekends continue each Friday-Sunday now through June 12, 2011. And on June 3, 2011, “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue” will open at Disneyland Resort in California.

“Star Tours immerses guests into the Star Wars universe like never before,” Iger said. “The innovative technology and storytelling take guests on thrilling new adventures, bringing George Lucas’ iconic characters and locations to life in a completely new way.”

With digital video leveraging Dolby 3-D to deliver a vivid and realistic visual experience, a dramatic musical score and motion simulator-based technology, guests are immersed in a Star Wars adventure. Walt Disney Imagineering worked with Lucasfilm, Ltd. and Industrial Light & Magic – the visual effects division of Lucasfilm – to bring the out-of-this-world attraction to life.

Star Tours was closed in 2010 so Disney’s Imagineers could begin work on the new attraction.

In “Star Tours=The Adventures Continue,” there are more than 50 story combinations, so guests can find new adventures each time they experience the attraction. Using the random story combinations, the Starspeeder spacecraft embarks on a wild adventure, visiting several planets made famous in the Star Wars films. Among the locations that might provide haven from the Empire’s pursuit are the icy planet of Hoth, the lush jungles of Kashyyyk and the underwater Gungan world on Naboo. Along the way guests can encounter Star Wars characters that offer to help (or hinder) their journey, including Yoda, Admiral Ackbar, Darth Vader and Boba Fett.

“Skytroopers,” a legion of stormtroopers created just for the Star Tours attraction story, can join in the chase. For more information, visit http://disneyworld.disney.go.com

The London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) revealed the dates and locations for 74 of the evening celebrations and island visits on the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay route.

With one year to go until the Olympic Flame arrives in Britain, visitors can now start planning how they will become part of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

On May 18, 2012, the Olympic Flame will arrive from Greece and on May 19, the 70-day Olympic Torch Relay will start at Land’s End, Cornwall. On leaving Land’s End, the Olympic Flame is expected to travel an estimated 8,000 miles around Britain, visiting some of the most iconic locations and sites and giving thousands of communities their moment to celebrate as the Olympic Flame comes to a place near them.

The Olympic Flame will travel for approximately 12 hours each day, concluding on 66 of the 70 days with an evening celebration event that will enable thousands of people to enjoy a variety of entertainment and shows.

Each celebration event will differ with locally programmed content on the stage, which will add to the celebratory atmosphere.

Many thousands more people are expected to celebrate along the route each day. The Torch will complete its Britain journey when it arrives at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012, for the lighting of the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony, signifying the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The Olympic Torch will travel on a journey across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The 8,000 torchbearers will visit Manchester, Liverpool, Blackpool, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, Derry-Londonderry and London.

It will also journey along coastline and through countryside with scheduled stops and celebrations in Dover, Hastings, Aberystwyth, Inverness, Aberdeen and Portrush, to name just a few.

Also confirmed are six island visits to the Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey, Shetland, Orkney and the Isle of Lewis, where community-led celebrations to welcome the Olympic Flame will be held and torchbearers will run in relay.

In addition to the first 74 locations confirmed, many other cities, towns, villages, places of outstanding natural beauty, sports venues and community hubs will join the route in a second, more detailed announcement later this year that will confirm the many other places the Olympic Flame will visit each day.

Once the detailed route is confirmed, it is estimated that 95 percent of the population will be within a one-hour journey of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay.

An interactive map from BBC outlines the dates the torch will be visiting each of the 74 locations that have been announced.

For more information, visit

www.london2012.com/olympictorchrelay

Chicago will open InstaGreeter outposts in Pilsen, Old Town and Hyde Park for the summer season on May 28.

InstaGreeter is a free visitor service offered by the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture. Located at the National Museum of Mexican Art (1852 W. 19th St.), the Pilsen InstaGreeter Outpost is the third one.

The Hyde Park InstaGreeter Outpost, which launched in summer 2009, and the Old Town InstaGreeter Outpost, which opened last summer of 2010, will also reopen this summer.

Outposts will offer free, one-hour guided neighborhood visits by a volunteer Chicagoan from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays from May 28 to Oct. 8.

The Hyde Park Outpost will be open every Saturday and the Old Town and Pilsen Outposts will go to alternating Saturdays after May 28.

Visits are given on a first-come, first-served basis with no pre-registration required.

Also returning this year is the Millennium Park Greeter Service.

Departing from the Millennium Park Welcome Center (201 E. Randolph St.), tours offer a free 45-minute tour about the art and architecture of the park.

Tours are daily at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. from May 27 to Oct. 10 for up to 10 people, first-come, first-served, no pre-registration required.

For more information, visit www.ExploreChicago.org

Welcome to Yorkshire, the official tourism agency for England’s largest county, launched a new promotional campaign, “The Arts of Yorkshire,” as England’s largest art gallery outside of London, The Hepworth Wakefield, opened on Saturday, May 21.

Designed by internationally acclaimed English architect David Chipperfield, The Hepworth will show for the first time a collection of sculptures by Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, two of the most important sculptors of the 20th century, both born and raised in the Wakefield district.

Less than a three-hour journey from London, Wakefield is one of Yorkshire’s five cities. The new art space is a landmark gallery which celebrates Hepworth’s birthplace and houses rarely seen works by the sculptor, as well as work from Wakefield’s art collection and exhibitions by contemporary artists.

Located on Wakefield’s waterfront, the gallery is anticipated to attract in excess of 150,000 visitors a year. The stunning design also includes vibrant social spaces, learning studios and a conference venue.

With several major new gallery launches and openings in 2011, The Arts of Yorkshire campaign aims to place Yorkshire, England, at the heart of the European arts scene and to attract North American visitors in search of a cultural stay.

For travelers interested in experiencing The Arts of Yorkshire, a dedicated microsite www.yorkshire.com/artistic has been created including suggested art trails, along with an accommodation booking tool.

Less than a 20-minute drive from The Hepworth Wakefield, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park is set within 100 acres of rolling parkland and has the largest display of Henry Moore bronzes in the world. The sculpture park is currently presenting a body of recent work until September by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, who recently unveiled “Echo,” his first public artwork in New York in Madison Square Park.

Also on show in Yorkshire throughout 2011 is David Hockney’s most ambitious painting to date, “Bigger Trees Near Warter.” First exhibited at the Royal Academy in 2007 and presented to Tate, it is the first time the painting has been on display in the U.K. outside of London. The painting, inspired by Hockney’s love of East Yorkshire’s rural landscapes, can be seen in various galleries including The Ferens Art Gallery in Hull, less than 25 miles from where the artist originally painted it.

The Hockney loan forms part of “Art in Yorkshire — supported by Tate,” a year-long celebration, led by York Museums Trust, of the visual arts in 19 galleries throughout Yorkshire. Works from Tate’s Collection of historic, modern and contemporary art from major artists will be featured.

Additionally, Sir Jacob Epstein’s “Adam” returns to Harewood House, Leeds, following its loan for inclusion in “Modern British Sculpture” at the Royal Academy of Arts. Other major artists such as Damian Hirst, Patrick Heron and Henri Cartier-Bresson are also being showcased through a compelling program of exhibitions and events.

The Tate initiative features as part of Welcome to Yorkshire’s overarching Arts of Yorkshire campaign which encompasses all arts disciplines. Yorkshire is often referred to as the northern England capital of performing arts and to highlight this, the new campaign will also include a full program of live performances and events. Yorkshire is home to the Leeds-based Opera North and the Northern Ballet Theatre, whose new ballet, “Cleopatra,” recently opened at London’s Sadler’s Wells in front of a celebrity audience before its U.K. tour continues. On the East Coast, The Welcome to Yorkshire Open Air Theatre Scarborough is Europe’s largest open air theatre. Scarborough is also the location of The Stephen Joseph Theatre, home to Alan Ayckbourn, the world’s most performed living playwright whose play, “My Wonderful Day,” broke box office records during its run as part of the Brits Off Broadway festival in New York.

For more information, visit www.yorkshire.com  or www.visitengland.com

The Santa Catalina Island Company in California is hosting a summer concert series featuring a variety of acts, including up-and-coming artists, as well as jazz, pop and rock artists, in the Casino Ballroom and the Catalina Country Club. Casio Ballroom concerts will kick off with Dick Dale, the King of the Surf Guitar, on July 2.

In addition, Koffeehouse Presents Unplugged at the Country Club takes place every Thursday.

Among the artists will be Katelyn Clampett, Sara Haze and Shawn Hlookoff, May 26; Natalie Gelman, July 7; and Camaron Ochs, Aug. 11.

Steamers Presents Jazz at the Country Club takes place every Friday through September and features artists including Nancy Sanchez, May 27; the Edmund Velasco Quintet, July 1; and Peter Erskine, Sept. 9.

For the first time, Descanso Beach Club will remain open every Saturday evening from July through September, with food and cocktail service and DJ music.

For more information, call 800-626-1496 or visit

www.visitcatalinaisland.com

Delta Air Lines will resume seasonal service to Valencia on Spain’s Mediterranean coast.

Starting June 1, Delta will offer four nonstop flights a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York to Valencia Airport in Manises (VLC).

Return flights from Valencia to JFK will depart on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Featuring two-class service aboard Boeing 757-200 ETOPS aircraft, there will be 16 seats in Delta’s award-winning Business Elite and 144 in economy class.

The service to Valencia will continue to Sept. 5 and the last return flight from Valencia will be Sept. 6.

Lufthansa will operate a daily A380 service on its Frankfurt-Singapore route starting Oct. 30.

Also on Oct. 30, Lufthansa will shift its service to Jakarta (via Singapore) from Frankfurt to Munich.

The route will be operated with an Airbus A340-300. Passengers arriving in Singapore on the A380 flight from Frankfurt will have ample time to transfer to the onward flight to Indonesia.

The A380 can comfortably accommodate 526 passengers — eight in First Class, 98 in Business Class and 420 in Economy Class.

For more information, visit  the banner below.

Wine Train Vintner’s Lunch Series Line-up Famous vintners from all over Napa Valley team up with the Wine Train for special lunches with paired food and wine.

NAPA, CA – The Napa Valley Wine Train announced the all-star cast for the 2011 Vintner’s Lunch program. The popular series has been designed to enrich the culinary experience by pairing wines from expert vintners with the perfect dish crafted by the excellent palate of Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald.

During these lunches, guests leave all of the decisions up to the masters and indulge in Chef’s taste sensations, as they journey through the wines of the day. These menus are put together for one day only, which means the lunch’s delectable food and wine fusion will never be repeated.

Each Vintner’s Lunch takes place in the Wine Train’s elevated 1952 Vista Dome Car. This exclusive, VIP-style car gives patrons an unparalleled view of the Valley. The lunch’s specially designed menu is prepared fresh on board in the Vista Dome’s kitchen, which is located on the first story of the car.

Get up close and personal to both Chef Kelly and the guest vintner.

2011 Vintner’s Lunch Line-Up

Artesa Vineyards and Winery (July 8, 2011) Artesa takes its name from the Catalan word for handcrafted and focuses on traditional Napa Valley varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Winemaker, Mark Beringer, will ride with guests and showcase the ultra premium, small lot wines of Artesa.

Dick Vermeil & Vermeil Wines (July 22, 2011) Former NFL Coach and Calistoga native Dick Vermeil, will ride the train to swap stories, sign bottles and discuss the delicious Vermeil Wines.

Domaine Carneros (July 29, 2011) Domaine Carneros, one of Napa’s most prominent sparkling wineries, is the quintessential California expression of French Champagne.
Join Domaine Carneros’s Zak Miller to experience the sparkling side of Napa.

Benessere Vineyards (Aug 5, 2011) Benessere means “well-being” or “prosperity” in Italian. The Benish family chose this name to convey the prosperity and well-being of living in the Napa Valley. Benessere Vineyards strives to produce some of the finest small lots of Italian-inspired wines in Callifornia.

Markham Vineyards (Aug 12, 2011) Markham Vineyards is the fourth oldest continually operating winery in Napa Valley. Learn from generations of wine making experience from their winemaker, Kimberlee Nicholls.

Raymond Vineyards (Sept 9, 2011) Jean-Charles Boisset, Raymond Vineyard’s President and friend of the Wine Train, along with director of winemaking, Stephanie Putnam, ride the train and discuss their biodynamic winery.

ZD Wines (Oct 7, 2011) ZD Wines is a family owned and operated winery that has been around since 1969. They are dedicated to producing delicious wines in an environmentally fashion. They have been certified organic for over a decade, and are a solar powered winery.

Judd’s Hill (Oct. 21, 2011) “Having a good time making great wine with family” is Judd’s Hill’s motto! Beginning as garage winemakers, the Finkelstein family has been producing legendary wines in the Napa Valley since the 1970s, when they created Whitehall Lane Winery. Now, Judd Finkelstein and his wife Holly, continue to hand-craft ultra-premium wines in the same heartfelt and intimate style embraced by his parents over thirty years ago

Train fare, gourmet multiple course meal, paired wines and welcome glass of sparkling wine included: $159
http://winetrain.com/events/vintners-lunch

The Napa Valley Wine Train is one of the most unique and best Napa restaurants. This top dining establishment is housed in an antique train that runs on 25-miles of track in the heart of the Napa Valley.

The train itself has two engines, three kitchens on board and a collection of early 20th century rail cars that are pure Americana. It offers guests great regional food and fabulous, hard-to-find wines.

Enjoy winery tours, wine tasting on board, and celebrity winemaker dinners: A great place to celebrate your special moments, or just to enjoy everyday life. (800) 427-4124  www.winetrain.com