Ash above the Iceland volcano, as seen by a NASA satellite. Full disclosure: we lightened the image a bit in Photoshop to make it easier to see the details.

We captured this NASA satellite image of the Iceland volcano the other day. Yes, it’s been out of the news (mostly) but it’s still sending ash into the sky.

The thing is, disruptive as it is to travel, with the perversity of color digital imagery, it’s actually kind of beautiful from space. We thought you’d like to take a look.

Extra credit if you can pronounce it: Eyjafjallajokull.

A portion of the Piano Suite by Diane von Furstenberg at Claridges, London.

As a designer, Diane von Furstenberg is all about fabric. Her eye for print, wrapped around or laid over the female form, catapulted her to international consciousness and has kept her there for more years that it’s polite to name.

Recently she decorated two rooms for Claridges, her favorite London hotel (and one we love as well), and that fabric sensibility is everywhere. The DVF Studio is a haven of black and white draped across great architecture and framing modern-day electronics, without interfering with either.

But it’s the Piano Suite we love.

Black and white is prominent again. In the master bed chamber, matched geometric prints tie headboard, curtains and chair together as standouts against a dark wall with gold accents and crisp white accents throughout the room. A second full bedroom, surprisingly understated in taupe, cream and ebony, includes curtains that take tri-color liberties with a classic Greek key-inspired style.

In the living room, more black and white in stunning curtains (one wants a dress made from them) are cast against brightly colored seating arrangements. Among all these sights and luxuries, including the grand piano, our eye was caught by a beautiful glass branch, sweeping across its tabletop to bring up competing mental images of ice sculptures and magnolias blooming in spring at the same time.

Although the unveiling happened last month, Claridges held a launch reception yesterday for DVF and her pals, who include fashionistas such as Gweneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham. More DVF rooms and suites are to follow.

We say, hasn’t everyone scrimped enough over the past couple of years? Once in awhile it makes sense to break out the old Centurion card and stay in something as special as the Piano Suite, followed by dinner downstairs at the Gordon Ramsay restaurant for a quintessential London luxury experience. There’s plenty of opportunity to become your fiscal-conservative self again once you’re back home.

In Bergisch Gladback, Germany, the place now known as Castle Hotel Lerbach was first mentioned in a 1384 manuscript. It opened as a hotel in 1992 and is home to chef Dieter Muller, whose three-star-rated restaurant (named after him) is a highlight of any visit to Germany's wine country.

Is it one of your life goals to dine in the world’s best restaurants? Unlike the amateur review sites we mentioned in our last post, Michelin Guide writers definitely know how to find and evaluate excellent cuisine.

You might be interested to know there are only 85 restaurants in the world that enjoy Michelin’s (top) three-star rating. Most of these are concentrated in Western Europe; although the guide writers have recently put a strong emphasis on growing their list of brilliant dining experiences in Japan as well.

The 2010 distribution of three-star-rated restaurants is:

• Belgium, 2
• China, 3
• France, 26 (of these, 10 are in Paris)
• Germany, 9
• Italy, 6
• Japan, 18 (of these, 11 are in Tokyo, 6 in Kyoto)
• Monaco, 1
• Netherlands, 2
• Spain, 7
• Switzerland, 2
• U.K., 4
• U.S., 6 (of these, 5 are in New York)

Next time you’re traveling in these areas, plan to splurge at least one night in one of these restaurants. Reservations are definitely required in advance.

Bon appetit!

P.S. If you’d like to buy a Michelin Guide, save quite a bit off the suggested retail price at Amazon.com.

President and Mrs. Obama

We’d like to congratulation President Obama on having been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize today.

Surely this means a trip to Oslo is in his future. As it happens, we’ve dined in Oslo three times this year and thought you might like to read a few reviews from local restaurants. Perhaps the President and Mrs. Obama will have an opportunity to enjoy the same meals we found so appealing.

Restaurant Det Gamle Raadhus
At first blush, Restaurant Det Gamle Raadhus, in Oslo, Norway, might seem a cliché of dusty splendor and stiff service, but lately, regulars have been raving about the revamped, local-inspired menu. The reindeer steak with a ragu of morels is a new take on an old dish – made lighter and given a little port reduction to brighten the flavors.

Any starter featuring the house-smoked red trout is worth ordering; it’s a salty, bracing fillet that’s just right with horseradish cream. Dinner for two, before wine, about $160.
Contact info: Nedre slottsgate 1. Tel: 47-2242-0107. www.gamleraadhus.no.
(Reviewed 4/07/2009 in Passport Newsletter.)

The Gamle Raadhus restaurant in Oslo, Norway.

Argent
Among Oslo’s many fine dining options, the Argent, at the Opera House, stands out. It’s a beautiful contemporary spot with a varied menu of selections that, in our experience, have been uniformly excellent.

Try the veal with mushrooms, the grilled salmon or the herbed glazed pheasant breast, and have alongside, the smoked vegetables. From a tempting array of desserts, we were very happy with a rich chocolate torte. Dinner for two, before wine, about $200.
Contact info: Kirsten Flagstads Plass 1. Tel: 47-21-422-142.
(Reviewed 3/10/2009 in Passport Newsletter.)

Oslo’s 18-month-old Opera House was designed by the same architects who created the Library of Alexandria in Egypt (where they were chosen from more than 1,400 other entrants in a design competition). Their Opera House design won the culture award at the World Architecture Festival in 2008.

Grand Cafe
The Grand Hotel’s Grand Cafe, a meeting place for artists and intellectuals for more than a century, offers a variety of Norwegian and international dishes, and its buffet is the largest in Norway. Dinner for two, before wine, about $100.

The Julius Fritzer, also at the Grand, is the more sophisticated dining room. Named after the founder of the hotel, the restaurant serves a five-course daily menu based on seasonal fresh foods from the market and has an extensive wine list. Dinner for two, before wine, about $170.
Contact info: Karl Johans Gate 31. Tel: 47-23-21-2000.
(Reviewed 1/19/2009 in Passport Newsletter.)

Mr. President and Mrs. Obama: Congratulations, and bon appetit.

– Peg Prideaux, CTC
100909

France's high-speed train, Thalys, boards passengers in The Hague, Netherlands.

Those in Europe who are responsible for high-speed rail service are thinking about business travel needs, but leisure travelers can also benefit from ever-improving European rail service.

Why Travel by Rail?
One big advantage of rail is that itʼs a less stressful way to travel, partly because it is more comfortable, and partly because the rail station experience is so much more tolerable than a typical airport. Also, with far fewer weather delays, one can generally count on on-time departures and arrivals. And finally, for journeys of two to four hours, the door-to-door time for passengers is usually shorter via rail than via air.

Existing High-Speed Lines
Many European high-speed routes are already in existence, with more coming as the European Union continues to integrate its infrastructure. Present high-speed routes ‒ weʼre talking about trains that travel at 300 km per hour or faster (thatʼs 185 mph or more) ‒ can add to your travel ease and help you avoid air or roadway congestion.

High-speed train travel already operates between these pairs of cities: London to Paris or Brussels (Eurostar), Paris to Lyon or Marseille, Brussels to Cologne, Madrid to Barcelona, Madrid to Seville or Malaga, Milan to Bologna, Naples to Rome, Rome to Florence, and St. Petersburg to Moscow.

In addition, other cities are connected by routes that are mostly (if not 100 percent) conducted over high-speed rails, such as Hanover to Berlin, Frankfurt to Cologne, and Paris to Geneva.

Future High-Speed Lines
These routes are in process:

• Service between Paris and Amsterdam, beginning mid-December 2009, will save over an hour over present train travel.
• In the UK, plans are afoot to add high-speed rail between London and Glasgow, cutting present travel time roughly in half.
• France, which is a leader in high-speed rail, will add new lines from Paris to Brittany, and Paris to Lyons.
• In Scandinavia, there are plans for a high-speed connection between Helsinki and St. Petersburg.

An EU priority for high speed rail is to expand the number of cross-border routes, in anticipation of which the EU is funding infrastructure development of the numerous tunnels and bridges required to realize this goal.

Bottom line, once youʼve flown transatlantic, rail travel is a fast, comfortable and civilized means of making your way around Europe. And it just keeps getting better.

‒ Peg Prideaux, CTC
091109

Estimated time of departure for Boeing's 787? It's anyone's guess.

Built with advanced carbon fiber construction, the 787 is much lighter than it would have been using traditional materials, resulting in 20 percent fewer emissions and 20 percent greater fuel efficiency, although its speed will remain about the same as a 747.

Inside: Larger luggage bins, bigger windows, and cleaner air.

Outside: Curved wings.

And yet: No telling when you’ll be able to fly in it.

The 787 is touted as holding great promise for the world’s airlines as well as for the global network of parts suppliers and sub-contractors on the ground; but the complexities of innovating with many new partners have overwhelmed Boeing’s original plans and delayed the 787’s delivery, a multi-billion-dollar boo-boo.

So you don’t get to fly in it yet.

Late 2010 … Maybe

Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA), first purchaser of the 787, is still waiting for planes it had planned to put into service two years ago. Boeing’s current estimate for delivery is late 2010, and skeptics call that an estimate to write on the calendar in pencil. And who are these skeptics? Well this week, it includes just about everyone in the investment community.

And why is that? Well, we won’t pretend to have a Wall Street decoder ring, so let’s just say the coffee-shop gossip around Seattle, where the plane gets its final assembly, has included a lot of head-scratching about how the 787 will keep its wings attached to the fuselage. It’s an essential question that leaves plenty for engineers work out while executives have some ’splainin’ to do to Boeing shareholders.

It’s not the kind of problem anyone likes to have this far into the game.

And naturally, it’s a big reason why you don’t get to fly in it yet.

Once Boeing gets the engineering squared away, and the jets are finally ready for scheduled production, and the shareholders have calmed down, then the airlines will have a choice of seating configurations ranging from 210 to 330 seats. As commercial airlines continue to need cash, it doesn’t take rocket scientist to predict how that will turn out.

And you’ll know that for sure, once you get to fly in it.

– Peg Prideaux, CTC
090409

New luggage fees ... is the sky the limit?

American Airlines is the next-to-last major U.S. airline to announce baggage fees for international flights. Coach passengers will soon be charged $100 round-trip for a second suitcase to Europe, India and the Caribbean; but first-class passengers will not pay the fee.

United Airlines is the only remaining big U.S. carrier that doesn’t (yet) charge fees for a second bag to Europe; but industry experts expect they will join the party soon. Why? Simple ‒ because airlines make millions of dollars on luggage fees, and they need the cash.

So, how can you avoid the fee?

Strategy No. 1: Fly by private jet, or fly first class with a commercial airline. This is our favorite option for all the obvious reasons.

Strategy No. 2: Use airline miles to upgrade to first class. Another really good option.

Strategy No. 3: If you can’t fly first class, then book a foreign carrier (they don’t levy the second-bag charge).

Strategy No. 4: Conserving cash? The most thrifty solution is to trade US airline mileage points for coach travel on foreign carriers. Expect to make compromises in your preferred flight dates or schedules to make this happen.

One carrier’s air miles are valid throughout the network of airlines that belong to that airline’s alliance group, listed below. Regional U.S. carriers (too many to list here) that feed into larger airlines often get similar air mile trades. For example, one of our staff uses Alaska Airlines miles to travel on foreign carriers through Alaska’s agreement with American.

The alliance partners are:

STAR ALLIANCE
US Carriers: United Airlines, US Airways
Foreign Carriers: Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana, Austrian, BMI, EgyptAir, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Spanair, Swiss International Airlines, TAP Portugal, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines

Example: Travel round-trip from North America to Europe in economy on Lufthansa for 50,000 miles. The equivalent travel in first class requires 140,000 United Airlines miles.

ONEWORLD ALLIANCE
US Carrier: American Airlines
Foreign Carriers: British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, JAL Japan Airlines, LAN, Malév, Qantas, Royal Jordanian

Example: Travel round-trip to Europe in economy off-peak or regular economy for 20,000 or 30,000 miles respectively (transatlantic travel only) on British Airways. First class on BA is 125,000 American Airlines miles.

SKYTEAM ALLIANCE
US Carriers: Delta Air Lines, Continental Airlines
Foreign Carriers: Aeroflot, AeroMexico, Air France, KLM, Alitalia, China Southern, Czech Airlines, Korean Air

Example: SkyMiles are awarded in only two categories (coach and premium). To travel in coach with Air France, round-trip from North America, requires 60,000 miles in low season, 90,000 miles in medium season, and 125,000 miles in high season. The same travel in premium class costs 100,000 Delta Air Lines miles in low season, 200,000 miles in medium season, and 350,000 miles in high season.

Caveat: The mileage amounts quoted here are from the airline charts as of today, and are provided principally as a basis of comparison. Your specific itinerary, travel date, or airline combination may have wrinkles that require additional points. Or as the airlines always say, everything is subject to change without notice.

‒ Peg Prideaux, CTC
082709

P.S. Strategy No. 5: Pack really, really light. A terrible option for those who like to shop.

P.P.S. UPDATE 09/11/09: As we predicted, United Airlines has added hefty charges for a second suitcase: $100 round-trip for transatlantic travelers; $60 round-trip for Mexico and the Caribbean. Save $5 each way when you book passage for your second bag on the airline’s website, www.united.com.