Diamond medallions

A Japanese man who stepped out of his Paris hotel for a cigarette was robbed of his US$840,000 Swiss watch by a thief who snatched it off his wrist, police sources said Tuesday (Oct 8). The thief made off with a Richard Mille Tourbillon Diamond Twister. (Image source: Screenrgrab from the Richard Mille website) The 30-year-old victim was approached outside the five-star Hotel Napoleon near the Arc de Triomphe late Monday by a man who asked for a cigarette. The thief then grabbed the man's arm and fled with the rare Richard Mille timepiece, a Tourbillon Diamond Twister estimated to cost some 770,000 euros. Mille timepieces, with their bulky cases that reveal the intricate inner mechanisms, are highly prized by aficionados - and instantly recognisable to thieves targeting wealthy tourists in the French capital. The Parisien newspaper published a map Tuesday pinpointing some two dozen high-value watch nabbings in the "Golden Triangle" and other glitzy areas near the … [Read more...] about Paris thief swipes US$840,000 watch from Japanese man”s wrist

Stay: The fun keeps coming at the Chatham Bars Inn, even if there’s a chill in the air. Activities on tap include cooking school (with produce from the resort’s own farm), fly-fishing school with Orvis-endorsed instructors, and spa treatments (the Cranberry Crush, with locally-sourced fruit, is perfect for fall.) The outdoor fire pit at the South Lounge is a popular spot in autumn. www.chathambarsinn.com. Rates from $499. Meanwhile, in Wellfleet . . . Pumpkins, schmumpkins! Oysters take center stage in Wellfleet — even farther down the Cape — this fall. The town’s big, bivalve-themed bash, Wellfleet Oyster Fest, happens annually on the weekend after Columbus Day (Oct. 19 and 20 this year) along Main Street. These briny beauties taste of the sea in the best possible way; this is your chance to try them raw, stuffed, fried, frittered, in chowder, and on a stick dipped in chocolate and jimmies. (OK, maybe not that last one.) Not into oysters? … [Read more...] about Power to the pumpkin people! Six under-the-radar autumn escapes

Stay: The fun keeps coming at the Chatham Bars Inn, even if there’s a chill in the air. Activities on tap include cooking school (with produce from the resort’s own farm), fly-fishing school with Orvis-endorsed instructors, and spa treatments (the Cranberry Crush, with locally-sourced fruit, is perfect for fall.) The outdoor fire pit at the South Lounge is a popular spot in autumn. www.chathambarsinn.com. Rates from $499. Meanwhile, in Wellfleet . . . Pumpkins, schmumpkins! Oysters take center stage in Wellfleet — even farther down the Cape — this fall. The town’s big, bivalve-themed bash, Wellfleet Oyster Fest, happens annually on the weekend after Columbus Day (Oct. 19 and 20 this year) along Main Street. These briny beauties taste of the sea in the best possible way; this is your chance to try them raw, stuffed, fried, frittered, in chowder, and on a stick dipped in chocolate and jimmies. (OK, maybe not that last one.) Not into oysters? … [Read more...] about Six under-the-radar autumn escapes

0 Have your say Storm season is here, and at time of writing the west coast of Tiree is being hammered by a monstrous 17-foot swell following a close encounter with Hurricane Lorenzo. By Saturday, the first day of the Tiree Wave Classic’s week-long waiting period, the swell should be down in the more manageable 5-7 foot range according to the surf forecast website Magic Seaweed, but there should still be plenty of wind about, so there’s a decent chance that the contest will kick off either then or on Sunday. Now in its 34th year, the Wave Classic is the longest-running professional windsurfing event in the world, and while there are plenty of contests in sunnier, more exotic locations, none of them has quite the same wild, woolly appeal. 
Technically, Tiree is part of the Inner Hebrides, but at this time of year, as the Atlantic starts to wake up from its long summer snooze, it definitely feels more outer than inner. Thanks to its exposed … [Read more...] about The Tiree Wave Classic: a guide for spectators

We flew into Delhi on the last day of June with our son, his wife and their three children.  For me a most wonderful opportunity to show them all India, the India that I know and love. The timing is not what I would choose ordinarily but, considering the children’s long holiday starts end of June, and such a visit requires three weeks to enjoy a comprehensive experience of India as an introduction, we had to go then and brave the heat and the monsoon.  It worked out well. Normally we prefer the months of November to end of March. We stayed for three nights at The Imperial Hotel New Delhi; this fine heritage five-star luxury hotel has been in my conscious for sixty years and is a most wonderful welcome to the capital of India.  The three generations of family were warmly welcomed into gracious suites and the pool enticed the children immediately – well like walking into a lukewarm bath but so welcome! The cuisines are glorious and varied and we were given a … [Read more...] about Lapping up Luxury in India