 News Flash A
colossal museum dedicated to giving a worthy place in history to those
who cover history as it happens opens the doors of its impressive new
home. -- Joseph Guinto
Deadlines
-- journalists live in fear of them. Which is why it’s a little
surprising that the Newseum, a $450 million facility dedicated to the
evolving field of newsmaking, missed its hoped-for opening date of late
2007. But this wasn’t necessarily bad news, because even though it was
six months behind schedule when it finally opened on April 11, the
mammoth, 250,000- square-foot building just off the National Mall in
Washington, D.C., made a spring debut. And, for all the impressive
content within the Newseum -- including a news helicopter that dangles
from the giant atrium and a broadcast tower salvaged from the World
Trade Center in Manhattan -- its idyllic location on the now-blooming
Pennsylvania Avenue is equally impressive. From the 3,000- square-foot
terrace, seven levels up, visitors can see an unmatched panorama of
Washington, including many of the Mall’s architectural masterworks and
the Capitol dome, with the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court
behind it.  If
the views seem beside the point for a museum about TV, radio, print,
spoken, and online news, well, they aren’t. The Newseum’s stated
mission is to provide “a forum where the media and the public can gain
a better understanding of each other.” That’s why the glass facade
allows passersby to see inside the Newseum and lets Newseum-goers see
out. Get it? It’s an architectural metaphor about openness and freedom
of the press. “The Newseum is not a journalists hall of fame,” says Joe
Urschel, a former USA Today editor who is the
Newseum’s executive director. “This is a museum that looks at the
relationship between news, free speech, a free press, and a democratic
society.”
Despite that serious
mission, the Newseum is hardly staid. The facility bills itself as the
“world’s most interactive museum,” and there are more touch screens
here than you’ll find in a dozen Apple stores. Want to know what’s
going on in Florence, Alabama, today? Go to an interactive kiosk and
call up the front page of the Times Daily, one of
almost 600 newspapers from around the world that electronically
transmit their content to the Newseum. Want to know what it’s like to
be a TV reporter -- or, perhaps, a Daily Show correspondent? Stand in front of a video screen with a backdrop of the Capitol and read your script off a teleprompter. All
of that is certainly more fun than spending a few hours in your
hometown paper’s newsroom. Trust us. We probably used to work there.
Our Five Favorite Newseum Features
Built Armor-Tough
This armor-plated truck, used by Time photographers, was hit by a mortar round and is riddled with bullet holes. The photographers survived.
Getting the Pretend Scoop
The
NBC News Interactive Newsroom is the most fun Newseum feature: It has
7,000 square feet of space; 40 interactive kiosks where you act the
part of a photojournalist, reporter, or editor; and eight “Be a TV
Reporter” camera stations. Thanks, Gutenberg
The
Early News Gallery tells the story of how stories were told before the
arrival of the printing press. The ancient Sumerian clay bricks with
cuneiform writing would likely be hard to read on the subway commute. Sad News
The
names of more than 1,800 journalists who were killed on the job are
etched into the Journalists Memorial, a wall of curving glass panels.
Unfortunately, there is plenty of room for the memorial to grow. Is that George
Stephanwhatshisname?
Expect
to see plenty of famous faces working in the Newseum’s two high-tech TV
studios in upcoming months. Especially on Sundays --This Week with George Stephanopoulos starts airing this month from a studio overlooking the United States Capitol. -- J.G. |
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B E A U T Y
Perfumania Scent is like one’s ringtone, a series of notes that artfully expresses its user. Unfortunately, finding the perfect fragrance is a bit more difficult than simply programming a cell phone. The trick? Know thyself. Scents are categorized by notes skillfully fused to evoke experience, memories, and mood. Here’s a guide to discovering your perfect spring scent. -- Amy Tara Koch WOMEN
CITRUS Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Laurier-Reglisse
$52 for 2.5 oz.
bergamot + sweet orange blossom + licorice wood
=
light, easy-breezy scent
For lovers of brisk aromas, this scent, reminiscent of freshly squeezed orange juice, conjures images of an alfresco breakfast on the sun-drenched terrace at the Beverly Hills Hotel. FLORAL John Varvatos
(in stores next month), $70 for 1.6 oz., $92 for 3.3 oz.
apricot + jasmine and rose + patchouli
=
bold, upbeat elixir
Imagine a tropical isle filled with kukui blossoms, yellow hibiscus, and rows of plum trees. John Varvatos’s first scent for women is like a sweet breeze sweeping across Maui. A grappa bottle served as inspiration for the perfume bottle.  SPICY
Annick Goutal Mandragore Pour Femme Eau de Toilette
$80 for 1.7 oz
ginger + spicy pepper + sage
=
the perfect fragrance to channel your inner minx
Sensuous and deep, Mandragore is not for the faint of nose. Top notes of pepper and ginger fuse with woodsy base notes to create an exotic homage to a Moroccan souk. MEN
CITRUS Viktor & Rolf Antidote
$65 for 2.5 oz, $90 for 4.5 oz.
fresh grapefruit + sweet violet + patchouli
=
fragrance for the dramatic, aristocratic dandy
The purveyors of “classic menswear for the unconventional man” introduce Antidote, an elegant fragrance that is both casual and contemporary. SPICY Giorgio Armani Privé Cologne Spray Bois d’Encens
$185 for 1.7 oz.
spicy incense + woody vetiver + cedar
=
pure masculinity
Styled with a Brancusi sculpture in mind, this fragrance is the essence of Armani: sophisticated and unusual, an expression of modern style. WOODY/MUSK Tom Ford for Men
$85 for 3.4 oz, $60 for 1.7 oz.
italian bergamot + leatherwood + tobacco leaf
=
sexy scent for the man on the move
The man who revolutionized the concept of sexy is back with a scent that merges old-school chic with contemporary verve. Fresh, crisp Mediterranean hesperidic notes will make you feel like you’re chilling on a yacht off Capri.
WHAT’S YOUR POTION? You toss chipotle chiles into everything you cook. > SPICY // Coffee is your elixir. You cannot pass a Starbucks without being enticed into having an espresso. > SPICY // Your closet is all about neutral clothing and a muted makeup palette. > CITRUS //
You are an adventurer attracted to skydiving, buying and selling your
own stocks, and trying complex foods with layered flavors. > WOODY/MUSK // You wish that you could bottle the aroma of your local bakery’s cupcakes and sugar cookies. > FLORAL // You favor full Chardonnays with bright citrus notes. > CITRUS // You collect vintage lamé, slinky black cocktail frocks, and oversize purses crafted of exotic materials. > SPICY // You don’t mind doing laundry because you are obsessed with the light, clean scent of freshly laundered sheets. > CITRUS // You like exotic scents that call to mind island vacations. > FLORAL
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T R A V E L
Hotels That Rejuvenate -- Body and Mind Guests who check into these hotels with aching muscles, tattered nerves, and ringing cell phones are checking out serene and revitalized. Complimentary yoga, rooftop bath gardens, and in-room acupuncture are just a few of the relaxing options at the following six hotels, where visitors are encouraged to disconnect, relax, and recharge. -- Nina Roberts  Mountain Retreat
Inkaterra Machu Picchu is nestled in the lush “cloud forest” of mountainous Aguas Calientes, Peru. After trekking in breathtaking Machu Picchu, indulge your muscles with Unu Spa’s Andean eucalyptus sauna or with any number of treatments that use indigenous plants such as the detoxifying coca leaf. Essence of lemon-mountain tree permeates Inkaterra’s 12-acre grounds, around which you can spot wild orchids and hummingbirds. The secluded whitewashed cottages are strategically placed among exuberant foliage, pathways, and delicate waterfalls for ultimate privacy. Some rooms have a fireplace; others include outdoor showers, intimate pools, and balconies. $400 to $720 per night. www.inkaterra.com
Seaside Seclusion
If the ocean’s soothing sounds are essential to your personal tranquility, you’ll want to visit the Oberoi Bali. Located on Seminyak Beach, it’s an oasis where you can relax poolside or in your remote, private villa. The hotel offers weekly yoga and meditation classes; you can also treat yourself to a Balinese massage, an herbal scrub, and a yogurt rubdown at the Oberoi Spa. $270 to $920 per night. www.oberoibali.com Urban Oasis
The chic Bleibtreu, in Berlin, Germany, is a modern hotel in a renovated nineteenth-century building, which is illustrative of the city’s avant-garde spirit. Complimentary herbal steam baths are offered, and an alternative health practitioner is on call to perform ear acupuncture and Gua-Sha, an antipain massage. For some impromptu aromatherapy, visitors can stop by the hotel’s exquisite rose shop, Blumen 31. From $180 per night. www.bleibtreu.com At San Francisco’s Hotel Vitale, guests shouldn’t pass up the free yoga or the bathing ritual given in the rooftop bath garden prior to a Stress Buster Deluxe massage. From $300 per night. www.hotelvitale.com Washington, D.C.’s quirky Hotel Tabard Inn recharges guests in its own way. There is no spa and no TV; instead, guests can pick up a book in the library with its fireplace, enjoy a meal in the restaurant, and listen to live jazz every Sunday night. From $152 per night. www.tabardinn.com Moroccan Influences
Hidden off of a narrow street teeming with people and donkeys in the Medina quarter of Fez, Morocco, is the superior Riad Maison Bleue, where you can luxuriate in three variants of the traditional hammam -- a steam bath, a body scrub, and a wrap -- for a mere $66. Rooms look out onto a mosaic courtyard with a pool, orange trees, swallows flying overhead, and the occasional distant call to prayer. $250 to $370 per night. www.maisonbleue.com
TAKE-HOME TREATMENTS Inkaterra Machu Picchu
Complimentary: amenities made from local plants by Inkaterra.
Unu Spa: aromatherapy of orchids, $12. Oberoi Bali
Complimentary: amenities by Kama Ayurveda, made from organically grown plants, including bergamot.
Oberoi Spa: lavang-root massage oil, $12; jasmine-and-clove soap, $19. Bleibtreu
Blumen 31: artistic bouquet of roses, $52. Hotel Vitale
Complimentary: slippers that read “slow” on the left foot and “down” on the right.
Spa Vitale: Juice Beauty’s green-apple nutrient mask, $48. Hotel Tabard Inn
Front desk: Sunday-nights jazz CD, $12. Riad Maison Bleue
Riad Maison Bleue Spa: orange-blossom and flower-petal salts, $18; olive-and-eucalyptus soap, $13.
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F I T N E S S
Take Your Workout to Go Abhor
working out when you travel? Then you need a gadget! Throw these in
your suitcase -- and take your exercise regimen on the road. (You’ll
have so much fun, you won’t even notice the burn.) -- Becca Hensley  Lift Get a grip with Olympic team-tested GymSkins,
a featherlight replacement for bulky (and smelly) weight-lifting
gloves. Working like an extra epidermal layer, the streamlined design
ensures hygiene, comfort, and performance as it helps you concentrate
more on lifting and less on gripping. It also reduces hand fatigue and
gets you through those extra reps. $12. www.gymskins.com
Walk Track
your distance without the embarrassment of dangling a dorky contraption
from your belt. Just slip the sleek, credit-card-size ThinQ pedometer into your pocket and let it worry about how far you ramble -- and how many calories you burn in the process. $30. www.sportline.com Run You won’t have to leave your BlackBerry at home when you run with the SPI (small
personal item) belt. Expandable, attractive, and designed so that it
won’t bounce or shift as you jog along, this runner’s friend is big
enough for your iPod, passport, hotel keys, medication, and more. $20. www.spibelt.com Jump Jumping rope with a rope is just, well, so passé. Hop, skip, and jump with JumpSnap,
the world’s first ropeless “jump rope.” An intense calorie burner, this
product consists of two weighted handles fitted with an electronic chip
and an LCD screen. Made for every ability level, the device makes an
audible snap that keeps you in tempo. $60. www.jumpsnap.com Listen Do you like to rock when you roll? Clip some tunes on those handlebars and hit the streets to some beats. New Cy-Fi wireless
bike speakers are iPod-compatible, weigh only three ounces, and are the
size of a deck of cards. The surround-sound effect means you don’t need
headphones, which makes for a safer ride. $150. www.mycyfi.com
| WEB WORKOUTS WORTH DOWNLOADING Demand Fitness
This virtual gym offers more than 250 fitness and health classes over
the Internet. Just download them to your desktop. $5 a week. www.demandfitness.com Pump One
A new exercise-video site designed especially for Apple’s iPhone and
iPod (but it also works with other mobile phones). Download 10-minute
video workouts, fitness tips, and training. From $20. www.pumpone.com Trimble Outdoors
A Black-Berry-specific GPS system that makes on-the-go fitness
possible. Locate running trails and workout areas, manage your
performance, measure distance, and more. $6 per month. www.trimble.com |
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F O O D
Frozen Delights Everything
sounds better in Italian, and oftentimes, it tastes better too. Exhibit
A: gelato, the Italian answer to ice cream. Made with milk rather than
with cream, the frozen dessert is marked by a lighter texture and bold,
refreshing flavors. In the last few years, a host of new gelaterias,
including these six acclaimed ones, have opened to sweeten summer
across the country. -- Kate Siber  Dolcetti Gelato
Salt Lake City, Utah
Owner
Elizabeth England not only handcrafts a rotating cast of 50 flavors but
also creates her own crispy waffle cones. Her secret? She uses the
finest ingredients available, including caramel from Argentina,
Piedmont pistachios, and rich vanilla from Madagascar. 1751 South 1100
East, (801) 485-3254, www.dolcettigelato.com
Mondo Gelato
San Diego, California
Since
its opening in February 2007, this spot has become a favorite of Padres
fans -- it’s only a few blocks from Petco Park and stays open until
midnight on weekends. Local-favorite flavors include biscotti and dark
chocolate. 435 Tenth Avenue, (619) 955-6300, www.mondogelatosandiego.com Bellezza Gelato Caffe
Chicago, Illinois
Turkish
roast coffee and banana caramel praline are just two of the 20 unusual
gelato flavors (plus four flavors of sorbetto) offered by this cozy,
year-old gelateria outfitted with granite-topped tables and rich red
walls. Find it on the northwest side of Chicago amid a gaggle of
Italian shops and trattorias. 3637 North Harlem Avenue, (773) 545-1239 Pitango Gelato
Baltimore, Maryland
This
gelateria, one year old and located in Baltimore’s lively South Point
neighborhood, has quickly become beloved by both late-night partiers
and health-food nuts. Thank the all-organic flavors, like lime-and-mint
mojito and local Pennsylvania wild wineberry, and the late-night hours
-- it’s open until two a.m. on summer weekends. 802 South Broadway,
(410) 702-5828, www.pitangogelato.com BerryOcean Gelato and Espresso
Albuquerque, New Mexico
If
the promise of 40-plus flavors of gelato doesn’t lure you in off the
street of Northeast Heights, an upscale neighborhood in Albuquerque,
BerryOcean’s Technicolor geometric furniture and walls will. Try the
Illy espresso or kiwi. 4410 Wyoming Boulevard Northeast, (505) 294-
5506, www.berryocean.com Grom
New York, New York
When
Grom’s first American outlet opened on the Upper West Side to 50-person
lines, the owners quickly decided they needed to open another store.
Thus, the unveiling of another one this month in the Village. Credit
Grom’s success
to the exacting standards of the Italian founders, who run an organic
farm in northern Italy that produces melons, berries, and other fruits
for ultrafresh flavors. Bleecker and Carmine, (646) 290- 7233, www.grom.it
| Keep Some on Hand Gelaterias
don’t adorn every American street corner the way they do in Rome, but
most local supermarkets now stock pints of the sweet treat. Try Ciao Bella’s two new summer flavors, maple gingersnap and key-lime graham cracker (www.ciaobellagelato.com), artisan gelatos by Denver-based Gelato d’Italia (www.gelatoditaliacafe.com), or Gelato Classico’s green tea and blackberry cabernet (www.gelatoclassico.com). |
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