HF Overheard

Tokyo Most Walkable in Asia

Compare the Market analyzed 53 global locations to determine “how good they are for being car-free” using several factors: the length of bike trail distances, the number of walking trails, the cost of and density of public transit, monthly rainfall, car-free places, and the percentage of residents who live within a kilometre of healthcare and education.

Tokyo was named one of the most walkable in the world and the most walkable city in Asia.

Source: travelandleisure.com

The story of gira

Slow roasted and lightly smoked, there’s to a traditional Lithuanian fermented drink that promises to both use up leftovers and ward off a cold. Sweet, tangy and packed with probiotics, gira or kvass, as it’s called in other parts of Europe, this go to winter tonic is making a comeback in craft breweries and kombucha-style artisanal brands.

Source: BBC

Italy’s listening suite

A world first on the lakefront at Il Sereno Lago Di Como, the Darsena suite is a sanctuary for sound, created entirely around the art of listening. With heritage-grade analogue equipment, horn speakers, tube amplification, a turntable and vintage reel to real deck, the suite invites guests to slow down and immerse themselves in music.  A curated vinyl library of 500 plus records spans genres and eras with personal requests added on demand.

 

Photos: Juan Montano. Shutterstock. Sereno Hotels.

Get our newsletter

Get monthly updates with unique HomeFront updates and stay up to date with tips and trends

The Meandering Epicurist

Mother Cocktail Bar Massimo Zitti is a microbe wrangler, and his frustration is that microbes don’t always behave. I’m at the edgy Queen Street West strip, where facial stubble and lofts in old factories dominate, but fear not, this is

Kat Florence Hotel

A bejewelled private haven nestled in the heart of the prettiest of villages Canadian A-list jewellery designer, Kat Florence is on a mission to transform her hometown of Elora, Ontario, into the chicest of destination with her recently opened boutique

Summer sipping

Summer Sipping Summer calls for wines of finesse. Think crystalline whites, rosés the colour of a Provençal sunset, and lightly chilled reds with red-fruit lift. These picks are made for the patio, the dock, and long dinners that linger past

Rooted in tradition:

Unlocking the magic of a famous lakeside country house  The Lake District, located in Cumbria, Northwest England, is the country’s largest National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Famed for its dramatic glaciated valleys, shimmering ribbon lakes, and highest

And then there were three…

In a carefully-planned addition to their au-courant family of boutique hotels that trades harbour views for high country charm, White Elephant hotels is celebrating the opening of its latest outpost. From socialite Elizabeth Ludwig’s 1920’s East Coast passion project which

Some places impress, others stay with you

Far more than a slogan, “intentionality” is a mindset that’s woven into the Rancho Valencia guest experience in ways both large and small, creating an atmosphere where guests feel seen, valued and genuinely cared for. Nestled on 45 acres of