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CHRISTIAN SCHWALBACH CHECKING I N FROM TOP: GUNNAR KNECHTEL/LAIF, © AUDI, © LEXUS, © BMW A place apart Whether it’s the Sahara, the Great Barrier Reef or Patagonia, there are certain places in our vast and varied world that need no introduction, that captivate our collective imagination at the mere mention of their name. They recall all at once the childlike magic and mystery of transcontinental travel and the beguiling otherness of climes different from our own. The Mediterranean is another such place. From the Strait of Gibraltar in the west to the Levant in the east and all points in between, the Med, as it is colloquially known, has lived in our consciousness through time immemorial. And its lure remains unmistakably powerful today: the story of Odysseus’s decade-long struggle back to Penelope endures alongside grainy images of early bikini-clad water-skiers at St Tropez or sun worshipers in Mykonos. They are images both exotic and familiar that have been immortalised by the generations that have journeyed to its shores, islands, waters or landmarks. Which is why we’ve dedicated much of this edition of Departures , however informally, to this iconic region with pieces that inform and appraise but also gently persuade us to return. Our comprehensive guide to the Balearics on page 32 demonstrates how, at once, the islands are dissimilar in atmosphere, topography and clientele and why that makes them a perfect retreat for those intent on discovering and experiencing their sun-splashed allure. The same mixed milieu informs the Catalan mainland and its capital, and our story, “A Barcelona Update” (page 20), showcases the buzzy, delectable and down-home side of the region. By contrast, up the coast in St Tropez glitz is the byword, and there is no better place to take home some of that Med magic than by shopping its byways (or the twice-weekly marché), as detailed in “Shopping St Tropez” on page 28. And farther east, in the waters of the Ionian Sea, the Greek island of Paxos (page 40) rewards intrepid travellers with an unchanged setting, much as seafarers and yachtsmen have come to enjoy the assorted archipelago that is the Aeolian Islands, the subject of our story on page 62. Elsewhere in this issue, you will find articles on such diverse subjects as Japanese denim (page 43), lighting inspired by the silver screen (page 54) and Shanghai’s food scene (page 76). Of course, beyond these pages, our constantly updated website, departures-international.com, features daily dispatches, added content, photo galleries and much more. Like the world’s bounty, ours, too, is wideranging. We hope you enjoy it – both in print and online. FREE WHEELING ONLINE Whereas our motoring coverage within these pages is more esoteric and unexpected (case in point: “Reinventing the classics”, page 51) our online offering at departures-international.com is more immediate and up-to-date. Still, a trio of sleek, just-released sedans captured our attention and warrant coverage here. They are: AUDI RS7 Two turbos, eight cylinders and 552 horses clothed in an elegant designer suit – the RS7 will be the quickest Audi ever to hit a public road. Supercar thrills for all the family guaranteed. audi.com LEXUS IS Toyota who? Lexus distances itself ever further from its parent company with a futuristic machine that’s backed up by some of the greenest credentials available anywhere. This should properly shake up the worldwide family car market. lexus.co.uk BMW 4 SERIES Replacing the two-door 3 Series, this looks mean, aggressive, and is easily the most handsome BMW in years. The company says the majority of design cues will make their way onto the production version. Phew. bmw.com D E PA R T U R E S at - m o r e I N T E R N AT S e e I O N A L Stay up-to-date on the newest innovations in motoring online . C O M departures-international.com 15
