Granted, many celebrity hotel rooms and suites have been refurbished with mementos, books, letters, photographs and furnishings once the artist was deemed famous. So, for the first part of the series, we take a look at the images and history of the Hemingway Suite at The Sun Valley Lodge, the John & Yoko Suite at Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, and the Oscar Wilde Suite at L’Hotel in Paris, where he spent the last two years of his life.

Ernest Hemingway:
Sun Valley Lodge, Idaho – Suite 206

“Time is the least thing we have of.” – Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway’s study at the Sun Valley Lodge. Photo courtesy of Sun Valley Lodge.

Hemingway had slept above me. That is one floor up from my own room at the Sun Valley Lodge, while I was enjoying a winter’s vacation at the resort. According to Sun Valley Lodge Press Department, it was love at first sight for the widely acclaimed writer and outdoorsmen upon his first arrival in 1939. The Sun Valley Lodge was new at the time, and executives invited a number of Hollywood celebrities such as Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman and Clark Gable in an effort to drum up publicity. Hemingway, an avid hunter and fisherman, was overwhelmed by Sun Valley’s vast great outdoors which he found both recreational and inspirational. Despite his famous face known throughout the world, he enjoyed a sense of anonymity, preferring to be in the company of local people as opposed to the Hollywood elite.

The PR department described the Pulitzer and the Nobel Prize recipient as a quiet, reserved man who spent most of his time writing and enjoying Sun Valley’s terrain, where fall was his favorite season. It is in Suite 206 where Hemingway completed his masterpiece, “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” He would wake up in early morning and start writing, oftentimes standing up. He once commented that he never missed a sunrise. Visitors can stay in Suite 206, decorated with photographs of the novelist as well as a bronze statue of the author at his typewriter.

The Hemingway living room at the Sun Valley Lodge. Photo courtesy of Sun Valley Lodge.

Later in my trip, a PR representative escorted me to Hemingway’s final residence, a two-story house on 14 acres in nearby Ketchum, where he had taken his own life at age 61 years old. Hemingway never published any work about Sun Valley, with the exception of a single 1951 hunting article for True: The Man’s Magazine. But, in 2020, educator Phil Huss wrote “Hemingway’s Sun Valley: Local Stories Behind his Code, Characters and Crisis,” which focused on Hemingway’s adventures in Idaho.

Left: Hemingway posing for a dust jacket photo by Lloyd Arnold for the first edition of “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” at the Sun Valley Lodge. Photo courtesy of Sun Valley Lodge.. Right: Hemingway, Bobbi Powell, and Gary Cooper magpie shooting at Silver Creek, Idaho. Photo courtesy of Sun Valley Lodge.

Perhaps Hemingway’s Sun Valley legacy is best represented by the inscription on his memorial sculpture, which he initially penned as an eulogy for a deceased friend who died in a hunting accident. The eulogy was requested by the man’s widow, but many believe it was about Hemingway himself.

“Best of all he loved the fall
The leaves yellow on the cottonwoods
Leaves floating on the trout streams
And above the hills the high blue windless skies
… Now he will be a part of them forever” – Ernest Hemingway.

For more on Hemingway, read Traveling Boy articles:

• Three Things About Ernest Hemingway
• A Magical Walk Through Hemingway’s Paris
• and Hemingway Trivia Game

For information about Sun Valley Lodge, visit www.sunvalley.com

John Lennon and Yoko Ono:
Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montréal, Canada – Suite 1742

“All we are saying is Give Peace a Chance” – John Lennon & Yoko Ono

The John & Yoko Suite today. Photo by Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel.

The song was written and recorded by John & Yoko during their ‘BED-IN’ advertising campaign for Peace, held in Montreal, Canada at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel in 1969. Singing along were Tommy Smothers (also on guitar with Lennon), Timothy Leary, Petula Clark, Dick Gregory, Allen Ginsberg and whoever happened to be present. Much of the group would join in by clapping and singing the chorus. The original recording was cleaned up in a studio and augmented with more voices. The hotel staff and guests were less than impressed with their arrival where they were accompanied by a huge entourage of reporters, fans and Hare Krishna. Complaints were also made from the housekeeping team who had to vacuum the corridors three to four times a day as Lennon was prone to scattering flower petals.

The John & Yoko Suite at Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel in 1969. Photo by Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel.

But why a “bed-in” for peace? Well, as the most publicized couple on the planet, they decided they would use that publicity for something that was important to them: Peace. ”We knew whatever we did was going to be in the papers. We decided to utilize the space we would occupy with a commercial for peace, ” Lennon later commented. ”We would sell our product, which we call ‘peace.’ And to sell a product you need a gimmick, and the gimmick we thought was ‘bed,’ because bed was the easiest way of doing it, because we’re lazy.”

The term “bed-in” also played on the ’60’s idea of a sit-in, love-in or a communal consciousness-raising event.

The John & Yoko Suite 1742 today. Photo by Deb Roskamp for Traveling Boy.

The living room and bedroom now feature memorabilia composed of press articles, framed gold records, stickers on the windows, and pictures of the famous couple.

The John & Yoko Suite 1742 can be rented for parties. Sometimes I will only make a pilgrimage to the room’s exterior, just to see the plaque on the door.

For more on the Beatles, read more Traveling Boy articles:
The Magical Mystery Tour: The Beatles Experience, Liverpool

For information about the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Luxury Hotel.

Oscar Wilde:
L’Hotel, Paris, France – Room No. 16

“I have the simplest taste. I am always satisfied with the best.”– Oscar Wilde

The Oscar Wilde suite is nothing less than a stunning homage to the brilliant writer. Photo by Elliot Wakefield for L’Hotel.

Irish novelist, playwright, poet and lyricist Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wilde took a basement room in Paris at the L’Hotel, previously known as L’Alsace, for the last two years of his life. Wilde first visited Paris in 1867 with his mother at the height of the “Belle Époque,” which made a profound impression on him and his art. Considered one of the greatest writers in the English language, the Dublin born Wilde achieved remarkable fame and fortune in the early 1890s. His work included “The Picture of Dorian Gray” (his only novel), and the plays, “The Importance of Being Earnest” (subtitled, “A Trivial Comedy for Serious People”), “Lady Windermere’s Fan,” “An Ideal Husband” and “A Woman of No Importance.” His talent was only met by his witticisms and flamboyant lifestyle.

In 1897, Wilde sought refuge in Paris after a two-year sentence (between 1895-1897) of hard labor in prison in London for sodomy and gross indecency – ‘crimes’ considered laughable by today’s standard. After leaving prison, Wilde adopted the pseudonym Sebastian Melmoth upon his arrival in Paris; where he was described as sick, poor and reliant on the few friends he had who had not turned their backs on him.

Oscar The Oscar Wilde bedroom at L’Hotel. Photo by Amy Murrel for L’Hotel.

Wilde died in atrocious conditions… It is something we accept and make sure does not get forgotten, explained L’Hotel’s general manager, Julien Révah. He lived an austere existence, spending his days mainly eating soup and drinking plenty of wine, but not a good quality wine.

The hotel refurbished room number 16 on the first floor in his honor, where designer Jacques Garcia recreated what Wilde’s living room in London might have looked like. The room is decorated with personal details like photos of the author, caricatures, prints of newspaper articles and the last hotel bill which he was unable to pay all on display. The hotel has even kept the original headboard Wilde used during his stay.

L’Hotel is a boutique hotel, the smallest five-star hotel in Paris, and boasts a broad celebrity guest-list which included Salvador Dalí, Luis Borges, and Jim Morrison.

For further information about L’Hotel, or email

st**@l-*****.com











.

The post Celebrity Hotel Rooms & Suites: Part I appeared first on Traveling Archive.

The hit Canadian TV series Our City Tonight interviews T-Boy Editor Ed Boitano

• Christmas Recipes – NYT Cooking (nytimes.com)
• How To Store Your Holiday Leftovers and Avoid Foodborne Illness (verywellhealth.com)
• Pizza Napoletana: Naple’s Gift to the World – (Traveling Boy)
• Where to Eat in London’s East End (travelandleisure.com)
• Best Hanukkah Recipes – Recipes from NYT Cooking (nytimes.com)
• Pilgrimages: Places I’ll Remember – (Traveling Boy)
• A Magical Walk Through Hemingway’s Paris – (Traveling Boy)
• Get your holiday shopping done in these Mississippi towns – (southernthing.com)
• An Activity for Each Day of the Holiday Season – (nycgo.com)
• “Divisive Concepts” Bans Will Undermine Teaching Some of the Values Conservatives Claim to Uphold – (historynewsnetwork.org)

The post See the World in January with Traveling Boy appeared first on Traveling Archive.

In Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, the mythical Greek character Odysseus builds a raft and attempts to return to his home island of Ithaca. But Odysseus’ enemy, Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, unleashes a storm and the raft is destroyed. Half-drowned, Odysseus washes ashore on the island of Corfu. He staggers into an olive grove and collapses.

My arrival on Corfu was a slightly different experience. Poseidon must have been smiling for the seas were calm and shimmering. And my mode of transportation was the 360 feet long luxury sailing vessel the Star Clipper – whose Tropical Bar was always open.

The Star Clipper

Arriving on a sweltering summer day in Venice, the embarkation city for the Star Clipper, was similar to being at Disneyland on opening day. But who was I complain; after all I was a tourist too, and Venice demands a visit from each and everyone one of us. I took comfort in the shade at Piazza San Marco, the epicenter of Venice, complete with pigeons and musicians. A look at my map illustrated the enthralling journey before me. Soon, I was refreshed and on my way, but at a rather slow pace.

By the time I reached the Bridge of Sighs, the crowd before it had grown so thick that (ironically) I could barely look above their mandatory Venetian straw hats to get a glimpse of the famous window which prisoners would pass and take their final view of Venice before their descent into the darkness of the dungeons. A petite woman asked me to take a photo of the window with her camera; so she could actually see it later. Further along my walk I paid witness to the Doge’s Palace (home of the de facto ruler of Venice), took a Vaporetto cruise down the Grand Canal, and had a sampling of Venice’s famed seafood and risotto – which was different from the risotto I had consumed in Milan and Turino, who both claim its origin. Later in the afternoon, dressed rather inappropriately as a Yankee in shorts, I remembered that Harry’s Bar & Grill was one of Hemingway’s favorite stomping grounds and decided to stroll in for a cocktail. A giant hand abruptly stopped my entrance: “No shorts!” “You’d let Hemingway in wearing shorts,” I replied. “Yes, but you are obviously not him.”

Earlier, the water taxi ride from the airport to the stunning Molino Stucky Hilton proved to be a glorious introduction to Venice. The 45-minute journey glided through the shallow marsh lands with stops at numerous islands. It provoked thoughts of the era when Venice, due to its strategic position of waterways between east and west for trade, was one of the strongest and most affluent empires in the world.

But, I found a stop at another one of Venice’s connected islands particularly disturbing. Its former name Ghetto Vecchio (initially Ghèto) originated in Venice, from the copper foundry that existed on the island before the arrival of people of Jewish ancestry. By law, Venetian Jews were relegated to live within the gated and walled area to segregate them from the surrounding Christian population in Venice. Jewish life has been restricted throughout the world for centuries, but the first use of the disdainful name was declared in Venice.

At first, it seemed strange to me that I would be staying at a Hilton property in Venice, but that was before my eyes set on the palatial Molino Stucky Hilton, a former flour mill that has been painstakingly refurbished into a swank hotel, but still very much in the Venetian character. Luxuriating by the roof top pool, with Venice’s unforgettable city skyline in the distance, it occurred to me that I was experiencing something that even a Doge in all his glory would find unimaginable. Considered one of Venice’s newest landmarks, accommodations were both spacious and elegant. Trips to the Rialto Bar & Lounge offered complimentary regional snacks, coffee and the Venetian mainstays of spritz, grappa and Prosecco. It was a wonderful venue to relax and refresh after a return on the hotel’s free shuttle boat that takes guests to Venice’s major attractions.

MALI LOŠINJ, CROATIA

The Clipper departed for the first stop of my 11-day odyssey on the Croatian island of Mali Lošinj. The most low-key of all the ports, it was a good place to stretch your legs and take a swim in its waters among local Croat families and children. Simply siting on the water’s bedside and watching families frolic in a non-touristic area was what I most fondly remember.

HVAR, CROATIA

The idyllic island of Hvar is an oasis of lavender fields and ancient olive trees, once a getaway for the Romans. Lavender season is when the fields are covered in purple blossoms, and the air is filled with the exotic scent of the plant. There are two ports on the islands which both offer history as well as the culture of today. My guide informed me that it’s still popular for the rich and famous, with some American computer billionaire named Bill recently vacationing there in his yacht.

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA

George Bernard Shaw was so enamored by Dubrovnik’s Old Town, that he once said “Those who seek paradise on Earth should come to Dubrovnik and see Dubrovnik.” Layered with 1,400 years of history, walking the entire distance of the 10th century Old Town wall is mandatory. Dubrovnik suffered considerable damage in the 1991/2 war known as the Siege of Dubrovnik, fought between the Yugoslav People’s Army (Serbia and Montenegro) and Croatian forces in their quest for independence. The bombing of Old Town – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – led to international condemnation, and became a public relations disaster for Serbia and Montenegro, contributing to their diplomatic and economic isolation on the world stage. Upon my arrival the city had been restored to its former glory, but it was easy to notice that many of Old Town’s famous red terra cotta roof tiles were a little irregular due to 70% of their destruction during this war. When the sun came down, a countless number of friendly youths poured into the Old Town for fun and excitement, including women – some over 6 ft. tall, not counting their towering high heels. Now I know how Napoleon must have felt.

KOTOR, BOKA FJORD, MONTENEGRO

Charming villages rested along the shore as we sailed deep into the heart of Boka Fjord, the largest fjord of the Mediterranean Sea. Four hours was not enough for the medieval town of Kotor, but long enough to know that I will return.

CORFU, GREECE

In Corfu, the lushest of all the Greek Islands, rests the village Paleocastrit. In Homer’s the Odyssey, it is the setting where Odysseus was washed ashore after 20-years abroad. Homer was a traveling blind poet whose two epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, orally composed and conveyed around the late eighth or early seventh century BC, are considered the very foundation of ancient Greek literature. We were hungry for knowledge but our stomachs won out, choosing to enjoy the lofty site while sitting at a hillside café sipping Retsina and picking at small bites of spanakopita, xtapodi (octopus) and feta saganaki (pan fried feta cheese). My conversation with our photographer covered just how little we actually knew of Greek Mythology.

Yithion – Sparta – Mystras, GREECE

The next port of call was Yithion, once an ancient site and principal port of the Sparta. Now it’s a small town of about 5,000 citizens without any important touristic components. Our attempt at a better understanding of Greek Mythology told us it was where Helen of Troy; Helen, Queen of Sparta; the most beautiful woman in the world had been abducted by Paris of Troy, leading to the Trojan War. The bus ride was long from the port to the once dominant military city-state in ancient Greece, and was disappointed to find that Sparta was buried a mile underground, covered with the ashes of time.

Our final destination was the abandoned fortified town of Mystra for a look at Byzantine frescoes in 14th century churches. During its period of prosperity, the city attracted artists, architects and philosophers of the highest order.

SANTORINI, GREECE

With villages built on tall cliffs, complete with white-washed churches and cobblestone streets leading to tavernas, Santorini is the archetypical Greek picture postcard island. In 1500 BC, a volcanic eruption destroyed the center of the island, leaving a crescent shaped rim of cliffs around the harbor. Santorini is actually a group of islands consisting of Thira, Thirassia, Aspronissi, Palea and Nea Kameni in the southernmost part of the Cyclades. For over 4,000 years, poets have sung its praises. In Greek Mythology, the eternal rock continues to stand majestically above the sea, guarding the secrets of Atlantis.

MYKONOS, GREECE

Someone on the vessel had clearly upset Poseidon, for the trip to Mykonos was cancelled due to rough seas. Many were disappointed, but we had been warned that this was the price one might pay when sailing a smaller vessel. The good news: another day to spend with my new friends. I think I read where Odysseus made a few friends on his odyssey too.

Epilogue

That Was Venice Then and This is Venice Today

Overtourism, the result of having too many visitors arrive at a place at the same time, has become a major problem for popular destinations like Venice.

Cheaper international airfares, the growth of the cruise market, and the emergence of cheap accommodation options such as Airbnb are fueling the overtourism phenomenon. Venice, in particular, but not exclusively, is feeling the effects, struggling to cope with the huge influx of visitors. Venice’s city fathers have recently issued guidelines to reduce tourist overcrowding, but only time will tell.

The post An Eastern Mediterranean Odyssey appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Virtual Sicily

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL SICILIAN SIGHTSEEING TOUR
Sicily, Italy by Fyllis Hockman: “It happens all the time with Overseas Adventure Travel. I start out expecting to write about the trip itself – in this case, Sicily’s Ancient Landscapes & Timeless Traditions – and I end up writing about all the things that are not on the itinerary – what OAT refers to as Learning and Discovery.”

FYLLIS HOCKMAN’S ARTICLE ON SICILY

Virtual Antarctica Adventure

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL ANTARCTICA SIGHTSEEING TOUR
Journey to the Bottom of the Globe by Ed Boitano: “After setting foot aboard the deck of my vessel to Antarctica, I began asking guests why they chose to take an eight-day cruise to the coldest, windiest and driest continent in the world; a landscape which is 98 percent thick continental ice sheet and 2 percent barren rock; a continent so cruel and unforgiving that almost no life can survive on it. The overwhelming answer from my fellow cruisers was simple: ‘Because now I can.’ It was a good answer. The more I thought about it, I realized it was my reason too.”

ED BOITANO’S ARTICLE ON ANTARCTICA

Virtual Hemingway’s Paris

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL HEMINGWAY’S PARIS SIGHTSEEING TOUR
A Magical Walk Through Hemingway’s Paris by Richard Carroll: “Magically enchanting and much-loved Paris, the Urban Empress of Europe, remains eternally young and amorous. Occasionally vain, always passionate, and with a long and turbulent history, the legendary city has a special flair for life that has captivated many of the world’s most inspired artistic talent.”

RICHARD CARROLL’S ARTICLE ON HEMINGWAY’S PARIS

Virtual Churchill Museum

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL CHURCHILL MUSEUM SIGHTSEEING TOUR
2 Lumps of Sugar Make This Churchill Museum Unique by John Clayton: “Are several lumps of sugar worth putting in an historic museum? That may sound like a funny question, but the fact is that yes they are – especially if they’re part of the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms (CWR) in London.”

JOHN CLAYTON’S ARTICLE ON THE CHURCHILL MUSEUM

Virtual Aran Islands

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL ARAN ISLANDS SIGHTSEEING TOUR
The Aran Islands: A Living History by Ed Boitano: “In Robert Flaherty’s brilliant 1934 documentary film, Man of Aran, we see an Irish man smashing limestone rocks to bits, while his wife gathers seaweed from the shore below the island’s steep windswept cliffs. Meanwhile, their young son scavenges for animal manure and precious particles of dirt that have collected between the rocks, blown from the mainland. These four ingredients will be used to create the soil in order to grow potatoes – the family’s main source of subsistence. This is the Aran Islands; a landscape made almost entirely of solid limestone rock.”

ED BOITANO’S ARTICLE ON THE ARAN ISLANDS

Virtual Frank Lloyd Wright

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL TALIESIN WEST SIGHTSEEING TOUR
A Tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West by Susan Breslow: “Taliesin West should be an inspiration for everyone who faces another birthday and thinks: I’m too old to follow my dream. Frank Lloyd Wright, who had achieved public acclaim back east for his architectural designs (as well as public disdain for his scandalous affairs), was 70 years old when he arrived with a few apprentices in the foothills of Scottsdale Arizona’s McDowell Mountains in 1937.”

SUSAN BRESLOW’S ARTICLE ON TALIESIN WEST

Virtual Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL LYNTON AND LYNMOUTH CLIFF RAILWAY TOUR
2 Classic Trains in England by John Clayton: “Growing up in Great Britain, I loved the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway. Situated in a setting of steep, ruggedly rolling green hillsides alive with unequalled beauty, below which lies a perfect picture postcard sea, and enriched by a town that looks as if it stepped out of a Beatrix Potter book.”

JOHN CLAYTON’S ARTICLE ON THE LYNTON AND LYNMOUTH CLIFF RAILWAY

Virtual Bluesman Phil Gates

EXPERIENCE A PHIL GATES CONCERT
Phil Gates – Following Tradition by T. E. Mattox: “Bluesmen have been lacing up their walking shoes and relocating to Europe for generations. So, when L.A.-based guitarist Phil Gates packed his bags in 2016 and moved to the Swiss countryside, he was just following in the footsteps of a long-standing blues tradition.”

T.E. MATTOX’S ARTICLE ON PHIL GATES

Virtual Skeleton Coast

EXPERIENCE A SKELETON COAST SIGHTSEEING TOUR
Exploring the Surreal Skeleton Coast by Skip Kaltenheuser: “The Skeleton Coast is one of the most appropriately named stretches of land in the world, a place where many hapless sailors of centuries past have mingled their bones with whale ribs and shipwrecks.”

SKIP KALTENHEUSER’S ARTICLE ON THE SKELETON COAST

Virtual Berlin

EXPERIENCE A BERLIN SIGHTSEEING TOUR
Berlin: Yesterday and Today by Ed Boitano: “I can still recall in detail my first arrival to Berlin. As the cab driver raced passed Tiergarten; the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe; the Reichstag; and Brandenburg Gate, I asked about the new Kennedy Museum, now located in the Mitte (middle) district). Without hesitation, he offered his own personal narrative about JFK’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech of 1963: ‘Over 90% of the people in West Berlin were on the streets. None of us had ever seen anyone so charismatic.'”

ED BOITANO’S ARTICLE ON BERLIN

The post T-Boy’s BEST Virtual Vacations appeared first on Traveling Archive.