 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| A Woman's Directory For Travel and Life. WAVE Journey is your one stop online resource for women oriented businesses and services around the world. WAVE Journey is for every woman to enjoy. If you love to travel, cook, read or revel in outdoor activities this website is for you. If you are looking to connect with other like-minded women or if you are interested in finding businesses or services that cater to women, WAVE Journey is your number one online resource. |
| WAVE Journey |
| Women's Adventures, Vacations, Experiences ~ Your Journey Starts Here! |
The Biltmore in Coral Gables is royal luxury for the soignée body
and soul ~ continued
Article & photos by Lucy Komisar
and soul ~ continued
Article & photos by Lucy Komisar
We had breakfast at the Fontana restaurant, an
outdoor terrace around an Italian fountain
(hence the name). It was a buffet with good
croissants (always my measure), fresh fruit, cold
cuts, yogurt and more. My companion had a
made-to-order omelet. The Fontana is open for
tapas and lunch at midday and for dinner. But
the most spectacular event is the famous prix
fixe Sunday champagne brunch which is booked
for Mother's Day a year in advance! I started
with oysters and champagne and made my way
around the buffet through stations serving such
outdoor terrace around an Italian fountain
(hence the name). It was a buffet with good
croissants (always my measure), fresh fruit, cold
cuts, yogurt and more. My companion had a
made-to-order omelet. The Fontana is open for
tapas and lunch at midday and for dinner. But
the most spectacular event is the famous prix
fixe Sunday champagne brunch which is booked
for Mother's Day a year in advance! I started
with oysters and champagne and made my way
around the buffet through stations serving such
treats as sushi, tapas and filet mignon. It took a few hours! A guitar player added to the
sybaritic mood.
We had dinner at the Palme d'Or where we designed our own tasting menu – among our
choices were Mediterranean fish soup, grilled wild striped bass, Dover sole filet with
roasted baby leeks, and roasted lamb. It's was perfect for me, a person who likes to taste
everything! The room is stunning, with potted palms, pale gold walls and arm chairs, and
chandeliers of small lamps that bathe the room in soft light. The food was memorable. The
French chef is Philippe Ruiz, and he's made this place a culinary prize winner.
After all that good eating, it was time to check out the fitness room, one of the largest I've
ever seen in a hotel, with rows of walking machines, weight machines, every kind of
exercise machine. I discovered that the Biltmore also features classes in Pilates, aerobics
and yoga. I peeked into a large private spa room with several massage beds, chaises
lounges and a soaking tub, available for groups. The ten Hartrue tennis courts are lit at
night.
sybaritic mood.
We had dinner at the Palme d'Or where we designed our own tasting menu – among our
choices were Mediterranean fish soup, grilled wild striped bass, Dover sole filet with
roasted baby leeks, and roasted lamb. It's was perfect for me, a person who likes to taste
everything! The room is stunning, with potted palms, pale gold walls and arm chairs, and
chandeliers of small lamps that bathe the room in soft light. The food was memorable. The
French chef is Philippe Ruiz, and he's made this place a culinary prize winner.
After all that good eating, it was time to check out the fitness room, one of the largest I've
ever seen in a hotel, with rows of walking machines, weight machines, every kind of
exercise machine. I discovered that the Biltmore also features classes in Pilates, aerobics
and yoga. I peeked into a large private spa room with several massage beds, chaises
lounges and a soaking tub, available for groups. The ten Hartrue tennis courts are lit at
night.
We never really had to leave the Biltmore,
but we took one trip outside to the
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden nearby.
We made a reservation for the 7 pm tram
ride through some of the 83 acres.
The Garden, opened in 1938, is a rolling
expanse of palms, tropical fruit trees and
cycads, which are plants with thick trunks
and large crowns of leaves. I loved the
skirt palm. Doesn't the bottom part look
like a skirt?
but we took one trip outside to the
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden nearby.
We made a reservation for the 7 pm tram
ride through some of the 83 acres.
The Garden, opened in 1938, is a rolling
expanse of palms, tropical fruit trees and
cycads, which are plants with thick trunks
and large crowns of leaves. I loved the
skirt palm. Doesn't the bottom part look
like a skirt?
Fairchild has the largest collection of tropical plants in the U.S. It is not named after a
multimillionaire benefactor – surprise!—but after David Fairchild, who lives from 1869 to
1954 and was a renowned botanical explorer. He traveled the world and brought back
such important plants as mangos, cotton, alfalfa, soya beans, nectarines, dates and
flowering cherry trees. Well, actually the money for the garden came from a banker who
named it after his friend, Fairchild.
multimillionaire benefactor – surprise!—but after David Fairchild, who lives from 1869 to
1954 and was a renowned botanical explorer. He traveled the world and brought back
such important plants as mangos, cotton, alfalfa, soya beans, nectarines, dates and
flowering cherry trees. Well, actually the money for the garden came from a banker who
named it after his friend, Fairchild.
You can spend a day here, with the help of a
map and trams. Stop at the Asia Collection,
Jewels of the Caribbean and the Tropical Flower
Garden, among many sites. We just took the
tram ride that slowly passed by or stopped at
the highlights. A guide provided explanations. I
was delighted to see set among the plants a
series of black bronze sculptures by the
Colombian artist Fernando Botero as well as the
stark red and yellow steel girders of Mark di
Suvero. I found Botero's 1999 bronze, "Man
Walking," especially moving. It is a reflection on
oppression that the curator said is supposed to
make you ask yourself, "Are you the man walking
or the man he is walking on? Can you be
somewhere in between."
map and trams. Stop at the Asia Collection,
Jewels of the Caribbean and the Tropical Flower
Garden, among many sites. We just took the
tram ride that slowly passed by or stopped at
the highlights. A guide provided explanations. I
was delighted to see set among the plants a
series of black bronze sculptures by the
Colombian artist Fernando Botero as well as the
stark red and yellow steel girders of Mark di
Suvero. I found Botero's 1999 bronze, "Man
Walking," especially moving. It is a reflection on
oppression that the curator said is supposed to
make you ask yourself, "Are you the man walking
or the man he is walking on? Can you be
somewhere in between."
