Bric-a-Brac 47

Two great city townhouse finds in London and Edinburgh, visiting Colombia’s artisans and hidden corners, and wrinkle-free packing hacks from a menswear pro

It’s Travel Planner season, in which we answer your pressing questions about where to sleep/eat/beach/visit and how to plot itineraries in (so far) Europe. ICYMI, our Spain Travel Planner published a couple weeks ago. Now we’re putting out the call for our upcoming Portugal Travel Planner—from the Alentejo to the Algarve to the Azores. Type your questions and curiosities in the comments and we’ll do our best to answer all of them! In the meantime…

GUEST BOOK(S): Beaverbrook Town House & Gleneagles Townhouse

By Yolanda Edwards

Two weeks ago, I had a whirlwind three days in the UK before returning to Italy, and was able to check out two new (to me, at least!) properties. 

The Gleneagles Townhouse, which opened last spring, is such a welcome addition to the hotel options within Edinburgh. It’s located in the center of things on St. Andrew Square, so it’s easy to get everywhere, but it’s also so good that you might not want to leave. I was there to visit our daughter, Clara, who goes to the University of Edinburgh, so we had her come for lunch, dinner, and drinks. We were also just across the street from Dishoom, which she had been craving (and which was incredibly good, with a very impressive cocktail list that Matt wrote about here), and a 10-minute walk from some other favorites we visited on this trip, Bon Vivant and Noto. 

Gleneagles Townhouse

The hotel, in the former Bank of Scotland, went through an incredibly thoughtful renovation–successfully nailing the “it feels like it’s always been here” feeling, along with being fresh and modern enough: a clever palette, chic bathrooms, and environmentally thoughtful (no single-use plastics, but thank god this is something that soon won’t even be worth mentioning).

There are just 33 rooms, so it has a cozy vibe, and a great gym, one of the best I’ve used: spacious with lots of equipment choices and a very cool cryo chamber and infrared sauna. We loved The Spence, their all-day restaurant—the menu was very market-to-table, with an impressive seasonal crudité (beyond the expected veg, this one had snap peas and several varieties of radishes), and the menu was smart and uncomplicated. There’s a rooftop bar called Lamplighters, which serves great cocktails in a very chic room, playing great music that leaned more ‘90s club, always a favorite of mine. 

Gleneagles Townhouse

After our two nights in Edinburgh, we trained down to London (the first hour of that train ride is incredible–it goes right along the sea!), and checked into the Beaverbrook Town House, in the heart of Chelsea. It has just 14 rooms across two Georgian townhouses, and we loved how intimate the spaces felt—checking in took place in what had previously been the living room, and there was a bottle of whisky and crystal glasses set out for guests to help themselves after a long journey, or maybe just a nightcap.

Beaverbrook Town House

The design is very cheery—bright and sophisticated—and has a theater theme, with rooms named after London theaters and posters decorating the walls, without feeling like too much. For a small hotel, our room was quite generous in size, and had great light. We had lunch at their Fuji Grill, which was beautiful (lots of glossy paint in colors I took pics of just for future design inspiration), and the Japanese bento box was delicious. We didn’t go for the omakase because we were short on time, but our friends who live in London say they go just for the restaurant. The bar is also a place I’d meet friends for a drink, even if I wasn’t staying there. In sum, I’d say this is a charming spot I’d definitely recommend if you need to have meetings at your hotel—it’s intimate, the staff is easygoing, and feels like it becomes your place quite quickly. It doesn’t have the grandness of some of the big guns, or the casualness of some of the other “cool” spots. It’s just right. 

HOW I PACK

Bruce Pask, Senior Men’s Fashion Director for Bergdorf Goodman & Neiman Marcus

Photos by Stephen Wilde

What’s your go-to luggage?

On flights, I always carry a backpack that is usually filled to capacity. My go-to is a black canvas and leather Herschel x B. Shop collaboration piece that we created for my curated shop in Bergdorf Goodman. Very durable and utilitarian with great detailing. It holds my laptop as well as an iPad downloaded with movies and TV series for my own in-flight entertainment. I also bring Bose noise-canceling headphones—I don’t travel without them—as well as a healthy supply of The New Yorker back issues that I need to catch up on. I have a gray Away small rollaboard as my carryon luggage. I bought the smaller size in order to ensure that it fits aboard smaller planes used on some inter-Europe flights. My checked luggage is an old gray Globetrotter trunk with tan leather straps. I really love it and always get interesting comments from airline staff who find it rather nostalgic. I recently purchased Apple AirTags for all of my bags and I love them. It‘s comforting to know where your bags are at all times. I try to manage checking in on their location too much, but it is fascinating to follow their progress. I am a dedicated Delta flier and must say that prior to my acquiring these amazing devices, the Delta app does a great job at alerting you when your bags have been loaded onto your flight. It always eases my mind when I see that alert pop up on my phone screen. 

How do you approach the basics?

I dress in a sort of uniform, mixing and matching different components to achieve a number of looks that all have a shared aesthetic with mild variation. It just suits my mood and need for utility; it’s easier. Knowing that each of these elements works with the others means that I don’t spend time planning outfits in advance. I will, though, add new or more standout pieces that interest me, usually a new jacket, and will make sure that I have a few options to work with it. 

Are you a roller or a folder?

I am a folder. I do like to use some sort of bag for shirts so they wrinkle a bit less when packed in a checked bag. I’ll use whatever is around and easy: leftover lightweight totes, reusable fabric bags from grocers, etc. 

Any other packing tricks or hacks? 

Some helpful habits I have developed over the years: I iron my shirts before packing and then put them in a shirt bag all together so they just need a little steaming when I arrive. It's much easier to touch up a shirt than to start from scratch after arrival. And irons and boards are not as common in hotel rooms in Europe as they are here in the US. Since I travel so much in Italy for work, I bought an inexpensive small Italian travel iron that I just keep in my luggage because I have found that even with adaptors, US travel irons often just short or malfunction due to the voltage difference. I pack belts rolled up inside shoes and shoes go in shoe bags to keep the adjacent clothing clean. A slender black Thom Browne necktie literally lives in my carry-on bag, so I have it for every trip: you never know when you may receive an unexpected invitation to a rather dressy occasion or venue while away. I’m always ready. I also have a bathing suit that also just lives in my carryon bag. It takes up negligible space and you never know where you’ll end up and unexpectedly want it. You can be traveling in the dark months of frigid winter and swimming in the furthest thing from your mind until you discover your hotel has a glorious pool or sauna that you want to take advantage of to combat jet lag or to relax after a long day. 

What’s your shoe strategy?

Since I do subscribe to the idea of uniform dressing I keep my packed footwear to a minimum, bringing a few Common Projects Achilles low sneakers in a couple of leathers and suedes, a dressier shoe, and a more statement-making sneaker. I’ve taken lately to wearing my Kith x Birkenstock Bostons on flights for ease while going through TSA Xrays and for comfort on the plane.

What’s always in your Dopp kit/toiletry bag?

My toiletry bag is quite basic, filled with the usual essentials. I always have a few assorted mini Marvis toothpastes that I love and buy them abroad because they’re much cheaper. I have my go-to skincare products, a Dr. Barbara Sturm facial serum and moisturizer for morning and night. Nail clippers always. I bring a fully charged set of clippers in order to trim my beard while away. These also do not take well to foreign voltage despite the use of an adaptor. I do enjoy wearing a light fragrance, so I keep a travel-size Byredo scent in a small cylindrical leather holder they make, currently housing Super Cedar.

On a plane, what essentials does your carry-on bag always contain?

I will always put my favorite items like my vintage Helmut Lang jean jacket, my first Craig Green worker jacket, and various other sport and chore jackets in my carryon…they never get packed in checked baggage because to me they are irreplaceable. That is my strategy for the carry on. I fill it with the things that I would not want to lose if a bag went missing. I know there is a common strategy surrounding packing for your arrival day and having a full look ready to go in case of a delayed bag, but I still stick with my must-haves always being with me. Undergarments, socks and tees are always easily purchased if needed due to a delayed bag. During the fall/winter, I also always carry an overcoat even if it is not needed upon departure because it's much easier to put in the overhead compartment than to find valuable space in my checked luggage.

Any wisdom on traveling with electronics?

I never leave for a trip without my Bose noise-canceling headphones. I use them in flight for my entertainment as well as for my noise app when sleeping on board. I bring two charging cords and plugs along with adaptors in addition to my laptop charger so I can always have everything fully charged.

What are your plane clothes?

I always wear the same pair of dark navy wider fit and slightly cropped khakis from a B. x Closed collaboration I did for the shop, paired with a denim or flannel shirt untucked and worn with a chore jacket of some sort and my Kith x Birkenstocks mentioned above for easy on, easy off. I feel pulled together but still comfortable and relaxed. If I have to go straight to a meeting upon landing, I feel appropriately dressed enough without needing to access a carryon to change. 

APPLE UPGRADE VIA THE AMALFI

Twice a year, in March and October, just before and after Le Sirenuse’s open season, they host a week-long retreat called Dolce Vitality. It involves 5:30am wakeup calls with a delivery of lemon/hot water followed by 6am yoga, 7am breakfast (where there IS coffee!), and then an intense hike from 8-12. Lunch follows, and then free time to do sauna/cold plunge, or wander to the beach, which is relatively empty. A daily massage is included as well as Pilates, and restorative yoga at 6pm, followed by dinner. We hiked all five days, each day along a different incredible path, and did in total around 30 miles and 14,000 feet—which is basically the height of the Jungfrau. I’ll be writing more about the experience later, but for today I wanted to share a simple food tip from one of our hikes. At the top of Monte Comune, the guides served simple sliced apples, but squeezed their local lemons over them and added a pinch of salt. Whereas sliced apples may seem the stuff of a healthy after-school snack, putting them on a nice cutting board and serving them this way completely elevates them. Bonus points if you happen to have rosemary or borage flowers on hand to add on top. I’m always looking for aperitivo options that aren’t chips/nuts/cheese/charcuterie, and this will now go into rotation next to the vegetable crudité. 

THE NAVIGATOR

Kate Wrigley, Founder & Creative Director, The Colombia Collective 

Kate Wrigley (right) visiting one of the Colombian artisans she partners with

Tell us about you and your company.

At TCC we work directly with over 700 artisans in 17 different communities across Colombia: working, designing and collaborating on a daily basis to create unique handcrafted collections of homewares and accessories. We have warehouses in both Colombia and the UK, with the majority of our sales online and through a few select partner stores. 

The concept was born while I was living in Colombia for a number of years, working as an architect and advisor for the Mayor of Bogota. Spending my weekends traveling and exploring the country, I soon discovered the incredible craftsmanship to be found in small hidden communities across the country. 

Initially I began visiting the artisans out of a fascination for the incredible cultures and crafts, but soon realized the demand, particularly in the West, was very much there. Before I knew it I’d left my job at the Mayor's office (terrified) and began a 3-month long road trip to discover as much as I could about the stories and cultures around these ancestral crafts, but also to learn what the communities really wanted and needed from us as a partner. The key elements I took away were: recognition and ownership of their work; design innovation and collaboration; and of course fair pay and above all, patience—life happens, people fall ill, mistakes are made and things take time! To this day, these core values remain at the forefront of everything we do; the way we work, the people we work with and the decisions we make about the future of the company.

I couldn’t be luckier to work with such an amazing country, Colombia is a patchwork of hidden places that you could travel for years and years and still have more to discover. Now that I am running the business from the UK, I try to spend at least two months a year visiting the artisans and discovering new and ever more beautiful parts of the country. 

What’s the entry level to talk to you?

Absolutely nothing, I try to write about a few of my favorite places in the Journal on our website, but this hardly scratches the surface. Clients, friends, friends of friends are always reaching out when planning a trip and I couldn’t be more delighted to help make sure someone has the best possible experience in this magical country, and perhaps encourage them to venture a little further off the beaten track! 

What is the sweet spot of your expertise?

This is tricky, but I think I’d have to say curiosity. I love trying new things, discovering new places, meeting new people and learning everything I can. Hence why Colombia is perfect for me: it could never get old. This does, however, lead me to push the boundaries a little. I love hiring cars and having the freedom to roam as far and wide as I can and away from the crowds, but Colombia is still a country with so many ongoing conflicts so I have to rein it in a little bit sometimes. And I’m not quite camping on the side of the road—I do love my little luxuries and as an architect, I fall head over heels for beautiful authentic design, so I can be very picky about where I stay. When I’m in Cartagena, I hunt down the colonial architecture and vibrant colors on the most gorgeous cobbled streets, and when on the beach I look for the most beautifully built bamboo hut with palm roof and an outdoor shower where you never have to wear shoes. It’s hard to describe, but they are the places that seem to fit seamlessly into their surroundings, using local materials and local design without trying to be something they’re not. 

A favorite experience/trip you’ve planned that best represents your philosophy…

I would of course have to say the trip I've just finished planning as I'd like to think they get better and better each time! The first 10 days will be spent in and around Bogota: visiting our warehouse, spending time with the team out there, visiting the workshops of potential new artisan partners, from glass blowers to carpenters, and spending a weekend with my godson on their family coffee farm (La Trinidad) in the mountains. From there I will head out into the green fields of the Coffee Region, taking a few days to explore the town visiting some more of our artisans, before heading into the National Park for an epic 4-day trek up to the Nevado de Tolima, a snow-covered glacier sitting at almost 5000m above sea level. You stay with local farmers along the route, sitting together round the fire as they cook the most delicious meals by candle light and pass out in old wooden bunkbeds under woolen blankets. For me, a perfect example of how tourism can be done right, supporting the local community and allowing people to truly step into a different way of life. It’s a 12.30am start time to summit the glacier to catch the sunrise from the top! I then fly up to Cartagena for a night of delicious food and luxury in the old town before a short boat ride to Coralina Island, a beautiful secluded island off the coast, to recover. Once well rested and full of vitamin D, I am back to my road-tripping. With artisan communities scattered all along the Caribbean Coast, this is a route I know well and never get bored of: spending a few nights with our artisans in Usiacuri, San Jacinto, and a number of new communities we are exploring, and ending up at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Known as “the heart of the world” by local indigenous tribes, these coastal undulating mountains truly are spectacular. I like to head up as high as I can possibly go, to a stunning boutique eco-hotel called Sierra Alta. Way above the crowds this is a place where you can truly breathe, surrounded by nature. Long walks to secret waterfalls, visiting local coffee farmers and spending time with the local indigenous communities. One of the most amazing parts of my work is that I get to travel and discover the most incredible people and places with a true purpose and a mission, whilst also being creative and productive. My trips are a combination of visiting the people we work with, telling their stories, and sharing the magnificence of Colombia as a whole in any way I can. 

A favorite hotel/lodge/house you love and go back to again and again…

So many! Once I fall in love with somewhere I do love to go back. But if I had to choose, it would be between Sierra Alta Finca Boutique - as mentioned above in the Sierra Nevada - or Dos Aguas Lodge in Rincon del Mar: think bamboo hut on the beach, fishing with locals at sunrise and barefoot along sandy streets. 

The most memorable meal you’ve had while traveling…

Hands down the tasting menu at Carmen in Cartagena. It’s like taking a culinary journey across the whole of Colombia and the setting and the staff are just fantastic. However I am off to try Celele, also in Cartagena, on this trip that is meant to be truly incredible, so we shall see! 

A not-to-be-missed favorite experience…

I think I would have to say the Sierra Nevada mountains again. There is so much about it that is sacred and special and really nowhere else like it in the world (that I know of anyway!). You can also find incredible places to stay for all budgets. From the Sierra Alta, to the simple, stunning and very spoiling Casa Galavanta house high up in the clouds, where you are spoiled by your very own private chef, to lots of little guest houses hidden in the trees. Activities from bird watching (the Toucans make me smile so much), monkey spotting, swimming in waterfalls, coffee picking (and tasting), horse riding (more likely mules), weaving, learning about local cultures and so much more. Just make sure you head higher into the mountains than the town of Minca, which is now very much a tourist hotspot! 

What is a place we should consider traveling to that could really use our dollars, and what is a place we should put on hold because, even though we love it, it sees too many tourists?

Nuqui in El Choco on the Pacific Coast is one of the most beautiful parts of the country and yet one of the least known. After years of exploitation the region is now the poorest in the country, cut off from the rest of Colombia due to the dense rainforest that surrounds it and a serious lack of infrastructure. The only way to get in or out of El Choco is by small plane from Medellin (we’re talking 10-person planes where you can chat to the pilot!). This leaves very limited opportunities for economic growth other than farming and fishing, and now tourism. The local community is one of the friendliest I’ve ever met; you get everywhere by small fishing boats; the beaches are almost entirely untouched; and if you go at the right time of year you can head out for some of the most breathtaking (and uncrowded!) whale spotting. There are beautiful hotels that blend into the jungle along the coastline, with vast private beaches, treks in the jungle, fishing trips, island hopping, surfing and the most delicious home-cooked food you can find. You are generally collected in person at the airport and whisked away to paradise, so minimal logistics planning. The hotels also almost always have a number of projects directly supporting the local communities that are worth getting involved in. If you have the time, the funds and the sense of adventure; it is a must. Morromico or Madre Agua would be my top recommendations for where to stay. 

To put on hold, and I’ll get in trouble for saying this, but it would have to be Medellin. It can be done beautifully but there is definitely a culture of encouraging a type of tourism that I would personally prefer to avoid... 

Underrated location, overrated location, personal favorite, recent discovery?

Underrated: Rincon del Mar 

Overrated: Medellin 

Personal favorite: Sierra Nevada 

Recent discovery: Nuqui, El Choco

The hardest-working item you always pack…

PG Tips (plus thermos). My day only starts after my morning brew, and as a non-coffee drinker in the land of the coffee bean, this can cause problems if not sufficiently prepared with my stash of tea bags! 

What is something you wished we all knew or were better at as travelers?

It’s Colombia with an O not a U! 

How do you want people to reach out to you (email, IG handle, phone number, web etc).

@katewrigley  @thecolombiacollective  www.thecolombiacollective.co.uk  contact@thecolombiacollective.co.uk

MOODBOARD 

@airport.looks

Our favorite instagram account of the week.

Amsterdam’s historic Hotel De L'Europe is reopening this October after a complete redesign.  

Love this sunhat (wide brim, chin cord, crushable) that we saw on our friend Laurel Pantin’s spring break packing list post.

Rachel Roddy’s new book An A-Z of Pasta is out this month, featuring 100+ recipes and stories covering alfabeto to ziti, and everything in between.

Delta has started offering more plant-based food, all-natural amenity kits from Grown Alchemist, and in-flight content from Peloton, Masterclass and Spotify. 

Our favorite Venetian slippers—perfect for summer travel—from yours truly, Yolo x Scarosso.