Australian Gourmet Traveller – September 2019

LasPozas,Xilitla,

Bythetimehedie

poetEdwardJame

mostofthesculptu

junglefolly,locate

aboutsevenhours

MexicoCity.Yetth

thewonderofhis“

Mostoftheworko

means“thepools”

1960sand’70sby

co-designerPlutac

togethertheyspentmillionsonthe

project,threadedwithwaterfalls,

poolsandstairstonowhere.

Kenrokuen,Kanazawa,Japan
In a nation fullofexquisitegardens,
this living workofartintheshadow
of KanazawaCastleisregarded
as one of Japan’sfinest.Thename
means “gardenofthesixsublimities”,
referring to theprinciplesofChinese
landscape theory(spaciousness,
seclusion, artificiality,antiquity,
water and views).Startedinthemid-
17th centuryanddevelopedover
200 years, thisgardenisatextbook
example of theChineseideal,full
of artfully plantedfloweringtrees,
bridges, waterfeaturesandteahouses.

Villad’Este,Tivoli,Italy

This“giardinidellemeraviglie”,or

fantasygarden,isamasterpieceof

Renaissancedesign.Commissioned

inthe1550sbyCardinalIppolitoII

d’Este,anddesignedbyPirroLigorio,

thegardensareariotofnymphsand

grottoes,statuesandfollies,andare

bestknownforelaboratefountainsand

waterdisplays.Ligoriowasinspired

bythegardensofEmperorHadrian’s

Villa,wherehesourcedmuchofthe

garden’smarble.Thebestvantageis

fromthevilla’sterrace,withastaircase

descendingtotheGrottadiDiana.

THREE OF THE BEST

andcoŸeebushes.

$15for50gm,

diasporaco.com

Park life

These historic gardens continue to evolve as living works of a

Deep in the Middle East

In a region as old as time, it’s remarkable that Egypt’s treasuretroveof

antiquities keeps growing. Egyptian authorities revealeda“new”pyramid

in July: the 101 metre-high Bent Pyramid about 40 kilometressouthofCairo.

When it opens to the public in the next two years, travellerswillbeableto

reach the chambers inside. In the meantime, the region’shistoricallegacy

is explored in APT’s 2 5 -day Epic Egypt, Jordan & Israeltour,launching

next October. Travellers cruise the Nile, gain special accesstoEgyptian

monuments, bathe in the Dead Sea, camp in luxury in thedesertofJordan,

and follow in the footsteps of pilgrims in Jerusalem. aptouring.com.au

Hitting the Deco

Geo‘ Goddard spent more than 35,000 kilometres

behind the wheel to shoot Australian Art Deco

Hotels (Geo‘ Goddard, $67.50, pbk), but the

Sydney-based photographer found many good

examples to snap at home, too. There’s The

Old Clare (below) and Royal Sheaf Hotel, or

The Henson and The Union, which “have great

menus that I have eaten my way through”.

ChurchoftheHoly

Sepulchre,Jerusalem.

GOURMET TRAVELLER 23

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