Upfront

BOOK REVIEW
Extreme Cuisine: The Weird & Wonderful Foods That People Eat Jerry Hopkins (Bloomsbury) £12.99, out April 2nd World traveller Jerry Hopkins has a theory that learning about local cuisine, however strange it might be, is a valuable introduction to foreign cultures. His book is an unappetising culinary journey to say the least, but for the open-minded, it might just prove to be a thought- provoking exploration of international foods. The chapter headings make clear just how extreme this cuisine really is: the book starts with 'dogs and cats' and ends in 'excrement'. In between all this are recipes like camel-hoof paste, placenta patéand deep fried field rat, should you wish to recreate any of the delights you find within.

Like you know...
ATHENS

1. In the 2004 Olympics in Athens, which class of athlete was permitted to compete for the first time?
a) transvestites
b) transsexuals
c) transplant patients

2. The Plain of Marathon is the scene of the famous Greek victory over the Persians. How far is it from the heart of Athens?
a) it is completely enclosed by the modern city
b) 26 miles—a marathon
c) about 140 miles to the north

3. While staying in Athens Byron wrote The Maid of Athens, about his love for:
a) Maria Gotsi, a leader of the 1821 revolution
b) his landlady's daughter
c) drinking retsina until he fell over and soiled himself

4. In antiquity Eleusis, just to the north-west of Athens, was the centre of the cult of the Eleusinian mysteries. Who was allowed to join?
a) anyone who was neither a barbarian nor a murderer
b) transvestites
c) the aspiring middle class

5. On the Acropolis, the temple of Athena Nike is dedicated to:
a) the goddess of victory
b) the goddess of wisdom
c) the goddess of basketball

6. What did Lord Elgin get for the Parthenon marbles?
a) £35,000
b) nothing
c) his title

7. What goes on at Athens' rempetika clubs?
a) philosophical enquiry along Socratic lines into the nature of being, as well as discussion of mathematics and political theory, with plenty of young boys hanging around
b) illegal prizefighting
c) traditional music

8. Agoraphobia takes its name from what?
a) one of the furies or malign spirits representing the mob
b) the marketplace in central Athens
c) ancient Athens's main theatre

Answers 1b, 2b, 3b, 4a, 5a, 6a, 7c, 8b

FILM REVIEW

Enduring Love
(PathéDistribution Ltd, 100 minutes) UK DVD release 11th April £19.99 What's it all about?

This adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel begins when a romantic picnic is interrupted by a freak accident involving a hot air balloon. Joe (Daniel Craig) had been about to propose to his girlfriend Claire (Samantha Morton) but instead finds himself running to the scene along with three others who have witnessed the startling sight. The incident affects Joe, and his emotional state worsens when the accident leads fellow rescuer Jed (Rhys Ifans)—not exactly sane from the start—to develop a deluded fixation on him. As Jed stalks Joe, Joe starts to lose the plot, and his and Claire's love is pushed to the absolute boundaries.

Is it any good?
It's brilliant. The opening scene is outstanding. Daniel Craig is excellent as a very likeable guy slowly being driven over the edge while Rhys Ifans is a thoroughly convincing madman. A love story and a psychological thriller all at once.

Inside Out
with Christophe Beaufort
Parisian Christophe Beaufort is one of France's most important young chefs, a maverick who is breaking away from traditional French cuisine. After working with the likes of Guy Savoy, he now has his own bistro, L'Avant Gožt. Famous for innovative dishes at good value for money, the bistro carries a Michelin Bib Gourmand. L'Avant Gožt, 26 Rue Bobillot, Paris. Tel. +33 (0)1 53802400.

How is French cuisine changing?
People are looking for original cooking. World food is more fashionable today because everybody travels a lot, so French cooking has adapted to this style. There's a new generation of chefs in Paris who want to show another, more creative way of cooking, another way of life, and not do the typical meat dishes of France. They are still traditional in how they work in the kitchen, but they are using more olive oil and vegetables, and less cream and butter.

What's your favourite quarter and why?
I like the 13th, where I have my bistro, very much. It's a popular area to live, and I think it's become fashionable because it's like a little village in Paris with its small streets, shops and houses.

It's Saturday afternoon in April, ideally where are you and what are you doing?

I'm in the Jardin des Serres d'Auteuil in the west side of Paris. It has a greenhouse where all the plants and trees that are to be replanted in the city's parks are grown and stored. It's a very nice spot—especially in spring when all the flowers are coming through. It's very close to the Metro station Porte d'Auteuil, so it's very easy to get to.

What would be the perfect romantic evening for a couple visiting the city?
They should take one of the boats on the Seine that gives a view of the city all lit up. It's one of the most romantic views of Paris, with the best monuments and apartments.

What is the most over-hyped tourist attraction?
The Saint Michel quarter, near the Notre Dame. There are a lot of tourists and the restaurants are very expensive and, in my opinion, not very good.

Something everyone has to do before leaving the city?
Visit the new Louvre. It's better than before because there is more room to see everything and you can do it in sections on different visits—whereas originally there was only one route around the museum.

What's the best moment that somebody could take back from Paris?
To experience La Villette (www.villette.com). It's a new complex in the north of Paris with the Citédes Sciences et de L'Industrie museum, parks, gardens and a panoramic cinema. In the evening during the summer there is an outside cinema and contemporary music concerts. I think it's a good image of the 'new' Paris.

You've got €100 in your pocket. How best to spend it in one day?
In the morning, I'll have a coffee with a croissant in the caféLes Deux Magots (6 Place Saint Germain des Prés). It's an old- fashioned bar where musicians and writers used to go after the Second World War. Afterwards, I'll walk along the Seine and maybe go to a museum. Then in the evening, I'll eat at a small restaurant where you can get a set menu for about €30, such as Restaurant La Cerisaie (Boulevard Edgar-Quinet, near Montparnasse) or Restaurant Le PréVert (Rue Thernot, Paris V).

Interview by Amanda August

ULTRAVIOLET RHINO
If a trip to sunny beaches is not complete without a couple of weeks of preparatory sunbedding and skin treatments, you'll be interested to see that this kind of beauty care is not restricted to humans. Jennifer (32) and Petra (23), two rhinos who live at Emmen Zoo in northern Holland, keep themselves looking good for onlookers with 20-minute sessions in their custom-made, four-metre sunbed and with regular dips in their very own mud bath. During the winter months, far away from the hotter climates of their cousins, they need to keep their skin healthy and even-coloured with this time-consuming beauty regime. The ultraviolet light even provides vitamins and helps their blood circulation. Bear this in mind next time you feel tempted to snigger at the fake tan that your friend has.

SEXY
SKI INSTRUCTORS
THE THE WINNERS! WINNERS!

The postbag has been bulging with beauties sin ce we started this competition and finally w e've made the

agonising decisions. So here they are, the ones that made your skiing holida y that little bit mor e special.

Judging by the grins on y our faces, these ins tructors were great at getting your parallel turns perfect ed!

<<< If Wendy's relying on instruction from this one out in Crans-Montana Switzerland, she'll have to stick to the green runs and keep out of the sunshine.

>>> Now this is going to get you nowhere out on the slopes. You'll have everyone's undivided attention, but you'll also have snowballs.

CD Review
The Funky Lowlives—Somewhere Else is Here
(Outer Recordings) £12.99 Out 18th April
www.funkylowlives.com

As the weather gets slowly warmer, this laidback collection of lazy vocals, dusty beats and warm basslines is a perfect way to enjoy the changing weather. Hints of Air, Ian Brown, The Stereo MCs and Zero 7 dreamily float around the room: it is important that you are as lazily reclined in a sofa as possible when you listen to this. Once relaxed, the crisp acoustic guitars, electronic burbling, occasional strings and subtle beats are like a blissful sonic massage. Especially worth a mention is the ice-cool opener 'Sail into the Sun', and the single 'Superlove' is Air's 'Sexy Boy' played from another galaxy.

The combination of influences is impressive, and although the catchiness of the album diminishes towards the end, it is always musical and enjoyable.

BLOOMING BEAUTIES
Bite of the big apple
The apple is quite the ambitious little fruit: iconic for the first day of school, that trouble in the Garden of Eden, your MP3 player, the name of Gwyneth Paltrow's first born and now the symbol of a new scent from DKNY. Be Delicious finds a place on international beauty counters this month in a sleek sculpted green (for women) and red (for men) apple-shaped bottle.

The mixture of cucumber, grapefruit, florals, sandalwood and, of course, apple creates a fresh slice of fragrance for spring. £35 (50ml women's), £30 (50ml men's). www.dkny.com

Pearly whites
While the Philips Sonicare Elite might sound like the latest must-have gadget for computer geeks, it's actually a state- of-the art toothbrush with an impressive 31,000 brushes per minute—even the most ardent of tooth cleaners can't fail to be impressed! The rapid moving bristle tips help to banish plaque and are capable of substantially reducing all those, coffee, tea and wine stains. The dual-speed control allows you to switch between 'normal' speed for optimal brushing performance and 'reduced' speed when more gentle action is required. It lasts for two weeks without needing to be recharged, so it's great to take away on your travels. The only snag is sparkly white teeth do come at a price—£129.99. www.sonicare.com

Gloss and go
Palmer's Cocoa Butter has long been touted by those in the know as a moisturising favourite, and now fans can enjoy Palmer's new Body Gloss. Containing 100% pure cocoa butter and enriched with vitamin E, the creamy moisturising cream leaves skin soft and illuminated with a subtle shimmer. Costs £3.95 for 125g www.etbrowne.com

Cheeky lips
Pucker up and get cheeks to match with this great little Jet Set Lips palette from Pixi, which comprises six different shades that can be used on both lips and cheeks. The palettes are available in a range of different shades to suit your skin tone or simply your mood. Either use the colours on their own or mix them up to create your very own unique shade. It's fragrance-free, hypoallergenic and the perfect size to stash in your pocket. £26. www.pixibeauty.com

Binary finery
Style meets a maths lesson! Binary is the zeros and ones number code they taught you at school (you should have been paying attention). If you had, the latest timepiece gadget would make perfect sense. The binary watch uses a series of LEDs that light up (binary fashion) to tell you the time. It requires a bit of mental gymnastics to get used to—whether an LED is on or off indicates a corresponding numerical zero or one. If it all sounds a bit too geeky, then that's because it is—but it's a great talking point even if it does make you late for everything while you're trying to work out the exact time. Luckily, there's an instant time function for all of us who fell asleep in maths. £59.99. www.paramountzone.com

Bag lady
Skydiving flight attendants may have been all the rage back in the early aviation years, but those days are long gone. Relive them with this Mile High bag, the perfect size for hand luggage (there's a matching passport holder as well). If your drinks were served this way, it'd be a flight to remember. £17.99. www.treats4chicks.com

Splash happy
Ever seen a fish smile? Well perhaps it's just because you've never taken its picture. All those cute sea creatures will now have to learn the art of posing quicker than you can say 'cheese'. The Polaroid Splash underwater camera is waterproof to 20 metres and has automatic flash as well as red-eye reduction. £19.99. www.jessops.com

Tiny tunes
Sony has released its tiniest digital radio yet—a palm-sized DAB FM walkman that stores over 40 stations. Ideal for travellers wanting station variety and clear reception, the XDR-M1 has FM back-up for DAB-poor areas, auto-tuning and mega bass for a rocking time wherever you are. Easy to navigate, it can search by genre and has a blacklit LCD display, complete with clock. £150. www.sony.com

Thirst aid
It's tough work lugging a water bottle up a mountain—you'll spill it leaping from rock to rock. Try a North Face hydration pack: the latest is so light it practically floats on air. It has an easy refill connection, improved water-to-mouth delivery and an ergonomic design perfect for mountain-biking.

Or, wear it while watching the television if you can't be bothered to refill the drinks. £60. Tel. +44 (0)1539 738 882

The Great Indoors
Goose-pimples and blue flesh are so not a good look on the beach, which is why most people venture to hot countries if they're planning on strutting their stuff in a bikini. So why is everyone heading to Brandenburg, an hour south of Germany's capital, armed with a bucket, spade and a pair of sunnies?

It's all thanks to a new indoor theme park called Tropical Island, a whopping 107metre-high dome (the Statue of Liberty could stand up in here if you need proof of just how whopping it is) containing a huge lagoon, a sandy beach, a rainforest and, of course, 900 sun beds. Temperatures in this cheats' version of tropical paradise hover at between 25¡C and 27¡C so visitors can walk in, strip off and take a dip in comfort, forgetting that it may well be snowing outside. www.my-tropical-islands.com/engl

Vegas Supernova
Shops can get a tad dull, but the mighty Selfridges has always stood out from the sheep-shop crowd. From 22nd April to 15th May it's hosting a huge celebration of 100 years of Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world.

It's going to be a feast of indulgent kitsch and neon memorabilia: think showgirls, divas and crooners. There'll also be a wedding chapel should you wish to indulge in a Britney-esque (first time round that is) marriage, and limited edition Vegas-inspired fashion from Matthew Williamson, Jimmy Choo and Stella McCartney. Should all the excitement give you an appetite, head to the food hall for some Elvis-influenced confectionery. www.selfridges.co.uk

Making Small Talk
We are all guilty of a bit of harmless gossip. In fact, a lot of people claim (albeit rather unconvincingly) that it's a therapeutic and necessary pastime. But did you ever stop to think how much time you waste chitter-chattering to your friends, putting the 'Dawson's Creek' script to shame, when you could be having more philosophical exchanges or deep, heartfelt discussions? The Italians have just found out. They have been named and shamed in a recent study as massive offenders of this conversational crime, gossiping for a heroic five hours every day. Eta Meta Research studied the chattering habits of four Italian cities and came up with the shocking results. So what exactly are they finding to chat about?

Only 17% of gossip victims were celebrities, quite a shock in today's star- obsessed society. They were trumped, rather dully, by colleagues at 38%. It seems those animated Mediterranean peeps spend most of their working days discussing each other instead of getting any work done. And if there are any men out there shaking their heads in disapproval, not so fast: you're at it too. The study showed that men gossiped just as much as women (although they are not quite as malicious in their talk, bless them).