Darren Huston says that ten years from now,
no paper work will be involved in the travel. “You’ll have no passport, no
credit cards, no confirmation,” predicts the Amsterdam-based Canadian.
"You just have to have your phone in
your pocket, and if you lose it, everything will be in the cloud." Unless
someone invites teleportation, however, we'll still have to fly – something Darren Huston doesn't really do.
But for now, this is the only way he can
access all the local experiences he craves. "I like the odd taste and
taste. I've eaten ants in Nairobi, frogs in Vietnam and a lot of weird things
in China - I really enjoy it during travel. "
Black book:
Europe
Comfort food: “In Amsterdam, if I feel homesick, I go to the
restaurant Red. They serve only 3 things: steak, Canadian lobster and wine.”
Local fave: “Outside of Amsterdam is a
little city called Delft, which is where Vermeer did his paintings. Everything
still looks like it did in the 1600s.”
Greek treat: “One place I just discovered and
should have already known about is the Greek islands. Mario Restaurant in
Naousa is super authentic and has a wonderful evening vibe. It’s Greek food and
the Greek islands at their best.”
Weekend
getaway: "I like
spontaneous travel. I used to be the kind of person with a kind of Let's Plan
two months ago, but now I like to plan a week in advance. There are plenty of
options within two hours of Amsterdam. At the end of a week, I told my family: ‘Why don’t we just go to Milan? I think the
Expo’s on.’
We booked on a Thursday and ended up in Milan for two days. You
have to be careful with flights, but in the world of hotels, prices sometimes
go down at the last minute and you can get great deals if you’re not in high
season.”
Best base
camp: “I love
finding independent properties that have really high ratings and ones that are
a little more local and attuned to the culture of the city they’re in. I
recently stayed at Hotel Cubo in Ljubljana, Slovenia – its right in the centre
of town, and it was amazing.
It’s the number one rated [bookingdotcom] hotel in
Ljubljana for good reason. Pre-technology, you would never have found places
like this. You’d ask your travel agent, and they would have no idea. Technology
now allows us to take a lot of good, calculated risks.”
Must-have tech: “I like
to read good books and novels when I travel – almost always on a device. I have
the newest iPad, but I wish they would take another crack at it and make it
even lighter. It can still make my arms a little tired.
Darren Huston "strange brew" travel habit
“As a Canadian, I love great beers. I especially like fruity-tasting beers like
cherry, blueberry and blackberry. I don’t consider myself an expert; I just
love exploring the dimensions of what’s out there.” Here are three of his
global favourites:
Bavikhove,
Belgium: De
Brabandere’s Petrus Aged Red
South Burlington, Vt.: Magic
Hat Brewing Company’s Not Quite Pale Ale Fruit Beer
Stamford, U.K.: Samuel
Smith’s Organic Strawberry Fruit Beer
