Tronsformation..
BAND URGE FANS TO HELP SAVE WORLD
set too low. Save £1,250 and a few kilometres of range and go for ordinary glass mirrors instead because they’re better.
The wooing has already been going well because the e-tron outsells the I-Pace globally by a factor of three. Just shows how much trouble Jaguar is having with its brand image.
There’s a price to pay for the more svelte profile and that’s in both headroom and luggage space. The Sportback loses 20mm of rear accommodation due to the coupe-style roof and also has a boot that is down from 615 litres in the regular e-tron to 570 litres. That said, it’s still 58 litres more than the I-Pace can hold.
Underneath the skin the Sportback is exactly the same as the regular-shaped e-tron. That means two electric motors, one at each end of the car, with a 181bhp motor at the front and a 221bhp one at the back. Together they have a combined output of 402bhp. That’s in boost mode, mind, which you can access for a maximum of eight seconds by slotting the gear lever into S. In normal mode the combined power is 355bhp. The idea is to conserve energy and thereby extend range.
The e-tron is spectacularly quiet.
No question, this Audi is a very relaxing method of transport. It’s even fitted with tyres that are foam lined to reduce tyre roar. By electric car standards the e-tron isn’t particularly fast, which is down to its 2.5-tonne weight, but it’ll still do 0-62mph in 5.7sec. That might be a second slower than Jaguar’s I-Pace but it’s more than fast enough.
There are several driving modes from Efficient through Comfort, Dynamic and Off-road which raises the suspension by 35mm.
Comfort is the one that you’ll spend most of your time in because Dynamic is harsh and Efficient makes pulling out of junctions a bit hairy as response is sluggish.
The e-tron Sportback isn’t offered in cheaper Technik or Sport trims so your only choice is between S Line or the top Vorsprung version.
While we’re leading up to talking money, the Sportback only comes with the larger 95kWh battery whereas the regular e-tron is available with the smaller (meaning cheaper) 71kWh battery. What this means is that our test Sportback S Line costs a juicy £79,185.
If that’s not dear enough for you Audi has also introduced an e-tron S Sportback that has three electric motors and 496bhp with overboost. That’s a cool £89,450.
ARCHITECTS don’t just preach about saving the planet, they are on the frontline.
Brighton’s metalcore masters have just released eco-themed album For Those That Wish To Exist, warning of the dangers to life on Earth.
Frontman Sam Carter is also an ambassador for Sea Shepherd UK, a marine conservation organisation helping to end the destruction of wildlife in the oceans.
Sam explains: “I love what they do.
They never hesitate to act to advance their cause.
“I believe in them and that’s why I wear their logo on stage and in photos.”
Sam hopes the album will inspire change because, as he puts it, the “world is dying and it is all our fault”.
He continues: “The pandemic forced us to stop and think more profoundly about the lyrics. When you are stuck at home you start thinking
BOXER Anthony Joshua teamed up with comedy crew Kurupt FM and mum-to-be Ellie Goulding to launch his second capsule collection with BOSS in London. Chabuddy G and about the things that are wrong, like climate change and the behaviour of humans. These were subjects that had always been important to us but were now amplified.”
The resulting music urges people to act on climate change.
Sam explains: “We say we ‘must save the planet’ on Instagram using hashtags. It’s good for your conscience, and it makes you feel like you are doing something.
“But it does nothing. Everyone should take responsibility and change the way they consume. If you wait for the Government to do it, it will be too late.” The album also features members of Biffy Clyro and Royal Blood, who they grew up with near Brighton.
Sam adds: “We have known them for years.
“There’s no competition. Rock has become such a minority in England, you have to celebrate each other.”
MC Grindah, best known for People Just Do Nothing, “helped” too.
AJ says: “It was great having Ellie on board to show the world how the collection looks on a strong and powerful woman. The modelling skills of the Kurupt guys on the other hand were about as convincing as Chabuddy’s management skills. I don’t know why I listen to them.”
Mexico City has a rich history, and its colourful traditions, food and culture have made it a standout holiday destination.
There’s evidence of people living there since 9000 BC, and the Aztecs founded the great city of Tenochtitlan in 1325, which is now the city centre. Mexico
City, as capital of the
New Spain, was founded in 1521.
Today, it has nine million inhabitants, but, if you consider the whole Valley of Mexico Metropolitan Area, it’s 22 million.
A fertile ground for artists, Mexico City provides endless inspiration. You’ll witness this creative buzz beyond the city’s museums and galleries as you explore markets and boutiques and take in celebrations, including Day of the Dead.
The city’s eclectic culinary scene allows you to try traditional Mexican dishes, high-brow tasting menus and delicious street snacks, all in one day.
Downtown is where you’ll find a concentration of cultural offerings with hundreds of historic buildings, as well as parks and museums. Little wonder it was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Here, we pick some of our favourite places to eat, drink and explore from the Art and Fiesta in Mexico City guidebook.
COFFEE Cafe Budapest Cukraszda
This adorable spot is a love letter to Hungary – and its desserts. Owned by Gabriela Biringer, it is a tribute to her Hungarian heritage, featuring pictures of her family. Classical music, a table with an antique sink and colourful plates on the exterior set the tone.
Gabriela bakes original recipes such as Black Forest cake, and her speciality, sacher torte, prepared with chocolate, nutmeg and apricot jam.
Pair it with a strong Turkish coffee or a tea from the vast selection.
Dosis Cafe
Long wooden benches and a varied, eclectic playlist set the mood at this hip coffee shop. With beans from the coffee regions of Veracruz, Chiapas
SHORT HAUL
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■■Majorca from £354pp: a week’s B&B at the four-star Ilusion Moreyo hotel in Cala Bona departs from Manchester airport on September 21. Book by March 31. tui.co.uk
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£250pp on a seven-night sailing from Frankfurt on nickoSPIRIT. Departs on October 26 for Mannheim, Strasbourg, Speyer, Cochem, Koblenz, Rudesheim and Mainz. Includes flights from Heathrow, unlimited drinks with meals on board, free wi-fi and excursions. Regional departures also available. lightbluetravel.co.uk 01223 568904
STAYCATION
■■West Wales from £770: a week’s self catered glamping at Y Gorlan fully equipped shepherd’s hut near St Clears, Carmarthenshire, is available throughout May. glampinghideaways.co.uk
STAR BUY LONG HAUL CRUISE
■■Corfu from £167pp: depart Stansted on October 1 for a fortnight’s selfcatering at the two-star Margarita Apartments in Kato Korakiana. Bristol departure also available. holidaypirates.com
*Prices correct at time of publication and Oaxaca, there’s excellent cappuccinos and espressos, but its cold brew is also a winner. The hot choc is a lovely DIY treat in which you melt a block of chocolate into the hot milk. For breakfast, go for homemade sourdough bread, which is topped with avocado, eggs, or almond butter.
Aside from being a brilliant coffee shop, Dosis also functions as a cultural forum, hosting yoga lessons, meditation and music performances. ■■ dosiscafe.com
Tomas
Tomas is an easy way to delve into the world of tea. The dozens of numbered tins behind the counter shouldn’t intimidate you, as expert staff members are ready to advise.
There’s white, green, mate and oolong teas as well as specialised blends you can only find here.
Within a few minutes, you can have a totally customised tea in your hands.
The Maison de Canelle, for example, is a sweet blend of apples, almonds, cinnamon and beets that helps your cardiovascular system and tastes great as a frappe drink.
Head to one of the comfortable couches inside or pick a footpath table and watch the afternoon go by.
■■ tomas.mx
RESTAURANTS El Parnita
A classic Saturday in Roma Norte is where well-made antojitos (snacks) are served in a kitsch-cool space.
There are fresh ceviches and tacos. Some of the most popular are El Viajero (pork with avocado) and El Carmelita ( fried shrimp, lettuce and red onion).
Contramar
Mexico City might be a few hours away from the beach but a little more than 20 years ago Gabriela Camara decided to pretend it wasn’t.
By opening a seafood restaurant in Roma Norte, she offered a place to enjoy fresh fish in a laidback environment. Contramar’s popularity hasn’t waned. The exciting menu
includes aguachiles (shrimp, lime juice, fresh chillies, sliced onions and cucumbers), seafood cocktails and al pastor fish tacos.
■■ contramar.com.mx
Azul Historico
Recognised and loved for his tireless research on Mexican food, chef Ricardo Munoz Zurita is the mastermind behind this restaurant. It is set in the central courtyard of a 17th century building that also houses the Downtown Mexico hotel and several design stores.
On the menu, dishes that honour Mexican tradition include tortilla soup and cochinita pibil (pork meat marinated in achiote paste), which tastes even better when served in the warm tortillas that are handmade.
■■ azul.rest
HISTORIC AND CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS Museo del Templo Mayor
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, archaeologist Eduardo Matos Moctezuma and his team unearthed the remains of Templo Mayor (the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan’s main temple). This pre-Hispanic site was once a large square plaza with 78 buildings, including temples, altars and a ball-game court. This major discovery also included thousands of objects, currently displayed at the site museum.
■■ templomayor.inah.gob.mx
Museo Franz Mayer
The beautiful 16th century building was once a hospital and now houses a rich collection founded by German collector and philanthropist Franz Mayer.
Exquisite items include furniture, photographs, azulejo decorated tiles, silverware, clocks, paintings, textiles and maps, spanning six centuries.
■■ franzmayer.org.mx
Palacio de Bellas Artes
This stunning white marble palace, home to the theatre and the
Museum of Fine Arts, was commissioned by President Porfirio Diaz at the beginning of the 20th century.
Italian architect Adamo Boari was in charge of the project, giving it its elegant Carrara marble exteriors and Art Nouveau touches.
Inside, you’ll find murals email twitter by some of Mexico’s most influential artists, including Diego Rivera’s Man at the Crossroads.
■■ museopalaciodebellasartes.gob.mx
Museo Frida Kahlo
The sheer force of Frida
Kahlo’s personality and the endless controversy around her work have turned her into a role model for many.
Her art was always such an intimate reflection of her life, her story tainted with tragedy, but she was never afraid to address it.
Admire some of her most
important paintings,
online such as Viva la Vida, My Family and Portrait of My Father Wilhelm Kahlo, as well as her favourite spaces, like her bedroom and colourful kitchen. ■■ museofridakahlo.org.mx
Museo Dolores Olmedo
The lovely 16th century hacienda once belonged to Dolores Olmedo, a businesswoman and philanthropist who donated her home and art collection to the people of Mexico.
Olmedo was friends with Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, and the museum boasts the largest collection of the couple’s work: more than 140 paintings by Rivera and over 20 by Kahlo, plus some of her sketches.
MARKETS AND SHOPS La Ciudadela
Colourful, elaborate and impossibly charming, Mexican crafts tell stories. And getting lost in this maze of a market with more than 300 stalls is a wonderful way to understand the range of the country’s creations.
Admire fantastic alebrijes (wooden sculptures of fantastical creatures) from Oaxaca, silver jewellery and textiles in all shapes and sizes – from rugs to hammocks to huipil blouses and dresses. Several vendors take credit cards but it’s easier bringing cash.
■■ laciudadela.com.mx
‘‘ Colourful, elaborate and charming, Mexican crafts tell stories
El Bazaar Sabado
Here you will find classic and contemporary Mexican crafts in a lovely 17th century house. This colourful market was founded in 1960 as a place where local craftspeople could directly interact with customers.
The bazaar remains a platform for Mexican creators and also offers a contemporary line-up.
There are stone kitchen tools – like molcajetes, to make salsa – doll’s house miniatures and Nativity figures, as well as modern Mexican art and design, including lamps, jewels and clothes. Stop by the restaurant in the central courtyard that offers a casual buffet.
■■ bazaarsabado.com
‘‘
The FBI hounded her in revenge for Strange Fruit, a protest song about lynching
Cert
I15
f you’ve seen Diana Ross’s Lady Sings The Blues from 1972, you’ll know all about Billie Holiday’s battle with drugs, racism and abusive men. Here, the tragic jazz singer emerges as a fearless civil rights pioneer.
Director Lee Daniels focuses on how the FBI hounded her in revenge for her refusal to stop performing Strange Fruit, that hauntingly poetic protest song about lynching. Seeing Holiday hauled off stage by federal agents for singing about something that actually happened feels positively
Orwellian. It takes a while for us to hear her complete the song uninterrupted but it’s worth the wait. This is a genuine “star is born” moment for Andra Day.
Not only does she nail Billie’s smoky voice but she shows us the pain and defiance that defined her since she was forced into prostitution as a child.
Sadly, while Andra Day eclipses Diana Ross, Daniels’ film is far less compelling than that earlier, starrier biopic. It’s over-long and its musical sequences are fussily edited. But the biggest problem is a lack of credibility.
In previous accounts, Jimmy Fletcher (Trevante Rhodes) was a minor figure, an undercover FBI agent who went on to regret inveigling his way into Holiday’s entourage in the 1940s.
According to Daniels, working from the book Chasing The Scream by ex-journalist Johann Hari, Fletcher was her gallant saviour, the man who sacrificed his career to teach her the meaning of true love.
In a surreal scene, Holiday, who has just served a jail term for heroin possession, invites the man who betrayed her to take heroin with her and her friends.
Movies can convince me that love conquers all, a man can fly and Gerard Butler can save the world. But I didn’t buy this for a second.