Africa Itinerary

Well kids, the time is almost here.

Another epic journey is about to begin. I am beyond excited, curious, the slightest bit nervous (snakes in my tent!).
But no matter what I am sure it will be life changing as Egypt and India both were. And this trip has the added bonus of an amazing wedding of a dear darling friend.

In case you would like to follow along I have attached my tour below with links to hotels/resorts/etc.

I dont leave until next Thursday but I'm already drifting towards the Dark Continent in my head. I just finished reading- The Bolter, am about to start on a bio on Denis Finch Hatton and recently bought Nelson Mandela's auto bio. Needless to say I'm loving my new Kindle!

Since I am not bringing my laptop with me I wont be posting until I return. So until then- Re Tlaa Bonana!

Mr. Sparks on Safari:

January 14: Depart city of origin

January 15: Arrive Johannesburg in the afternoon where you will each be met by a driver from the Safari Club and taken to the lodge
January 15-16: Stay at the Safari Club



January 16: You will have an early start back to Oliver Tambo International for your flight to Lilongwe
January 16: Upon arrival you will be met at the airport and taken to Heuglin's Lodge
January 16-17: Stay at Heuglin's Lodge


January 17: 8:00am flight departure on a private charter will take you to Likoma where you will be met by Manda Nkwichi Lodge
January 17-22: Stay at Manda Nkwichi

January 22: Fly to Lilongwe
January 22-23: Stay at Heuglin's Lodge and enjoy a half day tour of the city

January 23: Arrive Johannesburg from Lilongwe and carry on to your 1Time flight to Cape Town
January 23: You will be met at Cape Town International and brought to Liberty Lodge
January 23-24: Twin occupancy at Liberty Lodge

January 24: Road transfer with Winelands Experience (about 1 hour) to Franschoek and the Winelands
January 24: 7:30pm reservation at Le Quartier Français - The Tasting Room (three minute walk from Les Chambres)
January 24-25: Les Chambres Franschoek



January 25: Earlish morning transfer will take you back to Cape Town and the Liberty Lodge
January 25-27: Stay at Liberty Lodge in Cape Town
January 26: Cocktails at Planet Bar and Dinner at Cape Colony at The Mount Nelson Hotel

January 27: 6:30 am flight to Johannesburg (lodge departure around 5:00am)
January 27: 10:10 flight on Air Botswana to Maun Botswana where we will meet you

January 27-28: You will stay in Maun

January 28: Fly to Nyoga Island with Delta Air
January 28 - February 1: Stay on Nyoga Island at Oddballs Camp for the wedding



February 1: Fly from the bush into Maun
February 1-3: Stay in Maun

February 3: Road transfer to Kalahari
February 3-5: Stay at Meno a Kwena Lodge

February 5: Road transfer will take you back to Maun
February 5: Fly from Maun to Johannesburg and onwards home

A Little Southern Scenery for The New Year

Yesterday at Middleton Place Plantation outside of Charleston, South Carolina.
Just consider this my little ode to the CBS Sunday Morning Nature segment.

I hope we all have more moments to sit under an oak, watch Spanish moss dance in the breeze and listen to horses clop through the leaves.

Happy New Year!

Christmas Recap 2009

This Christmas was more on the low-key end of the spectrum. But they can't be all swinging now can they?
We had the annual Sisters lunch at Angle's house downtown, then Happy, Mother and I took a gander around the new 'meat packing district' of Atlanta where I made my pilgrimage to Sid Mashburn's shop. We sat on nearly every chair and sofa at Knoll and checked out the pate at Star Provisions. Later we went to Jacqueland to check in and discovered they had ripped out the kitchen and were modernizing it, which is quite exciting.
That night we had dinner with Dabney in the Highlands before heading home

The next morning I headed to the farm for a ride. It was Cator's first time back on a horse for a year so it was exciting for her. I took Fancy out for a spin and all was fine until she decided to leap over a tiny puddle (that we walked through 10 min before) and I went flying. Weeee! It was actually quite amusing. I've never been thrown and it was all simply because Fancy was trying to have some fun. My Aunt reminded me- if you weren't on one of those tiny band-aids of an English saddle you would of been fine! True!
I hoped back on and we headed to drier pastures.

For the big day it was a smaller affair. Happy spent the big day in Florida and Pop & Dot were at her family’s house. But it was fun all the same. Ashley came with her finance and Gordon and Kendall brought their newborn, Lily. Having a baby around at Christmas is always a crowd pleaser. We ripped, we drank, we ate and they left. It was a world's record in efficient Christmas crowd control.
Speaking of gifts- I love my new Kindle!!! Perfect for the trip to Africa! I also love my pony skin diary mother bought me for the trip AND my UGA bulldog embroidered pants from Athens.

Boxing Day was spent, as usual, at Connie and Ben Knights during the day. That evening I headed downtown for my second annual impromptu Class of '94 reunion. Good times! But boy we getting old- we weren't nearly as wild as last year. And we were so excited our mentor and favorite teacher Mrs. Humbert came down to party with us. She looks amazing!
And I got a chance to see Kathy's new home and baby. Adorable!

Sunday was spent relaxing at home. Gay dropped by to have a proper catch up since Christmas was so gummy. And that was that kids! I hardly drank; I passed out before 12 most nights and had lots of down time (believe it or not from what you just read).

Onward to Charleston!

Five Festive Events/One Wonderous Night

Last Thursday Rod, Lucy McIntyre and I hit the holiday party circuit hard. How did so many parties fall on one night? Maybe because New York Magazine said Thursday's are the best nights to go out. Maybe because it was the week before Christmas and people were getting into the frenzy. But basically I felt like I was back at Art Basel.

Rod and I met up at 6pm at the castle dressed to the nines. I was excited that my tailor hemmed my new Brooks Brothers holiday pants with two hours notice that morning. Going to so many events deemed a new pair of pants totally necessary. We both had a small dinner before hand. Who knew what kind of food lay in our future...

First stop was Hamish Bowles book launch, The World In Vogue. He held the book party at Carlton Hobbs home and showroom. What kind of antiques does Carlton show? "Only the best" as Rod said whilst sipping champagne. His home is one of the last great Upper East Side mansions. If I had been on reporter duty that night I would remember who used to own the house. But Hamish was ecstatic, "Oh you know Mrs. X used to live here and she was a great collector of Dior. I can just see her now descending that amazing spiral staircase in a nip-waisted couture gown!"

Indeed the staircase and everything else was amazing. We chatted with Amy Fine Collins, ran into Stephanie La Cava and had a good giggle and the entire 1stdibs.com crew was there rolling deep. Lucy arrived and we whisked her upstairs to check out some of the stunning objects. We ran into Carlton and James Reginato from W and Carlton exclaims, "Cator Sparks! The one and only!"
We have never actually met but he is a great friend of Philips. Apparently he inherited a chicken and PHJ told him of my love of the animal and we were planning a trip to the house to see said chicken until a hawk swooped down and took the poor chicken away. Alas.

After several more bubblies we depart down to Melanie Brandman's annual Christmas bash on Park Avenue. She owns my favorite travel PR firmand she is one of my favorite people as well. Her home is like Auntie Mame's brought to life. Packed to the gills with amusing people, Hi Horacio! Hey Colin Cowie! Greetings Bill Keith! and there is always so much champers the apartment could explode if they were all popped at once. We spent a good hour there before heading further downtown to Anthony Haden Guest's bash on the top of some building on Park. It was quite amusing! Loads of people I haven't seen for ages and lots of purple neon. Who is that over there in the glittering kimono? It's Daphne Guinness! I give her a light tap on the shoulder and she turns to me, eyes wide and purrs, "Darling, Cator!" We have a good catch up about Art Basel and then Lucy and I invite her to come downtown with us to Lorenzo's party at Chandelier Creative. She is all for it and we follow her out and pile into her car.
"Daphne can I hold your train? I hate to see that vintage kimono get scrubby on the floor"
"Cator, clothes are to be worn, not to be kept in boxes!"

And there you go. How I adore her thinking.
We arrive at Chandelier and it's like New Years Eve at Studio 54. There are at least 1,000 balloons of pink and gold floating about with ribbons cascading down to eye level. The help are all gym bunnies in saucy Santa outfits and the music goes between a gospel choir clapping and shouting and my handsome Alex Malgouyres DJ'ing.
Rod finds drinks, Lucy finds friends and Daphne and I take a tour admiring the 30-foot tree and the Jeff Koons like balloon animals behind Santa's throne.
Lorenzo is well pleased to see us. YAY! We miss him. A whole week with LM in Miami was delightful so we all had a proper squeeze and catch up. After chatting up Rudolph (yes, well not really, co-owner of the agency Anthony Keegan dressed up as him) and stealing his head for a shot I escort Daphne out to her car. She's being so good! We still have one more event to hit!

I find Rod, I round up Lucy and Claire and we bring Miguel from Interview and pile into a car for the final destination- Boom Boom.
We arrive and the place is popping. GQ had just finished their holiday dinner and loads of other editors, assorted gays, and saucy ladies were zizzing about in a holiday tizzy. Hey Justin and crew! Hey Adam 'Grawl' Shapiro! Marc Kroop is that you?
Rod has never been so I gave him a tour, and then we order drinks (ouch $40 for two drinks!) and mill about catching up with kids.

At 2am Rod and I decide it's time to turn into pumpkins. We sneak away and when our elevator hits the lobby and opens Lorenzo is staring back at me and bellows, "Oh no you don't! Get back upstairs!"
Balderdash, foiled again.
We get back in the lift with his posse including Terence Koh and head up for a nightcap. They all pile out of the elevator and charge the main room. Rod and I look at each other, wink and close the doors again. We just can't do it! Lolo I owe you a drink!

And that's how we got through one very long, exciting, eventful holiday party twirl.

Seasonal Sappy Thoughts

I love writing. Not only do I get to learn something (or a plethora of things) daily but I really enjoy being able to support and promote friends. I of course never expect anything in return. As the iconic Daphne Guinness said to me last week through her lace veil (natch), "Darling if you can't give freely, why bother giving at all?" Those words really stuck. Even in her surreal filtering of life, she can really hit home. I was impressed. It just goes to show ONCE AGAIN that fashion people aren't all frocks and feathers.

Today, toiling away at my desk filing two stories, arguing with an editor about another and trying to sort the chaos of post Basel piles, the buzzer rang. I got to the door to find a gentleman with a giant orchid in hand. I pulled away the plastic and ribbons to find a note from J Alexander. I had interviewed him for The Moment when his book launched several weeks back and had an amusing time doing it. He is always such a treat.

Frankly, the note brought me to tears. What wit! What thought... and it's just what I needed as I coast into a world of writing full time nervous, anxious and totally excited. Thank you Miss J.
Indeed- MORE, MORE!

Art Basel 09- Vanity Fair

I was honored to cover Basel for Vanity Fair and Full Frontal Fashion this year. Here are the posts from my VF Party Round Up hereand my VF People Post here
Enjoy!
More to come

Oh and check out Daphne Guinness' new look!

Turkey Day at The Castle

Success!
I had 23 people at the house and we got everyone around the table!
Well, Oscar and his crew ran late so by the time they came we were done and they got in on seconds but we SQUEEZED in and got our turkey on.

Justin came over Wednesday afternoon and we made the mad dash to Fairway (which wasn't bad amazingly) got our 18 pound turkey and punkin pie ingredients and headed home to set up and get to cookin. We had drinks with Rod, ordered hot wangs from Pizza 123 and passed out at 10:30!

Thursday we got going at 8am and started drinkin at 10! People trickled in from 3-6 (ahem!)
Food was heated, turkey stuffed and we got everyone seated before we got our feast on.

Alistair and Bea stuffed their faces and then were glued to Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving.
Later we played two party games:
Where is the weirdest place you had sex?
What do you want for Christmas?

The answers caused lots of good giggles and scandal!
Around midnight Anne rolled in with Rebekah Maysles (you know her- her dad made Grey Gardens!) and finished off the rest of the wine. Yale made a special appearance too all the way from Canada.

At 2:30 the pah-tay wound down, the sink was full and so was I!
A good time was had by all.

Now on to Christmas!