Buckle up, pens at the ready, tighten those laces and stay alert. The Faster Lane has spent the past week crisscrossing cities, dashing over nations and jumping the Atlantic. We start on the small, secluded terrace at the back of our HQ in Zürich, coffee in hand and opposite a man with a set of plans.
 
Build it better
My friend Todd is on a mini tour of Europe and is fresh from Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design fair. We haven’t caught up in a while and there’s much ground to cover – new government in Canada, the joys of licensing your designs and collecting cheques and how Switzerland endures as a sanctuary of civility in a generally bananas world. On our second coffee order Todd explains that he’s about to start building a new house on Vancouver Island and pulls out some plans and a host of references from the late 1950s and 1960s. We scroll through black-and-white layouts and hand-drawn renders that were part of Canada’s post-war masterplan to create more housing in cities coast to coast. With nods to Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler and Charlotte Perriand, it was not only a mini masterclass in Canadian modernism but also a hopeful session that could serve as fresh inspiration for a country that needs to figure out a new housing strategy. After a while we got to Todd’s own plan – all low-slung lines, local timber, concrete blocks and forest views. The Carney government needn’t spend big on figuring out new typologies, it need only dig deep in the archives and unearth some exceptional designs that could make for desirable communities from Victoria to Halifax.
 
Superb San Sebastián
Depending on which index you consult, San Sebastián frequently ranks as Spain’s most liveable city and it only takes a day and an eve to figure out why it works. While the beaches and promenades are surely a plus, the winning ingredient is the city’s scale – a tight grid of six-to-seven storey buildings, galerías, plenty of trees and just the right mix of pedestrianisation and busy thoroughfares. As for real proof that it’s well and truly liveable, stand back and observe the locals. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a city with more mobility-constrained seniors out and about. From daughters walking their fathers to the markets and grannies with canes to dapper gents in wheelchairs and well-coiffed ladies with walkers, Sunday in San Sebastián was a parade of elderly residents enjoying the rhythm of a city with plenty of places to sip a beer in the shade or eat a pintxo or two in a buzzy bar. From what I could determine, this segment of Spain’s silver society still live in the city centre, have all the services that they require at street-level and judging by the general sense of conviviality and groups of women in their eighties chattering away in restaurants well into the evening, the Basque city offers more than a few clues about how we can keep older generations entertained, stimulated and living life to its fullest.
 
Licence revoked
I am starting a global campaign to close down all hotels that continue to think that it’s acceptable to put a glass box in the corner of a room and call it a bathroom. While San Sebastián got many things right during my three-day stay, the first hotel that I checked into was perhaps the worst example to date of a room not fit for double occupancy. Why? Why? Why would you want to have a barely opaque wall, a swinging door and all-hard surfaces right beside your pillow? Judging by the shiftwork in the breakfast room with one partner munching on their manchego while the other was back upstairs doing their business, no one is interested in this concept and it must stop. If hotels are so proud of this feature then they should celebrate it on their website and not hide the fact that they don’t believe in proper doors and the preservation of privacy. Smart cities should revoke licences or halt planning permission for hotels that don’t offer dignified digs for doing your thing.
 
Better setup
Should you make your way to San Sebastián, I can highly recommend the Hotel Arbaso in the city centre. This was the refuge I fled to. First, they have excellent bathrooms. Second, Narru restaurant is a treat. Third, top marks for uniforms and sunny, informed staff.
 
All in the details
Post-San Sebastián I jumped across the border to Biarritz for the film festival and saw Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague on opening night. The film is about the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless and is a fun romp around Paris. The styling and scenes were all convincing until I spotted a UTA DC-10 in the background. The film was supposed to be set in 1960. The DC-10 didn’t go into proper commercial service until the early 1970s. All that said, it was my first time in Biarritz and I must return for longer than a film premiere.
 
Meanwhile… 
Back in Canada, I’m flying from Ottawa to Toronto on an Air Canada Q400. As this is a short flight and the aircraft doesn’t climb that high, you get a good view of Ontario’s urban sprawl. I’m thinking back to my meeting with Todd and the future building plan and hoping that someone might suggest that for every house that goes up they need to plan at least five mature trees to create a canopy around future communities. It’s depressing to see how much construction has been permitted around Toronto with zero consideration for trees.
 
Happy Canada Day
As I head back across the Atlantic, Canada is gearing up to celebrate its birthday. I’m keen to see how the country marks the occasion off the back of Trump suspending all trade talks on Friday and Canada embarking on its biggest defence push in decades. Can the nation stay on course by continuing to pull together? Or will it stick with a narrative that looks backward, picks at old wounds and spends too much on celebrating differences rather than focusing on the social capital that comes with a strong national identity?

For more observations and adventures in ‘The Faster Lane’, click here.

After a meticulous four-year revamp of Paris’s Grand Palais, the finishing touch was creating a restaurant that could honour this civic monument’s illustrious history (writes Claudia Jacob). After the success of its outpost in the Musée des Arts Decoratifs, the Loulou Groupe was a trusted candidate. Co-founders Gilles and Claire Malafosse tapped architect and friend Joseph Dirand to fit out their new opening, Le Grand Café.  

Gilles and Dirand first worked together to create Monsieur Bleu in the Palais du Tokyo some 12 years ago. But this project feels particularly triumphant. “It was a one-time opportunity to work in such a revered national establishment,” says Dirand. “The task wasn’t just about décor but about creating an atmosphere as timeless as the building itself.” 

For the best seat in the house, bag a spot on the elegant wrought-iron terrace overlooking the Petit Palais and opt for the pipe rigate served in a silky tomato and vodka sauce. As the sumptuous surrounds and tinkling piano in the background recall a belle-époque brasserie, round things off with the delicate red-berry pavlova.
legrandcafe-paris.com

Fancy some more top tips for the French capital? Click here to peruse our Paris City Guide.

Rob Symington is co-CEO of Symington Family Estates, a Portuguese wine brand and producer (writes Ivan Carvalho). This summer, Symington is unveiling his family’s latest venture, the four-floor Matriarca wine club, restaurant, bar and shop in Porto. Here he talks about his favourite sundowners and unconventional breakfast.

Ideal start to a Sunday? Gentle or a jolt?
I start with a sunrise run along the Douro river to the Atlantic. Then I head back for multiple cups of tea, chaos with the children and a walk to the Palácio de Cristal park.

What’s for breakfast?
Brioche croissants cut in half, toasted, with tonnes of butter. They’re something of a Portuguese speciality, though I’m not sure why. When we first moved here from London, my wife, being used to the classic French croissants, thought they were an aberration. But she was soon converted.

What does your summer wardrobe consist of?
I’m a big fan of a couple of Portuguese brands: Isto for work jackets and shirts, and Citadin Shoes for leather boots.

Lunch in or out?
Barbeque in the garden. Spatchcock chicken seasoned with Portuguese sea salt, our own olive oil and lots of piri-piri. Paired with a fresh alvarinho from our new estate in Vinho Verde.

A Sunday soundtrack?
For 15 years the soundtrack to my Sunday mornings has been Cerys Matthews’s show on BBC 6 Music. She has excellent taste in soulful music and a beautifully lilting Welsh accent.

Sunday culture must?
I told my daughters that the one thing I’ll never say no to is buying them a decent book. Another go-to is the stunning gardens at Serralves, Porto’s contemporary art museum.

News or no news?
I used to be a real news junkie but since the end of the coronavirus pandemic, I have been much less obsessed with following the cycle – and I’m much happier for it.

What’s on the menu?
I enjoy getting a handful of high-quality fresh ingredients and having to invent something. And always accompanied with a glass of white port and tonic with plenty of lemon and mint.

Will you lay out an outfit for Monday?
My family would think that I was feeling unwell if I started laying out my clothes on a Sunday evening.

Where are you choosing to spend your summer holidays?
We always have a week or two in the Douro. Mornings waterskiing on the river, lunches under the wisteria and afternoons in the pool with sundowners – preferably a glass of Hambledon Classic Cuvée, an English sparkling wine that we recently co-acquired.

As the mercury rises across the northern hemisphere, Monocle’s Japanese recipe writer dishes up a crunchy salad with a dressing that packs a suitable punch.

Serves 2

Ingredients
For the ranch dressing
65g sour cream
75ml buttermilk 
50g mayonnaise
5g garlic, puréed
5g dill, finely chopped
10g chives, finely chopped
¼ tsp sea salt
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp white wine vinegar
⅛ tsp onion powder

For the salad
¼ large cucumber
6 cherry tomatoes
1 celery stick
2 gem lettuce heads
½ small red onion
1 corn on the cob
2 chicken thighs
2 slices sourdough bread
1 ripe avocado
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Method
1.
In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, buttermilk, mayonnaise, garlic, dill, chives, salt, sugar, white wine vinegar and onion powder until combined well. Chill until ready to use.

2.
Wash and dry the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, celery and gem lettuce. Slice the cucumber and celery. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice the red onion and place it in ice-cold water to achieve a bright, crispy texture. Refrigerate all of the prepared vegetables to keep them fresh.

3.
Brush the chicken thighs and corn with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

4.
Heat a griddle pan over high heat until it begins to smoke. Grill the corn, turning occasionally, until charred in spots. Cook the chicken thighs for about 3 minutes per side or until cooked through (time may vary depending on thickness). Remove the chicken and cover loosely with foil to rest. Once the corn is cool enough to handle, stand it upright and slice the kernels off the cob with a sharp knife.

5.
Brush the sourdough slices with olive oil and season with a little salt. Toast in the same griddle pan for about 1 minute per side, or until golden and crisp. Cut into bite-sized cubes.

6.
Assemble the salad in a large bowl or platter, starting with a base of lettuce. Arrange the tomatoes, cucumber, celery, corn kernels, drained red onion, sliced avocado and croutons over the top.

7.
Slice the rested chicken thighs and place them on top of the salad. Drizzle generously with the homemade ranch dressing and serve immediately.