FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JANUARY 13, 2022 • THE QUEENS COURIER 31
Victoria’s
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
vschneps@schnepsmedia.com
As the snow was falling
lightly, the windshield
wipers worked furiously
to clear the slush that was splashing
up from the roads, making
the trip to MacArthur Airport
in Islip a little scary. Neither
snow, nor sleet, nor ice would
put a damper on my journey
to sunny Palm Beach, Florida,
to open Dan’s Papers Palm
Beach.
The MacArthur
Airport is small, with
just a few carriers,
which made me feel
safer in this COVID
world than traveling
out of LaGuardia or
JFK airports.
As we pulled up to
the Frontier Airlines
terminal, I knew I
made a good choice.
Th ere were few cars and
even fewer people!
Th e airline made its reputation
on having cheap fares
Lunch at the Colony Hotel with
Jean Shafifi roffff , Ramona Singer,
Jeffff rey O’Brecht and Isaac Boots,
with Davis the dog.
and direct fl ights and with
COVID still a terrible threat,
I decided it would be safer to
buy multiple seats and remain as
isolated as possible on the plane.
My good friend Dr. Peter
Micholas advised me to wear
two masks and not to take them
off to eat, as well as to avoid putting
anything in the bins above
the seats or using the bathrooms
on the plane.
Luckily no one sat in the third
seat of my row, giving me even
more room to stretch out and
relax without fear of COVID.
Th e airline’s reputation for
having small seats is spot on, as
the seat in front of me was only a
bent elbow away. Despite that, it
was worth using the airline that
sells seats for $38. Th ough, it
really costs more because everything
is extra. From a checked
bag to a limited number of
My journey to Palm Beach
carry-on bags. Th ey charge extra
for everything!
But the courteous and friendly
staff made the fl ight enjoyable
and we safely arrived at our destination
aft er only two hours.
I had decided that, since I was
alone, I would stay at a hotel for
my southern sojourn.
A few weeks back, my friend
Stacey Baron had taken me
around town. We visited the
historic Breakers Palm Beach
resort, where we had brunch. It’s
a big, bustling hotel that I didn’t
feel would be comfortable for
my six-week stay.
Th en we saw the smaller,
more intimate Brazilian Court
Hotel and the Colony Hotel.
When I walked into
the Colony, I couldn’t
help but laugh, as
it was decorated in my
favorite color, pink! It
made me feel happy as
soon as I entered the intimate
lobby.
Th e hotel’s pool and outdoor
restaurant made for a
warm and inviting environment.
I was instantly hooked and made
a reservation!
I had an operation about
10 days before my arrival, so
I had FedEx’ed my bags ahead
of time and the hotel unpacked
my clothes — everything was in
place when I arrived!
When I walked in, hotel manager
Bruce Seigel and the warm
and welcoming staff made me
feel at home. It was my fi rst visit
to Palm Beach and I was excited
about meeting new friends,
creating a new media outlet and
building new relationships.
I got off to a fast start, going
with Adele Fuchsberg and her
Frontier Airlines safely
transported me to Palm Beach!
husband Dr. Derek
Enlander — who
I met through
Dan and Chris
Rattiner — to the
Classic Car Show
of America, an
antique auto show
in the old-world
Breakers parking lot.
It is truly remarkable
to see how people collect
these gems of the past, restore
them and then compete for Best
Car in the show.
Th e next day, Adele and her
friend Gerald drove me 10 minutes
from my hotel to Th e Royal
Poinciana Plaza for a “party” in
the garden, where people rent a
“cabana” and invite a few guests
for food and drinks.
Our hostess, Catherine
Applegate of Douglas Elliman,
served champagne, little sandwiches
and a charcuterie platter
to the guests gathered under the
“decorated-to-the-nines” tents.
Th e plaza is surrounded by
stores — many with outposts in
the Hamptons — as well as the
Americana in Manhasset and
Manhattan.
As we weaved our way into
the shops, Adele stopped to
buy a marvelous woven,
sun-blocking Panama
hat at her friend’s
store, Veronica
Beard.
I was then
delighted to meet
for brunch the culturally connected
and talented Donna
Schneier, an art collector and
mom of Rabbi Marc Schneier
of Hampton Synagogue in
Westhampton Beach.
Donna’s friendship with
the world-class glass sculptor
Dale Chihuly will bring his
work to the nearly completed
Jack’s House, the Hampton
Synagogue’s Children’s Center
in memory of Mona Gore’s
father.
Donna, a collector of contemporary
art jewelry, is now
bringing those artists to the public,
curating a jewelry designers
show at the Boca Raton
Museum of Art in March.
What a treat to meet her aft er
her many phone calls setting
up my meetings with cultural
leaders of the Palm Beach
community.
Staying safe is our biggest
challenge these days, so from
balmy Palm Beach, I’d
like to wish all my
readers safe,
healthy days
ahead!
Catherine was the
perfect host!
Adele looked great
in her new hat!
I was delighted to spend time
We had a blast checking out the beautifully restored antique cars! with Donna Schneier!
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