How do I even begin to describe what it’s like to travel in Japan? It is an experience. It surrounds you. Every moment of every day is filled with new discoveries and cultural difference and utter delights. I can’t describe it beyond that, but everyone who has been knows exactly what I’m talking about. If […]
What’s It Really Like to Travel Japan? Read More »
Out of the corner of a narrow Kyoto alley, she appeared. A woman in a traditional kimono, her skin like alabaster, her lips a perfect crimson bow. Her hair defied gravity in perfect lacquered waves decorated with floral ornaments. She was the marshal of her own inadvertent parade. Behind her a crowd of Japanese and
And Then We Saw Her Read More »
I was fully prepared to hate Dubai. Before arriving, I had read up on the reality of this shiny Gulf city. Johann Hari’s famous feature in The Independent, though published in 2009, was resurging online and painted a picture of Dubai as a fairy tale gone wrong, a desert oasis hiding a poisonous core. Dubai
The Ethics of Visiting Dubai Read More »
I’m on the bus from Skopje to Prizren, typing madly on my computer as I work on a freelance assignment. My only breaks are cursory glances out the water-stained window: the scenery has been growing greener and more mountainous as we edge closer to the border. It’s my first time in Kosovo, and I don’t
Kosovo: A Warm Welcome from a Newborn Country Read More »
When I first arrived in Sliema, my friend told me to keep my expectations low: “Don’t judge Malta until you see Valletta tomorrow.” I could see what he meant — Sliema didn’t look overtly appealing during my evening arrival. Traffic raced along the water’s edge; the sidewalks were filled with kiosks. Pubs catered to middle-aged British
The Sweet Sliema Life Read More »
Every now and then, I come across a unique hotel or hostel that I love so much, I can’t stop raving about it to everyone I know. Sometimes they’re places I discover on my own, like Monkey Republic. Sometimes they come highly recommended from friends, like Gallery Hostel. And on occasion, they are places that
Sweet Digs and Artsy Days in Vienna Read More »
Let me tell you about Emilia-Romagna — an Italian region that is so dear to me. It’s not as famous as Tuscany. There isn’t artwork on every corner like in Florence, nor does it buzz in the way that Rome does, nor is it as picturesque as Venice. But there’s something so warm about Emilia-Romagna.
Magical Moments in Emilia-Romagna Read More »
Whenever I visit a new country, a few things initially jump out at me — whether it’s the flat toilet bowls of Austria or the fact that you’ll be charged if you don’t turn away the bread that arrives on your table in Portugal. I made my long-overdue first visit to the land of windmills
Sexy Dutch Design and Architecture Read More »
When I first read The Sun Also Rises, I was captivated by the Lost Generation — the American and British expats who lived on the Left Bank of Paris in the 1920s and 1930s, creative types, who spent their days writing in cafes, their nights dancing in bars. Employment was nebulous at best, a necessity
The Lost Generation is Alive and Well in Paris Read More »
It’s been a day and a half since I left Tuscany and returned to London. Since then, I’ve been deeply missing the beauty of the Tuscan countryside, the warmth and friendship that radiated from our agriturismo, and more than anything, the glorious food and wine that defined this trip, from beginning to end. This trip
Life on an Agriturismo in Southern Tuscany Read More »