When I am at the beach, things that would usually irritate me - communal showers, peeling paint, strange creatures found bedside- take on a certain charm. All I want after a day in the sun is be lulled to sleep by the surf and feel a slight sprinkling of sand between the sheets. And so I like the Hostal Cristina, a simple but adequate hotel by the water's edge in Cadaqués (a small town on Spain's Costa Brava).
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Italy is known for its coffee, and rightly so.
I don't know what the secret is, but I suspect
it's something in the water, the atmosphere, or possibly the technique involved in ordering and drinking it because try as I might, I cannot replicate the perfect espresso experience anywhere else. Follow these simple guidelines and you too can discover the joy of drinking coffee in Italy...
Read the rest of: "How to Order / Drink Coffee in Italy "»
When we asked around in Sainte-Rose, someone told us about the springs at Sofaia, a half-hour drive outside the city. So away we went, along a steep road that got progressively narrower, and eventually wasn't even paved...
Read the rest of: "The Hot Springs at Sofaia"»
Moments that should be documented photographically throughout one's life: birth, kindergarten graduation, prom, marriage, first ride in a glass-bottomed boat. Of all the days to forget the frickin' camera....I did. So, this time you're just going to have to rely on distant views and verbal images of the Jacques Cousteau nature preserve, off Guadeloupe's western coast.
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The second waterfall at Carbet is the most accessible, a fact made obvious by the tour buses parked by the side of the road. The waterfall is visible even from the parking lot, if you're just there for a photo oportunity. Otherwise, there are a few kilometers of well-maintained boardwalk through the forest, down a valley and up the other side.
Read the rest of: "Les Chutes du Carbet"»
When (or if) you ever get sick of all those remnants of the Roman Empire and that over-rated Michelangelo and you really want to forget where you are, check yourself into the Zoo in Rome. It's also one place in Rome where you probably won't run into your neighbors from Nebraska, your roommate from the hostel, or anyone other than Roman grandpas with little kids in tow.
The entire Zoo is in a gentle state of decay, and the reptile room was vaguely "under construction" when we visited (that is to say, Not Open). A few peacocks wandering around adds to the general mêlée, and the surrealistic atmosphere is sad but pretty...
Read the rest of: "Monkeying Around in Rome "»
I've always wondered what it would be like to walk around inside a cloud. I thought it would be fluffier, and somehow softer. More like a cartoon, really. I didn't think it would be so...damp. Anyhoo, if you want to find out for yourself, the best way is to go to a cloud forest, not stick your head out an airplane window...
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Monteriggioni is a thirteenth century fortified town
on a hilltop in Tuscany. It was founded to defend the
city of Siena against invaders from neighboring
Florence, hence the high walls interspersed with
towers and only two entry gates.
Read the rest of: "Postcard from Monteriggioni"»
