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"»
If the pace of Guadeloupe becomes too frantic for you
then it is time to visit Marie Galante, a smaller
offshore-offshore island where you will find even
quieter beaches and towns, reminiscent of Guadeloupe
as it might have been fifty years ago...
Read the rest of: "Marie Galante"»
Whale watching in British Columbia was not what I
imagined. My reverie of Free Willy frolicking in the
sun was replaced by a freezing reality as we set off
from the harbor.
Read the rest of: "Whale Watching in British Columbia"»
This very civilized hotel cannot escape from the wild
island on which it stands.
The Fairmont Empress, a landmark hotel in Victoria
B.C., stands beside the city's inner harbor. It is a
restored turn-of-the century hotel, complete with rose
gardens and a special lobby where high tea is served
every afternoon.
Read the rest of: "Fairmont Empress, Victoria, B.C."»
The Resurrection of Christ Orthodox cathedral in Korca wasn't consecrated until 2004, which just goes to show how slow the growth of organized religion in Albania has been since the 50-year dry of Communism-as-religion, when churches were converted to things like laundry facilities or simply destroyed.
Read the rest of: "Postcard from Korca"»
Before going to Entry Island, I thought that the
Magdelene Islands were remote. Entry Island is
20 9
miles off the coast of the Magdelene Islands, which
are in turn many miles away from
Prince Edward Island and
Nova Scotia.
You
might be a little vague on Canadian geography (as am
I), so allow me to explain more clearly: this place is
really far away
from wherever you are. (unless, dear reader, you are an Islander yourself).
Read the rest of: "Entry Island, Quebec - further off the beaten track"»
This is the welcoming facade of the first all-palm airport I have ever seen. It is a private airport in Punta Cana, with many charter flights full of passengers arriving daily to stay at the many resorts in Punta Cana. With direct flights to many locations in North America as well as Europe it is certainly a busy place, especially on weekends!
Read the rest of: "Punta Cana Airport - Much Admiration and a Little Warning"»
Did you know that every Friday night at the MOMA (New York, of course)
"Target" sponsors an event known as "Free Friday" from 4-8
p.m.? Yep, neither did I, when I showed up to explore the collection's new digs
in midtown Manhattan, and to visit my favorites in the painting/sculpture
galleries before heading out for a night on the town.
It seems as though le tout New York had the same idea, along with a few outsiders such as myself
(and several thousand other tourists). As it turned out, this became more of a social visit than
a serious conversation with the paintings, but it was an opportunity to see the new building in action -
not just housing art, but welcoming people (and as mentioned before, it was a LOT of people).
Read the rest of: "Free-for-all at the MoMA, New York"»
