Travels in Greece - Part 3

It’s so lovely wandering around the streets — many lined with marble — and exploring the neoclassical architecture on the island of Syros.

It seemed like I was the only one checking out the nooks and crannies on the Greek isles. This is an image from my wanderings in the Vaporia neighborhood on Syros, where I found numerous neoclassical mansions.

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Wanderings in Cape May, New Jersey

 Someone just asked me why I would gravitate to the shore in the off season, after all, they said, it’s so quiet. Hmmm, that’s the whole point. But Cape May, New Jersey offers so much more, including captivating Victorian-style architecture that I’m clearly infatuated with.

Between the abundant foliage, Victorian-style architecture and dazzling light, Cape May makes for a dreamy destination.

A small loop trail navigates through a bucolic forest at the Cape May Bird Observatory where birds of all sorts are spotted, including American kestrels, bald eagles and northern harriers. I love birds; but I also came for the trees.

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Architecture in Cape May, New Jersey

The Victorian-era architecture in Cape May’s historic district couldn’t be more enchanting.

There are plenty of surprising architectural and design details at the Lokal Hotel Cape May.

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The Scenic Cornell Tech Campus on Roosevelt Island

The campus of Cornell Tech on New York’s Roosevelt Island couldn’t be more scenic, rain or shine.

It has a dreamy side — such as my view of the 59th Street Bridge when walking from the tram on Roosevelt Island. Or the reflections of sky, clouds and bridge in the windows.

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New Historic and Stylish Hotel in New Orleans

 The French Quarter in New Orleans hasn’t seen a new hotel in decades. No surprise, considering the city wants to keep this district historically significant. Now there’s a new player on the block that manages to meld historical significance with contemporary stylishness. This is my latest for Forbes Life on ONE11 Hotel. 

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Mauritius - SALT of Palmar resort - Photos

Memories of SALT of Palmar that’s set along the languid east coast of Mauritius. A stay at this placid property is all about embracing life, love and learning: love for the environment and the eco- and sustainability-focused ethic cultivated on the property that provides guests with super soft bathrobes made with 100% organic cotton and material from coffee beans, and flip flops constructed of sedge; living a day that begins with sunrise yoga and mindful meditation on the white sand beach; and learning a new skill, such as pottery taught by the same artisan who created all the creative ceramic dishware in their al fresco restaurant.

SALT of Palmar enwraps guests in a tranquil vibe that’s also full of whimsy and playfulness, especially in terms of its architecture. The basic structure is a riad-style complex with nooks and crannies and oculus windows and plant-filled courtyards. But the designers also imbued the resort with some strikingly wild hues and seemingly disparate patterns. This diversity reflects the country itself that’s a melting pot of cultures and cuisine.

One of my many fond memories: An oculus window reveals the peace that’s found in every nook and cranny at this property.

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Photos: Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is a multi-faceted city, where luxe hotels like the Palacio Duhau-Park Hyatt displays contemporary art on the wall of an underground gallery, and where the rough-around-the edges La Boca barrio shows off its surprising street art with sculptures hanging from the colorful facades. Where the city that bustles with non-stop traffic also is home to the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve where the only sounds are the twittering of birds. Where neighborhoods are peppered with small art galleries showcasing the myriad works of Argentinian painters as well as museums highlighting the country's vast art heritage. Where one moment you can be dining in a fine sushi restaurant and the next, strolling a verdant Japanese garden -- the biggest outside of Japan -- with places aplenty that are ideal for meditation.

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Art Beyond the Paintings at Arkansas' Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Art and nature are intertwined at the stellar Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. The minimalist structure, designed by Moshe Safdie, allows for picture postcard views of the woodsy landscape dotted with water features and sculptures. In fact, the property is also networked with walking trails that allow the visitor to make an intimate connection with the dense foliage in this ravine but also some contemporary sculptural works. Also lovely and in keeping with this connection of architecture with nature is the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Bachman-Wilson House that the museum acquired a few years ago.

These images reflect how there's plenty to treasure at this museum beyond the obvious stellar paintings.

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Art and Architecture in Reykjavik

Reykjavik, Iceland is a city of art. Street murals dot the landscape, both along the main streets as well as in the Grandi neighborhood -- a former industrial fishing area -- that's burgeoning with new shops, and restaurants.

And, for art aficionados, Harpa, the opera house, is not to be missed. It’s stunning, both acoustically and architecturally. Stroll through the interior and you'll see how the hexagon-shaped glass panels perfectly frame the waterfront vistas

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New York City's World Trade Center Redevelopment

The World Trade Center site has certainly seen its share of dramatic transformations, decades ago it went from a landfill to an epicenter of finance with the twin towers as the centerpiece. Before the devastation, this was a complex with the soaring glass Winter Garden that was quite egalitarian: with shops and restaurants where most demographics could find something enticing. Then 9/11 occurred. And the long, drawn-out, much debated and argued about rebuilding process. And, yet, there were dining, shopping and drinking experiences that could appeal to almost every person. The waterfront property beckoned with its views of the Hudson and establishments where you could enjoy a mango sorbet at Ciao Bella, sip a glass of wine at an outdoor patio facing the Hudson at Southwest New York, shop at the Gap, pick up lunch at Blockheads Burrito, or meet a colleague for Japanese food at Yushi. All these shops and more were shuttered when the developer decided the place needed not only a new look, given the opening of the spectacularly overpriced Santiago Calatrava-designed train station, but needed to draw on customers that would otherwise gravitate to Madison Avenue. So now we have a site that feels cold and impersonal and highly elitist. Despite my negative reactions to most everything on the site with the exception of the stellar water views and expansive green spaces, I found some lovely design and architectural details to share.

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The Hidden Side of Curacao

Curacao is a many-sided beauty. As I roamed about this island that's part of the Dutch Antilles, I found that the only way to make this discovery was to traverse Curacao's historic, creative and arid spaces.

Sure, most people flock to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the colonial town of Willemstad. But, instead of concentrating on Punda, the neatly laid-back historic neighborhood, I opted to take an architectural walking tour of Otrobanda, a pastel-hued, less affluent historic neighborhood.

My guide pointed out the lone black roof tiles among a sea of terracotta. Then I found out that it all dates to a 19th century governor who imported the more durable black, glazed tiles -- they carried a status cache -- from Holland for his mansion. Trying to emulate him, some citizens added black roof tiles to their homes, not glazing them, however, because of the added cost. The result: they're not as durable and they absorb even more heat.

Find out more about activities that will satisfy gourmands, art and architecture aficionados and nature buffs in my National Geographic Traveler - Intelligent Travel article.

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Bicycling on Randall's Island in New York City

Poor Randall's Island. It doesn't seem to get any respect, even from the locals. Many have no idea where it's located -- in the East River. Some think it's one big prison. In fact, the island is noted for its mental health facilities as well as several shelters; but no one else lives on the island. My reasons for visiting really surprised everyone: I was going to check out the wildflowers. Well, actually one weekend I rented a bicycle to check out the bridge architecture. And the next week, I visited on a weekday for the wildflower meadow tour.

The Randall's Island Park Alliance is all about promoting the environment and raising awareness of our wetlands and waterways. On this island with almost five miles of shoreline, there are some nine acres of wetlands, and a small urban farm that's open to visitors on Saturdays. (They grow edible flowers and an array of organically-grown fruits and vegetables, including medicinal herbs.)

The Alliance has a calendar of monthly events that I found enticing, including the Wildflower Meadow tour of one of two such meadows. Two horticulturists, Jill and Annie, led our small group pointing out plant and insect specimens. We learned that the Cloudless Yellow Butterfly is a great pollinator, thanks to a long proboscis that allows it reach deep down into the plant. A boldly purple hued Northeast Aster is pollinated by both bees and flies; the latter mimicking the bees in color as a way to avoid predators. Several kinds of sunflowers were also in bloom. And edible plants were in abundance, including mountain mint, the sunchoke (You eat the root, usually raw), and Anise Hyssop (With its licorice smell, it makes a great tea). With myriad colorful blossoms, fall is a perfect time to visit this garden that doesn't rely on any chemicals.

Other ecosystems found on the island are a salt marsh and freshwater wetlands which are both important as a habitat for wildlife, including various bird species. 

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