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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Buenos Aires in Pictures

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 venues aplenty that are ideal for meditation. This short YouTube video slideshow provides a window into the Buenos Aires I experienced.

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Paris in Pictures

My friends and colleagues virtually swooned when I informed them I was spending a week in Paris. (Sadly, when I told them my next trip was to Sarajevo, Bosnia, all I got was silence and then the odd question "Why would you go there.) That being said, for most travelers Paris is all about visiting the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe and other iconic sights. And it's also perhaps all about shopping. I didn't do either. Instead my trip focused in on parks and gardens, smaller art museums and galleries, wine bars and wee coffee shops and cafes.

The Jardin Catherine Laboure is so tiny that even Parisians were perplexed as to where it was. It's a bucolic haven for local residents, created on the site of a vegetable garden. Promenade Plantee, an elevated park-garden, reminded me of New York City's High Line, but more romantic because it lacks the High Line's frenetic hipster and tourist scene. Many people forget to visit Musee Marmottan-Monet, an intimate museum that recently featured a fascinating temporary exhibition "La Toilette," showing off the evolution of bathroom spaces and the art depicting it. At Musee Zadkine -- another space that even my hotel didn't know about -- the verdant garden is dotted with with Zadkine's neo classical bronzes that have mythological origins. This YouTube video slide show provides a small window into my trip to Paris. 

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Cascais, Portugal in Pictures

Just 30-minutes from Lisbon, Cascais is a standout for its beaches fronting the Atlantic that can be accessed by bicycle. But downtown Cascais is an epicenter for museums of many stripes, including the Paula Rego museum designed by the Portuguese star architect, Eduardo Souto de Moura. Don't miss the Pousada de Cascais that was built in the historic citadel and blends the ancient with the ultra contemporary. The intriguing landscape fronting the windswept Atlantic is accessible by a ribbon of bicycle paths. Check out my short YouTube video slideshow for a window in to what I love about Cascais.

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Luxembourg In Pictures

The tapestry of Luxembourg City undulates up and down the hills and valleys that bedeck the small country's capital. Dramatic defensive walls left over from the 17th century twist and turn over this landscape that melds together remnants of antiquity as well as the contemporary. Beyond the City of Luxembourg, the country's pastoral setting includes vast acreage in the Moselle Valley devoted to grape growing. My short YouTube video slideshow presents a short snapshot of my treasured finds from my trip to Luxembourg.

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20 Lesser Known Sights in Croatia

Celebrating the fact that Croatia finally has entered the European Union, I've prepared a list of some of my favorite attractions -- a few are well known but most are under the radar --  in this country that's most well known for its picturesque Dalmatian coast. Bordered by the Adriatic Sea, Croatia that consists of more than 1,000 islands is most visited by cruise ship or ferry. But the landscape is also dotted with dense woodlands as well as Medieval hilltop villages and national parks, including several that are UNESCO World Heritage sites. And, of course, you don't want to miss the vibrant capital, Zagreb.

1. Dubrovnik’s old synagogue dates from the 15th century. It’s now a museum but it’s also a functional synagogue, though services are infrequent. It’s still an unexpected venue on a side street and worth checking out. They’ve got a lot of interesting religious artifacts, including a 13th century Torah.


2. Art aficionados in Zagreb shouldn’t miss the Modern Gallery that displays contemporary art as well as the expansive Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters with the works of European masters dating from the 14th century.


3. In Varazdin, the Herzer Palace houses an Entomological Museum with a fascinating display of insects big and small from tiny ants to giant beetles and also some rare species.


4. Visit the hilltop town of Groznjan, an arts & music center, in the summer — there are almost daily music concerts — and plan to spend the day strolling the car-free cobbled lanes and browsing in the many stone dwellings that are now home to a wide array of art galleries and studios displaying everything from textile work to hand-painted silk scarves.


5. Alpine-like Samobor, a mere 15 minutes from Zagreb, is a small old town sliced by a trout stream and nestled against the forested mountainous slopes. Most people stop here to sample their famous samoborska kremsnita, a vanilla custard cake in phyllo dough. Even if that’s the sole reason for a visit, don’t miss the steep, short hike to the 13th century fortress ruins

6.Plitvice Lakes National Park, once occupied by Serbs during the war in the 1990s, is a magical land of tumbling waterfalls and placid turquoise lakes. To fully appreciate this UNESCO World Heritage Site, plan on spending at least four hours strolling the boardwalks that traverse the cascading waters
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7. In Rovinj, don’t miss the small Batana House Museum that’s dedicated to this 18-foot-long wooden flat-bottom boat that’s long been rowed on the op

8. Kastav is a hilltop town that’s so quiet, when I visited I was the only one walking the streets one afternoon. The ruins of the unfinished 18th century Jesuit Church is transformed every summer into an open air theater and concert venue. This is the venue for the annual Guitar Festival and the Kastav Summer of Culture with its theater productions. July and August is also the time to see multiple art exhibits.


9. Visitors who flock to Makarska do so for its long pebble beach backed by pines and adjacent to a wide promenade. For a more off-the-beaten-track activity, drive a few minutes from the town to the ancient village of Kotisina where you’ll find a curious and very informal botanical garden set on a steep terraced slope. The wild array of plants, native to this arid region, includes pear, rosemary and asparagus. Towering above this area is the mountainous Biokovo Nature Park that’s noted for its rigorous hiking trails.


10. In Opatija, the seven-mile, tree-shaded promenade referred to as the Lungomare sees plenty of foot traffic. But few walk in either direction to the end of the road to either Lovran to the south or the fishing village of Voloska to the north. Along the way are Belle Époque mansions and villas, pebbly beaches and rocky boulders to lay a beach towel.

11. In Hvar, the old town of Stari Grad sits on a horseshoe-shaped bay where no waves penetrate. Here, you can spend the afternoon wandering placid streets and checking out the summer palace of noted Croatian poet, Peter Hektorovic.

12. On Mljet Island, you’ll pedal past fig trees and into the national park that makes up a large part of this wooded island. The isle’s signature are the two interconnected saltwater lakes encircled by pines. Sitting in the middle of the larger of the two is an islet that’s home to a 12th century monastery.

13. The farthest of the Adriatic islands, Vis, is home to U. Stiniva, a beach protected in a narrow cove and one that’s said to be one of the prettiest places in Croatia. Also Vinoteka where the family has been making wine for 200 years. Their restaurant set in a centuries-old building serves sheep cheese, anchovies and prosciutto either inside or in the courtyard that’s shaded by an old mulberry tree. From the courtyard, we saw them pressing Trebiano grapes and cooking octopus in an old cast iron crock-type pot

14. Krka National Park is lush and wet with waterfalls aplenty. Water gushes and tumbles through a canyon. There are many ways to view this watery paradise, but it’s best seen by walking the trails and boardwalks through forests dense with pine, juniper and ash. It’s easy to spend the day swimming just below one of the seven major cascades, exploring the historic artifacts, including an 18th century church made unusually of dripstone, a museum displaying a typical one-room stone house, and an old laundry building that uses the rushing river waters. There are also numerous excursions to an islet that’s home to a Franciscan monastery or go farther up the canyon to additional waterfalls.


15. Take a ferry to Uglijan Island that’s referred to as the “Garden of Zadar” for good reason. As you wander about, you’ll see that lush gardens producing an array of fruits and vegetables, from citrus and olive trees to tomatoes and grapes. The paved promenade is perfect for a stroll along the waterfront to swimming spots or to the Miramar Lounge where you can sit in a sofa swing by the seaside and sip kiwi martinis.


16. In Motovun, visit in the fall and you’ll be treated to the annual Truffle Days, a festival where you can attend a truffle auction, a feast of white truffles and sparkling wine, a truffle exhibition and agricultural fairs where, of course, truffles are sold. In the late summer, it’s the Film Festival.


17. The Brijuni National Park, Tito’s summer residence, consists of 14 lush islands, though the largest, Veli Brijuni, is the main tourist focus. It presents an unusual opportunity where you can rent a bicycle and peddle a car-free island. You’ll have the place mostly to yourself since the majority of tourists take a tourist train to the prerequisite sights. Pedal along allees of cedar, oak and cypress and then walk through the seaside ruins of a Roman villa and a Byzantine fortress.


18. Porec’s hallmark feature is the Euphrasias Basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Elaborate wall mosaics, an ornate Bishop’s Palace and remnants of what may have been a secret Christian sanctuary are all on display. You can climb a 115-foot-tall bell tower with its huge bells to get panoramic views of the town.


19. Once the haven for Dubrovnik’s rich, unspoiled Sipan Island is covered by thick pine and cypress forests. The island’s coves and woods also hide old chapels, a pre-Romanesque church, and fortresses. One bay is where Pompey’s fleet is said to have battled with Julius Cesar’s ships.


20. In Dubrovnik, the Museum of Modern Art is outside the city walls and located in a Renaissance-style villa. During my visit, three series of Picasso’s graphics (Suite Vollard, La Tauromaquia and Suite 156) hung on the walls. And the only other visitors were a small school group.

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The Beauty of Gdansk, Poland

How curious. After I told colleagues that I was planning to make a short visit to Gdansk, Poland, and, overwhelmingly, the opinions ranged from: "Skip Gdansk, it's such an ugly city," to "There's not much there, aside from shipyards and a monument and museum for the Solidarity movement."

I'm glad I didn't pay any attention to these uninformed views. Here are my recommendation based on  what I found:

• Walk the main street to take in the facades and gables bedecked with symbols. One bears the resemblance of Shakespeare because many of his plays were performed in this city during the 17th century.

Justice sits atop a nearby building sits Justice while another is topped with Neptune.

• The Town Hall with its imposing clock tower bears a sundial on its facade. A stop to visit the Red room is a must.

• For panoramic views of the city, climb the 255-foot-high tower of St. Mary's Church.  This is where Bach had once applied to be a cantor. The enormous, 15th century astronomical clock and calendar on the wall is quite complex, revealing phases of the moon, zodiac symbols, and a bell that Adam & Eve ring on the hour.

• Wander narrow Mariacka Street that's lined with mansions displaying gargoyles house amber workshops, artist atelier, cafes and even a lovely library.

• Stroll the riverfront promenade where the new section of the maritime Museum exhibits ship models from around the world and allows the kids to make a tsunami.

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Art Glass Discoveries in the Czech Republic

Sure, I knew that the Czech Republic had a long and illustrious tradition in art glass. But as I wandered into museums, boutiques, factories and studios, I certainly didn't expect to find a playfulness to the works on display.

 In fact, while inspecting the myriad pieces of stemware, goblets and bowls, I found something so curious that I burst out loud giggling in the middle of this staid museum. I was face to face with contemporary glass Eve that was anatomically correct.

My article for the Huffington Post is accompanied by a slide show of my images of everything from craftsmen handcrafting bowls in a hot shop to table centerpieces that seem mythological.

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Magic in Montenegro

I just returned from Montenegro's Bay of Kotor -- a dramatic landscape of craggy mountains and turquoise waters. A land where the early morning sun brushes across the towering peaks, painting a luminous broad swath across the rough limestone surface. Where the black veil of night is streaked with a zig-zag glow from the string of Kotor's medieval battlements that are lit up along their length as they snake up the steep slope.

On this trip with Ramblers Worldwide Holidays, turning a corner along many a bay brings a surprise. While I spent most of my time hiking the rocky slopes covered with fragrant macchia, oaks and conifers, the magical waters were almost always within view. And then there were those few excursions onto the mirror-like watery surface itself that brought more discoveries.

Perast is just one of several gems in the necklace of towns along the Bay that's often referred to as a fjord, but, in fact, geologically it isn't since glacial activity were not responsible for its formation. This Baroque village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is most heralded as the birthplace of some very well-regarded sailors. With the rise in prosperity in the 17th and 18th centuries, maritime captains established themselves in palaces and villas, some which remain today, converted into houses, accommodations -- such as the Hotel Admiral, restaurants (like the Per Astra Restaurant) and even a museum.



The offshore twin islets, St. George and Our Lady of the Rock, add to the allure of Perast. Taking a ferry, we motor out towards the wee rocks, seeing the tall, monolith-like cypress trees encircling a 12th century Benedictine monastery on St. George, where the abbey was destroyed in an earthquake.

While visitors are not allowed to set foot on this island, we dock at Our Lady of the Rock, appropriately named given that, according to legend, a painting of the Virgin Mary was discovered on a tiny rock jutting from the sea at this very spot. (The artificial islet itself was created by rocks added bit, by bit, over time.) Now, in her honor, stands a brilliant blue-domed church that we tour with and English-speaking guide who points out the dozens of oil paintings, 17th century working organ, silver crowns, and many precious and domestic gifts (from irons to sewing machines) that were donated to ward off disasters at sea. Probably the most memorial item is a work of embroidery hung on a wall: a woman used silk, gold and silver threads and her own hair to sew an image of the Virgin encircled by cherubs. (It took her 25 years while her husband was at sea and, supposedly, the hair-threads turned white over time and she became blind. It's unclear if her husband ever made it home.)

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Reykjavik's All-Day Culture Night

As I stood on a line snaking down a steep set of stairs in a narrow white-washed house and out the front door, and down a curvy path to the sidewalk, I thought that only in Reykjavik, Iceland would the locals and visitors alike be able to hang out in the house of the city councilman who stands over the stove cooking waffles that you could then nibble on with a generous dollop of whipped cream.

That's exactly what I did recently on one of the most special Saturdays of the year in this petite city. The capital's Culture Night -- it should really be renamed Culture Day & Night since the multitude of events go on from early morning to after 11 pm -- is a 15-year-old annual festival of art, music, dance, crafts, design, food (and more) that attracts thousands of people.

This year saw the inauguration of Harpa, Reykjavik's architecturally-noteworthy concert hall and conference center that glistens along the old harbor. After Iceland's economic collapse in 2008, this cultural center is bringing new life to the waterfront, especially given the curiosity factor the building provides: Some 1,000 hexagon-shaped glass bricks reflect and refract the ever-changing light and the landscape of sky and sea.

Culture Night always starts with the marathon that attracts participants from all over -- on my flight from JFK, I sat next to two women runners from San Francisco. (Many of the city streets are closed to vehicles because of the marathon route.) Children can participate in their own 1.1 km or 700-meter runs and, from the crowds of parents with toddlers in tow, it was very popular.

With a massive three-page Culture Night schedule in hand, I packed in as many cultural events as possible within 14 hours or so. And that included stopping at the city councilman's house for waffles and cream. I joined a handful of others sitting in his living room enjoying the sun pouring through the windows of the second floor, checking out his CD collection and admiring the artwork hung on the walls. (And, of course, the cloud-like waffles and sweet cream.)

At the Reykjavik Museum Harbor House -- one of many museums that wave the admission fee and extend their normal hours on this Saturday -- I watched children attempting to solve a giant jigsaw puzzle from one of Erro's (a pop artist) paintings.

At another branch of this museum, I explored an exhibition dedicated to the Icelandic horse, which has long played a significant role in the life of the nation. Interestingly, a few paintings showed a mythological sensibility while one was quite apocalyptic

Outside the pond-side City Hall, children played chess at a row of tables.

As I rounded a corner, I ran into a clutch of people who are part of a historical walking tour of the city.

Then it was on to the National Museum of Iceland where I had the opportunity to embroider my name on a table cloth using a traditional stitch.

I strolled down the street to the lawn adjacent to the National Gallery where I found Sola, the storyteller, dressed in a long crimson dress, and her story mobile, a van displaying a boldly-colored image of a young girl reading a book as she reclines in a dragon's paw.

The day (and night) was packed with activity after activity: Bollywood dance classes, calligraphy workshops, flea markets, violin recitals, jazz and rock bands, Tai Chi demonstrations, photo exhibitions.

At 10:45 pm, LED strips that line the glass blocks in Harpa lit the facade for the first time with myriad colors that will keep the building glowing through the long Icelandic winters. And then the sky brightened with a stellar fireworks display at 11pm along the harbor.

Even though I visit Reykjavik almost every year, I think I'll most miss the city this year because of Culture Night. It's an event that intimately connects you with the life of the city and its people -- something I'd like to experience year after year.

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Michelle Obama's Spanish Vacation - Visiting Ronda

Michelle Obama certainly has great taste in vacation venues when she decided to holiday in southern Spain last week with her daughter, Sascha, and friends. One of the most picturesque cities in the Andalucian area that she visited was Ronda. I certainly don’t have any insider information on her full itinerary in this Moorish town, but I’m sure she took in some of the more iconic offerings.

1. I walked through the Jardines Ciudad de Cuenca, a series of tiered gardens that sit on the edge of the gorge. These green spaces are a quiet oasis landscaped with palms, cacti, roses, stone benches and boulders.

2.At the18th century Casa del Rey Moro or House of the Moorish King, I visited the surrounding Islamic and European garden with its manicured hedges, lily pond, palms and cedar. Here, I climbed down the long, slippery underground stairway that was cut out of solid rock. At the end of the 365 steps that lead to the bottom of the gorge, I looked out at the impressive rock face and green water of the Guadalevin River.

3. Sitting on the edge of Ronda's precipice, the Casa del Don Juan Bosco is noted for its extensive collection of local ceramics. Decorative art also found outside the house in the tiered garden with decorative tile work, mosaics and fountains.

4. At the Plaza Maria Auxiadora or Plaza del Campillo with its flowering trees is a narrow path that snakes down to the bottom of the gorge. Along the way, I found the remains of the medieval city walls, an old Moorish door to the city and flourmills also from the Arabic period. This path has one of the best views of the gorge, El Tajo, as you stand face-to-face with the cliff and directly across from the New Bridge, and the waterfall that tumbles into the river.

5. The museum inside the Palacio de Mondragon displayed an interesting Muslim funeral exhibit with tombstones dating from the 14th century and an explanation of how the dead were buried on the outskirts of Ronda.

6. At the Arab Baths, I watched a video that explained, in Spanish, how water was pumped in from the nearby stream.

7. I could've spent hours examining arrest warrants, dioramas of bandits' hiding places in caves, their weapons, death certificates, and pseudonyms all on display at the appropriately named Bandit Museum. The extensive exhibits are devoted to the life of Spain's bandits, especially the bandits of Andalusia where they have long been romanticized in literature and myth.

8. Popular with locals, the Alameda del Tajo Gardens in the center of town are landscaped with iron arbors, palmetto, bamboo, conifers and a balcony hanging over the cliff edge. Here, I strolled the adjacent path lined with flowering shrubs and trees that parallels the gorge.

9. When I finally stopped to relax, I ordered a café con leche at a cafe across from the Plaza Dequesa de Parcent that's planted with tall conifers, palms and orange trees.

10. I followed the signs out of Ronda for Virgen de la Cabeza, a lovely short that winds through a hot and dusty land that's lined with old stone walls, olive trees and wild pistachio. This one-mile trail leads to a Mozarabic church that was built in a cave in the 9th century. I walked through the rooms cut into sandstone -- with monastic living quarters and others for worship -- and into the crypt. On the second Sunday of June, the locals make a pilgrimage to this hermitage where they honor the Virgin Mary with prayer and celebration.

Things To Do

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Tips for 24 Hours in Brussels

Sometimes when I'm traveling, I only have one day to spend in a large city. That's what happened recently on my trip to Brussels. And yet, I often have an amazing ability to pack in as much as possible into a single day by having the day's itinerary plotted out precisely the night before, both on a map -- with everything color coded for the time different venues open -- and in my notebook where I note the best way to get everywhere, including metro, bus, walking or taxi. Yes, it's all very organized but that's what happens when you only have a day to see Brussels. Here's what I managed to fit into 10 hours:

1. Place du Petit Sablon -- a petite neo-Renaissance-style park with bronze statuary, wrought iron balustrades and plenty of ivy. It's worth sitting on one of the benches listening to the tinkling water. You'll feel far from the traffic, though it's literally as the park's doorstep.


2. Sculpture Garden of the Fine Arts Museum -- it's curious that only school groups seem to visit this tiny strip of verdancy that's literally adjacent to one of Brussels' most prominent museums. This garden sits on the site of the city's first botanical garden from the 18th century. I walked along the thin path under locust, linden, maple and plane trees, checking out the statuary that all have a female theme. (One of the works is "Bathing Beauty" by A. Maillot.)


3. The Belvue Museum isn't far away, but clearly I didn't have time to visit. What I did check out is the museum's lovely outdoor terrace where you can sit amongst the shrubbery and sip a fruit juice under an umbrella.

4. Across the street is yet another green space -- Brussels is chock a block full of leafy swaths -- called Brussels Park. But instead of joining the school groups along the main paths, I found a series of tiny gates leading to small pockets of forestland. Not a sole could be bound in these shady retreats.

5. The Magritte Museum deserves a full day, or at least the entire morning, to adequately explore the works of one of my favorite surrealists. Everything is arranged chronologically. But during my brief visit, I'd have to say that among my favorite works are the series of paintings titled The Dominion of Light.

6. I also could've spent most of the day in the Musical Instruments Museum but that couldn't happen either. Instead, I checked out a few exhibits but found this place quite addictive. Once you don the infrared headphones, all you have to do is stand in front of a display and you'll automatically hear the sounds of that instrument. The museum's collection is one of the largest in the world and includes both antique and contemporary exhibits. Just think: they've got 58 different types of wind instruments.

7. On the top of this gorgeous Art Nouveau building is Restaurant du MIM. This is a low-key eatery with one of the most expansive views around. The gazpacho soup with salad is an inexpensive, hearty and tasty choice.

8. I'm a very big fan of contemporary art so I didn't want to miss visiting the Xavier Hufkens Gallery
where in the white-on-white interior I explored the fantastical works of David Altmejd, a Canadian artist who puts together disparate objects. In his most recent exhibit, multicolored thread formed a dragon-like creature sitting in a plexiglass cube as well as the heart and liver of a plexiglass human.

9. You can't leave Brussels without visiting the Comic Strip Centre where I found it hard to pull myself away from a special exhibit on Tove Jansson, the creator of The Mommins. These curious little creatures that occupy numerous comic strips and books are plenty eccentric. But even if these odd forest-dwelling characters -- many that resemble white hippos -- don't interest you, the prestigious collection of comic strips will.

10. I had some difficulty getting the taxi to figure out where Parc d'Egmont was located. That's because you can only access this small park via three narrow alleys. But once inside, I found I had the place almost to myself with just a few locals wandering the paths, past a bronze of Peter Pan and the neo-classical orangery where they serve lunch and brunch of the weekends.

11. L'Atelier Yves Mattagne is a perfect place for dinner though not relaxing in the true sense of the word. That's because it's a combination cooking class and dining experience. Everyone is broken up into groups and set to work at one of four stations to dish out the dinner menu for the evening. Because I love being active, this was a perfect way to end a very frenetic day. Using the executive chef's menu -- and it changes from night to night, though we worked with Belgian cuisine -- we sliced potatoes, diced leeks, whipped cream, whisked in truffle oil and topped the chocolate tarts with raspberries.

Things To Do

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Portugal's Alluring Alentejo Region

You have to give it to those Romans -- they certainly knew how to pick their vacation spots. The Alentejo region in Portugal was considered their favorite. Just an hour from Lisbon, the region has plenty to satisfy my love of everything medieval. But the roads snaking through this region are to be enjoyed as well: rolling and twisting ribbons that wind past lush olive groves, well-tended vineyards and gnarled cork oak groves. Atop the hilltops, I spied many a fortified whitewashed village to explore.

The Alentejo region, Portugal's largest, has never seen the kind of tourist traffic that flocks to the Algarve or other regions. I've visited the Alentejo many times and have written about it in the print media over the past several years. But now we're seeing an increased interest in the Alentejo with features appearing recently in the New York Times and the Boston Globe.

Here I'll take you to some of my favorite spots in this region that I hope will remain relatively unspoiled:

1. In Castelo de Vide, I wandered the narrow streets that are lined with colorful blooming flowers and discovered the old Jewish Quarter with the oldest synagogue in the country.

2. A former Knights Templar fortress provides spectacular views of the countryside from the 13th century keep in Monsaraz. Here, I walked the schist-lined street flanked by centuries old houses to the Sacred Art Museum to view a lovely 15th century fresco.
3. The walled city of Evora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has something for everyone, from foodies to history buffs. Some of the most striking sights include a 16th century aqueduct and a Roman temple that has survived, and my favorite: the macabre Capela dos Ossos, a chapel that's entirely constructed from ceiling to floor of human bones. (An appropriate venue to meditate on the frailty of life.)
4. Marvao has one of the best preserved castles in the country where I wandered the battlements, towers and vast courtyards.
5. It's easy to spend the entire day in Serpa that's noted for its array of museums. The Watch Museum displays more than 1,000 time pieces, an Ethnographic Museum provides exhibits of equipment used in regional occupations, from shoemakers to blacksmiths, and the Archeological Museum has artifacts that date to the Stone Age. Serpa is also well known for its cheese production. In fact, I visited several artisanal producers and tasted the queijao de Serpa.

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More than Mummies in Mexico's Guanajuato

The old colonial town of Guanajuato, Mexico is one unique city, that's for sure. And for someone like myself who has what I terma geographic dyslexia -- no matter where I travel, once I leave my hotel, I'm always a bit lost even when carrying an array of maps -- this town with its narrow cobbled lanes and alleyways that twist and turn in myriad ways presented a challenge. But that's fine, because Guanajuato has plenty of charm and surprises to boot.

Probably the biggest surprise was the Museo de Los Momias or Mummy Museum. It seems the minerals in the soil and the inherent dry air helped preserve the dead. But these more than 100 mummies that are on full display within glass cases are not all neatly wrapped as you might expect from ancient mummies you've heard about in Egypt. No, these leather-skinned mummies are sometimes naked, sometimes in their now-tattered funeral clothing displaying smiling, somewhat placid or gruesome facial expressions. As someone who gets frightened in Friday the 13th or other horror movies, the exhibit had a high freak factor for me. But that doesn't stop many local parents from bringing their kids who don't seem to have a problem with the displays of mummies of all ages and in all degrees of decomposition. Nonetheless, it was definitely worth the visit, more because how often do you see this sort of display. Plus, you can walk away with a mummy t-shirt or a piece of mummy candy sold outside. It's a great conversation starter.

The museum is just outside this vibrant university town which couldn't be more atmospheric. Guanajuato, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a maze of streets lined with dwellings that bear carved wooden doors, handpainted tile walls and wrought iron balconies. Soft pastel- and hot pink-painted houses hug the hillsides in this town that's nestled in a rugged river gorge. No wonder there are so many steep streets, some bearing staircases.

During the day, Guanajuato warrants strolling and relaxing. And my favorite stop was the Jardin de la Union, a tree-shaded plaza surrounded by flowers in the heart of the city that's perfect for people watching, dining in one of the outdoor cafes, listening to a mariachi-type band or sipping a glass of wine.

Another favorite activity of mine was wandering the steep path to the Pipila monument high above the town. At this hillside plaza, I had panoramic views of the boldly-painted houses that dot the terraced hillside as well as views of the rugged Sierra Madre mountains.

With all the miniscule streets, it's only natural that the town boasts an interesting legend behind the Alley of the Kiss, a mere two-foot-wide alley. It's said that two lovers who lived across the alley but were forbidden to meet were able to kiss from their respective houses.

And wandering at night is also a perfect activity when the old-fashioned street lamps are lighted along the winding lanes where you might see troubadours dressed in traditional garb.

I wish I were in Guanajuato over the next couple of weeks when the town plays host to the Cervantino, a festival of art, dance, music, theater, and other performances. It's held every October and this year it focuses in on the 400th anniversary of Galileo.

But of everything I experienced in Guanajuato, my most memorable was staying at La Casa de Los Espiritus Alegras where the Mexican Day of the Dead tradition is alive and well and fun. Everywhere I looked I found something unexpected: hand towels wrapped with a cord decorated with hand-painted skulls, a dresser topped with a ceramic red devil and a sax-playing skeleton hanging above the kitchen stove. This inn is like a museum, thanks to the folk art and other crafts that the owners collected both from every state in Mexico, as well as their journeys to India. For example, the Raj Majal suite with its antiques and embroideries transports guests to India, while Nagual is decorated with animal mask -- appropriate given that the room takes its name from the word for the animal spirit that inhabits all of us.

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Istanbul -- Some of My Fave Spots

The Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace seem to get all the tourist attention, certainly for good reason. But on my latest trip to Istanbul, I searched out less popular venues or at least venues that are not tourist meccas.

• Sure, the Grand Bazaar attracts the masses that are searching for the best deals on carpets, souvenirs and knock-off brand-name goods. Instead I browsed the quieter Bookseller's Bazaar and the Old Bedesten section of the Grand Bazaar where I found a 10th century Koran, antique firearms and 18th century urns. And the Spice Market had a very authentic feel. Here, the city's top chefs browse tall pyramids of spices. I even found shops dispensing herbs the way pharmacies fill drug prescriptions. Here you could get potions to treat all manner of ailments, from high cholesterol to asthma.

• While the Blue Mosque is jammed with visitors, Suleymaniye, a 16th century mosque, is as peaceful as can be, at least when I visited one morning. Here, you'll find ornate tile work in the interior and exterior. I spent quite some time sitting in the placid central prayer room that's lighted by a couple of hundred windows.

• The Istanbul Modern Museum sits along the Bosphorus making it a perfect location for fabulous views from their restaurant. They're noted for their pizzas and pastas, including the spicy tagliatelle with shrimp and clams (that's what I ate for lunch). I love modern art and found that I could've spent a couple of hours browsing the extensive collection of contemporary Turkish paintings, sculpture, photography and video installation. I particularly liked the works of Nazmi Ziya, an impressionist painter, and the sufist images of Ergin Inan.

• Two additional museums that I wished I had more time to explore include the Santral Museum, considered one of Istanbul's best art galleries, and the Sakip Sabanci Museum, housed in a mansion that's set on lovely sloping landscaped grounds. The latter is renowned for its calligraphy collection.

• Don't just spend your time on the European side of Istanbul. The Asian side is a must-visit, including Kadikoy where the ferry docks. There I lunched at Ciya, a restaurant serving southern Turkish cuisine. The stew with red cherries was unusually flavorful as was the dried eggplant stuffed with meat and rice. From here I walked to the quieter Moda neighborhood with its narrow lanes, atmospheric cafes and historic buildings.

• I was surprised by Istanbul's array of coffee shops, cafes and bars that provide a quiet respite from the hustle and bustle in this city crammed with more than 12 million people. Interestingly, some cafes are in courtyards so lush that I almost thought I was transported to the country. Others are high above the chaotic traffic. For example, the White Mill Cafe has a shady courtyard on the second floor where I found plenty of people working on their laptops. The upper level of Kahre-6 has a top floor garden with a tiny fountain. My favorite was Limonlu, a cafe with a tree-draped patio where birds twitter. Interestingly, this cafe is accessed via a nondescript building and a dark set of stairs that look like they're leading to a shadowy basement.

• My favorite views were found at 360, a restaurant and bar that's appropriately named for the panoramic views. They may have the best views in the city. And another restaurant-bar with fab views is Leb-i Derya with its floor-to-ceiling windows and skylights. Both venues are very fun night spots.

• Sofyali is a restaurant that's also a popular raki spot. Raki is a grappa-like beverage that's usually served on ice. But it's not all about drinking here. This is the place for mezes, the Turkish appetizers. Here I found wonderful haddock with red pepper, potato puree with green onion, and purslane mixed with garlic and yogurt.

• It's hardly all about meat in Istanbul. I found some amazing vegetarian restaurants, such as Zencefil and Sebze Lokantasi where I dined on quiche with artichokes and a cold yogurt soup, and the most amazing slice of pumpkin pie.

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Istanbul: A Historic Walking Tour

When I'm visiting a city for the first time, I love prowling around narrow alleyways and roaming in and out of groceries and other shops sometimes with no agenda in mind. But, I'm also very keen on signing up for a small, specialized guided tour that will provide some interesting insights that I might otherwise either not be aware of or that would require toting along books on history, archeology and religion in order to truly feel like I have a handle on the local culture.

In the case of Istanbul, an expansive city bustling with more than 12 million people, an expert tour guide is even more important. Not someone who will take you along to see the usual tourist haunts, telling you what you'd find in any guidebook. No. I wanted someone who is specialized and will point out sights that are flying under the radar. And, I wanted a walking tour because that's the only way you will truly see the life of the city.

That's why I took a walking tour with Context Travel, a company with well-educated docents. My guide, Claire, was a historian specializing in medieval history who'd been living in Istanbul for quite some time. Our ultra-small group roamed Istanbul's Balat neighborhood -- and the adjacent Fener neighborhood -- which is very much working class and more on the conservative side, where we saw many women dressed traditionally in long skirts and wearing head scarfs.

Our first stop: the Kariye Museum, a church-cum-mosque-turned museum. Though Kariye sees many tour groups, most race around shooting photos of the 14th century mosaics and frescoes. Too bad, because almost every surface of the ceilings and walls are covered with the ornate works that tell the story of Mary and Jesus. Instead, we spent more than an hour with Claire explaining the personalities in many of the images, what miracles were depicted in the frescoes and the reason for some curious works -- like why Jesus is shown as having been born in a cave, something that's common in the Greek Orthodox religion.

Then we climbed atop the remains of the old fifth century city walls that afforded us with panoramic views of the city. Interestingly, Claire told us that at that time, Istanbul was referred to simply as "the city" -- kinda like Manhattan -- or the "red apple" because of its beauty. We inspect a cylindrical guard town and the remains of where Constantine lived atop the walls because it was the safest place in the city. (He died fighting.) Interestingly, it wasn't until the 15th century that a canon was invented that was able to penetrate these travertine stone and brick walls.

As we wandered along the streets, we passed a woman sitting on a rug outside her house with a mass of sheep's wool beside her. Claire explained the woman is restuffing her mattress with polyester fill and wool that she recently washed, a very common practice. Nearby, a man selling fresh fish, pulled a wagon piled high with tubs of ice and various fish species and a large scale.

We were in luck when we found the tiny Church of the Dagger open -- it's only open when the woman caretaker is available. She unlocked the doors and we found out how its curious name came to be. Claire told us that long ago someone stabbed an icon of Mary and blood poured out. This may be a small church but it's quite ornate with the silverwork image of Mary and baby Jesus -- a dagger protrudes from her robes. And plenty of other silver laden images.

As we strolled the streets, Claire pointed out a series of three-story wood frame houses that date to the 19th century. These are the last remaining ones of this type that were the norm in this part of the city.

Though so many of our wandering were along windy streets, now we found ourselves in a more regimented grid system. This is the old Jewish quarter where we stopped at Ahrida, the oldest synagogue in the city. Claire told us that inside sits the reading platform in the shape of a ship's prow. One interpretation is that it represents how the Jews once traveled here. However, we could only admire the synagogue from the outside -- it requires special permission to enter.

Our final stop is considered the holiest spot in the Greek Orthodox Church. That because the 19th century Church of St. George is the worldwide headquarters of the Orthodox Patriarchate. A lunette depicting St. George can be found inside as well as a gilded altar and a fifth century throne. On our way out, we passed a black-garbed abbot with a cylindrical black hat. Claire whispered to us that it's most likely an abbot and not the Patriarch because his hat would've been much taller.

Yes, you never know what you'll learn on a walking tour.

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Baltimore: Biking, Bakeries and Breakfast

As promised, this is my second post on my recent wanderings in Baltimore. Over the course of four days, I found plenty of activities to keep a type-A person like me delighted:

• With its boldly-hued interior, Miss Shirley's is the place for breakfast. How can you resist an eatery that serves up ten kinds of pancakes, from raspberry white chocolate chip to pineapple? They've even got pumpkin cheesecake-stuffed French toast. There's a definite Southern theme going on here. Think fried green tomatoes with apple smoked bacon; or a three-egg omelet with andouille sausage and blackened shrimp. A perfect summer morning in Baltimore for me would be sitting in their new outdoor space drinking freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and nibbling a three egg white omelet with feta cheese, black olives and red onions.


• Later in the day head over to the Trapeze School of Baltimore that is scenically located right on the harbor. Even if you're afraid of heights, you'll be in good hands with these guys. In fact, Scout Day, one of the staff who was taking care of the safety lines said, "We've all experienced fear on the trapeze at one time and fear management is part of the job." One of my colleagues who was terrified of heights not only climbed the tall ladder and mastered the basic knee hang but also managed to do the catch -- where one of the staff, grabs your hands at precisely the right moment. Even if you'd rather not fly, it's plenty fun sitting on the chez lounge chairs or the bleachers on a sunny day and watching the action from the sidelines.


• In what I consider one of the most creative museums around, you should allot the entire afternoon to explore the array of works on display at the American Visionary Art Museum. You can't miss the place: a giant nest abuts the brick facade on one of the buildings while parked outside is a school bus that's plastered with mirrored mosaics as well as a giant mosaic egg. All the artists are untrained who often create their works -- many from found objects, such as paper plates and doors -- in response to a personal emotional event. Hence, visionary art. The works are quirky and worth exploring at length. The coolest items may well an exhibit in which the entire alphabet is carved on the head of pencil stubs -- one letter per stub. (The artist used a razor blade and sewing needle and no magnifying glass.)


Baltimore's mayor is seriously into health & fitness: both her personal fitness and that of the citizens of her city. So twice a week -- Wednesdays & Fridays -- she invites anyone to pedal behind her. I biked with the mayor recently on a Friday afternoon along with almost two dozen people -- many of them regular city cyclists plus city employees -- and was amazed at her pace: around 18 mph. I rode alongside her deputy press secretary on our 22 mile trek through the city's many greenspaces.
We tackled the lovely Gwynss Falls bike trail and, where our journey crossed into traffic, there was no need to worry: the regular riders, including the mayor's photographer and a very serious and exceedingly helpful and empathetic cyclist, Mark, stopped traffic in both directions so we could continue on our way. And the mayor's black Suburban with her security details followed us when we rode in the streets. The whole experience was a delight, especially riding through some dense woodlands and spacious grassy plots.

• I know I'm going to return to Baltimore if for no other reason than to take another bicycle tour with Ralph Brown who runs Monumental Bike Tours. He's got a tour of the city's murals, monuments (obviously) and to farms that produce food for the local markets.

I attended his bakery tour -- yum, fresh baked goods -- that visited the few remaining mom-and-pop shops in the city. But guess again if you think this is just about eating donuts and danishes. Ralph is an encyclopedia of Baltimore history. At our meeting place he discussed that we were standing on the spot where thousands of of British Redcoats approached in 1814. Then at a third generation bakery, Hoehn's, he discussed the immigrant experience and how Europeans have such a great appreciation for freshly-baked bread. Interestingly, the original oven never gets cooler than 200 F even when it's turned off for three weeks! The donuts and raspberry tarts are to die for.

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