High above earth, sailing through the skies, the clouds below look an awful lot like storm-tossed seas. I am en route to Tokyo, approaching Narita Airport. What defines “home?” I’ve lived in San Francisco for nearly 30 years. My heart has been broken, tested, mended, and restored here more times than I can count. You […]
I never get enough of Barcelona, even in the sweltering heat of July. I hear this is a city built for hedonists with pulsating clubs and designer cocktail bars. I’ve never experienced this Barcelona of night owls and vampires. I am more familiar with the Barcelona of Freddy Mercury and Monserrat Caballe, perhaps Rufus Wainwright. […]
Mahon, also known as Maó, became the capital of Menorca under British rule in 1722. British rule also left behind a rich Georgian architectural style, unique in Spain. The second deepest natural port in the world, the harbor is lovely and full of restaurants, but the real beauty of this city can be found in […]
The white-washed seaside village of Fornells could be just one more tourist trap on another island full of trapped tourists. But, because the people here are so kind and good-humored, and fiercely proud, an authentic experience of life on the island is easily within reach. There are also many outstanding restaurants, specializing in seafood from […]
I am so glad to have a camera. I’m not a professional photographer but, thanks to the critical eye of a constantly disapproving parent who was, I can snap a decent photo. Being able to record the world around me, as I see and experience it, allows me to revisit unforgettable moments of pure ecstasy […]
Looking at the world from a boat or from behind a camera, the view is uniquely solipsistic. You are a soul unaccompanied, nearly abandoned as you try to decipher the visual signs of the world unfolding before you. My favorite books growing up were stories of shipwreck, abandonment, and deserted islands. I suppose this might […]
Hort Sant Patrici is a working farm, a family operation for over thirty years. The property still produces cheese, wine, and olive oil. There is also an extensive sculpture garden, really a small park, full of works by international and Menorcan artists. The main house, Ca Na Xini, was rebuilt in 2005 and offers eight […]
Tapas, tapas, tapas. Maybe I’ve just been very lucky but I can’t imagine a bad meal in Barcelona. I think you’d have to work pretty hard to find one. Order a drink, in the simplest of places or even the most touristic, and it will arrive accompanied by a plate of olives, coca (grilled bread […]
The restaurant is unconventional in every way imaginable. First, there is the circus-themed decor. The juxtaposition between the carnivalesque environment and the sophistication of the cuisine is disorienting. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed getting knocked out of my comfort zone and letting go of expectations. Nothing is what it seems at Tickets, the recent outpost from […]
I live a bit of a charmed life, quietly but with good fortune, and always with thanks to the kindness of others. I’m in Paris every six months, but usually in the dead of winter and the sweltering heat of summer. This trip has been blessed with warm weather, blue skies, and Parisiennes who are […]
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