Search results for

The Museum of Ham, Museo del Jamon has a hold on the heart of Madrid. The excellent prices, large spaces, and convenient hours of operation mean that the Museo is nearly always packed after working hours. Feel like a local, and push your way to the bar to order a caña (small beer) and tapa. While the chain’s food is nothing out of the ordinary, it’s the feeling of being one with the locals that makes a visit to the museum fun. Image courtesy of Museo del Jamon.

One of the traditions associated with Day of the Dead in Oaxaca is the creation of colorful sand tapestries. You’ll find them all over the city throughout the week of the holiday, but in the plaza adjacent to La Soledad church, they set up some large ones that are truly monumental, It’s interesting to see when they’re being made, they bring in truckloads of sand and then the young artists painstakingly fill in their design to bring their vision to life. The theme of the tapestries is invariably death, but often there is a playful aspect to these creations. The ephemeral nature of this art form reminds us of the fleeting nature of life. After the holiday has passed, they scoop up the sand and return the plaza to its unadorned condition.

The first new hotel in decades to open on Lake Como’s glittering shores made its appearance in mid-summer 2016 on a sun-dappled promontory near the village of Torno. As the new kid on the block, Il Sereno brings a modern sensibility to a region where luxury typically takes on a gilded, Old World aesthetic. Envisioned by Milan-based designer Patricia Urquiola, this lakeside hotel takes cues from the history of the area, but skews contemporary and relaxed, with a design that highlights natural materials such as stone, wood, and wool, and a color palette of greens and blues inspired by the surroundings. The 30 sprawling suites feature lake-view terraces and amenities such as Ex Voto Paris bath products and Bluetooth sound systems. The sleek Berton Al Lago serves modern Italian fare crafted with fresh local ingredients, while the Il Sereno Bar & Lounge and the Pool Bar offer light bites in a casual setting. The spa is set in what was once the boathouse of the original property, and features treatments with Valmont products made just across the border in Switzerland. Wander the shaded passageways around the lush garden, check out the two vertical gardens and green sculptures by famed botanist Patrick Blanc, and don’t miss the 60-foot, heated, freshwater infinity pool, located in a secluded spot that overlooks the lake. Guests can take one of the hotel’s stylish Riva boats—accessible from a private dock—to explore the charming towns that line the lake.

Located on the north side of Playa del Carmen, the family-friendly Plaza Las Americas houses 12 movie theaters and well known Mexican department stores such as Liverpool and Sanborns. There are also clothing shops and boutiques, as well as a supermarket and large food court.

The menú del día is a uniquely Spanish tradition. Who in the rest of the world has time to sit for two hours and drink wine, consume multiple courses, all in the normal workday? If you want to experience a traditional menú del día, food that is not glamorous but is nothing if not fresh and made by hand, Politena is your spot. Centrally located and very fairly priced, it’s a perfect example of a great, classic menú del día. Down to the ‘mi casa’ ambience.

Wonderful catamarans that you can rent right off the beach.

Requiring some expert navigating through the graffiti-covered back alleys of town, it’s not easy to find the restaurant/pub Osteria del Sole. But like most tricky things in life, this one’s worth it in the end. Lorenzo, the owner, has just recently returned to Genoa to open Osteria Del Sole after 13 years of running restaurants in New York City (thus, he speaks incredible English), and brings a metropolitan feel to his space (I love the couches in the front). Come early to grab a seat at the bar (a real rarity in Genoa). With a great liquor cabinet, feel free to order your favorite cocktail, and then stay for dinner. Lorenzo has a fabulous kitchen.

Mantova may sound familiar. It’s where Romeo was exiled from fair Verona in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It may not sound like an obvious choice as an artistic hidden gem, but when Shakespeare wrote his play Mantua was a swamp land. The Palazzo del Te was built in 1526, commissioned by Duke Frederigo II Gonzaga and designed by Giulio Romano. The Palazzo itself is an embodiment of Gonzaga’s desire for love and struggle for power. It was built in two phases: The first phase of the Palazzo is rife with frescos of passion, love, and a whole lot of naked gods and goddesses. It was in these rooms where he would probably make believe he was as well endowed as Zeus and play out the sexual scenes with mistresses, of which he had many. The second phase was built in 1530 and in those 4 years Duke Gonzaga got his priorities in order. This time he meant business and aligned himself politically with Charles V—Holy Roman Emperor, aka Charles I King of Spain. Aside from its history, what makes the Palazzo del Te “quality travel” is its location off the beaten track, away from the crowds of tourists blocking your view of the Sistine Chapel or the colosseum. You get an intimate experience with a work of art, or in this case an entire building without being shoveled out (which was my experience at the Sistine Chapel). Give the small towns of Italy a chance, and help preserve lesser-known works of art that deserve it as much as the famous sights in Rome, Florence, and Venice.

The Tule tree is estimated to be over 2,000 years old. It’s not the oldest or the tallest, but at about 30 feet in diameter, it is the widest tree in the world, and it’s quite impressive. The species is Taxodium mucronatum, but it’s commonly known as a Montezuma Cypress. If you visit on the weekend, you can ask one of the local children who act as guides to give you a “tour” of the tree—they point out figures in the natural formations of the tree’s bark and branches.

Corona Del Mar is the ideal beach for an early morning swim. (Yes, it will be invigorating!) There are buoys a couple of hundred yards out from the shore line to guide you, as well as the long rock jetty that keeps the water fairly calm. Want things a little more intimate? Take a short stroll south to find Little Corona Beach, the smaller and lesser-known of the two. Parking: Give yourself a little exercise and park on one of the residential streets above the beach to avoid paying for parking.

This tavern-based tapas bar in Madrid was founded in 1906 and fiercely carries out the tapas tradition. It has had many famous patrons, including Andy Warhol, and has a great wine selection as well as beers to go along with the famous garlic prawns and langoustines.

A bright space in Darwin’s Parap neighborhood, Nomad Art Gallery emphasizes limited-edition prints and collections produced by contemporary Australian Artists as well as Aboriginal art centers around Northern Australia. The focal point is cross-cultural collaborations between artists and master painters and etchers. In addition to the prints shown in exhibitions and sold online and through the shop, visitors can purchase textiles, books, and small sculptures.

This handicraft shop on the corner of 5 de Mayo and Morelos is impossible to miss: you can spot the lovely handcrafted pieces from the street through the floor-to-ceiling windows. You’ll find an excellent selection of high quality items from around Oaxaca. La Casa del Rebozo is a cooperative formed by 84 artisans from various regions of Oaxaca. Their handicrafts are of high quality, and show innovation though they’re made with ancient techniques inherited through generations.

One could argue that the Pulitzer Amsterdam isn’t actually one hotel. Before 1960, each of its 25 buildings was an individual, 17th- or 18th-century merchant canal house. Painstaking renovations over the years have guaranteed that each room feels distinct, maintaining original architectural details from each house, such as arched windows, exposed beams, and friezes. And, from the outside, each house still looks separate, so that the glamorous, art-filled hotel blends right into its surroundings, seeming to be just another of the neighborhood’s picturesque historic buildings.

The recently restored hotel has entrances on and views over two of the city’s main canals—Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht—with a tranquil garden in the middle. The 225 guest rooms blend traditional and modern Dutch craftsmanship and service, while the authentic restaurant and bar showcase local flavors. Located in the heart of Amsterdam’s historic city center, the hotel is within easy reach of the Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum, Van Gogh Museum, and the Anne Frank House. It’s also a quick walk, bike, or boat ride to the fashionable Nine Streets, the quaint shops of Jordaan, the flower market, and the Royal Palace.

Teotitlan del Valle is world-renowned for its production of high quality woven goods. The weaving tradition in this village dates back to ancient times, when they paid tribute to the Aztecs in weavings, although at that time they wove mostly cotton and used the backstrap loom. The majority of the residents in this community speak Zapotec as well as Spanish and have conserved many of their traditions. On a visit to Teotitlan you can visit a family of weavers and they will show you the whole process of how the rugs are made from spinning the wool to dyeing it (using natural colors such as the cochineal and indigo) and weaving the rugs. Designs range from traditional geometric patterns like those found on the walls of the nearby Mitla archaeological site, to more modern designs such as reproductions of the work of contemporary artists.