Why Breakfast Should Not Be In Your Hotel
It’s tempting to stay at your hotel for an easy breakfast when traveling, but please let me tell you why it’s so much more rewarding to venture out.
A Strategy for Tackling the Sights of Kyoto
Kyoto has a massive number of sights, and you need more than a listing; you need a solid strategy to tackle them. Here, let me lay out a way to think about tackling a visit to Kyoto.
Simple Foods
Pan amb oli (panamboli) or Pan con tomate is a canonical, beloved dish of Spain’s Mallorca island and of Catalonia, but gosh it’s simple. Can bread with tomato and olive oil really be considered a composed dish? An outsider contemplates what makes a dish a dish.
Fine Dining: Eating Kappo in Osaka
One form of fine dining in Osaka Japan is called Kappo, where everyone sits together at a counter in front of the open kitchen. Here’s my experience in one place.
Traveling to Switzerland Without Going Bankrupt
You want to see Switzerland. We all do. The mountains, the lakes, the cheese and chocolate, yes yes. Plus there are watches and army knives involved. But the country is prohibitively expensive, and you don’t have a secret Swiss bank account to cover it. How does one travel to Switzerland cheaply?
Death Makes a Holiday
Have you ever seen animals killed in front of you? The Toraja region of Sulawesi, Indonesia is obsessed with death. In my visit to their villages, I saw ritual sacrifice in a funeral, cliff graves, skulls, and lots of blood.
Characteristics of an Asian Bar
The bar is one of humankind’s greatest inventions, but Western and Eastern traditions are different. Let me run down a Western perspective of the characteristics of an Asian bar, what makes bars in East Asia different and interesting.
The Covered Market Streets Of Osaka
What to do on a rainy day in Osaka? This city, not known for its must-see sights, is woven with covered arcade market streets called shotengai. Some are like any shopping streets, others dedicated to a niche such as kitchenware, and one brilliant one holds a food market made for snacking. Here is how to explore these, whether it’s raining or not.
Sunday In Paris, A Survival Guide
What to do in Paris on a Sunday? Yes, many things are closed, but let me provide you with several ideas and plans for making the most of a Sunday, without leaving town.
While You’re in Sicily, Go See Some Ruins
You need to see some ruins when you’re in Sicily, because they have much, and some are brilliant. Once easy site is Solunto, in the northwest, for the ruins, the view, the setting, the very easy day-trip, and the sense of place.
Lesser-Known Attractions of Macau
Macau has only a few top sights, one every other blog will list. But you need more, because the former colony is awfully charming if you know where to schlep. Let me tell you several spots in which to hang, to get a feel for the city and to discover its many charms. Macau is great, if you know where to go.
Hong Kong Hikes, Part 2: Cheung Chau
Hong Kong is not known for hiking, but it should be. One can do many urban hikes there, where less than an hour’s public transportation gets you out of the urban jungle into the incredible dramatic countryside. Here, one of the outer islands named Cheung Chau offers an easy trail with beaches, scenery, and seafood restaurants at the end.