A few days on the island of Santorini, Greece gave me the tourist experience of a lifetime. Are the wonderful views worth the crush of humanity? Is the absence of local culture made up for by the stunning photos you’ll bring back? Let’s break it down.
Some travelers are lucky enough to have seen the popular places and now choose the second-tier sights, but why do we wait? Why not sometimes start with the less-knowns? I offer Kanazawa, Japan as a prime example.
Tachinomi are a Japanese institution – standing bars and restaurants, where by design there are no seats; you stand throughout the experience. See why you need to make your stand in Japan.
Tokyo’s Piss Alley and Golden Gai areas used to be very Japanese, and thus very exclusive, but a revisit five years later shows them to be now astonishingly touristy. What to think when a place changes?
Sometimes when traveling, the town you choose for your home base isn’t all that whippy, such as Nazare, Portugal. Nothing to do but hang in low-rate places.
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.
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.
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.
A man named Andrea Borderi in Sicily’s Siracusa Ortigia market is simply the best sandwich-maker in the world. He demonstrates his craft-making performance art outside his shop called Caseificio Borderi daily, making the best sandwiches ever. He charms his customers and the crowd, and you’re happy to wait for him.
Listening to Fado music in Lisbon, Portugal is an entry into the country’s raw emotions, the melancholy, wistful singing taking you on its own journey that explores the concept of fate. You need to see Fado live, and here is where and how to do it.
Tbilisi, Georgia, is known as the heartland of wine, and thus is a brilliant place in which to drink it. Here’s how to go about doing so, with panache and polish.
Not everyone likes L.A., but there’s one section where the people-watching makes it worth it: Venice Beach. The freak show on the pedestrian strip is worth the trip; you don’t need another reason to go. It’s where everyone loose in L.A. winds up.
