Blogs

Take a right from Times Square's Father Duffy Square down West 47th Street for a short stroll and to your right, an early-20th-century hotel completely transformed into a four-star boutique hotel rises nine stories above the surrounding chaos. It's clear that father-and-son co-founders Hank and Brandon Freid took their 2010 creation of Sanctuary Hotel NYC, a luxury Buddhist-themed retreat, as a challenge and ultimate statement of creating the impossible here.

Although its original architectural f

The magnificent "City of Harbours," with its awe-inspiring skyline, miles-long sandy beaches, high-end shopping; can truly be said to offer a little bit of everything for everyone’s individual taste. Nevertheless, there comes the time when this almost five million people megalopolis feels just a bit overwhelming. But where to escape?

Blue Mountains

What better way to get away from the city crowd but to hop on the Western Motorway and let the road take you to the west. Whether you are travelling

Ah, we progressive folks in the USA do especially love Canada and prime minister Joe Trudeau these days, especially now that it's become along with Germany the leader of the free world. But I've always loved every Canadian city I've ever visited, and none more than Canada's largest city and metro area so much? Well, I’ve had the privilege of experiencing many, many of the world’s biggest, but this sprawling charmer on Lake Ontario (pop. 2.6 million) feels unique to me in the mix of urban, prog

Named after Morocco's late king, the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, is the tallest temple in the world (after Mecca, of course) and also one of the finest. Built over the sea, it rises up 200 meters and spans a total area of 30,000 square miles with room enough for 90,000 worshippers.

It is impressive not only for its size but for the beautiful marble and granite pavement, the copper and brass doors at the entrance of the temple, the façades covered with sculpted marble and the mosaics. This is

Back in the 1960s and 70s, a famous and persistent Spanish tourism tag line proclaimed: “Spain is different.” And one of the things that does indeed make this country different in a key way from the rest of Europe is the fact that only the Iberia Peninsula was largely occupied, for up to 781 years (depending on the region), by invaders of an alien civilization: the Muslim lands of North Africa. Inevitably, this experience left a deep mark on the kingdoms that eventually became Spain, including

There are hidden treasures in and around Beaufort, South Carolina, and finding a gem or two perhaps not on the well worn areas, like the beaches, shopping and museums, is a treat.  I found one such gem - particularly a propos for Black History Month - while visiting Beaufort recently in the historic Penn Center. 

In 1862, in the then remote area of Frogmore, South Carolina  a school was about to be opened for children of recently freed slaves along the Gullah-Geechee co

Colorado is home to a wide variety of scenery from desert to thick forests. With this variety there is something for everyone. During the summer you have the ability to choose from over 4,000 campgrounds! There are 44 state parks and one state forest. Plus you can be in the shadows of the Great Rocky Mountains that will give you a breathtaking view. So if you are into the outdoors, this is the place for you.

These are five of my favorite hiking trails and campgrounds.

Four Pass Loop

As the name sug

by Miguel Zimmerman

Cue the Champagne and roses – yes, it’s that lovey-dovey time of year again! And even though, yes, it’s a little too commercialised in some quarters – still, Valentine’s Day remains a lovely excuse to celebrate love – and one of the most popular ways of doing so remains dinner à deux in a lovely setting. Herewith, some top choices in some of our more romantic destinations…

Barcelona: Pla Tucked away amid the narrow streets of the mediaeval Ciutat Vella (Old Town), Pla‘s sof

New Zealand is home to some of the world’s most beautiful landscapes - rugged mountain ranges, lush rainforests, and tranquil coastlines. What you may not know is that New Zealand’s unique terroir yields crisp, vibrant, and lively wines reflecting the very essence of this island country. Recent harvests were not only markedly bountiful (34 percent above usual yields) but grapes were exceptionally high-quality. Small estate wineries like Catalina Sounds, Crowded House, and Nanny Goat were direct

Historical Creative Arts Centre in Toronto

Toronto is full of arts and culture all situated on Lake Ontario.   I recentlyhad a chance to exhibit my art in one of my favourite locations in Toronto, the Distillery District. Cafes, theatres, art galleries, restaurants and historical areas are spread out over the city.  If you are visiting from out of town always do a little research before hand so you are prepared.  One of my favourtie areas as Toronto Arts Girl is the Toronto Distillery District. 

In all beauty pageants what one wears is most important. Beauty contestants usually get decked out in flowing evening gowns and skimpy swim suits. But camel beauty contestant dress in dazzling bling-bling called hatat. The hatat is artfully draped over the hump and around the neck and face like precious jewels. Actually, some are jewelry as they are made with real gold and semi-precious stones

Roger and I were at the Al Dhafra Camel Festival, held just past Madinat Zayed in the desert off Abu Dh

by Tom Bunn

When fear of flying develops, it's sometimes because there has been a bad flight. But, in many cases, difficulty begins for no apparent reason. The average age of onset is 27. The truth is, many of us become more anxious as we get older and more mature. As teenagers, when parents told us to be careful, we thought they were from some other planet! We thought bad things happen to other people, or in places far away. 

As we grow older and (hopefully) wiser – or as something shocking h

The mighty Roman Empire started gradually invading and turning the Iberian Peninsula into Hispania in the first two centuries BC a pax romana that would last till the 4th century AD, when it started to lose ground to barbarian tribes such as the Gauls, Vandals, and Visigoths; by 585, Romanised Visigoths effectively controlled the entire peninsula for more than a century up until the Muslim invasions from North Africa.

But those nearly 700 years were decisive – indeed, fateful – for Iberia. Du

It doesn’t surprise us in the least. Mexico is the birthplace of sophisticated civilizations that developed calendars, agricultural systems, pyramids, codices and many other developments, so it is natural that it should be top of the list. Cultural heritage is understood as a peculiar form of life, aspects brought down from our ancestors such as knowledge, activities, languages, traditions, legends, art, games, material developments, etc. that survive over the generations and possess aesthetic,

Established in the 7th century A.D., the ancient and scenic port city of Dubrovnik lies in the southernmost part of the Republic of Croatia, - almost directly across the Adriatic Sea from the "spur" in the boot of Italy. It is a beautiful city of colorful red-topped tile roofs and cobblestone streets, all of which looks very much like it did centuries ago.

The Pearl of the Adriatic

Among the city's many admirers was Lord Byron who first called Dubrovnik, "the Pearl of the Adriatic." A century la

Miami abounds with top restaurants of all kinds. As the authors of It Happened in Miami, we wrote about them and experienced them while promoting our book in 2016.

A new year and new epicurean delights to partake of: Macchialina, Costa Med, and Toscana Divino. All three unique, all three very different from each other. The trio, however, did have one very important thing in common – real and individual owners not corporations, that sat with us, explained their restaurant concepts, talked about th

Back in the mid-1960s, the Orlando region of central Florida was lake-dotted but also unappealing to most people - a hot, swampy, mosquito-ridden backwater. Then came “The Mouse” – Disney’s Magic Kingdom – and lo, these 45 years later, Greater Orlando is now a pixie-dust-transformed mecca for holidaymakers from across the globe, and indeed, the USA’s most visited city. Walt Disney World (with parks Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios added) remains a key draw of course – now in additi

Thanks to Miguel de Cervantes and his immortal creations Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, the whitewashed brick molinos de viento of Spain’s central plateau are among this country’s better-known icons in the world imagination (though this is far from the only place in the country where they are found). And they have of course become the very symbol of this historic plain – Spain’s largest,  sprawling over several provinces – known as La Mancha.

In the Spanish language’s greatest novel, Cervantes d

An oasis amid the vast sagebrush desert that rolls across much of America’s Pacific Northwest interior, Walla Walla's longstanding appeal to those seeking a better life ranging from First Nations tribes & French fur trappers to farmers & vintners is most notably evident in the literal translation of its name ("many waters"). The Walla Walla Valley's rivers and aquifers that have fed the region's agricultural bounty for generations now also provide perfect growing for more than 100 wineries that

Last week I had the opportunity to visit a production plant and Domino's headquarters in Ann Arbor Michigan. Before taking the trip, I was in the “over 10 year club”. I didn't have a slice of Domino's or even contemplate it for at least that long. I was skeptical that pizza dependent on an efficient supply chain could actually stand a chance against locally based ethnic parlors. My recollections alone dampened my enthusiasm for giving Domino's another chance. But with the promise of making our