A cultural 'click fix' for the cognoscenti - from theatre to fine art, architecture to literature
Heart Warming Art - Montmartre, Paris
It was a freezing December evening in 2006. People, all rugged up, were milling around the square. Some were seated on tables and chairs outside in the cold sipping coffee, hot chocolate or wine and/or eating crepe. The aroma of coffee and melting butter floated among the crowd...
Five 'must-see' cultural gems in and around Dubrovnik
The best thing about Dubrovnik known as the Pearl of the Adriatic is the variety it offers as my family and I found out when we visited this delightful city on the Croatian coast. It has an exceptionally rich cultural heritage and beautiful vistas with the Elaphite Islands, old fishing villages, modern resorts and the walled city of Kotor in Montenegro just a short distance away.
Shopping in London, Bohemian Style
Of the many flavors London has to offer, a slice of Bohemian London is one worth tasting.
Whether you get all misty-eyed watching Hugh Grant's frustrating love affair with Julia Roberts or just the thought of it makes you sick, you're in for a treat if you head for London's Notting Hill district.
And yes, the Travel Book Shop actually exists.
The Living Goddess
I am in the "Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square" a UNESCO recognized heritage site, in the center of Kathmandu, standing in front of "Kumari Ghar".
This is the home of the legendary "Living Goddess", who is considered to be the incarnation of Goddess Taleju. It is a three storied house built like a quadrangle with a small central square. It has the most exquisite and lavishly carved woodwork, and it is just not possible to describe the fine jalli work.
Everything's coming up tulips
Picture if you can 7 million tulips, narcissi, hyacinths, and other bulbs blooming in unison under the mature canopy of 18th-century beech trees. That is what visitors see at Keukenhof Gardens (www.keukenhof.nl), located in Lisse about an hour outside of Amsterdam.
The Queen's Garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, began in 1759 and are now famous the world over. Of all the plants growing on our planet, one in eight of these are also grown at Kew.
Virginia: Living History Museums
Brushing up on this country's history is a snap when you step into the past at one of its many "living history" museums. Virginia is home to a plethora, and with careful planning you can easily fit the best into a week-long family vacation.
