Tag Archives: travel
Why you don’t need to be rich to be a cultural tourist, and why it’s probably better not to be (really!)
I remember the exact moment: after a morning of winding our way uphill through the medieval Albayzín neighborhood of Granada in Southern Spain, we reached the San Nicholas Viewpoint. We picnicked while taking in the enchanting view of the Alhambra and surrounding mountains and I mentioned to HOB that, according to our guide book, this […]
Palladio’s Teatro Olimpico: classic geeks, architecture nerds and trompe-l’œil freaks hold hands and say GAH!
I’ve been meaning to write about visiting Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy in an academic way, letting you all know that it was constructed in 1580 from Andrea Palladio’s plans based on a reconstruction of an ancient Roman theater ,etc, etc, because you, my readers, need the facts. But I’ve got to be straight with you: as soon […]
How to make a budget-friendly travel itinerary tailored to your interests
I’m clumsy, my spelling is atrocious, I suck at math and I’m a total slob, but people, I am really super-spanking good at writing a travel itinerary. Here’ s what works for me: Research like crazy and keep a list. No, I don’t mean a bucket list of far away fantasies, I mean a realistic […]
Art under your arse: carvings under the choir stalls of Notre-Dame de Nantilly, Saumur
Have you read that new book on medieval church art? It’s called Carvings Under Choir Stalls by Seymore Butts. LOL LOL LOL LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, okay, butt seriously, the next time you’re in an old church with a wooden choir, look under the seats. See something funny? It’s not an appropriate space to put a holy image, […]
Piero della Francesca’s Resurrection in Sansepolcro
It’s the perfect fresco for Easter: Christ steps proudly from his tomb super hero-style in his bubblegum pink robe. Those poor dupes, the guards, are sleeping and miss the drama. The composition is symmetrical, and a perfect triangle from the top of Christ’s head to the bodies of the guards below. It was only once […]
The Isenheim Altarpiece: a tormented, mystical and ecstatic crucifixion in a nauseatingly cute town
It’s Good Friday and I’m thinking about the pilgrimage we made to see the Isenheim Altarpiece, the bizarre crucifixion by Matthias Grunewald in Colmar, France. This is a perfect example of an artwork I couldn’t comprehend until I saw it in person. The altarpiece was created in 1512-1515 for a hospital that treated patients suffering from skin diseases, […]
The cloister of Monreale Cathedral
There’s a certain reaction I have, when looking though an art history book, an “Aha, there you are!” recognition that’s–let’s face it– a sense of entitlement. I study the reproduction of a building or artwork and say to myself with certainty, “I am going to go see that.” Without fail, I have always felt just that […]
Three insanely helpful–free!–websites for travelers
As a budget travel addict, I frequently check dozens of websites. Here are a few of the most useful, that I find myself returning to again and again: TripIt Our travel itineraries are intense. We often visit smaller towns and sleep in a different place almost every night. We travel exclusively by public transportation and […]
Remember that time I was naked in an Istanbul bath house and a topless seventy year old woman beat me up on a marble slab? That was fun.
It was the ultimate walk of shame. I stepped completely naked, except for my flip flops, out of the locker room, trying to cover as much as myself as possible with a sort of dish towel I was handed in the locker room. I was inside a hammam (Turkish bath) in Istanbul, with no clue […]
Lübeck, Germany: brick Gothic or bust
We walked to the peninsula that encloses the old town of Lübeck, in the far North of Germany, towards….hmmm, a giant cone bra??? Well, actually, it was the Holstentor: a fortified medieval gate and my introduction to brick Gothic. I’ve long been a drooling aficionado of Gothic architecture, especially it’s carved stone elements and sculpture. Bricks, though, […]
Picnic at the Cathedral 