Istanbul: one word for it? Spectacular. Another two words? Grand Bazaar – that’s a brilliant synonym, really. Istanbul is very much a “love it or… well, love it anyway” kind of story, and a must-see, regardless. You can never truly hate it, no matter how utterly chaotic it may seem at times. But you’ll find there’s a very thin line between absolutely adoring it and simply ticking it off your list. While most people are thoroughly addicted to Istanbul, I suspect the happy few will need this rather snobbish advice to truly feel the poetry. Some quick survival pointers: the good, the bad and the warnings The Best Bits The…
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ISTANBUL #SINEQUANON: THE CORNERSTONES
ONE Hagia Sophia TWO Topkapi Palace and the Harem Plan a whole afternoon for it, it may very well be the most wonderful spot in Istanbul. Beautiful park, unbeatable views of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn from the terraces. Take your time, see it all, discover Moses’s walking stick and a fragment from the Mecca stone and the Otoman jewelries, have a coffee or lunch at the restaurant hanging over the sea. THREE Galata Tower and Pera district Craving that classic European romance feel after a hectic day in Istanbul? The Pera district is widely considered Istanbul’s answer to Montmartre. Here, quaint, steep, cobblestone streets wind their way up,…
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If you were a supernatural being, where would you live?
Toscana. Rich, old, and full of charm. This is where legends aren’t simply told; they are rather hanging about, rolling into the richest vineyards and cradling the noblest cities of art the world has ever known.. Time itself is slow, flowing seamlessly into history. So, if you happen to be a supernatural being with a most discerning eye for prime real estate, where, precisely, would you reside? Right. For the happy few who appreciate an enduring legacy, a hint of the spectral, and the very finest of wines, these are some great Tuscan haunts. Father of Chianti Classico, reveal your presence! Ricasoli is the oldest winery in Italy. Winemakers since…
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Val d’Orcia And The Ideal City
One fine day, the Architect looked out of the window to see the future; he saw a utopian landscape of pale green fields and pure skies, rolling into forever. Then he took a brush and four colors and started painting: pale yellowish green for the fields, dark green for the cypresses, azzuro for the skies and warm brown for the roads and the farms. You think I’m being rather corny, poetic with a touch of mysticism. I can be all that, but today I’m merely factual. The Val d’Orcia, another world favorite of the happy few, is a region of perfect landscape south of Siena, included in the UNESCO World…
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TUSCANY #SINEQUANON: SEE? PERFECTION EXISTS
Plan on a minimum of two weeks here; this is not a place to fast-forward through. In Tuscany, you take your time, give in, and never resist temptation – this is where you learn the true meaning of slow travel. You really need the time to live it, not just visit it, and once you do it properly, you’ll find there’s no place quite like it. Intel Best time to visit: September. Transport: fly into Pisa or Florence and then rent a car – this is non-negotiable. Tuscany has the most beautiful medieval castles and villages, plus the most wonderful country roads. If you can’t freely move between those vineyards…
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wisdom comes in improbable places
You think the Brits don’t have it in their blood, le cool, l’extraordinaire? Think again, you lovers of the avant-garde. Here is some London intelligence that I brought with me from my last outing If the planet was to choose one capital, it should be London I love it every time, each time for the old reasons and for some new reasons. You can never be bored, you can never be wrong in London. It is always worth it, even for a two night stay, a walk and an evening show. Resist and you’ll regret In London wisdom came to me in the most improbable of places. Like this wonderful…
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Bretagne pentru gurmanzi
Pofticiosi suntem cu totii, insa apetitul este de mai multe feluri: lacom, impulsiv, artistic, retoric, disciplinat, cultivat, rafinat sau pur si simplu pasionat. Asa cum nu am nici o indoiala ca fiecare va descoperi cel putin une crepe sau une galette dupa care sa scanceasca de placere si sa-si linga degetutele, tot asa stiu ca, dupa Bretagne, 3 lucruri se vor schimba pentru totdeauna : viziunea asupra stridiilor, asteptarile de la banalele midii, si rolul miraculos al sarii in bucate.
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Postcards to the non-believer
I know you don’t believe in wonderland or magic places or fairytales. Yet I, who have travelled through the looking glass and back so many times, dedicate the first dew of this fall to you. It is pure and luminous and ephemeral and it sew priceless jewelry onto the spider webs. This dew was born of the heavy clouds of last night’s storm and it carries the genius of the ocean over the prosaic peace of my garden, showing it completely transfigured. I also dedicate to you the fairytale houses that are undoubtedly inhabited by elves and blissfully winged creatures. And the enchanted forest of Broceliande where Merlin is entrapped into…
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Despre Bretagne, inceputurile
Cum de am ajuns noi sa avem o Creperie? Prietenii stiu déjà, iar povestea, asa pe scurt, a ajuns destul de celebra in presa. Insa rasfoind din cand in cand pe aici veti afla care este legatura intre caramelul sarat, regele Arthur, les galettes completes, casele-insula si dansurile celte. Intr-un cuvant, o nunta. Desigur ca nu orice fel de nunta, ci o nunta cu mare talc si unica pe lume, care a avut loc intr-un catun inconjurat de ape in Bretagne. Pe langa ca nunta asta a adus impreuna o gramada de oameni minunati raspanditi prin toata Europa si a unit o pereche de ti-e mai mare dragul, a fost…
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Teach me, my love
While wandering in Alfama one afternoon, with fado and just the right amount of saudade on my mind, I stumbled upon a poetic wall – literally. The whole world’s poetry was written on that wall: there were a few hand-painted ceramic plates with blue and white verses adorning the wall, but the most brilliant, heart-breaking and dramatic of them all was scribbled in pencil by some anonymous guy who had trully encountered the love of his life. it went like this: into the waves of your hair / You taught me how to swim/ Now that you are bald / Teach me how to skate
