pompeii art

The Secret Cabinet of Pompeii

Ancient Romans had a certain fondness for erotic art. The excavation of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which had been buried beneath volcanic ash as if frozen in time, betrayed a societal frankness about sex that scandalized the people of the 18th…

satan's circus cocktail

Satan’s Circus

I firmly believe that a historic storm is a perfect opportunity to huddle indoors and work on new cocktail recipes. Satan’s Circus, a drink I tried at NoMad last week, has a dynamite combination of sour cherry and hot peppers,…

8 Hours in Florence

8 Hours in Florence

Traveling across Italy by train made me a little bit angry. Do you know what it would mean if the US had efficient rail service that whisked you along at 200mph? It will never happen, America is too enamored with…

Winter Storm Jonas Takes Manhattan

Winter Storm Jonas Takes Manhattan

I think anyone who has lived in New York City for a certain period of time knows that midtown, and Times Square in particular, should be avoided. But snowstorms provide an exception to the rule. Having been through five of…

rome via condotti

Roman Holiday

I’ve heard that the best part of travel is the anticipation of an upcoming trip, but the planning and preparation feels like extra work to me. I simply want to be somewhere else without worrying too much over logistics. Fortunately…