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…

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…

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…

Quebec City Idyll

Quebec City Idyll

Quebec City looks like an alpine fairy tale to a world weary New Yorker. It’s older and more exclusively French-speaking than Montreal, with the only fortified city wall north of Mexico.

J'adore Montreal

J’adore Montreal

I took advantage of a 3-day break between jobs to steal away to Montreal, in search of poutine and smoked meat. Schwartz’s did not disappoint, and I recommend getting the cherry soda with your smoked meat sandwich–the combination simply works…

Four Days in San Juan

Four Days in San Juan

The older I get, the more desperate I get for color come wintertime. So I went a little crazy with my new polarizing filter among the sherbet-hued buildings of Old San Juan. After four days of strong coffee, 16th century…