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Blog. Interesting cities around the world, adventure travel, wonders of nature, restaurants, pet friendly hotels, interesting news.

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Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, USA

Owned by the Navajo Nation, one of 21 recognized tribes living in Arizona (and the largest in the U.S.), Canyon de Chelly (de-SHAY) exudes a quiet magic and spirituality that inspired mythology guru Joseph Campbell to call it “the most sacred place on Earth.” Along with Monument Valley, the canyon is considered one of the holiest places in the vast Navajo Indian Reservation. The Ancestral Puebloans (also known as the Anasazi) began carving multistoried dwellings into the sandstone walls around a.d. 700. Mysteriously abandoned in the 1300s, they represent one of the oldest dwelling sites in North America and—paired with the canyon’s natural beauty—the principal attraction of this 130-square-mile historic area. The national monument’s name comes from the Navajo word tseyi, meaning “rock canyon.” Soaring cliffs glowing pink and orange are cut by the cottonwood-lined Rio de Chelly and decorated with ancient pictographs and petroglyphs. Near the visitor center you’ll find the Thunderbird Lodge, built as a trading post in 1902. Sign up for one of the Navajo-led “shake-and-bake” jeep tours, named for the bumpy road and summer heat. (Most of the canyon bottom is offlimits to visitors; aside from the White House trail, the gorge is accessible by guided vehicle tour only.) The paved 15-mile North Rim Drive follows the Canyon del Muerto (Canyon of the Dead) and leads to Navajo Fortress, where native warriors hid from U.S. troops in 1863 after being ordered to move to a barren reservation in eastern New Mexico. If time is limited, opt for the 16-mile South Rim Drive, which offers even more remarkable views. From the White House Overlook, take the steep trail a mile down to White House Ruins, the remains of an 80-room structure, the largest in the canyon. The last stop on the drive is the spectacular Spider Rock Overlook.

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Glyndebourne Festival, East Sussex, England For true opera fans, summer in Europe remains sacred, with no lovelier setting than at the renowned Glyndebourne Festival, amid the green hills of the Sussex Downs. The cream of British society has been flocking here since 1934, to a grand country estate whose small but charming old opera house was replaced in 1994 by a much larger, modern theater with excellent acoustics. Even skeptical old-timers love the new building, and more seating means tickets are somewhat less difficult to come by. Serious aficionados know they’ll find world-class standards in the festival’s innovative repertoire, which offers a little of everything for everyone, performed by international artists both established and emerging. The festival also provides the social season’s highlight: the ritual evening picnic enjoyed on a garden-framed lawn that stretches before the graceful neo-Elizabethan manor, private home of the festival founder’s son. Sheep and cows graze within sight while musicians tune up in the background.

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Rovos Rail and the Blue Train, South Africa Tiny planes transport safarigoers from park to park bestowing bird’s-eye views of the vast landscapes in between. For those with time to slow down, a rail journey permits entry to a world not many see, and in South Africa, you have two exemplary choices. The Rovos Rail, which features some cars that date to the late 1800s, is a throwback to the glory days of steam travel, when sleeper coaches and carriages were built with ornately carved embellishments and serviced by tuxedoed porters. The Blue Train is all contemporary luxury and efficiency, like a slender and sleek hotel kitted out with lacquer, leather, and African prints. Both roll along from Cape Town northeast to Johannesburg and Pretoria, a journey of nearly 1,000 miles across the starkly beautiful plains of the Great Karoo and the canyons of the Highveld in the center of South Africa. The Blue Train first took to the rails in 1946. As stylish and comfortable as the original trains were, passengers will appreciate their new generation of sophisticated railcars, introduced in the late 1990s. Private bathrooms are decked out with marble vanities and walls; suites include full entertainment centers, while meals feature local wines in crystal glassware and dishes that will satisfy the most discriminating palates. The journeys on Blue Train are faster than those on Rovos and are limited to overnight jaunts between Cape Town and Pretoria, just north of Johannesburg (and with transfers available to Durban and Kruger).

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The Last Great Race on Earth

Starting from Anchorage every March and ending 8 to 15 days later in Nome, the Iditarod is one of the great endurance tests in sport, with competitors mushing sled dogs across 1,150 miles of snow and ice in temperatures as low as 60°F below zero. It is Alaska’s largest spectator sport, and few things celebrate the pioneering spirit of our 49th state better. Now a National Historic Trail, the Iditarod began as a mail and supply route for miners. It winds across frozen rivers and desolate tundra, through dense forest and along miles of windswept coast from Seward, near Anchorage, to Nome, on the western Bering Sea coast. In 1925, part of the Iditarod Trail became a lifesaving highway for epidemic-stricken Nome. Diphtheria raged, and serum had to be brought in by intrepid mushers and their hard-driving dogs. In commemoration of those heroic feats, the route was turned into a race course in 1973, and today mushers come from as far away as Japan and Norway to compete for a share of the $600,000-plus purse. Nome, the “end of the line” for the Iditarod (and almost everything else), stands on the coast of the Bering Sea. Its dirt streets and rough-and-tumble saloons are quiet until the month-long Iditarod celebration rolls into town every March. Along with the race fans come northern lights aficionados, as well as participants in the Bering Sea Ice Golf Classic, who hit orange golf balls onto Astroturf laid across the frozen sea.

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The European Fine Arts Fair, Maastricht, Netherlands

The European Fine Arts Fair, Maastricht, Netherlands The ancient Roman town of Maastricht is known for its bon vivant ambience and excellent food, all to be enjoyed amid rich cultural offerings and venerable history—along with the city’s charm, sophistication, and high-end shopping. Here at Holland’s southernmost point, wedged in between Belgium and Germany, languages, customs, and trends flow freely across borders. Lively eateries— from the sublime Beluga restaurant and its food-as-art to the more casual wood-paneled De Bóbbel café—are at their most vivacious during the late-winter Carnival celebration with parades of elaborate floats, parties, and fancy dress. The city barely has time to catch its breath before connoisseurs roll into town every March to pick up an extra Rembrandt etching or add to their collection of Gobelin tapestries, at the prestigious European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF)—billed as the world’s leading art and antiques fair. More than 250 dealers from over a dozen countries arrive to show works of art to aficionados, collectors, and curators. Major museums from around the globe are regularly represented among the expert buyers at the fair, assured by the team of international experts who examine all objects for authenticity, provenance, and condition.

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Southern Transylvania, Romania Thrill seekers, wine lovers, photography enthusiasts, and travelers wanting total immersion in a gorgeous, untrammeled corner of Europe are drawn to Transylvania—the land “beyond the forest” in Latin—one of the last great European wildernesses. Cradled by the Carpathian Mountains, it is replete with ancient towns, fortified churches, Gothic castles, and legends about a certain nocturnal humanoid with prominent canines. Though 21st-century influences are spreading—you may encounter sights like a rural farmer armed with a pitchfork and a mobile phone—centuries-old peasant lifestyles and traditions endure in Southern Transylvania’s villages. The cities too speak of the past. The walled Saxon towns of Brasov, Sibiu, and Sighisoara offer equal parts medieval architecture, traditional and modern culture, and thriving dining and café scenes. Hiking, biking, and skiing opportunities abound in the nearby Bucegi and Fagaras Mountains. Tour-bus gridlock notwithstanding, guided trips to the area’s castles are also appealing, especially Bran Castle, inaccurately but fondly known to vampire fans around the world as Dracula’s Castle. Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula was inspired by Vlad Dracula, a 15th-century Transylvanian prince known for his bloody habit of impaling his enemies on stakes. It’s been established that Vlad spent at most a few nights in Bran Castle, but that hasn’t stopped the steady flow of Dracula buffs, who come from all corners of the world. Rising dramatically out of a rocky bluff, the castle looks the part of a vampire’s den and is worth a visit.

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The Cave Temples of Ajanta and Ellora, India Mumbai may be the pulsating, commercial heart of India, but the country’s soul lies far off in the interior, around Aurangabad and its astonishing hand-hewn cave temples. Of the two cave complexes found here, Ajanta is by far the older, with dozens of chaityas (temples) and viharas (monasteries) carved from solid rock faces and known for their lavishly painted frescoes. The 30 Buddhist cave temples date from around 200 b.c. to a.d. 650 but were virtually forgotten until the 19th century, which probably accounts for their excellent state of preservation. Whereas the Ajanta caves dazzle with their paintings, the 34 rock-cut temples of Ellora, 62 miles southwest, are sculptural masterpieces. Their creation was a feat equivalent to carving an entire cathedral—interior and exterior, roof to floor—out of solid rock, using handheld tools only. Unlike Ajanta, Ellora was located on a major trade route and was used for worship until the 1800s. It is believed that the Buddhist creators of Ajanta moved here after their work was finished there: Of Ellora’s 34 caves, the 12 earliest are Buddhist and were begun in a.d. 600 at approximately the time that work in Ajanta stopped. Work continued until the 11th century, producing 17 Hindu and 5 Jain temples and grottoes. Ellora’s tour de force is the Kailash Temple, whose dimensions and complexity astound; at almost 10,000 square feet, it covers twice the area of the Parthenon in Athens and is half again as tall. It has been estimated that it took 150 years for approximately 200,000 tons of rock to be removed by some 800 artisans in order to make this single cave temple, the largest known rock-cut temple in the world.

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Hay-on-Wye, Wales Astride the border between England and Wales is compact little Hay-on-Wye. Often simply called Hay (the suffix comes from the River Wye, which flows through the town), this is the world’s capital of antiquarian and secondhand books, and a monument to British eccentricity. Hay was once a sleepy market town surrounded by sheep-grazed hills. Then along came Richard Booth in the 1960s, determined to reverse its economic decline by converting an empty building into the town’s first bookstore. Thanks to his perseverance (and some successful publicity stunts, such as declaring Hay an independent nation), book buyers came in droves, and the town with a population of 2,000 now has more than 30 bookstores stocking millions of titles among them. Hay’s annual Festival of Literature, known to bibliophiles everywhere, is the largest gathering of its type in Britain, with writers and poets coming from around the world to give readings and hold informal discussions about their work.

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Zakopane, Poland

Poland’s very own St. Moritz, Zakopane is the nation’s top center for winter sports and its highest town. It transforms in warmer months to a verdant base for hiking and trekking in the Tatra Mountains, the highest range of the Polish Carpathians. Zakopane’s popularity goes back to the 1870s, when its clean air, idyllic surroundings, and folkloric past began to attract writers, artists, and craftsmen in search of inspiration. Among them was the architect Stanisław Witkiewicz, father of the more famous writer, playwright, and painter known as Witkacy. He designed a house for a client that was inspired by the farmhouses and outbuildings of the Podhale, the highland region north of Zakopane and it launched the Zakopane style, which dominated the look of housing throughout Poland until World War I. Some of the buildings Witkiewicz designed still stand and can be visited; among the best examples is Villa Koliba, completed in 1893 and now housing the Museum of Zakopane Style.

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Polar Bear Safari, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada Since long before Churchill had a human history (with stints as an Inuit settlement and armed forces base), it was the polar bear capital of the world. Today, every October and November, up to 1,000 of these generally solitary creatures gather just outside Churchill, making it the world’s greatest concentration of polar bears. Expectant bears come here to fatten up on seals before taking to their dens and bearing young. The Churchill denning area was placed under the protection of Wapusk National Park in 1996, and travelers are permitted to visit only as part of an authorized tour group. Outfitters will ensure that you get up close in the comfort and safety of a tundra buggy.

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The Highlands Sing-Sing Festivals, Papua New Guinea Few places in the world fascinate anthropologists more than Papua New Guinea. Occupying the eastern half of the world’s second largest island, “PNG” is known for its warm seas rich with marine life and sunken World War II ships. On land is a vast array of flora and fauna, including 762 species of birds (with over 400 unique to the island), the world’s greatest variety of orchids, and more than 400 species of butterflies. But it’s the people of PNG who draw the curious. Living in steep valleys masked by mountains rising as high as 14,000 feet and first seen by Westerners in 1933, the highlands are home to hundreds of tribal groups, whose subsistence lifestyles have changed little since the Stone Age. They speak more than 750 distinct languages and are known for their highly unusual artwork.

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Barking Dog Restaurant, New York, US This is the restaurant well known on the Upper East Side of New York City for its pleasant atmosphere for all family members, this includes your four-legged friend too. Here you can enjoy in delicious breakfast, lunch, dinner, but also the famous Barking Dog Sunday brunch. On menu you can find salads, sandwiches, but also meat loaf, fish, chips, Shepherd’s pie, French Toasts, Scrembled Eggs, Pancakes, Eggs Benedict… For your doggy the outdoor seating area features a doggy fountain, really nice, really pet-friendly restaurant.

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The Leonidas shops - Belgian chocolate Stand outside the Leonidas shop on the Boulevard Anspach—one of the 22 Brussels outlets of this leading Belgian manufacturer—and you might think it was fast food it was selling, not luxury chocolates. But the reason the crowds gather is for the assortments of pralines (filled chocolates): Wrapped in a small, gilded treasure box called a ballotin, they make for a perfect gift, everyone’s first-choice souvenir to take home. Once an indulgence of the rich, Belgian chocolate is now a favorite of the masses.      

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State Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia The Hermitage has managed to acquire a spectacular collection of world art—more than three million items—spanning the years from the Stone Age to the early 20th century. The museum occupies six buildings along the Neva River, the leading structure being the confection-like Winter Palace. This gloriously baroque, blue-and-white structure was finished in 1764 and over the next several centuries was the main residence of the czars. Catherine the Great founded the museum that same year when she purchased 255 paintings from Berlin. The museum’s focal point is Western European art—120 rooms in four buildings ranging from the Middle Ages to the present day. Rembrandt, Rubens, Tiepolo, Titian, da Vinci, Picasso, Gauguin, Cézanne, van Gogh, and Goya are all represented here.

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Bamberg, Bavaria, Geramany Set like Rome on seven hills and justly known as one of the most beautiful small towns in all of Europe, this Franconian jewel is inextricably linked to a rich history as capital of the Holy Roman Empire under Heinrich II, the town’s most famous son. More than 2,000 well-preserved buildings showcase architecture of all periods within a city that is by no means a static museum piece. Bamberg exudes a lively student vibe and is a joy to visit for its history, antiques stores, and breweries: Nine Brauereien produce close to 50 varieties of beer—even Munich can’t match that—and each has its own personality. Schlenkerla Tavern is a must for the famous smoky Rauchbier, which pairs perfectly with the regional classic dish, Schäufele (crispy pork shoulder with dumplings and sauerkraut). The four-towered Kaiserdom cathedral, built under Heinrich II and the site of his coronation in 1012, bears testimony to Bamberg’s affluence and ecclesiastical power and is famous for its interior’s elaborate sculptural decoration. The wonderfully half-timbered, frescoed Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall), surely one of Europe’s most photographed, occupies its own little island in the middle of the Regnitz River. Across the river is picturesque Kleine Venedig (Little Venice), where red geraniums spill from flower boxes on half-timbered cottages. 

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Sailing the Abacos, The Bahamas The Abacos are known as “the sailing capital of the world.” Although that’s a title it might share with the British Virgin Islands and the Grenadines, the Abacos promise a fine collection of 25 cays off the eastern coast of the long, thin, boomerang-shaped Great Abaco Island. Some are uninhabited, while others are home to small resorts and inviting towns that date to the American Revolution, when Loyalists from the Carolinas resettled here. Sail from one cay to the next, dropping anchor for snorkeling, swimming, excellent fishing, diving, or island exploration.

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Alberobello and the Salento Peninsula, Apulia, Italy In Alberobello, a town with a peculiar charm, the zona monumentale of whitewashed, conical roofed houses known as trulli takes visitors inside a child’s storybook—imagine Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as interpreted by Tolkien. There are as many as 1,500 of these unique beehive structures in Alberobello and the surrounding Valle d’Itria, where they crop up in clusters like mushrooms.