Estou de Volta, Lisboa

Categories: Accommodations · Art · Lisbon · Portugal · TravelTags: · · · ·

“I am back, Lisbon” – albeit for only two days to meet good friends who also happen to be in town. I finally got the chance to visit the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum and its art collection that was amassed by Armenian oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian. The collection contains some 6,000 pieces that stretch from 2500BC to the 20th century, from Egyptian and Greek antiquities, to French furniture and European paintings. At the other end of the museum’s gardens is the Centro de Arte Moderna (CAM), which opened in 1983. The building was recently renovated by Kengo Kuma to feature an…

Laters

Categories: Accommodations · Art · Food · TravelTags: · · ·

Goodbye to London for now, till the next one. The Courtauld Gallery is home to a great art collections, located in the historical setting of Somerset House. Now for the food and accommodations. First stop was The Parlour at Fortnum & Mason. First dinner with friends was at Straker’s in Notting Hill. I was walking by Borough Market and came across a long line outside Bao’s take out window (there was no line to eat in!). I recall eating at its Soho location during my last visit. The Bugis Singapore Restaurant in Kensington served good Singaporean classics. LaBombe by Trivet…

Oi, London

Categories: Architecture · Art · England · LondonTags: · · ·

In London for a few days, to meet up with good friends. Took the opportunity to visit some sights and galleries, since it’s been seven years since my last time here. Since 2000, Serpentine has commissioned internationally renowned and emerging architects to create their first completed structure in England. The 2026 Serpentine Pavilion is by Lanza Atelier of Mexico City. I had brunch at Friends of Ours at The Magazine, Serpentine Gallery North moreso to admire the Zaha Hadid designed structure. There is an ongoing Frida Kahlo exhibit at Tate Modern: “Frida, the Making of an Icon” that showcase over…

Volver a Bogotá

Categories: Art · Bogota · Colombia · TravelTags: · · ·

Return to Bogotá: thirteen years after my first visit, I have returned to this bustling city, long regarded as Colombia‘s beating heart. But Bogotá is evolving – towering skyscrapers sit next to sprawling barrios, hipster shops and restaurants are slowly moving into the city’s grittier neighborhoods and the once-soaring crime rate is dwindling. With its vast collection of burgeoning shops, high-end hotels, impressive eateries and unique plazas and museums, Bogotá is naturally one of the first places to flock to when arriving in the country. I was hoping to visit the Museo Botero, but it was closed on the day…

Getsemaní

Categories: Art · Cartagena · Colombia · TravelTags: · ·

Once a primarily working-class neighborhood just outside the Old Town’s walls, Getsemaní has evolved into an artsy enclave renowned for its captivating street art. Along narrow alleys strewn with fluttering pennants, umbrellas and other colorful embellishments, weathered walls have become plein-air canvases for large-scale murals. The “culture quarter” where poets, artists, dancers, and photographers flee the exorbitant rents of the Old Town, the neighborhood’s independent spirit finds expression in the jumble of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, clubs, and boutique hotels carved from candy-coloured colonial homes.

“Gratis” NYC

Categories: Art · Food · New York · Travel · USA

As they say, nothing in life is truly free — but let me indulge in the fantasy that it can be. Using airline miles for my roundtrip flight and hotel points at the Kimpton Era (same as my last visit), I found myself back in New York City for three nights. Keeping with that “complimentary” theme — right up until it inevitably runs out — I tapped into my reciprocal museum benefits for free entry to the Guggenheim. First up was Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Mirrored Room – Dancing Lights That Flew Up to the Universe,” followed by the Guggenheim Pop…

NYC Break

Categories: Accommodations · Art · Food · New York · USATags: · ·

Spending the Easter long weekend in New York City. I came with no plans and winging it – which turned out great! First stop was the Whitney Biennial 2026. I was able to attend the 2024 edition and took the opportunity to see what’s new thus year. Also on exhibit is Unitiled (America) featuring Whitney’s collection and new acquisitions. Isamu Noguchi collection: I was able to sneak in a Broadway musical as well (booked my ticket the morning of) – Maybe Happy Ending, which won the Tony Awards for Best Musical. Very entertaining and enchanting – with only four actors…

Amstelstad

Categories: Amsterdam · Art · Netherlands · TravelTags: · · ·

My fourth visit – and still has its charm! I am back in Amsterdam, another winter visit to this friendly city. I was mainly going to the “Metamorphoses” exhibit at the Rijksmuseum. Based on the world famous Methamorphoses by the poet Ovid, one long poem filled with stories from classical mythology – tales of love and desire, jealousy and ambition, arrogance and cunning and deceit. In all of them, transformation is the central theme. Bringing together more than 80 masterpieces by Bernini, Titian, Correggio, Caravaggio, Rodin, Brancusi, and many more.

City of Lights

Categories: Architecture · Art · Europe · France · ParisTags: ·

Seven years later, I made it back to Paris. First stop is my favourite Jardin du Luxembourg. The second item on my to do list is to visit The Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection. The building, formerly the commodity exchange, has been wonderfully restored and transformed by architect Tadao Ando and opened in 2021 exhibiting modern art.