40 hours in The Chi

Categories: Travel · USA · Art · Food · Accommodations · ChicagoTags: Leave a comment

Third time a charm they say. My last visit to the Chicago was more than ten years ago and thought of another weekend getaway, as that is the only time off I can take these days. Went back to one of my “Happy Place” – the Art Institute of Chicago. There was a special exhibit on, entitled “Radical Clay: Contemporary Women Artists from Japan”. I tried out two Michelin Bib-Gourmand restaurants: The Purple Pig and Perilla (serving Korean-American cuisine – contemporary take on familiar Korean food). Both were outstanding. My lunch break from the museum was at The Gage –…

BCN

Categories: Accommodations · Barcelona · Food · Spain · TravelTags: · ·

The last time I was in this city, it was seven years ago – mucho tiempo sin verlo! I am back in Barcelona, a city that is dear to me, for less than 24 hours to catch my flight home. It was a walk down memory “paseo”! I had the chance to go back to Arrosseria Xativa for their paella, specifically the Paella Valencia con Pollo. They have a few branches in the city. It was a challenge finding a restaurant for Sunday dinner but got I lucky to find Besta in the Michelin Guide. It was one amazing Menú…

Ibiza

Categories: Accommodations · Ibiza · Spain · TravelTags: · · ·

Eivissa (in Balearic Catalan) or Ibiza has enchanted travellers for more than 3,000 years. For many, Ibiza is the Balearic island of excess with nightclubs, music scene and glamorous parties. For others (like me), I have come to the White Isle of Spain for some laid-back relaxation. The least-populated and most rustic part of the island where I stayed at, northern Ibiza has a boho, off-grid vibe due to its hippy heritage and remote landscapes. This is a magically beautiful region of forested hills, twisting backroads, timeworn whitewashed villages and a rugged coastline with some of the island’s most secluded…

Santiago de Chile

Categories: Architecture · Chile · Santiago · TravelTags: · ·

Santiago, Chile‘s capital city, has long been overlooked in favour of older and more well-know capital cities in South America. Nestled between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Santiago is no longer a stopover city and is finally coming into its own. The country’s most populated city has a chill and relaxed vibe. The Templo Bahá’í de Sudamérica opened in 2016 and has a luminous structure with nine monumental glass wings that is arranged like a leaf. Made with an external layer of molten glass and the internal layer of translucent marble that allow the passage of light.

Valparaíso

Categories: Architecture · Art · Chile · Travel · ValparaísoTags: · · · · ·

Located on central Chile’s Pacific coast, the colonial city of Valparaíso represents an extraordinary example of late 19th century urban architectural development in Latin America. Only 120 kilometres (an hour and a half drive) northwest of the capital Santiago, Valparaíso is Chile‘s main port and known for its bohemian and artistic vibe. Hosting one of the few UNESCO World Heritage sites in the country – Valparaíso is an open air museum full of art, graffiti, and colourful houses displayed within the hills.

Millahue Valley 

Categories: Accommodations · Chile · Millahue Valley · TravelTags: · · · 2 Comments

Millahue Valley, or named Lugar de Oro by the native Mapuche people, is my first stop after a 10.5 hour flight to Santiago de Chile. Two hours by car (or 160 kms) south of Santiago, the valley is located in the Colchagua wine region in Central Chile, which is sandwiched between the Andes Mountains and the Coastal Mountain Range. The valley’s granitic and volcanic soils merge with an arid Mediterranean climate, causing grapes to ripen slower, often with little intervention. I stayed at Vik Hotel, which is located in the grounds of its namesake vineyard. Vina Vik is situated on…

Revisiting New York

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

It was a brief Easter weekend trip back to New York. I couldn’t believe that it has been seven years since I was last in this city. It was more of a gorging weekend, admittedly. I did go back to a couple of my favourites and tried out a few new ones as well. I did manage to go back to Marta and to the Michelin-Starred Estela. Both still consistently wonderful! First dinner was at Tonchin, a Tokyo-based ramen chain (and also a Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient) that offers one of the city’s best bowls. Two other new places I…

Solana Resort

Categories: Accommodations · Batangas · Philippines · TravelTags: · · · · ·

A short 2.5 hour drive south of Manila is Anilao, Batangas. A typical weekend getaway for locals and for many foreign tourists looking to de-stress and be close to the water. More importantly, this coastal city is recognized for its phenomenal diving sites. Dive Solana Resort is a well known resort and a favourite of divers. (Well known enough that a crew from BBC media stationed themselves here for three weeks last month to film a documentary on underwater life.) I am not a diver, however – I was just here to relax by the sea and enjoy comfortable modern…

Teşekkürler 

Categories: Accommodations · Bodrum · Istanbul · Türkiye · TravelTags: · · · · ·

Thank you in Turkish. It was a wonderful visit – a good mix of relaxation and culture, the familiar and the new. I stayed for the first four nights at Six Senses Kaplankaya in the Bodrum peninsula. The hotel amenities are extensive and service was professional. There are four food outlets at the hotel serving International (Sage & Sea), Pan-Asian (Wild Thyme), Seafood Grill (Meze by the Sea), and modern Italian (Anhinga – which was the disappointment). There are also four beach areas that form part of the hotel complex. My last two nights were in Istanbul and I stayed…

Byzantium

Categories: Architecture · Istanbul · Türkiye · TravelTags: · ·

After twelve years, I am back for my second visit to the city first known as Byzantium, then became Constantinople, and Istanbul today. The city that is both ancient and modern, Europe and Asia, familiar and exotic. I visited for the first time two sights I failed to see the last time: the Basilica Cistern and the Istanbul Archeology Museum. And also took the opportunity to re-visit the Topkapi Palace and of course, the Ayasofya. In July 2020, the Ayasofya was decreed to be used as a mosque again, annulling the use as museum – the mosaics on the balcony…