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…

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…

Medellín

Categories: Colombia · Medellin · TravelTags: · · ·

The Andean metropolis of Medellín has written a new narrative since the death of Pablo Escobar in 1993. Instead, visitors will discover a proud, progressive city that’s taken strides toward innovation with a modern metro and cable-car system that connects downtown with hillside barrios and beyond. Not to mention, the expansive collection of outdoor sculptures by Fernando Botero – with 23 at Plaza Botero and at Parque San Antonio, which included El Pajaro, which was damaged by a bomb in 1995.

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.

Basel

Categories: Art · Basel · SwitzerlandTags: · ·

Basel is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine and the third most populous city after Zurich and Geneva. Basel is commonly considered to be the cultural capital of Switzerland and the city is famous for its many museums, including the Kunstmuseum, which is the first collection of art accessible to the public in the world (1661) and the largest museum in the country.

Utrecht

Categories: Art · Netherlands · UtrechtTags: · · ·

Netherlands’ under-the-radar fourth city has quietly built a reputation as the relaxed alternative to Amsterdam. The medieval centre is the heart of this compact city renowned for modern architecture, abstract art and furniture design – thanks to its close association with the “De Stijl” art movement. Centraal Museum, the oldest in the country, is eclectic- mixing golden age paintings with contemporary art.