Sawadee

Categories: Accommodations · Bangkok · Food · Thailand · TravelTags: · ·

สวัสดี (Welcome)! My last visit to the Land of Thousand Smiles was in 2013 for a day – as a transit stop on my way to Bhutan. I am back in the city for a reunion with old University friends. Bangkok is an exhilarating attack on the senses – the intense humidity, fast moving tuk-tuks, aromatic spices, gleaming skyscrapers, and the seemingly peaceful boats gliding along the Chao Phraya River. Be it street Food or Michelin restaurants, Bangkok has a lot to offer. Bombyx is one of the restaurants by Jim Thompson (purveyor of silk products) that serves flavourful Thai…

Venice

Categories: Europe · Italy · Travel · VeniceTags: · · ·

Ciao Venice! I can’t believe that my last time to this enchanting city was in 2003 – fifteen years ago! I must admit that part of my hesitation to return to Venice is the several news accounts of daunting crowds of tourists outnumbering locals by two to one. I keep reminding myself that one is never more than a bridge or alley away to a more quiet campi (square) or neighbourhood. Venice continues to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Torna a Roma

Categories: Europe · Italy · Rome · TravelTags: · · · 1 Comment

“Back to Rome” after three years – I have returned to the former seat of power of the Roman Empire. This city is overflowing with iconic sights and architectural treasures that earn its name of the Eternal City. I am stopping by for a few days on my way to my main destination in Italy. It is never a chore to be in this living theatre.

AMS is Art

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

One will never run out of impressive art to appreciate in Amsterdam. From Rijksmuseum (where Rembrandt’s Night Watch resides), the Van Gogh Museum, the Hermitage Amsterdam (outpost of the famous Hermitage Museum of St. Petersburg), to the Stedelijk Museum. Currently on exhibit at the Hermitage is Portraitt Gallery of the Golden Age, featuring thirty colossal 17th century group paintings from Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam Museum. The Stedelijk has a permanent installation of iconic works by the likes of Piet Mondrian, Gerrit Rietveld, Nola Hatterman, Barnett Newman, Yves Klein, Roy Lichtenstein, and Yayoi Kusama.

Welkom terug in Amsterdam

Categories: Amsterdam · Europe · Netherlands · TravelTags: · · 1 Comment

It’s been five years when I last stayed in Amsterdam for a month. I fell for this city the first time I visited fifteen years ago and felt it was time that I return once again to one of my favourites for an extended long weekend. Amsterdam somehow manages to have it all – the buzz of a metropolis, great museums, beautiful architecture, yet small enough to walk (or cycle) almost anywhere you want. And, no unbearable summer heat this time of the year! Many news outlets are now reporting that this city is becoming the new Venice, a city stolen…

Valetta

Categories: Europe · Malta · TravelTags: · · ·

Europe’s first planned city built in the 17th century, Valetta is UNESCO World Heritage listed because of it high concentration of historic monuments. Valetta is Malta‘s capital built by the Knights of St. John on a peninsula that stretches only 1 km by 600 m. Decreed by its founder that it should be “a city built by gentlemen for gentlemen”, Valetta retains its 16th century elegance and is designated as European Capital of Culture for 2018 (and that is one of the reasons I am here). St. John’s Co-Cathedral is one of the most magnificent baroque and ornate churches in the…

Malta

Categories: Architecture · Europe · Malta · TravelTags: · · 1 Comment

Malta is an archipelago in the central Mediterranean between Sicily and North Africa. With its 7,000 year history, Malta has a greater density of historic sights than any other country. It boasts of unique prehistoric temples, Roman catacombs, medieval towns and extraordinary architectural legacy of the Knights of St. John (the Knights of Malta). Mdina is a fortified city that used to be the capital of Malta throughout the Middle Ages, until the arrival of the Order of St. John in 1530.  (And for GoT fans, the city was the location shoot for King’s Landing).

Dormir et Manger

Categories: Accommodations · Architecture · Europe · Food · France · Loire Valley · ParisTags: · · · ·

I saw Fontevraud L’Hotel featured in an architectural design magazine a couple of years ago and I placed a sticky note on it as a reminder that I should visit it one day. Fast forward and here I am at Fontevraud L’Hotel  which forms part of the Fontevraud Abbaye Royale – and it definitely did not disappoint. The setting is idyllic and in a sense, spiritual. Service was warm, the rooms were simple and modern, and it is the common areas and the grounds that make it extra special.                     I usually stay in the 6th…

Loire Valley

Categories: Europe · France · Loire Valley · TravelTags: · · · · · ·

Studed with fairytale châteaux and storybook villages, Loire Valley is known as the “Garden of France” and needless to say, its various vineyards. The area has become a showplace of the pleasure castles that take on different architectural styles. The Chateau of Villandry is the last of the great châteaux of the Loire built during the Renaissance of the Loire Valley. The elegance of its architecture combined with its expansive gardens make this one of the jewels of the world heritage.     Chateau D’Usse is known as the inspiration for Charles Perrault for his tale of Sleeping Beauty. This…

Fontevraud Royal Abbey

Categories: Europe · France · Loire Valley · TravelTags: · · ·

The main reason for my trip to France this year : to visit the Royal Abbey of Our Lady of Fontevraud in the Loire Valley. Formerly a monastery in the village of Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, near Chinon, it was founded in 1101 and became the center of a monastic Order. It is one of the largest surviving monastic cities from the Middle Ages, until 1792 when the last abbess was evicted following the French Revolution. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the complex of monastic buildings was transformed into a high security prison by order of Napoleon Bonaparte housing up to 2,000 prisioners…