A few years ago, I was gifted a ticket to see Andrea Bocelli in concert at the theater he helped create in Tuscany called Teatro del Silenzio. Full of gorgeous operatic and pop music, guest performers, dancing, fanfare, spectacle, and even a white tiger, it was a mesmerizing, unforgettable event. And it gave me anContinueContinue reading “Once Upon a Time in Tuscany”
Category Archives: Music
How to Find Great Values in Venice
Centuries-old former palaces crackle and peel away in the thick, briny air. Bottom floors of old merchants’ warehouses sit empty and still cling half-heartedly to their romantic patina of a time long past, slowly but beautifully decaying under the Venetian heat, humidity, and rising waters. As I glide down the canal on a slow vaporetto,ContinueContinue reading “How to Find Great Values in Venice”
Being a Tourist in Your Own Town
I love Seattle, and after nearly four years of living here, it finally feels like home. It’s a dynamite town. It’s small yet metropolitan. Neighborhoods like Ballard, Capitol Hill, Freemont, and Magnolia boast distinct personalities yet feel cohesively Seattle. We have a good baseball team, a stellar soccer team, and a phenomenal football team (GoContinueContinue reading “Being a Tourist in Your Own Town”
Letting Fate Be Your Guide in Venice
Letting Fate Be Your Guide in Venice It’s early morning. 6:30 to be exact. I’ve yet to take my shower, but centuries-old buildings are bathing in amber-and rose-tinted sunlight and summon me for a visit. There’s so much to do today, and I need to maximize my time here. Ninety minutes of Venice practically allContinueContinue reading “Letting Fate Be Your Guide in Venice”
Contemporary Egypt
On our trip through Egypt, we hit most major historical and architectural sites in Cairo, Alexandria and Luxor: the Pyramids of Giza, the new great library Biblioteka Alexandrina, the temples at Luxor and Karnak, and the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Stunning and powerful, one and all. But equally fascinating to me wasContinueContinue reading “Contemporary Egypt”
Mayhem and Courtesy in Chicago
Tribal beats of ancient druid drums thumped and reverberated in my chest, and the ringing in my ears seemed to be in perfect pitch with the wailing music. Flashes of colored light hauntingly illuminated the gathering of devotees who swayed and swarmed in feverish rapture. I had never been to such a gathering, and myContinueContinue reading “Mayhem and Courtesy in Chicago”
The Travelphile 