Every time I was in Barcelona, the long lineups to get tickets to enter La Sagrada Familia discouraged me from visiting it. On this specific trip, I was there with my mother who made a point of visiting it as she had never been there and was very interested in seeing it in person. So I bought reserved tickets online which gave us a window between 11 am and noon for...
What do you do when you feel like you are going to die from altitude sickness? You find just enough strength to go to the closest monastery… By the time I arrived in Arequipa, I was having a hard time breathing due to the high elevation, we were staying in town for a couple of days to acclimatize a bit more before heading to Machu Picchu. Yet, I was not sure I...
I am not sure how many times we passed through Singapore, but it is safe to say that we were there at least six times during that year. I finally got my wish to stay at the Marina Bay Sands for a couple of nights. I mean, you have to experience the famous rooftop infinity swimming pool at least once, don’t you? Staying at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore Staying...
I hardly ever get up at 4 am to go sightseeing, but in this case, it was warranted. We left our AirBnB apartment in the Historic Centro of Mexico City and got into Uber to take us to the meeting point in another part of town where the bus was waiting for us to take us about an hour outside of the city. The plan was simple, to watch the sunrise while floating silently...
While visiting Kanazawa, I decided to spend a day in Shirakawa-go since it was winter and I knew the place will look just like in the pictures I have seen over and over again in the past. Winter Wonderland at Shirakawa-go, Japan Winter Wonderland at Shirakawa-go, Japan After boarding a bus at the Kanazawa station, I arrived in this magical village hidden in the...
Hanoi is a good city to get lost a little, and because I got lost I stumbled onto Hanoi Train Street by coincidence. I have read recently that a lot has changed since my visit there… so here are some archival photography from the good old days: Hanoi Train Street Hanoi Train Street Hanoi Train Street was a wildly popular tourist destination in Hanoi, Vietnam, where...
Cusco is a stop for anyone heading to Macchu Picchu, and this is where I spent a few days before and after going there. It’s an absolutely beautiful place to visit. It’s great to get lost in among narrow streets, you have to be mindful of altitude. It’s takes time to get acclimatized, but once you do, it fun to explore it. There are large numbers of...
Every time I am in Kyoto, I make sure to visit the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove for a walk around. You simply cannot miss it, it is one of those iconic places in Japan. It’s perfect for a bit of forest bathing, being in nature and enjoying it every second. The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, located on the western...
There is no other place like New York City at Christmas time! Lights, crowds of people, the skating rink at the Rockefeller Center and of course Radio City Christmas Spectacular: Radio City Rockettes at the Radio City Hall. It’s our family tradition, as NYC is our second home. Rockefeller Center Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Ralph Lauren Hot Chocolate Stand...
Winter is here so it’s time for some fun in the snow. I spent a week in Whitler in British Columbia, Canada and I loved it. It’s a busy place during the skiing season but well worth the trip. There are many options for different activities and I will talk about them another time. One of the absolute highlights would be a helicopter tour of the area...