Public transportation can be a great way to get around a city, whether you’re a regular or a tourist. You’ve probably heard of Tokyo’s legendary rail system, London’s “Tube” and New York’s subway. Here are a few more cities around the world whose transit systems are more than just efficient, they’re a major part of their city’s story. Hong Kong As of 2017, [...]
Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino is a book that defies description: it consists of 55 vignettes, each of which describes a different fictional city. Yet each of these cities is in fact Venice, seen from one perspective or another, as told by a fictional version of Venetian traveler Marco Polo to the emperor Kublai Khan. By describing cities that are at once exquisite and [...]
Haruki Murakami’s 2002 novel Kafka on the Shore begins in bustling Tokyo, Japan, but takes us on a literary road trip that follows the protagonist, Kafka Tamura, as he runs away from home. He ends up on Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s four main islands. He finds refuge in the Komura Memorial Library and explores the mysteries of the library and the people [...]
It’s often rainy in London, so when traveling to the iconic city it’s a good idea to have an indoor backup plan just in case the weather suddenly gets testy. When I was in London in 2015, I managed to have an afternoon that was pretty much perfect, despite all-day rain. Take a peek at these suggestions for wet weather adventures in jolly [...]
The end of Shakespeare’s King Lear finds its characters situated atop the striking cliffs of Dover, England, a setting suitably dramatic for the climax of one of drama’s great tragedies. The blinded Earl of Gloucester asks his son, Edgar, to bring him to the edge of the cliffs saying, “There is a cliff, whose high and bending head /Looks fearfully in the confined [...]
If you’re looking to time travel and are intrigued by all things Renaissance, then look no further than King Richard’s Faire! The Faire is located in Carver, Massachusetts, just under two hours from Boston and is running until October 21. I recently attended this annual Renaissance-style fair, and it has attractions for all ages, including the following: Shows/Entertainment singing performances jousting mud show [...]
Growing up in New England makes it easy to take for granted that the leaves change colors in the fall. It was only recently that I began to fully appreciate the ephemeral beauty of the yellows, reds and oranges that decorated my neighborhood each fall. Many people travel to New England to witness the beauty of peak foliage season, which ranges from mid-September [...]
I recently went to Storm King Art Center an open-air museum in New York that boasts 500 acres and contains one of the most impressive sculpture collections in the country. Located in the Hudson Valley, this museum aims to bring modern sculpture art to the people of New York while preserving the natural landscape. Some standout pieces during my visit included a sailboat [...]
For this next installment of destination literature, I found inspiration in Vendela Vida’s The Lovers, a novel about loss and the passing of time. When the novel’s protagonist, Yvonne, finds herself a lonely widow, she travels to the coastal village of Datça, Turkey, where she and her husband honeymooned 28 years before. By traveling to the breathtaking beaches, ancient ruins and winding village [...]
My travel bug is here to stay and my reading list does not disappoint when it comes to travel inspiration! A recent read of Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows’s novel, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, has placed the island of Guernsey on my radar. This novel dives into the rich history of the island during World War II and what [...]