(Outside Copenhagen) — When I read about the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, I himmed-and-hawked about making the treck out to the countryside. But boy oh boy am I glad I did. You take a quick train and then walk a few blocks, but the setting is what makes this such a special place. Okay, the art too. Set right along the Oresund, the peaceful setting gets your mood when you walk up the road and first see the building. The outdoor sculpture garden is serene, overlooking the water. A really cool cafe makes it perfect timing to plan to spend lunch, with windows overlooking the sea and a warmth like a cup of coffee. I lost some of my pictures, but check out what
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(Copenhagen) — You’ll read all about Tivoli Gardens, the amusement park built in the mid 1800s, it’s a top destination in Copenhagen. But I suggest you hold off on visiting it until nighttime with all the lights come up and it takes on a whole new feel. There’s as many adults as kids, all just out for a stroll. And while you’re at it, stop by the moorish Nimb hotel and it’s world-reknown restaurant Nimb, considered one of the vanguards of the new-Scandavian cuisine. You’ll need reservations at Nimb, but there’s a more casual sibling right next door, with large community tables and amazing food. Have a bite and a nip, then go back out and enjoy the lights. Last visited: November 2009
(Amsterdam) — There are some cool hotels in Amsterdam, but my favorite in the city is The Dylan, a small, elegant gem. Once you step in, it’s like walking inside an anechoic chamber — the quiet overtakes you. And when you open the door to the dramatic colors and lighting of the rooms, you just want to instantly crawl in and take a nap. It feels like being on the inside of a violin. The decor of the rooms is more like Bali, than the middle of Holland. They’re not big (and not cheap) but every square inch is covered in some fine material. The baths, spectacular. The common areas of the lobby, bar and dining room really make you want to come back and
(Amsterdam) — I’d never been to Amsterdam before – not that interested in the coffeeshops and sex shops and drunken British lads. But after working like a fiend all year, I decided to make a Mileage Run over Thanksgiving, booking two weeks before and doing very little research. I jumped on a plane and just decided to wing it, knowing I just needed to get out of the country, fast. Icame for five days, but I was kinda done after three. It’s a small city. November is, I discovered, the absolute rainiest month in the year. No big deal, I was expecting that, I like going places when hoards of tourists aren’t there and get a chance to live like a resident. Living in New York taught me that. While everyone came in
(Amsterdam) — The College Hotel is a working hotel run by the local college school of hotels. It is a gorgeous hotel, with great rooms and a remarkable physical plant. A little off the beaten bath, but still easily accessible to the rest of central Amsterdam. Service can be a little spotty. The restaurant is great, but maybe because it was in winter, each time I dined, it was nearly devoid of people.
Here’s a great BA guide from Travel & Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, and NYTimes.
The whole Amalfi Coast is a string of towns south of Naples, roughly starting from Sorrento on down. Each has it’s own charm and personality. Not a big fan of Sorrento, more of a modern city that cruise ships and tour buses visit. Keep going down farther, starting at Positano. Positano is almost all about hotels and restaurants, not much else going on except lemons and pottery with lemons on it. You come to rest and look out over the sea, then eat. All of Positano is built on a steep cliff around a V shaped cove, with one main road that zig-zags from the top to the bottom, then back up again. The rest is just steep steps connecting each level. The beach
(Stockholm) — One of the neatest museums in the world is Stockholm’s Vasa Museum. The entire museum is built around a single wooden sailing warship called the Vasa. Built during Sweden’s years as a world naval power in the 1600s, the Vasa, having just had its christening, slid out in the Stockholm harbor and, because it had so many canons on it, quickly tilted over, filled with water and sank instantly to the bottom. It remained on the bottom for hundreds and hundreds of years, perfectly preserved by the rich mud until it was rediscovered in the 1960s, raised and pumped full of preservatives. The whole museum is built around the ship, allowing you to get up close to its sides, peek in its
(Stockholm) — In the heart of Stockholm is the city’s Old Town or Gamla Stan. Sweden’s “Venice of the North” is all built on a series of islands and Gamla Stan is right smack in the middle of them. No cars are allowed, so you can calmly walk it’s twisted, windy streets. Small shops, bars and restaurants are tucked into all its nooks an crannies. One, Fem Sma Hus, has been in continuous operation since 1651. I remember meeting my friends Bror-Erik and Irene once and when I asked how old the restaurant was, he said “This is a pretty new one. I think it opened in the late 1800s.” Last visited: November 2006
[STOCKHOLM] — Here are some of my favorite sites in Stockholm, like a digital postcard rack for you to explore. Here’s an awesome survey article from a June 2016 Wall Street Journal article on a weekend in Stockholm. I concur with all their tips and suggestions. Here’s a great recap article of all the cool new New Nordic Cuisine in Sweden in the July 2012 Conde Nast Traveler.
(Stockholm) — The Berns was a grand lady hotel, but several years ago it undertook a modern day reboot, boldly revamped into a hipster hangout. I’ve never stayed here, but highly recommend at least stopping in for a drink in the soaring two-story lobby, complete with boom-she-boom soundtrack and great people watching. Make sure you check out the concerts in the immense, totally gorgeous music hall, presenting some of the hottest bands going. We saw the then just-breaking punk-gypsy band Gogol Bordello, a raucous good time of spinning, laughing and dancing. Last visited: November 2009
(Rome) — The Pantheon, one of the great wonders of the world and certainly my favorite of all time. Every time I come back to Rome, the first thing I have to do is to go and see and touch this magical place. Built by my friend Emperor Augustus and rebuilt over hundreds of years, its recent reincarnation (hundreds of years ago) is a good as it gets. Look closely and you’ll notice the repeating motif of a sphere inside of a square. Lots has been written about this wonderful place, so I don’t need to go on here. But if you’re in Rome, you need to go here. Several times, so you can experience the changing light from morning to night.
[ROME] — Trastevere is the cool part of Roma where Romans go. Chocked full with students and awesome, affordable restaurants, it’s where you want to head out for a stroll and some grub. Day or night. If you’re zigzaggin’ through Trastevere schtop into the most excellent Ristorante Paris, not 30m from the cathedral S. Maria in Trastevere (which is a cool church to duck into… or even pray, for chrissake). I’m cuckoo for carciofi. Oh man, just the mere mention of artichokes on the menu and my feathers get all fluttery… almost as if they said “lamb”.😳 If you’re in Rome from Feb-May that’s peak artichoke season and carciofi is on the menu nearly everywhere. Heaven. They specialize in Roman dishes throughout the seasons, but
[POSITANO, ITALY] — This is my second favorite place in Positano. It’s a hoof to get down the steps from the main road, but when you’re there, you are just clinging to the side of the cliff. Very nice people, exceptional rooms. Can’t go wrong. Expensive, but worth every penny, especially if you splurge for one of the rooms that has this shower overlooking the sea. It’s a great hotel with super sweet people that run it and that combination is why even all the barking dogs on TripAdvisor rank this puppy 5 out of 5 stars. You know you’re doing something right when you have a four star hotel pulling down five stars. Albergo MiraMare website
(Buenos Aires) — When I first went to Buenos Aires in 2005, the Puerto Madero waterfront redevelopment has only been completed for a short time. When I first saw pictures of the soaring lobby of the Faena Hotel & Universe in a travel magazine, I just knew I had to go there. Universe? C’mon. But when I read about how it was built inside a restored Victorian era warehouse/factory and saw pictures of all the details, I just had to check it out. At the time, boutique hotels were still something new, but I knew something cool was going on when I walked in and there was no reception desk and you checked in with an Experience Manager. I thought it was a gimmick, but
[ROMA] — There are fancier places to stay in Rome, but one of my favorites is the Albergo del Senato, directly across from my favorite building in the world, The Pantheon. It is small, Old School, but delightful. You can’t beat the location, smack in the heart of everything good. And right around the corner from the best gelato in Rome, Giolitti. If you can’t get a guarantee from the hotel for a Pantheon view, then there are other hotels I’d choose. (I once had a broom closet of a room once that wasn’t and it looked out onto a blind alley.) But if you can secure a room that overlooks the Pantheon, there is no place better to stay in Rome. If you can
(Bagnols, France) — Chateau Bagnols website, TripAdvisor reviews, View Larger Map
(Costa Careyes, Mexico) — High above a nearly deserted coastline, Costa Careyes is a remarkable compound of a couple dozen villas (each with their own architectural theme), casitas and small hotel. Owned by a one-eyed Italian count and designed by an Italian architect, this place looks like a bizarre movie set — think Planet of the Apes (in a good way) combined five star luxury and you get it. Really cool designs tucked into every square inch. Most of the living areas are outdoors, under thatched roofs and no windows. An incredible attentive staff looks after your every need. We stayed in Altiplano, but took a tour of several other of their properties, including a stunning rooftop house with a 180 degree pool that surrounds
(Buzios, Brazil) — Casas Brancas is the perfect boutique hotel on one of the most perfect bays in Brazil. Within walking distance from downtown, it is perfectly situated on a bluff, facing directly into the setting suns of Buzios.