[MILANO, ITALY] — I was sitting in a farmhouse in Provence reading Maisons Cote Sud thinking about where I wanted to go next. There was an article about this restored abandoned farmstead in the middle of Milan. I thought “wow, this is so cool.” I tore it out and added it to my Milan list. You’d never think there’d still be an old farmstead smack in the middle of Milano, but there is. Cascina Cuccagna is an old abandoned 18th Century agricultural complex that a group of local food lovers got together, hauled away the junk and turned the place into a cool food-centric hangout. It’s a culinary cultural center: a bar/cafe, a bookstore, a nice restaurant, an event space and an educational garden, all in
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[HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS, MOROCCO] — I didn’t know there’d be a donkey involved. Actually, I didn’t really know what all would be involved. But there he was, on a foot bridge spanning a roaring river, staring at me like “Really?”. It would be hard to be a donkey, actually. Getting all the shit jobs that man doesn’t want to do, in this case, carrying my pack and our lunch for the day. And the flies. Man, the flies. A constant swarm of pesky varmints, always, poking your eyes, biting your knees, and just all-around being annoying. 24/7. I hate flies and if I was a donkey, I’d really hate flies. A constant shake of the head to shake them away. My tail in continuous motion to
[MARRAKESH, MOROCCO] — A review of Amanjena luxury hotel Marrakesh, the best hotel in the Marrakesh Palmeraie. Amanjena is one of the best luxury hotels in Marrakesh. __________________________ The sun had set. The sky dimming a deep purple. Reflections on a giant dark pool shimmered back the endless repetitive patterns of grand columns across the water — embracing my pattern-OCD like a bear hug. A handful of people relaxed on pillows strewn about a manicured lawn, sipping cocktails amidst the growing light of the dozens of lanterns lit just so. Silently, five men in long robes and headscarves sat down in low chairs at the water’s edge. And then it started. A gentle bass drum, lithe strings join in, picking up the pace as a percussion resonated against all
[STRONG CITY, KANSAS] — Here’s a post about a fantastic visit to the National Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. Thousands of acres of rolling green grasslands in Strong City, Kansas. And a review of the excellent Clover Cliff Ranch B&B, you should stay here. ____________________________________ What Are The Flint Hills? Out in the middle of Kansas lies the astounding Flint Hills, hundreds of thousands of acres of treeless, rolling hills with few fences and even fewer people. For generations these hills have remained the same, the soil so thick with rocks and limestone, they’ve never been plowed. You can read more on The Nature Conservancy website. Some of those thousands of acres have been preserved in the National Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, owned by the Nature Conservancy and co-managed
[KANSAS FLINT HILLS] — In the middle of Kansas, the breadbasket of the US, lies the Flint Hills — hundreds of thousands of acres of tallgrass prairies, open rangeland with very few trees, even less fences and the best grazing land in the country. The Flying W Ranch and the Clover Cliff Ranch in Chase County, Kansas has put on this cool shindig with their cousins and neighbors since ’96. Called Flames in the Flint Hills, they attract a couple of hundred people from all over the country every year. [EDITOR’S NOTE: The post was from a visit in 2015. During the pandemic Flying W shut down their guest ranch and are now solely focused on their sustainably-raised grass-fed beef business. You can read about it here. ]
[PUEBLO GARZÓN, URUGUAY] –Here’s a post about a fun gaucho parade and festival in the town of Garzón in Uruguay. We were in the tiny quiet village of Pueblo Garzón, Uruguay. Once abandoned, but bought by the famous chef Francis Mallmann who added a world famous restaurant and a small five room hotel. I’d been to Garzón several times by myself, but that year I dragged some friends along this time, “You gotta see how cool this place is.” After a week on the beach in nearby Jose Ignacio — my favorite place on earth — we were in Garzón for a few days to eat and bask in the wide green expanse of the Uruguayan countryside. And most importantly, eat Francis’s amazing food and
[MADRID, SPAIN] — There are lots and lots of Madrid guides, so I won’t go into much detail here, just think of this post like an old postcard rack at the train station, look for places that look good, then go find them. These are all my favorite places in Madrid. The Best Things to Do in Madrid, at least the best things to do over a winter weekend in Madrid. An overview of the best things to do in Madrid over a winter weekend. What to do in Madrid and what to do in 36 Hours in Madrid. I won’t go into much detail here, others have already done it. Just think of this post like a cluttered old postcard rack at the train
[SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL] — On a long trip to the island of Fernando do Noronha off the coast of Brazil , I had a quick overnight in São Paulo. It was a very quick trip stopover coming and going, both on Sunday nights when many things are closed so I didn’t get to see a lot in a short amount of time, but there are my favorite things I found. Here’s my take on spending a quick 36 Hours in São Paulo. What to do in São Paulo. Where to stay in São Paulo. Where to eat in São Paulo. ___________________________ I remember my first trip to Brazil in the mid-90s, working for a Swedish printing press manufacturer as a freelance marketing consultant. At the
[BARCELONA, SPAIN] — There are lots and lots of Barcelona guides, so I won’t go into much detail here, just think of this post like an old postcard rack at the train station, look for places that look good, then go find them. These are all my favorite places in Barcelona. The Best Things to Do in Barcelona, at least the best things to do over a winter weekend in Barcelona. I won’t go into much detail here, others have already done it. Just think of this post like a cluttered old postcard rack at the train station. Look for places that look good to you, then go find them. I’ve been in and out of Barcelona a half dozen times. Sometimes just as an
[BARCELONA] — El Born is a cool, quiet chill neighborhood away from the crazy crowds. It was super quiet when I first started coming to Barcelona in 2011, but has really filled in with many more cool shops, bars and restaurants. Now it’s become super hot and a bit swallowed up by Airbnbs, but still gorgeous. Perfect for walking around in summer or winter. Cool shops, mellow restaurants and beautiful streets. There’s a great little square with four or five outdoor cafes, perfect to just sit and watch Barcelona go by. You should go here. Here’s a good article from TimeOut on what to do in El Born and its trendy neighbor. — Last visited December 2011, May, June, July 2015 —
[RAVELLO, ITALY] — An overview of Ravello Amalfi Coast. What to see in Ravello on the Amalfi Coast. Where to stay in Ravello on the Amalfi Coast. _______________________ A few thousand feet up the mountains over Positano and the sea is the town of Ravello. Often voted one of the prettiest villages in Italy, it shows it. They’ve done a great job at preserving this little mountaintop town. No modern stores or chains. Just a quant little piazza, with hotels and restaurants spanning out to the edges of the cliffs. The views are stunning of the distant water thousands of feet below, the shimmer of the sun. Extremely relaxing place with just a few hotels and restaurants. A couple days is all you need unless
[PARIS] — One of Paris’ booming neighborhoods is the Canal Saint-Martin. You can’t miss it on the map, it’s the big gash right over there on the right. Go for a mid-day stroll, up and down the foot bridges. I was there only in November and another time in December, but I hear it’s jammed with sunbathers and walkers during the summer. On all the side streets and boulevards facing the canal, there are cute cafes and boutique shops of just about every category. You can rent bikes in the summer and putter all up and down the canal. Stop for lunch at the super cute Hotel du Nord, extra cool little restaurant. Some great small shops and cafes. Or pack a lunch, sit and
[BAHIA, BRAZIL] — Here’s my overview of Trancoso, the former fishing village, then turned international hippie community in the 70s, then Trancoso turned into an international bohemian beach town on the coast of Bahia in Northeast Brazil. Trancoso sits above some of the best beaches in Bahia and all of Brazil. ____________________________ Trancoso–a Former Fishing Village, Now an International Destination I’d read about Trancoso for some time, it just kept popping up in the right places. But when I was in a small Uruguayan hotel and met a photographer from Wallpaper who had just come from a week-long shoot there, he said it was one of the coolest places he’d been, I knew I had to go. So I did. A once-isolated fishing village in
[COPENHAGEN, DENMARK] — I was in Copenhagen with some of my family a long time ago for just a couple of nights before moving on to Stockholm, so I didn’t get to see a ton. But here are the best things I found to do in Copenhagen. Cool things I found to do in Copenhagen over a winter weekend. Walk Around Copenhagen Centrum We got in late and it was raining a lot, so we didn’t get to see as much as we’d hope during our short stay. But Copenhagen is one of the prettiest, cleanest, friendliest, most beautifully designed cities in the world. Here’s a great guide to the best things to do in Copenhagen Centrum from the official city tourist website. Copenhagen has
[AMSTERDAM] — I’d never been to Amsterdam before – was never 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 a 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. I came for five days, but I was kinda done after three. It’s a small city. Best here are the best things I found to do in Amsterdam. Cool things to do in Amsterdam 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
[PARATY, BRAZIL] — Here’s a quick overview of Paraty, the perfect Dutch colonial town just a few hours drive from Rio and Sao Paolo. It’s so perfectly preserved and looks like you’re on a movie set. The stone lined streets are dotted with cute galleries and simple restaurants, but the best thing to do in Buzios is to take an all day schooner ride along Brazil’s stunning Costa Verde coast. Stopping along the way to snorkel, take a schwimbob or swim into shore and have a fabulous lunch in a beach shack. I was there way back in 2001, before digital cameras, so I only have bad scans from old prints. Paraty and Ihla Grande as part of Brazil’s stunning 325 mile long Costa