February 2009
The Interview: Larry Olmsted on Getting into Guinness
In Getting Into Guinness: One Man's Longest, Fastest, Highest Journey Inside the World's Most Famous Record Book, writer Larry Olmsted not only chronicles the 50-year history of Guinness World Records. He explains in some detail how he managed to set two Guinness records of his own. The book
THE ARTFUL TRAVELER: A Big Apple Debut for Five Masterpieces
Reviewed by Bobbie Leigh Five superb masterpieces that – notoriously – rarely travel and leave the tranquil galleries of the Norton Simon Foundation and Museum in California have made a once-in-your–lifetime cross-country trek to the Frick. At the opening of Masterpieces of European Painting from the Norton Simon Museum,
Titans of History: On the Road with Darwin and Lincoln
Reviewed by Richard West Remarkable, isn’t it, that Abraham Lincoln, savior of democracy and the United States, and Charles Darwin, founder of modern biology and the world’s most influential naturalist, were born on the same date: February 12, 1809. And to think people still scoff at the notion of
A FINE ROMANCE: SEVEN ROMANTIC GEMS
It seems like every hotel worthy of the name is pitching a Valentine’s Day deal in this year of the recession. But the fact is that the best romantic getaways are romantic year round, not just on February 14. So forget about the legions of mediocre hotels
Rio for Beginners
Years ago, I wrote a book on Brazil. I was happy and privileged to spend months traveling to the Pantanal, the Amazon and Bahia (not to mention Recife, Belem and Minas Gerais, among many other places, with countless adventures along the way). But in the end, I always came back
Carnival 2009
Nothing comes close to the bacchanal that is Carnival in Rio, which runs from February 20-25, 2009. Sure, you can book your own trip, but hotel rates are grossly inflated during Carnival. It’s easier by far to peruse the offerings of a company called Brazil Nuts, which offers dozens
Morrinho: Art in the Favela
The favelas of Rio, ramshackle squatter quarters on muddy hillsides, are best known for intractable poverty and violence. A shining exception within Favela do Pereirao in Santa Teresa is the Morrinho Project. Started in 1998 by then 14-year-old Nelcirlan Souza, it’s favela-as-Legoland, a miniature world using bricks and actual Lego
Style on Ipanema: Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro
For many of us, Ipanema is the only place to stay in Rio, and with the new Fasano, a Brazilian-owned hotel, design mavens have a home. The all-too ubiquitous Phillipe Starck was enlisted and yes, there are billowing curtains (yawn) a la the Delano. But it gets (a lot)
“Blood River: A Journey to Africa’s Broken Heart,” by Tim Butcher
Reviewed by Richard West Recently, I gazed at a map of the world and fondly remembered countries visited: sites seen, people met, divine meals devoured, memorable mementoes purchased, and also the unpleasantness of trips, luggage lost, vigorous bigotries, Delhi-belly-esque illnesses. Then a question arose: where among all these
Your Own Private Utah
By William Triplett You don't often see ski resorts reflecting a town's dueling cultural influences, especially in Utah, which was founded almost exclusively by people of like minds and hearts. But Mormon pioneers were not alone in settling Ogden, 35 miles north of Salt Lake City. Outsiders had an