June 2016

By Monique Burns In Berlin, the German capital, as in other great metropolises, finding a good, reasonably priced hotel in the center-city is well nigh impossible.  If you do find a hotel that’s clean and comfortable, you’re lucky.  If it also has free Wi-Fi, a gym and sauna, a bar,

Berlin. Perfect high-summer June evening–even at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The light has sculpted the 2,711 concrete slabs, each meant to symbolize a coffin, into a pleasingly abstract play of gray and black. It’s contrary to the intent, of course. Even so, the behavior of this

By Bobbie Leigh Have you ever heard of a collector commissioning a work of art  saying: “Do what you want and I will love it.”  Neale Albert is that rarity.  He is a  collector who commissions artists to  create miniature bookbindings and  asks  only that they give him their best

By Richard West I am here to relieve your angst and ennui that often arises whence cometh that seasonal oxymoron, Summer Vacation.  Your concern that the undiscovered city doesn’t deserve even an imaginary airline ticket; staying in the slight-run-downiness of Hotel Earle in “Barton Fink” instead of the promised “new

By Everett Potter Luggage manufacturers are always trying to do more with less. After all, they need to abide by airline space restrictions while also giving travelers everything they might desire in a single piece of luggage. A case in point is the new ecbc Sparrow Wheeled Garment Bag. At

By Gary Walther Altitude condenses eye-level chaff. From the Bridge Deck, the bow of the Crystal Serenity becomes an elegant geometry, circle-in-triangle with planes of blue as background. And a figure to yield perspective. Having space to yourself, though, is not a one-off on Crystal, whose ships are tops when

By Larry Olmsted The world is full of iconic hotels, from London’s Savoy to Venice’s Cipriani to Hong Kong’s Peninsula, but it is fair to say that the Ritz Paris is the most iconic of them all. It was the first namesake launch by the most revered main in hospitality history,

Interview by Everett Potter I met Michael Bennett of Muddy Shoe Adventures at the Adventure Travel World Summit in Ireland two years ago.  He had lots to say about something called “transformational travel,” so I thought it best to have him explain what this movement is all about. EP: What

By Alexander Lobrano Chef David Rathgeber’s restaurant L’Assiette is not only the best bistro in Montparnasse, but one of the best bistros in Paris. Why? I’ll let the chef himself explain why it’s so good. “I don’t like la cuisine d’assemblage (the modern mode for plates of food that are

By Shari Hartford Some things…like fine wine and fine hotels…are worth the wait. I had heard about the re-branding and re-do of this historic property about a year ago and was anticipating the opening. At long last it was here and I promptly crossed town to the east side for