Irish history is fascinating, mystical, and at times tragic. I suppose you could say this about any country with deep historical roots, but there’s something about Ireland that renders its past particularly epic and mythological. We’ve learned all about more modern Irish history during our time in Dublin – the 1916 Easter riots and Irish […]
Tag: art
Rome Retrospective (Part 1): Our Favorite Things to Do and See
There’s an abundance of monuments, museums, gardens, and adorable neighborhoods to visit in Rome. It’s pretty overwhelming, actually, even if you have over a month in the city. So you have to pick and choose. We saw the most famous sites, but also traveled off the beaten path every now and then. Here are my […]
How to Enjoy 48 Jam-Packed Hours in Venice
Sometimes I wish this whole year was one big vacation. We would be able to see and experience everything we wanted, and could spend days or weeks in particularly fascinating places. Alas, we’re not on perpetual holiday. But when we do get a few days off, we try to pack in as much fun and […]
A Beautiful, Art-filled Day in East Berlin
When you live in a city, it’s easy to get stuck in your neighborhood. Especially if it’s a really lively, interesting, great neighborhood like ours here in Berlin. Mitte is full of adorable, cozy restaurants, inviting bars, tempting boutique shops, and intriguing courtyards. Why would we ever leave? Because Berlin is full of other such […]
From Naïve Art to Torture: Museums, Part II
Joe and I continued our museum tour of Zagreb this week. Since we only have a few more days in this vibrant city, we wanted to make the most of them. After visiting the surprisingly lovely and uncrowded church of St. Mark, a sign caught our eye that we’d seen before. The Museum of Naïve […]
Archaeology is Alive and Well in Zagreb
There are dozens of museums in the city of Zagreb. When you wander the city streets, you can’t help but pass several within five minutes. The brown signs pointing visitors towards cultural sights are comically stacked up at intersections in the Old Town. So how do you choose? Must one prioritize broken relationships over archaeology? […]
Discovering Stories at the Benaki Museum of Islamic Art
Nestled on a quiet street corner on the edge of the Kerameikos neighborhood, a relatively clean, four-story building devoid of street art rises up behind a row of orange trees with a subtle air of importance. The Benaki Museum of Islamic Art houses a stunning collection of artifacts dating from the 8th – 19th centuries […]
The Writing on the Wall: Street Art in Athens
Oh, Athens, you beautiful, dirty, seething, charming, noisy, riotous, sun-drenched, ancient, ever-changing, artful city. This place bursts with memories of learning, growing up, drinking, dancing, eating, laughing, crying and living. So much has changed – there was actual LETTUCE in my Greek salad the other night – but many things remain the same: the Parthenon rises up, […]
