Category: Art and Architecture

  • Roads Less Traveled in Spain

    Roads Less Traveled in Spain

    I was not quite sure what, but something was drawing me to the north of Spain, even though it was not one of the “top” tourist destinations. One thing I knew I had to see was the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, even though I had read that the building by Frank Gehry was far better…

  • Vietnam Mon Ami

    Vietnam Mon Ami

    Our trip to Vietnam was bookended by museums in Hanoi (the Ho Chi Minh Museum) and in Ho Chi Minh City (the more war-focused War Remnants Museum and the Reunification Palace that was the seat of the Saigon government). For many Americans, the Vietnam War remains a horrific chapter in American history. In his autobiography,…

  • A Festival, Art, and Empire in Thailand

    A Festival, Art, and Empire in Thailand

    While we were planning to spend a month in Thailand, we hadn’t yet completely decided just what we would be doing there. Busy waiting for a flight from Laos to Myanmar, Linda read about the International Balloon Festival that was going to be held in Chiang Mai a few days after we were due to…

  • The Land of Golden Buddhas, Temples, and Pagodas

    The Land of Golden Buddhas, Temples, and Pagodas

    If you are a fan of pagodas, Buddhas, temples and monasteries, you’ll love Myanmar — there are probably more religious buildings In Myanmar than there are Starbucks in the world. But Myanmar was a bit of a letdown for me. We had already spent two months in Southeast Asia and seen and explored hundreds of…

  • Peru — Insights into Culture and Civilization

    Peru — Insights into Culture and Civilization

    Because I was born into Western culture and have lived my entire life within it, I experience the world through its lens and filters. But I know that is not the only way to see the world, and in Peru, for the first time on this trip, it become obvious. I became fascinated by the pre-Columbian…