Medieval Manhattan? The Cloisters

Living in Europe, when friends and colleagues ask me what to see on their visit to New York, I always get the odd look when I say to spend part of one day exploring ‘medieval Manhattan’. As Europeans know all too well, American history is remarkably short. But money can buy almost anything, as the…

Read More

Pass through elk antler gates in Jackson, Wyoming

If you’re passing through beautiful Grand Teton National park, you’re sure to visit the quintessential western town of Jackson, Wyoming. Jackson, established in 1829, was named after the famous trapper and mountain man, Davey Jackson. Jackson is at the edge of the Grand Teton National Park (See my earlier post around hiking around Phelps Lake) and…

Read More

Hiking the Phelps Lake Loop, Grand Teton National Park

Of the many impressive hikes to explore in the picturesque Grand Teton National Park, in Wyoming, one not to be missed is the pleasant seven-mile loop around Phelps Lake. The stunning hike begins from the Laurance S. Rockefeller Presereve’s parking area. Parking spots go quickly, so be sure to arrive early in the morning. As…

Read More

Cool down in Central Park’s Lasker pool

For those of you have visited New York in the summer, you’ll know that summer in the city can get awfully hot. The (illegal) way kids used to cool down was to tamper with the fire hydrants. Luckily, that practice is long gone, and children’s playgrounds now offer water park areas. My kids are always…

Read More

Rush hour traffic jam…in Wyoming

This summer I was out in the western United States, enjoying the beauty of Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Part of the fun of these vacations is unplugging entirely from the hectic pace of daily life, and-in my case-the chaos of the city in which I live, Rome. Nothing says “Slow down”…

Read More

Take me out to the ball game…in Washington, D.C.

What’s an American mom raising soccer-crazed boys in Italy to do? I grew up loving baseball, always thrilled when my dad took me to see the Red Sox play when I was a kid growing up in Boston. I religiously filled in my scorecard, followed the cheers, thrilled when a home run sailed high over the…

Read More

Skyscraper tourism: Top of the Rock, New York

I’ve already let slip about my love of skyscrapers, and I’ve posted about skyscraper tourism for Taipei 101 in Taiwan and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. So now it’s time to return to the original city of skyscrapers – New York City. Although the Empire State Building is more famous (and I’ll write about…

Read More

Dinosaur BBQ, New York City

Okay, so Manhattan barbeque joints probably aren’t the first thing to spring to mind for most visitors to New York. But whenever we’re back in New York, my kids insist that we go back to eat at Dinosaur Bar-b-que, a popular Harlem restaurant and Columbia University hangout. Sometimes we eat there, and sometimes we get takeout…

Read More