Solo Traveler Book Recommendation - Giant Steps

My latest book recommendation for solo travelers is Giant Steps: The Remarkable Story of the Goliath Expedition From Punta Arenas to Russia. The back story is that in November 1998, Karl Bushby, a 29-year-old British ex-paratrooper, set out to walk from Punta Arenas in far southern Chile to his home in Hull, England. That’s a […]

Statue called Femme voilée – Le Silence (Veiled woman – Silence), by Luigi Gugliemi in the Musee des Beaux-Arts, Nice.

My favorite piece in the entire Musee des Beaux-Arts museum in Nice is on the ground floor in the sculpture gallery. Near the window, you’ll find the statue Femme voilée – Le Silence (Veiled woman – Silence) by Luigi Gugliemi. What makes this work so strikingly beautiful is the seemingly wispy, gossamer veil covering the woman’s […]

Self portrait

The Matisse Museum (Musée Matisse) is one of Nice’s two most popular museums, the other being the Musée Chagall, which is located nearby. Originally housed in a 17th century villa on the outskirts of Nice, the museum was expanded in the early 1990s and now includes a large modern wing where some of Matisse’s larger […]

Trompe-l'oeil mural in Estepona, Spain

Giant trompe-l’oeil mural on the side of a building in Estepona, Spain. This artwork is part of the ongoing “Murals of Estepona” project initiated by the local city government. The intention of this public art project is two-fold. Firstly, it aims to brighten up and enliven less-touristy neighborhoods in town. Secondly, it aims to encourage […]

Palacio de Cristal, Retiro Park, Madrid

Palacio de Cristal (Crystal Palace) inside Retiro Park, Madrid. Built in 1887, this striking building served as a greenhouse for the Exposition of the Philippines held that same year. In its modern incarnation, the Palace functions as an art gallery for temporary exhibits. The architect, Ricardo Velazquez Bosco, also designed the art exhibition space now […]

Entrance to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao Spain. "Puppy" flower sculpture by Jeff Koons (1992).

Entrance to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, which opened in 1997. This striking building is the brainchild of Canadian-born architect Frank Gehry. Like most of Gehry’s creations, it exhibits a post-modern “deconstructivist” approach to architecture. What that means is that elements of the design appear to be fragmented …. chaotic or disjointed. Despite this, […]