No country gives me the impression of being an empire quite like Russia does. Moscow, where I recently traveled for the first time in many years, is the capital of an immense and powerful empire, the vital center of which is the Kremlin, as it has been for centuries. I had imagined that after the…
Cyprus is cruelly divided between the Greek half in the south and the Turkish half in the north. Despite being built up, with villages, houses and hotels lining the coasts, the island maintains its charm and authenticity. Cypriots are Greek, and speak Greek, however Cyprus, with its sumptuous, essentially Mediterranean nature, is very different from…
Morocco, the country of my youth. I lived there with my maternal family during World War II. I returned frequently over the years until the death of my much beloved grandmother, who lived in the small city of Larache, in the north of the country. A few years ago, I traveled to the south of Morocco,…
The European winter: cold, rainy, and foggy. During February, the most difficult month of this season, the Peloponnesus proved to be full of sunlight, wildflowers, budding almond trees, and surrounded by a sea of deep blue. It is the most inviting and charming time to visit the marvels that dot the Peloponnesus; in 2014, I brought…
The south of Turkey is a vast region, infrequently visited and little known, teeming with monuments that carry the mark of a rather unique synthesis. The typically Oriental styles mix with a strong Greco-Roman influence, along with the many strange local traditions, all of which, yields a profound originality to the cultural testaments of this region. I am…
Mexico is an inexhaustible reservoir of delights. Foremost are its people. I do not know of any other people more sophisticated than the Mexicans. Next are its monuments, in their infinite variety, whether pre-Columbian or Spanish baroque. Then there are the landscapes, the jungles and deserts, the grand plains and inaccessible mountains, and the smoldering…