Travel & Art Posts
Blogs and videos of our adventures and some sights along the way.
Dolce & Gabbana: From the Heart to the Hands
When the Dolce & Gabbana exhibit From the Heart to the Hands opened at the ICA Miami in early February 2026, I admit I felt rather blasé about its arrival. I’ve never found Dolce & Gabbana particularly appealing as a brand with its over-the-top decoration and almost suffocating glamour. Well, after seeing the exhibit, and…
Anastasia Samoylova: Atlantic Coast
Photography is having a moment, and one of its rising stars is Miami-based Anastasia Samoylova. Anastasia produces both observational and studio photography. With the former, she trains her lens on the world around us to present realities visible to the naked eye, if only one knows where and how to look.
Cristina Iglesias – Pasajes: La Pedrera, Barcelona
November 15, 2025 In all honesty, I hesitated to publish this piece – not because I harbored doubts about the artist’s work, but because I don’t believe my pictures do the work justice. To provide readers with better images I went to both Cristina’s website and to Hauser & Wirth, one of the galleries that…
Chemin du Puy: Navarrenx to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
From Navarrenx, we headed to Saint-Palais, where we would spend the night. We traversed the bucolic French countryside on a trail with few hills, which was nice for a change. Soon we began to catch glimpses of the Pyrenees in the distance, a particularly bittersweet sight as we would end our 2025 journey there. Saint-Palais:…
Chemin du Puy: Pimbo to Navarrenx, France
After our night without luggage, we got an early start and set out for Arzacq-Arraziguet. The walk was uneventful, with few notable sights along the way. We arrived in Arzacq-Arraziguet in time for lunch. Arzacq-Arraziguet main plaza looking left. Arzacq-Arraziguet main plaza looking right. Arzacq-Arraziguet private oasis. In Arzacq-Arraziguet, we stayed at the former Maison…
Chemin du Puy: Condom to Pimbo, France
: The path to Montréal-du-Gers was wet and muddy. This is Dave kindly trying to rid my boots of a thick layer of mud. Larressingle: Larressingle is France’s smallest fortified village, and possibly the cutest. It currently boasts a population of 200 people. The walls are original, unusual for this part of France, which was…
Chemin du Puy, Condom, France
A small medieval town of 6,500 people, Condom sits at the confluence of the rivers Gèle and Baïse. Contrary to what our less-cultured friends might want us to believe, the name derives from the ancient Condote-o-magos, which meant “market of the confluence”. Its similarity to the English word of the same spelling is pure coincidence.…
Chemin du Puy – Agen & Lectoure, France
Agen: Agen was the French launching point for the final stage of our epic Chemin du Puy journey. From Barcelona we took three trains to arrive in Agen, only to have to take a bus the following day to Lectoure, where the walking actually began. Clearly, we are visiting some off-the-beaten-track places! The charming city…
Andorra – a Pleasant Surprise
We came to Andorra with modest expectations and left pleasantly surprised. Everything we had read prior to our visit led us to believe that duty-free shopping and the ski resort life defined the Andorra of the 21st century. While both are present, the reality is much more nuanced.
Albrecht Dürer at the CAEE
Albrecht Dürer, German, 1471-1528, was a highly prolific and unabashedly modern artist. He defined art as a process that transcended established norms and sprang from the undying intellectual curiosity and innate talent of the trained artist. Conscious of his own talent and self-worth, he practically invented the marriage of marketing and intellectual property, moving art…
Fernando Botero at the Palau Martorell
Probably anyone who loves art is familiar with Botero – specifically with his large-scale sculptures of large-scale women with round faces, round musculature, round breasts and hips, and small eyes. Well, it turns out there’s a bit more to Botero than that.
Cartier at London’s V&A
May 2025 The Victoria and Albert Museum currently has a wonderful exhibit of Cartier jewelry and other pieces designed by the world-renowned design studio. Along with significant eye-candy, the exhibit includes historical information about the house, a video about the process of creating and making a piece in their Pantera line, and fun video clips…
Savannah College of Art and Design
We recently took a quick trip to Savannah to spend a weekend with family. In addition to strolling through this gorgeous and historic city and eating too much, we had a chance to take in some art at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Museum of Art. SCAD was founded in 1978 and…
Purvis Young: Self-taught Outsider Artist & Miami Icon
Last week we discovered the art of Purvis Young (1943-2010). As a teenager, Purvis was sent to prison in north Florida, and he returned a changed man. Vowing never to repeat the type of crime that resulted in his incarceration, he took up painting and found inspiration in the neighborhood that sheltered him. His works now…
Opa Projects – Transfigurations of Reality: Contemporary Dialogues
A couple of weeks ago, we were invited to attend a private opening at Opa Projects, a new art gallery in the Little River area of Miami. The founder, Billy Tartour, is a highly regarded art historian, collector, and art advisor. The gallery in located in a loft-like space with ample natural light that streams…
Constructive Arguments: Aesthetic Dialogues with the work of Lynne Golob Gelfman
Last week we visited a fabulous exhibit by celebrated Miami artist, Lynne Golob Gelfman (1944-2020). A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Columbia University School of the Arts, she was known for her welcoming nature and never-ending support for other artists. She developed strong friendships that lasted a lifetime. Her most famous works consisted of…
Sorolla and the Sea
We attended the opening lecture and exhibit for “Sorolla and the Sea” at the Norton Museum in West Palm Beach last week. Drawn almost exclusively from artworks owned by the Hispanic Society Museum and Library in New York, the exhibit contains works that cannot be seen elsewhere. The Hispanic Society, founded in 1904, was…
Casa Museo Joaquin Sorolla
Madrid, Spain Joaquin Sorolla1863-1923Spanish Impressionist One of the overlooked treasures in Madrid is the House-Museum of Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, Spain’s most famous impressionist painter. Born in Valencia, Spain, Sorolla married Clotilde García del Castillo in 1888, and moved to Madrid in 1890. She was the daughter of an art patron who preferred Sorolla’s painting…
Sargent and Fashion: Tate Britain, London
On view at the Tate Britain until July 7, 2024 is an exhibit featuring American portraitist John Singer Sargent and focusing on the painter’s highly developed sense of scenography and willingness to sacrifice accuracy to achieve impact. Sargent had a strong sense of style and an even stronger sense for how an image could be…
Ode to Barcelona 1
Barcelona, Spain Hi, All! I haven’t posted much since we returned to the U.S. after our Caminos this summer. There’s a good reason for that. As we hinted we might, we bought an apartment in Barcelona, sold our house in Santa Fe, and moved! We’ve spent the last four weeks in Barcelona and will be…
Abiquiú, New Mexico
As we prepare to leave New Mexico, we’ve decided to visit some iconic places that we have yet to see. Abiquiú (pronounced Ab-i-cue) is one such place. Map of north-central New Mexico showing Santa Fe, Abiquiú, and several Indian Pueblos. Fifty-three miles north of Santa Fe, Abiquiú is nestled in the Piedra Lumbre Valley along…
New York and Trip Home
June 23 – 24 – NYC Arriving at JFK on Thursday, we collected our bags (one hour) and headed into Manhattan (1 ½ hours). On Friday, I was able to catch up with an old friend who I hadn’t seen for years. I’m trying to do more of that. Life is short, and I don’t…
Sitges, Spain
June 10-21 – Sitges Sitges is a cool beach town 30 minutes south of Barcelona. Originally a fishing village, it was the birthplace of Rusiñol, a renowned Catalan painter, who brought his friends to the area (including Picasso). The town became a gathering place for artists and art history lovers, including Charles Deering, the wealthy…
Girona, Spain
June 7-10 Straddling the Onyar River, Girona is an inland city in Spain, about 30 minutes north of Barcelona. A university town, it has an excellent intact historic center, with churches galore, a cathedral, ancient Arab baths, and beautiful gardens along the town walls. It is easy to reach by high speed train from Barcelona…
Carcassonne, France
Sunday, June 4 – Carcassonne Dominique’s chardonnay recommendation was… interesting. Unfiltered, so loaded with terroir (literally), it had a bit of effervescence and tartness. Not one to remember. On the other hand, the Domaine des Quatre Pierres Les Mômes red, whose winemaker’s approach she described as “intellectual”, was a winner. A little rough around the…
Day 8 on the Canal du Midi
Saturday, June 3 – Canal du Midi: Caux-et-Sauzens to Carcassonne Our wonderful hostess, Sandrine, concerned we wouldn’t find any food on the way to Carcassonne, prepared a fabulous picnic lunch for us: sandwiches of comté, tomato, zucchini, and cucumber drizzled with local olive oil, along with hard-boiled eggs for snacking if we feel peckish. Made…
Day 7 on the Canal du Midi
Friday, June 2 – Canal du Midi: Bram to Caux-et-Sauzens We were so sad to leave Bram that we stopped at the boulangerie, the cave à vin (wine store), and the marché. Well, to be honest, these were also practical decisions. We knew we had 10+ miles in front of us, and absolutely no services…
Day 6 on the Canal du Midi
Thursday, June 1 – Canal du Midi: Castelnaudary to Bram Castelnaudary is the capital of the territory of Lauragais and is the main port on the Canal du Midi. A market town, it has all the services one would want on a walking trip along the canal. It was also another center of the Catholic…
Day 3 on the Canal du Midi
Monday, May 29 – Canal du Midi: Baziège to Villefranche de Lauragais Today was our longest walk on the canal, clocking in at 14.5 miles. Having been informed that it was un jour ferié (a holiday) to celebrate the Pentecost, we were then told that most stores would be closed, and restaurants would be impossible…
Day 4 on the Canal du Midi
Tuesday, May 30 – Canal du Midi: Villefranche du Lauragais to Port Lauragais Fearing rain, we headed out at 9am – too soon as we were really enjoying our conversations with Catherine and Dominique, not to mention the freshly made breakfast crêpes and homemade jams! Nonetheless onward we trudged. In a few hours we arrived…
Day 2 on the Canal du Midi
Sunday, May 28 – Canal du Midi: Ramonville-St-Agne to Baziège (Including all the pictures that were to be included on the last attempt). Martine continued her thoughtful service today with a lovely breakfast tray: At 10:30 we headed out suspecting it would be a grueling day. 13+ miles later, we’re sure. Luckily, we found Donostia,…
Toulouse, France
Saturday, May 27 – Canal du Midi: Toulouse to Ramonville-St-Agne Good walk today ~9 miles. The Canal du Midi is an engineering wonder, and the French are to be admired for their foresight in building it. The walk beginning in Toulouse is pretty urban. Parts are pretty; parts are not. The Toulousians use it fiercely,…
Conques, France
Tuesday, May 23 Good news! Our Covid-afflicted Camino friend is recovering and we dodged it! Today, we played tourist. We visited the abbey-church Église de Sainte Foy, a gem of Romanesque architecture begun in the 11th century and finished in the 12th. The church is known for its austere and very tall interior, its tympanum…
Day 10 – Chemin du Puy: Golinhac to Conques
Monday, May 22 Oh no! Another final day on a camino, with all the bittersweet feelings this entails. Again, we find ourselves ready to be done, yet wishing we weren’t. We spent a good part of the day talking about coming back to finish the Chemin du Puy next year or at least do another…
Day 9 on the Chemin du Puy: Estaing to Golinhac
Sunday, May 21 Quiet day. Nice hike through woods, lots of up and down. We thought we were going to see the Golinhac dam, which was finished in 1960, but all we saw were a bunch of signs warning walkers to exercise caution in case the dam burst and the waters from the dam’s lake…
Day 8 on the Chemin du Puy
Saturday, May 20 We had a great stay in Espalion last night. Our room was spacious and even better, had a clothes washer! We took advantage of that as our clothes were in dire need of a good washing. Another light dinner in the room and a good Côtes-du-Rhône Villages. In the morning, our host’s…
Day 7 on the Chemin du Puy
Friday, May 19 As vegetarians, we’re having a tough time in this part of France. Fruit and vegetable offerings are limited, and cooked options are uninspired. Last night’s dinner (pics below) included a creamy carrot velouté with heavy parsley garnish. The main course consisted of fried lentil, spinach, and cheese “sticks” (we’ve had these twice…
Day 3 on the Chemin du Puy
Monday, May 15 – Day 3 on the Chemin de Puy The day began with a bit of bad news. See the guy at the end of the table by me? He tested positive for Covid today. It turns out that he lives with someone who is currently sick with Covid AND he has symptoms. …
Days 4 – 6: Chemin du Puy
Tuesday, May 16 – Day 4 The proprietors of the Château prepared a lovely breakfast for us (their only guests) to fuel our travels. As we wound our way over the 10 miles from St.-Alban-sur-Limagnole to Aumont-Aubrac, the weather continued to disappoint; cold, windy, and cloudy. Having gotten a late start, we had a late…
Chemin du Puy: Day 2
Sunday, May 14 – Day 2 on the Chemin du Puy (Mother’s Day in the U.S.) We walked over 12 miles today with some of the most difficult hiking I’ve ever done. The day began with an extremely steep grade and loose rocks, rock faces, and mud everywhere. Thank goodness for walking sticks – they…
Chemin du Puy: Day 1
Saturday, May 13 – Day 1 on the Chemin du Puy/Via Podiensis Dave woke me up at 6:20 so we could attend the Pilgrim Mass at the Cathedral of Le Puy. Even though our hotel was located way up high in the village, we still had to climb to the Cathedral. Begun in the 11th…
Córdoba to Montpellier to Le Puy en Velay
Tuesday, May 9 Today, after returning to Granada to retrieve our luggage, we grabbed a quick lunch at a café on one of Córdoba’s many parks. The image below, in addition to our usual soup and salad, included a Cordobés specialty: eggplant marinated in beer then lightly battered and fried and topped with a honey…
Camino Mozárabe
Monday, May 1: Camino Mozárabe begins We had planned to head out early to begin our camino, but we were advised that some of the prettiest walking is on the way into Granada from the east rather than along the way out. We’ve decided to extend our time in Granada and stroll by the river…
Granada, Spain
Sunday, April 30 An uneventful 2-hour drive to Granada. Dropped off the car and got a cab. Oh no! We realized Dave had left his hat in the car. Twenty minutes later, we had retrieved the hat and arrived near the luggage storage site in Granada. “Near” because, inexplicably, it is in the pedestrian-only center. …
Marbella, Spain
Monday, April 24 Today we drove the three hours from Cádiz to Marbella so not a lot to report other than some general observations. First, driving in Europe is dumb. We only did it because there is no train service and only infrequent bus service between Cádiz and Marbella. Between picking up the car (rarely…
Cádiz, Spain
Friday, April 21 After a leisurely morning, we headed to the train station, Atocha, to board a train to Cádiz. The scenery in Cádiz, couldn’t be more different than Madrid. Located on the southwest coast of Spain, it is directly south of Sevilla and southeast of Portugal, on the Atlantic Ocean. From high mesa and…
Travel Journal 2023
Saturday, April 15 We arrived at Miami International early for a 5pm flight to Newark feeling lucky to have clear skies after four days of downpours so severe that the Fort Lauderdale Airport, 20 miles away from our apartment, closed. Seven hours later, we weren’t so happy. Weather in Newark had delayed the incoming plane.…
Days 5-8: Puente la Reina-Estella-Los Arcos-Viana
We continue to explore Navarra, a traditionally Basque area, as we travel west along the Camino. We climb several Altos and contemplate structures and statues dedicated to saints, heroes, and humble pilgrims. We are rewarded with wine “for the road” and see vestiges of Navarra’s Roman past. Throughout, we are awed by Spain’s dedication to…
Days 1-4: Roncesvalles to Zubiri and Pamplona
The beginning of our Camino. Passing through woods where in the 17th century witches gathered, through towns where Hemingway dallied, and over mountain peaks stopping to appreciate nature, and historic and religious monuments.
Madrid
When we land in Madrid we usually head into Retiro Park for a long walk. We took advantage of the absolutely gorgeous weather and made a little video to share our experience. We think it turned out pretty well given that it was our first ever. Kudos to Dave – our newly minted tech wizard!
Caminos: An Introduction
Why the Camino? With the opportunity to travel at will and without time constraints, we considered where to go. A new continent? A new country? A new city? A remote beach? An adventure trip? We thought about what we wanted out of the trip. Dave wanted an epic adventure. He wanted to mark the end…