Globe Corner Blogs

Rodin's The Thinker - photo by Kate

The Rodin museum was perhaps my favorite museum that I visited last week in Paris. Housed in a mansion where Rodin spent much of his time, the gardens are filled with casts of The Thinker and The Gates of Hell, set amidst giant, cone-shaped yew bushes and rows of flower beds. The mansion itself is fabulous, with ceilings at least 15 feet high, rocaille motifs, and a grand marble staircase below a giant crystal chandelier. The faded velvet furnishings are all originals, as are the cloudy old mirrors. There is a general sense that everything in this place has been here forever; the peeling paint on the ceilings lends an air of authenticity, and somehow reminds us that Rodin used to hang out here.

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Monterrey Mural - photo by Sarah

Monterrey, Mexico is a geodesic prism of youth culture that lies under the radar of foreign tourists. I arrived after three ten-hour days of driving in the desert in a van with no air conditioning. My glasses had broken at the onset of the trip when the van broke down in New Mexico. Rather, I broke my glasses in the broken van and it all seemed so fitting – Murphy’s Law or some other idea that can be referenced in situations where everything is spiraling in a direction you’d rather not see it go.

Two hours into a month-long trip through seven countries, the van broke down. Parked at the closed mechanic’s shop, I practiced yoga in the back of the van. When I got up from a shoulder stand, my glasses were absurdly looking back at me in two pieces. Like a pug whose eyes look in two different directions. Maybe I shouted, or maybe I laughed, but in either case I was frustrated, and continued to be playfully frustrated for the next three days as I wrestled my broken glasses onto my face with duct tape.

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French Quarter - photo by Jess

Too broke and too busy to travel abroad, I instead took three small trips around the country this summer.

The subtitle of this post should be “24 hours driving, 24 hours there.” In early August I drove 24 hours, almost straight, to New Orleans, and had about the same amount of time in the city itself. The term “road trip” may suggest a fun, leisurely drive with numerous pit stops to see America’s eccentricities – the world’s largest rubber band ball, the country’s best apple pie, or the largest state fair, for example. But make no mistake, this road trip was strictly business – get to New Orleans! (I did, however, stop off in South Carolina for Chick-fil-A and Atlanta for Chipotle… yum.)

My time in New Orleans was unfairly short and I feel like I only had time to do about seven things… But, of those seven things, some stood out as winners. Here’s what I’d recommend:

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Millennium park - photo by Jess

Too broke and busy to travel abroad, I instead took three small trips around the country this summer.

It took the Pitchfork Music Festival to get me there, but I finally visited Chicago! I’ve talked about visiting Chicago for four years; the first two years I was promising to visit my best high school friend at U. Chicago, the latter years promising to visit my best friend from college. I was certain a trip to Chicago would be my swan song, but I finally went to the Windy City in July.

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Annunciation (detail), Simone Martini

A trip through the Uffizi in Florence is almost like a crash course in Renaissance Art. I didn’t quite know what I was in for heading into this gallery; it turned out to be one of the highlights of my recent trip to Italy. My boyfriend and I purchased a Friends of the Uffizi pass, as we knew that this is a  blockbuster of a museum. The pass allowed us unlimited entries into the museum, which we used over the course of a few days (pass details here).

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The museum consists almost entirely of Florentine Renaissance paintings and sculptures. Arranged chronologically, viewers are able to link the progression of Renaissance art from the 13th to the 18th Century in their trip through the museum. The early Renaissance paintings, many of which are altar-like shaped canvases, are astounding in their straightforward approach to storytelling. The life of Christ is depicted in an almost storyboard manner on many of the various panels of the paintings. We loved the brutal simplicity of these works: angels floating on beams painted with gold leaf; halos so bright that they completely block out the background image; the hands of God peeking into picture planes.

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Cape May Inn--photo by Llalan

Walking amongst the inns, hotels, and bed-and-breakfasts that line several streets in Cape May, New Jersey is like walking through Candy Land. The giant old mansions ramble around the blocks with their wrap-around, plant covered porches, intricate lattice-work, and what one can only describe as outrageous paint jobs. I saw yellow and orange, orange and blue, blue and pink, and pink and pink. The bright colors towered above us on gables and turrets and shown through the trees that lined the narrow streets.

Originally a whaling town, Cape May started to become a resort town in the 1850s. The Moon Handbook to New Jersey says that such “luminaries” as Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Harrison, and Franklin Pierce visited the vacation spot. And now it’s one of my favorite spots. I’m guessing none of them got as sunburned as I did…or even body surfed the icy waves. But I do wonder how Abe would fare against me in a game of bocce. Beating people in the game is one of my favorite new Cape May traditions.

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Basel, Switzerland--photo by Mark

On our way from Germany to Italy, we decided to spend a night in Basel, Switzerland. The drive to Basel, however, took longer than we thought, even though we made an extended stop at one of the multiple rest areas that pop up along the highway. The delay was due to two things: a wonderful playground, perfect for our toddler, and a very good German cake selection, perfect for my husband. Once the guys on the expedition were satisfied and content, we could take off again.

Basel is one of Switzerland’s largest cities. Located on the Rhine River, in the so-called Rhine knee, and the city is divided by the river. From our hotel room balcony, we could see the largest part of the Old Town across the river and the bridges connecting both sides. We decided to start our evening by crossing the bridge to downtown and the City Hall. The sky looked overcast, but the temperature was pleasant. It looked like the people had decided to enjoy the last moments of the weekend, strolling near the water or just sitting in the riverside cafés. After a very short walk, we arrived at the main square and found City Hall just in time to escape the rain. Continue Reading »

Classic Switzerland--photo by Kate

Notes from Zürich:

I have one serious recommendation for visitors to Zürich: eat as much chocolate as you can. Since waking up to a Toblerone on the empty seat next to me on the airplane, to the Swiss chocolate ice cream I just had at the Mövenpick, to the shared café mocha from this afternoon, every taste has been simply amazing. Take every opportunity you have to eat this stuff. They really know what they are doing here in Switzerland.

Also recommended: checking out the Freitag flagship store, located just past the hipster Züri-West neighborhood. Made of stacked shipping containers to create a 7-story building, after browsing their awesome bags, you can climb up to the rooftop. Enjoy a great view of Zürich and an even better glimpse of the Alps through the binoculars provided.

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Cartagena--photo by Harriet

We arrived in Cartageña to welcome sun and humidity. The 5-10 minute stroll along the harbor, from our hotel in the Getsemaní district to the entrance to the walled city, was glorious even during the mid-day heat. The walled city’s many plazas, varied retail districts, cobblestone streets, and beautifully maintained or restored buildings were breathtaking. It was reassuring to be in a historic port–a cultural travel destination that still somehow retains a sense of everyday life. We wandered down narrow streets, gazing at colorful buildings, pausing in plazas (many with fountains) to take in cafes, check our map, and plan our next route to a museum or church. Continue Reading »

The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie -- by Malu Halasa & Rana Salam

It is sunny and almost warm outside, and I have decided that it is time to come out of winter hibernation mode.  I am also adjusting to a new pair of glasses and here all the far-sighted readers out there will feel for me, because the world became so wobbly and curvy that I feel like Alice in Wonderland. I cannot even read anything while my brain is learning to automatically turn curves into straight lines. But even this temporary impairment cannot dim my curiosity, so here I come with a list of hidden eye candy.

These are books that are not meant to be read, they are meant to be adored and looked through many times. I am writing about alternative, strange and very curious fashion photography book gems packed between our guides and maps. Tweaking a well-known expression, I would say that nothing tells you more about a country than it’s street food and street fashion.

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