New York City theater director Andrew Grosso and his costume-designer wife Becky recently took the ultimate freelancer plunge: a three-week unpaid vacation in Italy. He recounts some of the charming, bewildering, lost-in-translation moments below. No matter how hard you try explaining that youre mostly Irish, emphatically point to your sunburn, and haltingly state the history of American cross-ethnic coupling, the fact remains that when you

An excellent reader story about arriving — and getting lost in — Zanzibar.STONE TOWN, Zanzibar – Zanzibar Serena Inn comes highly recommended by a man you met three days ago in Tanzania. Youll love it, he said. The pronunciation alone — Zan-zee-barrrr — sounds like an exotic cocktail tastes: sweet, frothy and indulgent. You wonder how the mere naming of a place can lead to hallucinations of waters clea

STOCKBRIDGE, Massachusetts – After exhausting ourselves trekking the Great Barrington Housatonic River Walk — which is all of one and a half blocks long, despite the big billing and web page — and feasting on some of the best pizza in the Northeast at Baba Louies, it was time to get down to brass tacks and explore some culture.Why? Because it was raining, and there was no laser tag emporium in the vicinity. So we headed up to th

Who said one day isnt enough to get a feel for the city? Heres a classic touristy single-day itinerary.1. Contrary to the opinion that an English fry-up is the only way to go for breakfast, wake up and fortify yourself with the other proper English breakfast: a steaming bowl of porridge.2. Take a leisurely stroll through the parks towards Buckingham Palace in time to see the Changing of the Guard at around 11-ish.3. Carry on along Birdcage

Traveling with an architect is the best way to see a city. Okay, Im biased: I am an architect. But heres the thing: You have your own tour guide speaking the strange language of buildings, city form, and wayfinding.My wife and I recently went Montreal for the jazz, the food, and the architecture. We each had our priorities, and mine were the citys many landmarks and landscape features.Of course I had to see the beautifully preserved an

Chiles most important port city is also home to a thriving street art scene, with works covering everything from the iconic funiculars to the hillside streets.VALPARAÍSO, Chile – The street art scene in Chile is thriving and one of the best places to witness it is the quirky port city of Valparaíso. Long considered the San Francisco of South America, Valpo, as the locals like to call it, is often depicted in paintings (youll recognize the c

New Orleans resident Jennifer Shaw started taking pictures as a young girl, worked rather obsessively in the darkroom by the age of fifteen, and studied photography at the Rhode Island School of Design. She was nine months pregnant when hurricane Katrina unfurled itself on the city. She recreated the experience in her photo book Hurricane Story — using a Holga camera and action figures in miniature tableaux. 1. Tell us a little bit ab

Fashion editor Nina Trippel and graphic designer Sven Hausherr are the creative forces behind cee cee, a Berlin-based email newsletter that celebrates all the awesome happenings in Germanys capital city. The plugged-in duo get their kicks discovering and uncovering, so we asked them to share some of their personal favorites with us.Local coffee shop/breakfast spot: NoMoreSleep Café and Dolly Café.Where you go when you need inspiration: Flug

BRISTOL, England – Is there a law against taking pictures of graffiti and street art? The question crossed my mind when two police officers approached me on a street in Bristol, England, and asked me what I was photographing.Graffiti, I said, pointing out the figure. Its a little vampire.The tiny artwork had been painted next to a side entrance of their police station in a rather daring move on the part of the artist. I hadnt noti

Were on the road this week. On her first day in Mexico City, Fathom founder Pavia Rosati learns to respect her annoying limits.MEXICO CITY – While Jeralyn was making her way to the bottom of the earth, I was landing in Mexico City, at an elevation of 7,350 feet. Jeralyn floated in Dead Sea oblivion; I got hammered with a headache that sent me to bed. I tried to explore my fancy Polanco neighborhood for dinner, but lasted five minutes before

Were always pleasantly surprised by the accomplishments of our childhood friends, and Darren Ornitz is no exception. Upon graduating from college in 2008, Ornitz, a photographer by trade, has become a globetrotter — making his way around the world in search of the perfect photo op. A particular trip through Africa and the Middle East caught our eye. Whether its a boy doing a flip mid-air or a lobster diver with a fresh catch,

East London is like a perfectly curated outfit — a little new, a little designer, a little vintage, and a little high street. Its almost hard to describe because the feeling is thriving in the streets. East London reminds me of the New York of my childhood when Soho began to evolve. Post-warehouse, pre-mall: a pretty magical time in a neighborhoods life.Im lucky that three of my very good friends live in East London: Alex, Dom, and Ma

LONDON – For better or for worse, you cant have Christmas lights without a story. Weve all got one, a story created in the gulf between spread-holiday-cheer and the-frustration-burnt-out-bulbs. Heres mine.Like clockwork, my Iowan grandparents would wake our entire family on the Friday after Thanksgiving so we could watch them climb the silo on their barn and ceremoniously light the Star of Bethlehem. And like clockwork, we would curse

When we came across UK-based Herb Lester Associates, it was love at first sight. The retro-looking city guides come in the form of portable maps with quirky themes like Its Nice to be Alone in Paris and An Uncles Guide to London. Founders Ben Olins and Jane Smillie write, research, and collaborate with notable designers from around the world to produce the refreshingly affordable and beautifully illustrated series. We asked the duo beh

Theres no better place than Paris to be a writer, pretend to be a writer, or walk in the footsteps of writers old and new. Heres where to go, eat, and stay for a literary fix.PARIS – Before you start disagreeing like a Parisian, remember that any good list of Parisian literary haunts should be highly subjective and utterly exhausting. There are more than four centuries worth of ground to cover and wildly varying opinions on who the gre

Writer Ellis Avery lived in Paris while working on her new novel, The Last Nude, which was inspired by Jazz Age artist Tamara de Lempicka. Ellis followed Tamaras path and that of other artists around town.PARIS – The glamorous painter Tamara de Lempicka lived Paris in the 1920s. I lived in Paris in 2008 while writing my de Lempicka novel, The Last Nude. My partner Sharon Marcus, a scholar on sabbatical, spent her days researching

There are people who make the most of their vacation days, and then there are people like Tom Stanley, who put us all to shame by not only being able to name 140 countries, but by having the passport stamps to prove hes visited them. The Centre Head (President) and COO of Cox & Kings, The Americas, the worlds longest running luxury tour operator (est. 1758), shares his notes from Brazil.Just back from: São PauloWas it your first time? If no

New Orleans has a new stop on the Mardi Gras parade route this year: The Hotel Modern. We checked in with owner Klaus Ortleib after a recent business trip to see how the opening is going.Just back from: New OrleansHow often do you go? Often. Im there at least two or three times a month.Why did you go? I just opened a hotel there called The Hotel Modern New Orleans. Its been fun getting to know the city. When I am not taking care of hotel-re

VENICE – Theyre taking to the streets today in Venice for Carnevale. The festival isnt nearly as debauched as it was in the days of doges and daggers, but it still makes for great people-watching and street-fairing. And depending which side of the camera you like to be on, posing or gawking. Heres what it would look like if you were roaming the canals today.

Clare Crespo is a native New Orleanian living in Los Angeles. Every year around this time, Clare hangs up her YummyFun apron and makes the trek back home to pile on the beads. We asked her to put down the crawdads and pick up a pen — to write a list of Mardi Gras party essentials.NEW ORLEANS – I am writing to you from the heart of Louisiana — in the midst of Carnival season! Its the time of year when giant, gorgeo