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Painted plate, Sicily Painted bowls by Hal Haines PAINTERLY PLATES A well-traveled friend of mine returned from a deep and dreamy dive into Sicily with the gift of a lovely hand-painted plate. It quickly became a most-favored kitchen item, its decorative strokes dancing around fruit of complimentary colors. I fell under its Sicilian spell and soon needed more. Little did I know (but would soon discover), a young British potter would spin my world around with his whimsical ceramic designs. Allow me to introduce you to Hal Haines . Hal has traveled the world photographing people and places, with a keen interest in visual storytelling. This has influenced his illustrative approach to surface decoration and the themes he explores within his ceramic pieces. Hal Haines in his studio Painted wood dish by Hal Haines Inspired by London’s V&A ceramics gallery, Sicilian antique shops and his Grandma Ann’s Sunday lunch tableware, Hal juxtaposes classical silhouettes with contemporary subject matters and decorative techniques. His work references film, history and the natural environment. In designs for Paul Smith, he created a series of platters and lampshades depicting far-flung, lesser-known fairytales. Studies of seasonal changes on an English flower farm is the inspiration for a set of ceramic platters titled Flower Farm for London-based concept store Couverture & The Garbstore . ___ Back Next

ÉVORA Évora has everything one could ask for in a historic village, from an intimate chapel with human bones as the interior design theme, to a grand cathedral where one may take a walk on the roof. AND the columns of a Roman temple standing sentry at the very center of town. The Road to Ruins Ham and cheese with a temple on the side. The Roman Temple of Évora maintains its timeless stand atop this inland Portuguese town, where locals and visitors traverse its cobbled roads to ruins. Évora is home to monumental Roman archeology, soaring cathedrals, small shops and the inevitable lunch at an outdoor cafe in the shade of centuries past. ___ Gothic Glow A fortified church dating back to 1186, Évora Cathedral is the largest in Portugal. Its cloister, added in 1325 invites a climb to the rooftop where its tapering roofline feels like a bridge to somewhere. Lined with castle-style battlements, the roof provided a 360 degree defense from the highest point of this hilltop city. Portals that today offer a peaceful panorama of the entirety of Évora and beyond. ___ Interior Design to Die For The Chapel of Bones was built by Franciscan monks in the late 16th century, tasked with relocating human remains from cemeteries around Évora due to the high value of land. Hence a rethinking of cemetery internment. Simultaneously, these enterprising monks reimagined interior design for churches, festooning the surfaces with all things skeletal. They topped it off with an ominous greeting above the door: “Nós ossos que aqui estamos, pelos vossos esperamos,” or: “We bones, are here, waiting for yours.” They also offered a traveler advisory, inscribed on one of the bony pillars: “Where are you going in such a hurry, traveler? Stop, for the sake of your journey. For the more you pause, the further on your journey you will be.” ___ Stonehenge’s Southern Sister The Cromlech of the Almendres is the Stonehenge of Portugal and one of the largest megalithic stone circles in Europe. Positioned on an east-facing axis, at sunrise it aligns to the spring and autumn equinoxes. On those dates, when the day and night is of equal length, the sun and moon rise at the same point on the monument’s principal stones, including the imposing Menhir dos Almendres, rising four phallic meters towards the stars. Located without fanfare in the middle of a cork tree forest, this monumental site is unfenced, free and open 24/7. ___ Back PORTUGAL Next

1 Yasaka Pagoda Inspired by a dream, it was built by the Imperial Prince Shotoku in 589, standing dreamily ever since, like a beacon of grace above the whispers along the cobbled lanes of Gion . YASAKA PAGODA 2 Juu-go Soba Cafe Here, perfect noodles are born before one’s eyes. Formed, sliced and swirled, as seen through the stage-like kitchen window, where the muscular chef/owner works at a pace mimicking timelapse photography. But once served, this soba commands slow motion to savor this buckwheat delight. JUU-GO SOBA CAFE 3 Ginkaku-ji Temple With its otherworldly flat-topped cone resting like an alien space craft in the middle of the main garden and the many entrancing trails that braid up the hillside through a thoughtfully tended fantasy landscape, one knows they have arrived at an elevated plane, –visually and spiritually. GINKAKU-JI TEMPLE 4 Ryokan Genhouin A stay at this ryokan is as tranquil as a sleeping cat. In each room, a single-stem flower in a zen niche inspires contemplation. A renewing onsen invites guests to slip out of their kimonos and fold into the warm water bath —wide enough to include friends! RYOKAN GENHOUIN 5 Honen-in Temple Matcha tea is served in a bowl-like vessel alongside a matching-green squishy nugget of mochi in an intricate but relaxed wooden temple, where time stands still long enough for you to contemplate the moment. Outside, the structure and its sumptuous surroundings will attend to all your other senses. HONEN-IN TEMPLE Back KYOTO Next

COIMBRA Considered the "Oxford" of Portugal, Coimbra is the alma mater of kings and presidents. Nowhere in Portugal does the heart and mind come together quite like this hallowed University town. Caped Crusade The fashion inspiration for the notable coeds of Hogwarts in Harry Potter was in fact the cape-draped students of Coimbra. Founded in 1290, Coimbra is among the oldest universities in continuous operation in the world. ___ Fado Ao Centro It is here, in the town square on a balmy night where one’s heart hits its high note, as “men’s Fado” is performed on the steps of the main cathedral. Different from the women of the Alfama, down in Lisbon with their torch songs of heartbreak, the men in Coimbra sing of comraderie, brotherhood in battle, and the pride of victory. ___ Blinded with Science At the (incredible) Coimbra Science Museum , one encounters grand halls of glass cases featuring vintage scientific instruments along with examples of botanical, zoologic, anthropologic, mineralogical sciences, plus ancient tools of astronomy. In the stairwells linking the collections, centuries-old windows “display” the historic campus itself and the beautifully terraced town below. ___ Joanine Library At the heart of the Coimbra campus, the Joanine Library is one of the most stunning libraries anywhere in the world. Inside, tall walls and gilded ceilings rise like inspiration, almost flying overhead, –coincidental metaphor for the library’s unique archival protection system. Bats are used to protect the timeless content, released in the night from their in-wall cubbies to eat the parchment-hungry insects who might otherwise consume the library’s largess. Not to worry, the library is cleaned of all bat guano each morning before opening. ___ Back PORTUGAL Next

1 Honolulu Museum of Art One of our very favorite museums in the world. This humble space of courtyards and galleries hosts great artworks, an inspired gift shop and a dreamy open-air café, altogether the perfect museum experience. HONOLULU MUSEUM OF ART 2 Diamond Head Beach A treasure of sparkling sand that inspired its name lay nearly hidden at the bare foot of Oahu’s iconic peak, just east of Waikiki. A haven for surfers, lovers and dreamers, accessed via a manicured trail at the Diamond Head Lighthouse. DIAMOND HEAD BEACH PARK 3 Chinatown Honolulu‘s most historic district is lined with great shops, funky bars, and unique dining. And, importantly, the most affordable, and fresh lei shops on the island. CHINATOWN 4 Nico’s Pier 38 & Upstairs At Pier 38 The best chef in the Pacific, Nico serves up fresh-caught tuna (the daily fish auction is next door!) and a consistently award-winning burger among other greats. “Upstairs” features the finest local musicians, creative cocktails and elevated cuisine. NICO'S PIER 38 UPSTAIRS AT PIER 38 5 Kaimana Beach Hotel A perfect boutique inn perched on the edge of paradise with palm trees hula dancing in the breeze outside your window. The hotel’s famous beachside Hau Tree Lanai restaurant serves island favorites beneath the same twist of tree branches where Robert Lewis Stevenson wrote poetry in 1888. KAIMANA BEACH HOTEL Back OAHU Next

CALIFORNIA The leading edge of America. A state of the Union shaped like a left-pointing arrow, much like its progressive mindset. Where the past is thoughtfully preserved and the future invented. Discover ancient redwoods as tall as the sky, beaches as blond as local surfers, deserts that stand-in for Mars, mountains shaped like dinosaur spines, and jewel box cites that sparkle like stars. BEACHES (Coming Soon) CENTRAL COAST (Coming Soon) DESERT CITIES (Coming Soon) GREATER LOS ANGELES (Coming Soon) HOLLYWOOD Where Dreams Rise Like Champagne Bubbles MOUNTAINS (Coming Soon) NORTHERN CA (Coming Soon)

BRITTANY Mystical and mythical , this rolling landscape reaches the roiling sea where history reigns with steadfast pride. The architecture of ancient times fully at home in the present. Mont Saint-Michel One may spot this soaring pinnacle on the horizon well before reaching the sea that surrounds it at high tide. We first saw it rising above the inland corn fields, its spires reaching up as if to touch the last cloud of a clearing storm. Inside its fortress walls a tiny medieval town terraces upward to the Abbey that crowns the island like a tiara. The inspiration to build a cathedral in such a perilous place, atop a remote rock formation off the Normandy coast, came to Bishop Saint-Aubert in a recurrent dream in 708 AD, eventually realized in all its rustic majesty. We stayed the night on the island and witnessed the evening tide swallow up the vast sandbar below, along with the day’s messages etched by visitors. By sunrise, the sea had pulled back, revealing a blank slate ready for more sand scribes. The ancient stone walls warming now as the morning shadows retreat. ___ “All The Light We Cannot See” in St. Malo "Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever." —from the novel, “All The Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr, which takes place during the Nazi occupation of France, featuring a young blind girl, who flees war torn Paris to shelter with her uncle in St. Malo. This walled Medieval city on the northern shore of Brittany has endured loss beyond measure, but stands as a symbol of resilience. Bombed beyond recognition during World War II, it rose again to crown the coastline with slender spires, scalloped rooftops and fierce ramparts, all of which now house shops, restaurants and boulangeries, inviting a steady stream of curious visitors. ___ Night and Day in Dinan Rain-slicked cobblestones reflect the warm windows and lanterns of another age, paving a silver night in gold. In any light, Dinan is a hidden treasure in northwestern France, just upstream from St. Malo, at a bend on the Rance river. Incredible to think that this narrow waterfront was once a major port when trading vessels from England and Holland were compact-sized. By the 13th century, as ships grew larger, St Malo’s wide port was developed to take on the job —and the goods. Meanwhile, Dinan grew up gracefully behind stone fortifications, protecting her half-timbered Brittany beauty for future generations, like ours. The sun forces through a persistent rain as one mythical god tries to outdo the other, neither taking into account how easily a rainbow could steal their show. Nonetheless, the exchange continues, presenting village scenes of Dinan in contrasts of squinting brilliance and dampened shadows. Like a watercolor in progress, crisp edges of shops and churches meet the blurred wash of medieval alleyways, forming the image of a place stilled in time. ___ Taden Day Dream The town of Taden is so soft spoken on the map that one might miss it entirely if it weren’t for a dramatic widening of the Rance river at the foot of the village. A landmark easily mistaken for a lake, its calm, mirrored water reaches across the landscape beckoning boaters, kayakers, hikers and day dreamers. ___ Menhir (Stone) of Saint Samson Rising eight phallic meters above nondescript farmland is a granite Stonehenge-like loner, pitched at a 42 degree angle, its four sides aligned to the points of the compass. The nearest source of granite is 4km away, which means a lot of prehistoric muscle was employed to get it here. Archeologists surmise that this “menhir” marked the furthest point inland where the (then) highest tide would reach. Legend has it that if anyone pulls the stone out, seawater will come bubbling up and inundate all of France in a biblical-size flood. Best to look, but not pull! ___ Parc du Thabor, Rennes Rennes, the capital city of Brittany in northwestern France is a sunny college town with a perfect park at its center. The graceful rambles of Parc du Thabor trace the urban hillside, rendering each season into a changing exhibit of color, texture and form. This heart of Bretagne also serves as the main depot for the TGV high speed rail from Paris. >>All aboard! ___ Pointe du Grouin All roads in Britanny eventually reach a quaint town or a sweeping seashore. Both serve great food! At the craggy, end-of-the-earth looking Pointe de Grouin, the sea provides an alfresco bounty that brings out the locals as well as tourists. They depart united in delirious bliss, with some overachievers suffering a temporary food coma and/or sunstroke. But worth it! ___ Back FRANCE Next

THE BEAUTY OF BORSCHT A staple so inherent to Ukraine that UNESCO placed this beautiful beet-steeped soup on its “ List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding ” shortly after Russia commenced its “Special Military Operation”. We stand in support of the Ukrainian people and their freedom. May they be free to live in peace, and to enjoy the soup that is rich in national pride. Recipe from Goop Yield: 2 servings Ingredients 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound beets, boiled and diced 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon coriander 2 teaspoon salt 4 cups vegetable stock juice of 1½ lemons Directions 1 . Over medium-high heat, sizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan, add onions, and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes until onions start to sweat and lightly brown. Turn off the heat and divide the onions, placing half in a blender and leaving the other half in the pan. 2. In the blender, combine beets, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, and vegetable stock with the sautéed onions and blend until everything is well combined and smooth. 3. Add the blended mixture to the saucepan with the rest of the sautéed onions and stir until well combined. Then heat until the soup comes to a low boil, adding more vegetable stock if it’s too thick. Finish with lemon juice, dill, and/or parsley. * We garnished ours with quick pickled cabbage, onion and cilantro. Back Come HITHER

1 Rodin Museum The studio, home and garden of sculptor and national treasure, August Rodin is a living inspiration. Not to mention the excellent cafe and incredible sculptures amid the landscape. MUSEÉ RODIN 2 Crêpes Halfway up one's pilgrimage to Sacré Coeur, there's a little hole in the wall crêperie named Rozell Café that folds paper-thin buckwheat pancakes into edible origami. ROZELL CAFÉ 3 Bourse Pinault Collection Formerly the Paris Stock Exchange, Japanese visionary architect Tadao Ando has reimagined this financial palace into a brilliant and enthralling art exhibit space. PINAULT COLLECTION 4 Le Pigalle Hotel A classic Parisian setting set to a new groove. Each room is curated with a superb collection of vinyl, and a vintage record player featuring some of the best french jazz ever heard, —matched by a great selection of books within reach of your pillow. At night, the concierge is a DJ. By morning, the lobby returns to a calm mix of fresh croissants and juices riffing with the sunlight which slips in incognito. LE PIGALLE HOTEL 5 Sunsets at the Pompidou Center Escalators snake up the façade of Paris' groundbreaking modern museum as the sun slips away and the City of Light switches on. Follow that line to Georges for happy hour. CENTRE POMPIDOU Back PARIS Next

INSPIRATION: Sparkling Yuzu Gimlet When in Japan, on the winter solstice, consider bathing in yuzu, as is the custom dating back to the early 18th century. But at home, there’s the Yuzu Gimlet, sparking like moonlight in your glass. Originally from central China and Tibet, Yuzu was introduced to Japan and Korea during the Tang dynasty, and its citrusy pleasures quickly squeezed their way worldwide, adding a splash of East-Asia here at home. Recipe from Food & Wine Recipe from Food & Wine Yield: 8 se rvings Ingredients 2 tablespoons hot water 2 tablespoons sugar 2 cups lightly packed mint leaves, plus small sprigs for garnish 1 1/2 cups lightly packed basil leaves, plus small sprigs for garnish 1 cup thinly sliced English cucumber, plus 8 spears for garnish 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons yuzu juice 2 cups chilled vodka 2 1/4 cups chilled sparkling water Ice Directions In a small bowl, whisk the sugar with the hot water until dissolved. In a pitcher, muddle the mint and basil leaves with the sliced cucumber and the sugar syrup. Stir in the yuzu juice, vodka and sparkling water. Serve in ice-filled collins glasses garnished with small sprigs of mint and basil and a cucumber spear. * We garnished ours with a fresh yuzu rind from the local japanese market, but you can also use any citrus rind. Back Next