When they were married in 1929, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera seemed like opposites. He was 43, tall, and overweight. She was 22, slim, and already dealing with many of the health issues that would plague her entire life. He was a huge artistic success, famous both in and out of Mexico, wealthy and looking…
A walk along the Malecon, the oceanside promenade that traverses Puerto Vallarta’s Zona Romantica and Centro districts, can only be described as pleasant. Even in October, with temperatures and humidity both high, the sound of seabirds and the afternoon breeze offset the often uncomfortable heat. And when they don’t, any number of bars offer a…
There are lots of ways to explore and celebrate American diversity on a visit to Washington, DC. One can dedicate a day - or several - to Americans of every background who have influenced the history of this country via the museums and monuments all over the city. You can certainly eat your way through…
I’ve stared at this screen for three days now, debating what to write about Fes, Morocco. How does one distill even a single day in this city down into an article? What’s the angle? The city is overwhelming, with more than a thousand years of history as an imperial capital, as a place of learning,…
Editor’s note: I spent ten days in Milan back in 2023, and I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed my time and all the city had to offer. It is wonderful to read that our writer Sam Spector also enjoyed his time in Milan, even though he had only a single day.…
Editor’s note: it has been a lot of years now since I visited Madrid in the early days of The Royal Tour. (Click here to read my guide from back then.) I loved it, and my visit to Toledo while there. Funny enough, I tried to also see El Escorial, but did a poor job…
It is amazing how a room full of faces, many of which don’t even have full bodies connected, can be a window into history. But so it is here in Room 1 of the National Portrait Gallery in London. In this narrow room on the third floor of the museum - which is where you…
I am not normally one to gush over an art exhibition. I enjoy art museums, and certainly get satisfaction from art in general, but it is rare that I am so taken by an art display that I recommend it wholeheartedly to everyone I know. Well, this one raises the bar. In doing the research…
Editor’s note: I’ve been to the Palm Springs area more times in my life than I can count, yet I have not done any of these day trips Jackie talks about in her article. For more of her experiences and writing, click here to visit her index page. Since we often go to Palm Desert…
Walking through Florence’s Museo Leonardo da Vinci is a mixture of excitement, awe, and a bit of overwhelmed angst. The institution has taken the drawings of the Renaissance’s perhaps most iconic figure, drawings representing inventions ranging from a helicopter to a tank and all things between, and built them. Some are small models and others…