I Wanted to See Corleone, but I Got Scared Shitless Along the Way
A day planned around Greek temples turned into an unpredictable drive towards Corleone, through cornfields, potholes, wild dogs and Sicilian mythology.
Two Ragusas, One Dinner and One Breakfast
An evening and a morning in a Sicilian Baroque town nearly destroyed by an earthquake and divided by the rivalry between its two parishes.
Somewhere Between Fes and Marrakech, Rabat Happened
Rabat was supposed to be a place to sleep between Fes and Marrakech. A few hours later, its blue-and-white kasbah and the Atlantic had turned it into my unexpected discovery of Morocco.
Helsinki in Two Exposures
At night, the white cathedral emerged from the darkness. By morning, it had almost disappeared into the snow. Those two views framed my first encounter with Helsinki.
San Marino: The Country I Barely Remember
Some countries remain in memory through landscapes, meals or people. San Marino survived in mine mainly because it was a country.
I Came Back to Finish Capri. I Didn’t.
Twenty-four hours on the island of Capri where the Faraglioni finally got their turn — but the hotel, the lemonade and a whirlpool had plans of their own.
Fes — A Sprig of Mint and an Elixir of Youth
My first visit to Fes involved an expensive airport lesson, five-star comfort and a guided walk through the medina — where mint became emergency equipment and one hand briefly looked younger.
Caserta Before 10:27: A Pizza Hunt and the Queen’s Secrets
Caserta had to fit between an evening flight and a fast ferry to Capri. I hadn’t expected the most useful man that morning to be a driver with a digital translator and a very personal interpretation of royal history.
The Morocco I Entered Through Meknes
I was staying in Fes, but Meknes gave me my first medina — and the first lesson that Morocco is rarely as simple as the guidebook version.