Posts by Michael Webb
DESTINATION: Revisiting the South of France
Exploring the South of France in September offers travelers discounts, unique seasonal delights and a welcome respite from the summer crowds.
Read MoreExploring the Czech Republic
Wandermelon’s guide to the best of Prague.
Read MoreRediscovering Morocco
Text and pictures by Michael Webb Nearly sixty years after a first youthful tour of Morocco, I returned to that enchanted land in March. Covid restrictions forced me to reschedule the trip three times and I decided to go at the earliest opportunity. I struck out with the weather, which was cold and wet, giving…
Read MoreDriving Around SICILY
The first time I explored Sicily, nearly 60 years ago, I stayed in cheap pensions, walked around the cities and took local buses and slow trains from one place to the next. This past September I returned with a friend and we retraced a similar route with an experienced driver in the comfort of a…
Read MoreArt and Nature in Northern ENGLAND
If you want to enjoy England as it was a century ago, skip the overcrowded, domesticated south-east and head north to Derbyshire and Yorkshire. Those counties cradled the Industrial Revolution, growing prosperous on coal and steel, manufacturing and trade. The mines and mills have shuttered, the great cities are trying to reinvent themselves; in between…
Read MoreFusing Old and New in CHINA
In China, historic landmarks alternate with a few spectacular new buildings by top Western architects, which mark a sharp break with the past. On one side is the Forbidden City and the gardens of Suzhou, with their still ponds and moon gates; on the other are towers that twist and swoop as though they were…
Read MoreOff the Beaten Track in SPAIN
Discover Spain’s northern provinces with Michael Webb. I’ve explored Spain pretty thoroughly over the years, but it never fails to surprise me. The northern provinces, from the Basque Country to Galicia are far less traveled than Barcelona, the Mediterranean coast and Andalusia. Art lovers flock to the Bilbao Guggenheim and pilgrims still trudge the…
Read MoreDeep in the Heart of FRANCE
After over 50 years, Michael Webb revisits southwestern France. I have fond memories of my first trip to the Dordogne, a region of southwestern France that takes its name from one of the three rivers that flow through softly rolling farmland studded with medieval towns and villages. A college friend and I found a congenial…
Read MoreSybaritic SRI LANKA
Michael Webb enjoys the more luxurious side of the cities of Sri Lanka. My first visit to Sri Lanka, many years ago, was a frugal adventure, bumping around in crowded buses from one ancient site to another, exploring the historic city of Kandy, and staying in a vintage guest house in the hill country of…
Read MoreExploring the BALTIC STATES
Michael Webb takes a 12 day tour of the Baltic States. Having explored most of Europe, I left the three Baltic States–Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania–till last, hoping they would offer as authentic a taste of the pre-war era as Romania. I arrived too late–the three glorious capitals have been swamped by mass tourism and…
Read MoreDriving around POLAND
Michael Webb embarks on a 10 day road trip around Poland. Resilience is the greatest asset of the Poles, who retained their pride and sense of nationhood during two centuries of foreign occupation. Twenty years of independence between the world wars were succeeded by the brutal onslaught of the Nazis and the Red Army, devastation…
Read MoreSingapore’s Best Architecture and Food
Michael Webb visits Singapore to explore its culture, food and architecture. In its fifty plus years of independence, the city-state of Singapore has transformed itself into an Asian version of Switzerland: prosperous, clean, and meticulously organized. But the vibrant street life of its multi-cultural enclaves–Chinese, Islamic and Indian–still flourishes amid the gleaming towers. Taxis and Uber…
Read MorePARIS IN WINTER
Michael Webb explores the City of Lights in winter, finding a new love and appreciation for its abundance of museums. For lovers, Paris is heaven year round; in winter it’s equally compelling for lovers of museums. The chilly gray days make the boulevards and outdoor cafés less enticing, and prompt you to explore treasures you…
Read MoreDutch Treat: Haarlem, Utrecht and the countryside
From Amsterdam to Haarlem, Michael Webb explores the busy city life to the quiet countryside in the Netherlands. Nearly every trip to the Netherlands begins in Amsterdam even though it has become one of the most expensive and touristy cities in Europe. It’s a short train ride from Schiphol, the country’s major airport, but you can…
Read MoreEnjoy the Modern Architecture of MILAN
From apartment buildings to museums, learn why Michael Webb keeps returning to Milan over Italy’s many other cities. Milan is my favorite Italian city (with Turin running a close second) for the way it reveals its treasures slowly. It has a few of the attractions that lure tour groups, including Leonardo’s over-restored Last Supper and a spiky…
Read MoreWhen The Going Was Good
Holiday: The Best Travel Magazine that Ever Was. Pamela Fiori (Rizzoli New York $85) – Review by Michael Webb Every generation looks back to a golden age–real or imagined—but for those who love to travel the two post war decades were truly special. Luxury trains and ocean liners still traversed the world; air travel was…
Read MoreOld Meets New in HAMBURG
Hamburg never gets old – it is a feast for lovers of vintage and contemporary architecture, music, and everything maritime. This Hanseatic city continues to renew itself with the development of new quarters like HafenCity making it an exciting stop-over on any European tour.
Read MoreMEXICO City’s Urban Vitality Attracts Visitors
Mexico City can be exhausting, given its vast extent and horrendous traffic, but it’s also inexhaustible – guaranteed to surprise and delight the traveler who loves urban vitality.
Read MoreAMSTERDAM By Design
In Amsterdam, historic and modern buildings coexist in harmony. Daring additions enhance storied landmarks and modern architecture pops up in surprising ways throughout the city.
Read MoreEating Well in EAST LONDON
The gentrification of one of London’s seedier boroughs yields some delicious new finds.
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