TRAVEL

With polar cold sweeping into the nation’s capital, winter suddenly feels like an invitation rather than a challenge. This is the season to lace up your skates, exhale little clouds of frosty air, and glide beneath twinkling lights with the Potomac quietly doing its thing nearby. Washington, DC may be known for monuments and museums, but come winter, it turns into a surprisingly playful skating city—complete with pop-up rinks, beloved classics, and a few spots where culture a

There is a persistent myth that the Middle Ages were an era of emotional restraint: a world of stone cloisters, chastity belts (which mostly didn’t exist), and solemn devotion unmarred by desire.  Spectrum of Desire: Love, Sex, and Gender in the Middle Ages , now on view at  The Met Cloisters through March 29, 2026 , dismantles that comforting fiction with intelligence, elegance, and a sly sense of humor. It is one of those exhibitions that quietly rearranges what you thought

On a crisp morning far above the bustle of Midtown, a day that feels quintessentially  New York City  begins not with Times Square crowds but with a quiet walk up Broadway into  Washington Heights , where one of the city’s most enchanting cultural surprises awaits. Many visitors zip straight from Central Park into the museum corridor—MoMA, The Met, The Guggenheim—yet just a short subway ride north lies the  Hispanic Society Museum & Library , an unexpected treasure trove tuck

From August 5, 2025, to January 4, 2026, the  Harn Museum of Art  in Gainesville, Florida, invites visitors on a sweeping journey through a century of French modernism with its exhibition  French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850–1950 . Featuring over 55 paintings, drawings, and sculptures drawn from the Brooklyn Museum’s renowned European collection, this exhibition offers a rare opportunity to trace the evolution of French art during a period of profound transformation, from

If you’re among the lucky ones spending Christmas in Italy this year, forget the crowded hotel brunches and encourage more friendly, family-oriented “experiences.” The true magic of an Italian Christmas happens elsewhere: behind a family door, around a flour-dusted kitchen table, with hands deep in dough and "nonna"-approved recipes passed on with a wink and a story. In December 2025, as Italy slows down and cities glow with soft winter light,  Cesarine —Italy’s oldest and m

The holiday season in Paris brings more than twinkling lights and winter chill — it brings artistry, tradition and confectionery magic. Across the city, from palatial hotels to cozy patisseries, chefs and pastry artisans unveil their most creative bûches de Noël yet. These festive “yule logs” — once humble — have become symbols of French savoir‑faire, each embodying a story, a flavor palette, a mood. For travelers and gourmands alike, 2025’s crop is especially rich. Here is a

Paris has always known how to dress a table for the holidays. From the buttery glow of boulangeries to the scent of roasted chestnuts drifting along the boulevards, the season has its rituals — and for a long time, those rituals seemed incompatible with a vegan lifestyle. Not anymore. Over the past few years, the city’s most inventive pâtissiers and restaurateurs have begun reimagining Christmas and New Year classics with plant-based finesse. For the modern traveler who wants

In the terraced gardens of Sanssouci, every step feels like a dialogue with history. The statues breathe with the wind, glimmer with the sunlight, and listen to the murmur of the park’s fountains. At the foot of the vineyard hill, the  French Rondel  unveils twelve life-size marble figures, sculpted under the direction of  François Gaspard Adam , head of Frederick the Great’s Berlin sculpture workshop. Mercury, Venus, Apollo, Diana, Jupiter, Juno, Minerva, and Mars stand alon

Washington, D.C. has never been content to sit still, but this season the city feels particularly invigorated. New restaurants are debuting with cinematic flair, cocktail lounges are staging atmospheres worthy of a playlist, and even the brewing scene is expanding into ambitious, sustainability-driven territory. For travelers who demand more than a meal or a drink—those who seek artistry, ambiance, and a sense of place—D.C.’s newest openings offer a compelling window into the