Despite his dream of building a capital city along the banks of the Potomac River and unlike the real estate cliché “George Washington slept here,” America’s first president never once laid his head down on a pillow within the District of Columbia, aka Washington, DC. The closest he ever got was a good night’s sleep at his homestead in nearby Mount Vernon, VA.

Some 228 years later, our nation’s capital welcomes more than 22 million visitors a year. A world-class city embedded with a vibrant history, spectacular monuments, outstanding museums, plentiful parks, lush gardens and exceptional chef-driven cuisine, Washington, DC is well worth a visit. But, don’t just take my word for it, join me as I take the lens cap off and document this monumental city originally planned by Pierre L’Enfant.

For starters, there’s the Smithsonian Institution, a collection of 19 massive, artifacts-filled museums and galleries and the National Zoo, many standing shoulder-to-shoulder on either side of the two-mile long National Mall, “America’s front yard.” Art, history — natural and chronicled — science, and red-white-and-blue ingenuity to rocket into space, are all on display inside these titanic buildings. And, the best part? Entry is absolutely free for we, the people.

Bookending the Mall is the Capitol Building at the eastern end, where the legislative branches of government apply their checks and balances atop old Jenkins’ Hill, and the awe-inspiring Lincoln Memorial, where Honest Abe sits in deep contemplation at the western edge along the banks of the Potomac. And, smack dab in the middle of it all stands the Washington Monument, a 555-foot marble obelisk — the tallest structure in the District — honoring the “Father of His Country” that’s encircled by 56 American flags, one for each state along with the five territories and the District of Columbia.

Our historical walk around the Mall also includes a bevy of memorials: Jefferson, Vietnam and Korean War Veterans, Martin Luther King, Jr., FDR and World War II. Join the lengthy queue to get inside the National Archives to view John Hancock’s John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence, along with the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. Book way in advance for access to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the newest venue on the Mall. Spend an entire day exploring the myriad of exhibitions at the National Galleries of Art and Portrait. Reach for the sky and the stars beyond at the National Air and Space Museum. And, stop long enough to smell the plant life inside the US Botanic Garden.

The United States is a cultural melting pot and its capital reflects the nation’s sea-to-shining-sea international roots. Heavily influenced by Egyptian, Greek, Roman, medieval European and 19th-century French architecture, wherever you look, especially up, you’ll see an abundance of tall columns, massive domes and the occasional flying buttress. From the White House to the U.S. Capitol, from the Washington Monument to the Library of Congress, from Union Station to the National Cathedral, a simple stroll around architecturally impressive DC alone is well worth the airfare. Right?

The District’s a showcase of American performance arts and is home to such iconic venues as the National Theatre and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

In the early 20^th century, jazz music had a dizzying effect here as DC natives, like Duke Ellington, played the night away on stages up and down famed U Street. Years later, homegrown go-go, a blend of funk, R&B and hip-hop set the beat around clubs and out on the street.

And, let’s not forget that John Philip Souza came marching down Pennsylvania Avenue at the dawn of the 1900s leading the Marine Corps Band, the oldest musical group in the US. Today, Souza’s iconic march music is one of the highlights at the annual A Capitol Fourth, the national Independence Day celebration that unfolds at twilight on the West Lawn of Capitol Hill.

The White House, Congress and the Supreme Court, the three pillars of the US government, all punch their clocks here, while the Pentagon, the State Department, the World Bank and embassies from almost every corner of the globe float around their orbit. Power, those that carry it and those eager to wrestle it away, is why DC emits such a 24/7/365 buzz. Can you feel it?

Washingtonians, all 700,000+ of them, know full well the difference between the city itself and the District of Columbia, aka “inside the beltway.”

Beyond the high profile attractions, the politics, the leaks, the lobbying and the “fake news,” the city, all 68 square miles of it, is made up of small, distinctive neighborhoods where normal folk live and breathe. Here, restaurants, cafes, bars and nightclubs are hopping; Ubers are hailed and bicycles and electric scooters are shared via smartphone apps, and one of the cleanest metro systems in the world moves the populace quickly; and, where friends share a laugh, like my DC-based fam, on colorful row-house front porches or on terraces atop apartment complexes with fab views of their fair city spread out below.

While we’re here, let’s grab some cutlery and tuck in to one of the country’s hottest food scenes. The District is a can’t-miss epicurean destination touted by the likes of Bon Appétit, the Michelin Guide and Zagat, and where celebrity chefs like José Andrés, Tim Ma and Marjorie Meek-Bradley conjure up their culinary wizardry.

From food magazine-worthy dishes created and plated at coveted tables around Penn Quarter, to local favorite half-smokes served at a 24-hour diner up in Adams Morgan, to one-stop grazing at foodie mecca Union Market, just about every kitchen on the planet is represented within DC.

Regardless of your crave, one thing’s for certain: it’s all delectable no matter where you dine. Uh, I’ll have the Maryland crab cake sandwich topped with crispy bacon, please.

With loads of attractions and activities for every visitor, budget-minded and value-added, Washington, DC is teeming with a good-time vibe. Affording unmatched free access to museums, monuments and memorials and one-of-a-kind events, like the National Cherry Blossom Festival, not to mention five pro sports teams — Redskins, Nationals, Wizards, Capitals and DC United — the District is in a class all by itself.

Washington, DC, America’s monumental city that our first commander-in-chief envisioned, is all grown up now. I’m just happy that you let me show you around.

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Alte Pinakothek, Munich, Germany – They feature one of my favorite artists Albrecht Durer. My uncle  when seeing my long hair said… “David you look like Albrecht Durer,” which got me interested in the famous artist from the 15^th century. – DE

Anne Frank House, Amsterdam – To see it is to be moved to tears. Such courage and vision beyond her young years. – MG

NY Met, expansive and all under one roof; British Museum of course; Israel Museum; and the Museum Quarter (Island) in Berlin. – SV

My fave is probably the Smithsonian Air and Space in DC.  My most memorable is the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. Though I wish I made time to see L.A.’s MOCA and Griffith Park Observatory. – HL

Museum Island, Berlin – For tours of all 5 museums. – GW

Pompeii, Italy – Not sure if museum, but my favorite historic site. – OM

Polynesian Cultural Museum, Laie, Oahu, Hawaii  – My kids loved it, so much to learn for adults too. – MB

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Welcome to the T-Boy Society of Film and Music’s latest installment of some of our favorite things, things that make life worth living as we continue to grow as patrons of the world. It’s hard to believe that in the past four months we’ve addressed six subjects: Favorite Natural Wonders, Top Road Movies, Architectural Wonders, North-American-English Language Travel Novels, Top Songs of the Road, and Bucket  List Destinations.

The current T-Boy Society of Film and Music poll is devoted to our favorite museums. It was a tough category to nail down to just five, but the results were both educational and a lot of fun. T-Boy writer Richard Carroll put it in the proper context, The museum feature is important because museums offer insights to a destination that one might overlook. There were a number of important museums on members’ lists – the MET, the Hermitage, Smithsonian Museums in DC – which demanded to be represented. But also a sprinkling of little gems, which many of us knew nothing about, e.g. the small Museu do Fado in Lisbon, Seattle’s Museum of Flight and the Skansen Open Air Museum in Stockholm. As always, I learned a lot. I hope you do, too. – EB

T-Boy Society of Film and Music’s Favorite Museums

Richard Frisbie – T-Boy writer:

My Top Five Favorite Museums in the World

• American Museum of Natural History in NYC – Because I’m sentimental. As a kid spending my school year in New York’s Hudson Valley, and summers in New York City, my brother and city cousins and I spent rainy summer days in the museum. It was our playground, surrounded by ancient and modern animals, and all sorts of exotic things, where the wonders of the world were available to us. When the movie Night in the Museum came out I was reminded of all the fun we had there as kids.
• The Guggenheim Museum in NYC – When Frank Lloyd Wright’s amazing architectural wonder opened, we (autonomous) kids walked up from 57th (between 9th & 10th) to see it.  So long as we got back before the street lights came on we had the run of the city. The Calder was fun, but mostly I remember the spiral ramp up past all the art, and how inspiring the building was from the outside. I was the oldest, a precocious eleven year old.
• The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain – Shortly after it opened I had the occasion to go there and be amazed by the sheer caressable beauty of Frank Gehry’s design, shimmering in the construction zone of what is now a beautiful, sculpture-studded river walk through a library, hotels, convention center, and shopping mall. I’ve been back several times to see how the concept grew, from the Guggenheim additions, to the architectural bridges, and the pedestrian walks where the street used to be. Every hour the museum is cloaked in man-made fog, leaving the guardian Puppy and Mommy-longlegs behind, only to be reunited as the mist settles. It is a wondrous sight!
• The Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice, Italy – Imagine a rare afternoon free in Venice to see the sights. Tourism offices call that free time, then usually fill it with trivial things. Not this time! We went first to the tiny but amazing Leonardo Da Vinci Museum because we discovered it on our way to the Guggenheim, then press-passed our way into the unassuming Guggenheim to see what was going on. There’s a famous statue of a naked, sexually aroused man astride a horse looking out over the Grand Canal.  A museum staffer told me that when school groups visit the museum he unscrews the erection so their young sensibilities would not be offended. He didn’t answer when I asked if he also covered the naked breasts on the female statues. Hypocrisy! (True Story.)
• The truly unique – Grand Prix Museum and Wine Museum in Macau – I was there with the Executive Chefs from PF Chang’s researching menu additions when they opened the museum(s) for a dinner and wine tasting. They pulled out all the stops on that visit, including one on an ancient, smooth-as-silk, port. That was an amazing museum dinner in a week of incredible food!

I go to museums every time I visit an area. There are several other memorable ones that could easily be in the Top Five: Roberto Burle Marx’s Siteo in Rio, The Prado in Madrid, the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, Spain, and especially . . . well, in truth, there are too many for me to list. But read on. I’m sure my colleagues included them elsewhere in this article.

Susan Breslow – T-Boy writer:

• Nobel Prize Museum, Stockholm, Sweden – After Alfred Nobel discovered dynamite, he left his estate built on the proceeds to reward individual achievements in chemistry, literature, medicine, physics, and peace. In this compact museum, computer tablets offer insights into winners by decade and describe each one’s contributions to humanity. You’ll feel even closer to genius when poring over the serious and quirky displays of awardees’ possessions including personal notebooks, bicycles, even spectacles. In the reading room, find copies of volumes by Nobel Literature Laureates and a cozy place to page through them.
• Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, Italy – There’s nothing fusty about this house museum, featuring the personal collection of the American heiress who became a patron of pre- and postwar American and European modernists. Works by Magritte, Dalí, Kandinsky, Klee, Picasso, Brancusi, and others confirm her prescient eye for the greats. Relax in the garden and stroll to the landing at the back of the palazzo, which overlooks Venice’s Grand Canal from up high.
• Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Museums inspired by the passion of a single individual are invariably unique. Once the private preserve of Albert C. Barnes, who made his fortune by developing a compound to combat gonorrhea and other inflammations, this museum is idiosyncratic in the way it presents Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso, Modigliani, Van Gogh, Degas, and other virtuosos: It’s rare to find a solitary oil painting on a wall; typically Barnes’ “wall ensembles” also include sculpture, wrought-iron forms, lamps, furniture, and other objects that cohere with the canvases.
• Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, New York – A wealth of world-class museums welcome visitors to New York; its Metropolitan is encompassing. Yet it’s not my favorite. That’s the Whitney, the first museum dedicated to the work of living American artists and home to a trend-setting Biennial. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, another wealthy patron of the arts and a respected sculptor in her own right, founded it in 1930. About a decade ago the museum moved from its snooty Upper East Side address to an innovative Renzo Piano structure in the Meatpacking District. In addition to the outstanding collection, nearly every floor has an outdoor plaza, where visitors can take in views of the low-rise neighborhood, the Highline, and the Hudson River.
• Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia – I was familiar with Henri Matisse’s The Dance, but it wasn’t until I visited the Hermitage did I realize the master had also created Music to complement it; the latter is rarely seen outside the country. The world’s second-largest art museum (after the Louvre), the Hermitage is a six-building complex that is also home to other priceless paintings, antiquities, the gilded carriages of royalty, and a large collection of intricately fashioned and bejeweled Fabergé Easter eggs that inspire thoughts of larceny.

Richard Carroll – T-Boy writer:

• National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City – My first visit, one of many, was in 1971. Visitors are greeted near the entrance by the towering statue Tlaloc, the water god, and beyond is an incredible collection of Mexican history, with 23 exhibit halls covering 100,000 square feet on two spacious floors. A national treasure with international recognition, the museum features superbly displayed Maya pre-Columbian heritage, a massive empire that reached from Mexico to Guatemala and Central America. Large notable murals, a 22-ton Aztec sun stone, and hours of informative enjoyment, are a tremendous boost in understanding a diverse and complex country, the people, and the various languages. You need more than one visit to fully digest this world-renowned complex.
• Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena California – Elegant and welcoming, the museum on Colorado Boulevard in Old Town Pasadena is seen by millions as the annual Rose Bowl Parade passes by. But beyond the exterior, the Norton Simon ambiance feels as if you should be sipping champagne as you browse a selection of 12,000 art pieces, and one of the finest collections of 19th-century French art including more than 100 works by Edgar Degas. A splendid enjoyment is the lush Sculpture Garden surrounding a Lilly Pond reminiscent of Monet where plants bloom year-round. The Garden Cafe overlooking the Lilly Pond is perfect for a casual lunch and where one can pull away for a moment or two from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
• Museo Picasso, Malaga, Spain – Malaga, Picasso’s birthplace, the artist is alive and well thanks to the Malaguenas in his Andalusian hometown who understand the strength of a legend. The proud city has the great artist front and center with the Museo Picasso housed in the celebrated 16-century Palacio de Buenavista in the heart of the historic district. One of 34 museums in the city, the Museo Picasso is designed with 12 halls or galleries with 226 works of art, and Picasso’s colorful and passionate vision of life with sketches, ceramics, and large format art works that are a lasting memory. Throughout the gallery are short powerful Picasso quotes from a collection of a hundred or more of Picasso’s thoughts on life, that add another dimension to a complex and timeless personality. “What one does is what counts and not what had the intention of doing.” “Spain is the boldest, saddest, and most surprising place on earth.” “To finish, to achieve – don’t those words actually have a double meaning.” With church bells ringing from the adjacent Renaissance-style Cathedral de Malaga, 1528, the museum has uncovered a level beneath its ground floor where Roman and Phoenician ruins are nicely displayed.

Deb Roskamp – T-Boy photographer & writer: 

• Musée d’Orsay, Paris – Hands down, être numéro un. I could meander fully enchanted through this brilliantly renovated train station seemingly forever, as I’d never tire of the treasures displayed inside.  Some of its collection used to hang in what was, in the 80s, my favorite museum, the jeu de Paume.
• Florence Nightingale Museum, London – Out of London’s hundreds of museums, this one reaches out to me.  What can I say?  I’m a nurse and Flo was one of my heroes.
• Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam – Never has a museum inspired a curiosity to learn about a painter like this one did for me.  At my only visit in 1981, I knew so little about the artist’s life and work.  Decades later, after having scouted out countless areas he painted, read and reread his letters to Theo, I only hope that I will be able to return.
• Museu do Fado, Lisbon – This sweet little museum in the Alfama area of Lisbon is a treasure.  It’s an immersive education for the ears rather than the eyes.  One can spend hours leisurely listening to the various artists of one’s choice in the comfort of an armchair.
• Anne Frank House, Amsterdam – Everyone knows her story.  Who wouldn’t want to see where that optimistic and courageous child lived who gave us so much inspiration? I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that every-thing will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more.
• Honorable mention: Musee Picasso, Paris – Located in a converted 17th century hotel, this museum is a lovely testament to the talents of this famed artist and organized in a chronologic fashion; Museo Frida Kahlo (Casa Azul), Coyoacan, Mexico – How moving is it to be in the artist’s home where she was born, worked and died?; The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. – It’s been a long time since I visited, but a lasting impression was made.  Such a lovely collection of European and American artists; Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto – If you looked in my closet, you might not guess that this collection would make my list, as my own footwear is not so interesting or extensive.  However, it does, simply for the novelty of finding shoes from nearly every civilization under one roof; Hermitage, St. Petersburg – The architecture, the sheer vastness of its collection… it just had to make my list.

Stephen Brewer  – T-Boy writer:

Top five museums – this is hard to narrow down, but here goes:

• Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City – for scope and depth, especially European paintings
• Musée d’Orsay, Paris
• Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam – for the Northern painters
• Pergamon Museum, Berlin – for ancient architectural wonders and Nephritite
• Archaeological Museum, Naples – for Pompeii frescoes
• Acropolis Museum, Athens – for the Parthenon Frieze

Ed Boitano – T-Boy editor:

• Henry the VIII’s Hampton Court Palace, London – Growing up in the Pacific Northwest my enthusiasm for castles and palaces was something from which I would only read in books. But, decades later, my wish was well worth waiting for when I finally stepped foot into Hampton Court Palace, British King Henry the VIII’s favorite Royal Palace. Overwhelmed by its scope and grandeur, at its gatehouse there’s an astronomical clock made for Henry, and 30 suites used for his grandest visitors. Inside, I was amazed by the lavish use of half-timber, rectangular and bay windows, carved wood paneled walls, moldings and design. Two staircases lead to the 106 ft. long and 40 ft. wide Great Hall banquet room where Henry would ‘play’ the role of a Renaissance monarch. The hall features a spectacularly decorated hammer-beam, and walls covered by Henry’s most treasured tapestries. One sleeping room was filled with nothing more than straw, which I assumed would be my place of rest during the 1520s. I was pleasantly surprised to find everything so accessible, making it easy to become part of the experience and attempt to understand Henry’s complicated mind.
• Imperial War Museum (IWM), London – Yes, there is the ‘’boy’s room”: an atrium with exhibits of V-2 and Polaris missiles; a Grant tank used by Bernard Montgomery; and the Supermarine Spitfire number R/6915, which flew in the Battle of Britain and shot down three enemy Luftwaffe aircraft. But this not a shrine for the glorification of war, but rather a museum which gives voice to the extraordinary experiences of ordinary people forced to live their lives in a world torn apart by conflict. Displayed across six floors, the museum’s vast collection encompasses a wealth of objects – uniforms to photographs, films and works of art – each with a story to tell. In the basement you’ll find yourself a participant in WW1 trench warfare or among Londoners in a subway air raid shelter, seeking safety from the Nazi Blitz.
• Stasi Museum and DDR Museum, Berlin – The Stasi Museum focuses on how the Stasi (the DDR secret police, modeled after the USSR’s KGB) operated with their original technology of bugs, hidden cameras and weapons. The main attraction is the former office of Erich Mielke, head of the Stasi from 1957 to reunification. His second floor office remains untouched since the days of the Stasi, complete with desks, chairs and filing cabinets. The DDR Museum provides an interactive experience of everyday life in the former East Germany. From cookie cutter kitchens, the sputtering Trabant (East Germanys’ answer to West Germanys’ Volkswagen) and an ill fated attempt to copy the forbidden Western blue jeans out of cotton, was illuminating in capturing this piece of East Germanys’ Cold War history – still unknown to many North Americans today.
• Joods Historisch Museum, Amsterdam – A beautiful design of four adjoining synagogues, linked by internal walkways which form one large museum. The synagogues were central to Jewish life until WWII, and were restored in 1980s. Most Dutch citizens who visit the museum today are not of Jewish ancestry, and consider the museum very much part of their own history in the Netherland’s courageous support, often facing penalties of death, in helping and hiding minorities throughout history.
• Ulster American Folk Park, Tyrone, Northern Ireland – This open-air museum features more than 30 exhibit buildings exploring three-centuries of Irish emigration. Using docents and displays of traditional crafts, the museum brings to life those who left Ulster for the Americas in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Seeing a replica of a full scale coffin ship used during the Famine of the 1840s and the Highland Clearances, felt like a heart wrenching blow to all forms of humanity. Coffin ships were the cheapest way to cross the Atlantic, but were obscenely crowded, unseaworthy and generally with inadequate drinking water, food and sanitation. Mortality rates of 30% were not uncommon. It was said that sharks could be seen following the ships, because so many bodies were thrown overboard.

More Favorite Museums    Readers’ Poll

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Weave Cleveland – Cinematographer Travel Guys TV:

• The Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, BC – Amazing! One floor is an old English-style city downtown at night (supposedly Victorian in colonial times). I used to sit in the theatre and watch Buster Keaton silent movies, etc. all afternoon. This really is an incredible museum.
• The Royal London Wax Museum, Victoria, BC – Royalty and celebrities upstairs or go down to the dungeon to see the chamber of horrors.
• Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow, Scotland – Like many great museums, you could take all week and still not experience everything. Outstanding!
• Fare Pote’e Maeva Huahine – One large thatch-roofed hut on stilts over the water on the island of Huahine, French Polynesia. Unmanned, no fee – just walk in and look at Polynesian history and artifacts.
• Pompeii, Italy – So, it’s not a museum as much as a real-time excavation site but it is INCREDIBLE!
• Honorable mention: The Ulster Museum, Belfast, Northern Ireland – Viking lore, Small Medieval thrones chiseled  out of a single piece of stone, Egyptian mummies; The Titanic Museum, Belfast, Northern Ireland – WOW!!; The Crocker Art Gallery and Crocker House, Sacramento, CA – Just go. Enough said.

James Boitano – T-Boy writer:

• Musee d’Orsay, Paris
• The Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
• Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
• The National Museum of Iceland, Reykjavik 
• Skansen Open Air Museum, Stockholm 

Allan Smith – Artist & T-Boy writer:

• Salvador Dalí Museum, St. Petersburg, Florida
• The Louvre, Paris, France
• Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
• The Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, California
• The Uffizi Galleries, Florence, Italy
• Honorable mention: Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia; The National Gallery, Washington, D.C.; The Smithsonian, Washington, D.C.; The Palace Museum, Beijing, China

Brent Campbell – Musician and composer:

• The Metropolitan Museum, NYC
• The Museum of Flight, Seattle
• Lemay, America’s Car Museum, Tacoma, Washingon
• The Louvre, Paris
• Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Nashville 
• Museum of History and Industry, Seattle (newly expanded and c’mon Bobo is in the house)

Ringo Boitano – T-Boy Writer:

• Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto – The 4,500-year history of footwear is explored through 13,000 shoes, making it the largest collection of historic footwear in the world. You’ll find everything from Napoleon’s shoes, John Lennon’s Beatle Boots and Akan chief’s sandals to Inuit sealskin boots, kabkabs worn by Turkish women and chopines from the Italian Renaissance – so outrageously high that they make today’s tall stiletto heels seem almost like classical footwear.
• The National World War I Museum, Kansas City, Missouri – It is the only American museum dedicated to remembering, interpreting and understanding the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community. The Exhibit Hall features the Panthéon de la Guerre mural, depicting the figure of Victory, surrounded by thousands of French heroes, and colorful flags of the 22 Allied nations of World War I, arranged in the order in which each country entered the conflict. A recreated trench illustrates the brutality of the war. The exterior is decorated with mosaic tiles that convey a night sky strewn with gold stars, representing the sacrifice of Gold Star Mothers during the Great War.
• The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio – The museum documents the history of rock music and the artists, producers, engineers, and other notable figures who have influenced its development. The museum’s library and archives is the world’s most comprehensive repository of materials related to the history of rock and roll. The Hall’s temporary exhibits have featured Elvis Presley, hip-hop, the Supremes, the Who, U2, John Lennon, the Clash, the Grateful Dead, Bruce Springsteen, Women Who Rock, and the Rolling Stones. I recall an exhibit which featured John Lennon’s white piano used in the song Imagine, and his 1955-56 (age 15) report card: He has too many of the wrong ambitions and his energy is too often misplaced. – Liverpudlian Headmaster
• Museo Casa natale Arturo Toscanini, Parma, Italy – I was primed and ready for a tour of maestro Arturo Toscanini’s former home, now a museum, after having spent the previous day at Milan’s La Scala Opera House. Arturo Toscanini (1867 – 1957) was renowned for his performances of Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner, Richard Strauss, Debussy and his own compatriots Rossini, Verdi, Boito and Puccini. His interpretations were notable for detail of phrasing, dynamic intensity, and an essentially classical conception of form. I felt a sense of warmth as I visited each of the rooms, filled with important original artifacts, documents, letters, photos, artwork, posters, and programs. Initially Toscanini  was a cello  player until his reputation as a conductor of authority and skill supplanted his cello career. His epitaph is taken from his remarks concluding the 1926 premiere of Puccini’s unfinished Turandot: Here the opera ends, because at this point the maestro died.
• The Scotch Whisky Experience, Edinburgh, Scotland – Not really a museum, but after a couple of wee drams of sublime single malt whisky, does it really matter? Located at the top of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, just below Edinburgh Castle, this is a delight for those with a discriminating taste in single malt whisky.  For over 30 years the Scotch Whisky Experience has been conducting educational tours and tastings of uisce beatha (water of life), with the guarantee of a very sensational experience. As I walked out the door, I realized I was now ready for a bout with haggis.

T. E. Mattox – T-Boy music critic:

• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and National Air & Space, Washington DC – So many buildings, so little time. But these are just two of my faves.
• Musée d’Orsay, Paris – So fun. The whole environment is unique. Some of my favorite paintings live here.
• The Louvre, Paris – Much like the Smithsonian, overpowering! Most people just head for the Mona Lisa.
• The Vatican, Vatican City – Room after room full of amazing art and sculptures and then… the Sistine Chapel!
• LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art), Los Angeles – Love, LOVE the Wolf head room and Sabertooth tiger display. Amazed at all the animals they continue to dig out of the tar pits. Crazy.

Rourke – Musician & composer:

• Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park, Chicago
• Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
• Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze, Florence, Italy
• Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
• National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

Raoul Pascual – T-Boy co-founder, illustrator and art director:

• Huntington Library, San Marino, California – For the vastness and the variety – Library of Bibles, Japanese and Chinese garden, Cactus, Green Room, paintings, sculptures, etc.
• Smithsonian National Air & Space, Washington DC – Exhibits of aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, rockets, and other flight-related artifacts.
• Museum of Tolerance, Los Angeles – Designed to examine racism and prejudice around the world with a strong focus on the history of the Holocaust
• The Brooklyn Museum, New York City borough of Brooklyn – An art museum which holds an art collection with roughly 1.5 million works.
• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC – Larger than 18 football fields and home to the largest natural history collection in the world.

Fyllis Hockman – T-Boy writer:

• Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb, Croatia – Dedicated to failed love relationships, its exhibits include personal objects left over from former lovers, accompanied by brief descriptions. The museum began as a traveling collection of donated items. Since then, it has found a permanent location in Zagreb. In May 2011, the Museum of Broken Relationships received the Kenneth Hudson Award, given out by the European Museum Forum. The award goes to “a museum, person, project or group of people who have demonstrated the most unusual, daring and, perhaps, controversial achievement that challenges common perceptions of the role of museums in society.”

Phil Harper – Political fundraiser:

• Leon Trotsky Museum, Coyoacan, Mexico – The Leon Trotsky Museum is located just a few blocks away from the Frida Kahlo Museum in Coyoacan, a small city now surrounded by Mexico City. Trotsky was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army. As one of the original Russian Bolsheviks, he was considered the heir to Vladimir Lenin, chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars of the Soviet Union. Lenin shared Trotsky’s ideal of worldwide Communism, but believed it was more pragmatic to consolidate the victories in the Russian Revolution rather than actively spreading military revolution to other countries. Lenin felt that Josef Stalin would be dangerous to their goals and should be removed from the position of General Secretary of the Party. But his words came too late, and, after his death, Stalin forced his way into power. Trotsky was exiled, and eventually hunted by the tyrannical Stalin regime as a threat to his de facto dictatorship. While on the run with no place to hide, Trotsky was eventually given political asylum in Mexico, sponsored by Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Along with his wife, Natalia, he lived in the Rivera/Kahlo house for a few years, but later relocated to a new fortress-life home with guards and watchtowers.

As I entered the museum I was told that I was to have a private tour by the museum’s director. To my surprise, the museum director was none other than Trotsky’s grandson, Esteban Volkov. A remarkably spry and dashing man in his early 90s with impeccable manners, Mr. Volkov had lived with his grandparents,  Leon and Natalia, at age thirteen, and was wounded himself as a result of the Stalin operative’s failed machine gun assault. The bullet holes are still in the walls.  He walked me through the museum, patiently explaining in detail the history of photos from Trotsky’s lifetime, his participation in the Bolshevik Revolution, family tree, books and newspapers.

The centerpiece of the museum is Trotsky’s study, where he was fatally wounded by Ramón Mercader, who had posed as a family friend. While engrossed in a Mercader manuscript, which he had asked Trotsky to read as a favor, the assassin snuck up behind him and struck him in the back of the head with an ice axe. Mercader was a Spanish communist and probable agent of Stalin. Trotsky died from his wounds the next day. The Soviet government denied responsibility, and Mercader was sentenced to 20 years in prison by Mexican authorities.

Mr. Volkov ultimately raised his own family in the house, and then turned it into a museum on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Leon Trotsky.

Museum lovers, If you have a museum/s that you’d like to share, please send to Traveling Boy. We’ll post and do all the work!

The post More T-Boy Society of Film and Music’s Favorite Museums appeared first on Traveling Archive.

I had only two days’ layover in Amsterdam and wanted to make the most of it. I had a long list of “stuff” to see and do, destinations that I had not had the time to see and experience the year before, when I had a short trip to this charming city of canals, tulips, and bicycles, among its many draws.  It was my fourth or fifth trip to the Netherlands and I still had not made it to — heavens! — the Museum of Bags and Purses (Tassenmuseum Hendrikje), which somehow, despite its being tops on my list, had eluded me for one reason or another on past visits.

And this time around, having read Jessie Burton’s novel The Miniaturist (and having seen the PBS mini-series of the same name), I desperately wanted to see Petronella Oortman’s miniature house — a cabinet doll house, presented to her as a wedding gift from her husband, Johannes Brandt — which has a place of honor on a little stage-like platform at the Rijksmuseum. The house is a marvel and it’s hard to believe it is a true, detailed mini-model of Petronella’s home; indeed, both Oortman and her husband were real people, in the late 17th century — early 18th century in the Netherlands; for the wealthy, having a miniature replica of their homes was a status symbol.

In order to make my trip efficient and easy — and to save a couple of dollars — I opted to purchase the Amsterdam Card, officially known as I amsterdam City Card, which you can buy on line even before a trip, or once in Holland, at the I amsterdam Visitor Centre at Schiphol Airport; in the I amsterdam store inside the Central Station; and at the I amsterdam Visitor Centre across from the Central Station. Additionally, it is available at many hotels, museums, canal cruise companies’ ticketing offices, tourist agencies, and GVB ticket offices (Amsterdam’s pubic transport company).

Passes are available for 24-, 48-, 72-, 96-, and 120-hours, in other words, for one-, two-, three-, four-, and five-days’ duration; they are priced, accordingly, at 65, 85, 105, 120, 130 Euros and occasionally, you might find a somewhat reduced price with a few Euros knocked off the tariff.  (As of this writing, the 120 and 130 Euro cards are each on sale, for 115 and 125 Euros, respectively.)

Is a City Card really worth it? Well, for me it certainly was.  I took many trams, so I saved significantly on transportation, all managed by the Amsterdam GVB.  (A two-day pass for transportation alone is 13.50 Euros, but it’s included with the City Card.)  At the Rijksmuseum, I avoided the 20 Euros entry fee, and at the Tassenmuseum, I skipped the 12.50 Euro tariff.  Add to that the entry prices for the Jewish Cultural Quarter (17 Euros), the Stedelijk Museum (18.50 Euros), and a ticket for a canal cruise (17 Euros). And if I’d had time for the Diamond Museum (10 Euros) and the Amsterdam Tulip Museum (5 Euros), I really would have made out like a proverbial bandit.

Bottom line, if you are planning a lot of gallivanting about and you are sure you’re going to visit museums, then the card is definitely worth it for you. Additionally, there are discounts on bike rentals (see Amsterdam like a native), music events, and food and drink. So, yes, it’s worth checking out before you leave to determine if you’ll come out ahead.  Above all else, it made all my peregrinations simple. And it will do the same for you.

© 2020  Ruth J. Katz All Rights Reserved

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I’ve always been interested in pre-Columbian Amerindian cultures. I’ve developed a pretty good, though rudimentary, understanding of the Incas in Peru’s Andes, but I was weak on the Aztecs in Mexico City, and the Maya in the Yucatán. I also learned a bit about early Spanish Colonial Cities in my Mexico City and Yucatán tours.

A special thanks to my most esteemed photographer, Deb Roskamp, who gave life to my articles.

So here’s my very subjective list with an extra about Mexico City’s courageous Padre Po thrown in.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

A Piece of Paradise: Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region in Italy, Part I

London, Paris, Berlin and Udine. Yes, Udine. And let’s not forget about Grado, Salice and Trieste, most definitely Trieste. This is Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy, spread across the far northeastern corner of the nation. I first read about this stunning region of diverse landscapes, languages and cultures over 15 years ago and swore that someday I would see it for myself. This June I finally did.

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A Piece of Paradise: Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region in Italy, Part II

Just as the early morning sun had penetrated the Adriatic Sea’s marine layer, my driver arrived to take me to the Venice airport for my flight home to the U.S.   PortoPiccolo proved to be the ideal location to end my journey of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Located minutes from Trieste, devoid of Roman roads and medieval streets, the upscale seaside resort was the perfect venue to simply relax and reflect about my exploration of Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region.

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Mexico

Viva Mexico City – Eight Days in the Capital of Mexico

And then the rains came down, blessing this magical and sacred city of 21,321,000 million inhabitants, giving them a gentle reprieve from their bustling and productive lives. It has been said that Mexico City has a perfect annual spring temperature, making it an abundant produce belt for Mexico and the rest of the world.

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A Profile in Courage — The Story of Padre Pro

Padre Pro’s last request was to be allowed to kneel and pray. When the firing squad’s shots failed to kill him, a soldier shot him at point-blank range. Pro had been falsely accused in the bombing attempt of former Mexican President Álvaro Obregón, and had become a wanted man. Betrayed to the authorities, he was sentenced to death without the benefit of any legal process.

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A Yucatán Land Safari

People watch in awe as the morning sun first breaks over the ruins of Chichen Itza, a Maya city considered one of the new seven wonders of the world. A shaman conducts a purification ritual in the small contemporary Maya town of Nolo, while a farmer cuts branches off an Agave plant which will be stripped and made into rope (sisal) at the Hacienda of Sotuta de Peon…

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Palaces & Museums

Henry VIII and Hampton Court Palace

When one invokes images of English King Henry VIII they’re generally of a grossly obese and egoistical king, who was no stranger to the royal casting couch, despite his marrying a number of his conquests. But this is not the Henry of early years; an avid hunter and sportsman, a helpless romantic, sublime dancer, and highly educated man who actually composed his own songs and played numerous musical instruments.

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The Museums of Tulsa, Oklahoma

As I stood in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma I was amazed by the lushness of its greenery and sense of cosmopolitism. This was my first trip to Oklahoma, and in my naiveté, I had thought the whole state was one big Dust Bowl. Perhaps I had seen John Ford’s film adaption of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath too many times, but that image had been branded in my mind.

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Tulsa and Its Area

In a region known as Green Country, Tulsa rests on the Arkansas River, between the Osage Hills and the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in northeast Oklahoma. It was first settled in 1828 by the Lochapoka Band of the Creek Nation during the disturbing period of the Indian  Removal Act. The city boomed during the 20th century as an important center for the U.S  oil industry, making Tulsa County the most densely populated area in Oklahoma.  Today Tulsa is the cultural and arts center of Oklahoma, showcasing ballet and opera companies, grandiose 20th Century churches and one of the nation’s largest concentrations of art deco architecture.  Its collection of world-class museums include the Gilcrease Museum of Art and the Philbrook Museum of Art (now in two locations).

The Woody Guthrie Center

The Woody Guthrie Center is an inspiring tribute to the man best known for composing the song This Land Is Your Land, as well as championing social equality to all Americans through music. Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (born July 14, 1912, Okemah, Oklahoma) chronicled the plight of common people, especially during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl era. Like other displaced people from Oklahoma’s Dust Bowl, he headed for California, traveling by freight train, hitchhiking or simply walking westward. He supported himself by singing and playing in taverns, taking odd jobs, and visiting hobo camps – giving him an unflinching education of a world where the rich had everything and the poor, seemingly nothing. In Los Angeles he landed a job at radio station where his songs gave voice to the struggles of the dispossessed and downtrodden, while still celebrating their indomitable spirit. His activist music later had a tremendous influence on everyone from Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, to Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Phil Ochs. Some of the most lasting songs in the canon of American music include Guthrie’s So Long (It’s Been Good to Know Yuh), Hard Traveling, Blowing Down This Old Dusty Road, Union Maid  and, inspired by John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, the song Tom Joad.  This Land Is Your Land* became a pillar of the civil rights movement of the 1960s and gets my vote for a new U.S. National Anthem.

The Cherokee Nation and The Trail of Tears

Located in Tahlequah, just outside of Tulsa, is the home of the Cherokee Nation. Their story is an inspiring  profile in courage as they overcame egregious acts of illegality and brutality by the U.S. government. In 1830, President Andrew Jackson pushed a new piece of legislation through Congress called the Indian Removal Act. American-Indian tribes** were to give up their lands east of the Mississippi River in exchange for lands to the west in the Oklahoma Territory. A number of American-Indian Nations made attempts at non-violent resistance, but eventually felt that the removal was inevitable, with no way to stop the U.S. Government. The 22,000 members of the Cherokee Nation, based primarily in northern Georgia, refused to relocate. The Cherokee decided to take their protest all the way to the Supreme Court. Considered one of the “civilized” tribes of the Southeast, the Cherokee had adopted Euro-American practices of large-scale farming, western dress and education, and the white tradition of slave-holding. They even had an English language newspaper. Supreme Court Justice John Marshall sided with the Cherokee, saying that they had a constitutional right to stay in their ancestral homeland.

“Marshall has made his decision, now let’s see him enforce it!” –  President Andrew Jackson

In 1838, the U.S. Government sent in 7,000 troops, who forced the Cherokees into stockades at bayonet point. They were not allowed time to gather their belongings, and, as they departed, their homes were looted by new white settlers before their very eyes.

“I fought through the War Between the States and have seen many men shot, but the Cherokee removal was the cruelest work I ever knew.” –  Matthew Edward Lear, Georgia soldier who participated in the removal of the Cherokee.

The Cherokee began a thousand miles march to an area in present-day Oklahoma, just outside of Tulsa. Over 4,000 out of 16,000 Cherokee people died of cold, hunger, exhaustion and disease, primarily seniors and infants. The Cherokee people call this journey “The Trail Where They Cried” (Anglicized “The Trail of Tears“) – a journey that saw more people die than perished in the attacks of September 11, 2001.

In the years that followed, the Cherokee struggled to reassert themselves in this new, unfamiliar land in the Oklahoma Territory. Soon they transformed the area, creating a progressive court and education system with a literacy rate higher than the rest of the U.S. Many white settlers took advantage of their superior schools, and paid tuition to have their children attend the Cherokee schools. Today the Cherokee Nation is the second largest American-Indian Nation in the United States. They are an all-inclusive tribe where one can have 1/32^nd Cherokee blood and still be considered a full member of the nation. Yes, that’s right, think: Elizabeth Warren. There are currently more than 290,000 tribal members; 70,000 of them reside in the 7,000 square miles of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma. The state grew up around the nations of the American-Indian Territory, and that influence can be seen today.

A trip to the Cherokee Village features replicas of traditional homes from the time of intense cultural transformation. Guides and villagers demonstrate traditional Cherokee crafts such as basketry, pottery, flint knapping, blow guns and field games, where disputes were handled by playing the field games, with the loser accepting the results.

The Cherokee National Museum offers exhibits, cultural workshops and events. The center includes the Adams Corner Rural Village, Cherokee Family Research Center and Cherokee National Archives. The museum houses the award-winning Trail of Tears interpretive exhibition – an experience that will stir you to the depths of your soul.

The Cherokee National Supreme Court Museum is the oldest government building in the state of Oklahoma. The Supreme and District courts both hold sessions here. Historical items include photos, stories, objects and furniture. The building also houses the printing press of the bilingual Cherokee Phoenix – the first bilingual newspaper in the U.S. – and the Cherokee Advocate.

Will Rogers Memorial Museum

Many images come to mind at the mention of William Penn Adair “Will” Rogers: a rope twirling Cherokee-American cowboy, radio personality, humorist, newspaper columnist, social commentator, vaudeville performer and actor who starred in 71 movies. Also referred to as Oklahoma’s favorite son, Rogers was born to a prominent Indian Territory family in 1879. His father was a Cherokee senator and a judge who helped write the Oklahoma Constitution.

The Will Rogers Memorial Museum, just a stone’s throw away from Tahlequah in Claremore, memorializes him with artifacts, photographs,  films and manuscripts pertaining to his remarkable life. I particularly enjoyed a section of the spacious museum, dedicated to his quotations. My favorite: Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects. Rogers’ tomb is located on the museum’s 20-acre grounds overlooking Claremore.

Greenwood Cultural Center and the Tulsa Race Riot

The small Greenwood Cultural Center houses one of the most bleak and secretive tragedies in U.S. history: The Tulsa Race Riot. The Greenwood District was an affluent African-American community, nationally known as the Black Wall Street. During the Jim Crow era of the 1920s, most of Tulsa’s 10,000 black residents lived in that neighborhood, which included a thriving business district, expensive homes, nationally-known doctors, lawyers, bankers, business owners and millionaires.

Due to segregation, it was almost like a self-contained city, where citizens conducted all their business – shopping, attending theaters and dining in restaurants in the 300 black-owned businesses of Greenwood – which added to the district’s affluence. Due to a still dubious claim by a white female elevator operator that a black 19-year-old shoe shiner, Dick Rowland, did something to offend her in the elevator, Rowland was immediately arrested and sent to jail. Rumors of what had supposedly happened began to circulate through the city’s white community. That afternoon a front-page story in the Tulsa Tribune enraged the white populace with the report that the police had arrested a Negro man for sexually assaulting a white woman.

When a white mob gathered at the jail, Rowland was moved from the city jail to the more secure county lockup on the top floor of the courthouse. Growing numbers of the white mob, now estimated at 2,000, marched to the courthouse, demanding Rowland to be lynched. When the mob attempted to storm the building, Sheriff Willard McCullough and his deputies heroically dispersed the crowd, protecting Dick Rowland from death. Later that night, there was a struggle between an African-American man with a gun, who had arrived at the courthouse to protect Rowland, and a white protester. As they wrestled for the gun, it accidentally went off, killing the white man. This incensed the mob to a boiling point. As one man observed, All hell is about to break loose!

In the following early morning hours of June 1, 1921, vigilante mobs of white rioters poured into Greenwood; killing, looting and burning all 35-blocks to the ground. The city government of Tulsa conspired with the mob, arresting more than 6,000 black residents and refusing to provide them with protection or assistance. Law enforcement officials used airplanes to drop firebombs on buildings, homes and fleeing families; stating they were protecting the city against a “Negro uprising.” Over 6,000 African-Americans were imprisoned, and historians believe as many as 300 African-Americans were killed, while thousands were left homeless. News reports were largely squelched. You will hardly find any mention of the worst U.S. incident of racial violence in any national public school history books, Oklahoma classrooms or even in private conversations. I was surprised that my guide (an informative and pleasant young man) knew nothing of the massacre and I had to direct him to the site. In April 2002, a private religious charity, the Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry, paid a total of $28,000 to the known survivors, a little more than $200 each, using funds raised from private donations.

The Tulsa Race Riot remains the worst incident of racial violence in U.S. history. Thankfully, the Greenwood Cultural Center keeps this story alive today. Their mission is to preserve African-American heritage and promote positive images of the African-American community by providing educational and cultural experiences promoting intercultural exchange, and encouraging cultural tourism.

Epilogue: Olivia Hooker: Tulsa Race Riot Survivor Dies Aged 103

Courtesy www.bbc.com/news/world/us_and_canada

When Olivia Hooker was six years old, she was forced to hide under a table as a white mob destroyed the neighborhood around her. Later, she would recount how she struggled to stay silent as the torch-carrying men took an axe to the family piano. Outside, as many as 1,000 homes and businesses – including her father’s clothes store – were being reduced to rubble.

The 1921 Tulsa race riot, as it would become known, would also leave as many as 300 black people dead. But the horrifying incident in Oklahoma would be far from the only distinguishing moment of Ms Hooker’s remarkable life.

In her 103 years, she would become the first African-American woman to join the US Coast Guard, go on to gain a PhD and eventually play a key role in getting some justice for the victims of the race riots, more than 70 years after the fact. She would be praised as a “tireless voice for justice and equality” by America’s first black president, and called “a national treasure” by the head of the US Coast Guard.

Read her full story here

There was still much to do and see in Tulsa, a city that receives very little national coverage, and I will return again. Plus, I still didn’t get my fill of the Texas-Oklahoma specialty: Chicken-fried steak. Next trip to Oklahoma, though, I’ll also include an exploration of Oklahoma City to learn more about the Dust Bowl; take a guided tour of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum that covers  the April 19, 1995 bombing of Oklahoma City’s Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building; and a visit to the Western Heritage Museum.

Editor’s notes:

*The Star Spangled Banner was made the U.S. National Anthem by a congressional resolution on March 3, 1931.   During the period between  the first World War and 1930, the unofficial U.S. National Anthem was Over There, a 1917 song written by George M. Cohan. The lyrics for the Star Spangled Banner are based on an 1814 poem by amateur poet Francis Scott Key, entitled Defence of Fort McHenry. Key penned the poem after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. The music that  accompanies the lyrics was first known as The Anacreontic Song, written by the Englishman John Stafford Smith for an English gentleman’s club. It soon became a popular on both sides of the Atlantic as a drinking song that glorifies drink and women. The music was added to Key’s poem, with the  title of the song changed to the Star Spangled Banner. The problem: when The Founding Fathers established the new U.S. Republic, they went to great lengths to distant themselves from all things English. This included the construction of neo-classic Greek and Roman government  buildings, as opposed to English Gothic, which was the rage of that period. Thomas Jefferson felt that ancient Greece and Rome expressed the ideals of democracy, and both state and federal government buildings throughout our new land adopted this type of architecture. Some banks and churches in the big cities also followed suit. I believe The Founding Fathers would find it disturbing that the music to the  Star Spangled Banner was written by an Englishman, as opposed to an American.

** I have traveled to many Tribal nations throughout the U.S., and was informed by numerous Tribal Elders that their people prefer to be called by their Tribal names, or generically American-Indian, for that was how the treaties were signed with the U.S. Government, despite many of them broken by the U.S.  The term Native-American is a name coined by politically correct Anglo-Americans. This makes no sense to me. For example, I was born in Seattle; therefore I am a Native-American, too.

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But that is not all the remarkably charming city has given us. It is Karl Lagerfeld’s birthplace, the home of Jil Sander, and corporate headquarters for Wempe Jewelers, Nivea face emollients, and Mont Blanc, makers of fine writing implements and luxury goods. The second-largest city in Germany, Hamburg is a verdant (bucolic parks weave through the city) and historic Hanseatic metropolis, and — you may be surprised to learn this — the city can claim more bridges than Venice.  Germany’s second-largest and arguably its wealthiest city has countless reasons to be on your bucket list.  Here are just eight:

The Extraordinary Elbphilharmonie:  The Elphi, sobriquet of the new, astonishing concert hall, opened January, 2017, after much Sturm und Drang.  Originally conceived in the early part of the century, it was to have been finished in 2010 at an estimated cost of €241.  Not. Construction concluded in October, 2016, at the cost was €789 million, but for my money (and, yes, I know, I am not a local taxpayer), it was worth every cent. Having visited it twice for two very different concerts, I found the acoustics remarkable, the design mind-boggling, and the experience overwhelming. The undulating, entry “tube” housing the longest escalator in Europe — nearly 300 feet — transports guests to the marvelously asymmetric, organically flowing hallways and tiers of the hall proper. Conceived by Swiss architecture firm Herzog and de Meuron — and with rich sound engineered by acclaimed Japanese acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota — it is perched on the Elbe River, surrounded by a watery perimeter.

The lower levels are red brick, vestiges of warehouses that up until 1902 were repositories for cocoa, tea, and tobacco.  With both curvilinear and rectilinear lines in its silhouette, the panels of glass on the upper floors reflect the water and skyline. Inside, the main concert hall seats 2,100 (with a 4,765-pipe organ!); a smaller recital hall, 500; additionally, there are countless terraces for viewing the stunning panoramas, several restaurants and bars, and capacious open space.  The promenade is open to the public and it’s a wonderful spot to simply sit and contemplate the always busy harbor.

More Music:  Hamburg was a hangout and showcase for the shaggy-haired Liverpudlians in the early 60s (and there is even a Beatles music tour), before their famed Ed Sullivan appearance.  Today, it ranks third in the world, after New York and London, for musical theater. “Rocky” previewed here and currently, “Aladdin,” “Kinky Boots,” “The Lion King,” and “Mary Poppins” are huge hits.  The musical scene is rife with jazz clubs, alternate performance venues, the Hamburg State Opera, and after-hours boites.  And if ballet is your passion, the highly regarded Hamburg Ballet (along with its school, Ballettzentrum Hamburg – John Neumeier) should not be missed.

The Port and Waterways:  Hamburg is considered the third-largest port in Europe after Rotterdam and Antwerp, and its waterways, thanks to the Elbe River, are labyrinthine. Not to mention, there is also water, water, everywhere, thanks to both the Inner and Outer Lake Alster, which are both pleasant places for an afternoon sail. Nearly a dozen companies offer boat tours weaving around the harbor and the old warehouse areas, the Speicherstadt, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015; here, 19th-century red-brick warehouses, on the periphery of endless ribbons of canals, have been transformed into trendy boutiques and cafes.

An atmospheric “nighttime lights” tour at dusk is a delight.  If you are ambitious, the Fischmarkt is a Sunday morning (5 a.m. until about 9 a.m.) experience, featuring much more than fish — souvenirs, clothing, fruit, produce, and tschotschkes; it has been the go-to place for fish since the early 18th-century.  And, if you want a local souvenir — a woven market basket — you can buy ten Euros’ worth of fruit and it will be packed up in a handsome basket, with “Hamburg” spelled out on one side.

The Dahlia Garden (Dahliengarten):  What a hidden gem, with 14,000 blooms that grace the city from mid-spring until the October frosts. Riots of color have been exploding all over this People’s Park (Volkspark) since 1920. With over 400 species of dahlias, it is a photographer’s and horticulturist’s delight… and entry is free.

The Majestic Town Hall (Rathaus) and the festive Christmas markets:  Hamburg has several holiday markets, and its most charming is the Weihnachtsmarkt, in the shadow of Town Hall; if you have time for one market only, this should be your destination. Germany offers some of the most delightful Christmas markets in Europe, where the tradition of outdoor holiday fairs is more than four hundred years old.  Steeped in custom and dazzling in presentation — horse-drawn carriages ambling through cobbled streets, glittering lights, intoxicating aromas, engaging entertainers — Germany’s markets are worth a special trip and they usually start with Advent.

Museums: While the city can boast some 50 museums — including one dedicated to Johannes Brahms, one that showcases erotic art, another known as Spicy’s (a museum chronicling the global space trade), a children’s museum, and several port/maritime/naval/nautical museums — these two are a must:  Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (Museum of Art and Crafts) has extensive collections of everything from faïence to fashion, including period rooms, vast photography archives, and a world-renowned collection of musical instruments; Hamburger Kunsthalle is one of the largest museums in Germany, and covers seven centuries of European art with outstanding works represented  in every era (including Manet’s Nana), from the Middle Ages (countless, priceless Old Masters) to post-1950 Pop Art. Additionally, the BallinStadt Emigration Museum should also be on your hit list. Starting mid-19th century and lasting nearly a hundred years, some five million emigrants fled Europe from Hamburg.  In 1899, Albert Ballin became the CEO of the Hapag company (today Hapag-Lloyd, a freight shipper), and this museum reflects the many buildings he erected as an emigration community, where those departing Europe “killed” time, getting ready for their journeys.

Miniature World (Miniatur Wunderland):  Billed as the world’s largest model railway, this attraction (75,000 square feet, spread out on several floors) features nine different, intricate railway systems, including those of Austria, Italy, the States, and diverse German systems.  The longest train is nearly 50 feet, and in total, there are 10,000 rail cars on 50,000 feet of track. The topography is dotted with nearly a quarter-million “people.” The craftsmanship is heartbreakingly detailed requiring perspicacious study; periodically the room lights dim, so that the train tableaux can be illuminated with nighttime lights, rendering an entirely different scenic panorama of the models. Expect gaggles of children here, as it is really a museum for the young, but any curious adult, especially a rail aficionado, is likely to be delighted with these models.

Cafes and Shops:  Hamburg has no dearth of high-end luxury designers and internationally celebrated boutiques, but look for local specialty shops, like Läderach Chocolates with sheets of appetizing confections, sprinkled with nuts and fruits. Bethge Stationery has elegant papers, handsome writing implements, and stunning leather goods.

The Hilde Leiss Gallery is chockablock with fine crafts — a treasure trove of ceramics, jewelry, and one-of-a-kind wearables.  For an afternoon pick-me-up that leaves Starbucks in the dust, Cölln’s is a find — gloriously tiled from floor to ceiling in colorful designs, it offers victuals that measure up to the décor, with a groaning board of patisserie-style sweets.

Where to Stay

The Hospitable Park Hyatt Hamburg

Windows on the City: Westin Hotel Hamburg

Hamburg’s Atlantic Kempinski: A Lakeside Retreat

Additional info:  Hamburg Travel

The Hamburg Pass (turbopass.com/hamburg-city-pass and hamburg-card.de) is a valuable tool for visitors, providing free public transport, some museum entries, harbor and lake boat rides, and the hop-on/hop-off bus tour, among other benefits.  For information in planning a trip, check out Hamburg Tourist Information

© 2018  Ruth J. Katz  All Rights Reserved

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Every fall, the most attended free public art event in the world turns Grand Rapids, Mich., — once the butt of jokes for its sleepy status as Michigan’s second city — into a hip, cutting-edge community that celebrates creativity.

ArtPrize, an unorthodox international arts competition takes over this city of 196,000 for 19 days in late September and early October bringing in more than 500,000 visitors.

An inclusive, grass-roots approach sets ArtPrize apart. It thumbs its nose at typical highly curated art competitions by putting out an open call for artists here and abroad. Anyone over age 18 can apply. And any venue within ArtPrize boundaries can offer to showcase artwork. More than 1,200 works are usually displayed, most within a walkable three square miles downtown. Museums and public buildings are included, of course, but also shops, hotels, restaurants. Past ArtPrize venues have included odd places to find art, like an auto body shop, a Laundromat, hospital, a police station and the Department of Corrections. All must remain open daily — even corporate offices normally closed to the public — with no admission charge.

ArtPrize isn’t for art snobs, just your selfie-snapping average joes. Families turn out, parents pushing strollers while kids run around outdoor sculptures. Girlfriends on a getaway mill about, choosing their favorite works. Multigenerations come together, grandparents taking a toddler by the hand for a closer look at a painting. Couples make a day of it, some in wedding clothes posing with outsized murals to mark their special day.

A half million dollars in prize money is awarded, including a $200,000 prize awarded entirely by public vote and another $200,000 prize awarded by a jury of art experts. Any artist working in any medium from anywhere in the world can participate. Works fall into four categories: two-dimensional, 3-D, installations dependent on the site where they appear, and time-based works.

The money is nice, of course, but artists also enter ArtPrize for the exposure and come home with commissions. Sometimes they stick around their creations, passing out business cards and chatting up visitors.

How did a world-class event in the art world end up in Grand Rapids, Mich.? Perhaps its history as a furniture-manufacturing center created a culture of craftsmanship. And it never hurts to have wealthy families supporting the arts.

One such family member launched the first ArtPrize in 2009. Entrepreneur Rick DeVos, whose grandfather co-founded the Amway company, wanted a populist art competition with the world’s largest art prize. So many people showed up that first year restaurants ran out of food by the first Sunday and had to close. Hotels ran out of rooms by the next Sunday.

The inaugural prize winner, Brooklyn artist Ran Ortner, had been living on ramen noodles, his phone turned off for nonpayment. Now he has six employees and his works have hung in the United Nations and the World Trade Center. His winning entry, the painting “Open Water No. 24,” remains in Grand Rapids hanging above the bar at Reserve Wine & Food, a restaurant owned by the DeVos family.

The works of several former contestants still can be seen in the city. Several outdoor murals remain from past years, including the Acton Building’s “Metaphorest” a 40-foot-tall mosaic mural by Chicago artist Tracy Van Duinen. “Sweeper’s Clock,” a video showing long piles of garbage being swept to form the hands of an analog clock face, has been added to the permanent collection at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.

Grand Rapids has plenty of other works of art not related to ArtPrize. The Grand Rapids Art Museum has more than 5,000 and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum has historical photographs and artifacts and serves as an ArtPrize venue. Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, one of the few ArtPrize venues outside of downtown, sits on 158 acres on the northeast side of the city. Among more than 200 sculptures in the permanent collection, the 24-foot-tall “The American Horse” attracts the most attention. Partly inspired by the work of Leonardo da Vinci, artist Nina Akamu formed two casts of a figure of a horse, this one and another in Milan, Italy.

In the heart of downtown, the urban park Rosa Parks Circle comprises three circular forms designed by Maya Lin, creator of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Alexander Calder’s 42-ton metal sculpture “La Grande Vitesse” in his signature red stands in a plaza outside the Grand Rapids City Hall.

A festival atmosphere prevails during ArtPrize with musical performances and buskers on the city’s iconic Blue Bridge, a 19^th-century railroad bridge turned pedestrian pathway over the Grand River. Art lectures and panel discussions, as well as screenings of feature-length films, fill out the ArtPrize schedule of events.

And budding artists can make their own art in a variety of hands-on programs for all ages, including the littlest visitors. Who knows, some of these tiny hands may shape a prize-winning entry one day.

Information:

ArtPrize

Experience Grand Rapids, 800-678-9859

The post Populist Spirit Fuels ArtPrize in Michigan’s Second City appeared first on Traveling Archive.

And then the rains came down, blessing this magical and sacred city of 21,321,000 million inhabitants and giving them a gentle reprieve from their bustling and productive lives. It has been said that Mexico City has a perfect annual spring temperature, making it an abundant produce belt for Mexico and the rest of the world. Mexico is the first nation in the world awarded a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Listing for their contributions to world cuisine, and I did my best to sample as many dishes that my stomach would allow. The rains were good timing for me, too.  I had already explored 8-days of the city’s many museums and attractions – Mexico City has more museums than any city in the world next to London – and it was time to fly home. Reflecting on my Mexico City experience as I packed, I knew I would be asked questions from my gringo friends up north about the exaggerated reports of crime and the character of the Mexican people by the U.S. White House.  I found no crime, and the locals were kind and welcoming. I could not pull out a map without someone rushing over to offer their guidance. Of course, like any major city there are robberies and assaults, but the crime rate in New Orleans, for example, is over five-times higher than Mexico City.

Mexico City: A Turbulent History

The nomadic and warlike Mexica (Aztec) people hailed from where the current Arizona border and Mexico meet today. Legend tells us they were informed by a god that they would find their homeland in a place where an eagle is perched on a cactus with a serpent in his mouth. This sign was found on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco, approximately 700 years ago in the high plateaus of central Mexico. The Aztec’s arrival led to skirmishes with local tribes, but the Aztecs eventually prevailed, forcing them to pay high taxes and becoming the source of ritual human sacrifices. The Aztecs created an empire of enchanting beauty and magnitude with the building of enormous temples, palaces and a ceremonial center on the island, along with canals, little inlets and additional man-made islands. In 1519 when Hernán Cortés and his Spanish conquistadors first laid eyes on this stunning empire, he reported back to Ferdinand and Isabella of the Kingdom of Spain that it was the most breathtaking metropolis in which he’d ever seen, including ones in Europe.  Initially Moctezuma ll, the Aztec ruler, greeted Cortés as a god, even bragging that they had recently sacrificed 20,000 warriors, but soon realized the Spanish’s true motive of conquest, and pushed them out of the empire. Cortés returned with more armaments and conquistadors, easily defeating the Aztecs, who by now had been weakened by the spread of European diseases and the alignment with anti-Aztec tribes who had not forgotten their brutality. Moctezuma ll was killed, and Ferdinand and Isabella instructed Cortés to destroy all Aztec structures and fill in the lake, offering a soggy support for immense European-style churches and buildings.  Mexico City has been slowly sinking since they were built at an average of 3 to 4 inches a year. Tenochtitlan was rechristened Mexico City and the capital of New Spain. The Spanish plundered the lands for gold and riches, with the help of the now enslaved populace. Mexico became a republic after achieving independence from Spain in 1821.

But post-independent Mexico’s turbulent history continued, plagued by political dysfunction, along with violent and nonviolent coups. In 1833, General Antonio López de Santa Anna served eleven non-consecutive presidential terms before leading the nation into chaos.  Mexico was defeated by U.S. forces during the expansionistic and dubious Mexican–American War in 1846, losing 1/3rd of their northern territory, including nearly all of present-day California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico.

The Liberal Reform War, headed by Mexico’s most beloved president, Benito Juarez (1806-1872), curtailed the power of the Catholic Church and created a democratic process for all citizens.  Next followed the brief French intervention, with Maximilian I as emperor (think Cinco de Mayo) and finally, the Mexican Revolution in 1910, where the autocratic president, Porfirio Díaz, stripped the populace of their democratic rights, which were taken back by Francisco I. Madero (president until assassination) with the help of folk bandit-turned-revolutionary Francisco “Pancho” Villa and peasant-turned-politician Emiliano Zapata.

In 1928, President Lázaro Cárdenas, a former revolutionary general, revived the social revolution and carried out a series of agrarian reforms, distributing twice as much land to peasants than all of his predecessors combined. The Mexican Cultural Revolution continues, where the work by artists like Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, photographer Tina Modotti, composer Carlos Chávez and writers Martín Luis Guzmán are introduced to the world stage. Mexico’s international status grows with Mexico City hosting the 1968 Olympic Games. In 1994, Mexico joins the U.S. and Canada in signing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Vicente Fox is elected president, and focuses on reducing corruption, crime and drug trafficking. In the July 2016 presidential election, Felipe Calderón wins by one percentage point.

Touring Mexico City

CENTRO HISTORICO is the birthplace of Mexico City; featuring historic buildings, magnificent churches, museums, friendly vendors, talented musicians and docents in Aztec attire. The Zócalo (main plaza) is built on the remains of the Aztec’s Tenochtitlan, and now houses the National Palace, which features the Benito Juarez Museum, and the remarkable murals by Mexico’s most famous painter, Diego Rivera. His murals cover the history of the Mexican people from pre-Hispanic origins to the middle of the 20th century, giving voice to the indigenous people and cultures of Mexico. His most famous mural, Epic of the Mexican People, is painted on the wall above the main staircase. To witness the power of this stunning masterpiece in person is to be moved to the depths of your soul.

Templo Mayor – In 1978, electricity workers discovered an eight-ton stone-disc carving of the Aztec goddess Coyolxauhqui. A decision was wisely made to demolish the colonial buildings and begin excavation, soon making it Mexico City’s most important archaeological site. A temple was revealed on the exact spot where the Aztecs saw the prophetic eagle perching on a cactus with a snake in its beak – which they considered the center of the universe. That very symbol graces the Mexico flag today.

The Templo Mayor museum was built in 1987, and visitors can now follow a winding walkway through the excavated ruins (as further excavations continue), plus visit the museum with many of its artifacts on display.

Palacio de Bella Artes rests a few blocks up the road from the Zócalo, across the street from the fountains and statues of the delightful tree-lined Alameda Park. In the park is the must-see Diego Rivera Mural Museo, dedicated to his life and work. Palacio de Bella Artes is considered the city’s cultural center. Construction was off and on, once again due to soft subsoil. It was completed in 1934 in the style of Neoclassical and Art Nouveau on its exterior, and primarily Art Deco inside. The palace is renowned for more murals by Diego Rivera, numerous exhibitions and theatrical performances. I was in attendance at the Ballet Folklórico de México, which fit my own theme of exploring the culture and history of Mexico City. The dancing was colorful and sublime, with music by the most talented mariachi band in which I’ve ever heard.

Cathedral Metropolitana is the oldest and largest cathedral in all of Latin America. Built in sections from 1573 to 1813, the stones from Templo Mayor were used in construction in a trinity of styles: Baroque, Neo-Classic and Neo-Renaissance; basically what was in vogue for that period. Highlights include five naves, 14 chapels, underground catacombs and many prized works of art from the colonial era. The massive cathedral dominates the Zócalo, and, like many structures in Centro Historico, is sinking due to its weight on the former Aztec temple and muddy subsoil. You will notice a much older-looking church next to the cathedral, known as the Sagrario Chapel, built in the mid-1700s

Bosque de Chapultepec is Mexico City’s main park, serving as the principal cultural and recreational center of the city. At a sprawling 1,6950 acres, twice the size New York’s Central Park, the expansive green urban park features woodlands, forests, lakes, gardens and walking paths. Major attractions include the Museo Nacional de Antropologia and Castillo de Chapultepec, additional world-class museums, a zoo with 2,000 animals, botanical garden and recreational lake for boating, as well of hordes of snack vendors, street performers and souvenir stands.

The Museo Nacional de Antropologia can be only described as a must-see experience, containing the world’s largest collection of ancient Mexican art and ethnographic exhibits about Mexico’s indigenous civilizations. There are 12 ground-floor halls each dedicated to the cultural regions of pre-Hispanic Mexico, while an upper-level explains how Mexico’s indigenous descendants live today.  The museum’s scope and vast richness can easily fill the day; so come early for it gets extremely crowded.

Castillo de Chapultepec, perched atop a high hill (grasshopper hill), was once a Spanish summer palace, later repurposed as the Mexico National Military Academy, the historic site of the last-ditch effort of Mexican resistance in the still controversial Mexican-American War. Approximately 5,000 defenders, including cadets from the academy, gallantly faced fierce hand-to hand combat with U.S. forces under General Winfield Scott.  After their defeat, six cadets known as Los Niños Héroes, jumped to their death, holding the Mexican flag. The palace later became the residence of Emperor Maximilian I, then a presidential residence. Catching my breath in the serenity of the palace’s exquisite courtyard, with spectacular views of the park and the city, it was hard to imagine such violent history ever took place. The castle today hosts the National Museum of Mexico with objects from various stages in Mexican history, along with displays of furniture and art from Maximilian and past presidents.

Coyoacán is an idyllic tree-lined neighborhood flush with shaded pocket parks, glistening fountains, sidewalk cafes and small museums. Its location was once beside a lake, outside of the city. As Mexico City grew it surrounded the little city, now on a dry lake, preserving the neighborhood, making it a delightful outing for locals and tourists alike.

Museo Frida Kahlo is Coyoacán’s most popular destination, which features her house and art museum, celebrating her life and work. Painted in vibrant cobalt-blue colors, the house was Kahlo’s birthplace and where she lived all of her life, and contains minor artwork by her, along with paintings by Diego Rivera, her workspace, Mexican folk art, pre-Hispanic artifacts, photographs and memorabilia. Frida has become the poster child for Mexico Tourism as much for her work as well as for spiritedly overcoming the adversarial conditions of her life which included childhood polio, a tragic streetcar accident, acceptance as an artist due to her gender, and two marriages with womanizer, Diego Rivera. Long before the term ever existed, she lived her life as an art form, even selecting her daily wear down to the smallest detail. It is essential that you purchase your tickets the day before, or you will face a long and time consuming line.

The Leon Trotsky Museum is located just a few blocks away from the Kahlo Museum. Trotsky was one of the original Russian Bolsheviks, and considered heir to Lenin, but was exiled, then hunted by the tyrannical Josef Stalin regime after he forced his way into power. Trotsky was on the run, but was given political asylum, sponsored by Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Along with his wife, he lived in the Kahlo house for a few years. Later they relocated to a new fortress-life home with watchtowers, where he was assassinated by one of Stalin’s agents, who had posed as a family friend. As I entered the museum I was told that I was to have a private tour by the museum’s director. To my surprise, the museum director was none other than Trotsky’s grandson, Esteban Volkov. A remarkably spry and dashing man in his early 90s with impeccable manners, Mr. Volkov had lived with his grandparents at age thirteen, and was wounded himself as a result of Stalin operative’s failed machine gun assault. The bullet holes are still on the walls.  He walked me through the museum, patiently explaining in detail the history of photos from Trotsky’s lifetime, his participation in the Bolshevik Revolution, family tree, books and newspapers, and the backyard where he planted vegetables, tended to his rabbits and is buried. The center of the museums is Trotsky’s study where his iconic spectacles, papers and books are left in the exact position on the very desk where he sat when bludgeoned to death with an ice axe. Mr. Volkov ultimately raised his own family in the house, then turned it into a museum on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Trotsky.

Roma Norte Neighborhood – As the popularity of authentic travel grows, a walking tour of Roma Norte neighborhood offers visitors an unique opportunity to experience Mexico City’s daily life as a local. Once the place of palatial-like homes for the wealthy, the buildings were repurposed for a younger generation as boutique hotels, offices, apartments and condominiums in an eclectic architectural design. Roma evokes the tranquil ambiance of Coyoacán, but is also very cutting edge with a Bohemian and European flair. Galleries, bars, sidewalk cafés, food vendors selling high-end dishes, and hipster coffee shops, with preparations that would leave a Starbuck’s barista’s head spinning, line the street. As a film buff I was delighted to find locations that Spanish-turned-Mexican director (later French), Luis Buñuel used in his 1950 masterpiece, Los Olvidados (aka The Young and the Damned).  The film reintroduced Buñuel to the international film scene, winning “Best Directed Film” at the 1951 Cannes Film Festival. Roma Norte is blessed with many little pocket parks, shaded by trees, ideal for just watching life go by.  Roma Norte borders the Condesa neighborhood, which I am told is a little more posh, but offers similar wonders.

Monumento a la Revolución is a landmark and monument commemorating the heroes of the decade-long Mexican Revolution of 1910, where up to two million lives were lost. Located in Plaza de la República, which crosses at the heart of the  Paseo de la Reforma and Avenida de los Insurgentes in downtown Mexico City, it is also known as the Arch of the Revolution. The conflict began when Francisco I. Madero sought the overthrow of the hated dictator Porfirio Díaz, with the help of Francisco “Pancho” Villa and Emiliano Zapata. An elevator and staircase leads to the monument’s copper dome for impressive 360-degree views of the surrounding skyline. In the basement there’s a museum and mausoleum for the heroes of the Mexican Revolution. For a Villa experience, checkout La Opera Bar where he once rode his horse inside and put a bullet hole in the ceiling, still visible today.

Outside of Mexico City

Teotihuacan is located 25 miles northeast of Mexico City, coverings an area of 32 square miles, believed to be founded around 100 B.C. Teotihuacan is best defined by the epic size of its monuments, Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, which are laid out on geometric and symbolic principles. To this day no one is sure who these ancient people were that built it, and why they abandoned the city. At its peak, Teotihuacan was the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas, with a population estimated at 200,000, making it the sixth largest city in the world. Teotihuacan was already in ruins by the time of the Aztec’s arrival, almost 1000 years later. They basically left the city alone, but did borrow a number of the innovative building practices. The Spanish completely ignored it, with the arid countryside not offering any treasures. As I stood by the base of Temple of the Sun, the second tallest pyramid in the world, I stared long and hard at the monumental 248 steep steps to the top, broken up by five landing rises that supported the temple. As I charged up to the landings, I took the opportunity to stop and catch my breath, though pretending I was enjoying the view. The final steps were the steepest, with a cable designed to help you pull yourself to the top. I felt like Rocky Balboa after his climb of the Philadelphia Art Museum, but due to the serenity of the experience, refrained from any excess celebrating, and just marveled at the panorama of the entire complex.

Our guide insisted that I stroll down the Avenue of the Dead to the oldest of the pyramids, the Temple of the Moon, and then climb to the top. I was told I would achieve a sorrowful feeling due to all the dead buried inside, but sadly I only felt fatigue and need for a beer. Teotihuacan and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, and is the most visited archaeological site in Mexico.

Xochimilco Floating Gardens stretch out about 17 miles south of Centro Historico, and is yet another of Mexico’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Originally a large lake bed, a series of canals was established for easy transportation to other pueblos. Once discovered by the Aztecs, they designed an agricultural technique of using chinampas (raised agricultural fields between canals) to extend arable land into wetland areas. They were formed by rooting rectangular cane frames to the lake floor and filling them with alternating layers of aquatic weeds, muck and earth until they rose up above the surface of the water. Willow trees were planted along the edges of the fields where their roots helped to contain the chinampas, which created intensive farming of swampy areas, allowing the Aztec empire to sustain a large population.

Today, you can rent a brightly colored flat-bottomed boat called a trajinera (similar to gondolas, with a captain) for your own exploration of the canals. It can be a bit of a traffic jam with vendors gliding by on smaller trajineras, selling hot food items made right on their boat, craft vendors, flower merchants, mariachi bands willing to play a tune for a price, b-day parties, and hordes of students dancing and celebrating graduations and other events. If time is no consideration, you can float further down the canals in relative peace to enjoy commercial areas and pristine wilderness. We can thank the Spanish who understood the purpose of the produce richness of the canals and for once left things alone.

WHERE TO STAY:  Barceló México Reforma

I generally don’t write feature articles about properties in which I had stayed, but that was before my lodging at Barceló México Reforma.  The five-star hotel is nestled in Central Mexico City on the iconic Paseo de la Reforma avenue, making it the ideal location for exploring the city’s attractions. Just around the corner is the arch-like Monument to the Revolution, a modern-day architectural wonder and museum commemorating the Mexican Revolution; the Centro Historico’s main plaza, only a pleasant 20-minute stroll; and the Benito Juárez International Airport, just a 20 minute cab drive away. The creature comforts were endless with 505 luxury rooms, commanding views of the city, swimming pool, wellness area, fitness center, fine cuisine, along with a buffet breakfast and happy hour included in the price. But there was something more about Barceló México Reforma; something that I had never experienced before at a large hotel, particularly one that is part of a chain of 230 hotels under the Barceló Hotel Group banner. The staff at the hotel offered a sense of warmth and intimacy, and sincerely cared about my well-being.

A member of the concierge team was always available to answer any questions about restaurants, directions, tours, you name it. My mornings generally began with a “Good morning, Mr. Boitano. Can we be of any assistance today?” The pièce de résistance was at the end of the trip where I had a bout with some bad bacteria.  (Please note: my photographer enjoyed the same meals as me, and experienced no symptoms other than euphoria) A member of the concierge staff actually walked to a local drug store in the middle of the night to purchase medications for me.  It happened again at the crack of dawn where another staff member did the same thing. When it was advised that I needed to go to urgent care at a hospital, Jesus Rodriquez, a pivotal member of the team, patiently escorted me on foot for the six-blocks to the clinic. The professional care I received at the hospital was better than I’ve ever experienced at any U.S. hospital. In many respects the kindness, attention and hospitality that I received at Barceló México Reforma was indicative of the very character of the people of Mexico City.  I was told by famed travel writer, Richard Carroll, who’s lived in the Yucatan and written guide books about Mexico, that the people in Mexico are the most gracious and hospitable people in the world. Now I know what he means. Since 1989 the Barceló Hotel Group has dedicated social work through the Barceló Foundation, which collaborates in health, education, economic development and culture projects in underdeveloped countries. I liked that about the hotel, too.

For further information, contact Visit Mexico City and Barceló México Reforma

The post Viva Mexico City – Eight Days in the Capital of Mexico appeared first on Traveling Archive.