When I asked work for some time off last year to join my family on vacation in Tunisia, the unanimous response was: "where?" Until recent political turmoil brought Tunisia to the front pages of newspapers (and into the State of the Union), few Americans had actually heard of the small North African country. But for the French (and Europeans in general) Tunisia is a popular and affordable travel destination, a mere 2 hour flight away from Paris. Best known for its beaches, the country also boasts an amazing archaeological heritage. The ruins of Carthage, 15 km away from the capital of Tunis, are a must see, for example. El Kef in the northern part of the country has a splendid Byzantine ...
Off the Beaten Path
Postcard from Prague: All You Need Is Love (& Spray Paint)
Tucked away in a quiet street in Prague's equivalent of Embassy Row is an unexpected and colourful monument to free speech and peaceful rebellion. John Lennon never actually made it to Prague himself but his image painted by Czech pacifist youths on a wall in Mala Strana's Kampa Island is now a popular attraction visited by dozens of tourists every day. Following his 1980 death, John Lennon became a symbol of freedom and paficism throughout Eastern Europe at a time when popular western music was banned by the Communist authorities. The wall inititally started as a mock grave and tribute to the former Beatles. A group of young Czechs painted a portrait of the singer and graffitied lyrics from ...
Better Know The District: Islamic Way
With the first day of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, just around the corner, I decided to explore a little bit of Islam's cultural heritage in Washington as a way to Better Know The District. The Washington, D.C. area has among the highest percentage of Muslim-origin residents in the country. After Los Angeles, New York and Detroit, it ranks 4th, though the majority of them reside in the suburbs. Nonetheless, an estimated 16,000 muslims reside in downtown D.C. with 6 mosques or masjids providing prayer and other services for the community. Far away from the grand mosque of the Islamic Center with its tall minaret lies the smaller yet historically important Masjid Muhammad. Located ...
The Secret Life of (DC) Bees
Urban beekeeping has been buzzing in Europe for a while now and the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts seem keen to cash in on bring the trend across the pond. Toronto's Fairmont Royal York was the first North American hotel to jump into the bee action in 2008 when it installed a Honey Moon Suite on its roof (along with a Royal Sweet and a V.I.Bee Suite). Since then, three more Fairmont hotels established their apiary, including D.C.'s own Fairmont Hotel which already grew its own herbs and flowers and where executive sous chef Ian Bens and executive pastry chef Aaron Weber share beekeeper responsibilities. The honey produced is incorporated in the dishes served at the hotel's restaurant's ...
