Visiting a friend in Pennsylvania in late April, we took advantage of the warm spring weather to explore Longwood Gardens. I had only recently learned of these gardens, and while I knew they’d be full of springtime loveliness, I wasn’t prepared for the dazzling beauty we found. What began as a 400-acre farmstead for the Pierce family […]
Parks and Gardens
A Guide to the Washington, DC Cherry Blossom Festival
The Washington, DC cherry blossoms are a most extraordinary gift. In 1912, Japan gave the United States 3,020 cherry trees in a grand show of international friendship. First Lady Helen Taft and the wife of the Japanese ambassador planted two of the trees along the banks of the Tidal Basin. Little did they know the […]
New York City Revisited: A Fanciful Retreat
I visited New York City a few months ago and afterwards wrote about my perfect weekend. And it was perfect, filled with long aimless walks through the Village and meals shared with old friends, many of whom I hadn’t seen since before moving to Shanghai. I was able to reconnect with the city I used […]
Snapshot: Central Park in Winter
I adore New York’s Central Park. Like so many Manhattanites, I used to jog around its Reservoir after work, listen to opera and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra while picnicking on the Sheep Meadow with friends, and get my cute animal fix at the Central Park Zoo. On dates with my now-husband, we’d go for […]
The Royal Palace of Godollo, Hungary
Although Hungary is now a democratic republic, that hasn’t always been the case. The Austrian Hapsburg Monarchy controlled parts of Hungary from the 16th century until the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War I. During the 18th century, Count Antal Grassalkovich, an influential Hungarian nobleman and confidant of Empress Maria Theresa, […]