Essential oils are part of our culture…used in aromatherapy sessions, relaxation techniques, in massage therapy, for holistic medicinal purposes, in yoga studios and an expansive range of cosmetics, perfumes and skincare. And as a lifelong scent devotee…I found Egypt a mecca for magnificent essential oils which, as I write this, scent my home with rich and complex fragrances. My recommendations are at the end of this post. The Ancient Egyptians …
At first my jet-lagged brain could not process more than their looming yet beautiful presence, and proximity to the nearby town. I had imagined them constructed in the middle of some vast, remote, practically inaccessible stretch of desert wasteland…as is over 90 percent of the remaining country. But they were here in all their significant historical splendor. All three! The most famous, the Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest …
Before landing in Tokyo I was perfectly content with a plastic tray of wannabe sushi from the supermarket. Not any more. The preparation, presentation and consumption of this oh-so-subtle symphony of flavors, textures, aromas and colors and its accompanying description raised my culinary bar to previously unscaled heights. A caress of freshly “grated over sharkskin” wasabi and a fingertip of sweet/salt over the most perfect inch-wide filet of Deep Sea …
A morning walk along the Miyagawa River finds farmers and craftspeople selling sansai (mountain vegetables), wasakana (river fish) along with selections of local pottery and vintage kimonos repurposed as ornate handbags and a subtle rainbow of silk jackets. This remarkably preserved city of 80,000 is in the mountainous Hida region of Gifu Prefecture. Takayama retains a traditional touch like few other Japanese cities, especially in its beautifully preserved old town surrounded by …
An afternoon at Tokyo’s Tsujiki Outer Market introduced me to the art of Japanese shopping. This is Japan’s “Food Town,” featuring every imaginable traditional Japanese food. It’s raucous and noisy but in a very polite, Japanese way. One main and three side streets feature stalls of the finest, just off the hook sushi-grade fillets in rainbow display. Or blast-cooked, in season oysters. Luscious! Grills smoke, griddles spit and the whole …
Minutes away from the ultra-modern steel and glass skyline, uber efficient ramps and highways in the Shibuye Ward of Tokyo, visitors can find the sublime peace of the Meiji Shrine (明治神宮, Meiji Jingū). Wooded, with pea gravel walking paths (the Japanese encourage serenity by paving with tiny stones mimicking the sound of water) this is a sacred place dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. Emperor …