Museums 
Estonia: a frightening experience in Tallinn’s KUMU museum(0)
The KUMU contemporary art museum in Tallinn, Estonia, is one of those iconic buildings you don’t forget: clean lines, generous spaces, windows that catch as much light as possible. No wonder Finnish architect Pekka Vapaavuori’s design won the prestigious European Museum of the Year Award in 2008. So whenever I visit Tallinn, I always make [...]
Japan: Incense as a game
Does incense bring up memories of flower power dresses and, hey man, being sooo laid back in groovy psychedelic pads? Or of the strict rites of the Catholic Church and young altar server swaying the thurible to the monotonous rhythm of the priest’s lithurgy? Not so in Japan. From about the 14th century onwards, a [...]
Japan: Tokyo National Museum
The Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park is housed in an impressive building from the early 1930’s featuring elements of what is called the “emperor’s crown style” – a mix of Western Art Deco and Eastern sweeping forms. Two stories of well displayed and lit materials, with plenty of opportunities for resting, this museum was [...]
Nice: Where queens and artists meet
Have you ever wondered where Queen Victoria went on vacation? Well, starting in 1882, she often travelled with her entourage of over one hundred persons to the French Riviera. Menton and Nice became favorite spots. And, of course, a Queen does not just stay anywhere. So, way up the hill in Nice, the Excelsior Hotel [...]