The East Village’s community gardens are a great place to meet locals and experience a side of New York generally not covered in the guidebooks. How to get the most out of the The East Village Community Gardens Do some background reading and preparation See our story on ‘New York’s Secret Gardens – Urban Oases … Read more
Kiki was adamant. “There is a Royal Cremation Ceremony tomorrow,” she told us, “You must go!” Our villa manager, Kiki had made it her mission to ensure we were getting the breadth of Bali’s local experiences. And while I’m not one for taking photos at funerals (err, or weddings, for that matter), Kiki was right. Mengwi’ Queen … Read more
Life in Bali is imbued with rituals – religious, spiritual and social; complicated and simple – from consulting the Balinese calendar to the daily offerings of incense and flowers made at Hindu and Buddhist temples. Which is why I learnt the art of making offerings in Ubud Every afternoon here at our home in Tumbak Bayuh, … Read more
Angels are said to have ploughed the fields of Saint Isadore, the patron saint of farmers, who could apparently work miracles when it came to the land, which explains why, on May 15, catholic farmers around the world celebrate the Feast of Saint Isidore or Festa di Sant’ Isidore. The Feast of Saint Isidoro in … Read more
It wasn’t on the scale of the festival we’d just experienced in Perpignan, but we were delighted to return from the Southern French city to our little village of Ceret to find the French Catalan community out in full force on Place Picasso doing a folk dance known as the sardana. On the drive to … Read more