Little d

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photo credit: visittuscany.com

Filippo Brunelleschi’s dome over the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, which hangs in the Uffizi. Michelangelo’s Madonna of the Stairs that is on exhibition at Casa Buonarroti. The incomparable Boboli Gardens dreamed up by Bernardo Buontalenti. Each one commissioned by a member of the Medici family.

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The Art of Skin: Tattoos of Polynesia

“Your necklace may break, the fau tree may burst, but my tattooing is indestructible. It is an everlasting gem that you will take into your grave.” A verse from a traditional tattoo artist’s song

I was 19 when I got my first tattoo. I walked into a local shop, pointed to a design on a wall of renderings and unbuttoned my jeans. I wasn’t ready to show the world (let alone my parents) my skin…

“How much do you weigh?”

To be safe, I added a couple of dozen pounds or so to the real number. This is an answer I often lie about in the opposite direction, but because it was being used to calculate the flight-worthiness of a seaplane holding six people currently indulging night after night on a cruise vacation, I was content with bulking up.

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Among the very many things to do in Los Angeles is to drive down Carroll Avenue in the neighborhood of Echo Park.

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Driving to #LasVegas continues to top my favorite #roadtrips. #traveltuesday #travelinspiration

The first time I stepped foot here, I wept as if I were looking up at the Sistine Chapel…and I wasn’t even inside the Venetian. Everything was so far-fetched and over the top, yet so perfect at the same time. Is that a real life lion in the middle of a casino? Yes. Is that my waiter rappelling while holding a bottle of wine? Yes. Did a volcano just explode on Las Vegas Boulevard? Yes. Is that…

UNESCO You Need in 2020. #travelinspiration

Visiting the incredible man-made structures and wondrous natural landscapes deemed vital and protected sites by UNESCO is a dream for many. Perhaps, this next decade is a good time to make it a reality. Below, find a sampling of the magnificent places you should explore in 2020.

Provence, France – Historic Centre of Avignon

Avignon was home to seven popes of the 14th century, who chose…