Author: admin

  • Edinburgh | One Royal Circus

    Edinburgh | One Royal Circus

    Technically, One Royal Circus falls into the category of “bed and breakfast,” but it’s not like any bed and breakfast I’ve ever stayed in…it’s more like being a guest in the fabulous house of very hip friends. In 1823, renowned Scottish architect, William Henry Playfair, designed the Royal Circus, an elegant circle of Georgian houses…

  • Vancouver | Nature’s Design

    Vancouver | Nature’s Design

    My travels don’t usually take me into the wilderness, but when I was in Vancouver, Canada, I couldn’t resist a day of exploring – starting with a lurching, swaying, suspension bridge high above the Capilano River.  The Capilano suspension bridge hangs about 200 feet above the river, and stretches 500 feet across.  As I embarked,…

  • Just One Suitcase

    Just One Suitcase

    “He who would travel happily must travel light.” Antoine de Saint Exupéry (1900-1944) French poet Just one suitcase.  It’s the name of the blog, but it’s also my rule of thumb for travel. One carry-on suitcase. That’s all I take, regardless of destination or length of trip. You can do it, really you can. Don’t…

  • India | Namasté

    India | Namasté

    Wherever I am in the world, I am inspired by the beauty and color and character of unfamiliar cultures – the architecture, the landscape, the artifacts, and, perhaps most meaningful, the people. I have also found that my feeble attempts to speak even a few words of the language are usually rewarded with a smile…

  • Eye on Design | Ladies of the Night

    Eye on Design | Ladies of the Night

    Even a simple table lamp can be dressed up – like this frilly little sophisticated black and white number in a Paris shop window, and the petite linen frock glowing in a store in Florence.  So effortlessly chic!

  • Copenhagen | In Spite of Babel*

    Copenhagen | In Spite of Babel*

    At the Hans Christian Andersen Boulevard bus stop in Copenhagen, I sat down next to an elderly woman to wait.  It was a long wait and, believe me when I tell you, she talked my ear off.  She went on and on and on and on. Her name is Mrs. Arndt.  We looked at her…

  • Style Moment | Granville Island Public Market, Vancouver

    Style Moment | Granville Island Public Market, Vancouver

    “Let your watchword be order, and your beacon beauty.” Daniel Burnham (1846-1912) American architect and urban planner

  • Eye on Design | Copenhagen | Art Directing the World

    Eye on Design | Copenhagen | Art Directing the World

    I am a designer, which means that I approach the world with eyes that notice what others might not see, and inherently seek out art and culture wherever I go.  I also, unwittingly, often feel the need to art direct.  The world. So I was having lunch at Aamanns in Copenhagen. It is a charming…

  • Weird but Wonderful | Runaway Bride?

    Weird but Wonderful | Runaway Bride?

    A bride and her attendants turn heads as they flounce along a busy sidewalk in downtown Vancouver.

  • Eye on Design | Vancouver | A Novel Idea

    Eye on Design | Vancouver | A Novel Idea

    In the center of a small clothing boutique, in the Gastown neighborhood of Vancouver, is a massive column…and it’s constructed entirely of paperback books. Designed by Vancouver architect, Michael Green, the floor-to-ceiling cylinder in the center of fashion-forward clothing store, LYNNsteven, is not just for decoration.  It serves as a fitting room, and, at night,…