by Jan Sevilla | Feb 28, 2016 | AROUND THE WORLD
Singapore is a melting pot of culture, a happy marriage of East and West, roaring with unfathomable energy and a new sense of identity. Singapore’s transformation story runs from a struggling 1965 kampong to today’s ambitious Smart Nation....
by Jan Sevilla | Nov 22, 2015 | AROUND THE WORLD
Malaysia’s storied capital is teeming with contrast – from its jarring mix of ethnicities, cultures as well as beliefs all adding to its irresistible charm and intrigue. The early morning call from the muezzin at the nearby Masjid Negara, Malaysia’s...
by Jan Sevilla | Sep 26, 2015 | ESCAPES
From the Pyrenees to the jagged coastal coves of Costa Brava, Spain’s Catalonia stirs inspiration and saccharine summer dreams. IT was hard to say when summer arrived in the Alt Empordà, the upper part of Catalonia, tucked away in the northeast corner of...
by Jan Sevilla | Jul 25, 2015 | AROUND THE WORLD
When trips don’t go according to plan, don’t panic. Travel mishaps make travelers wiser. The best part is the journey to self-discovery. Just as summer is about to make its anticipated entrance, our car zoomed along the curvy asphalt, passing...
by Jan Sevilla | May 11, 2015 | AROUND THE WORLD
Florence is the place to feast on the world’s finest art. In so many ways, it’s also the perfect place to apply for a US tourist visa. How do you keep a still gaze on Michelangelo’s David? Well, I did not. Forget about his biblical nature. David is...
by Jan Sevilla | Apr 10, 2015 | ESCAPES
The French Wine Country is a fairytale landscape of chateaus and idyllic vineyards. Bordeaux invites everyone to enjoy a tipple and dream altogether. In many ways a story can always be written and, at times be told. If I have to start mine, I would like to...
by Jan Sevilla | Mar 7, 2015 | AROUND THE WORLD
Barcelona’s appeal begins with its iconic buildings, and the best way to appreciate them is to know the artist behind the city’s most impressive landmarks. My first glimpse of La Sagrada Familia, a fanciful-looking cathedral and the most imposing...
by Jan Sevilla | Jan 26, 2015 | ESCAPES
From a rocky gorge to Spain’s oldest bullfighting ring, Ronda is not just a place to see monumental architecture but also dreams and dramas. Through the large glass paneled windows blurred by the cold mist of the Andalusian winter, the clip-clop of well-shod...
by Jan Sevilla | Sep 21, 2014 | AROUND THE WORLD
There is nowhere in the world quite like Istanbul – spread across two continents, a city exuding with culture and contrast and always on the move. Everyday mostly at six, old wooden carts pass and move along the narrow cobblestoned alleyways...
by Jan Sevilla | Aug 23, 2014 | AROUND THE WORLD, FOOD
The effervescent city of Marseille possesses a unique charm and character. The best way to appreciate France’s second-largest city is to sample its soup. Bouillabaisse [bu.ja.bɛːs]. For first timers, getting the correct pronunciation is hard. Spelling it...
by Jan Sevilla | Aug 10, 2014 | ESCAPES
High above the French Alps and an arm’s reach from the Swiss border, Lake Annecy draws all crowds and artists alike in pursuit of a restorative escape. Either he picked up the wrong colors or has probably run out of paint; Paul Cézanne, the most...
by Jan Sevilla | Jan 8, 2014 | AROUND THE WORLD
Mallorca, an enchanting Spanish island in the Mediterranean, has lured generations of artists, writers, poets, celebrities, and musicians, inspiring their works and legacies. In Deià, a quiet village in Mallorca’s Tramuntana mountains, the poet Robert...
by Jan Sevilla | Dec 23, 2013 | AROUND THE WORLD
With its mild Mediterranean winter climate, Spain’s largest island in the Balearics is a travel secret hiding in plain sight. Overflowing with an endless array of galleries, restaurants, baroque churches and medieval streets, Palma is a winter city to enjoy sans...
