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Sharpen Your Photography Skills with Robert Kaufman in Boston

Robert Kaufman might not be a household name, but more than likely you’ve seen his photography gracing the walls of hotel lobbies around the globe or on that monthly calendar you look at every day. He’s spent the past 30 years traveling to every nook and cranny in Italy, not merely photographing iconic structures like the Tower of Pisa but more energetic street scenes ripe with spontaneity and whimsy. Also ripe are his collection of Edibles, fruit and vegetables so damn sensual, you want to lick the paper it’s printed on. Now the talented man behind the lens is appearing front and center in a 2-day workshop. On two consecutive Saturdays, October 2nd and October 9th, Kaufman will share the secrets of being a professional photographer these past 30 years. He’ll discuss the technical aspects of your camera before accompanying you on a field trip to get that special photo. Then you’ll analyze your work back in the group. Cost of the 2-day workshop is $199. Call 617-964-4080 to register or visit www.SilverVisions.com.
 

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Dining in DC

We had two memorable meals in Washington at Jose Andres restaurants, Zaytinya and Jaleo, both near the National Portrait Gallery. We enjoyed Zaytinya last time in DC and it was just as good on this visit. The restaurant features small plate Mediterranean fare like hummus, falafel, baba ganoush, fresh seafood, and a charred brussel sprouts dish that was wiped clean by our foursome in record time. Jaleo is more standard Spanish tapa fare like chorizo, paella, a tasty ham and cheese sandwich, and perfectly rendered shrimp. On our last night, after the graduation ceremony, we headed to the waterfront in Georgetown for another sublime meal at Farmers Fishers Bakers Restaurant. The eclectic menu features everything from crab dib and mussels served in eight different sauces to sashimi-style tuna, ahi poke salads, and steak frites. Washed down with microbrews and shots of smooth Tequila to celebrate, it was the perfect way to top off the graduation celebration with Ami.
 
Another week, another niece graduating from college! This coming Sunday we’ll be celebrating with Sarah Schechter at Wesleyan University. A talented artist with an insatiable appetite for art history (much to the delight of my art historian wife), Sarah has a future as colorful as her canvases. She’s already had one exhibition in Brooklyn and we look forward to seeing many more shows. Also, ActiveTravels travel consultant, Amy Perry Basseches, has a son, Jake, graduating from Wesleyan on the same day. So big kudos to Jake, especially after completing his 100-page senior honors thesis. You deserve that trip to South America! 
 
After the graduation, we’re headed with my brother to Brooklyn Sunday night to see an artist we love in this family, the British DJ, Leon Vynehall. Then we’re spending two days in the city to see the Chihuly exhibition at the New York Botanical Garden. I’ll be back next Thursday. Thanks for being patient with my sporadic scheduling! 
 
Photo by Melanie Jermanok 
 
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Heceta Head Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast, Yachats, Oregon

If you’ve managed to book one of the six rooms at the Heceta Head Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast in Yachats, Oregon, you’re in for a visual and culinary treat. Just south of Cape Perpetua, where the 900-foot- high cliffs overlook the Pacific, this is arguably the most stunning locale on the entire Oregon coast. You’ll spend the night in a former assistant lightkeeper’s quarters, set on a grassy patch below the Heceta Head Lighthouse, a tall white edifice that stands atop a small spit of land. Below, breakers explode against the burgundy red cliffs that hem in a narrow beach filled with driftwood.  In the darkness, grab a flashlight from the inn and hike up to the lighthouse to watch it flash beacon after beacon across the rugged shoreline and then out to sea. Come morning, dine on a seven-course breakfast with the other guests. Afterwards, a stretch on the wraparound verandah is in order, where you might spot crab boats coming into the harbor from their night catch.
 

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A Highly Recommended Private Guide In Barcelona

When I mentioned to a friend that my husband and I were going to Barcelona, she recommended a private guide company, Hi This Is Barcelona. I could tell right away from their personalized email reply to my inquiry that this was a classy boutique organization. My husband and I took two of their ½-day tours. Seeing Barcelona through their guide was like shopping for a novel at an independent bookstore versus going to a chain store. Our guide had so much knowledge and passion about his adopted city and he was genuinely committed to sharing as much as possible. 
 
He met us at our hotel the first morning and gave us an overview of the Gothic area, geographically, culturally and historically. That introduction, which he elaborated on during our walk, gave us a full perspective on what we’d be seeing. During the tour, we had time to hear stories and anecdotes that weren’t in any of the guidebooks or websites we’d checked out before our trip. 
 
My husband wanted to photograph the city from various perspectives. During the Modernist tour, our guide brought us to rooftop locations with aerial views, and we always got there at prime time for best lighting conditions. He navigated us to the least crowded areas with the most interesting mix of architectural styles and shared insight about the lives of the architects, their relationships which each other and what was going on around them that was influential at the time.
 
After our tours, our guide recommended restaurants, specific shops, and day trips outside the city that catered to our interests. Compared to the places our hotel concierge suggested, our guide’s picks were places where we felt like insiders instead of tourists. We chose Barcelona as a destination because we needed to feed our souls with culture, history and great food and Hi This Is Barcelona made it all happen for us in a uniquely relaxing and stimulating way. I highly recommend it!
 
Posted by Guest Blogger, Robin Regensburg, co-founder of RainCastle Communications, a web design and marketing firm in Boston
 
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Drive the Puuc Route

The Mayan day of doom, December 21st, is almost upon us. There’s no better way to commemorate the occasion than to actually visit some of Mexico’s finest Mayan ruins. A mere hour’s drive south of Merida is the Puuc Route. This hillier region of the Yucatan attracts fewer travelers than the better-known sites of Chichen Itza and Tulum since it is farther from the resort towns of Cancun and Rivera Maya. The rounded pyramid at your first stop, Uxmal, stands majestically on high ground. At the Nunnery Quadrangle, four buildings just behind the pyramid, serpents and heads of jaguars can easily be seen on the motifs. Other Mayan sites along the Puuc Route are also worth a quick detour. Kabah is known for its almost maniacal façade of 250 Chaac sculptures that line one wall. Walk past the wild turkeys and brilliant red birds in the forest of Sayil to reach its grand palace.  

 
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Fairmont Copley Plaza Celebrates 100th Anniversary

Boston’s Fenway Park is not the only local landmark celebrating its centennial in 2012. Fairmont Copley Plaza plans to celebrate its 100th birthday this year with several exciting offers. For any couple that spent their honeymoon at the Copley Plaza, they will offer you the chance to return to the hotel for those exact rates. For example, if you had your honeymoon at the Copley Plaza in 1947, you paid $7 a night. That’s exactly what you’ll pay for a return stay. Don’t expect the rooms to be the same. The hotel is on the verge of completing a $20 million refurbishment that has updated all guest rooms and suites and added a new rooftop health club. The property is also offering a “Celebration of A Century” package which includes a night at the hotel, a private tour, and a historical booklet. Prices for the package start at $100 per person. 

 
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To Truly Relax on a Greek Island, Head to Tilos

This time of year, late August, and my mind starts to wander to the southern Mediterranean. September and October is the ideal time to visit Greece and Turkey. Temperatures start to cool down a bit and the summer crowds have departed, returning the Mediterranean coast and islands back to their rightful owners. This week, I’m going to delve into some of my favorite Turkish and Greek locales. First stop, Tilos.

Tilos is an island where the locals, still unaccustomed to tourists, greet you as if you lived there your whole life. A place where one picks fresh figs off the tree and finds deserted medieval castles that request no admission fee. Tilos lies approximately 65 kilometers due east of Rhodes and 40 kilometers due south of Kos in the Dodecanese Islands. With a population of only 300 people, the island has a surprising number of readily available accommodations and restaurants, one of which makes some of the best Greek food I’ve ever tasted. Most of the tourist facilities line the sleepy port of Livadia, a town where the lone baker knows you on a first-name basis shortly after you arrive and a restaurateur gives you a free bottle of his favorite wine when you depart. Stay at the aptly named Dream Island on the beach at Livadia. Spacious rooms and patios overlook the sea. A family-run restaurant named Sofia’s is the gourmet dining choice in town. The restaurant is named after Sofia Economou, the matriarch and gracious hostess. Her husband does the cooking and his specialties include fried pumpkin with potato garlic dip, aubergine with tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, and the leanest and juiciest souvlaki we tasted in Greece.  Ferries leave from Rhodes to Tilos every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, returning Wednesday and Friday.
 

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