Pori, Finland – Alvar and Aino Aalto designed the spectacular Villa Mairea for Harry and Marie Gullichsen, of the industrialist philanthropist Ahlström family. (This should definitely be part of the Alvar Aalto Tour of Finland, if one had unlimited time.)…
Rauma, Finland – Vanha Rauma, or Rauma Old Town, is a sweet collection of wooden houses clustered around an old town square. There are actually more than 600 wooden structures here, dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, earning this…
Turku, Finland – Old artefacts & new art at the exceptional Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova museum in Turku. Aboa Vetus (Old Turku) draws you underground to Turku’s medieval streets, showcasing some of the 37,000 artefacts unearthed from the site.…
Åland, Finland – Here in Åland, we are staying in a farmhouse in the tiny village of Lumparland. There is not much here, save a church, a food market and the delightful and dangerous Lumparby Ollas Cafe. Several things to…
Boston, Mass – We’re not going to Florida this year, so I was happy to receive an invitation from Experience Kissimmee for an event in Boston. In addition to drinks and swag we got to: Ride an air boat in the Boston Harbor thanks…
Somerville, Mass–Some time last year, long before this election cycle had reached its fevered pitch, the twins’ school commenced a community art project entitled In Full Bloom. Local mosaic artist David Fichter directed the project, which included every student, as well as parents…
Boston, Massachusetts – After our trip to Tulum, Mexico, we went went in search of the Maya at the MFA. Success: we discovered these evocative ceramics depicting various gods and monsters. Nearby, an interactive screen allowed the twins to examine the…
North Adams, Massachusetts – Many people (er, grown-up people) have a hard time appreciating contemporary art if it isn’t pretty, or if it doesn’t clearly depict something concrete, or if it doesn’t make sense. Kids, of course, don’t have this…
New York, New York – If you could only see one museum in all of New York, which one would it be? That was the question we were asking ourselves on our second day in the Big Apple. Should we see…
Lincoln, Mass – At some point in the last five years, we have been members of just about every single museum, zoo and nature park in Boston. It’s a survival strategy: when small children and harried parents need to get out…