1 day agoMember-onlyWHAT PRIMATES CAN TEACH US ABOUT USIt all started with Snowflake. Not a snowflake, but an albino lowlands gorilla with that name. Josep Call was a 15-year-old high school student in Spain, and wanted a summer job at the Barcelona Zoo. He had always loved animals, and went to the zoo’s curator to discuss his options…Primates7 min readPrimates7 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Nov 20Member-onlyMr. Darwin and the Evolution of the BitchWhen a book’s title is “Bitch,” one doesn’t think of spiders and frogs as the subject matter. It sounds more like a tale of Hollywood harlots or Big Apple broads, overlaid with Frette sheets and social calendars clocked by Audemars Piguet. But author Lucy Cooke is a British zoologist, not…Darwin4 min readDarwin4 min read
Oct 23Member-onlyA Moving Experience: Tik-Tok Tech TalkTechnology is supposed to simplify things. Simplify and speed up. I was all for that when I moved back to the U.S., because making a medical appointment in Italy often felt like an exercise in molasses-grade futility. For some requests you had to call between 11:00 am and 12:45 pm…Italy4 min readItaly4 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Sep 3Member-onlyA Moving Experience: Italian versus American Psycho in business cardsOne of the most memorable scenes in American Psycho (maybe THE most memorable scene if you are not into blood and dismemberment) has nothing to do with murder. It’s all about the swapping of business cards, and the one-upmanship between Patrick Bateman and his colleagues in a conference room. I…Italy5 min readItaly5 min read
Published inDog Tales·Aug 25Member-onlyCANINE CAVOURTING IN FIVE-STAR TUSCANYWhen my human was planning a vacation in Tuscany, she casually asked if her hotel, the five-star Il Falconiere in Cortona, accepted four-legged guests. “Of course we do,” came the swift response. “We love dogs!” She needed no further incentive, and decided immediately that I would accompany her. I was…Dogs5 min readDogs5 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Aug 14Member-onlyHOW GREEN IS MY ELEPHANT VALLEY?What is more fun than a barrel of monkeys? A parade of elephants. And that is what you find at Green Hill Valley elephant camp, located near the Wet Pyu Ye forest reserve about 15 miles (24 kilometres) from Kalaw in Myanmar’s southern Shan state. You will be given loose-fitting…Travel8 min readTravel8 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Jul 19Member-onlyAlong the Strada del Prosecco: dining (delicious) and lodging (luxurious)Although you could complete the 31-mile Strada del Prosecco in Italy’s Veneto region in less than a day, it’s more pleasant to take your time and draw out the experience. …Italy4 min readItaly4 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Jul 16Member-onlySightseeing along the Strada del ProseccoYou don’t have to be an oenophile to appreciate the Strada del Prosecco in Italy’s Veneto region. Italophiles of every potable persuasion will delight in the 31-mile road as it winds its narrow way amid soft hills sprouting from rich dark soil, medieval towns and churches, local artists, ancient architects…Travel5 min readTravel5 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Jul 14Member-onlyWHERE PROSECCO BEGINSIn Italy, all roads may lead to Rome, but all wine roads began in the small town of Conegliano, about 40 miles north of Venice. This is the starting point of the country’s first wine road, originally called the Strada del Prosecco when it was created in 1966. At first…Travel4 min readTravel4 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Jun 30Member-onlyHOW TO SURVIVE THE BIG FIVEThe Land Rover has driven off without you, or you have become separated from the rest of your walking safari, or you just fell off your horse in the bush. All of a sudden you are alone, unarmed, and facing a snarling lion, trumpeting elephant, or snorting rhinoceros. …Nature10 min readNature10 min read
