atmosphere

Dispatch from London on World Environment Day: Green Park and “do-you-have-an-underground-station-named-after-you?” vibes 

 

Did your London friends tell you about the Green Park’s Underground roundel turned into Green Planet (as it did in January 2022 to celebrate David Attenborough’s TV series?) First, you will have to have a park called Green Park, then you’ll have a station named after it – a feat that neither Hyde Park nor Read more

In search of spring flowers #2: Taiwan’s “snow blossoms”

 

The romance of “April snow” and “May snow” The Tung Blossoms (油桐花) (Latin name: Vernicia fordii) that line mountains and hillsides around the country in April and May are very popular in Taiwan.  Taiwanese people often refer to Tung Blossoms as “April Snow” or “May Snow” (depending on when they are in full bloom) and their Read more

In search of spring flowers #1: Hong Kong’s spider tree blossoms

 

We love the “oo-ing” and “ah-ing” we somehow allow ourselves to do when we see beautiful light pink blossoms in the midst of an urban cityscape – cherry blossoms in Tokyo, roses in Paris (“the roses in Paris are worth waiting for”) – and doing a pink-flower-and-scent-walk using our secret gardens in Paris map is Read more

Dispatch from wintry London: walking another part of Regent’s Canal, dropping by Greenwich, about the Thames

 

We went walking around town in London early this December. And what did we find? First was the wonderful Christmas atmosphere at Trafalgar Square.  While the “Christmas market” itself is relatively small and nothing to write home about (the top 3 by our word-of-mouth research is “Christmas by the River” at London Bridge, Spitalsfield Christmas Read more

Smart cities remix: sustainability that is fun, green, and amazing

 

With many countries experiencing an energy crunch and gas prices going through the roof, and as many cities around the world are still recovering from Covid restrictions and Covid-related angst, we must share some promising and even amazing ideas that we’ve seen in our travels to many cities in the world. In fact, there’s been Read more

Whiz around Paris and ponder on liberty

 

Parisians take their liberté seriously!  There is of course the history of their nation and the Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen of 1789 being considered one of the most important documents that have shaped the world in terms of the idea of freedom for all mankind, and having in part Read more

Now is the month of Maying: walking, cycling, secret gardens, and velo being an anagram of love …

 

Many of our friends around the world – perhaps the luckier ones – are spending the month of May on vaccinations and the related worrying. Our Parisien friends in the meantime have been getting onto their bikes (or “vélos”). The talk-of-the-town in recent months have been about vélo – the French word for bikes – being Read more