Is it safe to travel during COVID? In 2020, I traveled to the Philippines and Cambodia (pre-lockdown), then to Mexico, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Uganda, and back to Mexico again (post-lockdown). These are the steps I take to travel safely.

We flew to Greece on Turkish Airlines to deliberately stopover in Istanbul before heading back to New York. After 2 weeks of traveling through Greece on a sailboat, exploring Istanbul on foot was a welcome change. Like dervishes, we whirled through the city's history, culture, and cuisine all in two and a half days. Here are some of my recommended experiences.

We’d never heard of Monemvasia until a skipper in Hydra advised us to sail down the Peleponnese to Monemvasia before crossing the Myrtoan Sea to Milos. We arrived at night, having sailed from Spetses for over six hours. The next morning, we set off the explore the town.Monemvasia is a medieval castle town entirely carved out from the backside of a sea rock and literally means “single entrance”. It’s connected to the mainland by a short causeway and was occupied by the Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, and Ottomans. It remains Europe’s only castle that has never ceased being inhabited.

It is also very dreamy, fairy-tale like in an authentic way and medievally romantic.

“Please stop writing about Sifnos so a million people don’t go there,” pleaded my friend. But of the 24 Greek islands I’ve visited, Sifnos remains my favorite and the only one I’d consider coming back to and spending considerable time on.

Folegandros touched my soul.

Perhaps because I had just come from the relative circus of Santorini, where the selfie-stick wielding tourist hordes were all mad af.

I first set foot on Folegandros in 2015, after a sailboat chartered by a group of friends sought safe harbor from strong meltemi winds. We rented two cars at the small port town and set off to explore the Cycladic island.

NYC’s East Village still retains its charm, much of it thanks to its devotion to independent retailers.

Even so, it was a surprise and pleasure to stumble into TAMAM, which means OK in Turkish. An understatement, to say the least.

Owned by designers Clare Louise Frost, Elizabeth Hewitt, and Huseyin Kaplan, this shop of curiosities stands out in the neighborhood. And in true East Village fashion, the shop hours are: Open by Chance & Appointment.

I’m a selfish cook. Let me explain. I only cook what I like to eat. In the summer of 2009, I became obsessed with Paella. I had to learn how to make it. What better teacher than a local Mallorcain who makes paella every Sunday for her family?

I once climbed down a mountain in Mallorca, Spain, to try what the New York Times claimed was the best paella in the world. And though I came for the paella, I left with a memory of a lifetime.

My three grown sons and my husband and I met up in Bali last December. It was our first time on the Island of the Gods. We stayed in a beautiful villa among the rice fields of Ubud. And because I am my mother’s child, I had everyone up in the early mornings for a plethora of activities. We visited markets and had a Balinese cooking class. We learned how to make batik. We participated in local temple rituals. We climbed Mount Batur.

Jean-Michel Basquiat was only 27 when he died in 1988, but in a few short years his paintings and other work challenged established notions of high and low art, race and class. He forged a visionary language that defied characterization.

I first came upon upon Basquiat’s name in a book my son received on his first birthday. “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” was a poem by Maya Angelou, each line accompanied by a Basquiat painting. It was most definitely not your ordinary children’s book, but I liked its powerful words and mesmerizing images. I sang Maya Angelou’s poem, especially the phrase “shadows on the wall, noises down the hall, life doesn’t frighten me at all,” to my baby son as if it were a lullaby.

As springtime approaches, I look back on the day my brother and I took time off from Paris Fashion Week to visit Giverny, Claude Monet’s home.

Monet, a founder of the Impressionist style of painting, lived in Giverny for 43 years from 1883 to 1926. His house and garden, as well as the village and its surroundings, were his subject matter. They still attract half a million visitors each year from all over the world, including painters charmed by the distinctive light of the Seine Valley.

It’s fitting that my first blog post about Cartagena be about ceviche. Not only did we have it as starters with every meal; we also learned how to make it. Ceviche is a seafood dish typically made from fresh raw fish cured in citrus juices, such as lemon or lime, and spiced with ají, chili peppers or other seasonings including chopped onions, salt, and cilantro.