Author: Edward Gray
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La Bohème: A Spectacle of Love and Loss
I took my Grand Terrace box seat early. A German family was my closest company in the world’s largest opera house, as the auditorium slowly filled. I was there for the renowned Zeffirelli production of La Bohème. Puccini’s opera is the most popular in the world, and none has graced the Met’s stage more often.…
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Met’s beloved “Bohème” opens with youthful appeal, vocal richness
Met’s beloved “Bohème” opens with youthful appeal, vocal richness — Read on newyorkclassicalreview.com/2025/10/mets-beloved-boheme-opens-with-youthful-appeal-vocal-richness/
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A Tale of Two Harbors
I flew over 7,000 miles of Pacific Ocean to reach Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. Arriving after two calendar days of travel, I was grateful to trade my economy-plus seat for a comfortable bed in a cell-like room in my modest hotel. Set on a narrow isthmus tightly gripped by the ocean, I would never…
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Top Ten (or so) Travel Experiences.
I don’t care much for lists when I travel. And I hate the term “Bucket List.” But I do like reflection and I believe there is a merit to an organized mind. So I decided to make a list of my most recent top ten (or so) travel experiences. I started it as an exercise…
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“The Ireland I Loved So Well”: Family, Language, & Memory
I arrived at Dublin’s Glasnevin neighborhood by bus from the airport after spending a month in Dubai and Istanbul in 2022. It was March 16th. (Dublin, by the way, has a great system of double-decked buses that go everywhere. The number 41 serves Drumcorda and downtown from the airport). A smile appeared at the first…
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How cultural travel taught me to be grateful: Ten days to remember
In 2022, I traveled to 95 cities in eight countries for a total of 198 days abroad. When I reflected on my top 2022 travel experiences, I came up with three (let’s call them ) “events” almost immediately: my first trip to Ireland which became a trip home. Dubai Expo 2020, a global village and…
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Bali: Two Faces of Indonesia’s “Island of the Gods”
Attending a local temple, talking to Balinese, learning about its culture, and spending 30 days here allowed me to see the two faces of Bali in the way that the Balinese see life itself: a contest between good and evil where the outcome is not victory for one side or the other. it is keeping…
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Thank you, Japan. How a visit to the Land of the Rising Sun will thrill, amaze, and comfort
Japan fully reopened in October 2022, just in time to enjoy the autumn session of the marvelous Setouchi Triennial. Setouchi 2022. Thank you, Japan.
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Turkish Delight: An Istanbul photo essay, where everything is up-to-date!
Istanbul is by design both European and Asian. While most of Turkey is in Asia (Minor), the majority of its (former) capital is in Europe. This is another dimension of Istanbul’s duality and its complicated geography. It is the literal crossroads of continents. Istanbul not only spans two continents, it lies between two seas, The…
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Dubai Expo 2020: All the world in 21 days
The emotional highlight was my visit to the Ukraine Pavilion. Visitors from all over the world have left messages of peace and encouragement. They cover the walls and staircases. They are written in a dozen languages. This was a crowd-sourced, low-tech, high-touch exhibit. A black sharpie making an indelible impression on a 3M sticky of…