
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.…

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…

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…