Monthly Archives: November 2012

The Art of the Royal Palace, Phnom Penh

This gallery contains 20 photos.

Unfortunately, when I arrived in Phnom Penh that weekend, King Sihanouk had just passed away, and his body been ceremonially laid in state in the Royal Palace.  As such, most of the Palace compound – about three quarters of it, … Continue reading

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Phnom Penh, Architecturally

This gallery contains 40 photos.

Forget what the guidebooks and online advisories say.  Phnom Penh’s architecture and cityscape is breathtaking, particularly in and around the city centre, huddled along the banks of the Ton Le Sap River.  Phnom Penh is also immensely walkable. In fact, … Continue reading

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Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Phnom Penh

This gallery contains 12 photos.

While in Phnom Penh, stay at the Hotel Le Royal, so goes conventional wisdom.  And so I did.  Situated in the heart of the city’s colonial quarter to the north, Le Royal has led a charmed life.  Opened in 1929 … Continue reading

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The Grand Tour VI – Sihanouk Time… Phnom Penh, Cambodia

This gallery contains 7 photos.

“[A]lready all we have built in Phnom Penh appears old under the effects of the burning sun; the fine, straight streets we have constructed are devoid of any human presence and overgrown with grass; one could believe that this is … Continue reading

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Music and Memory, or Soundtracks to Specific Moments in Our Lives

This gallery contains 4 photos.

Today I got to thinking about how music, place and memory are so closely intertwined, and how our memories of  places are often triggered by a song that we happened to be listening to at the time. Throughout my two-ish … Continue reading

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79th St: Zurich (3rd Ave to FDR Drive)

This gallery contains 10 photos.

Finally, after an epic journey through mountain, forest and city, we have arrived at our destination: Zurich, the economic and financial capital of Switzerland, also its largest and most modern metropolis. Zurich is one of the most dynamic and liveable … Continue reading

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79th St – Lucerne (5th to 3rd Ave)

This gallery contains 16 photos.

Lucerne is the most beautiful city in Switzerland by far – the grande dame of them all.  Its mediaeval old town is graced by a beautiful lake, while in the distance, sleeping-beauty castles perch precariously on the edge of mountains. … Continue reading

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79th St – Swiss Alps (Museum of Natural History and Central Park)

This gallery contains 9 photos.

If there’s one thing that Switzerland is most associated with, it’s the Alps – that famous, snow-capped mountain chain that divides Central and Northern Europe from the Latin South, and which stretches across more than two thirds of the Helvetian … Continue reading

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79th St – Bern (Amsterdam to Columbus Ave)

This gallery contains 7 photos.

Bern is the capital of the Swiss Federation and sits somewhere in the middle of the country, between the French-speaking West and the German-speaking rest. The city is best known for its mediaeval Old Town, with a proliferation of buildings … Continue reading

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79th St – Lausanne (Broadway to Amsterdam Ave)

This gallery contains 7 photos.

Apart from its mediaeval old town, dotted with grand Gothic Cathedrals, Lausanne isn’t quite as well known as the other Swiss cities on this tour.  It’s a pity though as, the city is a quaint and charming affair, more a … Continue reading

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