5 of the World’s Most Underrated Adventure Travel Destinations

The lemurs of Madagascar, the prayer flags of Nepal, the rock faces of South Korea, the azure waters of Slovenia and the mountainside fortresses of Bhutan: These are the best-kept secret destinations for trekking and other outdoor activities.

The Temple of Guru Padmasambhava is just one of the many delights found in Bhutan, one of the lesser known (albeit a bit tricky to visit) adventure travel destinations.

Choosing a destination for your next adventure can feel downright overwhelming. Trekking in Greenland? Bouldering in Utah? Paddling the Caribbean? Throwing a dart at a map and hoping it lands somewhere cool?

When the entire globe is your playground, it can be tough to choose. Hey, nothing like a list of suggestions to get the wheels turning, right? 

“Madagascar is an adventure travel destination that rivals the Galapagos in the “did I just step into a Dr. Seuss book?” factor. ”

Here are five of the world’s most underrated adventure travel destinations, all with their own unique appeal. Maybe that means the bucket list just got five lines longer. Better get planning!   

Baobab trees in Madagascar definitely up the Dr. Seuss factor.

1. Madagascar 

This far-flung island off the eastern coast of Africa isn’t just dancing lemurs — it’s an adventure travel destination that rivals the Galapagos in the “did I just step into a Dr. Seuss book?” factor. For lovers of nature, this island boasts biodiversity in spades, with chameleons, primates, frogs and sealife calling it home. For adventurers, its lack of cars means every step becomes part of an exploratory trek. 

Many spots on Madagascar are home to lemurs.

Between Madagascar’s Mantadia and Ranomafana National Parks, visitors will find miles and miles of hiking trails seemingly from another planet. After exploring inland, adventurers can migrate to the coast to unwind at pristine stretches of beach, like the impossibly turquoise Nosy Be island, which doubles as a lemur habitat. 

Prayer flags are found throughout Nepal. They’re said to carry prayers and mantras on the wind.

2. Nepal 

Perched atop the spine of the planet, Nepal might not seem “underrated” at all. Here’s the thing: With big names like Everest within its borders, it’s certainly one of the ultimate adventure destinations of the world. 

The base camp at Everest, the highest mountain on the planet, is a colorful spot to kick off a trek.

However, it’s a country that can feel entirely too challenging or out of reach for many travellers. When its main attraction is the tallest mountain on Earth, Nepal can be a bit intimidating to the masses. But you can, and should, visit even if you’re not planning on setting foot in a base camp. There’s something about trekking in Nepal, prayers flag fluttering overhead, rhododendrons blooming, towering peaks in the foreground… It’s magical. Don’t keep putting it off until you’re better, older, wiser, whatever. 

Paro Taktsang, a Buddhist monastery in Bhutan, clings to the cliffside.

3. Bhutan 

As much as the idea of isolation has taken on an entirely new meaning in the recent past (curse you, COVID!), Bhutan exemplifies one of the most fascinating applications of isolation in the tourism world. Having only just allowed television into the country in 1999 and still prohibiting the sale of goods like tobacco, Bhutan has opened to the ideas of the rest of the world on its own schedule. This includes tourism.

The masked dances of Bhutan take place annually. Try to catch one — it’s said to purify the soul and bring good luck.

Even getting into Bhutan feels a bit like jumping through hoops. You’ll need to be invited by a citizen of the country (unless you hold a passport from India, Bangladesh or the Maldives), or be a guest of the government. You’ll be required to pay a set daily fee to see the country, and the geographical isolation of the nation makes flights costly and complicated. 

However, if you manage to wrangle a visit, you’ll be rewarded with some of the most exceptional, unspoiled scenery the world has to offer, as well as a rich culture developed without interruption from the outside world. From 7,000-meter summits to lush green valleys, the natural landscape is simply unreal. Of course, the dzongs (fortresses) perched atop impossibly steep cliffs are one of the gems of Bhutan. The chance to explore this unknown destination is a rare treat and undoubtedly worth the effort. 

Cycling and great food come together for wellness travels in South Korea.

4. South Korea 

This small country (slightly larger than the U.S. state of Indiana) is an absolute goldmine when it comes to outdoor adventure. And South Korea’s relative lack of “hype” in the adventure travel world is a blessing in disguise. 

Rock climbers will find numerous sites for adventure in South Korea.

While others flock to Iceland and the Rockies, you can discover South Korea’s expansive hiking trails and climbing-ready rocky cliffs in peace. There are 20 mountains a stone’s throw from Seoul, making outdoor adventure an easy outing once you’re done eating your way through the capital (which you definitely should). Rock climbers will find more places than they could hope to cover in one trip, and many of these locations are so beautiful that the locals believe spirits call them home.

Because of a robust road system, South Korea is a must for cyclists looking to put in miles somewhere new, and the snowy slopes near Pyeongchang are perfect off-the-beaten-path destinations for snow sports enthusiasts. No shortage of adventure to be had here!

A small isle in Lake Bled in Slovenia is home to the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary.

5. Slovenia

Slovenia typically isn’t considered one of Europe’s many top-notch travel destinations. But as incredible as Italy and Spain will always be, Slovenia is truly one of the most underrated adventure travel destinations in the world. 

The gorgeous Soca River in Slovenia is a great spot for kayaking, rafting and other water sports.

It’s a teeny country, but it offers the Slovenian Alps, the bright blue Soca River, hidden beaches on seaside stretches and beautiful Lake Bled. Whether you’re looking to kayak, swim, hike, go canyoneering or just savor a fantastic view, Slovenia delivers. Plus, you’re not going to be battling crowds or dodging selfie sticks while you explore. 

Apologies in advance for the wanderlust. Which of these underrated adventure travel destinations will you be visiting first? –Lukas Saville

TWA Flight Center: 8 Facts About the Futuristic Mid-Century Modern Masterpiece

Channeling the Jet Age, the Eero Saarinen-designed Terminal 5 at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport received a second life as the lobby of the TWA Hotel.

Whether you think it looks like a bird or a sea turtle, there’s no denying the architectural excellence of the TWA Flight Center.

When I had to travel to New York to attend Shoppe Object, an independent home and gift show, at Pier 36, where I’d be assisting the Hay wholesale team with taking orders, Wally figured he’d tag along. 

We flew into JFK a day early and put aside an extra hour or so to visit Terminal 5, or T5, and get a drink at the Sunken Lounge and explore the iconic Eero Saarinen-designed TWA Flight Center. 

One of the first things you’ll see is this amazing check-in desk for the TWA Hotel, with the departures and arrival board (it might be old-fashioned, but it’s got up-to-date listings) and staffers in retro outfits.

“The space reminded me of Antoni Gaudí’s La Sagrada Família Cathedral in its organic sensibility.

To me, this was Saarinen’s cathedral to aviation.”

After we disembarked, we took the AirTrain to Terminal 5, then followed the signs directing us to the TWA Hotel. 

Here are eight interesting facts about the TWA Flight Center. 

Howard Hughes in the cockpit of a TWA plane. He bought the airline and commissioned the construction of the Flight Center.

1. Playboy Howard Hughes hired Eero Saarinen to build the terminal, costs be damned. 

Prior to becoming a recluse and taking up residence of the penthouse at the Desert Inn Hotel in Las Vegas, Howard Hughes, one of the wealthiest men in the world, dabbled in motion picture direction, production and aviation. He acquired control of TWA (short for Trans World Airlines) in 1939, without ever holding an official position. 

Known to want the best that money could buy, in 1959, Hughes commissioned Eero Saarinen, the Finnish-American architect behind the 630-foot-high Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, to design a terminal for the airline. Never one to keep to a budget, construction costs for the terminal ballooned from $9 million to $15 million (equal to a staggering $130 million in 2021).

An old map that shows TWA’s routes

Fun fact: Hughes was well known for his dalliances with celebrities of both sexes, including Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers and Olivia de Havilland.  

The sky blue VW bus out front is totally groovy, man.

2. Saarinen got the inspiration for his mid-century modern marvel from a grapefruit.

Often described as a swooping bird, I found the structure to more closely resemble a sea turtle. 

The TWA Flight Center was dedicated to the Golden Age of travel and was a marvel of mid-century modern design when it opened in May 1962, nearly 60 years ago — the likes of which the world had never seen. 

If Eero Saarinen didn’t eat grapefruit, the TWA Flight Center would never have been conceived.

Legend has it that the architect arrived at the building’s evocative form one morning during breakfast, after flipping over a hollowed-out grapefruit rind and pressing down in the middle. 

The Flight Center’s shell-shaped roof consists of four symmetrical reinforced concrete forms separated from one another by narrow skylights. Inside, undulating organic forms of the 200,000-square-foot lobby merge inward — soaring ceilings blend into walls, and those walls become floors. The space reminded me of Antoni Gaudí’s La Sagrada Família Cathedral in its organic sensibility. To me, this was Saarinen’s cathedral to aviation.

At the center of the terminal’s vaulted ceilings, the original Vulcain clock still keeps the time.

The original clock high above, positioned where the many arches converge on the ceiling

Speaking of time, Saarinen’s ran out all too soon. Sadly, the designer never lived to see his finished creation. He died at the age of 51, during surgery to remove a brain tumor, in 1961 — one year before the Flight Center was complete.

Swooping staircases and curving walkways fill the interior.

3. The media adored the TWA Flight Center, but one of Saarinen’s fellow architects described it as part of a “nightmare.”

Today, Saarinen is revered as one of the most important architects of the 20th century. However, when the TWA Flight Center opened in 1962 at what was then Idlewild Airport, not all of the attention it attracted was positive. The press was enthusiastic about his design, heaping acclaim on the structure’s dynamic form and fluid interior. 

But some of Saarinen’s peers were critical of his work. British architect and critic Alan Colquhoun was quoted in Architectural Design as saying the Flight Center was “like the monster forests of a child’s nightmare, where a toadstool may be 20 feet high or like the dematerialized and unearthly forms of an Expressionist film set.”

You can understand why critic Alan Colquhoun would say the interior feels like an Expressionist film set — but why does that have to be a bad thing?

It was designated as a New York City landmark in 1994 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. 

Planes are a lot bigger than they used to be, rendering Terminal 5 obsolete.

4. The iconic terminal was ultimately too small to work for larger planes and closed for almost two decades. 

By the mid-’70s, the aging hub became impractical — Saarinen’s design couldn’t accommodate the proliferation of wide-body jets that could carry hundreds of passengers at a time. The terminal was still used for smaller planes but eventually closed, with the last flight departing from there in 2001. 

Duke chillaxes on the chili pepper red seating.

5. Saarinen didn’t just design the TWA Flight Center — he also created a color for it. 

The signature hue, chili pepper red, which Saarinen developed for the Flight Center can be seen everywhere, from the banquettes and furnishings to the hallway carpeting in the hotel buildings. It stands out in stark contrast to the predominant white interior.

Incidentally, the space was originally outfitted by acclaimed Parisian industrial designer Raymond Loewy, the creative mind behind the 1959 TWA twin globes logo. 

The Sunken Lounge as seen from the second floor

6. The Sunken Lounge is the hippest spot to grab a drink at JFK.

The centerpiece of the space is the Sunken Lounge cocktail bar, complete with Tulip chairs and pedestal tables designed by Saarinen for Knoll. 

I ordered an Idlewild old fashioned, while Wally got a Bloody Mary. We were particularly delighted with the retro swizzle stick featuring a dancing Shiva, the Hindu god.

The drinks might be spendy, but the atmosphere makes it worthwhile.

Wally’s a sucker for spicy Bloodys.

There’s something comforting about the click-click-click of the retro departures board.

A split-flap departures board, by Solari di Udine, the Italian manufacturer that made the terminal’s original, displays custom messages instead of flight info. There are over 34,000 tiles on the sign, creating a nostalgia-inducing whir and clatter throughout our visit.

De plane! De plane! One imagines this aircraft was named Connie cuz she’s a Lockheed Constellation.

7. The on-site plane, Connie, is now a cocktail lounge — though she once ran drugs in South America.

While enjoying a drink in the Sunken Lounge, you can see a vintage plane through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Wally and I knew we had to explore it. 

Wally’s off to see if there’s any pot left on Connie from her drug-smuggling days.

There’s no ticket needed for Duke to board this plane!

A 1958 Lockheed Constellation L 1649A — a four-propeller airplane commissioned by Hughes and affectionately known as Connie — sits parked on the tarmac behind the terminal. Its interior has been transformed into a delightful, one-of-a-kind cocktail lounge. 

Grab a drink and some nibblies inside Connie, a plane-turned-cocktail bar.

Check out the cockpit while onboard Connie.

In the interim between being a part of the TWA fleet and being a star of the Flight Center, Connie engaged in some dubious activities, including delivering marijuana for a Colombian drug cartel before being abandoned in Honduras, according to Air & Space magazine.

Saarinen designed the Tulip chairs and pedestal tables found throughout the space.

8. A restoration project returned the Flight Center to its former retro space-age glory.

The impeccable attention to detail of the restoration of the former terminal was overseen by Richard Southwick, partner and director of historic preservation at New York-based architecture firm Beyer Blinder Belle. 

A vintage convertible sits out front of the Flight Center.

One design element that was particularly challenging was the ceramic penny tiles specified in Saarinen’s original design. A total of 20 million custom ½-inch-diameter bisque-colored mosaic tiles were sourced and used over the course of both phases of the project, covering the floors and swooping interior walls. 

The organic yet futuristic forms create a Jetsons sort of feel, retro and space age all at once.

Those things on the wall are called payphones. They’re sort of like mobiles, except they were stationary.

There’s an odd little seating area (with another classic car) off to the left when you enter.

Vintage magazines and toiletries at the newsstand by the bathroom

The upper level features a mini-museum of TWA artifacts, including flight attendant uniforms from the 1940s to the 1990s. Designs from Valentino, Cassini and Balmain are on display, along with vintage flight bags. 

The Paris Café on the second floor

Famous designers like Valentino designed flight attendant uniforms for TWA. They’re on display upstairs.

The Paris Café is located on the second floor of the Flight Center and occupies the footprint of the original Lisbon Lounge. 

The pair of corridors featured in the 2002 Steven Spielberg film Catch Me If You Can, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, once led to boarding gates and now offers access to the two wings of the TWA Hotel, Hughes and Saarinen, which partially encircle the terminal.

If you’ve got some extra time before or after a flight at JFK, be sure to stop by the TWA Flight Center for a drink and some photos. Saarinen’s design somehow manages to be retro and futuristic at the same time. –Duke

Follow the signs the Terminal 5, and you’ll be rewarded with the architectural and design wonder that is the TWA Flight Center.

 

TWA Flight Center
John F. Kennedy International Airport
JFK Access Road
1 Idlewild Drive
New York, NY 11430

French Phrases About Food That Are Simply Scrumptious

There’s nothing sadder than a meal without cheese. Learn this and other sweet French food expressions and idioms. Just please don’t spit in the soup. 

I’ve always loved expressions. They make language so much more colorful — and they can be cleverly tweaked into the most delightful, groan-inducing puns. 

Plus it’s fun to think about where the strange expressions came from. How did some of these phrases originate? In English, we say something that’s easy is a piece of cake — though you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Maybe we should stick to taking candy from a baby. Why do we go bananas when we’re in a pickle? 

There are just as many crazy idioms across the pond. Here are some French expressions that have to do with types of food: Eat your heart out — just don’t bite off more than you can chew!

“In Britain, someone who’s quiche is a hottie.

But in France, for some reason, this delicious meal is an insult.”

Oh purée! You don’t know these expressions? Don’t worry. The carrots aren’t cooked — there’s still time to learn them.

Vegetables

C’est la fin des haricots.

What it translates to: It’s the end of the beans.

What it means: There’s nothing left; that’s the end.

avoir un coeur d’artichaut

What it translates to: to have the heart of an artichoke

What it means: to be unfaithful; to be sensitive

C’est pas tes oignons.

What it translates to: It’s not your onions.

What it means: none of your beeswax; none of your business

raconter des salades

What it translates to: to tell salads

What it means: to tell lies

Oh purée !

What it translates to: Oh, mashed potatoes!

What it means: Darn it!

faire une frite

What it translates to: to make a french fry

What it means: to slap someone on the butt

Les carottes sont cuites.

What it translates to: The carrots are cooked

What it means: What’s done is done; it’s too late.

mettre du beurre dans les épinards

What it translates to: to put butter in the spinach

What it means: to improve your finances; to earn a bit more

être dans les choux

What it translates to: to be in the cabbage

What it means: to be in a bad situation; to fail

poireauter

What it translates to: to “leek”

What it means: to wait a long time

C’est un navet !

What it translates to: It’s a turnip!

What it means: It’s a terrible movie.

I’m gonna bring my strawberry and tell you what I think: These French food expressions are just peachy!

Fruit

avoir la pêche 

What it translates to: to have the peach

What it means: to be full of energy, enthusiastic

ramener sa fraise

What it translates to: to bring one’s strawberry

What it means: to give your opinion

haut comme trois pommes

What it translates to: as high as three apples

What it means: to be short, small

tomber dans les pommes

What it translates to: to fall into the apples

What it means: to faint

rouge comme une tomate

What it translates to: to be as red as a tomato

What it means: to be embarrassed

couper la poire en deux

What it translates to: to cut the pear in half

What it means: to split the bill; to reach a compromise

avoir le melon; prendre le melon

What it translates to: to have the melon; to take the melon

What it means: to be sure of oneself, to be cocky

If you’re going to make a whole cheese about it and be milk soup, well, you can go cook an egg!

Dairy

avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre 

What it translates to: to have the butter and the money to buy butter

What it means: to have your cake and eat it too

beurré 

What it translates to: buttered

What it means: wasted, drunk

ne pas avoir inventé le fil à couper le beurre

What it translates to: to not have invented the thread that cuts the butter

What it means: to be dumb, not the brightest

en faire tout un fromage

What it translates to: to make a whole cheese about it

What it means: to make a mountain out of a molehill, to unnecessarily make a big deal out of something

triste comme un repas sans fromage

What it translates to: sad like a meal without cheese

What it means: very sad

être soupe au lait

What it translates to: to be milk soup

What it means: to be quick-tempered

Va te faire cuire un œuf !

What it translates to: Go cook yourself an egg!

What it means: Get lost; leave me alone!

changer de crémerie

What it translates to: to change creameries

What it means: to take your business elsewhere

The French love their baguettes, so it’s not surprising there are a few expressions having to do with bread.

Bread

avoir du pain sur la planche

What it translates to: to have bread on the board

What it means: to have a lot to do

pour une bouchée de pain

What it translates to: for a mouthful of bread

What it means: for a small amount, cheaply

Ça ne mange pas de pain. 

What it translates to: This doesn’t eat bread. 

What it means: It couldn’t hurt. 

rouler dans la farine

What it translates to: to roll in the flour

What it means: to swindle

In Britain, someone who’s quiche is a hottie. But in France, for some reason, this delicious meal is an insult.

Meals

cracher dans la soupe

What it translates to: to spit in the soup

What it means: to be ungrateful, to bite the hand that feeds you

une quiche

What it translates to: a quiche 

What it means: someone who is bad at something

avoir le cul bordé de nouilles

What it translates to: to have an ass surrounded by noodles

What it means: to be lucky

Personally, I think these expressions really cut the mustard.

Toppings and Condiments

à quelle sauce on va être mangé

What it translates to: in what sauce we’re going to be eaten

What it means: I don’t know how this’ll pan out; things don’t look good.

La moutarde me monte au nez.

What it translates to: I have mustard coming up my nose.

What it means: I’m annoyed; I’m angry.

tourner au vinaigre

What it translates to: to turn to vinegar

What it means: to go bad

Watering down wine is never a good thing.

Drinks

mettre de l’eau dans son vin

What it translates to: to put water in their wine

What it means: to tone it down

Here are a couple of dessert-themed expressions that really aren’t too sweet.

Sweets

casser du sucre sur le dos de quelqu’un

What it translates to: to break sugar on someone’s back

What it means: to badmouth someone; to talk about someone behind their back

Ce n’est pas de la tarte.

What it translates to: It’s not tarte.

What it means: It’s not going to be easy. 

Hope you find these expressions delectable! Go ahead — talk with your mouth full. –Wally

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MORE FRENCH LESSONS!

French Phrases About Animals

Why is having the cockroach being depressed? What does it mean when you say a drink is cat pee? Learn these and more beastly fun French expressions!

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All-Too-Perfect Seaside, Florida

The quaint-as-heck New Urbanism town where “The Truman Show” was filmed will charm visitors, even amidst a red tide.

An aerial view of Seaside, Florida reveals the town’s well-thought-out planning, with buildings surrounding green spaces and everything within walking distance.

We left early in the morning from Hilton Head, South Carolina with Wally’s parents and arrived in Seaside, Florida around eight hours later. It was one of Shirley’s sister Eve’s favorite places to visit and is located so far west on the Florida Panhandle that it’s in the Central time zone. 

Strangely, we found ourselves simultaneously clearing our suddenly dry throats as we exited the car. We chalked it up as a coincidence — but soon learned it had a more sinister explanation.

Some say the beach at Seaside on the Gulf of Mexico is one of the best in the state of Florida.

We met up with a rental agent who handed us the keys to 208 West Ruskin Place, officially known as Forsythe House. The Shirl asked if the woman knew what was causing the tickle in our throats and got the casual response that it was a byproduct of red tide — airborne toxins released by algal blooms that can cause respiratory illness. The woman suggested we purchase an antihistamine, which would help reduce symptoms. 

That flag is a lesson that there’s a price you pay for perfection: red tide, airborne algal blooms that irritate your throat.

We ventured out to the town square and stopped by Modica Market. It didn’t really help Wally and I all that much while we were outside but seemed to do the trick for Dave and Shirley. 

Wally and his parents with Duke in front of the charming post office, the first civic building built in town.

Nothing’s Perfect 

“It’s almost too perfect,” Wally said as we perused one of the boutiques near our rental. As if on queue, a shop owner replied, “You do know that The Truman Show was filmed here?” 

““It’s almost too perfect,” Wally said.

As if on queue, a shop owner replied, “You do know that ‘The Truman Show’ was filmed here?” ”

Seaside was almost eerily quaint — so we weren’t surprised to learn that it’s where The Truman Show, starring Jim Carey, was filmed.

The film stars Jim Carey as Truman Burbank, an insurance salesman who leads a seemingly ideal life in the idyllic town of Seahaven — only to discover that he’s the unwitting star of one of the longest-airing reality TV series. 

We looked at each other, wide-eyed.

“I knew it looked familiar!” I exclaimed. 

“Now it makes perfect sense,” Wally said.

Our home away from home, Forsythe House

Forsythe House on Ruskin Place

I’ve often joked that if I wasn’t so bad at math, I would’ve been an architect. One of the reasons I moved to Chicago was because of its rich and varied architectural legacy. So you can imagine my excitement when we entered the modernist row house we would be staying in. Designed by Walter Chatham for a couple from Chicago, Forsythe House was filled with quirky artwork. Maybe it was too much of an open loft concept (the ceiling of the living room soars three stories high) or perhaps it was the narrow open tread staircase and cable railing system, but the house wasn’t to Shirley’s taste, which skews more traditional. 

Wally and I, though, were utterly smitten with it and loved our third-floor room that overlooked Ruskin Place, the quiet park-like square inspired by the French Quarter of New Orleans. The balconies and archways of the surrounding townhomes are a nod to the Vieux Carré. Buildings display names such as Home Alone, Albert F’s and Beach Music. 

Wally hangs out in Ruskin Place, the charming square outside our rental.

An all-white board-and-batten Carpenter Gothic-inspired chapel designed by Scott Merrill stands at the far end of the green. This type of siding consists of wide boards laid vertically with narrower strips of wood, called battens, covering the gaps. It was striking to look at, but, unfortunately, we were unable to see inside as it’s locked up tight when not in use. It’s most prominent feature is the 68-foot-tall bell tower. 

The quaint, nondenominational Chapel at Seaside

Next to the property we were staying at was architect Alexander Gorlin’s residence. Aptly named Stairway to Heaven, its exterior features a two-story-high glass curtain wall and spiral staircase that rises through the interior and corkscrews out through the rooftop to take in sweeping views of Seaside and the Gulf of Mexico. 

“There’s a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold, and she's buying a stairway to heaven.” –Led Zeppelin

A Brief History of Seaside and New Urbanism

Founded in 1981, Seaside is located in South Walton County along Florida's scenic two-lane Highway 30A. 

The idea began in 1946 when Davis’ uncle, Joseph Smolian, a businessman from Alabama, bought 80 acres of land near Seagrove Beach on Florida's northwest coast. His intent was to develop and create a summer camp for the employees of Pizitz, the regional department store he co-owned and operated in Birmingham. 

In 1978, ownership of the property was transferred to his nephew Robert Davis. Davis envisioned a self-sustained coastal community where second-home residents could experience “the special pleasure of relaxing on a porch rocker after a shower at the end of the day on the beach,” like he had on family vacations on the Gulf.

Sunsets are a highlight of the day in Seaside, with the sun setting right over the water.

When development started on the deserted stretch of the Florida Panhandle, Davis tapped Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, pioneers of the New Urbanism movement — a design philosophy which promotes environmentally friendly habits by creating walkable neighborhoods. 

The Seaside Neighborhood School was built, in part, thanks to the location fees from The Truman Show.

The planned community of Seaside embodies this ethos. The diminutive post office was the first civic structure to be built, with a charter school and the chapel to follow.

Houses use materials and forms that evoke the vernacular architecture of old Southern towns. Aside from its lawns and squares, the city’s landscaping incorporates native drought-tolerant species such as the gnarled branch evergreen known as scrub oak. 

All of the main shops in Seaside open onto the town green, complete with an amphitheater. You can see the back of the post office and the line of food trucks in the background.

It’s a Small World

While browsing the vinyl collection at Central Square Records, we ran into Nichole, a delightfully crass friend of ours from Chicago. She was staying with her mother in a nearby town and spending the afternoon in Seaside. Nichole remarked that she was relieved to be out of the house as it was a real “boner-killer” being at home. Wally went out that night with her to get into some mischief and was introduced to the Justin Bieber song “Love Yourself,” which Nichole had on repeat. 

Wally fell in love with the Duckies mascot.

Duke had fun at Duckies Shop of Fun.

Seaside has an eclectic array of shops. A nearby boutique behind the rental we stayed in named An Apartment in Paris turned out to be a favorite of The Shirl. The eclectic, cluttered shop offered French milled soaps, artwork and home goods. It’s as close as you’ll get to exploring the Paris Flea Market in Florida. 

Since everything is within walking distance, Wally and I took the opportunity to explore and wander the network of footpaths. Of course we spent a lot of time perusing the shelves of Sundog Books. And we started our days getting our caffeine fix and baked goodies at Amavida coffeeshop. 

Duke and Wally hung out here a lot, with a bookshop on the bottom floor and a used record shop above.

Grab a meal or two at the Airstream trailer food trucks, which line Highway 30A.

Across the main thoroughfare of Route 30A, silver trailers used as food trucks and known as Airstream Row, offer a variety of fare from fresh-pressed organic juices to the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. 

Making an Entrance: The Pavilions of Seaside

At Seaside, all of the beaches are public. A series of pavilions mark access points, each one designed by a different architect.

One of my favorites was David Coleman’s Obe Pavilion. The slatted-wood obelisk was adorned with lights during our visit in December and appears in the background in The Truman Show. 

Take a ride over to the nearby (and colorfully named) town of WaterColor. We had lunch at the WaterColor Inn and bought handpainted ornaments at a small craft fair.

Though the “red tide tickle” deviated from the script, and we were only in Seaside for a long weekend, we were happy to have supporting roles in this idyllic town. –Duke

 

Mystical, Magical Ha Long Bay

The otherworldly Bay of the Descending Dragon and Hang Sung Sot Cave are a don’t-miss day trip from Hanoi.

The boats that ply the waters of Ha Long Bay are modern takes on Chinese junks.

If it hadn’t been for the typhoon, we would never have visited Ha Long Bay. 

We were planning on spending a couple of days in Hanoi, then heading down to Central Vietnam to visit Hoi An, which everyone we spoke to gushed about, calling it the prettiest town they’ve been to. 

The problem, though, was that a horrific tropical cyclone had swept across from the Philippines, leaving Hoi An 10 feet underwater. Needless to say, we worried a waterlogged town wouldn’t be as charming, so we decided to stay in Hanoi for this portion of our trip. 

“I know it sounds as if I’m being overly dramatic, but when we were out there, with no one else in sight, as the deep darkness of nature encroached, we felt utterly helpless.”

We added a day trip to the Perfume Pagoda as well as an overnight boat ride on Ha Long Bay. One look at the pictures of this mystical-looking locale, the rock formations peeking out of the water, wrapped in an ethereal mist, and we were hooked. 

Through our hotel, the Prince II in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we arranged an overnight excursion on Ha Long Bay. The tourist boats that ply the waters are modeled on Chinese junks, with their distinctive sails that unfurl like handheld fans. The real deal once sailed upon the bay.

Duke and Wally were glad that they ended up having more time in Northern Vietnam to take an overnight excursion on Ha Long Bay.

The boat operators assured us we would want a hat to protect us from the sun, so I caved and bought a coppery cowboy hat (a genuine Vietnamese article, I’m sure). I spent much of the second morning on the top deck, writing in my journal and resting with the cowboy hat over my face.

Wally takes a nap on the top deck with his stylin’ new cowboy hat.

Aside from Duke, our travel buddy Vanessa and me, there were two Chinese couples sharing our boat, which had a name that translated to Sea Pearl 6. The one bummer was that they ran out of double berths, so Duke and I had to sleep in a small stateroom with twin beds.

Ahoy, mateys! All aboard the Sea Pearl 6!

Despite there being quite a few other tourboats out on the bay, they disappeared behind the rock outcroppings and it didn’t feel crowded.

Of course we kept singing a riff on the U2 song: “Ha Long… Ha Long must we sing this song?”

Now and then, a woman in a rowboat loaded up with snacks would pull up alongside our boat, calling out, “Coca Cola! Snickers! Coca Cola! Snickers!” This became another refrain of the trip.

The rocks that dot the bay are said to be the undulating body of a dragon, peeking up from the depths.

The Legend of Ha Long Bay

As with many Vietnamese words, the bay is spelled variably as two words or mushed together as Halong. (In fact, the official name of the country is Việt Nam.)

Ha Long means “Dragon Descending,” and our guide told us how a dragon came down from the sky, plunging into the Gulf of Tonkin. Some of the numerous islets were formed when it lashed its tail, and others are its offspring, peeking their undulating bodies out of the water.

Although we didn’t spot anyone with scales or tails, the Vietnamese people believe themselves to be descended from dragons.

Others tell a version of the legend of Ha Long Bay that’s more elaborate.

No matter its origin, there’s something otherworldly about this bay of over 1,000 small limestone islands. Despite the jagged formations, greenery somehow finds a way to root itself, covering the outcroppings and helping with the illusion that these are humps of a snakelike dragon’s body.

Wally and Vanessa pretend to be in a Scooby-Doo episode as they descend into Hang Sung Sot, the Cave of Surprises.

Hang Sung Sot, the Cave of Surprises — and Its Cock Rock

Our first stop on the trip was to a massive cave complex, Hang Sung Sot, which translates as Most Surprising Cave or Cave of Surprises. It got its name from what the French called the island, Île de la Surprise.

Duke and Wally, sweaty but happy, in the massive cave complex in Ha Long Bay

Ladies and gentlemen, the fantastical fertility phallus, the legendary Cock Rock!

It was immense, like a theme park ride, and puts other caves I’ve explored to shame. We wandered through three chambers of karst, or eroded limestone, lit up with colored lights. The highlight was a rock formation undeniably shaped like a glowing pinkish orange erection. Not surprisingly, locals believe this phallic formation possesses powers of fertility.

The bay is mostly empty, aside from tourboats and the odd floating structure.

Nearly Killed in a Kayak

We stopped at the local “village” — really just a series of wooden pallets floating on the water, supporting small structures, painted happy shades of blue or yellow, where you could buy supplies. There were square sections in one section of the village that were used as mini-ponds to raise fish.

A waterborne snack vessel alongside tourboats for daytrippers

We rented kayaks here and headed off for an adventure. Duke and I decided that we’d do a two-seater, which turned out to be a complete mistake. We just couldn’t get into a rhythm and kept going off course.

Utterly frustrated, I muttered, “We’d be terrible on The Amazing Race. Next time we get our own kayaks.”

We stopped at a floating “village” to get snacks and to take kayaks out for a fateful excursion.

At first our entire group was in the same vicinity, but Duke and I went off to explore a sea cave, and by the time we turned around, everyone else was gone. At this point, the sun was setting, and instead of admiring its golden orange and rose hues, we started to panic. Everywhere we looked, we saw the small islands that dot the bay — but our boat was nowhere in sight. We felt exposed. One tip and we’d be in the water. Even though we were surrounded by the karst islets, they were so jagged and steep, we’d never be able to climb onto one.

As the sky darkened and my blood pressure rose, we rounded a small island and spotted a vessel in the distance. 

“We’re heading to that boat, whether it’s ours or not,” I declared. “If it’s not, they can take us to ours.” 

We did our best to paddle as quickly as possible toward the junk boat, and relief flooded over us as we recognized the Sea Pearl 6, with Vanessa standing on deck. It was all a bit too close for comfort, and we wished one of the crew had remained with us to help ensure our safety. (Or maybe we were just a bad combination of inept and irresponsible.)

I know it sounds as if I’m being overly dramatic, but when we were out there, with no one else in sight, as the deep darkness of nature encroached, we felt utterly helpless.

In the morning, mist covered the bay, and Wally went on deck to write in his journal.

Duke is much more relaxed after the death-defying adventure of the night before.

Vanessa hangs out on the aft deck, admiring the view.

Despite our near-death experience, I’m sure the Mother Dragon would have protected us. And while we were sad to miss out on the much-gushed-about village of Hoi An, we were happy to have had some extra time in Hanoi to experience the magic of this unforgettable bay. –Wally

 

Othman, the Influential Third Khalifa of Isalm — and His Grisly Demise

Uthman ibn Affan, as he was also known, created the definitive version of the Quran and greatly improved the Islamic Empire’s infrastructure. 

Othman accomplished quite a bit during his time as khalifa — until he was brutally murdered by a mob.

The Prophet Mohammed had been dead for only 12 years, and already the religion he founded, Islam, was on its third leader, or khalifa. 

“Staggering wealth, dazzling beauty, two of the Prophet’s daughters for wives — what did this man lack?”

— Tamim Ansary, “Destiny Disrupted”

This painting depicts the election of Othman as the third khalifa of the budding religion of Islam.

The Third Khalifa: Othman

Othman (aka Uthman ibn Affan or Osman) was distantly related to Mohammad, as his fifth cousin once removed. Taking office at the age of 68, he was khalifa from 24-40 AH (644-661 CE). 

His father had been one of the richest men in Mecca, and Othman multiplied his family’s fortune many times over, earning him the nickname Othman the Wealthy.

He didn’t drink, he didn’t smoke, what did he do? Well, he also didn’t chase women — despite being known as quite the hottie.

Conversion and Repentance

Othman’s conversion to Islam didn’t go over well with his family, which was rabidly anti-Muslim. In fact, his stepfather had once tried to strangle Mohammed to death but was prevented by Abu Bakr. His two wives refused to convert, so he divorced them and married Mohammed’s gorgeous daughter, Ruqayya. After she died, Othman wed another of the Prophet’s daughters, Umm Kulthum. 

“Staggering wealth, dazzling beauty, two of the Prophet’s daughters for wives — what did this man lack?” asks Tamim Ansary in Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes. “And yet Othman seemed haunted by the fear that he was not good enough. He spent much of his time fasting, praying and reading the Qur’an. Perhaps his extravagant donations to the public good were attempts to deserve the extraordinary good fortune he already enjoyed.”

For instance, to make up for abandoning a battlefield after a rumor spread that Mohammed had been killed, Othman would buy slaves and free one every Friday.

For some reason, Othman decided to organize the verses of the Qur’an according to length — and that’s how the holy book remains to this day.

Shaping the Qur’an, Launching Massive Building Projects

The first big project Othman undertook was to create a definitive edition of the Qur’an. Scholars eliminated redundancies, resolved discrepancies and evaluated dubious passages. The final product was a book in which the verses were pretty much arranged according to length, rather than thematically or chronologically. That doesn’t seem like the best way to organize a holy book, but there you go.

Othman’s policies greatly benefitted his own clan, the Umayyads, forming a powerful dynasty, seen here at the siege of Constantinople.

Another contentious decision Othman made was to lift Omar’s restrictions on Muslims buying land in conquered territories. In fact, wealthy Muslims could borrow from the public treasury to finance these purchases. Soon a class of elites, many from his own clan, the Umayyads, had acquired immense estates throughout the new empire.

Othman’s construction projects must have gone over better with the public. He built more than 5,000 mosques, prettied up Medina, dug canals, constructed highways, improved irrigation systems, upgraded ports, and installed wells and water systems.

Of course, he also constructed himself a lavish palace — though within it,  he “lived on bread, water and prayer,” Ansary says.

The tomb of Othman in Jannat al-Baqī’, the first Islamic cemetery, found in Medina

The End of Othman

Othman had set up his foster brother as governor of Egypt, but the man tried to squeeze too much money out of the people. A delegation petitioned Othman to remove the man as governor, which he agreed to. 

On their way back to Egypt, members of the delegation spotted a suspicious-looking slave of the khalifa and searched him. They discovered a letter telling the governor to arrest and execute them upon their return.

LEARN ABOUT Abu Bakr and Umar, the first two khalifas of Islam

The delegation turned around and marched into the palace. When they showed Othman the letter, he expressed shock and said he had never seen it before. This might indeed have been the case, but the once-peaceful petitioners had devolved into an angry mob. 

“[T]he rioters worked themselves into a frenzy, broke down palace doors and burst in with a roar. They found the khalifa in his study, and there in the flickering twilight of the old man’s lamp, in year 34 of the Muslim era, they beat their own leader to death,” Ansary writes. 

It was an ignominious end to the life of one of the most influential early leaders of Islam. –Wally

The Most Excellent Eggnog Recipe for the Holidays

Bob and Gina’s homemade eggnog recipe will get you in the spirits.

Cheers to our fave drink of the holiday season! (Just don’t think about all those calories!)

It’s one of my favorite Christmas traditions: getting a lovely warm buzz from my friend Christina’s eggnog at her annual holiday party. Most people have one requisite glass and move on to wine or beer. But our friend Reggie and I always have a container reserved for us. We drink it all night, my cheeks turning rosy as the booze literally warms my spirits. And no, I refuse to calculate the fat content — it’s the holidays, dammit, and I’d rather get drunk on eggnog than have a second helping of pie. 

“I’d rather get drunk on eggnog than have a second helping of pie. ”

This year, because COVID ruined everything, Christina had to cancel her party. The prospect of an eggnog-free Yuletide was simply too bleak to consider, so Christina was kind enough to share her parents’ recipe. 

This tasty eggnog recipe — Wally always goes on about how it tastes “like puddin’” — comes from Ontario, Canada.

Some notes on the recipe: We used Bulleit Rye and E&J Brandy, which we had in our liquor cabinet. Duke whipped out the wire whisk on his KitchenAid stand mixer. And we followed Christina’s suggestions on the dairy, though the math hurt my brain: 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 1½ cups half and half (there are 2 cups in 1 pint). To dilute the mixture a bit, we added an additional 1 cup whole milk.

“It’s a bit of a fiddle to make,” Christina says, “but as you know, well worth it!” Indeed! –Wally

Wally and Duke worried they’d have too much for just the two of them. The pitcher didn’t last two days.

From Christina:

I have made this recipe many times, and in far greater amounts. This particular variation makes about 1 gallon. The trick is to make it at least two days before you plan to drink it, allowing the egg whites to break down while maintaining the lightness of the drink.

Lots of booze, eggs and dairy — here’s what you’ll need to make a pitcher of eggnog.

Eggnog Ingredients

• 6 eggs

• 6 tablespoons sugar

• 2 ounces rye whiskey (or rum if preferred)

• 12 ounces brandy (feel free to use a relatively cheap brand)

• 1¼ pints cream (this can be adjusted according to your taste — typically I use ½ a pint of whipping cream and half-and-half for the rest)

• whole milk (as needed)

• Nutmeg (freshly grated if possible, but pre-grated will work as well)

It’s certainly not the most appealing concoction to whip up. Just keep folding until those lumps are gone.

Directions

First, separate the eggs. 

Beat the egg yolks very well. I use my KitchenAid. 

Once the yolks are very well beaten, stir in the sugar until dissolved. 

Then slowly stir in the alcohol.

Next, beat the whites to a stiff peak in a separate bowl. 

Gently fold the whites into your boozy yolk mixture. Take your time doing this step, as the integrity of the whites is what lends the concoction its lovely airy texture. 

Finally, gently stir in the cream mixture.

Of course, you will now have to sample! If your mixture seems too thick or too boozy, add whole milk. 

Decant into glass containers and refrigerate (or stick outside in a snowbank, as we usually do in Canada).

Gently stir the mixture at least once a day. The egg white clouds will initially float to the top but will slowly disintegrate into the mixture. 

On about the third day, it should be ready to drink. You’ll need a wide-mouth pitcher because it is too thick with bits of egg white. Later, I usually pour it into empty booze bottles that have a bit wider necks, like rum bottles. 

Pour out into festive glasses and top with grated nutmeg.

We think Santa would prefer boozy eggnog over milk with his cookies.

Happy Holidays!

8 Wild Facts About Saffron

Why are people mad about saffron? The fragile tendrils of the Crocus sativus flower yield the most expensive spice in the world. 

Three small strands that jut out of the crocus flower are what we use as the spice saffron.

The most precious and costly spice in our cupboard — and most likely yours — is saffron, which comes from Crocus sativus, the saffron crocus. Its name is derived from the Arabic za’faran, which has its roots in the word for yellow. Today, Iran is the world’s top producer, though the plant is also a cash crop of Spain, Greece, Morocco and the Kashmir region of India. 

Saffron might not be worth its weight in gold — but it’s the most expensive spice in the world.

1. It’s said that a pound of saffron is worth more than a pound of gold, but this turns out to be a myth. 

Despite this, saffron is still the most expensive and labor-intensive spice in the world. Fortunately, a little goes a long way. It only takes a pinch to infuse its aromatic, earthy flavor and brilliant color. Saffron is integral to far-ranging dishes, from Spanish paella to Indian biryani, from Persian pilau to the yeasted saffron buns of Cornwall, England. Its widespread usage was often introduced by conquerors: the Moors in Spain and the ancient Persians in India. 

The crocus is sterile and needs to be planted each year, and then harvested by hand.

Interestingly, saffron is a sterile plant that is difficult to reproduce without human intervention. New plants are grown by digging up and replanting the corm (the bulb-like part of the stem). Its high price makes sense: There’s no way to harvest the delicate crimson filaments of the Crocus sativus mechanically. The strands, known botanically as stigmas, must be carefully removed from the heart of the small violet blooms by hand, and there are only three per flower. To put this into perspective, approximately 350 tiny threads of saffron make up a single gram. So, it takes about 75,000 flowers for 1 pound of saffron: Its retail value is estimated at around $5,000 a pound. A pound of gold as of this writing is worth over $27,000.

Buddhist monks, like these in Cambodia, don’t waste saffron on dyeing their robes; they use other natural dyes, including tumeric.

2. The robes of Buddhist monks aren’t actually dyed with saffron.

When I think of my first trip to Southeast Asia, I can picture the vivid saffron-colored robes worn by the Buddhist monks of Cambodia. According to monastic discipline, the robes must be made from cloth that is naturally dyed using indigenous plants, barks or spices, though saffron is too expensive to be used widely. Instead, that distinctive yellowish-orange color most often comes from the knobby turmeric root.

Perhaps the association with saffron and the dye used for monks’ robes comes from a transliteration of the botanical name for turmeric, curcumin, which originates from the Arabic kurkum, meaning saffron. 

I can attest to the dyeing power of turmeric, from the intense amber stains it left on my hands and the chute of my juicer.

What exactly is Donovan’s “Mellow Yellow” about? Who’s this Saffron he’s mad about?

3. The song “Mellow Yellow” by Donovan was actually about a female sex toy.

The first time I recall hearing the word saffron was riding in a car with my dad while he was listening to an oldies station. The song was “Mellow Yellow,” written and recorded by the Scottish singer Donovan. It begins, “I’m just mad about Saffron. Saffron’s mad about me.” I wasn’t sure if it was saffron the spice or a woman with that name that made him mellow. But when the song was released in 1967, a rumor emerged that it was about smoking bananadine cigarettes, the scraped and dried white pith of a banana peel, which were believed to have hallucinogenic properties. The myth has since been debunked, as Wally can attest from a high school “experiment,” when he tried smoking dried banana peels, to no effect.

Donovan admitted that “Mellow Yellow” was about a vibrator.

Donovan later admitted in an interview in NME that the idea for the song came from an ad for a yellow vibrator that he saw in the back pages of a magazine. You can catch the reference in the lyrics “Electrical banana is gonna be a sudden craze.” 

Could this have been the sex toy that inspired the lyrics “electrical banana”?

As for the phrase “mellow yellow,” it first appeared a half-century earlier in James Joyce’s Ulysses in a description of the protagonist’s unfaithful wife Molly Bloom’s buttocks. 

Not surprisingly, the name Saffron gained popularity after the release of Donovan’s song. Quite rightly.

Cleopatra had undeniable sex appeal and claimed two Roman leaders as her lovers. Was it because of her saffron and mare’s milk baths?

4. Cleopatra and Alexander the Great used saffron as a health and beauty hack.

Cleopatra, the legendary seducer of not one but two powerful men of Ancient Rome, bathed in saffron-infused mare’s milk as an all-natural bronzer and aphrodisiac to enhance her allure. The lactic acid contained in milk is believed to gently exfoliate dead skin cells, while saffron gave her skin a healthy glow and acted as a perfume. In fact, saffron baths were a luxurious trend amongst the elite of Rome. And the Macedonian ruler Alexander the Great enjoyed soaking in saffron-colored water, convinced it would heal his battle wounds. 

An illuminated manuscript that depicts women shopping at a spice merchant’s stall

5. People in the Middle Ages were willing to die for saffron.

The marketplaces of Medieval Europe were filled with the exotic spices and spoils of returning crusaders. Saffron was so popular in 14th century Europe that the theft of a single ship en route to Basel, Switzerland, carrying 800 pounds of the spice led to the 14-week Saffron War that lasted until the shipment was returned. 

Perhaps these two were caught selling counterfeit saffron — and were burned at the stake!

Its purity was of such importance that the Safranschou code was enacted to deter fraud. Because of saffron’s high price tag, cheap substitutes were often passed off as authentic saffron. Merchants caught selling adulterated forms of the spice faced the possibility of imprisonment, public burning or being buried alive. 

Be careful getting too transfixed by dancing nymphs — you might end up being turned into a flower!

6. Saffron features prominently in a couple of Greek myths. 

In the most common version of the story, a handsome Arcadian youth named Krokos was passing through the Athenian woods, when he spied the nymph Smilax dancing with her friends. He was bewitched and began to visit the forest regularly to seek her out. For a time, Smilax allowed him to find her but couldn’t decide if she should let herself be courted by a mortal. The gods were not amused, though, and lost patience with the couple. They struck Krokos with their wrath, transforming him into a small purple flower that bears his name, the crocus. Its bright red stigmas glow with his fiery, unrequited love. Smilax was simultaneously turned into a thorny briar vine. Why such a choice? Because the vine would strangle the flower, the would-be lovers were prevented from ever meeting again.

The bisexual Greek god Hermes had a male lover who was killed by a discus — so he turned him into a crocus.

In an alternate version of the tale, the Greek trickster god Hermes was smitten with a young Spartan named Krokos, or Crocus. One day, while playing a game of discus, Hermes accidentally struck the young man on the head, killing him instantly. Distraught by what had happened, Hermes turned his lover into a purple flower, which became known as the crocus. And the three drops of blood upon his head became the red stigmata used for the spice saffron.  

The coat of arms for the town of Saffron Walden in England — note the three crocus flowers at the center

7. Saffron found its way to Britain from the Crusades.

Britain’s often damp and chilly weather seems far from the perfect climate for producing saffron, which thrives in arid terrain. However, it was grown commercially in the fields of Norfolk and Suffolk from the 15th to 18th centuries. It was most likely brought to England from the Holy Land during the Crusades, either by the Knights of St. John or, as popular lore goes, by a pilgrim who risked his life by concealing a saffron corm in the hollow of his walking staff. 

The spice was cultivated in large quantities in the village of Chipping Walden and brought prosperity to the small town — so much so that it changed its name to Saffron Walden. The lasting impact can be seen on the town’s official coat of arms: three crocus flowers surrounded by two castle towers and its walls, a heraldic pun — as in, “Saffron Walled-in.” 

A lot of saffron in Spain finds its way into paella.

8. Each country has its own standard for grading and classifying saffron, based upon aroma, color and flavor.

Not all saffron is created equal. There are different strengths or grades determined by how much of the yellow stamen is still attached to the stigma. In Spain, for example, there are four varieties: coupe, la mancha, río and sierra. Coupe is pure red stigmas only and has the highest amount of crocin, the property responsible for the distinct aroma of saffron. For Iranian traders, the highest grade is sargol, which means “top of the flower” in Farsi and consists of the strongest grade with only the tips of the dried red stigmas. –Duke

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The Birth of Islam and the First Two Khalifas: Abu Bakr and Umar

Who were the first khalifas after the death of the Prophet Mohammed? And how did they shape the new religion of Islam?

The selection of Abu Bakr as the first successor to the Prophet Mohammed caused the Sunni-Shiite schism in Islam that remains to this day.

The time immediately after a spiritual leader’s death can make or break a budding religion — and determine in what direction it goes. 

So it was for Islam after the death of Mohammed. Muslims needed another leader, but how could anyone compare to the irreplaceable Prophet — especially since he had declared that there weren’t going to be any more God-guided messengers like himself?

Abu Bakr is chosen as the Prophet Mohammed’s successor.

A group of decision-makers unanimously decided upon Abu Bakr, a close companion of Mohammed, giving him the title khalifa (or, caliph, to the Western world). The designation was quite modest: It means “deputy.”

Not everyone was happy with the decision. Ali, whose father had adopted Mohammed, was essentially a brother to the Prophet. He was also the first male Muslim, and time and time again, he showed his valor in defending Mohammed and Islam. 

But Ali had his youth working against him. He was just over 30, while Abu Bakr was almost 60. At the time, choosing a younger man over an older one was unthinkable. In fact, the word for a tribal leader, sheikh, literally translates to “old man.”

The first khalifa Abu Bakr, founder of the Sunni branch of Islam

Abu Bakr, the First Khalifa: The Start of Sunni vs. Shi’i 

The disagreement between the two men’s factions eventually led to the major sects of Islam: Those who favored Ali developed into Shi’i, which means “Partisans.” Abu Bakr led the Sunnis. 

Tribes soon began to secede from the alliance that Mohammed had forged, refusing to pay the charity tax to the treasury at Medina. 

“Had Abu Bakr allowed these departures, Islam would surely have gone in a very different direction,” writes Tamim Ansary in Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes. “It might have evolved into a set of practices and beliefs that people embraced individually. But Abu Bakr responded to the crisis by declaring secession to be treason.”

Abu Bakr held the role of khalifa for a short time (11-13 AH, or 632-634 CE) but set a hardline, all-or-nothing orthodoxy — in contrast to his genial persona as a kindly old man known to pass out candy to children on the street. (Note: The Islamic calendar follows a dating system designated AH, from the Latin anno hegirae, "in the year of the Hijra,” when Mohammed and his followers migrated from Mecca to Medina and established the first Muslim community, or Umma.)

Abu Bakr died from a chill after a bath — but not before he named Omar as his successor.

The Second Khalifa: Omar the Powerful, Omar the Forgotten

A hot bath, a cold breeze — and, a mere two years into his role as khalifa, Abu Bakr was on his deathbed. Not wanting any arguments, he named Omar (aka Umar) as his successor, with young Ali passed over once again.

Omar was about as opposite as you could get from the gentle Abu Bakr. He was a large rough-and-tumble kind of dude, with a legendary temper. In fact, he had been on his way to kill Mohammed, when he passed his sister, reading under a tree. When she told him she had become a Muslim, he snatched the Qur’an from her hand. It was open to a verse that seemed to speak directly to Omar, and that was it. He was converted. 

Omar shaped the religion in numerous lasting ways — an impressive legacy despite not being well known. During his time as khalifa, from 13-24 AH (634-644 CE), “he set the course of Islamic theology, he shaped Islam as a political ideology, he gave Islamic civilization its characteristic stamp, and he built an empire that ended up being bigger than Rome,” Ansary writes. “Any one of these achievements could have earned him a place in the who’s who of history’s most influential figures; the sum of them make him something like a combination of Saint Paul, Karl Marx, Lorenzo di Medici and Napoleon. Yet most people outside Islam know him only as a name and perhaps a one- or two-sentence descriptor: he’s the second khalifa, a successor of Mohammed — that’s about it.”

Omar who? The second khalifa of Islam, should be known to all as the man who shaped the Muslim world and ruled over an empire larger than Rome’s.

Omar set out to make Islam a just and egalitarian community — while launching a military campaign that succeeded despite overwhelming odds. 

His choice to use the term jihad to describe a war of conquest kicked off the controversy that lasts to this day. Jihad translates to “struggling,” and is supposed to only apply to fighting in self-defense. In an ironic bit of moral gymnastics, Islam is believed to be a realm of peace, therefore violence against non-Muslims can be justified because that bloodshed is ultimately helping expand the realm of peace. That strikes me as a bogus argument. Then again, Jesus preached peace, yet Christians have used religion to validate countless atrocities, from the Crusades to modern-day homophobia. 

Omar marches into Jerusalem. The khalifa was tolerant when it came to religious worship, which made him popular with those he conquered.

When Omar defeated a city, he allowed the Christians and Jews to worship as they pleased; they just had to pay a tax that was less than they were paying their Byzantine overlords. This seemed like a good deal to them. 

“By the time Omar died, Islamic rule covered more than 2 million square miles. How is this possible?” Ansary asks. “Religious Muslims offer the simple explanation that Muslims had the irresistible supernatural aid of Allah. Academic historians explain the Byzantine and Sassanid empires had just fought a ruinous war with each other, and despite their seeming might, they were both rotten to the core and ready to fall.” 

In 634 CE, a Persian slave named Lu’lu stabbed Omar multiple times in the back. No one’s sure if it was personal or in revenge for a military defeat. Either way, the influential reign of the man some consider as the true founder of the Arab empire, came to an abrupt end. –Wally

The Male Nude in Art

A virtual tour of the Masculin/Masculin exhibit at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, including works by Egon Schiele, Kehinde Wiley, Gustave Caillebotte and Pierre et Giles.

Le Berger Paris (The Shepherd Paris) by Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Desmarais, 1787

The perfection of the male figure was first seen through the lens of the Ancient Greeks. Their idealized depictions celebrated the male body as a reflection of heroic and athletic beauty. The few female sculptures that existed during this period were clothed and chaste in comparison. 

At some point the male nude fell out of favor, and the female nude became the central subject of objectification. Historically speaking, the typical viewer of artwork was male, and this display of the female physique for pleasure turned the female nude into an accepted object of male desire.

Imagine if you will then, how excited Wally and I were in Paris in the fall of 2013. We had decided to visit the Musée d’Orsay, and saw that its featured exhibit was Masculin/Masculin: L’homme nu dans l’art de 1800 à nos jours (The Male Nude in Art From 1800 to Today). The exhibition ran from September 24, 2013 to  January 2, 2014. 

We arrived with Wally’s parents, Dave and Shirley, in tow. When we mentioned that we were excited to see a special exhibit all about the male nude, the Shirl replied, “I don’t need to see that.” Her loss! Though we can’t say we weren’t a bit relieved; seeing galleries full of nude men with your parents could get a little awkward. 

Mercure (Mercury) by Pierre et Gilles, 2001

Nude Male Art Galleries Galore!

Inside, a larger-than-life banner featured a stylized work of French art photography duo Pierre et Gilles titled Mercure (Mercury), the heroic winged messenger and trickster deity of Roman mythology. 

Please note that, as you can imagine from the title, this post includes images of male nudity. 

Faune endormi (Sleeping Faun), a copy of the Barberini Faun, by Edmé Bouchardon, 1726

The Ideal Man

The exhibition is arranged thematically and began by introducing us to “L’Idéal classique, the Classic Ideal.” This concept has existed since the Ancient Greeks chiseled away at marble to depict perfectly sculpted male bodies (pun intended). In my humble opinion, though, these were rarely erotic — sure, they had rockin’ bods, but the statues’ minuscule, flaccid genitalia unappealingly evoke wilted zucchini blossoms.

One such exception was the life-size copy of the Barberini Faun by Edmé Bouchardon on loan from the Louvre. I can clearly remember seeing an image of the Barberini Faun projected onto a screen in my college art history class in its erotic, spread-eagled glory. The figure is a satyr, or faun — usually depicted as a creature half-man, half-goat but in this case referencing a follower of Dyionysus, the god of pleasure and wine. 

Seeing the sculpture in person felt voyeuristic — the viewer is allowed to gaze at something forbidden: a man sleeping, or perhaps passed out from all that wine. The nude form is lounging back, with his legs splayed, giving everyone a view of the goods. 

Académie d’homme dit Patrocle (Academy of a Man, Called Patroclus) by Jacques-Louis David, 1780

One of the first works of art we viewed was Académie d’homme dit Patrocle (Academy of a Man, Called Patroclus) by Jacques-Louis David, from 1780. 

Patroclus was a character from Homer’s Iliad who died fighting the Trojans. The painting was produced by David during his stay in Italy as a Prix de Rome laureate. Turned away from the viewer, the figure's accentuated muscles reminded me a bit of Michelangelo's studies for the Libyan Sibyl, Phemonoe, the finished result of which adorns the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. 

Horst in the Pose of an Ancient Greek Horseman by George Hoyningen-Huene, 1932

Gods and Heroes

The second theme, “Le Nu héroïque, the Heroic Nude,” also dates back to the Ancient Greeks. It was assumed that a hero had little need for armor, and that the strength of his body was the measure of his worth.

David by Antonin Mercié, 1892

Fléau! (Scourge!) by Henri-Camille Danger, 1901

Pushing Weights With Two Arms -2 by Eugène Fredrik Jansson, 1913

A noteworthy inclusion in this gallery was Pushing Weights with Two Arms -2 by Eugène Fredrik Jansson, a Swedish artist. He began his career painting atmospheric landscapes and cityscapes rendered in shades of blue, but in later years turned his focus to painting male nudes. Jansson became a swimmer and winter bather to combat the chronic health issues he’d suffered since childhood. He often visited Stockholm’s Flottans Badhus, the Navy Bathhouse, where he met sailors who served as the models for his paintings. 

Pushing Weights was a series of paintings by Jansson. In this particular one, a naked athlete stands near a doorway, his gaze fixed on a man, possibly Knut Nyman, Jansson’s “close companion,” lifting a barbell above his head. 

Based upon the homoerotic subtext, it’s possible that Jansson was a closeted homosexual and that the works he produced during this period reveal the strong attraction he felt for his subjects. 

Job by Léon Bonnat, 1880

The Naked Truth

The third theme focused on “Nuda veritas, sans complaisance, The Naked Truth Without Compromise.” The idea of the authentic nude abandons the conventions of classical perfection to portray the body in realistic accuracy. 

L’Age d’airain (The Age of Bronze) by Auguste Rodin, 1877

Homme au bain (Man at His Bath) by Gustave Caillebotte, 1884

What I like about Homme au bain (Man at His Bath) by Gustave Caillebotte is that it depicts a very private moment. A man is drying himself with a towel after a bath. His back is turned away from the viewer; he is neither posing for the painting nor has any intention of being seen.

David and Eli by Lucien Freud, 2004

The reclining nude male figure with the dad bod depicted in British painter Lucian Freud’s portrait David and Eli is his friend and studio assistant David Dawson. The dog is Eli, one of the artist's beloved whippets. Freud’s late nudes are noted for their uncompromising scrutiny of the human body. The artist utilized a technique known as impasto, where layers of paint and brushstrokes blend and converge to reveal the materiality of the flesh. The oil paint applied to the figure of David and the bedsheet beneath him was Cremnitz white, a type of white lead paint that Freud favored for its luminosity. 

Jeune homme nu assis au bord de la mer (Young Male Nude Seated Beside the Sea) by Hippolyte Flandrin, 1836

Vitalism: Naughty by Nature 

“Im Natur, In Nature,” the fourth theme is all about men en plein air, as they say in France. As the 19th century world became increasingly industrialized, academies across Europe favored realistic subjects, and people embraced vitalism, an anti-mechanical return to nature. This movement encouraged male nakedness during outdoor activities, including bathing, as a means to rejuvenate the spirit and increase virility. 

The Fisherman With a Net by Frédéric Bazille, 1868

There’s an underlying eroticism and intimacy to The Fisherman With a Net by Frédéric Bazille. Whether unintentionally homoerotic or not, the subject in the foreground of the painting is an athletic young man prepared to cast a net into a pond. He’s clearly positioned to show off his “assets” and looks every bit like a modern-day hipster — all that’s missing is a pair of skinny jeans and a PBR. Another man in a state of undress can be seen in the background. 

Mort pour la patrie (Dying for the Fatherland) by Jean-Jules-Antoine Lecomte du Nouÿ, 1892

This Mortal Coil

We continued wandering the galleries until we came to the one titled “Dans la douleur, In Pain,” which focused on the fragile balance of life and death. Man is not immortal; these works of art were a grim reminder of the shortness of life and the frailties of the mind and body. 

Kneeling Nude With Raised Hands (Self-Portrait) by Egon Schiele, 1910

Egon Schiele is famous for his raw figurative works. A protégée of Gustav Klimt, Schiele had a muse and lover named Walburga “Wally” Neuzil, who had previously modeled for Klimt. Schiele’s color palette and expressive drawings remind me of French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Where Lautrec elevated the world of underground nightlife, Schiele’s art was an exploration of the human condition, often depicting the twisted bodies and raw sexuality of his subjects. 

In Kneeling Nude With Raised Hands, Schiele offers himself up to the viewer. The angst of his contorted, angular body, jaundice-colored flesh and red-rimmed eyes certainly questioned the artistic conventions of gender, sexuality and morality of pre-war Vienna. His hands and limbs appear to be pressed firmly against an invisible surface, possibly a mirror, while the negative space outlining Schiele’s form serves as a window for his figure to float in space and time. 

L’Abîme (The Abyss) by Just Becquet, 1901

La mort d'Hippolyte (The Death of Hippolytus) by Joseph-Désiré Court, 1825

Homosexuality: The Object of Desire Laid Bare 

The final room explored the theme “L’Objet du désir, The Object of Desire,” and focused on the more contemporary subtext of homosexual desire and objectification. A notice outside stated that some viewers may find the artwork beyond too provocative or offensive — but of course Wally and I found this titillating and weren’t in the slightest bit deterred.

Der Wäger (The Wager) by Arno Breker, 1939

Upon entering the space, we were greeted by a life-size nude male bronze figure by German sculptor Arno Breker. Called Der Wäger (The Wager), the figure stands chest out, looking every bit like a vintage beefcake photo from the 1940s. His hand is placed on his hip in an unintended effeminate manner. The sculptor’s neoclassical style made him a favorite of Adolf Hitler, who felt Breker’s works embodied fascist Nazi ideology. 

Achille by Pierre et Gilles, 2004

David et Jonathan (Jean-Eves et Moussa) by Pierre et Gilles, 2005

La douche, Après la bataille (Shower, After the Battle) by Alexander Deyneka, 1942

La douche, Après la bataille (Shower, After the Battle) by Alexander Deyneka was inspired by a black and white photograph of presumably nude athletes that Soviet photographer Boris Ignatovich had presented to Deyneka. It took the painter five years to complete. The provocative work depicts a group of strapping young men taking a communal shower. The muscular back of an onlooker is seen in the foreground. For me, the painting brings back high school anxieties of showering and sharing the locker room with the wrestling team. There’s a tension between heterosexual aspirations and homoerotic desire. 

Death of Abel Study by Kehinde Wiley, 2008

Kehinde Wiley is a contemporary African American artist known for his large-scale paintings that highlight the image and status of young urban Black men in contemporary culture by placing them in scenes that are regal and European in origin. His photorealistic compositions reinterpret classical portraiture and are often combined with layered, vivid ornamental motifs. Gazing at the monumental Death of Abel Study — it measures a whopping 11 feet high by 25 feet wide — I couldn’t help but ask myself, is the man dead, being objectified, or both? 

Incidentally, Wiley was the first Black gay artist selected to paint a presidential portrait. He was commissioned in 2017 to paint a portrait of former President Barack Obama for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.

The Most Beautiful Part of a Man's Body by Duane Michals, 1986

Le Sommeil d’Endymion (The Sleep of Endymion) by Anne-Louis Girodet, 1791

There really wasn’t anything too outrageous to be seen as we wandered through Masculin/Masculin, but it was refreshing to view the galleries of traditional paintings, sculptures and contemporary works that examined and objectified men for a change. –Duke