Taken from the entrance to Luise Kimme’s home and studio

Kimme was sassy, eccentric and endearing the way only artists can be and her work, beguiling. In Tobago she had dedicated herself to sculpture work that reflected and represented the people of the island. Most were larger-than-life figures carved, sanded and painted from fallen trees to resemble admiring caricature versions of the locals and their spirit: all voluptuousness and grace rendered in her marked style.

Two of Kimme’s sculptures on display in her showroom

She hobbled around a bit, complaining of a pinched nerve, but her bright eyes rung with metallic blue eyeliner were quick and alive, darting around. Her German expatriate friends sat in the open-air kitchen saying whatever they wanted about our small group because we could not understand, but they smiled at us from time to time and you could tell they liked our presence for her. Her audience was small on our private visit, but it was clear, though not forthright, that she relished it.

Kimme at work with Steve Bennett of Uncommon Caribbean observing

She spoke of her assistant who was good with the carving tools and helped her with the heavy lifting, and of her upcoming trip back to Germany. She told us of her plan, already in motion, to bring aspiring artists from around the world to her home, her studio to work and stay for a number of weeks on scholarship.

I was saddened to hear of her passing.

Kimme walking through her work space, filled with trunks of unfinished sculptures

Luise Kimme Sculpture Museum Tobago

-Karina

Our requirements for inclusion in this list are simple. You won’t find an overload of tasteless food photography or the same image over and over again, but you will see each of these Instagrammers has a definitive photographic style and a passion for people, landmarks and culture.

Each is listed with their latest four pics below the name and description.

#RTW

@theplanetd – A beautiful, classic travel account full of all the pictures you wish you came home with after a trip

@uncornered_market – A personal favorite; his tasteful use of filters makes every landscape stick out in your mind, as if you were there for that small moment

@cookiesound – Simplistic, crisp images of landscapes, nature scenes, cars and faces; a new perspective on everyday things

 

@earthxplorer – Sometimes a little personal, always a stunningly tasteful image whether of his family or his latest destination

@natgeo – Excellent photography, per usual (with credit to photographers’ Instagram accounts, making it a great place to accrue even more ideas for accounts to follow)

@philliptannand – He provides a slightly edgier perspective; his images seem to capture fun while it’s happening

@1step2theleft – A colorful contrast in these images always makes me wish I was there

@malloryontravel – Another classic travel account with a brilliant use of color; Iain Mallory has a knack for choosing the perfect destination for my mood

@adventurouskate – Excels at PicStitch, and ensures every image tells a full story

@bloggeries – I’m jealous of everything this man sits on, walks on, and consumes

@kirstenalana – A popular Instagrammer who loves to play with colors and patterns in faraway places

@placestogotravel – An amalgamation of the best images from the Places to Go blog

@legalnomads – Finally, some non-boring food photography! (And some landscapes, too.)

Regional

@iphoneographyoz – A year in Australia through the eyes of a Frenchman

@berlinstagram – “Square pieces of Berlin” as Michael calls it

@newyorkcity – Liz documents the landmarks, events and cultural trademarks of the Big Apple

@onetrippass – Artsy and inspirational images from the U.S.; a perfect account to scroll through on a lazy Sunday

@fosterhunting – All-American road trip. VW van. Enough said.

@visitnorway – As close as you can get to glossy magazine images on Instagram, many reposts from other Norwegian accounts

@jarednicoll – A brilliant take on New Zealand

And of course, don’t forget to follow us!

@tarakalmanson

@kmartinezcarter

Breakfast, or Kahvalti, is a big deal in Turkey. Even the most basic of restaurant breakfasts come with a pile of plates: Fresh tomatoes, eggs, fresh jam, butter, multiple types of cheeses, olives, cacik (yogurt/dill spread), and kaymak (a very special kind of clotted cream). And those are just the essentials.

This dazzling spread came from Van Kahvalti Evi, a popular spot in the hip neighborhood of Beyoglu, one of the newer waves of restaurants that serve breakfast all day. In the eastern Turkish city of Van, an entire street of restaurants serves only breakfast! The all-day breakfast trend was made famous there, which is why many spots in Istanbul (like this one) contain the city’s name.

In addition to the traditional Kahvalti spread of small plates, menemen is an egg-based dish made with onions and grated tomatoes, often with cheeses or sausages. It’s served in a big skillet to share with the table, and it’s succulent. Instead of drowning the fresh taste of tomatoes with oil and 20 dried spices like we often do in the U.S., the ingredients speak for themselves, and you can taste each one.

While I’m sure any Turkish restaurant would know how to make menemen for you, it’s somewhat hard to find on a menu in New York City where most of the Turkish restaurants are dinner-focused. Luckily, it’s not hard to make at home! The underrated food blog “A Seasonal Cook in Turkey” offers a great Menemen recipe. For other great Turkish recipes, Binnur’s Turkish Cookbook is excellent.

At Van Kahvalti Evi, much if not all of the fresh produce and cheeses are sourced from Van, including the city’s famous honey which accompanies a unique type of clotted cream called kaymak. The two smothered together on a fluffy and porous bread is a combination that’s tough to beat. Pay them a visit at Defterdar Yokuşu No: 52.A, Cihangir, Beyoglu! Many of the waiters speak English are were so friendly to us.

I’m still searching for the perfect Turkish breakfast in New York City, but most importantly, kaymak! The only method I’ve found so far is to purchase kaymak (Turkish clotted cream) online from Gulluoglu or at their midtown NYC location. I promise I’ll keep the search alive…

-Tara

Rhea Smith, media coordinator for Paparazzi (my) band, playing mas

As promised, my coverage of Carnival in Trinidad continues. Below is my “Just Back From” post I penned for Fodor’s Travel that details the Carnival highlights, from whining, liming and feting to everything in between. Also, you can learn what exactly those Trinidadian English terms mean in the Fodor’s post linked here:

Just Back From: Carnival in Trinidad

I talked a bit about high-energy, have-to-move-your-body, soca music in the post. In the video below you can hear more of the music—and even spot me “on ‘d’ road” on Carnival Tuesday, “playing mas” with the Paparazzi band. More than 13 hours of parading and dancing through Port of Spain were condensed into the 8:39 video, and nothing is held back. Carnival, particularly playing mas, is not for the reserved. (That was my way of saying there’s a lot of booty shaking in the video, so I am issuing the warning it is potentially NSFW.)

Enjoy!

Paparazzi Carnival On D Road from M.Y.L.E Studios on Vimeo.

-Karina

I spent a close-to-sleepless (couldn’t miss anything!) week there, partaking in all the Carnival revelry I could. It was a crazy week packed with cultural “fêting,” or partying/celebrating as they call it there. The Trinidadians know how to Carnival, and this is coming from someone who spent Carnival 2012 in Rio de Janeiro. I left loving the country and impressed with how welcoming locals were of tourists and how eager they were to share their celebration and culture with visitors.

Here are some of my favorite shots from the trip. More posts to come!

Hyatt Regency Trinidad’s all-inclusive LIME fete

Carnival is a joyous time. (Also, Puncheon rum is potent! Locals are good to warn tourists, but now you know.)

“Home of Carnival”

Panorama steel pan band finals

Carnival Port of Spain street style

I suited up and “played mas” (paraded) with the band Paparazzi on Carnival Tuesday

More contigents from my Carnival Tuesday band, paparazzi

Smart branding from Coca-Cola, the “cooling station” along the parade route

A rare bit of R&R at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad pool

-Karina

-Tara

We had two tour guides with very different attitudes to postwar Bosnia. One is getting his masters in International Studies and writing his thesis about how Bosnia’s three ethnic groups have been even further segregated after the war by the Treaty of Dayton, but is more positive that in the future they’ll be able to live together peacefully again. The other was more negative, with less hope for the future prospect of a Bosnia with three happily mixed ethnic groups now that the Bosnian Serbs in the Serbian Federation have been so physically as well as politically separated from the rest of the population living in the BiH Federation, and says it is even closer to being Serbian than ever before.

The Eternal Flame (Vječna vatra) in the city center is a memorial erected after WWII to commemorate lives lost. Bullet holes from the 1992-1995 war still mar the memorial’s inscription today, though the building behind it has been restored.

While the future is complicated and uncertain, the past clearly exists in the everyday. For four years, shells dropped on the city at an average of once every minute. Eighty-five percent of casualties were civilians. And since the country was so newly formed and there wasn’t an official army, the army that made up the remaining 15% of casualties was almost entirely civilian volunteers. Bosnian Serbs targeted maternity wards and funerals. This was not your average war. This was a war on life.

The people of Sarajevo kept mentally fit with events to “pretend they had a life” as one guide put it. The film festival started during the war, running movies with generators because of spotty/nonexistent electricity. A “Miss Beseiged Sarajevo” pageant was held in 1992, partially as a plea for international attention.

The newspaper operated the whole time, printing in basements. During times when Sarajevans had electricity, they studied the news on TV, looking for bodies of loved ones in the wreckage behind the reporters. Since shutting down all communication was the Bosnian Serbs’ first move in bombing the post office, there was little other way to learn whether loved ones were still alive.

This monument to the 1,500 children killed during the 1992-5 Seige of Sarajevo features melted bullet casings imprinted with lost ones’ siblings’ footprints

As in any war, food became an issue. Eventually a 1.6m high tunnel was built to allow food and other necessities to be transported in and out of the city, but that wasn’t until war had been underway for over a year. Humanitarian aid came from the Vietnam War and WWII—manufactured decades prior. Packages of biscuits were stamped with “Made in 1961″. After the war, a monument was erected to send a sarcastic thank you to the world for its help. One of the most common features of humanitarian aid during wartime was a yellow can of Icar ground beef that locals say “not even dogs would consume.” The inscription on the large metal monument reads “To the international community, the grateful citizens of Sarajevo.”

The war did not just tear apart the city of Sarajevo or the country of Bosnia, but it also effectively separated Bosnias from the rest of the world. Many argue that, where a democratically elected government was the sole cause for the 1992-1995 war, Sarajevans today still place too much blame on the international community for their suffering during the war and after. The international community provided aid, but Sarajevans say it was so low quality that the sheer act of providing it was disrespectful. The international community finally stepped in to help find a solution, but when one had been found, Sarajevans argue it is such a complicated government structure that no vital decision has ever or will ever be made. Who can win this argument? There is no question Bosnians were in dire need of more/better international help than they received, but are they taking enough national responsibility?

A map of beseiged Sarajevo, 1992-1995. The bottleneck (white area between red Serbian forces) is the airport, controlled by the UN, under which the tunnel was built

I took a highly recommended half-day tour of the tunnel with Insider Tours. After the UN took over the Sarajevo airport, it did not allow any member of either warring side to cross that land, including Sarajevan refugees. Sarajevans spent half a year digging a tunnel under the airport to the suburban neighborhood on the other side, where vegetables were grown in small gardens and bread baked in each home. Many who lived in this neighborhood were virtuous, and provided what they could at the lowest possible cost. But many grew very rich selling these commodities at sky-high prices in Sarajevo markets during the war.

The tunnel was 1’40 m wide to 1’60 m high, meaning a person must hunch over with their backs at a 45 degree angle to be able to traverse the 800 m length of the tunnel. In addition, the average person carried 50 kg on their backs, and had to wade through deep puddles caused by ground water.

On the left, the entrance to a short piece of the tunnel that has been opened for tourists; on the right, the house at which Sarajevans exited the tunnel on the other side of the airport

Most wars are recorded in history books and recounted by grandparents. The stories of this war are told by 25-year-old tour guides who, just two decades ago, escaped through the very tunnel they’re guiding you through today. Sarajevo’s unemployment rate is currently at 40% (some Sarajevans claim it’s closer to 50%)—work is hard to find, but tourism is a growing industry in the city. Your 26-year-old tour guide may not have much of a choice but to revisit that pain multiple times a week, so don’t be surprised if they aren’t thrilled to be telling their personal stories another time. I can’t imagine.

-Tara

Palacio Bellas Artes in Mexico City, by Karina for TKGO

In October I traveled to Mexico City for the first time. I met my father there and spent time getting to know family members I had never met, as well as touring the sprawling city. I loved it — the size, the energy, the food — and this building, the Palacion de Bellas Artes, was my favorite of all the impressive architecture in Mexico D.F.

-Karina

It’s been too long since I posted a Shot of the Week, but I recently returned from the vivid, friendly country of Colombia and was inspired to share some images I snapped while there. The above photo is from right inside the walls in the old city center in the coastal city of Cartagena.

-Karina

A picture I (Karina) snapped in La Boca’s El Caminito when my family was visiting

On your first day here, seeing this is a must: Buenos Aires has a relatively short list of what people would label must-see tourist attractions. The Recoleta Cemetery, however, is one of them and it is my top sightseeing recommendation for visitors. The chiseled, marble mausoleums and tombs in the cemetery are works of art, and I often slip in just to wander the rows. Regardless of how much traffic is clogging the blocks in the surrounding area, I always find it hushed and peaceful. It is the oldest cemetery in the city, the final resting spot for many of the most influential figures and families in the country’s history, including Evita Perón and the famed Alvears, a name recognizable from the nearby ritzy Avenida Alvear, anchored by the opulent eponymous hotel, the Alvear Palace Hotel.

Most people don’t know this, but to get a true taste of the local culture… My response to this doubles as a literal interpretation of the question, and that is to drink mate with the locals. Mate is an earthy, bitter tea that keeps Argentines buzzing. Consuming mate has its own set of customs and practices, and it is an integral part of daily life. I explain the whole practice in greater detail, including how and where to drink it in the city in this article Drinking mate in Buenos Aires I penned for BBC Travel. Also, mate gourds, which often display local handiwork and embellished with metal detailing, also serve as great souvenirs.

For a glimpse of daily life, I recommend this form of transportation: Everyone rides the bus, or colectivo, in Buenos Aires. It is the city’s circulatory system and consists of more than 140 lines, many of which spill off into different branches within the same numbered line. People here say you can take a bus from any one place in the city to any other place, a generalization I have found to almost always holds true. The system was totally overwhelming to me at first, like this other language I had to learn along with all the Argentine lunfardo (slang) here, but thanks to the government’s online map system Mapa BA and tracking Google Maps on my phone I started moving toward mastery.

One friend who came to visit me from New York City got quite a kick out of these raucous, chugging hunks of metal, which the driver often decorates to his (or less often, her) fancy. Boarding a bus tricked out with neon lights or red velour accessories with cumbia music bumping from the speakers, for example, is not uncommon.

I had my best night’s sleep at: I find Buenos Aires’ best lodging offerings to be boutique hotels. The Palermo neighborhood especially is populated with the petit properties, as zoning restrictions prohibit anything much larger from housing visiting guests. Since each boutique hotel only manages a handful of rooms, staff are focused on personalized, attentive service and owners play around with attractive themes and special amenities. Some of my favorites include the Fierro Hotel, which serves the best breakfast in town, a multi-course affair at the on-site Hernán Gipponi restaurant, and the über cool Home Hotel. Also, the Faena Hotel+Universeover in the city’s sleek riverside Puerto Madero neighborhood is this otherworldly, aesthetically stunning place.

The meal at this local eatery had me salivating for days: A reservation at one of Buenos Aires numerous puertas cerradas, or closed-door restaurants, is the ticket to tasting some of the best food in town. These small operations, often run out of a chef’s home, are intimate spots with considerate service and delectable prix fixe menus with wine pairing options. You can slice into a juicy steak at a corner parrilla, or steakhouse joint, anywhere in the city, but it is in the closed-door restaurants that you find chefs playing around and producing dishes using traditional ingredients in inventive ways. To taste that “new Argentine” menu at a closed-door restaurant, I highly recommend Paladar Buenos Aires, which has a sweet, talented Argentine couple at the helm.

Also, Argentine ice cream–helado–is far and beyond the culture’s best foodstuff. Helado in Argentina achieves this perfect flavor and consistency point between creamy U.S. ice cream and thick, flavorful Italian gelato. I have a particular weakness for Un’Alta Volta, which everyone refers to as “Volta” and has parlors scattered throughout the city.

Best place to find artisan handicrafts: The San Telmo fair takes place every Sunday without fail and stretches across blocks of the cobblestoned streets of San Telmo, the city’s oldest neighborhood. The standard tchotchkes abound and tourist pandering happens, but this is also a beloved local event complete with performers and meaty Argentine street food staples. Visitors perusing the stalls can find some beautiful artwork, artisan goods and unique antiques.

Local celebration not to be missed: Two years in Buenos Aires have taught me everything is an occasion to celebrate. There is a day observed for everything and everyone it seems, from various professions, to music and events like the first day of spring, which happened this past Friday and doubles as Student Day meriting a day off school and also serving as an excuse for throwing even-larger-than-normal parties. Join in on any one of the porteños, or regular celebrations; revel in the city’s nightlife and regard it as a point of pride. Just be prepared for the schedule, because people go out late and stay out late. Most will gather with friends starting around 11 p.m. and descend on the clubs after 2 a.m., when many will catch the sunrise.

Favorite pastimes: This is the land that produced Maradona and Messi, so I have to say soccer, or rather fútbol. Ardent fandom to club teams runs in families, with the majority professing themselves to one of the two biggies, Boca Juniors or River Plate, and hinchas (as the fans are called) follow their teams with a level of intensity the average outsider likely finds baffling. Other popular sports include rugby and polo – the Argentine Polo Open Championship, a big social calendar event is approaching –- and field hockey is the sport to play for girls growing up here.

For a more bucolic/green setting I escape here: Speaking of favorite pastimes, park lounging also is a widely enjoyed pastime. Spending a full day on a patch of grass taking in sun with mate, friends and perhaps the accompaniment of a musical instrument or two is time well spent in Buenos Aires, constituting a productive weekend day and the ideal lazy Sunday.

My favorite park is the Rosedal, which also connects to the Bosques de Palermo. The Rosedal is circular in shape, outlined with a paved mile-long loop favored among runners, walkers and people cruising on rollerblades, which are very popular here, and not ironically so. When the central, gated rose garden is in bloom it produces a vibrant shock of color in an urban environment. People paddleboat on the central lake and cultural programming such as outdoor concerts also take place in the park during warmer months.

The art/music scene is alive and well here: Niceto Club in Palermo Hollywood is a musical epicenter here, putting a mix of local talent and international touring acts on stage. The club also transforms into Club 69 on Thursday nights, a flamboyant party thrown in good fun and hosted by elaborately costumed, cross-dressing performers.

Where the locals get tipsy: The honest response is that most locals are getting tipsy with friends on Fernet and cola at asados (Argentine barbecues) or at home at previas, or “pregames” to entertain themselves in the time before heading out to bars and clubs.

Once out, though, one of my favorite bars in the city is Isabel, this swanky, lounge locale where the clientele leans toward chichi, but the scene is always relaxed and fun, and the DJ knows just what to play. Another one of my top bars is a newer spot called Unicorn Huset, which has a more hipster bend. The interior is decorated with works from local street artists, and the bar contains a dance floor that lights up from below and a spacious, top-floor outdoor terrace.

Most ludicrous stereotype about the people here: The silliest stereotype probably is the idea that everyone here dances tango, or at least knows how to do so. I personally did not have this perception of Argentina before moving here, but I have heard many Argentines lament that visitors often make the assumption, and it is an image the country’s tourist industry exports internationally.

That is not to say I think tango should be overlooked on a trip here, though. Tango, which really is this arrestingly beautiful dance and genre of music, reveals much about the spirit and feel of Buenos Aires and its history. The standard way many tourists encounter the dance is at a tango dinner show, but the insider knowledge about tango is that tango did not originate and develop as a dance to be choreographed, rehearsed and performed. Some of the best tango takes place on the floors at milongas, which are free tango sessions organized in spots like community centers and multipurpose venues. Two of my favorites are the milongas that take place at Salon Canning and Villa Malcolm, and I wrote about them in this article: The tango Buenos Aires tourists never see. While some Argentines do tango, it is a heavily international scene, too. The city has a number of tango expats who move here or visit long-term to dedicate themselves to the nocturnal world of tango.

If I had only 24 hours to explore Buenos Aires I would: My recommended method for exploring Buenos Aires is to pick a neighborhood, wander and observe. That said, with only 24 hours I would make sure to hit the city’s Microcentro, the city center. During the week especially it draws an interesting mix of residents, from suited professionals in and out of high-rise office buildings to the groups invariably protesting one thing or another outside Congreso (the Congressional building) or the Casa Rosada (the Pink House, the House of Government) in Plaza de Mayo. The Buenos Aires Free Tour is a fine way to follow Avenida de Mayo from end-to-end and learn along the way; the zone contains a number of historic buildings that are architectural marvels. Thursday afternoons bring the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo (the Mothers of May Plaza) who circle the plaza wearing white headscarves, a sobering reminder of the country’s tumultuous history. Stop in one of the country’s oldest cafes, the handsome Café Tortoni located on the avenue, with its smiling, bow-tied waiters turning tables.

For a very different facet of Buenos Aires, escape to the streets of Palermo Soho, as well, to see the trendiest of Argentines meandering about their day. Pop in and out of designer boutiques and grab a bite at one of the many numerous eateries and cafes, all arranged for prime people-watching.

-Karina