TheIntroverTraveler | Travel blog

TRAVEL

The latest posts about travel; practical guides and travel tales from your personal wannabe Bruce Chatwin.

Where to eat ethnic Cuisine in Bologna: Fratelli Vietnam

Ethnic cuisine in Bologna: Fratelli Vietnam, a solid Vietnamese eatery

Where to eat in Naples. Ode to the Sfogliatella: the edible baroque masterpiece God forgot to patent

Ode to the Neapolitan Sfogliatella: the edible baroque that defies logic, elegance, and dieting. A sharp, witty tale of crumbs, butter, and Neapolitan divinity.

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Antonio Canova's Pauline Borghese: Marble Venus and Imperial Ego

Antonio Canova’s Paolina Borghese: marble, vulgar glamour, and aristocratic embarrassment set to the beat of banlieue hip-hop. Un poil de chatte tire plus qu'une charrette de bœufs.

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Topkapi Palace in Istanbul: Anatomy of an Empire

The Topkapi Palace in Istanbul: the splendor, wealth, and opulence of the Ottoman court, besieged by a monstrous serpent of tourists.

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Things to do in Nara (Japan): Todaiji Temple

Discover Nara’s Tōdaiji Temple in Japan: the Great Buddha, its colossal guardians, and the spiritual essence of ancient Japan in a masterpiece of sacred art and architecture.

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The best ice cream (gelato) shops in Bologna

A semi-serious political review of the best gelato shops in Bologna, Italy’s undisputed queen of woke.

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DIVING

If you think that the Assyrians invented scuba diving by breathing out of a goat's stomach, that tanks are filled with oxygen, and that megalodons still swim in the oceans, this is your blog.

Weighting in scuba diving: weight belt or integrated BCD pockets? A choice (less trivial than it seems)

How to distribute your weight while diving: belt or BCD pockets?

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The Right dive suit for Tropical Waters: Why You Should Consider Buying a Second Dive Suit

Why the 5mm Wetsuit Is the “All-Season” Option — But You Should Still Consider Buying a 3mm if You Plan to Dive in Warm Waters

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The Thistlegorm: The Story of a Ship, Its Tragic Fate, and the World's Most Famous Shipwreck

Thistlegorm: an advanced wreck dive at 30 meters. Penetrations, currents, nitrox — everything you need to plan your dive.

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The wobbegong shark: the cuddly master of camouflage in the Papuan seas.

Wobbegong Shark: The Fuzzy-Faced Oddball of the Indian Ocean

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The Sublime Art of Avoiding Conversations (and Fellow Countrymen)

Do you really want to discover the world? Start by choosing who NOT to travel with.

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Why correct weighting in scuba diving is a matter of safety. How to choose the right amount of weights for your dives

If you usually dive with a row of anvils tied around your waist, this post might just be for you.

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ART

Pontormo, Michelangelo, Piero della Francesca, Goya, Correggio, Parmigianino, Bernini, Bronzino, Piranesi, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Klimt...

Antonio Canova's Pauline Borghese: Marble Venus and Imperial Ego

Antonio Canova’s Paolina Borghese: marble, vulgar glamour, and aristocratic embarrassment set to the beat of banlieue hip-hop. Un poil de chatte tire plus qu'une charrette de bœufs.

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Cairo's new Grand Egyptian museum (GEM): a colossus still waiting for a soul

The brand-new GEM Museum in Cairo; architectural splendor and a still incomplete collection.

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Things to do in Nara (Japan): Todaiji Temple

Discover Nara’s Tōdaiji Temple in Japan: the Great Buddha, its colossal guardians, and the spiritual essence of ancient Japan in a masterpiece of sacred art and architecture.

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The Egyptian Museum in Cairo's Tahrir Square: Wonders and Inadequacies

Scopri la storia e i capolavori del Museo Egizio di Piazza Tahrir al Cairo: dal tesoro di Tutankhamon alla sua eredità, tra gloria e decadenza.

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Topkapi Palace in Istanbul: Anatomy of an Empire

The Topkapi Palace in Istanbul: the splendor, wealth, and opulence of the Ottoman court, besieged by a monstrous serpent of tourists.

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The Studiolo of Federico da Montefeltro in Urbino: a Compendium of Intelligence and Wooden Wonder

Discover Federico da Montefeltro’s Studiolo in Urbino: a Renaissance masterpiece of wooden intarsia, restored and returned to its original splendor.

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FOOD

You want to know where and what to eat? I got you covered.

Where to eat ethnic Cuisine in Bologna: Fratelli Vietnam

Ethnic cuisine in Bologna: Fratelli Vietnam, a solid Vietnamese eatery

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Where to Eat in Florence (Even If It’s Not for the Food): the Caffè delle Oblate

Where to Eat in Florence: the Caffè delle Oblate, Not for the Food but for the View

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Where to eat in Naples. Ode to the Sfogliatella: the edible baroque masterpiece God forgot to patent

Ode to the Neapolitan Sfogliatella: the edible baroque that defies logic, elegance, and dieting. A sharp, witty tale of crumbs, butter, and Neapolitan divinity.

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Roman food: What to Order (and Understand) When Visiting Rome

Eat like the locals in Rome. Worried you might feel a bit lost when facing the menu of a typical Roman trattoria? Let me take you by the hand and guide you through what to eat in Rome.

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