The Sistine Chapel is the single greatest artistic, cultural, and spiritual accomplishment of the Western world. Faced with the perils of the Vatican Museums — long lines, thick crowds, labyrinthine passageways — spending quality alone time with Michelangelo’s frescoes can be the the greatest accomplishment of your trip to the Vatican. Without further ado, here is a semi fool-proof method…
Mercato Testaccio may be the worst-kept secret in Rome’s culinary scene, but who cares? I’m not worried about highlighting the most exclusive or unknown eateries of the world. A well-made sandwich is always welcome on my itinerary, and it should be for you as well. For the Rome newbie, Mercato Testaccio is a modern food market across the Tiber in…
“Arrête! C’ est ici l’empire de la mort.” “Stop! Here is the Empire of Death.” Thus reads the warning at the entrance to the Catacombs of Paris. Much has been written about this beloved boneyard — 200 miles of subterranean mine-shafts converted into every goth’s favorite ossuary. I’ll spare you the history lesson this time and get straight to the…
Spending a significant amount of time in a city like Rome can be daunting. The energy and rhythms of the caput mundi can invigorate a traveler’s soul while simultaneously wearing it down like 2,000 year old travertine. Rome’s quiet escapes, enchanted with light and history, make the jittery bus rides and lengthy queues worthwhile. One special place, chief among Rome’s…
The unpredictability of Spring makes itself known once again. The well-trod cobblestones of Trastevere, home yesterday to locals and tourists alike savoring a sunny stroll, are now united under a sheet of dark rainfall. Save for the gentle pitter-patter of droplets on nearby awnings, Rome is as quiet as a holiday. Everyone, it seems, knows the routine. Stay inside, get…
For many people (including moi), Instagram provides an excellent window into the world beyond our home towns. Following travel-minded accounts and formulating travel plans go hand-in-hand in today’s social media landscape. What better way to plan an itinerary than to catch a glimpse at your destination from a local’s perspective? What better way to find out where to visit (and…
From the middle of March to the end of April, Josh Travels Sometimes to Europe, starting in London and making his way down to the south of France and ultimately to Rome. From Rome, our intrepid traveler will somehow manage the work-life balance of a temporary digital nomad. These are his stories. Phew. Of all the words in the English…
Nothing conjures up my childhood like a good old fashioned Jewish deli. The corned beef, the lox, the brightly-colored soda bottles, the grumpy regulars and their strange aftershave, but above all else the bagels. No breakfast seemed complete without a warm bagel fresh from the oven, topped with a schmear of alabaster cream cheese to transform the leavened discus into…
Puerto Rico Highway 184 (aka “Guavate” or “The Pork Highway’) is a winding mountainous road lined with lechoneras (roasted pork restaurants) that are famous all over the island. Puerto Ricans come in droves to indulge on lechon (roasted pork), cut fresh off the twirling animal above the coals. Other treats that inexplicably taste better in Guavate than in any other…
I’ve eaten at El Dorado Cantina hundreds of times. No exaggeration, no grandiose foodie hyperbole. My office used to be directly next door to it, which made it an obvious lunch choice over the past three years. Beyond its close proximity, the consistent quality of El Dorado’s menu items (which favor organic, non-GMO, and natural products) keep me coming back…
Joshua Chévere Cohen is the founder, editor-in-chief, and creative director of Josh Travels Sometimes. A writer with degrees in both English Literature and History, Cohen brings a poetic, darkly humorous, and helplessly Europhile perspective the world of travel writing.
