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	<title>travel Archives - Elena Bowes</title>
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	<title>travel Archives - Elena Bowes</title>
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		<title>Mii Amo, a Retreat to Return to</title>
		<link>https://elenabowes.com/mii-amo-a-retreat-to-return-to/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=mii-amo-a-retreat-to-return-to</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Elena Bowes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 Feb 2023 19:28:39 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Personal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Places]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elizabeth lesser]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hiking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Indagare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mii amo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nurture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retreat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://elenabowes.com/?p=17294</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>For anyone who likes the idea of a luxurious spiritual retreat set in awe-inspiring nature where the food is healthy and delicious and you can do as much or as little as you like then the newly renovated Mii Amo resort in Sedona, Arizona is definitely for you. It certainly was for me. Tucked away...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://elenabowes.com/mii-amo-a-retreat-to-return-to/">Mii Amo, a Retreat to Return to</a> appeared first on <a href="https://elenabowes.com">Elena Bowes</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="font-weight: 400;">For anyone who likes the idea of a luxurious spiritual retreat set in awe-inspiring nature where the food is healthy and delicious and you can do as much or as little as you like then the newly renovated Mii Amo resort in Sedona, Arizona is definitely for you. It certainly was for me.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Tucked away in a horseshoe-shaped canyon surrounded by giant red rocks. Mii Amo (which means journey in a Native American language) is set on 70 acres of private land surrounded by endless protected park. Known for its vortices (energy fields) Sedona attracts top alternative therapy practitioners. So, if you like seeing a psychic every year, or perhaps have a numerologist on speed dial, or are going through a serious life change then this place is for you. Actually, even if you’re a New Age sceptic, the hikes are so stunning, the treatments so nurturing and the food so deceptively nutritious and tasty that you’ll still want to visit. There&#8217;s a state of the art gym, bike trails, swimming pool, in short plenty to do. Or you can just read a book by the fire.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper">
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-17329" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_2392.jpg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_2392.jpg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_2392.jpg?resize=1000%2C1334&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_2392.jpg?resize=1320%2C1761&amp;ssl=1 1320w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_2392.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_2392.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
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<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-17316" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_3467.jpeg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_3467.jpeg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_3467.jpeg?resize=768%2C1025&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_3467.jpeg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_3467.jpeg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">My interest in Mii Amo was first peaked when I heard that Melissa Biggs, founder of <a href="https://www.indagare.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Indagare</a>, has visited this spot almost every January since she launched her successful premiere travel company in 2007.  So about six months ago I signed up for Indagare&#8217;s Insider Trip to Mii Amo in January, 2023. As D-Day approached, a Mii Amo coordinator sent me the menu of spa options. While <span style="font-weight: 400;">Mii Amo has plenty of conventional treatments, &#8211; straightforward massages, facials, wraps &#8211; it was the more out there ones that caught my eye. </span>Chakra Balancing, Soul Consciousness, Past Life Regression, Reiki Healing, Hypnosis. When in Sedona &#8230;</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">A few days before my flight to Phoenix, I got another email. This time listing the 40-odd women who had signed up for the trip. I scanned the list and didn&#8217;t know a soul. Dread replaced excitement. There was more news. Our guest speaker <a href="https://www.elizabethlesser.org/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elizabeth Lesser</a>, one of Oprah’s favourite spiritual thinkers and the author of several books as well as the founder of the Omega Institute in upstate New York, had gotten sick at the last minute and couldn’t come. A last minute alternative was found. Plus snow was forecast in Sedona. And of course, it was the warmest January in New York on record. So much for escaping the snow.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">There were a few more hiccups when I checked in. Mii Amo had literally opened after a two year renovation the day we arrived. And not everything was as it should be. People were grumbling about that and about Lesser not coming. I heard one disgruntled guest say,</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">It&#8217;s like signing up for Elvis and getting John Denver.&#8221;</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">But even with these setbacks, Mii Amo’s unique setting, warm, talented staff and fabulous cuisine, plus the group dynamic made it a great trip. While I was nervous about going solo, I soon relaxed. At dinner the first night I sat across from a gorgeous woman who told me she had co-founded a huge tech VC.</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Jesus, I thought, that&#8217;s not really my conversational forte.</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">But it never came up again or if it did, it wasn&#8217;t to boast but to discuss the struggles of juggling a career with being a single mother. The women who attended this trip weren&#8217;t there to discuss their own so-called achievements or their children&#8217;s/husband&#8217;s achievements. They were there to talk about the stuff that really mattered, the struggles we all face in this up and down thing called life.   People let their guard down at the daily group sessions and beyond, speaking honestly about their fears, stresses, hopes and challenges.   Some came to heal from a trauma, others wanted to set intentions for the year ahead. Everyone&#8217;s story was unique.  Generally, people were active in the morning and then attended talks and had treatments in the afternoon.  Meals were fun with my new buddies. We tooled around in sweats or bathrobes. This was no fashion show. By day four when it was time to go home, I felt fully refreshed and focused.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-17296" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Casita-Double-Queen_630x480.jpeg?resize=560%2C427&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="427" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Casita-Double-Queen_630x480.jpeg?resize=560%2C427&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Casita-Double-Queen_630x480.jpeg?w=630&amp;ssl=1 630w" sizes="(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">In Elizabeth Lesser’s excellent book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Open-Difficult-Times-Help/dp/0375759913/ref=sr_1_1?crid=25LQTJJQIKCV6&amp;keywords=broken+open+elizabeth+lesser&amp;qid=1676716479&amp;sprefix=broken+open%2Caps%2C185&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Broken Open</a>,</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17333" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/9781844135615-uk.jpg?resize=308%2C500&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="308" height="500" /></figure>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">she writes about when she spoke at a conference full of scientists and tried to get them to really talk to one another about what mattered to them. One conference attendee  had been so inspired by Lesser’s ability to get the group to open up that she later wrote a poem and sent it to Lesser who published it in her book:</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">When They Revolutionize The Cocktail Party? By Marilyn Sandberg</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“Hello, what are you afraid of?”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Death</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Me too</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">When you hear a Mahler symphony?</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">No, when I wake up in the night.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Me too</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Nice Meeting you</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Same here</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The same honesty happened on this trip. Pretences dissolved, strangers smiled, new friendships were forged in a matter of days because of the trusting, open nature of the group.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper">
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-17315" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_5400.jpeg?resize=560%2C420&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="420" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_5400.jpeg?resize=560%2C420&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_5400.jpeg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_5400.jpeg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
</figure>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">I think Mii Amo makes an ideal girl&#8217;s trip, whether its with 40 or 4.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Every morning before my hike I walked over to the dimly lit Crystal Grotto for a sacred ritual led by a healer named Kim.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-17336" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_3533.jpeg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_3533.jpeg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_3533.jpeg?resize=1000%2C1334&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_3533.jpeg?resize=1320%2C1761&amp;ssl=1 1320w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_3533.jpeg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_3533.jpeg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"> She instructed us to walk barefoot around this circular space with its earthen floor and domed ceiling,  a pedestal of petrified wood and quartz crystal in the center. She told us to decide instinctively where to sit based on where we thought we were on our life’s journey.  Then Kim would approach each of us individually, ask us to stand with our eyes closed  and she’d waft some burning sage around us.</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Let these red rocks cradle, nurture and ground you.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Then we’d meditate for a bit. It’s easy to be cynical. But it’s much more rewarding to smell the sage, wiggle your toes in the sand and set your intentions for the day.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>February, 2023</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://elenabowes.com/mii-amo-a-retreat-to-return-to/">Mii Amo, a Retreat to Return to</a> appeared first on <a href="https://elenabowes.com">Elena Bowes</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">17294</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Holiday Part II- An Outsider’s Guide to Mexico</title>
		<link>https://elenabowes.com/holiday-part-ii-an-outsiders-guide-to-mexico/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=holiday-part-ii-an-outsiders-guide-to-mexico</link>
					<comments>https://elenabowes.com/holiday-part-ii-an-outsiders-guide-to-mexico/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Elena Bowes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2023 00:10:18 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Places]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adventure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hotels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mexico]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mexico city]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[museums]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[san miguel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://elenabowes.com/?p=17220</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>I love discovering new places. Invariably, I get so excited  that I buy guidebooks packed with daily itineraries. I text friends to give me suggestions on what to do. They email me pages and pages of cool things to see and do. It can be overwhelming. When am I supposed to sleep, dawdle, day dream?...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://elenabowes.com/holiday-part-ii-an-outsiders-guide-to-mexico/">Holiday Part II- An Outsider’s Guide to Mexico</a> appeared first on <a href="https://elenabowes.com">Elena Bowes</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="font-weight: 400;">I love discovering new places. Invariably, I get so excited  that I buy guidebooks packed with daily itineraries. I text friends to give me suggestions on what to do. They email me pages and pages of cool things to see and do. It can be overwhelming. When am I supposed to sleep, dawdle, day dream? So, last month when Stretch and I went to San Miguel de Allende and Mexico City,  I thought,<em> Don&#8217;t get overwhelmed by those reams of notes</em>, <em>channel Mary Oliver. </em></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">In Mary Oliver’s poem, <em>The Summer Day</em>, she asks,</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Some might interpret this as a call to action, to get busy ticking off that list of “1000 Things You Must See and Do in Mexico in Seven Days”.  But no, to Oliver that line of poetry meant being idle, getting to know a grasshopper, strolling through the fields, enjoying the moment, the now.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">And that’s the approach I took to Mexico. I only did what I felt like. I lived in the now. I didn&#8217;t  look at those notes much. For me, enjoying<em> the now</em> translated into taking long daily baths and calling the hotel concierge a lot because I could. And saying olà to everyone because my voice had returned and because the people in San Miguel are very friendly. Sadly, that was as far as the conversations could go.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">I thought of Oliver frequently on this trip- what would Mary, who lived in New England, do  if she were in Mexico? She’d have a margarita. She’d take a nap. She’d have a taco, maybe some ceviche. She’d lie in the sun by our pretty hotel pool. She would not spend 5 hours in Mexico City’s mammoth National Anthropology Museum, the Louvre of Mexico, if her guide was offering her the 45-minute whistle stop tour. No she would not. She would use those precious hours to wander through the neighboring Chapultepec Park. No wonder Mary won a Pulitzer.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re looking for the Outsider’s Guide to Mexico, one that will leave you feeling well-rested, happy and a little more knowledgeable about Mexico than when you started this blog, read on. This guide’s for you. And for you eager beavers out there, I’ve added a not conclusive and not lengthy list of must-sees at the end.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Where to stay in San Miguel?</strong></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Included in those reams of notes that I ignored were suggestions of  cool places to stay, boutique hotels, even an airbnb in a hip neighborhood. But I learned many hotels ago that while I wish I was adoring of that minimalist one chair, one lamp look, I’m a 5-star gal. I want to know that—tsunami, kidnapping, earthquake, nuclear war, vicious seagull invasion, take your pick—our hotel can helicopter us out of that disaster in 0.8 seconds. I like a hotel to know that as smiley as I may be when I check in, I am not an easy guest. I’m not as bad as a White Lotus character, but I can often see their point.  I mean, he did request the newlywed suite.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The centrally located <a href="https://www.belmond.com/hotels/north-america/mexico/san-miguel-de-allende/belmond-casa-de-sierra-nevada/?utm_source=local_search&amp;utm_medium=link&amp;utm_campaign=google_business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Belmond’s Casa de Sierra Nevada</a> is a very pretty hotel comprised of several restored haciendas with bougainvillea filed courtyards, an inviting pool, Mexican tiles, and big copper bathtubs. Beyond looks, the hotels gets a 5* for service. Read on.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Stretch can sleep through a tornado. I get woken by a drip two rooms away. On day one in the Belmond as we were just dropping off for our daily nonnegotiable nap, a passing mariachi band convinced me that this was not the room for us. I dialed 0 on the hotel phone and was impressed with the quick pick-up. Always a good sign. I explained our dilemma and got us an even nicer room.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Once we left our new room after a refreshing nap, I discovered that San Miguel is a charming, hilly (and I come from SF)) town paved in cobblestone, 7,000 feet elevation. Unless you’re an Olympic athlete, expect to be breathless walking uphill and leave your stilettos at home.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-17235" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_5191.jpeg?resize=560%2C560&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="560" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_5191.jpeg?resize=560%2C560&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_5191.jpeg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_5191.jpeg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_5191.jpeg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The weather in San Miguel was perfect; warm, windless, blue skied. I was told residents  complain if the temperature climbs above 90 degrees or drops below 70. Prepare to undress and redress throughout the day. Mornings in January require a warm jacket and scarf. By lunchtime you’ll want a sombrero and sunglasses. By 5pm, you’ll be back in that jacket and warm scarf. Great rooftop restaurants like <a href="https://www.lacoleccionresorts.com/our-hotels/live-aqua-urban-resort-san-miguel-de-allende/hotel-restaurant/zibu-allende" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zibu</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ladonasanmiguel/menu/">La Dona</a>  and<a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/el-pegaso-san-miguel-de-allende" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Pégaso</a> offer wonderful views, but little heat so dress accordingly.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-17224" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_2920.jpeg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_2920.jpeg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_2920.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_2920.jpeg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_2920.jpeg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Apparently, there are tons of expats in San Miguel who like to socialize a lot. So, the key to the social scene is knowing a few. We knew none. So, by day three, I was reading the news aloud at dinner. Instead of making friends, we hired a tour guide. It’s another person breaking up the Stretch and Elena repartee. We could talk about things like how <em>avocado</em>, <em>chili</em>, and <em>tomato</em> were originally Aztec words. I developed a real hatred for Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés over dinner who I hadn’t thought much about since fifth grade history.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17238" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/images-1.jpeg?resize=299%2C168&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="299" height="168" /></figure>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">It worked out well. I couldn’t hate my husband (who else was I going to talk to for the next week?) so Cortés was the best option available.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Stretch insisted we travel carry-on only, so I chose my outfits with care. Early on in our trip Stretch told me that it was good I had packed two particular outfits because I could leave them behind in Mexico.</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">They do you no favors. Wear them on the long car rides, or when we see the pyramids and it&#8217;s really dusty.&#8221;</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Should we talk about Cortés again? </em> On our way from San Miguel to Mexico City we visited  Teotihuacan, some very impressive, very old Mayan pyramids.  I have a fear of heights but am also uber competitive. Even if I must slide down on my bottom, which I did, Stretch was not going to be the only one who scaled this ancient rock. Whoever designed these steps was not thinking of comfort. These steps would never pass muster in a NYC planning meeting. No siree.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-17228" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_3025.jpeg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_3025.jpeg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_3025.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_3025.jpeg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_3025.jpeg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>Below I can be seen wearing one of my gifts to Mexico. &#8220;It did me no favors&#8217;&#8230;</p>
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<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-17236" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_5217.jpeg?resize=560%2C420&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="420" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_5217.jpeg?resize=560%2C420&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_5217.jpeg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_5217.jpeg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
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<p style="font-weight: 400;">Next, we went to Mexico City, where we stayed at the Four Seasons, which suited me just fine. The hotel has an expansive courtyard for breakfast and lunch, is very well-located to the hip hoods of Roma Norte and Condesa and the concierge answered the phone just as quickly as at Sierra de Nevada. And Stretch liked the gym.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">We loved Mexico City. It’s big and bustling with lots of cool neighborhoods, people watching galore, culturally rich, and full of great restaurants. It’s only an hour time difference from Manhattan but feels a world away. The only thing we didn’t love was the altitude sickness. Stretch was light-headed and I was nauseous for about two days.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">We had fully recovered in time to visit the stunning <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/mexico/mexico-city/alameda-central/attractions/palacio-de-bellas-artes/a/poi-sig/1146839/1342811" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes</a> (better with a guide to explain the murals)&#8230;</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-17232" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_3060.jpeg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_3060.jpeg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_3060.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_3060.jpeg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_3060.jpeg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>eat a long late lunch (Mexicans eat lunch around 2-3pm) at buzzy <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g150800-d813752-r749948567-Contramar-Mexico_City_Central_Mexico_and_Gulf_Coast.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contramar</a>, visit Diego Rivera’s house and see a Ballet Folklorico in the park at sunset.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">One of my favorite nights was when we decided to stay home and binge Netflix’s <em>Treason</em>. (The Mary Oliver equivalent of watching a grasshopper) Part of the joy of travel is rebelling, defying expectation, and eating junk food. We discovered just enough of the city to know we want to come back and see everything we missed.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Eager Beaver Guide of Must-Sees:</strong></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"> <strong>San Miguel:</strong> I recommend hiring a history guide (so you too can talk  about Cortés at dinner), visiting the art and design hub <a href="http://fabricalaaurora.com/en/home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fabrica Aurora</a> and getting yourself invited to an expat party. For the intrepid  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mesonhidalgo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meson Hidalgo </a>a two bedroom guesthouse boutique designed by <a href="https://laurakirar.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Laura Kirar</a> and set in an ancient old manor is very stylish.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-17249" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_3461.jpeg?resize=560%2C700&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="700" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_3461.jpeg?resize=560%2C700&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_3461.jpeg?resize=1000%2C1250&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_3461.jpeg?w=1170&amp;ssl=1 1170w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Mexico City:</strong></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">To stay- if you&#8217;re more adventurous than we are:</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://condesadf.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hotel Condesa</a></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/52973370?source_impression_id=p3_1675023202_kVxuhYSf1PHZGIzk&amp;modal=PHOTO_TOUR_SCROLLABLE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Casa Olivia- airbnb</a></p>
<p>We missed all of the below but won&#8217;t next time. This was a rough draft trip.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Museo Anahuacelli was designed by Diego Rivera and has a collection of pre-Columbian art. Everyone raves about it.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Secretariat of Public Education- houses many well-preserved large-scale Rivera murals</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Casa Luis Barragan- all Barragan sites are apparently amazing, especially the convent</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Museo Frida Kahlo- it’s very crowded, but I guess it’s a must-see</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">A few restaurants to get you started  in Mexico City: <a href="https://www.cntraveler.com/restaurants/mexico-city-df/maximo-bistrot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maximo Bistrot, </a> <a href="https://lardo.mx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lardo</a> and <a href="https://www.opentable.com/rosetta-mexico" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rosetta </a></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://sanangelinn.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">San Angel Inn</a>&#8211; eat lunch or have a drink in the garden across the street from Rivera’s house</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Shops: Unfortunately, Stretch is no fun to shop with. He hovers and looks bored.  So, I have zero tips. When we return, I will suggest that he take a half-day bus tour of this amazing city.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>January, 2023</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://elenabowes.com/holiday-part-ii-an-outsiders-guide-to-mexico/">Holiday Part II- An Outsider’s Guide to Mexico</a> appeared first on <a href="https://elenabowes.com">Elena Bowes</a>.</p>
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		<title>Q&#038;A with Travel Visionary Melissa Biggs Bradley</title>
		<link>https://elenabowes.com/qa-with-travel-visionary-melissa-biggs-bradley/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=qa-with-travel-visionary-melissa-biggs-bradley</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Elena Bowes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jan 2021 13:50:55 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[People]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[<p>As anyone familiar with my blog knows, I love to travel, move around, experience other worlds. In the words of our new Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, &#8220;Travel&#8230; is synonymous with growth, with adventure — even love.&#8221; He proposed to his husband in O&#8217;Hare airport. Not sure that would be my top choice, but at...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://elenabowes.com/qa-with-travel-visionary-melissa-biggs-bradley/">Q&#038;A with Travel Visionary Melissa Biggs Bradley</a> appeared first on <a href="https://elenabowes.com">Elena Bowes</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As anyone familiar with my blog knows, I love to travel, move around, experience other worlds. In the words of our new Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, &#8220;Travel&#8230; is synonymous with growth, with adventure — even love.&#8221; He proposed to his husband in O&#8217;Hare airport. Not sure that would be my top choice, but at least Pete didn&#8217;t propose at LaGuardia.</p>
<p>Sticking with the travel theme (vs airports to propose in) I am a huge fan of fellow nomad Melissa Biggs Bradley, founder and CEO  of <a href="https://www.indagare.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Indagare Travel</a>, who was recently profiled <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/video/indagare-brings-world-travel-to-your-living-room-97720901680" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a> in a series by NBC about innovative, thoughtful leaders across industries.</p>
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<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-14733" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC01324.jpeg?resize=560%2C839&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="839" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC01324.jpeg?resize=560%2C839&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC01324.jpeg?resize=768%2C1150&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC01324.jpeg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
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<p>I&#8217;ve known Melissa for nearly twenty years dating back to her time as Travel Editor at Town &amp; Country Magazine. I freelanced for her then, and followed her in 2007, as did most of her staff at T&amp;C (she&#8217;s always been inspiring) when she launched a digital magazine called Indagare. This was in the early days of the internet when print magazines were doing just fine. Melissa saw the future then, and she continues to today. What started as a digital magazine soon became one of the country&#8217;s leading luxury trip planners. In 2019 Indagare sent members to 122 different countries. Then the pandemic hit, and Indagare&#8217;s revenues plummeted to zero. Below is my Q&amp;A with Melissa, one of my all-time heroes.</p>
<p>You’ve always been an impressive editor and entrepreneur, but during the pandemic you have shown your grit and creativity in other ways. Indagare has launched a variety of programs to keep your community inspired and connected, if not physically on the move.  Global Conversations, Global Classrooms, a Podcast, you have been anything but silent. You recently   hosted the Future of Travel Summit and you went to Rwanda in November, leading your first Insiders Journey since the pandemic began.</p>
<p><strong>What are a few of the key lessons that you have learned over the last ten months? </strong></p>
<blockquote><p>Covid has certainly taught all of us to be more flexible, and I think being open to change is one of the great lessons that traveling teaches us too. You have to surrender to what happens and make the best of it. I always tell my kids you cannot control what happens in life, you can only control your reaction to it. Our team has been amazing at adapting and finding the opportunities in new challenges.</p>
<p>For instance, at the start of lockdown what I really missed was the global perspective one gets from interacting with people while on the road, learning about how we are different but also similar and to keep that exchange alive. So, we launched our virtual Global Classroom series and our Indagare Global Conversations podcast. Both of these programs allowed our members to continue to learn and be inspired by amazing people around the world who share their expertise and unique stories and remind us how connected we are even when borders are closed.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Ambition or talent- which matters more to success? </strong></p>
<blockquote><p>To me, the key is persistence, preferably driven by passion. Talent is a bonus but if it isn’t backed up with hard work, it usually isn’t enough.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>How many Insider’s Trips have you led? Did your recent trip to Rwanda feel different? How? </strong></p>
<blockquote><p>I have led dozens of our Insider Journeys over the past ten years, including ones in partnership with Vogue, Architectural Digest and WSJ, and none has been quite as profound an experience as the Rwanda trip because the positive power of tourism—as well as the danger of the loss of tourism—has never been so starkly apparent. The country overcame a horrific genocide and has become a beacon of inspiration. It is the safest and cleanest country in Africa with one of the fastest growing economies. It has managed to rewild Akagera National Park after its animals were eradicated and grown the population of endangered mountain gorillas—and yet much of this progress has been built on tourism, which disappeared in March when the world locked down.</p></blockquote>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-14737" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/IMG_6437.jpeg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/IMG_6437.jpeg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/IMG_6437.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/IMG_6437.jpeg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/IMG_6437.jpeg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<blockquote>
<p class="img_wrapper">On this trip everyone we met—from women who ran artisan cooperatives to park rangers and trackers and the hotel staff—was thrilled to welcome us not just because we represented some of the first business that they had had in months but also because they saw in us the hope that tourism would return. In a moment of global crisis, it was truly inspirational to spend time with people who overcame a genocide and transformed their tragic history into a light of hope. They have handled Covid 19 better than the vast majority of countries and are really leading the way in how travel can be managed safely even in a pandemic, so it was a bit like visiting a bright future. We all felt enormously grateful for the opportunity to take a truly once in a lifetime trip at a critical moment.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>What is your earliest memory of travel? Can you tell us some highlights? Is that when you got the bug?</strong></p>
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<figure id="attachment_14738" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-14738" style="width: 560px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-14738" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Mbb-child-Sydney.jpeg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Mbb-child-Sydney.jpeg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Mbb-child-Sydney.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Mbb-child-Sydney.jpeg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Mbb-child-Sydney.jpeg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-14738" class="wp-caption-text">Melissa with her mother, grandfather and sister in Sydney.</figcaption></figure>
<p>&nbsp;</figure>
<blockquote><p>My earliest memories of travel are of visiting my mother’s parents in Sydney as a child. Everything about their world—from the passion fruit trees around their house and the unfamiliar candies like Violet Crumble and snacks like Tim Tams that we ate to the cricket matches that my grandfather watched—was totally different from my life in New York City. The exposure to such a different way of living, to me, represented the infinite array of possibilities and to this day, that is the magic of travel—that it reminds you of the endless options one has to choose from in how you want to live your life. Do you want to wake up in Tokyo and eat steamed rice and pickled vegetables for breakfast or in Paris and have coffee with croissants? There is no right way but hundreds of beautiful choices.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Do you think Covid has permanently affected the way we travel? Do you see ‘considered travel’ versus ‘consumptive travel’ as the new normal? Will Indagare be offering more ‘slow travel’ trips?</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>I think the travel landscape will be drastically different in the next five to ten years in part because air travel will likely be vastly reduced in terms of number of flights and likely much more expensive because of a permanent drop in corporate travel. Plentiful cheap flights are probably a thing of the past, so I think people will be more thoughtful about the trips they do plan. I also think the loss of the right to travel has made people think more deeply about what kinds of trips are the most meaningful, so we will see a more considered and conscious focus on travel and a less consumptive one.</p></blockquote>
<figure id="attachment_14734" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-14734" style="width: 560px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-14734" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC08740.jpeg?resize=560%2C375&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="375" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC08740.jpeg?resize=560%2C375&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC08740.jpeg?resize=768%2C514&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC08740.jpeg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-14734" class="wp-caption-text">Melissa in Egypt</figcaption></figure>
<blockquote><p>People will also likely see just how important travel is to conservation and community and cultural preservation, and I hope that will give rise to more responsible travelers who use their trips to have a positive impact and become more aware of their carbon footprint and how to offset the negative impacts of travel.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>In his latest book <em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Life-Our-Planet-Witness-Statement/dp/1538719983/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1VQCLPDDSO3CB&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=a+life+on+our+planet+david+attenborough&amp;qid=1609949528&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=a+life+on+our+planet%2Caps%2C150&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A Life on Our Planet</a>, </em>the 94-year old natural historian Sir David Attenborough describes in sombre, depressing prose how we are destroying and losing our natural world. If we have learned one thing during the pandemic, it’s how much we should treasure nature, how nature can restore the soul in difficult times. What are some of the most notable ways Indagare addresses conservation and saving the planet?</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>I loved David Attenborough’s latest film and think its message is critical for all of us to heed. From Indagare’s founding, we have always highlighted responsible travel and emphasized travelers’ commitment to safeguarding nature and cultural heritage and supported organizations that do the same. We also run Impact trips that specifically focus on sustainability like the one I am hosting next fall to Antarctica.</p>
<p>Our voyage has been carefully designed by our Global Impact team to reduce unnecessary energy waste and support sustainable travel practices. Additionally, a portion of the trip’s cost will go towards supporting conservation initiatives to protect vulnerable environments like Antarctica all around the world. And perhaps most of all, our journey will help raise awareness around the damage that is being done to this most precious environment, to inspire faster and more meaningful action.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>What drives you on?</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>Curiosity. I am eternally curious about the world and the people in it, so exploring is like breathing for me. I cannot imagine not discovering something new every day, whether it is a new or old book or a foreign or familiar city.</p></blockquote>
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<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-14735" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/IMG_2040-2.jpeg?resize=560%2C420&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="420" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/IMG_2040-2.jpeg?resize=560%2C420&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/IMG_2040-2.jpeg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/IMG_2040-2.jpeg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
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<p><strong>You have seen more of the world than most people.</strong> <strong>What is still on your bucket list?</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>So many places. I haven’t been to Detroit or Mexico City.  I am hoping to visit Tunisia this year and also Antarctica, but I am also a big believer that return travel offers great discoveries too.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Anything unusual in your carry-on?</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>I use Zicam swabs in my nose and tiger balm on my wrists, behind my ears and under my nose to keep viruses at bay on the plane, and I love a hydrating powder from Italy called Polase, which revives me after a flight.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Tell us something surprising about yourself, something people wouldn’t have guessed. I recently learned that a campaign reporter for the NYTimes has a fear of flying – any of those surprises up your sleeve?</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>In some ways I am a serious homebody. In fact, I live in the same apartment building in New York that my parents brought me home from the hospital as a newborn to. Someone once told me that you have to have very solid roots to be able to feel truly at home anywhere in the world. I am deeply nomadic but that side may have been able to flourish because I feel so connected to my family and my roots.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>If you weren’t working in travel, what would you be doing?</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>I would be writing biographies of women I admire.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>In what place are you happiest?</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>At home, in the African bush</p></blockquote>
<figure class="img_wrapper">
<p class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-14739" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Mbb-in-Kenya-bush.jpeg?resize=560%2C420&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="420" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Mbb-in-Kenya-bush.jpeg?resize=560%2C420&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Mbb-in-Kenya-bush.jpeg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Mbb-in-Kenya-bush.jpeg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></p>
</figure>
<figure class="img_wrapper"></figure>
<blockquote>
<p class="img_wrapper">or in Paris.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="img_wrapper">
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-14741" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/photo-25_original.jpeg?resize=560%2C840&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="840" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/photo-25_original.jpeg?resize=560%2C840&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/photo-25_original.jpeg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/photo-25_original.jpeg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>&nbsp;</figure>
<p><strong>What would your 20-year-old self say if she could see you now? </strong></p>
<blockquote><p>Not a bad result for not having a solid plan.</p></blockquote>
<p><em>January, 2020</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://elenabowes.com/qa-with-travel-visionary-melissa-biggs-bradley/">Q&#038;A with Travel Visionary Melissa Biggs Bradley</a> appeared first on <a href="https://elenabowes.com">Elena Bowes</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">14726</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Lebanon with Madame Tour Guide Extraordinaire</title>
		<link>https://elenabowes.com/lebanon-with-madame-tour-guide-extraordinaire/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=lebanon-with-madame-tour-guide-extraordinaire</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Elena Bowes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jul 2019 01:21:14 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beirut]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lebanon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restaurants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shopping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://elenabowes.com/?p=11218</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>I have a Lebanese friend named Lara. Our friendship began outside the school gates in London over a decade ago. Lara wasn&#8217;t like any of the other class mothers- she hosted class dinners, graduation events, invited us to the Nutcracker, circuses, concerts, even EuroDisney. She was our fairy godmother, most definitely mine. My marriage was...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://elenabowes.com/lebanon-with-madame-tour-guide-extraordinaire/">Lebanon with Madame Tour Guide Extraordinaire</a> appeared first on <a href="https://elenabowes.com">Elena Bowes</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have a Lebanese friend named Lara. Our friendship began outside the school gates in London over a decade ago. Lara wasn&#8217;t like any of the other class mothers- she hosted class dinners, graduation events, invited us to the Nutcracker, circuses, concerts, even EuroDisney. She was our fairy godmother, most definitely mine. My marriage was ending and Lara took me under her wing. I spent hours sitting on her sofa, sipping fennel tea, and talking about life and listening to what this new wonder woman had to say.</p>
<p>Lara is now an old friend. Not only does she have a huge heart, but she’s smart, curious, highly organised, resourceful, creative, uber-stylish and loves to have fun. These qualities, I discovered two months ago, earn her a new moniker &#8211; Madame Tour Guide Extraordinaire.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11313" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/cYxTOtXe.jpg?resize=560%2C372&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="372" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/cYxTOtXe.jpg?resize=560%2C372&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/cYxTOtXe.jpg?resize=768%2C510&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/cYxTOtXe.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>In May Lara took several adventuring friends and me to visit Lebanon, a 6 day trip that took her four months to plan.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper">
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11242" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0754.jpg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0754.jpg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0754.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0754.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0754.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
</figure>
<p>To my generation, Lebanon conjures up images of bombs, beaches, tanks, night clubs, stray bullets and beautiful people. My financial manager urged me to update my life insurance plan days before I flew. “Just in case” he said. I remembered that when my ex-husband went to Beirut in the early  nineties, he slept in his running shoes.</p>
<p>The closest we came to stray bullets was seeing a now defunct Holiday Inn riddled with bullet holes from the Civil War (1975-1991).</p>
<p>Rather than being afraid, I was dazzled.  Modern buildings by star architects Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel and Herzog de Meuron dot the Beirut horizon. Meanwhile we stayed at the traditional  and charming Hotel Albergo, originally a 1920&#8217;s Lebanese house.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11250" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0972.jpg?resize=560%2C420&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="420" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0972.jpg?resize=560%2C420&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0972.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0972.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11237" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0712.jpg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0712.jpg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0712.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0712.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0712.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>Fragrant fig and orange trees wafted over me as I relaxed by the hotel&#8217;s rooftop pool with views of the city, sea and distant mountains.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11275" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0983.jpg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0983.jpg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0983.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0983.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0983.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>We swam in the sea one day, visited an ancient cedar forest bordered by snowcapped mountains the next.</p>
<p>Where else can you dance &#8230;</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11297" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_1021.jpg?resize=560%2C372&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="372" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_1021.jpg?resize=560%2C372&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_1021.jpg?resize=768%2C510&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_1021.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></p>
<p>see ancient Roman ruins &#8230;</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11261" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1243-5.jpg?resize=560%2C359&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="359" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1243-5.jpg?resize=560%2C359&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1243-5.jpg?resize=768%2C492&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1243-5.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>shop &#8230;</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11255" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1011.jpg?resize=560%2C756&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="756" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1011.jpg?resize=560%2C756&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1011.jpg?resize=768%2C1037&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1011.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11279" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1036-1.jpg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1036-1.jpg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1036-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1036-1.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1036-1.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>hike (contact: George Zgheib Guide  zgheibgeorge@hotmail.com)</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11298" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_1195.jpg?resize=560%2C843&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="843" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_1195.jpg?resize=560%2C843&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_1195.jpg?resize=768%2C1156&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_1195.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></p>
<p>hug a cedar</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11299" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_1307.jpg?resize=560%2C372&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="372" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_1307.jpg?resize=560%2C372&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_1307.jpg?resize=768%2C510&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_1307.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>eat to your heart&#8217;s content</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11266" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Mosaic-Om-2.jpg?resize=560%2C560&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="560" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Mosaic-Om-2.jpg?resize=560%2C560&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Mosaic-Om-2.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Mosaic-Om-2.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Mosaic-Om-2.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>and contemplate?</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11283" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0066.jpg?resize=560%2C372&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="372" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0066.jpg?resize=560%2C372&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0066.jpg?resize=768%2C510&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0066.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11337" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1102.jpeg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1102-scaled.jpeg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1102-scaled.jpeg?resize=1000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1102-scaled.jpeg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1102-scaled.jpeg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1102-scaled.jpeg?resize=1320%2C1760&amp;ssl=1 1320w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1102-scaled.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1102-scaled.jpeg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1102-scaled.jpeg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>What I  was most impressed by was how welcome we felt. The Arabic word for <em>welcome</em> when translated literally means &#8220;You&#8217;ve come to stay with my family.&#8221;</p>
<p>Lara&#8217;s colourful friend Aline invited the fourteen of us  over for lunch.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11233" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0391.jpg?resize=560%2C371&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="371" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0391.jpg?resize=560%2C371&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0391.jpg?resize=768%2C509&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0391.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>She&#8217;d been cooking for three days.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11273" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/861a6cdf-3c49-4222-b4da-0931c408fd83-1.jpg?resize=560%2C560&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="560" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/861a6cdf-3c49-4222-b4da-0931c408fd83-1.jpg?resize=560%2C560&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/861a6cdf-3c49-4222-b4da-0931c408fd83-1.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/861a6cdf-3c49-4222-b4da-0931c408fd83-1.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/861a6cdf-3c49-4222-b4da-0931c408fd83-1.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>And for those who read my last blog about being obsessed by stylish interiors, imagine how crazed I was at Aline&#8217;s seaside villa:</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11289" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0635.jpg?resize=560%2C843&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="843" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0635.jpg?resize=560%2C843&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0635.jpg?resize=768%2C1156&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0635.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11244" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0816.jpg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0816.jpg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0816.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0816.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0816.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11229" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/79752EB6-020D-4CE6-84DC-8C3741F6384D.jpg?resize=560%2C559&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="559" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/79752EB6-020D-4CE6-84DC-8C3741F6384D.jpg?resize=560%2C559&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/79752EB6-020D-4CE6-84DC-8C3741F6384D.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/79752EB6-020D-4CE6-84DC-8C3741F6384D.jpg?resize=768%2C767&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/79752EB6-020D-4CE6-84DC-8C3741F6384D.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>As fellow groupie Charles told Lara,</p>
<blockquote><p>As to the people, what can I say, except that, from now on, I will try to be more Lebanese? The warmth of the welcome from everyone was astonishing – all your enchanting family and friends of course. But also from the guides, the drivers, the ice cream makers, the dancers, the shopkeepers, the jewellers, the furniture builders, the restaurateurs, the hoteliers…</p></blockquote>
<p>What not to miss:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.museebeyrouth-liban.org/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The National Museum of Beirut</a> is a must, ideally on day one. Opened in 1942, the museum is packed with ancient treasures, including mummies, sarcophaguses and gorgeous gold  jewellery that reminds me of Pippa Small&#8217;s designs. Lebanon has been occupied by the Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians, Romans, Arabs, Ottomans and French, among others- so lots to see here.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"></figure>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11240" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0727.jpg?resize=560%2C782&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="782" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0727.jpg?resize=560%2C782&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0727.jpg?resize=768%2C1072&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0727.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11225" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0093.jpeg?resize=320%2C213&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="320" height="213" /></figure>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11239" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0716.jpg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0716.jpg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0716.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0716.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0716.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>This casual farmer&#8217;s kitchen <a href="http://www.soukeltayeb.com/tawlet/beirut/farmers-kitchen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">El Tawlet</a> is an ideal  Beirut lunch spot. El Tawlet was started by the entrepreneurial Kamal Mouzawak, who also created downtown Beirut&#8217;s first farmer&#8217;s market- <a href="http://www.soukeltayeb.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Souk al Tayeb</a>&#8211; held every Saturday. Women from different mountain villages cook their local dishes at El Tawlet every day, thus helping support their respective villages.  <a href="https://www.cntraveler.com/story/in-lebanon-let-food-be-your-guide?utm_source=nl&amp;utm_brand=cnt&amp;utm_mailing=CNT_Daily_PM_070519&amp;utm_campaign=aud-dev&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;bxid=5cb4dd7ffc942d6faa59406a&amp;cndid=56679640&amp;hasha=30ba5f0ca1d963b08bdbbf0d3f452624&amp;hashb=5daa1f5ea6b765a5c48faa38ff5932cf8862ba44&amp;hashc=ef5f3bf7780fe10de5a838e8074c79b7e6d1ac4598df33ff0ab8bc67ec7e9cb5&amp;esrc=AUTO_PRINT&amp;utm_term=CNT_Daily" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In Lebanon: Let Food Be Your Guide</a> in Condé Nast Traveler recommends El Tawlet among others. Do not read when hungry.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11236" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ef330024-b8c5-45f3-9424-7594fa8ec77d.jpg?resize=560%2C420&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="420" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ef330024-b8c5-45f3-9424-7594fa8ec77d.jpg?resize=560%2C420&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ef330024-b8c5-45f3-9424-7594fa8ec77d.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ef330024-b8c5-45f3-9424-7594fa8ec77d.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>For a big night out,  <a href="http://www.emsherif.com/about-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Em Sherif</a> &#8211; with its mirrored tables and delicious cuisine is the place to go&#8230;</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11295" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0904.jpg?resize=560%2C371&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="371" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0904.jpg?resize=560%2C371&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0904.jpg?resize=768%2C509&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0904.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>We shopped til we dropped in Beirut for everything from coffee tables at <a href="https://www.nadadebs.com/en/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nada Debs</a></p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11276" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0998-1.jpg?resize=560%2C413&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="413" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0998-1.jpg?resize=560%2C413&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0998-1.jpg?resize=768%2C566&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0998-1.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>to converted dentist chairs at Bokja</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11262" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1280.jpg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1280.jpg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1280.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1280.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1280.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>to kaftans at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ArtisansLiban/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Artisans du Liban et d&#8217;Orient</a>..</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11278" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1029-1.jpg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1029-1.jpg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1029-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1029-1.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1029-1.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></p>
<p>to bags at <a href="https://sarahsbag.com/collections/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sarah&#8217;s Bag</a>. The bags are handmade by underprivileged Lebanese women.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11294" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0896.jpg?resize=560%2C372&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="372" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0896.jpg?resize=560%2C372&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0896.jpg?resize=768%2C510&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_0896.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<figure class="img_wrapper"></figure>
<p><a href="http://www.orient499.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Orient 499</a>  is also worth a visit. The bullet-ridden Holiday Inn is across the street with very friendly armed guards.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11259" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1064.jpg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1064.jpg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1064.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1064.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1064.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11258" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1059.jpg?resize=560%2C420&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="420" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1059.jpg?resize=560%2C420&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1059.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1059.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
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<p>There were too many shops and too little time. Lara&#8217;s suggestions for our next trip: jewellers <a href="https://noorfares.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Noor Fares</a>, <a href="https://theeyeofjewelry.com/nayla-arida/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nayla Arida</a>,  <a href="http://www.nadalecavelier.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nada Lecavelier</a>, <a href="http://www.noun-zein.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nada Zeineh</a>, <a href="http://saifivillage.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saifi Village</a>, and fashion designer <a href="http://maisonrabihkayrouz.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maison Rabih Kayrouz</a>.</p>
<p>There is lots to see beyond the buzz of Beirut and nothing is more than a two-hour drive. We drove to the southern coast to admire the ruins in the antique Phoenician city of Tyre.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper">
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11284" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_02872.jpg?resize=560%2C371&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="371" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_02872.jpg?resize=560%2C371&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_02872.jpg?resize=768%2C509&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DSC_02872.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
</figure>
<p>And sleep at the serene <a href="https://www.daralmatyre.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dar Alma</a> guesthouse &#8211; heaven&#8230;</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11263" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_2192.-2.jpg?resize=560%2C420&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="420" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_2192.-2.jpg?resize=560%2C420&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_2192.-2.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_2192.-2.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<figure class="img_wrapper"></figure>
<p>We visited pretty Byblos, the oldest continuously occupied city in the world and where the word Bible comes. There, we heard simultaneously  the call to prayer and church bells&#8230;.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11272" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/56e51c40-319b-42e4-b57d-922d257934f0.jpg?resize=560%2C420&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="420" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/56e51c40-319b-42e4-b57d-922d257934f0.jpg?resize=560%2C420&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/56e51c40-319b-42e4-b57d-922d257934f0.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/56e51c40-319b-42e4-b57d-922d257934f0.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>A week was hardly long enough to get a taste for this fascinating, complicated country. I recommend Lebanon to anyone who appreciates creative, chic shops, excellent food, welcoming, sophisticated locals, nightlife, history-a-plenty,  and glorious nature.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"></figure>
<figure class="img_wrapper"></figure>
<p>For our return visit, Lara suggests: <a href="https://sursock.museum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sursock Museum</a>, <a href="http://www.mim.museum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mim Mineral Museum</a>, <a href="http://www.sfeir-semler.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sfeir-Semler Gallery</a>, <a href="http://www.beirutartcenter.org/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beirut Art Center</a>. And the magnificent Roman temples in <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/baalbek-myth-megalith" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Baalbek</a>.</p>
<p>ps-  for those who crave more of Lebanon, follow @livelovebeirut on Instagram.</p>
<p><em>July 2019</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://elenabowes.com/lebanon-with-madame-tour-guide-extraordinaire/">Lebanon with Madame Tour Guide Extraordinaire</a> appeared first on <a href="https://elenabowes.com">Elena Bowes</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">11218</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Playing Hookey with Photographer Jane Beiles</title>
		<link>https://elenabowes.com/playing-hookey-with-photographer-jane-beiles/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=playing-hookey-with-photographer-jane-beiles</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Elena Bowes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Sep 2018 22:41:57 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[connecticut]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interiors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://elenabowes.com/?p=8863</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>As I get older I only want to spend time with people I really like. So it was a delight to meet and work with photographer Jane Beiles who is not only gifted at what she does, but is a kick to be with. Work  becomes play. Almost. Some background: I met Jane with fellow...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://elenabowes.com/playing-hookey-with-photographer-jane-beiles/">Playing Hookey with Photographer Jane Beiles</a> appeared first on <a href="https://elenabowes.com">Elena Bowes</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As I get older I only want to spend time with people I really like. So it was a delight to meet and work with photographer Jane Beiles who is not only gifted at what she does, but is a kick to be with. Work  becomes play. Almost.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper">
<p><figure id="attachment_8877" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-8877" style="width: 560px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-8877 size-medium" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/unspecified-4.jpg?resize=560%2C746&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="746" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/unspecified-4.jpg?resize=560%2C746&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/unspecified-4.jpg?resize=1000%2C1332&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/unspecified-4.jpg?resize=1153%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1153w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/unspecified-4.jpg?resize=1320%2C1758&amp;ssl=1 1320w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/unspecified-4.jpg?resize=768%2C1023&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/unspecified-4.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/unspecified-4.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-8877" class="wp-caption-text">photo credit: Alexandra Rowley</figcaption></figure></figure>
<p>Some background: I met Jane with fellow creative <a href="http://www.hardylon.com">Anne Hardy</a> (just as fun, by the way) who has known Jane for a few years. We three explored magical Washington Depot and Kent, Connecticut  for a story pitch. Anne chose the concept for the story, Jane brought her camera to her vision, and I chose what to eat for lunch. Actually, what Jane ordered looked a lot better than mine. And she&#8217;s a sharer,  my kind of gal.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-8874" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/unspecified-1.jpg?resize=560%2C851&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="851" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/unspecified-1.jpg?resize=560%2C851&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/unspecified-1.jpg?resize=1000%2C1519&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/unspecified-1.jpg?resize=1011%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1011w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/unspecified-1.jpg?resize=1320%2C2005&amp;ssl=1 1320w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/unspecified-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1167&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/unspecified-1.jpg?w=1348&amp;ssl=1 1348w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>We agreed on everything &#8211; like who we thought was cute &#8211; (a farmer did catch our collective eye), who we thought was not so great (top secret) and how Flirtation Lane deserved a photo &#8211; with said farmer please.</p>
<p>Yes, readers, I know. Just because Jane is lively and entertaining doesn&#8217;t mean she&#8217;s talented.  But she is. She has worked for Elle Decor, the New York Times, AD, Veranda, Vogue, Condé Nast Traveller and a whole host of top tier titles. Just look at her <a href="https://www.janebeiles.com/as-seen-in-1/">web site</a> if you want to see beautifully-shot interiors.</p>
<p>&#8220;Once we began to work together,&#8221; says Anne, &#8220;I realized what  I admire is the sense of place she brings to a shoot.  That is what makes her such an interesting creative to work with &#8211; she sees what she is shooting in context &#8211; which, I think, makes her work particularly resonant.</p>
<p>&#8220;Jane helps keep everything lively and fun&#8221;, adds Anne. &#8220;She talks about her work filling her cup. She fills ours.&#8221;</p>
<p>I asked Jane how she ended up in photography &#8211; a mid-career decision after working in fashion at Esprit. (note the stylish neckerchief)</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-8871" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Esprit-Skirt.jpg?resize=560%2C754&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="754" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Esprit-Skirt.jpg?resize=560%2C754&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Esprit-Skirt.jpg?w=592&amp;ssl=1 592w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>&#8220;I grew up in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, born to a painter mother. The house was full of paints and easels, but no dark room, which was a blessing, because I hated chemistry. But I  always loved art.&#8221;</p>
<p>Jane studied art history at the University of Michigan, spent spring breaks in Paris and New York City blissfully visiting museums alone and doodling Matisse interiors on restaurant placemats She enjoys doing both to this day.</p>
<p>When digital came along in the early 2000&#8217;s, Jane found her calling.</p>
<p>&#8220;I am a photographer who came of age as film ended and digital began&#8221;  She prefers shooting interiors, food and travel. Jane in action at <a href="https://www.theflatwestport.com">The Flat</a> in Westport.</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-8883" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Image-21-09-2018-at-14.29.jpg?resize=560%2C747&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Image-21-09-2018-at-14.29-scaled.jpg?resize=560%2C747&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Image-21-09-2018-at-14.29-scaled.jpg?resize=1000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Image-21-09-2018-at-14.29-scaled.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Image-21-09-2018-at-14.29-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Image-21-09-2018-at-14.29-scaled.jpg?resize=1320%2C1760&amp;ssl=1 1320w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Image-21-09-2018-at-14.29-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Image-21-09-2018-at-14.29-scaled.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Image-21-09-2018-at-14.29-scaled.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>I asked her to do a headshot of me for a magazine. She rarely does portraits, but made an exception. People often feel sorry for me. (Note: discuss with shrink)</p>
<p>Here are a few of her pics&#8230;</p>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-8859" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/%C2%A9Jane-Beiles_2755-2.jpg?resize=560%2C373&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="373" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/%C2%A9Jane-Beiles_2755-2-scaled.jpg?resize=560%2C373&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/%C2%A9Jane-Beiles_2755-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1000%2C667&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/%C2%A9Jane-Beiles_2755-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/%C2%A9Jane-Beiles_2755-2-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/%C2%A9Jane-Beiles_2755-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1320%2C880&amp;ssl=1 1320w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/%C2%A9Jane-Beiles_2755-2-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<figure class="img_wrapper"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-8873" src="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Qvnv5nfQ.jpg?resize=560%2C840&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="560" height="840" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Qvnv5nfQ-scaled.jpg?resize=560%2C840&amp;ssl=1 560w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Qvnv5nfQ-scaled.jpg?resize=1000%2C1500&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Qvnv5nfQ-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Qvnv5nfQ-scaled.jpg?resize=1365%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1365w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Qvnv5nfQ-scaled.jpg?resize=1320%2C1980&amp;ssl=1 1320w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Qvnv5nfQ-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Qvnv5nfQ-scaled.jpg?w=1707&amp;ssl=1 1707w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure>
<p>Not bad, eh? And Jane politely said they didn&#8217;t need much retouching. Love her!</p>
<p><em>September, 2018</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Top photo of Jane with camera was taken by her talented teacher Elyse Shapiro at <a href="https://www.silvermineart.org">Silvermine Arts Center</a>.</p>
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<p>The post <a href="https://elenabowes.com/playing-hookey-with-photographer-jane-beiles/">Playing Hookey with Photographer Jane Beiles</a> appeared first on <a href="https://elenabowes.com">Elena Bowes</a>.</p>
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