Postcards from a Seaside Village of Upturned Boat Homes

There’s a sleepy seaside village in France with a small fishing port, a population of less than 3,000 and some very peculiar-looking houses. At a moment’s glance, they could almost appear to be an unfortunate pod of beached orcas, but look again carefully at those unusual roofs. Yes, those are boats … upside down! Local fishermen of Équihen-Plage have lived under scavenged boat hulls here…

When Seashells Were Money

Some of us might recall that day in school when the teacher dumped a bag of cowrie shells on their desk, and decreed, “See this? This used to be money!” Seashells were used as money across the world well into the 20th century, from West Africa to California. And in some parts of the world,…

Nearly 50 Years On, a Forbidden Seaside Ghost Town is about to Re-Open

Imagine a millionaire’s resort; one to rival St. Tropez, Italy’s Portofino, or Miami’s South Beach – abandoned overnight. Imagine the luxury hotels suddenly emptied of their guests and left to slowly decay, the boutiques, bars and nightclubs reclaimed by nature, sunbathers replaced by sea turtles nesting on the deserted beaches and the once vibrant holiday…

Victorian Prudes and their Bizarre Beachside Bathing Machines

Picture that moment when you finally get to the beach after a long winter, excitedly peel off your clothes, run madly towards the water and crash into the salty waves without a care in the world … this is not that. If you were a beachgoer in Georgian or Victorian times, more specifically, a female…

Escape to Sarah Bernhardt’s Seaside Fortress

This weekend, let’s escape to the seaside paradise of Morbihan, France, to peak inside the 19th century fortress that belonged to the eccentric, inimitable Sarah Bernhardt. As an actor, she was truly one of the first global superstars, and it was her flair for blurring the lines between performance and reality that made her an…

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24 Hours in Aveiro, the Candy-Colored “Venice of Portugal”

For the last leg of our little Portuguese road trip, we floated into the old port and fishing town of Aveiro, about an hour south of Porto. It’s known as the Venice of Portugal, except of course, without the Venetian price tag. The Mister and I checked into a perfect little yellow fisherman’s house along the…

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These 1950s Jersey Shore Motels Sure Do Look Lonely in the Off Season

It never really occurred to me to visit the Jersey Shore, not until I saw it in the dead of winter, through the lens of American photographer Tyler Haughey. His serene series Ebb Tide makes me want to check into a room at one of the lonely mid-century motels, stay awhile in limbo, maybe write a short…

Place your Bets on the Fate of this Crumbling Casino

It was the crown jewel of Romania’s “Monte Carlo”; a pearl watching over the Black Sea where royalty and the elite flocked from all over Europe and wealthy travellers spoke of it around the world, recounting stories of their extravagant gambling escapades at the Casino Constanta. It’s unmistakable art deco shapes and lines are still in tact, and from…

Dolce Vita Villas For Sale on the Forgotten Italian Riviera

Sprawling over several small bays with clear blue waters peppered with fishing boats, is a dormant paradise of the dolce vita years. A forgotten “St. Tropez”, where movie stars, artists and writers once flocked to the scenic beaches of Tuscany during summer. Whereas most of us think of Tuscany for its rolling hills, scenic countryside and…

No Summer in Europe will be Complete without a Dinner at this Sea Cave

I‘ll bet you can already hear the waves crashing up against the rocks below you and taste the salty sea on your lips as you slurp down spaghetti accompanied by a glass of cold rosé. You want to know exactly where this magical place is so you can promptly reserve your table for two with your favourite person…