31 December 2025
Walking is my favorite activity wherever I am, whether it is early in the morning when the world is still mostly asleep, or late in the afternoon when the day is winding down, or even in the middle of the day when immersed in the frenzy of everyday life. Here are my favorite walks through the years…
3 Sept 2024
Ortisei, Northern Italy
As I have gone deeper into traveling, a wonderful offshoot has been discovering the joys of hiking.
I remember my first ‘serious’ hike was in the Greek Isles in 2008 when my friend Joel and I thought it would be ‘cool’ to hike the 6.5 mile path from Oia to Fira in Santorini.
I consider it one of my most memorable hikes and still remember unbelievable images of rocky mountain paths and blue domed churches atop hills, wedged between the Santorini caldera on one side and the shimmering blue of the Aegean Sea on the other. Since then, I have enjoyed day hikes locally in the Hudson Valley, north of NYC, and in faraway places such as in Patagonia in Argentina, Nakasendo in Japan, and Montserrat in Spain. I have ventured on to do more challenging multi-day hikes with friends such as the Inca trail to Machu Picchu in Peru and the Milford track in the South Island of New Zealand.
One of my aspirations has always been to go hiking in the Dolomites. It seemed like a place of incomparable beauty, almost dream-like in its aura. It has come to fruition with this Italian journey.
After a 5-hour train ride from Rome to the northern city of Bolzano, and another hour by bus, I reached Ortisei, a pretty town that doubles as a ski resort in the winter months and as an ideal hiking base for the Dolomites during warmer months. The Dolomites are part of the Italian Alps in South Tyrol, an autonomous region in Northern Italy. The region feels partly Northern Italian and partly German/ Austrian, and has three official languages – Italian, German, and the local Ladin dialect. Ortisei (Italian), for example, is also known as St. Ulrich (German) and Urtijei (Ladin). From Ortisei, a combination of cable cars, gondolas, and funiculars transports one from its charming downtown to the starting points of the hikes.
For a few days, I went on three different hikes, one hike a day. Seceda is arguably the most glamorous (and most popular) among the three, with the spectacular otherworldliness of the Odle/ Geisler mountains greeting you as soon as you arrive by gondola lift. The hike itself can be moderately challenging with quite a few uphill climbs, though always in the midst of gorgeous vistas.
On my second day, I went up to Alpe di Suise, riding one of the small red cable cars visible from my hotel room in Ortisei. This is a relatively easy but utterly delightful hike. Alpe di Suise is the largest Alpine meadow in Europe and has its abundant share of adorable rolling hills and cute little huts. The landscapes in this hike are probably one of the most beautiful I’ve ever encountered.
Rescieca, my third hike, seemed the most basic, but felt the most authentic of the three – a no-frills, bare-boned, most meditative hike. In all three, I was rewarded with spectacular scenery and refreshing mountain air. The highlight of each hike was always a long idyllic lunch overlooking a beautiful scene in one of the refugios, charming little establishments serving food and refuge for hikers.
From years of hiking, I have learned the value of good preparation. Having sturdy hiking shoes, sunblock, water and some nourishment are important. Hiking poles and a jacket or poncho may make the difference between enjoyment and misery. I must also add that I am always more cautious and careful when hiking solo. Of course, not everything will go as planned and having a mindset of being open to the unexpected is always helpful. These unexpected events may actually turn out to be the most memorable moments of the hike. One can’t also underestimate the impact of small acts of kindness from strangers – pointing us to the right direction, a smile or a word of encouragement, being there to take our photo at the most opportune time, or maybe being the only human presence for miles, which can assuage anxiety in profound ways.
The joy that hiking has brought me has been immeasurable, whether it be locally or in places I’ve only once dreamt about, whether I venture solo or with a group of friends,
our bonds forever tightened by these shared experiences. I am sure this joy is not lost on the many others who have discovered its magic. Hiking paves the way for us to enjoy landscapes beyond those that we’re used to. It provides an unmistakable jolt of excitement as we embark on new adventures, while transporting us back to indelible memories from previous hikes, whether in Santorini or Machu Picchu or a favorite local trail. It teaches us to be present at a particular moment in time, as we learn to be more attuned to ourselves, from the speed of our paces, to the depths of our breaths, to the silent joyful contentment we feel in moments of pure enchantment.
30 April 2023
Whereas my stay in Vienna was packed with visits to magnificent palaces, world-class museums and lovely cafés, my time in Innsbruck has been filled with memorable activities that have captivated my wandering spirit.
Frankly, I had not read much about Innsbruck going into this trip, so I was pleasantly surprised with the astonishing sight that greeted me – a colorful, vibrant, athletic and historic town and the snow-capped peaks rising majestically beyond it.
A few days before setting foot in Innsbruck, I googled “things to do in Innsbruck” and two activities caught my eye as they seemed right up my alley and were also very well reviewed. First was a half-day Tirolean food tour (Innsbruck is the capital of Tirol state in Austria) and the second was a half-day e-bike tour to the Alps.
The first was an easy choice as I’ve always felt that one of the best ways to get to know a country is through its food. Kurt, our guide, provided an impeccable tour of Tirolean cuisine punctuating his spiels with bits of history, funny anecdotes, and even lovely family stories (Kurt is a true-blooded Tirolean who grew up and still lives in the region). As he gave us a small cube of sugar flavored with cinnamon after a meal, he reminded us how there must be a direct pathway between our senses and our memories. A scent, a taste, music, and sights become triggers to distinct memories and emotions in us. And I nodded and sheepishly smiled as thoughts of Christmas wrapped me in a warm hug as the cube of cinnamon-infused sugar melted in my mouth.
The second was a bit of a leap of faith. Although I enjoy biking even in the urban jungle that is NYC, I had only tried to e-bike once and honestly I wouldn’t consider myself in the best shape at the moment. But the allure of experiencing the Alps on two wheels captivated me and what better place to do this than in Innsbruck. The ride turned out to be phenomenal! Anton, our Aussie guide, was very patient in teaching us how to use the gears and breaks of the e-bike and kept a watchful eye as we went through this adventure.
The first part of the ride was an uphill climb through winding gravel paths, a few of which were awfully close to mountain edges. I kept my sight forward and focused on what I had to do. The e-bike was definitely helpful and the steep hills I wouldn’t typically manage on a regular bike became, at least, doable! The scent of mountain air invigorated me as well. Past the highest point of our climb, near the ruins of Thaurer Schlösl, an 11th century castle, we started our descent. We glided through long stretches of downhill paths, swishing through mountain roads damp from the rain the day before, cruising along green fields dotted with spring blossoms. At the quaint town of Hall in Tirol, we came upon a lively weekend market celebrating the unheralded “radish” at the town plaza. From Hall in Tirol, we biked through ten kilometers of lovely relatively flat paths to reach Innsbruck.
As I walked back to my hotel after the ride, physically tired but mentally energized by the experience, I looked up at the mountains in front of me and now could identify some of the landmarks we passed during the ride. I sighed with astonishment at the sight before me and smiled. The magnificence of the scene was still there, but, this time, so was a newfound intimacy.
Summer 2021
It may come at the most unexpected of circumstances – this feeling of being enthralled by a moment in time. I remember one summer afternoon while I was walking along one of my usual routes in Central Park. As I turned to glance at the lagoon and the picturesque towers of San Remo to my left, the scene that greeted me seemed almost unreal. I was captivated by how the afternoon sun’s rays gently touched the sunbathers lazing on the grass, creating an image straight out of a Seurat painting.
Or that moment while fellow hikers and I were resting amidst Incan ruins, tired and lost on an ancient trail. As darkness fell and the moonlight and head lamps were all that we had, a pair of llamas quietly ambled by and rested among us, turning our weariness into wonder.
Read MoreOctober 2022
In my three decades of living in NYC, there is nothing that has captivated me more than Central Park. Through the years and after countless walks, runs and bike rides, this oasis amidst the frenzy of NYC has been a constant presence in my journey as a New Yorker. As I walk around the park, its various backdrops and corners come to life with memories of days past (some long gone), of time with family and friends, of quiet morning bike rides and early evening runs. Oh, there’s Cedar Hill, where we had a grand family picnic, and Sheep Meadow where I hopelessly tried to do cartwheels with friends. There’s the Great Lawn where friends and I laid on the grass enjoying grapes and wine on a Sunday afternoon, and the Bethesda Terrace shimmering in a sea of white as a lone guitarist played haunting melodies after a blizzard. I have always loved taking people around the park, through its famous landmarks and along paths less trodden, in the hope that they, too, would discover its magic. It has lifted me to the highest spirits (such as on a beautiful fall afternoon in 1998 while crossing the finish line of the NYC marathon) and has always provided solace and serenity during times of introspection or when just trying to get away from the daily grind. Central Park is certainly a place to be checked off in many a bucket list, but for me, my bond with this jewel has always been very personal, sublimely intimate, and always endearing.
Here are a few of my favorite scenes captured in different seasons through the years.
