Articles by David J. Latt

Walking on a mountain trail well-worn by centuries of pilgrims. Saying a prayer in front of a shrine first built two thousand years ago.

This is a great time to visit Japan. In advance of the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, bilingual English and Japanese signs have sprouted at transportation hubs.

As we rushed to board the Shinkansen (the “bullet train”), I remembered to buy a bento box lunch at a take-away stand in the train station.

On a Bold Food tour, we explored Singapore and Penang, Malaysia to learn about the culture, history and food of the region.

San Francisco has always been known as one of America’s great restaurant cities. In the race for Michelin stars, the Bay Area gives New York city a run for its money.

We settled into our seats on the overnight flight from Los Angeles to Fiji’s Nadi International Airport. It didn’t take long to fall asleep. We woke to have a meal, watch a movie and start our novels. Before we knew it, it was time to land.

I headed south from San Jose, using my GPS to travel into the hills above Cupertino and the Silicon Valley. After twenty minutes of switchback roads that carried me through thick stands of dusty pine trees and across sunbaked hills, I arrived at my destination.

One of the most popular destinations in California, the San Francisco Bay Area has it all. Great culture, great cities, great wine and great restaurants.

My last moment at the Hotel Eden Roc Ascona was exactly where I began my stay, standing on the balcony of my room. Both days were identical. The sun was shining. I had a clear view of Lake Maggione and Monte Gambarogno.

My visits to Japan always focused on Tokyo, that massively energetic, noisy, wonderful mega-city. And, yet, here I was a 90-minute flight south from Tokyo on Shikoku Island, standing on the Godai-san Observation Deck (Godai-san Tenbodai), looking down on the city of Kochi.

La Residencia was my getaway destination on Mallorca, one of the Balearic Islands off Spain’s eastern coast.

I didn't know what to say. The master of ceremonies pointed at me. He was dressed in a brightly colored red and white Japanese folk costume. He wanted volunteers to join his Awa No Kaze dancers on the stage.

Shrines and temples are at the heart of Japanese culture. Some are in cities like the majestic Meiji Shrine in busy Tokyo or the 1,600 Buddhist and 400 Shinto shrines in quiet Kyoto. Others are tucked away in forests on distant mountain tops.

Before I left for Mallorca, all I knew about the island was that it was off Spain's Mediterranean coast. And that it was the largest of the four Balearic Islands that are popular destinations because of the beaches, beautiful landscape and warm weather.

Palm trees, bright skies, bruschetta, burrata, pear tarts, cannoli and espresso on a hotel terrace facing a lake. Italy, right? Sure, but that also describes Switzerland in the southern region known as Ticino.