Smag31

Smag31 is a positive community reaching 21 million readers every year by sharing your stories and creativity. Submit Your Post!

Cover Story Paris … The Museum-Lover’s Guide (Part 2)

by

Decorative Arts Museum (Musée des Arts Décoratifs) Right next door to the Louvre is a wonderful excuse to indulge in some exquisite ‘window shopping’ in a museum which showcases the works of some of the world’s most accomplished creators of fashion, advertising and decorative art. Decorative Arts Museum The Decorative Arts Museum houses a permanent … Read more

Cover Story Paris … The Museum-Lover’s Guide (Part 1)

by

Paris is often called the museum city, and walking down its streets, past centuries-old buildings and statues, through beautifully planned squares and wonderfully manicured parks and gardens, one sometimes feels that one is in a very large, open-air museum. But Paris – museum city – also refers to the myriad museums that are dotted around … Read more

Chittoor Kottaram … Prince’s Diary (Part 2)

by

It is with Junaid that I go for a pre-prandial walk in the morning. At that early hour, the Chittoorappan temple exudes a calm spirituality. The wooden lattice for oil lamps that surrounds all Kerala-style temples, visible in daylight is soot-black with countless years of worship. The temple tank has attracted the first batch of … Read more

Chittoor Kottaram … Prince’s Diary (Part 1)

by

The regal approach sets the tone for my stay. An hour’s drive from the Nedumbassery airport in an SUV on smooth roads is of course nothing remarkable but the last leg of my journey, by design, is by private boat. Tableaus of semi-rural Kerala greet us as we putter off from the Varapuzha jetty. A … Read more

Hong Kong Island – South (part 2) – Places to Eat and Drink

by

A Circular Tour Morning This circular tour of Hong Kong Island is perfectly feasible to complete in a day, so long as you don’t start too late. From Central, jump on an Aberdeen-bound bus, alighting close to Aberdeen harbour . Haggle for a sampan harbour tour offered by one of the pushy touts on the … Read more

Hong Kong Island – South (part 1)

by

Despite the slow creep of floodlit housing estates to the east and west, the south of Hong Kong Island (or “Southside” as everyone calls it) retains more than enough rugged coastline, wooded upland and sequestered beach to startle anyone whose preconception of Hong Kong was wholly urban. Traffic from the city passes through the Aberdeen … Read more

Madrid – Around Town : Salamanca and Recoletos (part 1)

by

One of Madrid’s most affluent neighbourhoods, Salamanca is named after its founder, José de Salamanca y Mayol (1811–83). The Marquis first saw the commercial possibilities of the area bordering the Retiro in the 1860s and transformed it into a model of urban planning, with grid patterned streets and elegant mansions. The new neighbourhood was an … Read more

Beijing – Around Town : North of the Forbidden City (part 1)

by

By far the most rewarding area to explore on foot, north of the Forbidden City stretches an almost contiguous run of lakes, either set in parkland or surrounded by swathes of charming historic hutongs. It’s an area rich in temple architecture and dotted with grand old courtyard residences. Its appeal to visitors has resulted in … Read more

Chicago – Around Town – The Loop (part 4) – Shops

by

Shops Macy’s Once Marshall Field’s, Chicago’s oldest and best-known department store continues to be famous for its elaborate Christmas displays, dazzling Tiffany dome, and iconic clock. Established nearly 100 years ago, it offers top styles for home and body. 111 N. State St. DA Clock at Macy’s Filene’s Basement Here you’ll find some fantastic budget-friendly … Read more

Chicago – Around Town – The Loop (part 3) – Best of the Rest

by

Best of the Rest Loop Theater District A sidewalk plaque at Randolph and State Streets denotes Chicago’s Theater District, a cluster of old and new theaters. Civic Opera House This 1929 structure was inspired by Paris’s Opera Garnier. Inside, there are gleaming marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and a grand staircase . Civic Opera Building Symphony … Read more

25 Reasons To Go To Milan (Part 2)

by

13.     Zona Tortona Zona Tortona In the last 20 years, places have open architecture and interior are for rental with cheap price,  built industry around Tortona made this place become the magnet for designers, restaurants, museums , shops and hotels. This area is known as a place of creativity, including the artwork from David Chipperfield … Read more

Beijing – Around Town : Eastern Beijing (part 1)

by

East of central Beijing, in a corridor between the Second and Third Ring Roads, is the district of Chaoyang. It’s not an area that is particularly old and it doesn’t have very many significant monuments, but it is home to two main clusters of international embassies, and it is where a large proportion of the … Read more

Chicago – Around Town – Near North (part 1)

by

History, culture, and commerce collide on Chicago’s densely- packed Near North side. This area is a pleasure to explore on foot, whether motivated by a penchant for shopping or an appreciation of fine art and architecture. The city’s toniest shopping boulevard – the Magnificent Mile, a.k.a. the Mag Mile – bridges the posh 19th-century mansions … Read more

Bohemian Rhapsody

by

The most stunning city of Europe shows off its Baroque past in style. It is said that first impressions last the longest, so keep your eyes open just a slit if you ride out of Praha Ruzyne airport during the rush hour. The cabbie might skirt the traffic and take a bypass to reach the … Read more