The Day I Reached My Breaking Point in Paris

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Hello all–

I’m currently packing my bags as I head to Newport for the month of July and I’m filled with excitement–not only to escape the D.C. heat, but also because I’ve got some fun stories planned while I’m there, so stay tuned. Our killer lineup this week also has me in a great mood!

First up is an excerpt from Sutanya Dacres’ memoir Dinner for One: How Cooking in Paris Saved Me, which details how cooking in her apartment allowed her to rebuild her life after the Paris fairytale she thought she was living imploded. It’s a delight.

Late last week, I came across a news bulletin about a mysterious explosion of norovirus cases in the Grand Canyon. Our intern Alice Tecotsky reported it out in great detail, and the piece ended up going viral—prompting dozens of other outlets to cover the story.

While many head North to escape the heat, one underrated option in the summer is to head to the Caribbean. As Loic Cardinal tells us in his feature on St. Barth’s, the weather is relatively mild, the price cuts are intense, and the lack of crowds heavenly.

Finally, I’m very excited to have veteran travel writer Paul Richardson as part of our stable of freelancers. For his first big feature, he introduces us to one of Spain’s little known attractions–bear watching in Asturias.

Enjoy!

–William O’Connor, Travel Editor

The Day I Reached My Breaking Point in Paris

I was a newlywed living in my own romantic comedy. I was married to a Frenchman whom I met at a bar in New York City, and he made me quiver when he said my name.

Why Are Hundreds of Grand Canyon Tourists Suddenly Getting Sick?

An "unusual" number of visitors to the Grand Canyon National Park have reported coming down with the highly contagious norovirus.

The Island Where the Rich Go to Flex Has a Secret

St. Barth’s is a gorgeous and very exclusive jewel, which explains why it’s a tough ticket in season, but in the off-season, it’s the epitome of accessible luxury and solitude.

Spain’s Hottest New Attraction Is ‘Freaky’—and Hairy

Few things make me happier than the prospect of seeing rare creatures in their natural habitat, and the fact that this seemed to be possible in Spain only added to the thrill.

—Creative director Jacu Strauss explains his method to successfully renovating the icon of London cool, the old Ace Hotel, now One Hundred Shoreditch.

17th-Century Palace, Barcelona, Spain (Vrbo): Eighty percent of becoming a queen is all about being born to the right parents at the right time. The luck of birth is not something we can help you with. But the other 20 percent, well, that’s a different story. That is all about the pageantry of being royal—the wardrobes full of designer gowns, the tiaras so blinged out they blind, and having a fabulous home that goes by the name “Palace.” While we may not be able to make you a Queen for Life à la Queen Elizabeth, we can make you the Queen of Vacation by introducing you to this gorgeous vacation home in Barcelona, your very own Palace.

While we can make you feel like a Queen in Barcelona thanks to this palace, we can’t secure your status for life. With the end of your trip comes the end of your reign. But we do wish you the best of luck back in the real world.

Book Your Stay: 17th-century Palace, Barcelona, Spain: $1,340/night via Vrbo

Don’t miss previous OMG, I Want to Rent This House posts, which spotlight the most spectacular and unique homes that you can actually stay in. Check out the full archives.

The Mysterious Man Behind the World's Most Famous House

Rare is the person whose work is one of the most mentioned in the world and yet most would finding naming them difficult. But such is the situation with James Hoban, the architect who designed and oversaw the construction of the White House. Only a silhouette exists of his likeness and his papers burned after he died. But a new book (and the latest selection for our series on exciting new coffee table books, Just Booked) from the White House Historical Association, James Hoban: Designer & Builder of the White House sheds at least some light on this elusive figure.

The book's first half is a collection of essays from scholars examining the man who through one work alone would shape American visual identity. Topics covered include his religion, his ownership of the enslaved, his collaboration with George Washington, and his life growing up in Ireland.

Don’t miss our other selections for our series on gorgeous travel-related coffee table books, Just Booked.

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