Skindelle Stories

Karuizawa Summer Travel: The Imperial Mountain Retreat That Never Needed to Announce Itself

St. Moritz empties in summer. Gstaad reinvents itself with music festivals and keeps itself busy. Karuizawa was always a summer place. It did not need to find a reason for the season. The reason ha...

Naoshima: Art Islands of the Seto Inland Sea

Kyoto is the Japan of the guide book. Naoshima is the Japan of the architect. You will not find Naoshima on most itineraries because it requires a detour to Okayama Prefecture, a ferry from Uno por...

Niseko, Hokkaido: Powder and Alpine Hospitality

Niseko is the mountain you go to after the European Alps have stopped teaching you anything. After Verbier, which is about the party. After Courchevel, which is about being seen at the party. After...

Tokyo Revealed to the Returner

Tokyo is the city you understand after your third visit. After Kyoto, which is about the past and its architecture of restraint. After Osaka, which is loud and feeds you loudly. Tokyo is the one th...

Scottish Highlands: Castle Weddings and Estate Dinners

The Scottish Highlands are not the most convenient wedding destination in Europe. That is the point. The inconvenience is the selection mechanism. The couple who chooses the Highlands for a wedding...

Puglia: Masseria Courtyards and Olive Grove Evenings

Puglia is the region you go to after you have done Rome, Florence, and the Amalfi Coast. After Rome, which is about the density of history. After Florence, which is about the art and the crowds and...