Zeren Earls
Bio:
A travel writer, Zeren Earls is a native of Turkey, who came to the United States in the late 50s for her college education. She studied psychology at Duke University, where she met her late husband, composer/media artist Paul Earls. Her immersion in the art world through her husband while a fellow at the Center for Advanced Visual Studies at MIT, led to her involvement in First Night in 1976. She was among the initial organizers of the Boston event and became its director in 1980. Pursuant to the event's major growth under her direction, she moved on to found First Night International in 1994. After assisting many communities in the US and abroad in initiating the First Night Celebration, she retired in 2002. Since then she has turned to adventure traveling and writing. Each year she travels to a country that is culturally new to her, China, Egypt, India, Morocco and Vietnam to name a few. In addition to her travels she has been writing her life story.
Recent Articles:
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Route of the Maya: Part One Front Page
El Salvador
By: - Apr 09th, 2016The Route of the Maya itinerary through Central America is an opportunity to see the archeological, cultural, and natural wonders of El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and Nicaragua. El Salvador is home to an attractive Pacific coastline, imposing volcanoes, picturesque small towns, and the vast Cihuatan Archaeological Park.
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Curitiba Front Page
The most European city of Brazil
By: - Dec 11th, 2015A bustling metropolis within easy reach of the Atlantic rain forest, Curitiba is an urban planner's dream with wide avenues, ample green space, and unique modern architecture. The cobblestoned historic center, along with the typical ethnic neighborhoods enhance the city's charm.
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Rio de Janeiro Front Page
The incomparable 24-hour city
By: - Dec 02nd, 2015Host for the 2016 Olympics and Paralympic Games, Rio has spectacular natural landmarks, gorgeous sparkling beaches, notable museums and an appealing laid-back joyous lifestyle evident all hours of the day and night.
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ZERO and Sky Art in Istanbul Front Page
A Poetic Convergence at the Sabanci Museum
By: - Oct 31st, 2015ZERO, Countdown to the Future is a comprehensive exhibition, which highlights the works of the movement's founders, Heinz Mack and Otto Piene, and their close friend Gunther Uecker. It provides in depth understanding of ZERO that took away the limits of "what is art" and expanded what art can be in the 20th century.
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Istanbul Biennial Front Page
A Vast Platform of Art in a Wondrous City
By: - Oct 19th, 2015Saltwater as the theme, the city is the stage for the 14th. Istanbul Biennial. Thirty six venues welcome visitors free of charge to view works by international artists, who have found inspiration in the city's location, history, architecture, and culture.
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Brazil: Part One Front Page
Salvador da Bahia
By: - Oct 02nd, 2015Renowned as the center of Afro-Brazilian culture with a mixture of black and white races descended from Africans, Europeans, and Native Americans, Salvador has a unique character shaped by exuberant colors, sounds, rhythms, and flavors. Its historic center has the largest collection of baroque buildings in the Americas.
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The KUMU Art Museum Front Page
Tallinn, Estonia
By: - Aug 01st, 2015The winner of the European Museum of the Year Award in 2008, the KUMU soars as the youthful face of independent Estonia. The museum's state-of-the-art galleries display selections from its 58,000-piece collection of Estonian art from the 18th century to the 1990s, including works from the Soviet era. The KUMU is a compelling destination in Tallinn, Estonia's charming capital.
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St. Petersburg Front Page
The Cultural Capital of Russia
By: - Jul 26th, 2015Founded by Peter the Great as the Venice of the North, St. Petersburg lives up to that image with inspired art and architecture. Opulent palaces, grand cathedrals, and ornate buildings line its canals connected with beautiful bridges. The fantastic art and cultural programs that fill the monumental buildings make the visit all the more compelling.
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Estonia Front Page
Tallinn, the capital city
By: - Jul 20th, 2015The old part of Tallinn is a chronicle in stone of the city's history. Carefully conserved narrow little streets, cathedral spires, 15th- 16th- and 17th-century houses define the character of old Tallinn. The new glass and steel high-rise buildings add a youthful touch to a picture-book city.
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Latvia Front Page
Riga, Ligatne, Cesis
By: - Jul 15th, 2015At the crossroads of East and West on The Baltic Sea, Latvia offers a vast cultural heritage. Riga, the largest of the Baltic capitals, has a charming Old Town with medieval and baroque architecture and is also considered the capital of Europe's Art Nouveau style with over 800 buildings. Ligatne and Cesis are both small towns within Gauja National Park with historic and natural treasures of their own.
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Lithuania: Part Two Front Page
Klaipeda and the Curonian Spit
By: - Jul 10th, 2015A harbor city on the Baltic Sea, Klaipeda is the gateway to the Curonian Spit, a picturesque strip of sand between the sea and the Curonian lagoon, lined with fishing villages and resorts. The beaches attract amber hunters; the hills beckon with folk sculptures. The strip is also home to a variety of birds such as the grey heron and cormorants.
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Lithuania: Part One Front Page
Vilnius and Trakai
By: - Jul 09th, 2015Having gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1993, Lithuania has bravely reclaimed its culture and recreated itself into a modern republic in a short time. In the capital city of Vilnius, the Old Town radiates with history while modern-day shops, cafes and restaurants animate the cobblestone lanes and courtyards. Trakai, the country's medieval capital, has a 15th-century castle, which sits on an island, reflecting like a jewel in the waters of Galve Lake.
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Poland: Part two Front Page
Warsaw
By: - Jul 01st, 2015Poland's capital, Warsaw, is also its intellectual, creative, and business center. Hometown of Chopin, the composer's footprint punctuates the city. Although 85% of Warsaw had been destroyed during WW II, it has been rebuilt both to honor history, while also erecting a modern, dynamic metropolis.
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Poland: Part One Front Page
Krakow and Auschwitz
By: - Jun 26th, 2015Despite a rocky history of occupation, war and suppression, Poland, a country of 40 million people, has maintained its cultural vibrancy. Krakow has a wealth of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture that dot the city as churches, museums and theaters. Auschwitz-Birgenau camps provide on-site experience to learn about one of the darkest periods in human history.
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Namibia: Part Five Travel
Etosha National Park
By: - Apr 27th, 2015Namibia's iconic vast savannah wilderness consists of woodland and grassy plains, surrounding the massive Etosha salt pan, its desiccated white surface visible from the air. Perennial springs around the edge of the pan provide the water required by the park's high density big game population and other wildlife.
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Namibia: Part Four Travel
Damaraland
By: - Apr 13th, 2015Million years old molten rocks, petrified tree trunks in river gorges, wind-sculpted sandstone cliffs, and flat-topped mountains make this remote, rugged region in north-west Namibia a geological wonderland. Indicating a wetter past, the phenomenal landscape has attracted people here as far as 6000 years ago, their presence marked today by an amazing outdoor gallery of rock engravings.
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Namibia: Part Three Travel
Walvis Bay and the Skeleton Coast
By: - Apr 07th, 2015Pleasant weather with ocean breezes, a rich wetland with coastal birds, a vibrant harbor with cafes and restaurants, a haunting coastline by the desert, and tribes that still cling to ancestral ways make this region of Namibia an attractive destination to visit.
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Namibia: Part Two Travel
Sossusvlei and the Namib Sand Sea
By: - Mar 31st, 2015A World Heritage Site, Namib Sand Sea has unique natural wonders such as the Sossusvlei clay pan, which fills with water every 5-6 years; towering red-orange dunes, whose colors and patterns shift with the wind and light; and the Sesriem Canyon, a deep gorge, which harbors birds and desert animals. A hot-air balloon ride over the natural spectacles is a once in a life-time experience with indelible images.
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Namibia: Part One Travel
Windhoek, capital city
By: - Mar 25th, 2015Situated in the south-western Atlantic sea-board of the African subcontinent, Namibia has natural assets ranging from a haunting coastline to desert dunes of red-orange sand and national parks teeming with wildlife. Windhoek is the capital to a young nation of thirteen cultural groups and colonial descendants, all of whom contribute to a vibrant city.
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Aguascalientes Travel
Colonial Jewel of North-Central Mexico
By: - Dec 25th, 2014Zacatecas to Aguascalientes is a culturally rich journey, offering Mexico's largest collection of religious art, as well as of artistic expressions dedicated to the theme of death in historic buildings. In addition, the colonial buildings restored as museums provide an attractive setting for representations of fine art. Visiting ten museums in twelve days was an unanticipated treat.
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Zacatecas Travel
The City with Museums
By: - Oct 30th, 2014On the foothills of the mountains, Zacatecas is a museum city carved out of pink stone; it is also a city of museums. It is a joy to walk the streets and to visit the museums of this fabled silver city in northern Mexico.
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Guadalajara Travel
Mexico's Most Livable City
By: - Oct 23rd, 2014The capital of Jalisco, Guadalajara is a vibrant cosmopolitan city. Designated as "best place to live" by a national survey, it is home to thirteen universities, an abundance of historical treasures, lovely plazas, beautiful fountains, and compelling murals.
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Hungary Travel
Gyor, Budapest and Szentendre
By: - Jul 14th, 2014Since freeing itself from communism in 1990, Hungary has blossomed into a westernized country. Gyor and Szentendre are charming small towns with a variety of cafes, restaurants, craft and sweet shops. The capital Budapest on the Danube is a beautiful city with great monuments, fashionable avenues, elegant shops, and a vibrant night life.
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Czech Republic: Part Three Travel
Slavonice to Slovakia
By: - Jul 11th, 2014Rich in history, this region in Europe fascinates with medieval and Renaissance architecture, imperial grandeur, and charming small towns. Friendly people, good food, and great Moravian wines enhance the experience. Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, offers many treasures, beckoning to be discovered.
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Czech Republic: Part Two Travel
Southern Bohemia
By: - Jun 17th, 2014Bordering Germany and Austria, South Bohemia rewards with its natural beauty, layered history, and architectural treasures. The medieval cities of Pisek, Cesky Krumlov, Ceske Budejovice, Trebon, and Jindrichuv Hradec are among the Jewels of the region with castles, chateaus, forts, monuments, churches, and monasteries. The hospitality of the people, along with their traditional crafts, and rich cuisine deliver a memorable experience.
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