2014 Festival of Lights, Lyon

Highlights from the annual four-day event that transforms the French city into a luminous outdoor art gallery

Light festivals—from the spiritually steeped Hindu holiday Diwali to the newer contemporary art-focused events like SIGNAL in Prague—have become much-loved around the world. Regardless of race, religion or geographic location, there’s a shared human awe and appreciation for the beauty of lightness against the backdrop of the nighttime sky. Undeniably, one of the most famous and oldest Festival of Lights isn’t found in the “City …

Word of Mouth: Food and Drink, Carnaby

From BBQ to six-course tasting menus, the best of the newly transformed London neighborhood

by Adam Coghlan London is known as a city of many villages and neighborhoods, each with their own personalities and peculiarities. Once the epicenter of Londons “Swinging ’60s,” until now Carnabys spotlight heralded a fairly beige gentrification and invited in predictable chains and brands during the intervening decades. It has, almost by design, had to undergo a purposed facelift. This has meant an influx of …

Tokyo High Low

We put Amex Platinum to the test in the sky and on the ground in the future's city

Sponsored by Amex Platinum

When my plans to get from Beijing to Tokyo required a last-minute change, American Express Platinum Travel was able to confirm a seat on a new flight just hours before departure, even though they didn’t handle my original booking. And when I checked-in at the Mandarin Oriental I was reminded of the benefits of booking a Fine Hotels and Resorts property: last night free, $100 …