Archive for April 2018
It’s here! Beach reading season 2018
I always love this time of year. The spring sunshine blesses us, and it’s time to start heading out to the beach once again with a good novel tucked in the beach bag. Earlier this week my younger son had a track meet in Ostia, the small city west of Rome and on the sea.…
Read MoreBrussels’ Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert is a paradise for chocolate lovers (with deep pockets…)
This elegant Brussels shopping arcade was inaugurated in 1847 by Belgium’s first king, Leopold I. It would be established as one of Europe’s first commercial shopping galleries – and certainly one of the most beautiful. If you haven’t noticed from my posts, I have a bit of a weakness for stunning European shopping galleries. See…
Read MoreGarcía Márquez on authors and pilots
“I’m happy when I’m traveling to know that the pilots are better pilots than I am a writer.” —Gabriel García-Márquez I love this quote from brilliant Colombian novelist Gabriel García-Márquez (1927 -2014). While García-Márquez, a truly gifted and original writer, is being modest, he also raises an important point. A pilot must demonstrate technical skill and mastery to…
Read MoreBruges by bike
My younger son and I enjoyed a long weekend in Brussels earlier this month, and while there we had a great time visiting the medieval city of Bruges. A Belgian colleague had told me about a bike trail leading from Gent/Gand to Bruges – a 45-kilometer bike towpath trail along a canal. With the benefit…
Read MoreHappy National Library Week!
“The only thing that you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.” -Albert Einstein If that isn’t a fitting tribute to libraries, I don’t know what is. This week, we celebrate National Library Week, when it’s important not only to know where your local library is, but to show up and demonstrate…
Read MoreEnjoying the ‘Sardine Festival’ in Guethary, France
I’ve already written about Guéthary, the Pays basque coastal town where my family and I vacationed last year. One of the last evenings staying in Guéthary, we stumbled onto a sardine festival being held on a panoramic point along the sea, so we decided to join in. We had a great time sitting on picnic…
Read MoreWhen I really don’t like a book…
I’m a big fan of books. Paper books, that is. I do far too much reading on computers at work, and when I return home or travel, I want to read real books, turn crisp pages, watch the number of pages accumulate as I work my way through a novel. Sadly for me, I don’t…
Read MoreTurin’s art deco galleries
When you’re in Piedmont’s capital of Turin, you must be sure to visit the city’s wonderful shopping galleries. They are ideal for the less-than-perfect weather in northern Italy, and maintain their original art deco charm. The first gallery constructed in Turin was at the request of the Marquis Natta d’Alfano, and constructed by the architect…
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