The ruins of Stari Bar, Montenegro

If you arrive by ferry to Montenegro, you’ll most likely be arriving in the port city of Bar. Although Bar itself is not worthy of exploration, the old town – Stari Bar  – is just 5 kilometers from the port and it is a wonderful place to visit. The picturesque ruins are located on a…

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My story, Bitter Harvest, won a UK writing contest

Back in November, I wrote a post about National Short Story Week. In that post, I included links to markets for short stories and contests. I also decided to enter one of the contests myself. I’m a real sucker for writing prompts and this one intrigued me. The UK region of Hartlepool decided to sponsor…

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Riga’s stunning art nouveau architecture

While planning a trip to Latvia’s capital, I was very surprised to read that the historic center of Latvia boasts the largest collection of art nouveau buildings in Europe. I have lived in both Prague and Vienna and both cities impress visitors with their stunning art nouveau architecture. The work of Czech artist Alphonse Mucha…

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The Addictive Blog Award

Many thanks to Getsetandgo for nominating me for The Addictive Blog Award! Snigda, based in Mumbai, hosts a wonderful blog that lets me dream I’m travelling in south Asia (and gives me lots of great ideas for future trips), so it was a real honor to have been selected. For this award, I have to say…

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Searching for King Arthur: Art, nature and legends in Brittany’s interior

France’s coasts in Brittany are – justifiably – extremely popular with tourists. Yet Brittany also boasts an interesting interior, replete with beautiful churches and castles, charming towns and landscapes and locations from Arthurian legend; nevertheless, most tourists never make it here. On a two-week trip to Brittany, we chose to base ourselves in Brittany’s interior…

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What are your 2013 writing goals?

A happy 2013 to everyone! Here’s hoping that your new year is starting out well. For writers, this is also a good time to reflect on writing goals for the new year … at least for those of us who might need an extra push, or those of us who don’t manage to get any…

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Reason #5362 to love Rome: Piazza Navona’s Christmas Market

Felice Anno Nuovo! A very Happy New Year! Rome’s Piazza Navona has to be one of the most beautiful squares in the world.  Each December, continuing on to January 6th, Piazza Navona plays host to a Christmas market. Although it can’t compete with the elegant Christmas markets of Vienna and Nürnberg, the piazza itself offers…

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Writing inspiration on the slopes

Okay, I have a few days off around the holidays, nearby Abruzzo is buried under snow, and my kids are begging me to ski. What’s a girl to do? Hopefully, when this post goes up, I’ll be breathing in the fresh mountain air while I’m swooshing down the slopes. Perhaps I’ll be sad at this…

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Reason #5361 to love Rome: Nativity scenes

Buon Natale! Merry Christmas! Those of you visiting the Eternal City during the Christmas season will be certain to notice the Christmas trees that now grace the city. Christmas trees are a relatively recent import – a northern European tradition. To get a real flavor of Italian Christmas traditions, visitors in should visit the many Roman churches…

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Interview with author and NaNoWriMo organizer Grace Tierney

Grace Tierney  is a mother and writer living in rural Ireland. Her excellent blog, Wordfoolery, examines rare and unusual words in the English language. Grace is a prolific writer, working on both novels and short stories.  I had the good luck to meet Grace (virtually) when we became critique partners, and I’ve enjoyed getting to…

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