Posts by Kimberly Sullivan
A birds’ eye view of Gent, Belgium
I’ve already written about the visit with my youngest son to visit the charming, medieval town of Ghent, in Belgium. It was my first time in that picture-perfect town, which was rendered even more beautiful by the warm spring sunshine. My son and I did what we always do when we visit a new town…
Read MoreAvoid regrets in life – write!
“If I don’t write I feel, well, a kind of remorse, no?” —Jorge Luis Borges I love these wise words by Argentine poet Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986). And if there are any fighting words to pull a writer back from the abyss of endless procrastination and back on the path of productive writing, these seem…
Read MoreBasking in the spring sunshine in Gent/Gand, Belgium
On a recent trip to Brussels with my younger son, we took advantage of the spectacular spring weather to make a day trip to a Flemish city I’d never visited – Gent in Flemish, Gand in French. It’s only a short train trip from Brussels’ Central Station. Of course, the advantage of tiny Belgium is…
Read MoreBook review: The Dinner
I had never heard of Herman Koch’s novel The Dinner before picking it up in a bookstore. I admit I was attracted by the cover and the interesting back cover description, and I’m so happy I took a chance on this novel, since I was very quickly engrossed in this disturbing tale. Originally published in…
Read MoreScaling Europe’s largest sand dune – in France
Last summer on holiday in France’s Aquitaine region, I couldn’t miss the chance to visit the Dune du Pyla. I’d long been curious to visit Europe’s highest sand dunes. I’d seen their spectacular images in photos often enough, but on various trips to France I’d never been close enough to merit a stop-by. This time…
Read MoreIt’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…
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