Posts by Kimberly Sullivan
It’s not nosiness – it’s research
“I’m a gossipy person—I like looking at people and how they get along with one another.” -Jane Smiley Love these words by the brilliant novelist Jane Smiley. And I think this is an important trait for a novelist, after all, they are delving into the inner lives of the characters they create on the page.…
Read MoreNot quite ready to say Auf Wiedersehen – Demel at Vienna airport
There are so many things to like about Austria’s capital city of Vienna. Many years ago, I lived here for a short time, and now I enjoy getting back for visits. Perhaps it’s better that I don’t live here, because when I do return I simply can’t resist all the wonderful sweets on offer. I’ve…
Read MoreAll roads lead to Rome – for literature!
If you find yourself in Rome in the next couple of weeks, you may want to take part in the Eternal City’s literature festival – the Festival delle letterature. This year is the Festival’s 16th edition, running from 20 June through 21 July. It’s an interesting mix of Italian and foreign authors, and most events…
Read MoreImperial charm in Salzburg, Austria
I adore the postcard-perfect city of Salzburg, in Austria, where I have been numerous times. But as we were driving back from a summer vacation in Austria and the Czech Republic two summers ago, my husband and I decided to play tour guide to our sons, who had never been to Salzburg before. We only…
Read MoreBook review: The Two-Family House
I devoured Lynda Cohen Loigman’s debut novel, The Two-Family House, this past weekend. I spent last Saturday on the beach reading about this complicated, large Brooklyn Jewish family in the 1950s. I loved getting into the minds of these well-drawn characters and watching how attitudes and thinking changed along with the changing times. The main…
Read MoreSpring/summer mountain biking in Abruzzo
It’s been far too long since I’ve managed to get out to my little mountain escape from the city, in Ovindoli, Abruzzo. I’ve been dying for a weekend escape mountain biking on this picturesque high plain in the Apennine mountains. I wrote about my last biking trip out here in the autumn. Although I never…
Read MoreA slice of heaven: mountains and a book
Just thinking back to my last weekend. After many of months of kids’ exams, kids’ sports competitions and my own work keeping me away from my preferred weekend getaway in the Apennine mountains of central Italy, I finally (!!!) managed to escape the city. The weekend was short, but enjoyable. Here I am out-of-frame in…
Read MoreMy first opera visit in running gear and sneakers – in Oslo
On a visit to Oslo, Norway, I was a daily visitor to the opera. In theory, this shouldn’t be odd as I love opera and try to go when and wherever I can. But a busy work schedule meant I didn’t actually have time to ever get to a performance, not even one. Nevertheless, my…
Read MoreI need to write!
Every year I set writing New Year’s Resolution writing goals for myself, and this year I’ve apparently been a very, very, very bad resolution-keeper. It’s not that I don’t write lots. I do. But it’s for my day job. What I’ve always been good about is carving out a bit of free time evenings and…
Read MoreOslo’s City Hall
I’ve already written about my trip to Norway’s capital. I’ve written about my early jogs around Oslo and my visit to the Nobel Peace Prize Museum. But during my visit for work, I was lucky enough to attend a gala dinner at Oslo’s City Hall – the same venue where the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate…
Read More