After your museum visit – exploring Bilbao, Spain
Last week I wrote about visiting the spectacular Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. You can see my post here. But after your museum visit is over, you’ll want to make time to stroll down the river and enjoy Bilbao’s old town. Although Bilbao’s medieval old town and its architecture dates back to the XIVth century,…
Read MoreWriting advice from Virginia Woolf
“So long as you write what you wish to write, that is all that matters; and whether it matters for ages or only for hours, nobody can say.” -Virginia Woolf Who can argue with this brilliant writing advice from author Virginia Woolf? Woolf’s writing has certainly stood the test of time, but I like the…
Read MoreBilbao’s fabulous Guggenheim, Spain
It’s been years I’ve been “meaning to” get to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. A holiday in France’s Basque region provided me with the opportunity to journey across the border into Spain’s Basque country to visit this modern art museum that celebrated its 20th birthday last year. This striking modern architecture was created by…
Read MoreBook Review: Eligible
I’m a huge Jane Austen fan, and so I was very interested when I heard about The Austen Project: a plan to retell Austen’s six novels set in modern times, and reinterpreted by six different contemporary authors. I enjoyed the modern version of Sense and Sensibility by Joanna Trolloppe. But then I pretty much gave up…
Read MoreExploring the medieval Vatican City: Viterbo, Italy
Last week I wrote about the Terme dei Papi – The Thermal Baths of the Popes – in northern Lazio. In this port, I wanted to highlight the beautiful town of Viterbo, just a few kilometers away from this spa, and well worth a visit before or after you soak in the warm waters. Viterbo, as…
Read MoreAuthor Marguerite Yourcenar on why we read
“Books are a way of learning to feel more acutely.” – Marguerite Yourcenar Sage words from the French author (1903-1987) most famous for her novel Memoirs of Hadrian. Perhaps this author knows best, having so effectively written from the perspective of 1st Century AD Roman Emperor. Books have a way of opening us up to…
Read MoreRelaxing in Viterbo’s Terme dei Papi, Italy
The thermal waters found north of Rome, at the Terme dei Papi (The Thermal Baths of the Popes) were famous well before Papal times. These thermal waters were well known to the Etruscans, well before the birth of Rome. In the 3rd Century B.C., the Roman army, led by Console Quinto Fabio Rulliano, conquered and…
Read MoreA story encapsulated in a poem
My middle schooler has been learning a poem by heart for his French class. He was having a difficult time with the following poem, the excellent Déjeuner du matin by Jacques Prévert . Much of his difficulty in memorizing came from a lack of understanding. He was reading the poem as a type of ‘Ode to café…
Read MoreStunning views from the roof of Milan’s Duomo
I was very happy to get back to Milan recently – a city where I lived almost two decades ago. One of the things I used to do when friends visited me in Milan was to take them to the roof of Milan’s Duomo – the cathedral. From there, there are beautiful views over the…
Read MoreAnother New Year, another Goodreads Reading Challenge
It’s that time of year again for those of us who love reading – time to set our reading goals for 2018. Every year I sign up for the Goodreads Reading Challenge, and 2018 is no exception. I’ve pledged to read 45 novels in the new year. I generally meet my challenge, but if I…
Read More