The historic Hotel De l’Europe Gastein, Bad Gastein, Austria
The art nouveau architecture of the former Grand Hotel de l’Europe in Bad Gastein, an Alpine town in Salzburg province of Austria, hints at its former glory. The grand hotel was built between 1906 and 1909 and once hosted kings, kaisers, heads of state and celebrities who came to this Alpine town for its gorgeous…
Read MoreDoes sloppy author research drive you crazy?
I recently picked up a novel by an author who seems to set some of her stories in Italy. This one was set in Rome – my city. It had a gorgeous cover, and I’d never read any of her work before, so I picked it up. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy anything about the book:…
Read MoreThe new Whitney Museum: New York
New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art, known more commonly as ‘The Whitney’, moved this year from its home on the Upper East Side to a shiny new home in New York’s Meatpacking District, just adjacent to the High Line, and along the Hudson River. The 50,000 square feet of indoor galleries and 13,000 square feet…
Read MoreIt’s (not quite) Monday. What are YOU reading?
Always love discovering new book blogging sites through other sites I enjoy. That’s why I was pleased that Emma from Once Upon a Littlefield pointed me towards The Book Date. I like this blog challenge – ‘It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?’ – for those of us who blog fully or partially about books as a prompt…
Read MoreEarly morning jogs in the Bahamas
When I travel and have space to squeeze my running sneakers into my suitcase, I’m usually happy to start the mornings off with a scenic jog. If it’s an area I don’t know, it also gives my my bearings in a new town or city. On a recent trip to the Bahamas, it turned out…
Read MoreSorry to have missed this year’s Matera Women’s Fiction Festival
Around this time of year, I find myself engaged in the (pleasurable) task of writing up what I’ve learned at the annual Matera Women’s Fiction Festival. Matera is a very special town in southern Italy where writers of women’s fiction and women writers of all genres gather to learn about changes in the industry, to…
Read MoreMovies in Central Park, New York
I’ve already written about all the reasons I love New York in the summertime, and especially when we visit in August. When we’re there, we always make a point of seeing the free films screened in Central Park – these tend to be the third week in August, rain or shine. A big screen is…
Read MoreAugust reads
In summer, my reading always picks up. And during holidays, I had the chance to read quite a few books, some of which I really enjoyed. Now that I am back to the daily grind, I decided to take a look back at my August reads and (hopefully) somehow feel as if I’m back on…
Read MoreHollywood on the Lusatian Neisse River: Görlitz, Germany/Zgorzelec, Poland
During a stay in Prague, Czech Republic, we decided to make a day trip to an interesting town partially in Germany, partially in Poland. This architectural gem is called Görlitz in German and Zgorzelec in Polish. You can see the tourist information site here. It may be familiar to many who haven’t yet visited because it is a…
Read MoreI completed my Goodreads Challenge 2016
2016 is not yet over, but a recent burst of enthusiastic summer reading means I’ve wrapped up my Goodreads Reading challenge early. Even if it’s only for fun, always nice to get things in before deadlines. I know some people criticize the Reading challenge, calling it a useless check-list, but I enjoy participating each year. I’ve…
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