Mountain bliss in Leysin, Switzerland
I clearly have Switzerland on my mind this summer. That’s because I’ve been up bringing my older son to French camp and picking him up, and I’ve had time to explore the pretty region around Lake Geneva. And this is the idyllic mountaintop community where he’s been spending his time – Leysin. In the winter,…
Read MoreFavorite summer reads?
I don’t know what it is about summer, but the books I read over the summer holidays are always indelibly stamped on my brain. I can remember long summer holidays as a kid, and the books I read. I remember being nine, sitting by a lake and reading the terrifying story of ‘Bella’, a possessed…
Read MoreLooking for a Rome day trip? Medieval Sermoneta
This wonderfully preserved medieval town, south of Rome in the region of Lazio, is an enjoyable daytrip from Italy’s capital. Tiny Sermoneta is truly a pleasure to visit, and feels light years away from the chaos of Rome. Wander the winding, cobblestone streets and enjoy the panoramic views over the valley. On clear days, you…
Read MoreEarth to female authors? The Booker Prize 2014
The longlist to the Booker 2014 has been released, and what a white-male-dominated list it is. I’ve already written about innovative social media campaigns such as #Readwomen2014, created because talented, female authors are largely ignored by mainstream literary journals. I also read excellent sites such as The Writes of Women and VIDA , both of which bring…
Read MoreSpectacular views over Geneva from the cathedral belltower
As I’ve written in earlier posts about Geneva, this Swiss city has an enviable position along the beautiful Lake Geneva. If you catch a clear, sunny day (not always a given in Geneva), head to the St Pierre Cathedral and climb up the bell tower’s narrow steps for gorgeous views over the city, the mountains beyond,…
Read More19th century meets the 21st century: The Austen Project
I’ve been reading Sense & Sensibility, not the original, but the first volume of ‘The Austen Project‘. The AustenProject teams up contemporary authors with 19th century classics written by one of my favorite authors of all time – Jane Austen. The first novel in the series is written by British bestselling author Joanna Trollope, and…
Read MoreWander the medieval streets of Vico del Gargano, Italy
I’ve already posted on a fabulous holiday to the Gargano peninsula in southern Italy – in the region of Puglia. We stayed in picturesque Vieste, took a boat trip to the stunning Tremiti Islands, and explored all the beautiful swimming coves on the peninsula. While there, we also visited some of the other pretty towns…
Read MoreVery Inspiring Book Blogs Award
The Very Inspiring Blogger Award is flying like an angel around the blogosphere, touching down on many of the dedicated and inspiring people out there dedicated to books and writing and sharing the word on literature. I’m very proud to be nominated for this award. A big thanks to Claire, over at the wonderful Word by Word,…
Read MoreMedieval lakeside charm in Nyon, Switzerland
This summer, on a trip to Geneva, Switzerland with my family (see my earlier post about things to do in Geneva), the disastrous weather forecasts were (luckily!) proven wrong, the sun broke out from the grey clouds, and we decided to hop on a Lake Geneva boat to visit the medieval, lakeside town of Nyon.…
Read MoreYoung adult adventure in belle Paris: Author interview with Evelyne Holingue
I’m extremely happy to have talented author Evelyne Holingue on my blog today. I met Evelyne through her fabulous blog. I was bound to love Evelyne’s blog and her writing. Evelyne is from France (alongside Italy, my favorite country in the world), where she grew up in beautiful Normandy and studied in Paris. As an…
Read More