Travel
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas … in Verona
Fitting for a Saint Nicholas Day post that we start taking a look at Christmas decorations. This day (or 8 December – The Immaculate Conception) is when many Italian towns begin decorating their centers – although the date is constantly being pushed earlier. Luckily for us, the decorations were up at the start of December…
Read MoreA mini-New Orleans in Mobile, Alabama
My visit last summer to Mobile, Alabama was my first visit to that Gulf Coast town. We arrived in Mobile after a stay in New Orleans, Louisiana, so our first impression was of Mobile a mini-New Orleans, with similar architecture along Mobile’s main stretch. Mobile is Alabama’s oldest city, with a history stretching back over…
Read MorePalladian splendor in Vicenza, Italy
I adore the northern small city of Vicenza, in Italy’s Veneto region. I first came here many years ago, and had not been back in years. When my youngest son had a cross-country race nearby, I jumped on the change to get back and visit this jewelbox of a town. I was not disappointed to…
Read MoreReturning to dorm life – at Durham University
As you can probably imagine, it has been many, many years since I took part in dorm life. In graduate school, I lived in an apartment, but even during my undergraduate years, I only lived in the dorms my freshman year. By second year, I had moved into my sorority, and the final two years…
Read MoreBourbon & old-style charm in Lexington, Kentucky
It doesn’t take long in the state to discover that Kentucky is bourbon country. Last summer I was driving through Kentucky with my family and we stopped off one night at Lexington, Kentucky – first time for me. We had been on a loooong drive, so it was good to park and stretch our legs…
Read MoreEnjoying fall foliage on an Abruzzo getaway
I was in desperate need for a weekend get-away out in the mountains, and so was my son. The weather forecasts were perfect, and we decided to take a short get-away to our favorite mountain hamlet in Abruzzo – Ovindoli. It was exactly what we needed: fresh mountain air, long walks, fall foliage, and fantastic…
Read MoreA whirlwind stop-off at the Jim Beam Distillery, Kentucky
Anyone who has ever been to Kentucky knows – this is Bourbon Country. Kentucky boasts forty distilleries producing 200 brands of bourbon, spread out along the state, and boasting bourbon trail visits for visitors. We definitely need to get back to do this, but on our big driving tour this summer, we had limited time…
Read MoreIn love with atmospheric Spanish moss
Anyone who has traveled in the southern United States will have noticed the beautiful, atmospheric Spanish moss that graces the oak trees there. Whenever I return, it never fails to make me smile. I love it in the daytime. I love it at night, when it adds an air of mystery. And I love it…
Read MoreHaving lunch in Columbus’ North Market
Although I’d been a few times to Columbus, Ohio, I never managed to get to its North Market before last summer. This past summer, we were staying in the Short North area of the city, and the North Market made an easy location to stop by for a quick lunch. It’s a busy location, with…
Read MoreOn The Road Again – American Roadtripping 2022
If you read my blogs regularly, you probably know how much I love road trips. Last summer, my younger son and I enjoyed a great American road trip. This year, my husband, younger son and I were on the road again – meeting up at times with my older son, who now lives in the…
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