Posts Tagged ‘Europe’
Admiring Exeter’s Cathedral between bouts of rain
This past autumn, I was in Devon, England for the Historical Novel Society Conference. While there, I joined one of the organized trips for us to visit Exeter’s Norman-Gothic cathedral, and to enjoy a wander around the pretty town. The Exeter Cathedral was founded in 1050, but was expanded between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries.…
Read MoreEnjoying the early spring rays in Marche’s seaside Fano
It was a glorious, sunny March day and my husband and I were were driving from our weekend trip to Urbino and long the Marche coast back to Rome. We had never been to seaside Fano, and since it was on our way we stopped off to explore this beach town. The weather was perfect…
Read MoreThe stunning fourteenth century frescoes in Padova’s Palazzo della Ragione
You can’t miss this spectacular structure on your visit to pretty Padova. I’ve already written about the picturesque Piazza della frutta and Piazza delle erbe, on which this palace is located. The bottom of the Palazzo della Ragione (The Palace of Reason) was dedicated to a covered market built in 1166, but the upper section…
Read MoreTraining it along the “English Riviera”
This past autumn, I traveled to Devon, UK for the Historical Novel Society conference. Flying in to Exeter, I took a bus to the train station, and then embarked on a trip down to the Devon coastline – also known as England’s Riviera. I nabbed a coastline window so I could catch views of the…
Read MoreAn afternoon stroll through silent, artistic Totnes, Devon
Back in September, I was at the fabulous Historical Novel Society UK Conference in beautiful Devon. Each day, on our way to the spectacular conference venue, Dartington Hall , the bus taking us from our hotel would pass through picture-perfect Totnes, nestled along the River Dart. I would press my face against thw window and…
Read MoreChagall’s splash of color in Zurich’s Fraumünster
On a recent trip to Zurich, I returned to see the Chagall painted windows I hadn’t seen in years. Russian-Jewsih artist Marc Chagall (Moishe Segal/Mark Zacharovič Šagal, 1887-1985) began a new phase of his career with stained glass and painted windows for churches. Zurich’s Fraumünster church, founded in 853 by Louis the German for his…
Read MoreParis is always a good idea…
I was in Paris for a weekend last month. Although I’ve been many times to Paris, it’s always a pleasure to get back. I left early on a Friday, and had three days in the City of Lights, and I was eager to get in as much as I could – great walks, music, art,…
Read MoreWhen in Paris … Shakespeare and Company
When a writer and avid reader finds herself in Paris, it is almost sacrilege not to pay a visit to Shakespeare and Company. It was also close to my hotel, so made for an easy trip. The original bookstore opened in Paris in 1919 (in a different location in the Left Bank) by Sylvia Beach.…
Read MoreGorgeous views from Bern’s Minster tower – Switzerland’s tallest cathedral spire
Last month, my husband and I were on a trip to Zurich. The weather was perfect, and we decided to take a daytrip by train to Switzerland’s capital – Bern. I’ve already written about our visit to the interesting Paul Klee Museum, built by Italian starchitect, Renzo Piano. We enjoyed the whole city, but one…
Read More110 years ago today – the devastating Pescina, Abruzzo earthquake
Today marks a very sad anniversary – the commemoration of the Pescina Earthquake that struck the region 110 years ago – in the early morning hours of 13 January 1915. Pescina is a small town in Abruzzo, and it was close to the epicenter. The little town of 6000 people lost an unbelieveable 5000 residents.…
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