Posts Tagged ‘Europe’
An 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.…
Read MoreA night at the opera at Prague’s Narodni divadlo
I was back in Prague, Czch Republic, last year. I lived for almost three years in Prague many, many years ago, so it’s always a pleasure to get back. When I lived there, I often liked to visit Prague’s three opera houses to enjoy the performances. One of Prague’s opera houses, the Narodni divadlo (National…
Read MoreThirteen hours in Dublin
Earlier this month, I was traveling to Exeter, and my flight had a stop-over in Dublin. Since I always enjoy returning to Ireland’s capital, I was happy to have one night in Dublin, before returning to the airport for an early morning flight. Since I had so little time, I decided to stay centrally, and…
Read MoreEscaping the heat in the mountains of Abruzzo
After a fairly mild spring and summer, the heat has set in in Rome. So I was happy my younger son suggested a weekend escape to our favorite mountain hideaway, and we left for a weeekend in Ovindoli in Italy’s Abruzzo region. It’s an easy hour and a half trip from Rome, but its slower…
Read MoreWroclaw, Poland from up on high
The first thing I do whenever I visit any city new to me is discover the highest point so that I can ascend it and see the views from on high. In a modern Americam city, that will be a skyscraper. In European centers, that will generally be a medieval belltower. So when my husband…
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