Sleeping With Ike: The Eisenhower Hotel at Culzean Castle
On the top floor of Culzean Castle (pronounced Cull-ANE), in Scotland’s southwest corner, just 50 miles from Glasgow, is a special place. It was where Dwight D. Eisenhower went to…
Prague Secrets–12 Insiders’ Tips for Traveling to Prague
Want some great Insiders’ Tips for traveling to Prague? I’ve got them. I’m not a Prague local, not at all. But I know one. And he led me to hidden…
Stolpersteine: Stumbling Across Reminders of the Holocaust
Stolpersteine are small, only noticed if you happen to be looking down. But these “stumbling stones” hold large pieces of the individual and collective memories of those the world lost…
Losing Myself at La Galcante, My Favorite Paris Shop
It’s a secret, a wonderful secret. It’s La Galcante, a Parisian shop probably like none you’ve ever been in before. It’s books and magazines, dust motes floating in pastel lemony…
Visiting Amsterdam’s IJ-Hallen: Europe’s Largest Flea Market
Amsterdam’s IJ-Hallen—it’s where the savvy Dutch go to find inexpensive Amsterdam Hip, Shabby Chic, Boho, Mid-Century Modern, still-serviceable clothes, and just plain used stuff. It’s a genuine flea market, the…
The Heidelberg Funicular to the Castle: Riding with my Grandfather
The ride up the Heidelberg Funicular to the city’s famous castle is smooth, quiet, shiny. It wasn’t always that way. Did my grandfather know it then? The Heidelberg Funicular, aka…
Walking in San Miguel-The Arroyo: a Photo Essay
I took a walk today in San Miguel de Allende. Walking in San Miguel is always a joy… as long as you watch your step to avoid a missing cobblestone,…
Restos: The Cemetery in San Miguel de Allende
At the rear of the Panteón Municipál, the city cemetery in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, is a columbarium, the wall of nichos where the urns of ashes of those…
Remembrance Day in the Netherlands: The Power of Silence
In Holland, Liberation Day is for celebration. But Remembrance Day in the Netherlands, “Dodenherdenking,” is for the silence of deep and painful memories, the solemnity of “We Will Never Forget.”…
POTW: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico-It’s the Little Things
On how a photo presented itself to me in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and reminded me to pay attention. To look up. To look down. To listen and smell…
Hooked on Lisbon’s Delicacy: Original Pastéis de Belém
When in Lisbon, Portugal, eating Pastéis de Belém, the iconic Portuguese egg tart, is an absolute requirement, whether you’re a foodie or not. Here’s why you must try it and…
Are These the Best Chocolate Truffles in Oregon? In the Country?
Recently, my constant search for the best chocolate truffles wherever I may roam took me up a small country lane in Oregon’s Willamette Valley to a place of peace, quiet……
Two Dozen Christmas Traditions Around the World
Wherein we learn that Christmas traditions around the world are not always what we think they are going to be…because people are not always the same everywhere. That’s why we…
Strolling Avenida Amsterdam in Condesa, Mexico City
Let’s go for a walk. In La Condesa, the hip and trendy neighborhood in Mexico City, let’s take a slow afternoon stroll along a paved path beneath trees in full…
POTW: Mexican Folk Art – Otomi Dolls
Mexican handicrafts come in all types and styles. In our Photo of the Week, Otomi dolls for sale in a doorway in San Miguel de Allende show the wonderful sense…
