Lost in Milano, Part I
Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers, that the mind can never break off from the journey. — Pat Conroy It’s true. The trip sticks with you: the stories, the sites, the smells, the food, the mishaps. Where you were when you lost your husband. What you…
The Girl’s-Week-Away Tuscan Spa Trip
“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list”— Susan Sontag Four years ago this very month, Tim went to the Winter Olympics in Torino to see our nephew, Anders Johnson, compete as the youngest member of the US Ski Jumping Team. At a scant 16 years of age, he was certainly the pride of our family for those two…
On the Road Again . . . and Again . . . with Paper and Pen
I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train. — Oscar Wilde I am not a stable person, geographically speaking. When I start to list all the places I’ve lived since graduating from college, I am appalled. Chestnut Street in Oneonta, New York. Then to Brooklyn (to Park Slope, before it was…
Proud to Present . . .
I met a lot of people in Europe. I even encountered myself — James Baldwin I turned 60 in August. For a long time, I thought about how I wanted to celebrate this big event. I knew it would not be with a “thing” — I have enough things as it is. And I hate surprise parties. I knew that…
Bella Borghetto, Italian Neverland
My favorite thing is to go where I’ve never been. — Diane Arbus We had just spent an amazing week in the north of Italy, introducing six of our friends to Bologna, Mantova, Modena, Padova, Ferrara, Vicenza . . . the list goes on. It was a whirlwind of a trip for a number of reasons, and at this point…
How does your (word) garden grow?
I type in one place, but I write all over the house. — Toni Morrison I was talking to a writer friend recently. We were in a Starbucks in a Barnes & Noble and she was anxious to get back to her house because she was, as she said, “on a roll” with some writing. Of course, that got us…
The Legend of La Befana
Christmas is a time when you get homesick – even when you’re home. ~ Carol Nelson When I was a kid, we celebrated Christmas on December 25. Santa Claus came down the chimney (I never knew how he got into our fireplace-less house) the night before and, since I was an only child, I awoke to boxes and boxes of…
Wherefore art thou? In Verona, for a very special occasion.
Everywhere I go I find a poet has been there before me. — Sigmund Freud I’m not sure if the Bard of Avon ever actually traveled to Verona, but he surely started a trend. Verona (with apologies to my new home state of Virginia) has become the location for lovers. Every year, hordes of tourists from all over the world…
There’s No Place Like Home
I have traveled a good deal in Concord. — Henry David Thoreau I know what he means. When I lived in New York City, there was a time when I couldn’t wait to leave the summer city air behind and head east to the beaches of the Hamptons or north to the Green Mountains of Vermont. Until I realized that…
How to travel with a group and maintain your sanity
I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them. – Mark Twain After coordinating small groups of travelers in five different Italian villas over the years, I have become something of an expert in group travel. I know that some of my friends think…
Travel Tips Newsletter
Every once in a while, Linda posts useful gems about mustn’t-miss travel info. Group travel? Packing? Where to go? What happens when an emergency strikes?
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