An Attempt to See the World with New Eyes
Make no mistake, it gets cold in the desert. The wind kicks up just before sunset on a late-May evening and with temperatures in the fifties, the goosebumps on my arms have been hanging around for an hour now. My sleeveless wedding dress, slit to the knee, provides little warmth. My hair, bound only by … Continue reading Eloping in Joshua Tree: A Desert Love Story
My husband has a habit. Most often it kicks in during a hike, but it has been known to occur in cities. It all depends on what’s lying on the ground. Seaweed, spanish moss, volcanic rock and dried mud have all triggered it. The habit is simple: Pick up a bit of nature lying about, … Continue reading The Art of Natura Obscura
The fiddler breaks a string mid-song. The band being an instrumental trio, the change is noticeable immediately, but the fiddler strums on. Her face makes a slight grimace at moments where the string is particularly missed. Thunder roils outside. She wears a black tunic, black ankle boots and dark rimmed glasses. Between the fiddler’s style, … Continue reading The West Virginia Town Defying Stereotypes
I’ve always had a desire to visit Scandinavia, but I admit that prior to actually visiting Stockholm my knowledge of the region’s food was sorely lacking. A search for cafes in our Södermalm neighborhood proved that Swedes loved coffee, but I wasn’t aware the country is the sixth highest consumer of coffee in the world. … Continue reading An Illustrated Food Guide to Sweden
Breakfast in the morning was mint chocolate chip donuts, procured from Sedona Arizona’s eponymous “Sedonanuts” and lunch was a ham hoagie ordered from the Subway in Meteor Crater’s gift shop. Ordering dinner in Shiprock New Mexico’s That’s A Burger, I was feeling a bit disoriented, as one does when they’ve driven 350 miles in a … Continue reading Patti B and Mesa V(erde)
National Parks of the US give their visitors a park map and newsletter as they enter. The contents usually cover the local flora and fauna, popular hiking trails and park history, as well as recent goings-on like nature walks and seasonal advisories. Newsletter introductions are proud ones, affirming the importance of the park — Mesa … Continue reading Petrified Forest: The Little National Park that Could
The beer scene in the US is stellar. It’s the trendsetter (Hello hazy IPA). The country dwarfs all others when it comes to the sheer number of craft breweries its borders contain. Within twenty minutes walking distance from my house I can get to six independent breweries. But, when it comes to a history with … Continue reading My 5 Favorite Beer Gardens of Berlin and Munich
There are places I look forward to travelling to as I age — In New Mexico and Arizona I’ll collect turquoise jewelry which will look glorious against my long silver hair. In Tuscany I’ll drink wine in the afternoons before walking across the street to dinner, feeling no guilt about going to bed at 7:00pm. … Continue reading To Be Young In Berlin
At 5am I am woken by the donkey. I knew donkeys brayed, but didn’t realize that like roosters, they come alive at dawn. I learn much about donkeys in Tufo. Sipping coffee in the morning I watch the donkey toss its head from side-to-side, swinging its ears in perfect arcs. Reading in the afternoon I … Continue reading East of Naples, a Home
We take the morning train from Rome to Pompeii, switching trains in Naples. Carl has warned me about the Naples train station, which seemed like overkill to me. I’ve spent hundreds of mornings commuting on New York’s subway cars and Philadelphia’s SEPTA buses. None of the things I’ve seen or smelled on those days prepared … Continue reading The City Beneath the Volcano
