An Attempt to See the World with New Eyes
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
When I think of Italy there are two Italy’s that come to mind: One is the whirlwind of Rome and Milan where posh women in tight skirts while zip by on Vespas — Making it look easy as pie. Where curly haired men smoke cigarettes in front of shops and bars, wearing suits a shade … Continue reading A Tale of Two Duomos
When the buffalo came to camp I texted my mother — It was one of those “just in case” reactions where I figured that if a trampling happened, it would be better for the family to know sooner rather than later. It was early evening when they arrived. Dozens of buffalo, or bison, whichever you … Continue reading South Dakota Isn’t Boring
Let’s get something straight before we dive into this — my “ranking” of parks stems from my being somewhere at a specific time and under specific circumstances. This does not mean you will not enjoy or find infinite value in the “last place” park. This should go without saying, but I once saw a popular … Continue reading Utah’s National Parks Ranked (Somewhat Arbitrarily)
At 5:00pm we pass a parrot bar. The door is made of the heaviest wood but it’s wide open. Revealed within sits a woman, early sixties with the whitest hair woven tightly into a bun. She’s drowned by the pearls wrapped round and round her neck, nearly weighted down by them as they clash against … Continue reading The Colors of San Juan
Rothenburg is the town the live action Beauty & the Beast set is inspired by (they made a replica of the fountain and everything!) but the history of the town is more interesting than fairytale. Hitler considered Rothenburg to be the ideal town; to him, it was the quintessential German “home town” and was featured … Continue reading Hanging in a Bavarian Fairytale: Rothenburg ob der Tauber
I know Beauty and the Beast takes place in France, but I couldn’t get the soundtrack out of my head when travelling through Bavaria. Whenever in an open field I’d throw my arms about me and belt “I want adventure in the great wide, somewhere” and standing in front of quaint shop fronts I’d hum … Continue reading Hanging in a Bavarian Fairytale: Bamberg
