Piano, piano….slowly, slowly, as the Italians would say, the world is starting to yawn and stretch it’s limbs that have been unused for the past year. COVID was something we have not seen in our lifetime, and it showed me how accustomed I am to the world seeming very small. In no more than 48 … More The world wakes up….
There have been many crazy things I have decided to do in my life. The greatest of these is probably the decision to buy a house, in a town I’ve never been to, in a country that won’t even let us in right now. Italy has been calling for some time, not for any seemingly … More The scent of history and flowers
Did you know that Black Friday can be an excellent time for finding a great price on travel? I have long advised that the best way to save money on travel is to be flexible. If you have set dates you MUST travel on, you will nearly always end up paying more than you would … More London Calling!
Adventure isn’t about going to exotic places, and taking enviable Instagram photos. Adventure is about having an open heart, being game for going anywhere, doing anything, and experiencing something new. It can be on the other side of the globe, or in our own backyard. It can be as simple as feeling your breath catch, … More The Wilds of Mississippi
There are people who are gifted at creating home wherever they are. Sometimes they travel frequently, and do it to have a sense of home while they are away, sometimes they have transplanted themselves far from their home, and need that little bit of comfort. In the case of Michela, her family home in Tuscany … More Just go to Brooklyn, for dinner in Tuscany
Lately it has seemed like I was constantly answering New York questions…what to see, what to avoid, where to go…when I see posts in groups that say ridiculous things like “The M&M store is a must do” it makes me twitchy. That isn’t New York. That is Disney. If you want an endless shopping experience, … More I’ll take Manhattan!
By request, and hurriedly pasted from conversations with friends lately, all seeking planning help for a visit to my favorite city. Quick list: NY Transit museum, Cable car to Roosevelt Island to see the FDR Memorial and the ruins of the typhoid hospital where Typhoid Mary was sent, Hungarian pastry shop across from the Cathedral … More Quick and Dirty New York Lowdown
It is not just a church. It is the beating heart of Paris. So few places in our world have stood for 850 years, and you feel every year of that history when you step inside. It is a relic of days when a cathedral was truly a fortress, and it is awe inspiring. It … More The heart of Paris
They call Paris the city of light, but Amsterdam sparkles and glows with lights. Amsterdam was an accident. Well, maybe more of a less than planned diversion. We were in Brussels, which is definitively not my favorite city, and had been bumped from the last flight of the day back to the US. We had … More Raspberries, in Amsterdam
Late winter and early spring always bring a similar affliction for me. I will call it Manhattan fever. I’m not sure why it is this particular time of year, but perhaps it is because I associate New York with ducking into churches and coffee shops to escape the frozen air for a minute. This seems … More A New York State of Mind
Vagabond.Belle 