Designer friends, look at these choices.
Couldn’t resist capturing on camera. I would love to know what you think. Clearly the choice for the new color for this very old wall in the heart of Monterossa is up for public vote. What would you chose?
Europe
Loving Lucca
Lucca, a very old city about an hour’s drive from Florence, turns out to be a charming place. We planned for our visit to be little more than an overnight after taking three flights to get from Grand Rapids, Mi to this most charming part of Italy. Our first real destination is Cinque...
Barcelona: A city of art and architecture
When I told a designer friend that we’d be spending a week in Barcelona he said enthusiastically, “Oh, you will love Barcelona. It’s like Paris. In fact, I like it better.” He was right. Like Paris, Barcelona has art, great food and interesting architecture. Extremely walkable, it is a city...
Ex-pat shares Paris Favs
Yesterday I wrote about my favorite things to do in Paris and asked for readers to respond with ideas of their own. Well, I got lucky. John Brosky, formerly of Grand Rapids, Mi shared his thoughts and generously agreed to let me post them here. He is a free lance writer living in Paris with...
My “Favorite Five” things to do in Paris
A young film editor from Chicago asked me recently if there are any things that I always do when I go to Paris. We were sitting next to each other at a Hidden Kitchen dinner in Paris discussing the fact it was her first trip to Paris and my tenth. The question has intrigued me […]
Tall Castles Dot Irish Landscape
Tower Castles or Tall Houses as they are sometimes called, dot the landscape of Ireland. Left to ruin, they are an eerie reminder of clans and medieval life on the Emerald Isle. I think they are fascinating. Three or more stories tall, they have a their characteristic compact...
Gregans Castle Hotel — a welcoming spot in Ireland
I had two really big surprises when we arrived at the Gregans Castle Hotel in the area known as the Burren in the western part of Ireland. The first one was that it wasn’t a castle. Actually that was a good thing. When I booked the hotel in the western part of Ireland in […]
Driving the Burren Coast Road of Ireland to Doolin and Cliffs of Mohr
Taking the Coast Road in the area called the Burren of Ireland is stunning. Mix vast expanse of Atlantic Ocean and the almost surreal rocky terrain with many the interesting sights and no doubt about it, it’s a Wow. A continuous Wow. We were lucky to do this on a sunny, blue sky “My Irish...
Fitzwilliam Hotel in Dublin, delightful place to stay
Located across the street from St. Stephen’s Green and a short block away from Grafton Street, The Fitzwilliam Hotel is perfectly located for a traveler like me. St. Stephen’s Green is a gorgeous park, filled with verdant green plants, a large pond and charming spots for reading, relaxing and...
Oscar Wilde Statue in lush green corner of a Dublin park
While meandering through a a lush green park in Dublin called Merrion Square I came across this monument to the famous Irish playwright, Oscar Wilde. This private and secluded spot is across the street from an area of dominated by formal Georgian structures, distinguished by the many...