Towards a better understanding of the American South

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Always up for a road trip and not being fans of March in Connecticut, Ray and I revved up the Rav last month and headed south. The goals were to connect with friends and family, to explore new places and, of course, to sample the culinary fare along the way. We returned with a new appreciation of the South, a… Read more »

If you are crazy enough to drive cross country you might want to read this!

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From Sea to Shining Sea   From my childhood days of reading Little House on the Prairie and watching Wagon Train on a black and white TV, experiencing the endless expanses of plains, desert and mountains that comprise much of the United States has been a constant fixation, but one rarely realized due to the even more pressing  magnetic pull… Read more »

Joyeux Noël!

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Every Christmas since nineteen-seventy something I have made at least one bûche de Noel. This year possibly three. Or four. And since a few years ago I made a how-to slide presentation I thought I’d just make it available to my friends

Drama in Dijon

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The last time we were in Dijon was in 1979! Since then, we have often read what a great place it is, and seriously considered it for a longterm stay. Problem is we are such gypsies, and when it came down to it we couldn’t see ourselves staying anywhere for too long! We are beginning to reconsider now that we… Read more »

Escape from the Valley of the Temples

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Sicily has the right to be the proud of its stunning collection of ancient Greek and Roman-Hellenistic temples dating from the 6th century before the Christian era. The settings are majestic, the artistry is admirable and the colossal dimensions are a wonder. It is so cool to be able to climb through many of them and imagine what it might have… Read more »

February in Flagstaff!

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On my birthday this year, we flew out to Flagstaff to visit our son Dan and his wife Meg and spend a few days getting to know Arizona a little better. We flew out of Bradley to Phoenix via O’Hare. O’Hare is my least favorite airport, so we will try for another route next time! Where we stayed: Sonesta Suites, in… Read more »

Logan, Utah – some travel tips and photos

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Our son Dan, a plant lover from childhood, decided after many years as an inner-city special ed teacher that he wanted to fulfill a dream and get a second master’s degree–this time in forestry. Several possibilities arose, but the best deal came from Utah State in Logan, Utah. His fiancée, Megan, courageously agreed to leave San Francisco with him and… Read more »

Driving in Italy

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The DIY approach to travel has long been our favorite, and that makes driving ourselves one of the best ways to do it. You go exactly where you want to go, exactly when. No waiting in train stations or in lines at the airport. No tour directors telling you what to see when, or arriving in a restaurant with a… Read more »

Veneto – bellisimo! Part 1: Trieste

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Continuing our journey through some of the underrated cities of Europe, our Slovenian friends drove us to Trieste – sort of like driving to, oh, maybe New Haven. After three vineyards and one enormous lunch we arrived to the evening light that has so captivated artists throughout the centuries. We were not immune. Yes, a little gritty around the edges,… Read more »