Legends of the Middle Ages and early Renaissance tell stories of boiling oil poured on attackers trying to scale the ramparts—but how about some soup?
Read MoreI got to thinking recently that nowhere I love and nowhere I’ve traveled has had a museum of storytelling and literature.
Read MoreDespite the endless confusion and evident misery, we may never get rid of changing the clocks twice a year.
Read MoreNoir fans, like me, have endless theories and stances and opinions about the genre, enough to make me wonder if noir fiction isn’t unique the nebulousness of its definition. (Fitting, no?)
Read MoreNovember 1 on the Catholic calendar is All Saints’ Day. The French have blended the term, making November 1 “la Toussaint” in French parlance.
Read MoreIf your travel will take you to Reykjavik, here are a few of my suggestions on what to do, see, and eat while in town. The city has a lot to offer and a lot to love!
Read MoreAs always, I read fewer books in Q3 than I do in other quarters of the year. I still read plenty, though, listed with my favorites in bold as always.
Read MoreAt the arrival of autumn in Switzerland, you might be surprised by a procession of beflowered cows and traditionally dressed herders filing down the mountain.
Read MoreIf you think you don’t like horror novels and short stories, you may not have the full perspective on horror fiction. Hear me out—especially if you like thriller and suspense books.
Read MoreWhen we stayed in Burlington, we had more options for day trips than we had time to take. Here are our favorites—all less than a two-hour drive from town.
Read MoreIf many countries have a holiday to honor laborers, why isn’t it an international holiday celebrated on the same day?
Read MoreIf you wander through central Bern, in Switzerland, you might stumble on some bears Natural question: Why? Here’s the full story and the scoop on how to visit.
Read MoreIn France, family tradition dictates when summer vacation happens, with great debates over which dates are better—and who is better, based on which dates they prefer.
Read MoreThese are our favorite cafes, coffee shops, and patisseries in the center of town that we pop into as we wander between activities when we visit. (And we visit often!)
Read MoreI ranged all over the place with my reading in Q2 2024, from what felt like the gamut of fiction genres through to nonfiction on the writing craft and beyond.
Read MoreAnyone who reads this blog knows I’m a huge book nerd who also writes fiction. Whether or not you write, if you love reading, you’ll love these podcasts.
Read MoreEach year on the first official day of summer—June 21, the day after the summer solstice—France (and the rest of the world, so I hear) celebrate Make Music Day.
Read MoreThe 24 Hours of Le Mans (24 Heures du Mans, in French) takes place on a racetrack near Le Mans, France. It is the oldest active—and most internationally famous—endurance race.
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