Author Archives: The Wife of Bath
Our Lady of Peace, South Shore’s street art, and Minister Farrakhan doesn’t like us
Our Lady of Peace, a Roman Catholic church in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood, is a neo-Renaissance class act. Completed in 1933 during the depression, the church was initially meant to be Gothic in style—the turn towards Renaissance was a money saving measure. The finished church doesn’t seem like a compromise to me, however, because wait until […]
The unanticipated side effects of a picnic at Pont Valentré, Cahors
Want to visit a unique city nestled inside a bend in a river, an authentic and non-touristy town with highly-cultivated gastronomy? Yes? Then Cahors is for you. But wait until you get a look at this bridge—now you’re sold, aren’t you? The Southwestern region of France is teeming with medievalist catnip, and Cahors’ Pont Valentré is […]
I (finally!) have travel gear
Let’s get right to the good part: I finally found waterproof walking shoes. My quest for waterproof walking shoes was more or less the Epic of Gilgamesh, The Aeneid, Njáls Saga and The Odyssey rendered in retail. It was not pretty. It involved a lot of returns. And yet, just at the moment I feared […]
Walking the West Rogers Park eruv, the invisible spiritual city on Chicago’s North Side
Look closely. See the long, black rectangle hidden in the mural below, beneath the red arms? That’s a door to a invisible city. An invisible city, or perhaps more accurately, an enclosed spiritual zone, known as an eruv. I’ve been traveling through the West Rogers Park eruv for years, unaware of its existence, until a few weeks […]
My ten favorite works of art in situ and why you should see art in its original context
Of course I had a conversion experience: it happened in Florence, back when I wasn’t such a prepared traveler. HOB and I were on our honeymoon eating too much gelato and wandering through the art historical wonders of this Renaissance city. We entered the Museum of San Marco on a whim and were instantly drawn […]
In which the art of Thomas Kong swallows a bodega in Rogers Park
I’ve been walking by Kim’s Corner Food in Rogers Park on Chicago’s far North Side almost daily for 14 years. I went inside a few times to have keys copied. The proprietor, Thomas Kong, was always kindly and soft spoken. About five years ago this sign appeared. God is good. You are special. Fudge Brownies. Soon after, […]
Walk like Stevie Wonder and other advice for managing jet lag
Every good story needs a villain. The villain of my own life story is insomnia. As someone eager to be the hero of her own story, I battle against insomnia with a combination of protestant work ethic and desperation. During the past two years I’ve consulted four doctors, completed a 12 week sleeping class, taken three prescription medications, tried acupressure, light therapy, a […]
A private tour of Ravenswood Fellowship United Methodist Church involving many wooden beams, a fan-shaped organ, and a sobering discussion of internment camps
Earlier today an errand brought us to Ravenswood, on Chicago’s North Side, and since I’m the sort of lady who carries a copy of AIA Guide to Chicago in her backpack, HOB and I found ourselves ogling architecture in this pleasing, European-feeling community. Here’s a tip, useful for travelling at home and abroad: visit off-the-beaten-path destinations and […]
Origami toilet paper, the mystery of turn-down service, and did I mention I’m staying at a five star hotel?
So on Sunday night I arrived in Orlando with my cat hair-covered backpack and checked in here: Just me and a room full of pillows. So. Many. Freaking. Pillows. Don’t worry—I haven’t abandoned my commitment to authentic budget travel. I just happen to be in Orlando for a conference and this is the hotel where […]
Palazzo Schifanoia: boredom sucks, why not take a ride on a swan boat?
One day at work I made friends with an intern. His cube was across from mine and when I was walking by his desk I noticed this artwork as the background image on his computer: “Oh hey” I belted out “that’s from Palazzo Schifanoia!” You should have seen this intern’s face. “You know about Palazzo Schifanoia?!?!?!” As it […]
Picnic at the Cathedral 