Author Archives: The Wife of Bath
Opera heaven: watching Die Walküre in Nuremberg
Last night we watched Die Walküre at Staatstheater in Nurenberg, conviently located on Richard Wagner platz. What a treat to watch a Wagner opera in this jewel box of a Theater! Wagner’s music was, of course, mesmerizing, but the theater aspect of the opera was impressive as well. We were curious about the experience of watching a quintessentially […]
Tonight I’m sleeping with the monks at Maulbronn Monastery
Tonight we’re sleeping in a monastery ….well, almost. Our hotel is a bona fide UNESCO World Heritage sight. It was built here right beside the Maulbronn Monastery in Southwestern Germany (and these days it comes with Wi-Fi) The grounds of the monastery, which was founded in 1147, and the enclosed cloister are strikingly well preserved. I […]
The Roman city of Trier: grand architecture, funny signs, and suprisingly good vegan eats
312 AD was an important year. The Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and soon after, while based in Trier (in present day Germany), started building an awesome church and other amazing buildings. Basically, Trier was the boondocks of the Roman empire, so the big shots living there got lots of money to fund amazing buildings so they […]
Aachen: a glorious cathedral and Charlemagne in gold and cookie form
We were in and out of the Cathedral of Aachen, in Aachen Germany, all day today. While I’ll give you the yummy details later when I’m not jet lag’s bitch, I’m here to testify that it SO FREAKING AMAZING and I’m so happy I finally got to see it. This town is all about Charlemagne–we […]
Guess where?
We’re headed to the airport on our way to see outrageously excellent art and architecture, six UNESCO Word Heritage sights and an opera. Guess where? Our cat Janacek is providing a hint below:
Why you don’t need to be rich to be a cultural tourist, and why it’s probably better not to be (really!)
I remember the exact moment: after a morning of winding our way uphill through the medieval Albayzín neighborhood of Granada in Southern Spain, we reached the San Nicholas Viewpoint. We picnicked while taking in the enchanting view of the Alhambra and surrounding mountains and I mentioned to HOB that, according to our guide book, this […]
Palladio’s Teatro Olimpico: classic geeks, architecture nerds and trompe-l’œil freaks hold hands and say GAH!
I’ve been meaning to write about visiting Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy in an academic way, letting you all know that it was constructed in 1580 from Andrea Palladio’s plans based on a reconstruction of an ancient Roman theater ,etc, etc, because you, my readers, need the facts. But I’ve got to be straight with you: as soon […]
How to make a budget-friendly travel itinerary tailored to your interests
I’m clumsy, my spelling is atrocious, I suck at math and I’m a total slob, but people, I am really super-spanking good at writing a travel itinerary. Here’ s what works for me: Research like crazy and keep a list. No, I don’t mean a bucket list of far away fantasies, I mean a realistic […]
Art under your arse: carvings under the choir stalls of Notre-Dame de Nantilly, Saumur
Have you read that new book on medieval church art? It’s called Carvings Under Choir Stalls by Seymore Butts. LOL LOL LOL LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, okay, butt seriously, the next time you’re in an old church with a wooden choir, look under the seats. See something funny? It’s not an appropriate space to put a holy image, […]
Piero della Francesca’s Resurrection in Sansepolcro
It’s the perfect fresco for Easter: Christ steps proudly from his tomb super hero-style in his bubblegum pink robe. Those poor dupes, the guards, are sleeping and miss the drama. The composition is symmetrical, and a perfect triangle from the top of Christ’s head to the bodies of the guards below. It was only once […]
Picnic at the Cathedral 