Tag Archives: travel
A wardrobe malfunction in the Legend of the True Cross fresco, Arezzo
We arrived in Arezzo, a lovely art-laden town in Eastern Tuscany, with reservations to see Piero della Francesca’s Legend of the True Cross fresco cycle. Actually, I’d booked two separate viewing times, since reservations are compulsory and limited to a 1/2 half hour and that’s not enough time for us. As it turns out, we were the only visitors during both […]
The charm of interstitial cities
Getting around by public transportation as a budget minded, independent traveler can be non-linear and inefficient; this is why I love it. The phrase “you can only get there by car” activates my travel machismo and sends me straight to the internet, since I know there must be a way. An email to a tourist information […]
Michelangelo’s strange stairway at the Laurentian Library, Florence
How can a stairway start an architectural revolution? When it’s designed by Michelangelo. Construction on the Laurentian Library of Florence began in 1525, and plans for the vestibule and stairwell to the reading room were conceived by Michelangelo when he was 50 years old. Several architects continued the project, keeping with Michelangelo’s design concept, until […]
Paper, plastic, and ATM machines: your plan for spending money while traveling
Shout out to all my fellow cheapskate travelers: you savvy penny-pinchers have taught me so much about budget travel. In all the focus on saving money, though, the logistics of spending money during a trip sometimes get sidelined. Every traveler, even a cheapskate—make that especially a cheapskate—should have a money plan. You’ll need a combination of cash and […]
Giving torch-wielding putti the side eye in the Chapel of the Blessed Giovanni Orsini, Trogir
Okay, so I didn’t pay much attention during mass at the Cathedral of St. Lawrence in Trogir, Croatia. I mean, I sat quietly still and was passably respectful, but my face surely resembled that of a flounder: The reason for my flounder face? I was straining with all my power to get a look at the Chapel of […]
Holocaust Memorial Wall, Frankfurt
Each of these name plates commemorates a Jewish citizen of Frankfurt, murdered during the holocaust. There are over 12,000 names. This Holocaust memorial wall is adjacent to Frankfurt’s Jewish museum. The main synagogue of the Jewish ghetto used to stand here, before it was burned in Kristallnacht. The birthday of each victim is recorded along with the […]
Lamplight and cobblestones in Mostar
Here’s my advice for visiting Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina: Don’t miss it. Spend the night. Climb a minaret. Pet the cats and avoid feral dogs. Wear practical footwear. It was early evening when Alisa, our B&B host, picked us up from the bus station in Mostar. She brought along a friend for the ride, and within minutes […]
Language barrier? No problem. How to communicate while traveling when you don’t speak the language
This is me in every country: “Hello, excuse me, I am sorry I don’t speak [name of language] well. Can you please tell me where is the bathroom/supermarket/train station/cool Romanesque church? Thank you. Goodbye.” In spite of being a glamorous international traveler, my foreign language skills suck. Wait, I take that back, I can roll my […]
Weights and measurements in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is pretty….pretty touristy. And there’s a legit reason for that: Hordes of people come to Dubrovnik because it looks like this. Visiting in late November, we avoided the belched-out-by-cruise-ships crowds while relishing the sunny, windy weather that perfectly showcased Dubrovnik’s sparking water and austere architecture. Still, there’s a sort of dead feeling to the old […]
Funniest Travel Moments from 2015
This majestic portrait from our guest house in Vadu Izei should be an object of religious reverence. We did the pee pee dance in Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges cathedral…. ….and the hands-up hairy man dance in the cathedral of Burgos. Don’t worry, we managed to avoid collisions with flying nuts and bolts in Split. Ah! Fond memories of the Dracula […]
Picnic at the Cathedral 