Cuba Ships Dissidents off to Spain to be ‘Liberated’
I posted a note on Facebook about new opportunities to travel to Cuba, at least if you can claim to be a part of an educational tour or study group. A bunch of friends commented on how much they too want to go there. Tonight I read a column about […]
Bella’s Bartok: A Frenzied, 10-piece Collection of Musical Joy
As the ten members of Bella’s Bartok milled around the back of the Rendezvous, getting ready for their Saturday night gig, I thought about how hard it must be to keep all of them on the same musical page. What a diverse ensemble, so many instruments–trumpet, trombone, violin, accordion, guitars, […]
He Broke into Mothballed Ships off the California Coast
The battleship USS Iowa, mothballed off the coast of California. Now LA and Long Beach are battling to be the city where it will be turned into a museum. photo by Scott Haeffner.[/caption] Scott Haeffner is a daring man who could not resist exploring a forbidden part of the California […]
In June 2011, I Felt Serene and Happy…
Our lives plunge forward through hills of fear and loneliness and through great valleys of joy. There is hardship, and suffering and sadness and then there is Sofie, outside playing on the neighbor’s new swingset, cries of joy emanating from her as she watches Magnus climb up little toy ropes. […]
Ann’s a Phenom, Said Governor Patrick at the RMV/Visitor’s Center
Today Governor Patrick saluted Ann Hamilton, the longtime director of the Franklin County Chamber, by calling her “The Phenom.” He was in town to officially open the newly renovated Greenfield Visitor’s center that’s been combined in one state-owned building with the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The governor called it a […]
George Fred Tilton Tried to Save the Whalers Frozen in Ice
I can’t remember a book that I more look forward to picking up than this history of the Cape and Islands by Paul Schneider. Maybe because he delves into so many topics in the same book…the Pilgrim’s early foray into settling in the area, and then the details about the […]
Umbria, In the Very Center of Italy, Celebrates the Art of Life
This year is the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy’s many different states into one country. One of these states is Umbria, located in the middle of the country. Tonight we met Stefano Cimicchi, Umbria’s director of tourism, who told us what has made this province a favorite destination […]
Andrew McCarthy: Looks, Talent, and a Damn Good Travel Writer Too!
In all of our individual avocations, there are people who shine brighter, and sometimes pull out a twingeof envy as they seem to be able to say it better, get it published in bigger outlets, and just have a sort of star power that dazzles. I never stop giving props […]