Doriano Marcucci: Making the World’s Best Shoes in Marche
Doriano Marcucci was just one of the interesting people we met in Le Marche, Italy, on a day filled with food, history and a concert.
Visiting La Garrotxa, Catalonia’s Volcanic Spot
I’m in La Garrotxa National Park, a volcanic area with 40 volcanoes in Girona, northwest Spain, for a week of hiking, exploring and cuisine.
Bombyx Center Brings Thrills and Class to Florence
Bombyx Center for Arts and Equity brings a new slate of musical, dramatic and spoken word performances to the Florence Congregational Church. Cassandra Holden is interviewed.
November’s Giant European Trip Begins Soon
I’ve always wanted to take a longer trip to Europe, and soon I will depart for an extended trip to Spain and Italy in November 2021.
The Mystery of Irma Vep: Yep, Two Actors Did All That!
Mystery of Irma Vep Silverthorne Theater presented this funny, Victorian camp play featuring two actors who played eight different roles.
Hoosick Falls NY is Famous for Grandma Moses and Unihog
The village of Hoosick Falls is famous for Grandma Moses and for the wonderfully Bohemian club, Unihog, which features an outdoor stage and bbq.
Las Vegas Still Impressing with Grandeur and Glitz
A visit to Las Vegas famous strip and to downtown Las Vegas, to see Fremont Street Experience and a lot more.
Valerie Hartshorne Turned 90 in August 2021
Valerie Hartshorne, my mother, turned 90 on August 25, 2021, and we all came down to NJ to celebrate the milestone.
Magnifico Douro: A Splendid Time on two Rivers
Paddling a kayak on the Douro and the Pinhao rivers in the center of Portugal, and viewing two ancient flour mills up close.
Green River Festival: Thirty-three years of Music and Tradition
Green River Festival, August 27-29 at Franklin County Fairgrounds, Greenfield MA produced by Signature Sounds for the 34th year.
Porto is Where I Begin My Journey
Porto, Portugal is the country’s second city, it is where I will board my ship on the Douro River to cruise eastward all the way to Salamanca Spain.
Tonight I Fly to Portugal
I am flying to Porto, Portugal to join a cruise from west to east on the Douro River on the Scenic Azure, a small river ship.
Molloyster Aquafarm: Slurping Oysters Grown in Maine
We met up with Todd and Meredith Molloy, the proprietors of the Molloyster Aqua Farm. They took us out on their boat to see the farm and sample the oysters.
Montague Reporter: My New Travel Column
I’ve found a new place to share my travel stories in print, next month I’ll start as a travel columnist for the Montague Reporter, a newspaper based in Turners Falls MA.
Book of Eels: How Do They Breed?
I picked up a new book from World Eye Books in Greenfield a few weeks ago, after lamenting how I did n’t read enough books and was spending way too much time ‘Doomscrolling,” as descibed in this dreary article in Wired magazine. So don’t want that. So I picked out […]
Europe Looms: With Las Vegas and Maine Coming Up First
June and it’s over for us here in the U.S. I commented today about how surprised I have been that the pandemic has lasted as long as it has. I have to say, despite whoever is still mask-wearing and fretting, damn it, it’s over. We survived, and it is only […]
A Solitary Life Even as the Pandy Ebbs
I’ve been spending what feels like a spectacular amount of time solitary, all alone these past few months, and it has lost the charm it once had. During the height of the pandemic of 2020, it all felt fine to hunker down, day after day, night after night. I spent […]
Returning to the Beloved Homestead After More than a Year
It’s been seventeen months since I last saw my sisters and my mother. Like the rest of us during the Annis Horribilis, nobody has been able to see their families, and for me, it was absolutely refreshing to come down to New Jersey homestead once again and visit with the […]