Italy: Some Great Beauty and Some Ugliness — Part 15

Italy: Some Great Beauty and Some Ugliness — Part 15 We began with a trip to the Galleria dell’Accademia whose most prized possession is Michelangelo’s David which stands in the Tribune, created by Emilio De Fabris especially to house the sculpture. I don’t remember how much time we spent breathlessly gazing...

South to Switzerland, then on to Italy — Part 14

South to Switzerland, then on to Italy — Part 14 After breakfast the next morning, we did a little exploring and found a spot on the picturesque lake where we could go swimming. We donned the leotards we’d brought (figuring they could double as sleeveless shirts and bathing suits — mine was maroon and Terry’s was...

Paris, Sigh — Part 13

Paris, Sigh — Part 13 Paris! I could barely breathe for the excitement. Madame Hall, our high school French teacher, had made it a mecca, the go-to place for anyone who was anyone. I’d spent an hour a day with her for three years, breathing in her sophistication and beauty along with the...

All the Way South and Across the Pond — Part 12

All the Way South and Across the Pond — Part 12 The main distinction in my memory of Wales is the combination of letters that named places, people, and things. There were Llanybydder, Gwyddgrug, Llanfihangel Rhos-y-Corn, and Bwkch-clawdd (with only one vowel in the entire two-word name). The accent made our common...

Abbe’s Summer 2020 Travelogue

Abbe’s Summer 2020 Travelogue Hello to all! Yes, we’re traveling in the US, despite Corona. Crazy, many of you think, and you may be right, but we survived what we saw as the riskiest part of the plan – the flights – and we’re doing just fine. It helped a lot that the longest flight, from Tel Aviv...

Wow! Edinburgh — Part 11

Wow! Edinburgh — Part 11 The most famous of Whitby’s landmarks, the ruins of St Hilda’s Abbey sit at the top of a mammoth 199-step staircase. That’s where they’d put the town’s youth hostel. So up we climbed. We signed in and left our backpacks there. The hostel wasn’t open for...