Bringing History to Life
Welcome! I hope you’ll find something here to tickle your fancy. I love Europe and history and I’m always looking for a good, quirky story to tell.
Scroll down to see my most recent articles, or click “Continue Reading” to find out how this site is organised. Enjoy…
If you like my writing, you might enjoy my books. I like finding quirky or unusual bits of history and I call these my ‘Curious Histories’…
Florence’s quirky Easter tradition is called scoppio del carro, and in English that means “the explosion of the cart.”
Venice is such a magical place – and especially at Carnival time. There is just so much to see that you don’t know where to look…
The spirit of the orchard – the Apple Tree Man – lives in the oldest tree. So we wassail that tree: We sing to it, and give it a drink of cider…
Probably one of our best-known holiday stories is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens… And it’s a ghost story…
Today Christmas is a major time of festivity in England and America, but during the 17th century, people were not allowed to celebrate it…
Throughout history people have loved truffles. We’ve loved eating them, finding them, and pondering their mysteries.
What could be more fun than being in Italy and watching Italian donkeys race around the cathedral in the center of town?
Before alarm clocks existed, the job of waking people up was done by “human alarm clocks,” people known as knocker-ups or knocker-uppers…
King Charles III’s coronation went well, however, some earlier ones skipped rehearsals and ended up with some “coronation gone wrong” moments…
According to legend, tortellini was created when a war brought a goddess to earth, then her belly button inspired the pasta’s shape…
There was more to Beatrix Potter than bunny books. She was also a serious fan of fungi and later in life, a sheep farmer.
Two Italian love stories inspire those with troubles in the romance department to pour out their hearts in letters to the ladies involved…
We sang to the apple trees, fed them bread and cider, chased away the evil spirits, and now we await a bumper crop of apples.
Vincent Van Gogh spent his last few years in Provence where he painted the local landscape. But did he also paint the local wind?
At Pallant House in Chichester, the gateposts are topped by ostrich statues… but, to most people, they look more like dodos.
Celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. 70 years on the British throne…
Hay-on-Wye, in southeastern Wales, proudly claims to be the World’s First Book Town, and Richard Booth was its self-proclaimed king.
In England, if you see a church, there is a yew tree close at hand. But in the Cotswolds, there are two yew-sporting churchyards that are quite special…
Legend tells us St. Nick was a kind man who loved children and rescued them from harm. But in parts of Europe, he traveled with an evil sidekick.
The fourth Thursday in November is Thanksgiving Day in America – and that means turkey! If you think you know all about Thanksgiving, see if you can answer these five questions…
From around 1820 through the mid 1900s there were some unusual-looking people living in an isolated area of Eastern Kentucky. They were blue…
There are many odd and unusual carvings on our ancient churches, but not all of them are old…
Finding Alice in Wonderland in Oxford and Llandudno, North Wales…
Think tiny houses are a new idea? This one in North Wales was built in the 16th century…
Mary Anning was only 12 years old when she and her brother discovered the fossilized skeleton of a 17-foot-long prehistoric ichthyosaurus. Mary went on to become one of the greatest fossil collectors of the 19th century.
What do Frankenstein and Bridgerton (the Netflix series) have in common? It’s the city of Bath, of course…
I’ll admit it, I love tea. But can it really solve all my problems…?
Inside Lincoln Cathedral, a little stone imp sits atop one of the columns. He may be small, but he has a big personality, and even though he caused havoc in the Middle Ages, he’s much loved by the folks of Lincoln today…
I’m sure you’ve seen images of those fabulous Fabergé eggs gleaming with gold, and dripping with diamonds. But did you know that they were created as Russian Easter egg love tokens?
Dante is often considered Italy’s greatest poet, and the city of Florence is proud to say he was born there. And you could be forgiven for thinking he was buried there too if you’ve seen the beautiful tomb in Santa Croce, bearing his name and likeness…
These bright spring flowers are related to the ancient myth of that terribly vain boy called Narcissus… and a lovely poem…
If you’re walking through a London park and hear loud squawking overhead, chances are, it’s a flock of wild parakeets…
Groundhog Day? Candlemas Day? Either way this is the day that predicts how long our winter will last.
While the architecture is amazing, this cathedral also holds treasures on the inside…
Photo essay of Bath, England…
My Christmas santons were late, but well worth the wait…
Henry VIII is credited with being the first monarch to have turkey for his Christmas dinner. But for most of Henry’s subjects, goose was the favored holiday bird…
Reindeer weren’t always Santa’s animal of choice. Before the reindeer, there were other more common animals such as goats, donkeys, and horses…
Bowlers, Brollies, and Brits is chock-full of little-known facts and tantalizing tales. Margo digs deep to find the obscure bits of English history and writes about them with a light whimsical touch.
This lovely Georgian city which was Jane Austen’s residence was also home to a darker, scarier giant of literature: Frankenstein’s monster.
Today mummies haunt us at Halloween and in horror stories, but the Victorians used to keep them in the parlor and unroll them at parties…
Margo’s musings about a new book and her summer adventures…
The British love their tea, but what is tea anyway? The word tea might refer to a drink, a light afternoon meal, or a dinner…
King Arthur’s Round Table is legendary. But maybe it wasn’t Arthur’s idea at all and maybe it wasn’t to show equality either…
A window in Winchester Cathedral tells the story of a war and of people putting things back together…
It’s not unusual for angels to adorn a church, but on Bath Abbey the angels are climbing on ladders and some of them are even upside down…
Eight lessons we learned on our canal boat holiday…
Could reading Jane Austen calm a troubled soul? Maybe. After World War I, her books were prescribed for solders suffering from PTSD…
We’re on the move again. We’ve just moved from London to Bath…
Southwest England has more chalk horse carvings than anywhere else in the world. Let’s take a look at two of them: the Uffington and Westbury horses.
Gazing upon Stonehenge, you have to wonder how ancient people moved these large stones. In the Middle Ages, Merlin the Magician was credited with it.
Glastonbury’s story is a mixture of history, myth, and legend. Mixed all together, they make a rousing tale about the Holy Grail, the Holy Thorn, and more…
Was King Arthur real? Modern historians dismiss him as a myth, but in 1191 monks at Glastonbury Abbey seemed to prove otherwise when they found his tomb.
Florence Nightingale, the lamp-carrying nurse who cared for wounded soldiers, also wrote and used infographics to get her point across.
The bowler was a gamekeeper’s hat that moved into all social classes. Later, it became the trademark of the City Gent and part of the British stereotype.
Jonas Hanway’s life was full of adventures and good deeds, but he is most remembered as being the first man to carry an umbrella on the streets of London.
St. George, England’s patron saint, is represented as an English knight who kills a dragon. But was George really British, and did he really fight dragons?
An unusual carved rabbit in northern England might be the inspiration for the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, but he also has his own story.
The story behind two London lampposts: One reminds us of Coco Chanel’s great love affair, the other of London’s Great Stink.
St. James’s Park is the place to go in London to see lots birds and waterfowl. This royal park has long been home to many species of water-loving birds.
My musings about the Coronavirus and how it’s changing our lives…
This is a list of ten women that I’ve written about over the years. Some are famous and others less so, but they are all extraordinary in their own way…
Medieval churches all over Europe are decorated with carved, leaf-covered faces called Green Men. But who they are and why they are there remains a mystery…
Several years before Napoleon’s ill-fated battle at Waterloo, he suffered another humiliating defeat. This time at the hands (or paws) of little, furry bunny rabbits.
Crop circles have fascinated us for years. While some people are convinced they are supernaturally constructed, others claim they are all manmade hoaxes…
GPSmyCity turns travel articles into apps with GPS built right in. You’ll never be lost again…
In eighteenth-century London, illegal gin was sold from a strange precursor of the vending machine which bore the image of a cat.
Everyone knows about the partridge in the pear tree, but during the Middle Ages the twelve days of Christmas also predicting the future…
My holiday musings: looking back and looking ahead…
An 8th century priest, a 16th century religious reformer, and the Victorian royals all played a role in the history of the Christmas tree.
In 1847 Tom Smith was inspired by French candies and crackling logs. He put them together and the Christmas cracker was born.
Paddington Bear, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, and Harry Potter: Two bears + two boys = four beloved children’s characters who have statues in London…
Dante and Pinocchio: Italy’s great poet and its favorite puppet both played a part in establishing Italian as Italy’s language and uniting the country
Halloween’s roots go back more than 1,000 years to a pagan Celtic festival of the dead.
Ever wonder why those carved pumpkins are called jack-o’-lanterns? This Irish legend explains it all…
When someone mentions the Last Supper, you probably think of the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci. But da Vinci wasn’t the only one to
Is there a devilish wind blowing around the Florence cathedral?…
Two Florentine curiosities worth looking for…
It seems that taking in too much art in Florence, Italy can be bad for your health…
King Bladud, the 9th King of the Britons, is known for two very different things: First, he (and his pigs) discovered the healing powers of
You can have an (almost) authentic Roman bath experience in Bath, England…
A bigger-than-life Van Gogh exhibition in Provence. What would the artist say if he could see this?…
Rows of fragrant lavender plants stretching toward the horizon. It’s an unforgettable sight. In fact, for many people, this is the first image that comes to mind when they think of Provence…
A quirky Provence festival not to be missed…
A historic walking tour of the Old Town of Nice, France…
A photo essay of the Old Town, the oldest and most colorful part of Nice.
There’s an almost exact copy of da Vinci’s Last Supper in London…
The Eiffel Tower is a symbol of Paris itself. The grand old Parisian lady is celebrating her 130th birthday
Bluebells have a long association with fairies…
Do you ever feel that something is eating up your time? Well, you’re right, and it’s in Cambridge…
Does a bunny delivering eggs seem normal to you?…
Victor Hugo’s words come true as Notre Dame burns…
Here’s what’s going on with me…
Find out why Greenwich, UK sets the time for the world…
See what Ben Franklin had to say about daylight hours…
Did you ever get a gift you really didn’t want? Or one that was just too big to carry home?…
You’ve probably heard of The Da Vinci Code, but did you know that the story started with a poor priest in the south of France?
Boudica was a British Queen who took on the Roman army in 60 AD. – and she almost won…
January is always a good time to look back at what we’ve accomplished, and then ahead at what we would like the new year to bring us.
In the UK, the 26th of December is a public holiday known as Boxing Day…
A list of Christmas articles to help you get into the spirit of the season…
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens might just be the best known Christmas story out there. Find out the story behind the story…
Windmills aren’t what I would usually associate with Paris, but…
New book about France makes a great gift…
A Halloween poem for you…
There have always been places to eat outside one’s own home, but they weren’t always called restaurants…
The fleur de lys has a long association with the kings of France…
Feeling Lost? Maybe you need a GPS-integrated travel article…
If you’re looking to add a bit of Frenchness to your wardrobe, a blue and white striped knit shirt could just do the trick…
Every few months or so, I do a little personal update – so, here’s what’s going on with me…
Winnie the Pooh – How did this cute little bear get his name?
According to legend, if the ravens ever leave the Tower of London, the Crown and Britain will surely fall…
The first pelicans in the park were gifts from Russia more than 350 years ago…
France’s rousing national anthem is called the Marseillaise and was written during the French Revolution…
Fish and Chips. This tasty twosome has been a British favorite since the Victorian times…
When you’re in the train station and see lots of women wearing fancy hats and men in top hats and tails, it can mean only one thing: It’s time for the Royal Ascot horse races…
If your holiday plans include a visit to Nice, France, I’m sure you’ll want to try some of the local specialties…
A few weeks ago, we said “au revoir” to Nice, France and “hello” to London…
In case you haven’t yet had your fill of wedding news, here are seven curious royal wedding traditions that you might not know about…
Foie gras – doesn’t that sound much nicer than “fatty liver?” But that’s exactly what this controversial French delicacy is…
When the French are unhappy about something, they don’t keep quiet – they draw attention to their cause…
Every country seems to have its superstitions, and France is no exception. Which ones have you heard of?…
Coco Chanel was queen of fashion until Elsa Schiaparelli rolled into town…
Digging into his history a bit, I found that this Irish saint was quite an interesting fella…
Keep Calm and Carry On posters were designed for WW II but didn’t come into public view until…
The flaky, buttery croissant is as French as a beret or a baguette…
Instead of syrupy sweet declarations of love, the Victorians sent cards that left a decidedly sour taste in the mouth. They were called vinegar valentines.
The calisson is a Provençal treat linked to Good King René and Queen Jeanne…
When the River Thames used to freeze over, Londoners would have a party…
How “Boney” Bonaparte went from being a little pest to a child-eating ogre…
January 1 has been known as New Year’s Day since the Roman times. But that didn’t necessarily mean it was the first day of the new year…
I just love the festive, Christmas season. The sights, sounds, and smells always seems to lift my spirits…
When wandering through a Christmas market on a chilly winter’s day, nothing tastes better or warms you up like a hot, spiced cider…
You may know the traditional Biblical Christmas story, but in Provence, there is a bit more to it…
How a tomb inspired a British icon – and how it must adapt to remain relevant.
“Night Nurse Needed – Should be young and pretty.” This was the ad Henri Matisse placed in 1942…
Some of the objects that Matisse collected showed up in his paintings and others served as inspiration…
Are you superstitious? How do you feel about the number 13 and black cats?
About 200 years ago, the people of Hartlepool, England hung a monkey. And they are proud of it…
British kings and queens and their long relationship with swans…
We have to go back to the twelfth century and start with a fox…
We had all gathered there to hear Big Ben’s final chimes – at least for a while…
My latest book, Curious Histories of Provence: Tales from the South of France, has just been featured/reviewed in two great online magazines…
I’ve had the pleasure of visiting several sites decorated by Jean Cocteau on the French Riviera, but I was surprised to find his work in the center of London…
In October 1958 a book was published about a little Peruvian bear who showed up at Paddington Station in London, England…
In my recent travels to Manchester, England, I saw bees everywhere. I couldn’t help but wonder where these bees had come from and what they were all about…
Summer holidays and books to read…
Did the French invent the method of making champagne? Or was it the British?
For about 600 years the Tower of London was home to the royal menagerie: Lions, tigers, bears, kangaroos, and many other animals lived there…
Find out why the rooster represents France…
I’m happy to announce that my latest book, Curious Histories of Provence: Tales from the South of France is now published…
In twelfth-century England, two very strange visitors arrived. They looked like normal children – except that their skin was tinged green…
Spring is in the air and I’m finishing up my latest book, Curious Histories of Provence: Tales from the South of France…
How could a fabric that originated in India, was copied by Armenians, and outlawed in France become a symbol of Provence?
Who would have thought that one of the greatest 19th century French writers would have anything to do with a 20th century American cartoon villain?
Legend says that the first cup of tea was brewed in China around 2500 BC quite by accident…
If, like me, you enjoy history and a good cup of tea, there’s a place in London you shouldn’t miss: Twinings tea shop at 216 Strand has it all – wrapped up in one tidy little rectangle of a retail space…
Who was Saint Valentine? And why is February 14 so special? Well, let’s have a look at the history of Valentine’s day and see if we can find out…
Southwest Provence, around Arles and the Camargue, has a very distinctive horse and bull culture…
Find out why you should never lay bread on the table upside down…
Misbehaving children have to be very careful the first part of December, or St. Nick might send his not-so-nice “helper” to see them…
British Christmas pantos are filled with slapstick humor, cross-dressing actors, jokes about current events, and audience participation…
Christmas pudding and mince pies are a big part of the British holiday season. Let’s have a look at these two essentially British desserts…
Musings about books and winter holidays…
Have you heard of cat cafés? No, they are not where cats go to have their morning coffee and read the newspaper…
The city of Aix-en-Provence has a lot of fountains, but one of them caused quite a stir when it was unveiled in 1923…
The Avignon bridge is known around the world today because of the famous children’s song, “Sur le Pont d’Avignon”…
Did you know that the city of Nice, almost had a giant Virgin statue on the hilltop?…
Two free e-books and other news…
There is more than meets the eye to these slender, conical cypress trees. They have a hidden meaning…
Just like Robin Hood, Gaspard de Besse robbed from the rich and gave to the poor…
Provence claims thirty-two different winds, but the mistral is master of them all…
Dear Readers, Thank you for your thoughts and prayers during the terrorist attack on Nice…
When the warm days of summer arrive in Provence, the air is filled with the song of the cicadas, or cigales in French…
Saint Martha isn’t the only slayer of ferocious beasts whose name is associated with Tarascon. The town’s other celebrated hero, who also participates in the annual Tarasque festival, is Tartarin of Tarascan…
Saint Martha washed up in Provence and wandered into a village with a dragon problem. The Tarasque was terrorizing the town, but Martha wasn’t afraid. ..
Two Gaudi buildings and their relationship with two Georges: the dragon-slayer and the filmmaker (better known as Saint George and George Lucas.)
Could Big Ben’s chimes have played a part in winning World War II? At least one Nazi official thought so…
Nice is a nice place to visit. There are plenty of things to see and do here: sea, sun, history, art, music…
This story seems like a pretty reasonable explanation for all those gargoyles…
Today, we are looking at three French inventions that make our lives easer…
The artist, Jean Cocteau, spent his later years on the French Riviera, and the area still enjoys the beauty he left behind. There are five Cocteau sites between Nice and Menton just waiting to be discovered.
During the French Revolution, Marie Tussaud was forced to make wax casts of severed heads. Later she took them to England and set up her Wax Museum…
In 1789, aristocrats started to flee revolutionary France. One group of these refugees ended up in a most unlikely place – the wilds of Pennsylvania.
Explore the theme of the Nice Carnival and see how my new book is coming along.
The Great Fire of 1666 destroyed 80% of London. Who could have been responsible for this devastation?
The French Revolutionaries weren’t content with just changing their government. They wanted to change everything – even how they kept track of time.
On the 6th of January, Italian children await a very witchy-looking old lady called La Befana…
Two quirky Christmas traditions from Barcelona…
Mistletoe in French is called gui. This ball of vegetation that grows high in trees has been considered magical since ancient days…
Marie Antoinette is usually characterized as aloof and uncaring. However, she was very motherly and adopted several children…
The Pilgrims are credited with serving the first Thanksgiving meal… but could the French have beaten them to it? And what was on their table?…
Marie Antoinette almost escaped to the USA. Of course, she didn’t make it – but maybe her cats did. Could that be the origin of the Maine Coon?
Autumn is definitely in the air. The drop in temperature makes me want to curl up beside my (imaginary) fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book.
And speaking of books…
On October 17, 1814, tragedy struck central London. A flood tore through the streets, knocking down buildings and sweeping people away. But the liquid causing the havoc wasn’t water… it was beer!…
In the mid 1900s, if you had asked nearly any British person what a Frenchman looked like, you would have gotten this description: He wears a beret, and he rides a bike with onions hanging on the handlebars…
The French beret, that little pancake of a hat, has become the recognized symbol of all things French – at least among those outside of France…
It seems that the British National Anthem could be yet another link in the intertwined histories of the United Kingdom and France…
Ahh September! I always love this month because it makes me think about going back to school and it seems like a time of new beginnings.
Have a look around the “Colline du Chateau” overlooking Nice, France, and you can find some spectacular mosaics…
If it’s been a while since you’ve read the Greek classics (or if you just never got around to it) no worries! There’s no need
At the beginning of the French Revolution, when the Parisians had nothing to eat, several thousand women took things into their own hands…
As our taxi entered the city walls of Avignon, it was evident that something was happening. I had seen online that a festival would be
In Niçois tradition, the gourd brings good luck. There’s even an old proverb that says, “A home without a gourd is like an empty nest.”
In early 1900s Paris, Madame Bob was a thoroughly modern woman: She had many professions, but is best remembered for helping young lovers elope…
Whew! I’ve just finished my second book! It’s called, Curious Histories of Nice, France and as you might have guessed from the title…
I’ve been working around the clock for the last several weeks finishing up my latest book about my adopted city. It’s called: Curious Histories of
It was 1925 and Victor Lustig was sitting in his Paris hotel room reading a newspaper article about the Eiffel Tower. That gigantic structure had
What does the month of May have to do with the call of distress? Nothing really, it’s just an example of how words slip from one language into another. The distress call actually came from the French phrase, “m’aidez”…
One of the main tourist attractions in the small medieval village of La Romieu, in southwest France, is the abundance of cats to be found
*Published April 1, 2015 Ahh Paris… Just the mention of its name brings up images of sophisticated people in sidewalk cafés surrounded by elegance. It’s
What could be more traditionally French than the baguette, that long slender loaf of bread that has become an instantly recognized symbol of France?
Marianne’s Story – Did you know that France has been led by a woman ever since the French Revolution of 1789? It’s true!
Every year, the Nice carnival has a different theme, but music is always important…
In fourteenth-century Florence, opulent dress was outlawed. But Florentine ladies continually changed their fashions to keep them just barely legal…
If you like bread, then when you’re in France you probably stop by the boulangerie, or bakery, every day to buy a baguette, croissant, or
The highest paid performer at the Moulin Rouge at the end of the 19th century had a very peculiar talent…
For any book-lover, the Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris is a must-see. It’s been the centre…
Even though some of the American/British folkloric characters don’t come to France, you’ll be happy to know that the jolly old man in the red suit does. Of course, he goes by a different name: in France he’s known as Père Noël, or Father Christmas.
Well, I think I’ve done it! No, I haven’t robbed a bank – I think I’ve finished my book! I still have to wait to
I’m finally back to Nice after travelling for two months. I have basically been on the go since April and now, I just want to
Beatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild loved her animals, but did she really host a formal wedding for her dog?
In Florence’s New Market (the same one where the bronze pig resides) you can find leather good and all kinds of souvenirs. But be careful about going there if you have any outstanding bills. This is where people were once punished for failing to settle their debts.
Il Porcellino, as the Italians call him, means “the little pig”. However the bronze porker fountain sitting at the side of the New Market, or Mercato Nuovo, is really a wild boar, or a cinghiale in Italian. He supposedly brings good luck when visitors rub his snout and put a coin in his mouth.
The French love their holidays. There are lots of them scattered throughout the year but July and August are the months of les grandes vacances when business almost comes to a halt….
When I recently toured Santo Sospir, the villa decorated by Cocteau, the guide pointed to a fougasse (a local bread) painted on the wall and said it was a reference by Cocteau to the hands painted by his friend, Picasso. I didn’t really understand the link because the bread looked nothing like a hand to me….
What would you do if you invited someone to spend a week at your holiday home and he decided to redecorate it and then he decided to stay – indefinitely? Francine Weisweiller was thrilled….
When the French Revolution started with the storming of the Bastille, one man saw his chance for fame and fortune….
French jazz developed under some interesting circumstances during the Nazi Occupation of World War II….
In summer, it’s hard to find an open space on the beach, so It’s hard to imagine that up until the 1920s there were no summer tourists here, no open hotels….
Cours Saleya is the heart of Old Town Nice and it’s always pulsating with life…
Normally I’m not a fan of modern architecture. but there are a few modern structures that I really appreciate and one of them is in Nice, France….
I recently spent two weeks in Salamanca, Spain taking a beginner Spanish language class….
Some animal and plant related French sayings illustrated with photos from a day in the park….
There’s no Tooth Fairy in France so who collects the children’s teeth?…
May 1st, a day to take off work and give out flowers….
There is no Easter Bunny in France but fear not, the French have come up with another method to distribute those Easter eggs
Nice, France has a strong and proud culture all its own and the people work hard to keep their Niçois traditions alive….
In many countries, the first day of April is a day to play harmless jokes on family and friends. This usually consists of telling a farfetched story in such a way that it sounds like it could be true. When the other person falls for our joke, we exclaim…
The Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognised symbols of the United States. But did you know that Lady Liberty is an immigrant?…
Carnival celebrations take place around the world, but when we think of elegant masks and beautiful costumes, we think of Venice…
“A cup of coffee” – € 7.00″A cup of coffee, please” – € 4.25″Hello, a cup of coffee, please” – € 1.40 At this café in Nice, France, minding
If you can’t make it to Russia, how about a trip to Nice, France? It’s warmer and you can see a lovely Russian cathedral.
They say when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. But what if you are a town on the French Riviera and life gives you extraordinarily delicious lemons?…
In Nice, France we are preparing for the carnival and that means another royal visit. Every year in February, a different king comes to town
Normally, I write about the city of Nice, but in this article, when I mention Nice, I am speaking of the historic “County of Nice”
In France, it’s a tradition to eat pies and cakes containing little “prizes” in January. This practice can be traced back to Roman times and their winter solstice celebration…
Our wedding anniversary was approaching and when my husband asked what I wanted, I didn’t hesitate, “I want to go truffle hunting!”
Christmas time in Provence and the south of France is full of traditions and, as with most good traditions, food is usually involved. Miniature wheat
Recently, when I was at the Christmas “santon” fairs looking at all of the little figures that make up the Nativity scenes in southern
In many parts of the world, Nativity scenes make up a part of the Christmas decoration but in Provence, they are taken to the extreme…
Turkeys have long been given as gifts to US presidents. But in recent years, presidents have begun to pardon a live turkey the day before Thanksgiving.
Do you need to add a little sweetness to your life? I know just where to go for that. One of my favourite places
Remember, remember the 5th of November…A British revolutionary executed in 1605 comes back as the face of the Anonymous movement.
This weekend I went to the opening of the lovely new ribbon of a park that flows through Nice, France. It is called the “Promenade
A rooster lays an egg that turns into a monster and a king sticks out his tongue…
While I know the wall fell because of political change, on our recent trip to Berlin, I learned that the way it happened had more to do with blunders and lack of communication…
A few years ago, I took a course that required me to get up early and catch a bus to another town. Sometimes I would
We just got back from a trip to Berlin. This was my first visit to this city with such a chequered past. Jeff had business
Last weekend, when we went for a walk after sunset, we were surprised to see ostriches strolling along the promenade. Well, they weren’t real ones.
The Baie des Anges (Bay of Angels) on the French Riviera has a romantic name, but where did it come from? These three stories give us some clues…
The Promenade des Anglais, affectionately known as “the Prom”, is one of the most beautiful seaside boulevards to be found and lucky me, I live
The news from Nice is… it’s hot! The app on my phone says 28° Celsius (83° Fahrenheit), but I don’t believe it – it feels
When a powerful Greek deity arrives in Nice, he is ridiculed, humiliated, and banned from the city. If you visit Place Massena, in the very
What is this amazing food that has protected the city under siege, nourished the population during peacetime and inspired men to go to extraordinary lengths
The above collage is a selection of lovely bourgeois buildings in the Musicians quarter of Nice, where we used to live. It is called the
Queen Victoria spent her winters on the French Riviera. While there, she could let her hair down and relax, often touring around in a little donkey cart.
I was sitting in a folding chair in our empty new apartment waiting for our delivery from Ikea, which was scheduled to come between 1:00
No one would ever accuse me of being a gourmet chef, or any kind of chef for that matter. Really, I’m pretty much useless in
Saturday we went to a crafts market in Old Nice. We were in an open plaza at midday and the sun was beating down on
< The month of May can be a frustrating time to be in France. There are 5 public holidays, which makes it difficult to conduct
May 1st is a public holiday in France. It’s called La Fête du Travail, and it’s the equivalent of the US Labor Day. But it’s
A 16th century Niçoise laundress chased away the Turkish army and saved the city of Nice, France…
The Cours Saleya market proved to be the perfect place to go to forget about the stress of trying to rent an apartment here in
If you have ever visited Nice, France, you may have been startled by a very loud noon time boom. It occurs every day at precisely 12.00 and is a remnant from the Victorian times, when a British wife couldn’t remember to go home for lunch.
In continuing the theme of linguistic differences between American and British English, we must talk about food. And since dessert is my favourite part of any meal, it is as good a place to start as any…
The English Language, still causing confusion After the last post, I received some funny stories, some from the British point of view, so I thought
When we moved to England from America, I didn’t expect any problems with the language. After all, English is my mother tongue…
It seems that my thoughts are focused on the weather these days. Thank goodness I have a nice warm apartment because I have no desire
When I was in Florence, I lived in Dante Alighieri’s neighborhood. For those of you who might be a little rusty on your Italian poetic
I decided to do something that I knew very little about and had no talent for. I decided to bake some muffins. That was more
I knew that I had been shut up in the apartment for too long when a trip to the dentist sounded like a fun day
In the early nineteenth century, when many English poets visited or lived in Florence, the stone marking the location of his favourite seat was just about the only tribute to Dante in Florence.
In the car on the way from Florence to Nice I was quite worried about whether I would be able to start speaking French again.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of our American friends. I hope everyone has a long list of things to be thankful for today. We are going
Let your Conscience be your Guide I enter the shop and my breath is taken away By the beautiful Italian ceramics In a variety of
After 7 weeks in Italian classes (9 if you count the 2 when I was here in May) I have been presented with just about
You might be surprised to know that inside the medieval Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall (and museum) of Florence that there are 100 sailing tortoises
Before I came to Italy I spoke English and French. Now after five weeks in an Italian course, I am afraid that I can’t yet
Saturday was the traditional wine harvest ceremony in Florence and I watched the preparations at the Duomo. Two white cows were unloaded, washed and decorated
We start each day with two hours of grammar. This is a fast moving class, as we learn a new grammatical concept almost every day.
When I saw the crowd gathered in front of the building I suspected that I was in the right place. Had it been in England,
The little angel on the frescoed ceiling of our Florentine apartment must have seen a lot over the years…
I would love to have a video of our class, it must be hilarious. We are one step above absolute beginner level with a very
A poem about being an older student going to university in a foreign country: In this case, France.
I’ll soon be off to Italy to start studying the Italian language. I know what I have to look forward to because I remember my