Monthly Archives: April 2012

“Art is the elimination of the unnecessary.” – Pablo Picasso We were enjoying Frühstück (breakfast) at Pension Suzanne (http://www.pension-suzanne.at/index.html), our traditionally appointed (some say fussy) accommodation steps from the StaatsOper in the heart of Vienna. Oskar, a German scientist, sharing … Continue reading →

Czech please  (I just couldn’t resist…) Another departure from previous year’s itineraries was a 2-day excursion to Cesky Krumlov, in Sud-Bohemia (Czech Republic). Culturally trespassing into Eastern Europe (the neglected step-sister of tonier, more “familiar” Western EU destinations) we elected to … Continue reading →

“To have great poets, there must be great audiences.” -Walt Whitman Our train to Salzburg sped over the Alps through horizontally blowing snow. A steady rain upon our arrival sweetened the mountain air as we drove the recognizable 6km along … Continue reading →

Some say pomadoro, some say tomate… We have migrated to the northern Italian transitional community of Bolzano / Bozen, where the Dolomite Mountains rise into Austria. While we crossed no international border, it is culturally clear that we touched down … Continue reading →

  “I have lost myself, I am not here, This is not Romeo, he’s some other where.” Romeo e Giulietta; Act I, Scene I Italy has a cold. Coughing, Sneezing, Nose blowing. Thank God for Instant Hand Sanitizer, vitamins, and … Continue reading →

We are billeted amidst Tuscan vineyards and olivo orchards at Savernano, our most familiar and comfortable farm house inn. Last year I wrote, “There are more expensive retreats, perhaps some with more elegant food or designer accommodations, but nothing in … Continue reading →

Shifting gears, after four energizing days in Roma, we hitched up our Lancia Ypsilon and headed north through the verdant fields of Lazio to five days of retreat in Umbria. Tuscany gets all the “props,” yet Umbria remains a secret … Continue reading →