History

While We Commemorate D-Day…

I was born at the very end of World War II and it was a palpable presence in my California home as I grew up.  That may be why I generally avoid anything to do with it while still being deeply moved by references to the war.   This morning I…

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Cruising down the Nile (part 4)

And so we arrive in Aswan, the furthest navigable point before the High Dam. From here some courageous souls can continue to the beautiful temple at Abu Simbel which was relocated with fantastic precision prior to the construction of the High Dam. The…

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Finding Reiner: Disaster to Discovery

On Monday August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. My son, my elderly German mother-in-law, Lütte, and I were hunkered down in my husband’s office at Tulane Medical School. Our decision to stay seemed smart at the time. My…

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A Winter Visit to Dresden and Leipzig

When we first started including a week-long February school break in our travel plans, our goal was to go somewhere significantly warmer than New York City. We still try for that, but once in a while something else calls, and we found ourselves…

Read More

Cruising down the Nile (part 3)

In the late afternoon we reach the Ombos temple, or the Crocodile Temple, on the Nile’s east bank – that of “life”. This is a really beautiful temple with the frieze of the Pharaoh being anointed by Gods with the life giving waters of the Nile. Around…

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In and Around Madrid’s Plaza Mayor

The Plaza Mayor is the largest open space (other than parks) in Central Madrid. It’s a major tourist attraction, a place for cafes and shops that range from traditional to chic and has served for hundreds of years as a place for public gatherings,…

Read More

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While We Commemorate D-Day…

I was born at the very end of World War II and it was a palpable presence in my California home as I grew up.  That may be why I generally avoid anything to do with it while still being deeply moved by references to the war.   This morning I…

Read More

Cruising down the Nile (part 4)

And so we arrive in Aswan, the furthest navigable point before the High Dam. From here some courageous souls can continue to the beautiful temple at Abu Simbel which was relocated with fantastic precision prior to the construction of the High Dam. The…

Read More

Finding Reiner: Disaster to Discovery

On Monday August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. My son, my elderly German mother-in-law, Lütte, and I were hunkered down in my husband’s office at Tulane Medical School. Our decision to stay seemed smart at the time. My…

Read More

A Winter Visit to Dresden and Leipzig

When we first started including a week-long February school break in our travel plans, our goal was to go somewhere significantly warmer than New York City. We still try for that, but once in a while something else calls, and we found ourselves…

Read More

Cruising down the Nile (part 3)

In the late afternoon we reach the Ombos temple, or the Crocodile Temple, on the Nile’s east bank – that of “life”. This is a really beautiful temple with the frieze of the Pharaoh being anointed by Gods with the life giving waters of the Nile. Around…

Read More

In and Around Madrid’s Plaza Mayor

The Plaza Mayor is the largest open space (other than parks) in Central Madrid. It’s a major tourist attraction, a place for cafes and shops that range from traditional to chic and has served for hundreds of years as a place for public gatherings,…

Read More