I’m a frequent visitor to York. I have friends and family there. But I never fail to wander around the walled city, stopping at familiar places and discovering new sights. Here in historical order are a few of the places I enjoyed on this visit. St Mary’s Abbey St
Visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia was the major highlight of my visit to Scotland. Part royal country house, part diplomatic symbol, Britannia served the Royal Family for over 40 years, sailing a million miles on her journeys around the world. Britannia replaced the Royal Yacht Victoria & Albert II, decommissioned
Much as I could have happily spent all my time in Edinburgh eating, drinking, and sightseeing – I was there for a purpose. Not that the first three options aren’t a worthy full-time occupation. Nevertheless, I came to Edinburgh to do research at the Scottish National Library which is the
I don’t know anyone who thinks about Edinburgh without envisioning the castle that looms over the entire city, both Old Town and New Town, so I think it only fair to begin the saga of my Edinburgh sojourn with a bit of background on this iconic sight.
I often visit London and stay in Kensington, usually combining research and family adventures. In the past we’ve eaten lunch at various neighborhood pubs, particularly the Gloucester Arms. So, naturally the day after our arrival we made our way to our favorite pub on Gloucester Road, only to find the
I’m embarking on a new literary discovery adventure, presently titled “MALICE.” The story revolves around a Eurasian woman in nineteenth century Calcutta and the civil lawsuit she filed in 1883. Mary Pigot publicly accused an esteemed Scottish missionary with malicious libel — an intentional act meant to cause harm. The
“If you go down in the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise If you go down in the woods today, you’d better go in disguise For every bear that ever there was will gather there for certain Because today’s the day the teddy bears have their picnic.”
Not everyone agreed the North American colonies should separate from Great Britain. The debate among delegates to the Second Continental Congress took place on July 1, 1776. Delegates met on a hot and steamy morning. At 10:00 the doors to the debating hall were closed. Richard Henry Lee’s motion that
Ah, summer time. Especially when there’s soft sun and cool breezes like this sunset picture of Tauranga Harbour on the North Island of New Zealand. But the sun isn’t entirely our friend. Its UV rays damage our skin and eyes. Despite warnings about skin cancer, a day in the
Tuesdays are getting noticed this year. Last week Tuesday was Flag Day. This week, June 21st marks Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere. As this diagram illustrates, Solstice is the moment when the sun reaches its most northerly point on the celestial sphere. In other words, it’s the longest day
In our rush from Memorial Day to the Fourth of July, we often miss Flag Day. I’m guilty of that myself. I think the reason we pass by the day honoring the adoption the American flag is because there’s no holiday attached. No fireworks. No bands. Just a day like
Darn – I missed it. Saturday, June 4th was National Old Maid’s Day, still on the list of June holidays and observed with reluctance by writers who rush to assure us modern women do quite well without marriage. And yet, I think the day shouldn’t pass completely unnoticed.
It’s an awesome sight – row upon row of uniform white gravestones, each with a small American flag. The grass is verdantly green. The trees majestic. Far from the horror that brought many of the permanent residents to Arlington National Cemetary. There are 147 national cemeteries across the United States.
Over two hundred years ago Jane Austen observed : “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” As a writer Jane Austen saw and recorded many human foibles but this quote from Pride and Prejudice
On average Hilo gets 126.72 inches of rain annually. It’s not all hard rain, but I’m a ‘fair-weather’ walker. I don’t even like drizzles. So for me when it rains, Liliuokalani Park isn’t an attractive place to walk. Unless of course, I’m already there when the skies open up. Once
I have a research trip to Scotland coming up this summer, and have vaguely started thinking about what to pack. My desire to travel light seldom happens, because I’m usually going to places with opposite climates or have a gamut of activities from research jeans wear to elegant evenings. But
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