My Personal Blog

Here's where you'll find various musings, including plenty of posts about my travels over the years. Traveling's my thing and I do it as often as I can. Posts on this website chronicle the adventures I've had over the decades traveling around western Europe, New Zealand, and beyond. You'll also find the occasional piece of short fiction, novel and WIP excerpts, lifestyle articles--and more. Keep checking back for new posts!

You can also check out Artsy Traveler, my travel website that takes you off the beaten path to experience European travel through an arts lens. On Artsy Traveler, you'll find out about interesting museums, quirky galleries, local performances, and more gleaned from my travel experiences over three decades and those of guest posters.

Five States of Living Sensationally

Jul 27, 2015
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While taking a walk in the forest near my home, I recently got to thinking about the five movement sensations–Flexibility, Agility, Mobility, Strength, and Stability. As…

Visit to the World’s First Purpose-Built Insane Asylum in Vienna

Aug 31, 2014
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  I’m in Vienna’s extremely lovely airport plugged into  one of the smartest desk arrangements I’ve ever seen. My flight for London leaves shortly so…

Welcome to Vienna

Aug 30, 2014
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I have great intentions to continue blogging in between trips but it doesn’t seem to happen very consistently. And so for the next three weeks,…

Ten Things to Do on a Cruise

Jul 4, 2014
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The great thing about a cruise is that you are free to do whatever you want to so long as it can be accomplished within…

Why Tuscany?

Jun 30, 2014
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People often ask me why I decided to write a novel about Tuscany. It’s a good question and not easy to answer. I have been…

Meet the Main Character of my Second Novel – Isabette Grüber

Apr 13, 2014
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This post is part of a game begun by Debra Brown and passed to me by Deborah Swift who graciously provided a “blurb” for the…

Vuew if Tuscany town in moonlight

Sleeping Under the Tuscan Moon

Feb 3, 2014
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I love Tuscany so much that I named my novel after it! Europe is full of amazing sites, compelling history, gorgeous countryside, and yet there is…

The Most Beautiful Piazza in Europe: Il Campo in Siena

Jan 12, 2014
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First Stop in Siena The first stop for any visitor to Siena is the Piazza del Campo in the heart of the city. In a…

Palazzo Pubblico in Siena, Italy

Palazzo Pubblico in Siena – Martini Frescoes

Jan 5, 2014
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In The Towers of Tuscany, my novel about a 14th Century woman painter, the main character, Sofia Carelli, visits the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena and…

Achieving Goals

Dec 19, 2013
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Several months ago when the sun was blessing Vancouver with warmth and summer sensations, I spent almost an hour on the beach at Locarno on…

Welcome to London, England

Mar 9, 2013
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After many many months of planning and scheming, our three-month sojourn in Europe begins. I fly to London for three days while Gregg flies to…

Chateau in the Loire Valley

Loire Valley

Sep 10, 2012
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August 3 to August 6, 2012 We enjoyed a sun-filled drive north to the Loire Valey and thanks to the help of a real paper…