May 2 I was invited to have dinner with Roland and Anne Geiger recently. As we sat in their cozy dining room heated by a wood-burning stove with our nostrils being savagely attacked by the wonderful smells coming out of the kitchen behind the wall, Roland entertained me with stories of what he has found […]
Category Archives: New Discoveries
New Discoveries
Prague’s Secret Garden
October 18 We made a new discovery today together with a visit to Prague’s wonderful Secret Garden, located below Prague Castle. It truly is a secret, only a small door leading off a busy street with no English signage. One has to be a bit adventurous to find it. We spent a happy hour wandering […]
We Love A Scenic Lunch Spot
When in France, eat as the French do. That means slllloooooowwwww down. Enjoy it. Have some wine. Savor the flavors. And, have more wine. (Not the driver, of course) Recently we came across one of those villages in France which has been officially recognized as one of the prettiest in the land. How do we […]
Abbey San Salvatore in Tuscany, Italy
May 12 On our way from Orvieto to Montepulciano we took a diversion and drove high up into the mountains to the ancient Abbey San Salvatore in the town of the same name high in the mountains of the Val di Orcia, Tuscany. The abbey is small and not particularly impressive from the exterior unless […]
Jewish History in Pittigliano, Tuscany
May 10 There was once a flourishing Jewish community in this fortified Tuscan village. Kicked out of the Papal States (those areas immediately surrounding Rome) by Popes in the 16th century, a large settlement developed in Pittigliano where they were given protection by the local ruling family. In ‘Little Jerusalem’ there can be seen many […]
Touring around Prague in the Praha Lady
May 2 We took a guided tour the other day in Prague with our driver Jerry and his very special lady. The “Praha Lady” is truly one of a kind, built in 1938 and in pristine condition thanks to a very particular owner who usually keeps this treasure safely in his garage. However, due to […]
Berlin, Germany and an Inexpensive place to sleep in central Berlin
April 18 In the heart of Berlin in the vibrant neighborhood of Kreuzberg my friends Georg and Martina Siegmann have opened “The Five Lofts” apartments in a former store house that Georg bought in 1986. Moving from Rothenburg ob der Tauber where they owned and operated the successful “Passage 12” gift store, the Siegmanns have […]
Three special lanes in Pienza, Tuscany
April 13 While strolling around the beautiful hilltop town of Pienza in the Val d’Orcia, Tuscany recently we were told by a couple of locals that the three streets leading to a pretty overview have some special significance in the way they are lined up, and the way they are named. Approaching from the south, […]