My husband and I rented a car for 2+ weeks in order to visit a few parts of Italy that we don’t know well. We’d been to Puglia before, but only briefly: a post-ferry-from-Dubrovnik night in Bari and a few days in Monopoli. This time we spent three days in Polignano a Mare and another three in Lecce, and we also drove around exploring other villages and interesting places. Continue reading
Folding Stairs
Despite designing and building a big house – especially when you consider that it’s for just two people – we’ve found that space is at a premium in certain areas. So it was great to discover these beautiful folding bamboo stairs. An incredible combination of beauty and practicality, from Bcompact Design.
New Year’s Resolution:
Learn a Language
My agent sent me this joke:
A mother mouse and a baby mouse are walking along, when all of a sudden, a cat attacks them.
The mother mouse yells, “BARK!” and the cat runs away.
“See?” says the mother mouse to her baby. “Now do you understand why it’s important to learn a foreign language?”
Now that I’ve convinced you how important foreign languages are 😉 here are some links:
Merry Christmas!
I hope you and your families are happy, safe, and warm this holiday season. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!
- Vegetarian Christmas Menu
- French Christmas Vocabulary
- Italian Christmas Vocabulary
- Spanish Christmas Vocabulary
Happy Hanukkah!
To my Jewish friends and readers all over the world, I wish you a happy and healthy Hanukkah, filled with joy and light.
I hope one of these links will add a little extra cheer to your celebration:
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving, as celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, is a uniquely American holiday, but you still might want to talk about it in French, Spanish, or Italian. Here’s some vocabulary to help you get ready for next week’s American Thanksgiving – and some vegetarian recipes, just in case.
- French Thanksgiving Vocabulary
- Spanish Thanksgiving Vocabulary
- Italian Thanksgiving Vocabulary
- Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu
Stucko the Iguana
Green iguanas wander around our property – we usually see at least one a day, climbing the giant tamarind tree, hanging out by the pool, or eating morning glories. They tend to be pretty shy and skittish, and we enjoy coming up with names for them. This guy was originally named Loki because he wasn’t quite so shy, but after this little adventure, we renamed him to Stucko. He’s borderline friendly now, having learned that we definitely mean him no harm. 🙂
Happy Easter!
It’s only a few days away – here are some links to help hunt for eggs and celebrate this springtime holiday.
Mardi Gras 2021
Mardi Gras is the ultimate street party – at least in a normal year. In 2021, with travel restrictions, lockdowns, and social distancing, traditional floats and dancing are out of the question. But creative people will always find an outlet, as in these uniquely 2021 Mardi Gras celebrations.
New Orleans: House floats / Yardi Gras
Guadeloupe: TV and radio programming
If you’re feeling nostalgic, check out my photos from Nice Carnaval 2013.
And as always, I have multilingual vocabulary for my fellow language lovers:
Happy Valentine’s Day!
It’s only a few days away – here are some links to help you celebrate with your beloved.
