The Place: The Pueblos Blancos of Andalusia, Spain
“In fourteen hundred ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” Other things happened on the Iberian Peninsula that year under the reign of the Catholic monarchs, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. The Kingdom of Granada, last Muslim stronghold in Spain, fell,…Continue reading→
Reflections: My Own Red Wheelbarrow
“The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams: so much depends / upon // a red wheel / barrow // glazed with rain / water // beside the white / chickens Containing only sixteen words and one visual image, this poem at…
The Story: Real Alcázar of Seville
Author’s note: To most appreciate the story, first read the previous blog about the place. Thanks! Once upon a time, 1334 AD to be exact, a girl was born to two Castilian nobles in the northern reaches of the Iberian Peninsula….Continue reading→
The Place: The Real Alcázar of Seville, Spain
For years, I’d wanted to return to Spain, where I spent my college junior year abroad. After several aborted efforts, my husband and I finally arrived in May, 2024. Our itinerary—to spend a week in Seville with Road Scholar, then rent…Continue reading→
Reflections: Feeding the Lake
Years ago, when I taught the novel Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys for a university literature course in Puerto Rico, I came upon this quote by Rhys: “All of writing is a huge lake. There are great rivers that feed…Continue reading→
The Story: Death Valley, California
Author’s note: To most appreciate this story, first read the previous blog about the place. Thanks! Marcus learned of the lake from his kayaking buddy Gustavo. “A lake in Death Valley. How coois that? You gotta check it out.” Loading the…Continue reading→
The Place: Death Valley, California
[Author’s note: Two years ago, I planned to take this blog from one of the coldest places on Earth to one of the hottest. I completed the coldest, Oymyakon settlement in Russia, and started the hottest, Death Valley in California. However,…Continue reading→
The Story: Oymyakon
Author’s note: To most appreciate this story, first read the previous blog about the place. Thanks! One day in early spring, when the temperatures began to poke above minus twenty degrees Fahrenheit, a stranger appeared in the village of Oymyakon. He…Continue reading→
The Place: Oymyakon, Russia
I’m writing this in the dog days of summer, when temperatures soar ever higher. The sun scorches, pavements sizzle, and even mad dogs and Englishmen search for shade. While we bake, many of us long for a respite, the colder the…Continue reading→
The Story: Coastal Crete
Author’s note: To most appreciate this story, first read the previous blog about the place. Thanks! This true story is told by a fictional narrator. “Stay away from the dirty hippies.” Those were my mother’s words every time I left the…Continue reading→