Father Whipper: St Nick’s Evil Helper
Misbehaving children have to be very careful the first part of December, or St. Nick might send his not-so-nice “helper” to see them…
Letter from Nice
Dear Readers, Thank you for your thoughts and prayers during the terrorist attack on Nice…
The Cicada (Cigale) of Provence
When the warm days of summer arrive in Provence, the air is filled with the song of the cicadas, or cigales in French…
A Saint, a Convict, and a Gargoyle go into a Swamp…
This story seems like a pretty reasonable explanation for all those gargoyles…
Befana: Italy’s Good, January Witch
Long before Father Christmas (or Babbo Natale) showed up, Italian children waited excitedly for the 6 January and their visit from a very witchy-looking old lady called La Befana.
Marie Antoinette’s Adopted Children
“Let them eat cake!” This is the most famous line that Marie Antoinette NEVER said. This queen had a compassionate side – especially when it came to children…
Welcome! I hope you’ll find something here to tickle your fancy. I love Europe and history and I’m always looking for a good, quirky story to tell.
Scroll down to see my most recent articles, or click “Continue Reading” to find out how this site is organised. Enjoy…
Blockhead Building gets a Thumbs Up
Normally I’m not a fan of modern architecture. but there are a few modern structures that I really appreciate and one of them is in Nice, France….
Carnival Time in Venice, Italy
Carnival celebrations take place around the world, but when we think of elegant masks and beautiful costumes, we think of Venice. So in 2014 my husband and I decided to go and see for ourselves what the Venice Carnival was like. We weren’t disappointed. People come from everywhere to see and be seen at the…
Rock of Inspiration
In the early nineteenth century, when many English poets visited or lived in Florence, the stone marking the location of his favourite seat was just about the only tribute to Dante in Florence.
Let your conscience be your guide
Let your Conscience be your Guide I enter the shop and my breath is taken away By the beautiful Italian ceramics In a variety of colours and designs. – Yes, so many exquisite things that you don’t need. I love the canisters, they would be stunning In my kitchen! Flour, Sugar, Salt – Have you…
