Thyssen Museum Wonders

For fans of paintings I would say that the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid has to be among the best I’ve ever seen in terms of the variety and quality of its collection. Initially the works were part of a private collection started in the 1920s by German born steel and iron magnate Baron Heinrich Thyssen … Continue reading Thyssen Museum Wonders →

What AI Knows About You: A Personal Experiment

Pip: Nancy B. Klein is an American writer living in Spain, and apparently the internet already knew that before she did.Mara: This episode follows one post from Nancy B. Klein's blog, and it takes us into the territory where AI meets personal identity — specifically, what happens when you ask a machine to tell you … Continue reading What AI Knows About You: A Personal Experiment →

Review of Building a Top-Notch Family Tree

By John R. Austin The following is an independent review by a man passionate about genealogy, as his biography illustrates. Nancy’s book is exactly what every beginner in genealogy needs. It is clearly written in a way that even someone with no prior knowledge can easily understand. One of the book’s greatest strengths is its … Continue reading Review of Building a Top-Notch Family Tree →

Seeking Published Authors To Review My New Novel

Hello readers. I know some of my subscribers are published authors so this post is specifically addressed to you. I’m planning on publishing my new novel, Time to Take Off, in October and seek authors interested in reading and reviewing it ahead of its scheduled release date. Here’s the blurb for this approximately 60,000 word very … Continue reading Seeking Published Authors To Review My New Novel →

A Review of Selected Women Artists at Tate Modern

For my 70th birthday, I spent the afternoon with hubby and sons exploring the Tate Modern Art Museum in London. I had never been there before but it was billed as exhibiting art from 1900 until the present day. I figured there would be some art of interest even though my favorite artists are French … Continue reading A Review of Selected Women Artists at Tate Modern →

The Ancient City of Colchester

Colchester, in northeastern Essex, claims to be the first city in England because it’s the site of Camulodumun, the first major settlement in what was once known as “Roman Britain.” According to Wikipedia, “Colchester is said to be the oldest recorded town in Britain on the grounds that it was mentioned by Pliny the Elder who died … Continue reading The Ancient City of Colchester →

Cambridge University Punting Excursion

Having already visited Oxford a few days earlier, hubby and I decided a visit to England’s other famed university was in order. But rather than take a walking tour, we went punting. That’s where you sit in a flat boat and the driver uses a long pole to push you up and down a river. … Continue reading Cambridge University Punting Excursion →

Oxford University

When I did a walking tour of Oxford recently, I mistakenly thought Oxford University was just one or at most one of several entities. Was I ever mistaken as Oxford University encompasses 39 colleges and 6 private halls under its umbrella. That’s a lot of educational institutions in one university. According to our Trip Advisor … Continue reading Oxford University →

The Isle of Wight

As part of our month’s tour of the United Kingdom, we thought it would be fun to include a stop at the Isle of Wight. What made it even more special to go there was the fact that we have friends who live there most of the time. They were our next door neighbors in … Continue reading The Isle of Wight →

The Special City of Bath

Bath, an ancient city in southwest England, is among the top ten visited locales in the country, and famous for its Roman-built baths. In fact, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Hubby and I got up early and arrived at the Roman Baths just before its opening time of 9 am … Continue reading The Special City of Bath →