Discovering Pieter Bruegel

Art History Museum We recently went to Vienna’s Art History Museum, an impressive structure built “under Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph to accommodate the collections acquired by the emperors and archdukes of the House of Habsburg over the centuries,” according to its brochure. The museum is known by locals as KHM, short for the Kunsthistorisches (Art … Continue reading Discovering Pieter Bruegel →

The Albertina Museum

The Albertina Museum is splendid both in terms of its wide-ranging collection of artists and its location inside a former palace in the heart of Vienna. Before you enter the museum, you will notice many older buildings of interest that surround it. It sits between the Hofburg palace complex and the State Opera House, for … Continue reading The Albertina Museum →

What Creator Has Most Influenced You?

In my writers group, we were recently asked to write about what artist, writer, famous historical figure, etc, had most influenced us. Even though he is not a writer, the person who first came to mind was Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, so I wrote my letter to him. Dear Pablo Picasso, I had the opportunity to … Continue reading What Creator Has Most Influenced You? →

I Am a Writer

By Nancy Klein This piece of writing was done in response to a prompt we received in our weekly Torrevieja Writers' Circle meetings. The prompt: I am a Writer. The subsequent posts by John McGregor and Margaret Rowland were also written in response to this particular prompt. Pablo Picasso actually painted this still life Sometimes … Continue reading I Am a Writer →

Vienna, My Love

This Austrian city has got it all: rich in culture and history, it is bursting at the seams with art, music and many kinds of architectural delights. Within the city itself, it has not one, but two, major palaces: Belvedere and Schönbrunn, along with half a dozen smaller ones. How many other cities can top … Continue reading Vienna, My Love →

Terracotta Warriors Exhibit in Alicante

Earlier this week I went to see the Terracotta Warriors exhibit at the Archeological Museum in Alicante. I had heard about these soldiers in China and was always curious to know more about them. These sculptures were constructed near Xi'an in the late 200s before the Common Era, more than 2,000 years ago, on the … Continue reading Terracotta Warriors Exhibit in Alicante →

Two Days in Frankfurt

I need to start out by saying that I have been spending time on the free language-learning app Duolingo in preparation for this trip to Germany. I had wanted to be able to at least understand some of the signs when we went to Germany. I have to say it actually worked too! Not only … Continue reading Two Days in Frankfurt →

México City is Amazing

First, I must make a profound apology to all Mexicans. Your country is rich in history, culture and art. Somehow I never understood that before. Perhaps it's because I am from the United States where children are educated primarily in their own history and culture. Nearby countries, like Canada and Mexico, are ignored as are … Continue reading México City is Amazing →

Help!

By Anthony Jones Painting of the Raft of the Medusa A sail on the horizon! A sail, a sail! Please God let them see us! “Au secours! Au secours!” we shouted, although our cries were more desperate croaks. We sounded and looked like a murder of crows, our skins blackened by fourteen whole days under … Continue reading Help! →

Italy at Christmas Despite the Pandemic

During Christmas time 2020, we had planned to go to Italy as a family. Of course, this plan was cancelled along with everyone else's plans once the pandemic struck us hard starting in March of that year. We decided to try again to see this culture-rich country in 2021. The original plan was that our … Continue reading Italy at Christmas Despite the Pandemic →