We have noted the popular fascination with Catherine the Great. While the Russian Empress may be among the trendier rulers from this period, historian Catherine Curzon points out that the Georgian era (1914-1837) was rife with “unique, eccentric and flamboyant monarchs.”…
Great Barrington, Mass – Sweet Daddio planned a getaway so we could celebrate my birthday in the Berkshires. Daddio knows how much I have enjoyed our pandemic field trips during this year of no travel. Our hiking and beach outings…
Stow, Mass – I can’t believe it has been six years since I posted about Honey Pot Hill. Apparently, life changed a lot when the twins started school. Then we had to start limiting our adventures to weekends, when everyone…
Somerville, Mass – Our last trip pre-pandemic was a mini road trip to New York City, where we celebrated Daddio’s birthday and went to see Phantom of the Opera. Within days of our return home, schools closed and the state…
Quincy, Mass – I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that the opening of school is delayed by a few weeks, so the teachers and staff can figure out how to do “remote schooling”. I fear…
An excerpt from The Tsarina’s Lost Treasure appeared in the Daily Beast! “A ghostly shipwreck, a lost masterpiece painting, a lustful tsarina, the news of the Vrouw Maria’s discovery stirred imaginations in the summer of 1999. It also sparked questions, namely:…
Somerville, Mass – It’s a long drive back to Boston from Michigan (13 hours), so we decided to make it a proper Covid-safe road trip and break it up with a few outdoor-activity stops along the way. Niagara Falls When…
St Clair Shores, Michigan – We have given up a lot this year (as everyone has). But I wasn’t quite ready to give up our annual time with the grandparents on Lake St Clair. After much deliberation, we finally came…
Gloucester, Mass – For years, I have fantasized about spending my summer exploring New England’s many glorious beaches, each week checking out a new sandy spot. Normally, we are just too “busy” to do it. We are traveling. Or we…
Rockport, Mass – Here’s the thing about the global pandemic… we got nothing but time. We have none of the things that normally keep us busy in the summer. There’s no day camp. There’s no Ferry Beach. And there’s no…