Tag Archives: travel memoir

30 Days to Change Your Life

St. Francis' olive grove, Assissi
Italian Olive Grove

Destination: Italy

Book Cover: A Month in Italy
Book: A Month of Italy: Rediscovering the Art of Vacation (NEW 2012) by Chris Brady

This book alternately amused me and annoyed me.  The subject is promising–a family of six, already widely traveled, decides to get away from the pressure of everyday life in America for a month in Italy. Continue reading 30 Days to Change Your Life

Life in Ibiza Before the Road

Destination: Ibiza, Spain

Book: A Valley Wide (written in the 1960’s, published in 2008)written by Alexis Brown

Ibiza sounds so exotic.  I remember in the 60s and 70s how many times the Spanish island showed up in the news as a party place for film stars and other celebrities.  Then I heard about friends from Sweden who visited on their long summer vacations. Those lucky Europeans  are only a short plane ride away from such wonderful vacation spots but Americans, in general, have not discovered small wonders like Majorca or Ibiza. Continue reading Life in Ibiza Before the Road

What Makes a Place Home?

A Week of Books Featuring Writing and Publishing

Note: On Monday, I talked about All Men Are Liars, whose characters are all in the writing and publishing business. Wednesday’s book,  Alys Always, in contemporary England, also centers on the business of writing. And today we go to Beirut for a year with a freelance writer and editor. It just happens that three books landed on my reading pile that deal quite prominently with writing, reading, and publishing. So it seemed logical to group them together this week.

Ramlet El Bayda at Dusk - Beirut, Lebanon

Destination: Beirut, Lebanon


Book: Jasmine and Fire: A Bittersweet Year in Beirut (New June 2012) by Salma Abdelnour

Salma Abdelnour is not your average homeless person.  But in these pages, she spends a year looking for a home. Continue reading What Makes a Place Home?