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Author Archives: Doug
MARTIN JOHN, a novel by Anakana Schofield
Anakana Schofield, a Canadian writer of Irish descent, makes strong demands on us. Her novel, MARTIN JOHN, is not particularly long. And its vocabulary is not difficult though it helps to have some familiarity with British English so when the word “torch” appears you realize it refers to a flashlight and not a flaming cloth wrapped around a stick, and that “tube” refers to the subway not the TV. Nor does Ms. Schofield trouble us with convoluted sentences or interminable … Continue reading
THE LANGUAGE GAP
Hagen tries to explain to me how he constructed the large graceful patio on the back of the Brandt family home in Bad Duebin near Leipzig. He is a joyous man, large, fleshy in a pleasing way, strong, capable, deep of voice, teeming with energy, a man with a hardy laugh and a ready sense of humor. A man who chooses beer over wine. (His preferred beer comes from the north of Germany near the Danish border. It has a … Continue reading
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LOFER
In the Germanic countries (Austria and Germany) we were among acquaintances and family. My first visit to Lofer, Austria was in 1983 and my wife Nina had been there with her parents years before that. In 1999 Nina and our son lived there for six weeks. Ahry attended school and learned to ski. One of the boys who befriended him later visited us in Miranda. I have been to Lofer six or seven times and Nina a dozen or more. … Continue reading
MULTIPLE TRAINS AND AN ANGEL
Our intent in the spring of 2016 was to do most of our traveling in Europe by train so we purchased a Eurail pass before we left the States. There are several kinds of Eurail passes. The one we got allowed us to travel any five days within a two-month period in the four countries we selected: Italy, Austria, Germany and France. We could travel for 24 hours on those days if we wished, but unless we started after seven … Continue reading
IN THE HILLS OF TUSCANY
What we enjoy about travel at this stage of our lives is to select a home base, settle in for a few days and just try to live in our adopted community. To do everything possible or desirable is not our plan. While in Sorrento, for example, we visited Pompeii, Herculaneum and Napoli but we did not climb Vesuvius, explore the romantic island of Capri, tour the spectacular Amalfi coast or make our way to the famous Greek ruins at … Continue reading
OUR DAY IN NAPLES
One day we went from Sorrento to Naples, crossing the bay in a ferry. The weather was clear but a strong wind coming off the Mediterranean produced large waves and the old boat bobbed about like a fisherman’s cork. About halfway across a crew member came around with a handful of plastic bags of various shapes and sizes that he offered to anyone who felt the need. This courtesy led me to presume he was probably the poor guy who … Continue reading
