A Traveler's Library » Travel

The Mafia in Sicily

pen4hire — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Sicily Week

Destination: Sicily

Book: The Honoured Society: The Sicilian Mafia Observed, by Norman Lewis (Original-1964 with postscript added in 1984; reviewed edition 2003.)

If you were playing word-association, Sicily-Mafia might be your first reaction. The Honoured Society seems to me to be a perfect addition to a library of travel literature– if you read it along with Seeking Sicily– to understand that region of Italy. You will find many of the same themes in the two books.

Norman Lewis is best known as an outstanding travel writer. (See my review of Naples ’44). But his first wife was Swiss-Sicilian, and her father, an exile from Sicily, belonged to the Mafia. Thus began Lewis’ interest in the honoured society. His book benefits from personal experience and meticulous research in addition to Lewis’ skills as a wordsmith. Think how much he enhances the following paragraph, which could have been a dry list of facts.

“In this world one occasionally stumbles upon a place which, in the physical presence, and the atmosphere it distills, manages somehow to match its reputation for sinister happenings. Such a town is Corleone. A Total of 153 murders took place between 1944 and 1948 alone.” (This in a town of 18,000.)

Like John Keahey, in Seeking Sicily, Lewis traces the characteristics of Sicilian history back through its many conquerors.

Like Keahey, Lewis says, “Sicily is not Italy.” He goes on, “nor–with the exception of the spas, the palms, and the mimosas of its eastern seaboard–is it even recognizably a Mediterranean country.”

Although the Mafia’s first appearance may not be clearly marked in a timeline of history, there is no question that the Spanish Inquisition, while Sicily sat under the thumb of Spain, played a large part. Since the Inquisition not only punished, but confiscated property, the aristocrats enthusiastically joined the Inquisition, both to enrich themselves and to protect their property. For 300 years, in the 15th-18th centuries, property was taken in this way. The Mafia became the protector of the poor by the only avenue open to them–vendetta.

Part of the delight of reading Lewis lies in his ability to make amazing and detailed connections. He traces the fatalism and vendettas of the Sicilian culture back to African tribal rituals and to the desert tribes of Arab lands. Remember the horse’s head at the beginning of The Godfather? African tribal rituals included depositing of a beheaded dog or sheep on an enemies doorstep.

“Without realizing it, they have killed each other as far back as anybody can remember, and still kill each other, not so much out of bloodthirsty sentiment, but from economic necessity. There has never been enough to go around, so the vendetta becomes a device for keeping down the population.”

The Mafia’s survival has depended upon an agility in adapting to economic circumstances. In the early days, serious money could be made in manufacturing phony religious relics and selling the seats in church and devotional candles. But land was the real base of operations.Feudal systems survived in Sicily long after the Middle Ages died in the rest of Europe. The land-holding aristocracy utilized the Mafia as protectors of the land and enforcers and later to ensure votes for conservative politicians. A rupture developed when the land-holders decide it is in their best interest to support Mussolini who set out to destroy the Mafia.

New allies popped up with World War II. Because the Mafia were anti-Mussolini, the United States army enlisted them to help defeat the Italians. Imported American gangster Lucky Luciano was given authority, and the brotherhood’s business practices turned to controlling the black market (with American support) and, after the war, to Luciano’s favorite business–heroin. The traditional Mafia leaders in Italy would not support his other business–prostitution. That was not honourable in their eyes.

I was amazed to learn that after the war when Sicily struggled with the question of their relationship to a newly independent Italy, the Mafia leaders favored becoming the 49th state of the United States. (Hawaii and Alaska had not yet joined the U. S.)

The Mafia power through alliances that had lasted for centuries began to crack in the 1960′s and the postscripts to the book describe the rather pessimistic scene in the early 1980′s. Today, according to John Keahey, in Seeking Sicily, the Mafia has been reduced from a powerful organization that dominates Sicily to more or less independent outlaws, no longer supported by church, state and journalists. However, a website called Mafia Today recently ran an article stating that the Sicilian Mafia is the most successful business in Italy today in the face of economic disaster for legitimate business. It seems it will never end. At least the Mafia wars no longer threaten travelers and it is once more safe to book your travel to Sicily.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our week in Sicily. If you’d like to read some contemporary travel experiences on the island, check Hecktic Travels blog for their series on Sicily; Travel Solo for top things to do in Sicily and Joe’s Trippin’ about Southern Sicily.

Love in a Nutshell

pen4hire — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

CONTEST OVER ~~(One reader today through Sunday night will win BOTH this audio book and another one. See end of post.)~~

Destination: Michigan, near Traverse City

Audio Book: Love in a Nutshell by Janet Evanovich and Dorien Kelly

Put the mystery writer Janet Evanovich together with romance writer Dorien Kelly and this is what you get–perhaps not the best of either of them, but Love in a Nutshell is an enjoyable light-hearted romance loosely plotted around some amateur sleuthing.

Lake Michigan

Our heroine, Kate, needs a job because she just got fired and because she has decided to renovate her parents old summer home along Lake Michigan. She envisions a B & B catering to the summer people who swell the small town’s population during the warmer months. Her only saleable skill is waitressing, so she marches into the most successful brew pub in town and more or less demands a job.
The impossibly handsome, intelligent and morally straight owner finds her impudence adorable and her perky curves attractive. He offers her the job of finding out who is systematically attempting to sabotage his business. Since this quest involves the two of them working closely together, sparks inevitably fly. In the old melodramas, the heroine’s property was being taken away by the evil landlord, who would trade the mortgage for a (ahem!) kiss. We booed the villain and cheered when the handsome hero swooped in to save the heroine from a terrible fate.

But in this post-modern melodrama, the handsome hero owns the mortgage, and therefore plays the villain role, too. I’m confused. How can the villain also be the hero? (I’m sensing a trend here. Remember the beach romance, Summer Rental? That romantic hero was the annoying landlord–although he had his own mortgage problems.) But the real villain of this book is the unknown saboteur. Kate finds herself in increasingly perilous situations and Mr. Impossibly Handsome rescues the plucky heroine just as though she were tied to that board going through the sawmill. (Remember that silent film scene?)

Kate wouldn’t be in such perilous situations if she exercised just a bit of common sense. I’m just sayin’.

The book pokes fun at an interesting assortment of small town characters. Despite the rather lame shenanigans of the real villain, the book might tempt you to experience a vacation on the Michigan shore in a place like Traverse City. (Which just happens to be the home of our very own film critic, Jane Boursaw!) So if you’re looking for an audio book for a road trip, or to exercise by, consider Love in a Nutshell for your Traveler’s Library. And of course it comes in other flavors–i.e. electronic or print.

Today’s prize to one person who comments, subscribes, tweets or mentions us on Google+ will be the audio version of Love in a Nuts

hell, plus the audio version of A Trick of the Light–a mystery set near Montreal, reviewed here. (You can comment on this post or on an earlier post. Just do it before Monday Jan. 9, 3:00 a.m. MST. If you already subscribe by e-mail and want an extra entry as a subscriber, be sure to tell me that in the comments..)

Disclaimer: The audio books were provided by the publisher for review, without any expectations on their part. The photos in this post are from Flickr. Click on them to see more information about the photographer. When you click on a book title link to Amazon, anything that you buy in the following 24 hours gives a few cents to my affiliate account, without costing you any extra. Thank you.

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10 Temptations–Decisions, Decisions

pen4hire — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:38:02 +0000

Please help a blogger in distress!

I have no trouble deciding to sponsor prizes for Passports With Purpose, where this year travel bloggers are raising money to build TWO libraries in Zambia with Room to Read. After all, A Traveler’s Library is ALL ABOUT far off places and BOOKS.

I have no problem asking sponsors for those prizes, because the sponsors (Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, Interlink Books and MacMillan Audio) are happy to be associated with such a great program.

I have no problem spreading the love by tweeting, posting on Facebook, Google + and by writing blog posts at A Traveler’s Library about Passports With Purpose.

I have no trouble deciding to put a widget on my blog that shows you the progress in fund raising.

I have no problem budgeting to contribute several $10 bids on fantastic travel prizes in order to help Passports With Purpose reach its goal.

What I DO have a problem with is deciding which of the wonderful prizes to choose. Do I go for broke and put all my tenners on ONE prize? Do I go for all the ones I crave the most, $10 at a time? Do I try to play the odds and bid on ones that may not be quite as popular? Do I let Ken have a vote? What a dilemma!

Hawaii Big Island

In case you haven’t visited Passports With Purpose to check out the fantastic list of prizes, yet, here’s a run-down on ten that are jerking my chain.

Home Away $1000 voucher from one of the four cupcakes who dreamed up Passports With Purpose, Nerd’s Eye View. We stay in apartments whenever we can, and this would guarantee a nice trip.

110,000 Hyatt Gold Points good world wide. (YEP! I didn’t add zeroes–that’s actually what it is) from Boarding Area, is worth $2640. (Ken’s pick)

Two Nights at Grand Hyatt Kuaui, worth $1000. Donated by No Vacation Required. The one island we HAVE visited in Hawaii, and we loved it SO much. (Ken’s Pick)

Two Nights lodging at any Ohio State Park resort, worth $450. Now how could I resist the chance to return to the state park where I honeymooned? This one is donated by Road Trips for Families (for whom I have written a few pieces.)

Five nights at Big Island Hawaii Resorts. This year’s prizes include several Hawaii resort stays, and they all are tempting, but I have not been to the Big Island, and it is definitely on my bucket list. This one, worth $1692, is donated by another of the cupcakes who thought up Passports with Purpose, Wanderlust and Lipstick.

Five Day Tournament of Roses and L.A. tour. Even before knowing who is playing in the Rose Bowl this year, Ken picked this one. We’ve never made it over there when our own Ohio State Buckeyes were playing (and this is definitely not their year). The prize does not include game tickets, but does have the hotel, tours and the rose parade. Worth $1696 and donated by Mira Terra Images. Yes, this is a Ken pick.

A Nine-Day Costa Rica Tour. Now there’s a place that’s definitely on my wanna-go list. It was actually the first prize to catch my eye. Donated by G Adventures of Wanderers in Residence, this prize is worth just shy of $1000.

4-Day Raft Trip on the Salmon River with O.A.R.S. We rafted the Colorado through the Grand Canyon with O.A.R.S. and that ranks as a top experience of a lifetime. Would love to do another river. Sponsored by river guide Joslin Fritz of Wander Lust and Lipstick.

5-Night Stay in Budapest. We won an apartment stay in Budapest once before (in a different drawing)–why not again? Worth $796, this prize is sponsored by Inspiring Travellers. A Ken pick.

One- Week apartment stay in Umbria. Ahhh, we only visited Assisi last time, but we could be persuaded to see more of Umbria! Worth $798, this prize is sponsored by Why Go Italy. A Ken pick.

Well, considering that I left all the travel gear off my list (like the Bamboo Blend Traveler’s Pack sponsored by Wandering Educators), and we do not really need the FIVE Kindles or the Nook Tablet from various sponsors–my list is actually pretty reasonable. But it is stretching my budget–particularly if I put more than one ten on an individual prize. You see the problem?

And of course, when YOU bid, you will also be tempted by the prizes sponsored by A Traveler’s Library–a THREE night stay at the gorgeous Hotel Monteleone in exciting New Orleans; $300 worth of books that take you to far off places from Interlink Books; or $100 worth of audio books from MacMillan Audio to listen to on your next road trip. But I cannot win those, so good luck to you–I’d really like to see one of my readers win the prizes I sponsored.

SO–Advise me on how I should allocate my money–which prizes should I bid on? All on one, or $10 each? HELP! And Hurry, because the bidding ends on December 16. And we want to help kids like this keep reading.

Literacy Day in Zambia

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Road Trip Nova Scotia

pen4hire — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 02:56:16 +0000

No books or movies today–”just” a trip.

Although if you would like to know about some movies made in Nova Scotia, there are quite a few, not to mention a current TV SyFy channel show, Haven. which was partially filmed in Lunenberg, and other Nova Scotia locations.

Lunenburg

Earlier I wrote about Campobello Island, the International park where FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt and family stayed in the summer (That site is in New Brunswick, but was on our way to Nova Scotia).

Then I talked a bit about Baddeck and about Glooscap Heritage Center and Kejimkujuk.But I need to go back to our first stop in Nova Scotia, which was in Annapolis Royal. Getting there was half the fun. That was our three-ferry day. We waited on the pebbly beach of Campobello and listened to the seagulls wheel and scold. Keeping up the rhythm in the bass section, a fog horn bleated soulfully from time to time.

Ship emerging from fog Campobello

Then a Canadian transportation department ferry from Deer Island to the mainland at Letite. A short drive to St. John, New Brunswick, and a large ferry to Digby.
Digby is a very touristy town and the scallop festival started that evening. But we stayed up the road a piece at Annapolis Royal at the gorgeous 19th century Hillsdale House Inn.

Hillsdale House

Not only are the 13 rooms filled with antique furniture:

Room in Hillsdale House

our Bathroom, Hillsdale House

But, they also have WIFI:

That's me tweeting from an antique table!

This was a delightful place to start our “sister’s trip” to Nova Scotia. In Anapolis Royal we took in the Historic Gardens two doors down, and saw the oldest wooden structure in Nova Scotia right next door. It is a house that is still lived in, with lawn maintained as it would have been in the early 18th century. The village streets just beg to be explored with all that history, including Ft. Anne with its exhibits of the struggles between France and England. (more about that later).

The Tourism Office of Nova Scotia kindly organized our tour and arranged for complementary stays for the six nights we were there. But I will not rave about a place unless we found it raveable–as Hillsdale House clearly is. Nova Scotia tourism operates handy tourism centers where friendly people will give you great advice on how to get the most out of your visit. Here’s the one we visited fresh off the ferry from St. John.

Tourism office near Digby ferry port

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7 Best Blog Posts

pen4hire — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 08:22:54 +0000

Three sons

Oh, please, don’t ask me to choose. It’s like picking your favorite child. It just isn’t done. Besides, think of the psychiatrist bills to battle the neurosis of those that are not chosen.

But Choose I must. It seems there is this “thing” going around–not lethal but very infectious–and I have been intentionally exposed by my friend Mark over at Travel Wonders of the World. Well, since Mark is a good friend (I’ve guest blogged for him about Bayeux and Canyon de Chelly, and he wrote about Mark Twain for me and leaves comments frequently here), I am honored.

The “thing” is a My 7 Links meme started by Tripbase Blog. Bloggers are asked to list posts that fit into 7 categories, as you will see below.

So happy reading.

1. My Most Beautiful Post

I have borrowed a lot of other people’s pictures for posts (using Flickr, usually), I proudly present a post where I took all the pix–10 + Reasons to Travel to New Zealand. In such a beautiful place, how can you NOT take beautiful pictures? The technical standards are not tops, because these are all scanned from print, but nevertheless…I think the post looks pretty good.

2. My Most Popular Post

Five American Road Trip Books and The List. I wrote this one not long after I started the blog and it continues to draw readers every month. Why? People like road trips, and people like “best of” lists.

(Incidently if you measure popularity by number of comments, that would be The Perfect French Movie, which inspired beaucoup people to opine about their favorite french movie.)

Mumbai

3. My Most Controversial Post

Easy. Sometimes when I write a negative review, somebody (namely the author) jumps to the defense, but generally I’m positive and not controversial. However, when it came to the movie, Slumdog Millionaire, while I enjoyed the movie, I could not resist pointing out that I have no desire to visit Mumbai, India. That created a mini firestorm, which was partially quenched when Monica Bhide wrote two guest posts defending her Mumbai (Bombay).

4. My Most Helpful Post

Since I hope that EVERY blog post I write is helpful in some way, it is difficult for me to choose, but relying on the number of viewers and commenters, I would say that readers have found Ten Places to Eat Cheap (er) in Paris has been majorly helpful to them. (So much so that I have adapted the post, added pictures, and published it as an e-book which is available on Kindle or at the Barnes and Noble Store.)

5. A Post Whose Success Surprised Me

I suspect school assignments may be resonsible for searches that land on the post on Hiawatha , and I know that giving away a prize is going to make a temporarily popular post. As I mentioned, list posts are popular, which made 3 Best Travel Secrets of Greece a winner. But none of those are surprising. From time to time a post draws enormous traffic for no discernable reason.

Ohio Grave of Civil War Veteran, Henry Allen Butts

The one that surprised me was a personal Veteran’s Day tribute to men in my family who have served in United States armed conflicts. I would like to think it was my masterful writing, but I suspect the popularity might be caused by the fact that my great-grandfathers surname was Butts. What do you think?

6. A Post I Don’t Feel Got the Attention It Deserved

Oh, dear. NONE of my posts ever reach as many people as I would like. I’m sharing some of the greatest writers of travel literature and travel-inspirational fiction, or movies that you must see, and I want EVERYONE to know. Enough whining–since I have to choose just one, I’ll say Sweet Read About Paris. David Leibovitz writes an hysterically funny guide to living in Paris. Plus there’s lots of chocolate.

7. The Post I am Proudest Of

For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake.

Robert Louis Stevenson said that in his classic travel book, Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes. But you have to read my post to get the entire context of his quote which has a sharper edge than the excerpt. I like this post because it focuses on the job at hand–instead of wandering off point as I am wont to do. And it introduces a book that I really adored.

Note to other blog posts at A Traveler’s Library. I’m just kidding–I really like YOU the best!

——–

And there you have it. My little family of Seven Links from past posts. I hope you enjoy them, and will share your thoughts below. Agree with my choices? Have your own favorites?

I hereby pass the 7 Links Baton to the following 5 wonderful bloggers, and hope you will check them out, also.

Edie Jarolim at Will My Dog Hate Me (Edie is a travel writer as well as a dog slave.)

Kerry Dexter at Music Road (If you have not met Kerry here before, you were not paying attention.)

Sheri Wallace at Road Trips for Families (Sheri has an empire of road trip blogs, but this is the flagship.)

Kristen Gough and her fun family food blog, My Kids Eat Squid. (Kristen has also guest-posted at A Traveler’s Library on a variety of places)

Melanie McMin, The Frugal Kiwi. (How appropriate. I started this post with a photo-post from New Zealand, and I end with a recommendation of a blogger who lives in New Zealand. This useful and entertaining blog comes with chickens, honey bees, felted crafts, food, and home decor!)

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Fred Harvey and Travel in the Western U.S.

pen4hire — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 08:51:48 +0000

Appetite for America: Fred Harvey and the Business of Civilizing the Wild West–One Meal at a Time" />

Destination: The Western United States

Book: Appetite for America: Fred Harvey and the Business of Civilizing the Wild West–One Meal at a Time by Stephen Fried (2010–New paperback edition in 2011)

The reader gets more than his/her money’s worth with the fascinating book, Appetite for America. A biography, a history of the western expansion of tourism in the early 20th century, an analysis of a unique business model, a travel guide for nostalgia buffs, a railroad book for “trainiacs,” AND recipes from the Fred Harvey kitchens–all told in amusing and highly readable style by Stephen Fried.

Santa Fe locomotive

I have always been fascinated with the story of the influence of the Santa Fe railroad and Fred Harvey hotels and restaurants on the growth of tourism in the Western U.S. After all, I know that because the Santa Fe promoted the West as a destination of natural beauty, they were largely responsible for our National Park system. Likewise, they promoted Indian arts and built a market for potters and basket makers. This book reveals that the story is even more interesting than I imagined.

La Posada Hotel

Ken and I recently took a road trip to one of the few Fred Harvey establishments being refurbished to its original, classy style. Mary Jane Colter designed La Posada in drab little Winslow, Arizona. (Ironically, when we last spent a night in Winslow–in the mid 1960′s–Winslow was thriving, but La Posada was a wreck.) Colter, probably the highest ranking woman in any company in the country in her day, worked for Fred Harvey for more than 30 years, starting with the company Indian store in Albuquerque, and moving on to designing buildings at the Grand Canyon, interiors and even dinnerware.But La Posada is her masterpiece, and we are fortunate that loving hands are bringing it back to life.

The Santa Fe railroad won the railroad jousting match to dominate the routes from Chicago to Los Angeles, back in the day when railroad travel was the most modern and classiest mode of transportation and competition between lines was cut-throat.

Did you know that before the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, each railroad had its own station, and separate ticket office? There were no “Grand Centrals” or “Union Station.” Did you know that each city declared its own time until the growth of railroads demanded standardized time zones in the United States? A meeting of representatives of the major railroads determined the four time zones we still have and clocks were reset on November 18, 1883.

It is this kind of reportage of detail that keeps Appetite for America fascinating throughout. That, and the fact that Fred Harvey is the kind of character that biographers dream of. He had a virtual rags to riches story, and left reams of notebooks, lists, letters and memorabilia scattered across the country. (Fried helpfully lists all the places that you can find the memorabilia today.)

Contemporary Harvey Girl serves our Anniversary dessert

From selling railroad tickets and newspaper advertising, Harvey progressed to building an empire that bore his name. And it was JUST his name–no “company”, or “and sons” or any other qualifiers. Even after he died, the sons and grandsons continued to run Fred Harvey, the business. Harvey’s dedication to high quality meant he dictated the exact uniform of each “Harvey Girl” who served food; he would not tolerate variance in the way coffee was made or cutlery arranged, and his company execs had apoplexy if someone reported that their olive oil was not as good as another eatery. When he paid a surprise visit to a restaurant, if the silverware was not properly aligned, he would yank the white linen (imported) tablecloth off the table to make a point.

The size of his empire is indicated by a statement that when the price of coffee (they used only Chase & Sanborn) went up two cents a pound, “That’s going to set us back five thousand dollars, just about.”…”We’re using twenty-five thousand pounds a month or more.”

I could go on with more great stuff from this book, but I’ve already talked enough. Just go add the book to your Traveler’s Library, and make your travel plans to visit La Posada Hotel or restaurant in Winslow on your way to the Grand Canyon and the great old Harvey Hotel, the El Tovar. According to Fried you can still visit 22 of the original 155 Fred Harvey establishments to dine or stay overnight, but the Fred Harvey company collapsed when automobiles replaced railroads in dominance of American transportation.

My heartfelt thanks to Random House for sending me this Bantam book for review. The La Posada and Harvey Girl pictures are mine, the Santa Fe locomotive comes from Flickr with a Creative Commons license, and the back book cover is from Stephen Fried’s web site.

Hardback edition, back cover jacket

The book title is linked to Amazon for your convenience. If you click through to Amazon and purchase anything at all, I get a few cents which helps support A Traveler’s Library. Thanks.

P.S. If you are tempted to find a copy of the movie, The Harvey Girls, with Judy Garland–DON’T. Trust me on this one. I suffered through it so you won’t have to. Besides, the one good number in the movie, The Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe, gets thoroughly stuck in your head and you won’t get it out for days.

REMEMBER: Win a Book About African Wildlife Photography. THIS WEEK ONLY.

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5 Things About France

pen4hire — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 08:00:31 +0000

Having published 600 posts, now, once in a while I start wondering if perhaps the readers of today’s blog post may have missed something from the past that I think they might like. So I’m going to do a little reviewing from time to time. Starting with 5 things I learned about 5 different parts of France.

Occupied France: Suite Francaise

“Némirovsky is able to stand apart and describe not just the people who rise to the situation, but those who petulantly insist on retaining their privileges, or find ways to cheat and steal from others for their own benefit.”

Provence: The Grocer’s Son

“The director, interviewed in the film’s press kit, claims that he removed the most beautiful scenes because they would have distracted from the story. Imagine that. Provençe is even more beautiful than portrayed.”

Paris: The Piano Shop on the Left Bank

“An American writer finds he has to rein in his American tendency to blurt out questions and rush acquaintanceship.“

Normandy: Madame Bovary

“At the time he published it, critics were shocked at his(Flaubert’s) portrayal of s-e-x. They missed the descriptions of the land and people–an aphrodisiac to the traveler.”

Cévennes: Travels With a Donkey by Robert Louis Stevenson

“..this area was wracked by wars between the dominant Catholics and the Protestants in the late 18th century.”

Bonus read:

I must admit that my favorite of my jottings about France did not appear here, instead I talked about a dinner conversation in Normandy over a Your Life Is a Trip. This article stirred up quite a bit of comment and controversy in the comment section, so if you go, read that, too.

“When I travel, I prefer to observe and learn, not proclaim political beliefs. Above all, I don’t want to be the know-it-all American, assuming the right to lecture.”

Do any of these articles appeal to you? Which one would you choose to pass on to friends?

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NEWS: Paris Pictures;a New Feast; and 3 Cups

pen4hire — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 22:22:58 +0000

A few news updates relevant to things we have previously discussed.

1. Vagabond Quest has just published two of my Paris pictures, in a special article showing various travel writer’s photos. Which ones? You’ll have to go find them at Vagabond Quest.

2. FEAST online magazine, by Rosemary Carstens covers new books, art and artists, food and travel. What else is there?? Rosemary has done a beautiful/gorgeous remake of her site and I recommend you take a look. I’d love the new look even if she were not previewing Quincy Tahoma: The Life and Legacy o f a Navajo Artist (which she IS). And I would like it even if she didn’t’ mention having lunch with me in Tucson (which she did) and rave about southern Arizona (which she does.)

3 Cups of Tea Book Cover

3. Have you seen the hubbub surrounding Greg Mortenson’s Three Cups of Tea? I frankly was not overly impressed when I read what I considered a press release disguised as a memoir, so I never reviewed it here. 60 Minutes just did an expose which has generated other columns and articles. This morning I heard the editor of Outside magazine, who had profiled Mortenson earlier, talk on NPR about an interview he just did with Mortenson to get his side of the story. Apparently his side of the story was not entirely convincing. If false information made it into the book, it was his co-writer! It wasn’t his fault, it was the publisher! On the other hand, Nicholas Kristoff pleads in the New York Times that the baby (several schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan) should not be thrown out with the dirty bath water (made up incidents in the book and possible misfeasance in the operation of the charity founded by Mortenson.)

4. Back to good news. I have winners to announce.

Deb Scorse , who de-lurked to enter the drawing, wins The Minaret of Dijam
Diana Brandemeyer will dream about Paris while reading Paris Walks
Richard Mussler-Wright chose Lisa Napoli’s Radio Shangri Lai when I gave you a choice of Bhutan books.
Suzanne Cassel went for Linda Leaming’s Married to Bhutan

Now, I think I’m all caught up–but only momentarily, because we have more book giveaways coming soon.

Tomorrow an interview with Holly Tucker about her new book, Blood Work. And next week, we’ll continue the Troubled Times in Arab Lands series; talk about a new book about the Nicarauguan Revolution and a stunning new novel set in the former Yugoslavia. (While I’m actually in Albuquerque, NM and Yuma AZ talking about my own new book, which you can buy directly from this site by using the Buy Now button on the right.)

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Free Museum Days For You

pen4hire — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 08:00:39 +0000

SALUTE TO MUSEUMS

Check the credit cards in your wallet. If you happen to have any card from Bank of America, it is your ticket to a museum somewhere in the United States. Their Museums on Us^® program includes 150 museums offering free admission the first full weekend of a month. The next opportunities are April 2-3 and May 7-8. And what would travel be without museums?

To take advantage of Museums on Us offerings in 85 cities all you need is your B of A or Merrill Lynch credit or debit card and a photo i.d. Naturally the deal does not include fund raisers, special exhibits or other ticketed shows, and it is only good for the person holding the card. Any family members who do not have a card will have to pay regular admission.

I checked out their Arizona offerings, and was pleased that the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block is included. The Historic Block is a unique historical preservation addition to the urban art museum. The art museum stands in Tucson’s historic center–inside the area once bounded by Spanish Presidio walls–and it was able to preserve five houses of various periods. The oldest, Casa Cordova, a Sonoran row-house, is similiar to the earlier structures built inside the Presidio walls. My personal favorite is the J. Knox Corbett house, an early 20th century home furnished with period pieces from the American craftsman period.

Another Arizona museum that caught my eye is the new Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix. I have not been there yet, but was fascinated by the collectionof 1600 musical instruments at the Munich Municipal Museum (Stadsmuseum) in Germany, so I know this Phoenix museum will be terrific.

Other museums on the list that I have visited in the past, or am longing to see:

Pueblo Cultural Center, Albuquerque New Mexico. Fantastic introduction to pueblo life along the Rio Grande. I have linked here to my article at Wandering Educators.

Palm Springs Art Museum

Living Desert Museum, also in Palm Springs.

The Autry National Center of the American West, in Los Angeles. Have not been there yet, but I want to find out if they have any paintings by Quincy Tahoma.

Scripps Institute’s Birch Aquarium in La Jolla . I never miss an opportunity to go there , particularly when I’m taking kids on a trip. LOVE those seahorses!

Legion of Honor Museum, in San Francisco. Baroque building houses the wonderful art collection.

Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, you can match wits with computers, and test out all kinds of whiz-bang discoveries. Turns adults into children and gives children something to think about.

Winterthur in Delaware. I have written about Winterthur and the house and gardens there, so naturally I’ll recommend that one highly.

Chicago Institute of Art, in my favorite museum town. Its extensive collection of impressionist painters, plus representative art from just about any period you can think of can keep you saying “Just one more room” all day.

Shedd Aquarium, also Chicago. When you go have lunch in the dining room, surrounded by windows looking out on the lake. It seemed a little odd and perhaps ungrateful having fish for lunch after the pleasure my grand daughter and I had taken at watching their antics in the tanks, but we gulped it down anyhow. Don’t miss the aquatic shows with dolphins, or otters, or a whale or two.

Henry Ford Museum, Detroit. I fondly remember a trip to Detroit when our children were young and we visited the Henry Ford Museum. Painless history lessons, particularly if you have a hot-wheels crazy boy in the family, or a Nascar or sports car fanatic dad.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. How wonderful to see the premier American Museum of art, on Bank of America’s list of freebie weekends. I spent two days there on my last trip to NYC, and did not even scratch the surface. Egypt? Enter a tomb and look around. Picasso? rooms full. Knight’s armor? A whole gallery. A great view of Central Park and upper Manhattan? Go to the snack bar on the roof.

Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, shows off American Indian arts, and other historic artifacts and arts as well. (Including several Quincy Tahoma paintings.)

Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, has a large Indian arts collection, too. But the museum housed in the former mansion of the founder of Phillips petroleum also shows off European art from his collection. The house and surrounding gardens are part of the attraction.

National Constitution Center, Philadelphia. That title doesn’t exactly conjure up a lively happening place. But it is–lively and happening. From contemporary demonstrations of the meaning of each of the amendments to the Constitution, to a diorama that shows what it was like to be a constitutuional convention delegate as the document was being forged, you will not be bored for a moment.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Nashville. I don’t love country music, so why did I love this museum? Well, it is put together in such an interesting way that even I got involved in the story of how country music evolved. And you gotta love Elvis’ solid gold Cadillac, don’t you?

But go to the Bank of America Museums on Us site to see the entire list of museums and start your trip planning. You will no doubt find a museum to tour near you.

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5 Travel Bargains and Oscar Nominee Movies

pen4hire — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:27:00 +0000

Valentine Mashup

Happy Valentine’s Day. If you need a sound track for the day of romance, head over to Music Road for some great recommendations.

If you want to know about the love life of a famous Navajo painter, we’re telling not all, but some about Quincy Tahoma and his ladies.

Here’s a guest post about a trip to a romantic spot–Acoma Pueblo.

Going to a movie? Planning a trip with your sweetie? Before you book a flight, read on for some travel deas…

Winning an Oscar reaps financial rewards for any movie. Being nominated helps, too. But why should the movie makers be the only ones to benefit?

OSCAR

CheapOair points to special deals to let you explore the settings of six Oscar-nominated movies. (We are not advocating that you look at only one place for tickets and hotels–shop around.)

Since I am always lagging behind in my movie watching, I asked my son Ken (not to be confused with husband Ken), who sees EVERYTHING, to tell us something about each of the six movies that CheapOair wants you to visit. Turns out Ken had seen ALMOST everything. Here are his mini reviews and CheapOair’s deals, which must be redeemed by February 21.

BLACK SWAN

Mini review:

Nina Sayers has one goal in Black Swan: a perfect performance as the lead in Swan Lake. To pull it off, she has to set aside the pure precision that makes her ideal to play the White Swan, and open herself to the darker nature, duplicity and passion of the Black Swan. She finds her way partly by breaking out of the overprotective arms of her theatrical mother’s apartment and setting herself free on the streets of the New York.

CheapOair is offering a vacation deal to the Bentley Hotel, in New York, starting at $ 159 per night. Sample round trip airfare is also available at CheapOair starting at $288. (Please go to their site for the fine print on all of these deals–there’s quite a bit of fine print.)

THE KING’S SPEECH

Mini Review

Prince Albert, the Duke of York, faces adversities both physical and emotional in the decade before England enters World War II. His father King George V dies and his older brother the Prince of Wales, utterly unprepared for the monarchy, takes up the crown as King Edward VIII. On top of all that, the advent of radio is a particular problem for a man who has been a stutterer all his life. Fortune favors the Duke as his wife finds an uncommon commoner, Australian Lionel Logue, who proves an able speech therapist and fast friend to the future King. The scenes inside Westminster Abbey alone are enough to make you want to go to London. (Note: One blogger calls this a Women’s Movie About Men. See if you agree with her.)

CheapOair is offering a vacation deal from New York to London starting at only $363 per person. The package includes roundtrip airfare and a four night stay at the Hilton Wembley Plaza. (Fine print on site)

THE FIGHTER

Mini Review (Jane Boursaw because this is the one that son Ken did NOT see)

The Fighter hits all of the right notes, telling the real-life story of boxer “Irish” Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), a blue-collar guy from Lowell, Massachusetts who goes on to win a welterweight title, but not without a lot of losses, family frustrations, and tough talk from his bar maid girlfriend Charlene Fleming (Amy Adams). (See Jane’s total review at Reel Life With Jane)

Note: Lowell is CLOSE to Boston. And any excuse to go to Boston is a good one. (Two years ago I featured a book with a walking tour of Boston. If you’re going to take this trip, be sure to pick up Walking Boston: 34 Tours Through Beantown’s Cobblestone Streets, Historic Districts, Ivory Towers and New Waterfront . The CheapOair trip includes the Kimpton Marlowe hotel. I love Kimpton hotels and stayed at Kimpton’s Nine Zero near Boston Commons on our trip to Boston.)

CheapOair is offering a vacation deal from Los Angeles to Boston starting at only $477 per person. The package includes roundtrip airfare and a four night stay at the Hotel Marlowe- A Kimpton Hotel. (Fine print at CheapOair site)

INCEPTION

Mini Review

In addition to being a challenge to follow as you watch it, Inception is a challenge to follow in the real world, as most of the movie takes place within the minds of the characters. A few exceptions include exteriors in Osaka and Tokyo, a street scene in Tangiers, and several early scenes in Paris where Dom Cobb opens the eyes of his protege Ariadne to the possibilities of creating impossible architecture in lucid dreams.

CheapOair is offering a vacation deal to visit the location where Leonardo DiCaprio taught Ellen Page the tricks and trade of The Pasiv dream machine. Starting at $ 119* per night, stay at Holiday Inn Paris La Villete. Sample round trip airfare is also available at CheapOair starting at $468. (More fine print at CheapOair site)

TRUE GRIT

Mini Review

The story may be set in western Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma, but the scenery is pure Texas in this updated western from Joel and Ethan Coen. Fourteen year old Mattie Ross travels from her home in Arkansas to retrieve her father’s body from a small town in Oklahoma. To track down her father’s killer, she enlists the aid of a crusty US Marshal, Rooster Cogburn, and they are joined by Texas Ranger LaBoeuf. They ride off into Indian territory, much of which looks the same today as it must have in the late 1800′s.

CheapOair is offering a vacation deal from Los Angeles to Austin starting at only $611 per person. The package includes roundtrip airfare and a four night stay at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. (More fine print on CheapOair Site)

SOCIAL NETWORK

Mini Review

Born at Harvard, Facebook is now firmly entrenched in Silicon Valley, with headquarters in Stanford Research Park in Palo Alto. While entertaining, this story of Mark Zuckerberg’s creation tends to take some liberties with the reality of building a web startup. Enterpreneurs are not typically rock star types with sex-crazed groupies. To view them in the wild yourself, you’d have better luck hanging out around the ubiquitous Santa Clara county office parks than in downtown San Jose clubs. (Note: Ken was one of those techie nerds in Silicon Valley, so listen up.)

CheapOair is offering a vacation deal from New York to San Jose starting at only $608 per person. The package includes roundtrip airfare and a five night stay at the four star Four Points By Sheraton San Jose. (More fine print at the CheapOair web site.)

All reservations must be made by February 21, and there is a lot of fine print involved, so be sure to check the CheapOair web site for details.

If you could go to one of these five places–which would you choose?

(Disclaimers: The photos came from Flickr and the talented photographers have other work there, which you can see by clicking on the picture. Unfortunately for me, CheapOair, true to their name did not pay me ANYTHING to write this entire post plugging their website. And out of fairness, I should repeat that you should shop around–and be sure to look at Cheap Flights, which DOES advertise on this site. )

Thanks to son Ken for providing four mini reviews, and for Jane Boursaw for allowing me to cadge off her site for one. Couldn’t have done it without the two of you.

This content is a post from: A Traveler's Library To comment on this post or search for related information, click on the link to A Traveler's Library. We'll leave a light on for you.