Back in October, when winter was already approaching in our region, we spent a couple of weeks exploring and looking for sunshine in Ticino, the Italian part of Switzerland. It can only be reached by going over or under the Alps -- we spent 15 minutes driving through the Gotthard Tunnel, a wonder of modern … Continue reading Postcards from Switzerland: Ticino
Back in July, we spent about a week in the Goms Valley region of the Alps -- we had planned to do some hiking, but as it ended up being shortly after my gallbladder surgery I couldn't move around much, plus the weather was very wet. So we spent most of our time relaxing in … Continue reading Postcards from Switzerland: Muenster
A few weeks ago we found ourselves with some time on our hands in Fribourg, a largish city (for Switzerland) that's grown up around a well-preserved medieval center. The city is built upon both sides of the deep gorge cut by the river Saane; up on the cliffs still sit the ancient fortresses and monasteries, … Continue reading Postcards from Switzerland: Fribourg
A couple of other places you can find posts by me this week: At Shiny New Books a review of a powerful new novel set in the brothels of ancient Pompeii, The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper. And my essay "Seeking the Honey of Life" was published in Kosmos Quarterly. I'm honored to be part … Continue reading Enchanted elsewhere
For English speakers, one of the main hazards in learning a language like French or German is the existence of informal and formal versions for the second person (you). This used to be part of English as well -- "thou" was informal, though now it sounds extra formal and archaic to our ears. However, this … Continue reading A formal feeling
The images in this poem were inspired by Goethe's "Fairy Tale of the Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily," a mysterious story with great archetypal resonance. I can't think of a better way to celebrate Mother's Day than to ponder such mysteries -- nothing is more wondrous than the power to gestate, bear and bring … Continue reading Mother: A Poem
After a couple of weeks away from blogging, I'm happy to be back with some more pictures to share with you. These are from Davos, a town in the mountains of Eastern Switzerland that was once famous as a tuberculosis health resort and still draws lots of outdoor enthusiasts. We visited in the very last … Continue reading Postcards from Switzerland: Davos
Fear stalked me for a long time in language learning. When I started learning French as a teenager, I was extremely self-conscious, battered down by criticism of my appearance, and desperately afraid to speak in public. This was not conducive to practicing a new language, where mistakes are inevitable. I limited my utterances to the … Continue reading What am I afraid of?
Chris of Calmgrove asked if I was planning to post some visits to Swiss castles, given the theme of my blog. I thought that was a lovely idea, so I'll try to oblige! At the moment we are not really able to travel, but I was in the beautiful city of Solothurn the other day … Continue reading Postcards from Switzerland: Solothurn
O see the sunAt midnight's toll;Set stone on stoneIn barren soil.Earth turns toward darkness now,And death seems all our fate --Yet every end knows howBeginning lies in wait. Above shall ring the songOf love's eternal birth;Below, build safe and strongA home for peace on earth.The sun's sure glowIn deepest nightWeaves through our woeDivine delight. (A … Continue reading Christmas
