May 22nd, 2026 | Architecture and Design, General, History, Politics, Society at Large
“Trump announces planned DC site for sculpture garden / Raises questions on congressional approval needs.” Dan Diamond, Washington Post, 16 May 2026 Donald Trump didn’t so much win the election for President as he did—from his point of view—acquire the...
January 31st, 2026 | Architecture and Design, Europe, General, History, Travel
A slow stroll across Praça do Comércio, a breath of damp air off the River Tagus, a coffee and a croissant were prelude to the ascent. I climbed first to the Romanesque gloom of Sé and its jewel-box neighbor, Santo António da Sé, then descended to the Museu do...
January 26th, 2026 | Architecture and Design, Europe, General, History, Travel, visual arts
My research on Sintra was inadequate. I knew the train ran from Rossio and that my navigante occasional card would zap me there. I would find a stellar collection of historic sites and walking trails to explore. Buses run from the center of Sintra to distant palaces....
January 26th, 2026 | Architecture and Design, Europe, General, History, Indigenous Peoples, Politics, Travel, visual arts
I left the Gulbenkian Foundation astonished, moved, and thoroughly ashamed of what my country has become politically, morally, and culturally. The art I saw returned me to the politics that I had hoped, to some degree, to ignore for a few days. When I was there,...
January 24th, 2026 | Europe, General, Travel
I had prepared carefully. I had my DK Lisbon guide, my lists and agenda, and my My Maps print-outs of where I thought I might go. I packed thoughtfully and even included an F adapter for my electronics. Two, in fact, to be on the safe side. And so many cords. The Uber...
December 12th, 2025 | Boston, Family, Friends, General, Holidays, Loss, Pets, Writing
With the odd nip and tuck, here’s what went out in red envelopes this year. The Annual Greeting I was gonna be granny of the groom! Miles and Holly were to wed on September 6, and I had been holding the date since forever. The couple’s color palette was green...