Category: Europe

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Museum of Letters & Manuscripts, Paris: Keepers of the Letters, Frail Histories of our Lives

Before electronic communication, we wrote letters. Now that most of our communication is online, we can access old letters, sent or received, anytime with a simple search. But what happened to those real, physical letters you sent to friends, family and maybe even a few pen pals or chain letter recipients pre-1996? Where are those pieces of paper, those little frail histories of our lives?  Continue reading “Museum of Letters & Manuscripts, Paris: Keepers of the Letters, Frail Histories of our Lives”

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Birthdays in Holland: Before Facebook, the Dutch Showed the Love on Real Walls, and Other Notes on the Netherlands

Birthday Love!

I celebrated my birthday three weeks ago. Hooray, 34! Dozens of friends and family members sent me their congratulations, greetings and all around good vibes on my Facebook profile. A friend recently said, “I love Facebook birthdays. You really feel the love.” I very much agree. (That’s the Leo in me talking.)

Not everyone agrees with us, and I see their points, though I myself disagree. Sam Biddle of Gizmodo’s User Guide said, “On Facebook, your birthday is automated and empty because nobody has to devote a single shred of mental energy to remembering or celebrating it.” And JD Rucker at Soshable commented, “We used to get cards. We used to get calls. We used to get visitors. Today, we get wall posts.”  Continue reading “Birthdays in Holland: Before Facebook, the Dutch Showed the Love on Real Walls, and Other Notes on the Netherlands”

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Can I Bring Home Wine, Cheese, or Ham from Spain?

My girlfriend Marissa, who’s traveling to Barcelona, Spain, asked me if she could bring home to Chicago some wine, cheese, or its famous ham as a delicious souvenir?  Continue reading “Can I Bring Home Wine, Cheese, or Ham from Spain?”

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A Wish, A Little More Money, A Quiet Goodbye. Barcelona Part 5.

If I can return to BCN, I’d come during warmer seasons. And next time, I’d love to catch a FC Barcelona match, brown my bum on the beach and drive out to some wineries for cava tastings! We visited at the end of November, and though the sea keeps its climate fairly temperate, I was surprised by how many visitors came to chilly BCN. We had plenty of company. My companion and I repeatedly whispered to each other, “I can’t even imagine how this [subway, rambla, other attraction] must be in the summer.” It must be wonderful madness.  Continue reading “A Wish, A Little More Money, A Quiet Goodbye. Barcelona Part 5.”