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Category Archives: Classics
A place to call home
On our last evening at Squirrel Cove, we watched the storm wash the sky away. Lightning crimped the edge of clouds and a peppery wind was whipping up whitecaps close to shore. The piano broke into a waltz, the sound … Continue reading
Posted in Classics
Tagged books, classics, food, home, Howards End, memories, place, Squirrel Cove, vacation
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On the road again
The engine groans as it grinds up the hill in a tight curve. The windshield is caked over with dust, the ochre smudged off just above the steering wheel where the wipers have been working over time. They’re taking a … Continue reading
Coffee chat
The noise and chatter draws you in as soon as you reach the glass doors. Step into the cafe and you are overflown by raucuous laughter, heated debates, shoulderslapping and shouts for “un vino mas”. It’s hard to reach the … Continue reading
In the company of Dickens
One of my most comfortable sleeps happened in a barn. It was the height of summer, and with high school just behind me, I buckled up my backpack for a two-week hike-and-camp with the gang in the Carpathians. The air … Continue reading
Irish lore
Once upon a time, a great tribe of warriors and druids roamed the emerald-green island of Erie. Theirs was a land of mystic beauty, drained by sparkling brooks and rushing waterfalls, fragrant with loamy moss and tart crab apples, crowned … Continue reading
Verona’s star-crossed lovers
The massive oak-carved doors are propped wide open, inviting Verona’s elite to the Capulets’ dinner party. Mellow torch flames throw dancing shadows along the stone walls, to the tremulous vibrations of citterns and lutes. Heavy brocart swishes down the parquette … Continue reading
Posted in Classics, Love story, Plays
Tagged books, dinner party, drama, food, Italy, Juliet, love, lovers, play, reading, Renaissance, Romeo, Shakespeare, theatre, tragedy
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Venetian decadence
Gustav von Aschenbach sinks into the soft cushions of the gondola. The gentle rocking of the boat, the delicate splash of the waves against the lacquered hull lulls him into sleep. He savours the last mouthfuls of sweet cuttlefish, dissolving … Continue reading
Posted in Classics, Coming-of-age, Love story, Short Story
Tagged book, canals, dark, death, decadence, food, forbidden, love, male relationship, novella, obsession, old age, platonic, reading, Venice
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Roman Holidays
The patrician leans against the parapet, the stone warm against his skin. Heavy oleander lingers in the air, stirring the silken folds of his white toga. Faint cries of a blood-lusting mob carry over from the Coliseum to his left. … Continue reading
Posted in Classics, Historical fiction
Tagged Ancient Rome, books, Coliseum, food, Forum, history, Nero, reading, Rome
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Poetry for moms
Azaleas bursting ruby red and pearly white, bold pink bougainvillea, lilac clusters sparkling like amethyst, heady with honeyed pollen and musky after-rain, buzzing bees and damp mulch: May gardens coming to life on Mother’s Day. A woven blanket caressing motherly … Continue reading
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