Diamonds may be Marilyn Monroe’s best friend, but shoes are most girls’ BFF. It certainly was true of the footwear fanatic Mrs. Sonja Bata who founded the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, Canada. Her passion is well-founded as she fell in love and married Thomas J. Bata who made the The Bata Shoe Organization, founded […]
Toronto’s Bata Shoe Museum: 4,500 Years of Sole-Searching History Read More »
Let’s play a word association game. I say Houston, you think. . . oil, NASA or maybe the Astrodome. A contemporary art scene on par with New York City or London probably did not come to mind. On a recent visit to H-Town to cover the internationally renowned FotoFest, the level of art available everyday
Houston: We Have An Art Scene Read More »
You don’t have to be an athlete or even a sports fan, for that matter, to enjoy the NCAA Hall of Champions in Indianapolis. Located on the west side of the city’s downtown area, the Hall, which pays tribute to athletic, academic and character-related accomplishments by individual student-athletes, teams, coaches and administrators, is part of
The NCAA Hall of Champions: Honoring the Spirit Behind the Games Read More »
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by space travel, our solar system and the ongoing public debate over whether or not our human race is actually alone in the universe. While that question, in particular, wasn’t necessarily answered during my visit to Chicago’s Adler Planetarium, I did get a new-found appreciation for
Reach for the Sky at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium Read More »
Portugal is full of surprises, among them “hidden” communities of Jews, a unique confection called ovos moles, and the oldest university in Europe. The University That university — established in 1290 — is in Coimbra, an ancient city on the banks of the River Mondego that was the capital of Portugal in the High Middle
The Surprises of Portugal Read More »
Antique fans are shiny toys. Perched like rare birds on glass display shelves, they preen with gleaming metal blades, polished chrome safety cages and glowing varnished wood holders, attached electrical cords neatly coiled at the ready. When I heard about the Antique Fan Museum, I imagined something like my grandmother’s attic with dusty old appliances
Quirky Indiana: Antique Fan Museum Read More »
The towns and villages of the Chiltern Hills make for a great day trip from London, offering a perfect slice of English life, with rolling green countryside, picture-book cottages and quiet country churches. But in one of the villages, Great Missenden, there is an altogether more quirky attraction: The Roald Dahl Museum. The museum was
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According to the old saying, ‘the rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain’. Well, that’s a myth; in fact, the rain in Spain falls mainly in Cantabria. I will admit that doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, but it does mean that you might very well encounter some wet weather in the
The Rain in Spain: Rainy Day Activities in Santander, Spain Read More »
Who said you have to be a millionaire to live in or visit the Big D or its neighbor the renowned cattle-rich city of Fort Worth. While just minutes away from each other, both cities are different and offer their own version of how to have a no-cost good time. There seems to be a plethora
Free Things to Do and See in Dallas/Fort Worth Read More »
Located in the refined, quiet district of Bloomsbury, the British Museum is in a prime location for lovers of culture. With independent bookshops, tranquil gardens and intellectual venues hosting a range of exhibits and events, Bloomsbury feels like a world away from the brash and busy streets which surround it. At its heart is the
Visiting the British Museum Read More »