Travel

Sonya Zalubowski writes: One of the most thrilling moments was our visit to the Alcazar in Segovia, the castle with foundations that date to Roman times, where Isabella and Ferdinand reigned in the 15th century. We stood in the very throne room where Christopher Columbus once knelt before her. The people are surrounded by remnants of a succession of cultures ranging all the way back to prehistoric to Roman, Visigoth and Moorish, to the kings and queens whose rule dominated Europe as they sent out Portuguese and Spanish explorers, to 20th-century despots and finally present day governments more »

Rose Madeline Mula wrote: Shakespeare was wrong, by the way. “To be or not to be?” is not the question — especially for a Catholic, like me, for whom “not to be” — i.e., suicide — is not an option. No, the real question is “To drive or not to drive?” If I can hold out until self-driving cars are readily available, that could solve my problem. Hurry up, technology! more »

"After a summer of scorching heat waves, deadly wildfires, flooding, flooding, and more flooding, we were weary. Fall’s bitter battle for the Supreme Court brought us not a refreshing crispness, but a renewed sense of the brittle fragility of the bonds that hold our country together...[Florida]panhandle residents cannot afford to be weary, as now is the time to heed the warnings of local officials ... But nor can storm-tormented residents of the Carolinas afford to be weary, because recovery efforts from Hurricane Florence in September have barely begun and Michael threatens to bring yet another round of heavy rain." more »

"In the third series, Louisa has made the decision to give up searching for love, choosing instead to focus on her family. However, with Larry struggling to write his third novel, Margo in search of a new vocation, Gerry continuing to grow his menagerie and Leslie juggling three different girls, Louisa has her work cut out. With an imminent arrival from her Aunt, Louisa hopes that Hermione will be able to help set her children back on the straight and narrow. Each episode features at least something from Gerald Durrell’s fabulous trilogy. The charismatic Indian guest Prince Jeejeebuoy, Gerry’s beloved wall of insects, Margo’s hobby sculpting soap, Leslie’s burglar-shooting system, Larry’s artist visitors including a frequently naked Henry Miller... " more »