Globe Corner Blogs

Insiders' Guide to St. Louis

My family and I took a trip to St. Louis to spend Christmas with my brother and his family.  This was our second Christmas in a row in which we managed the daring thousand mile drive.  It was brutal: the first three hours of the trip we drove through a treacherous snowstorm where the average speed on the highway was 20 mph.  Not to mention three backseat drivers that were of minimal use.  Eventually we made it and the 19 hour car ride was topped off with a beer at two am with my brother.

We spent the week at his house relaxing and driving the kids crazy with the pending arrival of the mysterious Santa.  The food was delicious and St. Louis was fun.  I was finally able to catch up on some long-awaited reading and movie watching.  Then disaster struck…

There I was on Christmas Eve at about ten o’clock at night.  All was going great and my brother’s kids were about to go to bed.  Continue Reading »

Black Lamb and Grey Falcon -by Rebecca West

I have a confession: I have never completely read Rebecca West’s magnum opus Black Lamb and Grey Falcon. I am sure that this is not a big deal to most people, but I am a self-proclaimed Balkan junkie. If you have ever been in the store looking at the Croatia section, you have probably been subjected to hearing about my love of Dubrovnik, my favorite restaurants, the pros and cons of each guide book to the area, and the results of my extensive research on where to get the best and cheapest ice cream. I have read practically everything that I can get my hands on, except for what is considered to be the defining travelogue of the area.

My history with the book is long. I have lugged it across the Atlantic six times. I have started it about five times. It has a pretty cover, or did: during its sixth trip to Croatia it served as my night stand. Continue Reading »