Back in my most beloved city, München, the first thing I wanted was to visit the Viktualienmarkt. It is my tradition to buy strawberries at the VM regardless of the season, just a simple and sweet thing I look forward to. My friend DH and I went to München’s city center and I showed him some…
After a whirlwind week of road tripping from München to Bad Kötzting and then to Neuschwanstein in Schwangau, I was ready for a solo retreat to Heidelberg. Heidelberg’s official song “Ich Hab’ mein Herz in Heidelberg Verloren” translates to “I lost my heart in Heidelberg” and was first recorded in 1925 by Fred Raymond. This…
Berlin is the city that makes my heart skip a beat. The very buildings, monuments, and street names define and narrate my lifelong obsession with Germany and its history like an interactive storybook. First with the Weimar Republic era when the artists, filmmakers, musicians, architects, scientists, and great writers who emerged during this time birthed…
Something bit me in Transylvania, and that is no joke. Segesvar (Hungarian) aka Sighisoara (Romanian) aka Schassburg (German) is a striking and well-preserved medieval Transylvanian city in Romania that was originally founded by Saxons in the 1100s. Like Biertan, it is a Unesco World Heritage Site. For a few days I kept a close eye on…
Here is my article that was published in KnoxZine last year. This fall, I was presented with the opportunity to visit Russia, a goal on my bucket list since childhood. After researching, brushing up my language skills, and obtaining a visa, I refined details with a travel companion and a close friend who resides in Moscow. Once…
UT Botanical Gardens was named official botanical garden of the state of Tennessee in 2013 and shares the glory with sister gardens in Crossville and Jackson. It was a tough choice between Einstürzende Neubauten’s “The Garden” or “Blume” (flowers, albeit a play on words) but here we are. Countless times, I’ve driven by taking mental…
Let’s not play games. You’re not getting out of this entry without a link to “Knoxville Girl.” My favourite version is by Nick Cave: Even though I have lived in Knoxville for (I hate to say it) the majority of my life now, I continue to seek out beauty and adventure with my furry…
Anderson County is home to the small towns of Clinton, Norris, Oak Ridge, Rocky Top, and Oliver Springs. Many communities in this area were originally developed by the government as an experiment in urban planning and to support employees of ongoing confidential and/or industrial projects. Nowadays, the secret is out, but the history remains just…
Just today, I learned that Maryville (mumbled locally as “Murrahvull”) College was founded by abolitionist Isaac L. Anderson and that the city has a rich history in anti-slavery movements. The Society of Friends presence was strong in the area beginning in the 19th century, and one of their core values is opposition to slavery. This…
In Kodak, Tennessee right off exit 402 is a 416-acre state park; a birdwatcher’s paradise where over 200 different bird species have been spotted. The park offers around eight miles of hiking trails and hosts sporadic educational events. Dogs on leads are welcome, bikes are permitted on some trails, and the park has plans to…
Presented with a request for Caribbean food, I could not pass on an opportunity to insert this scene from one of my favourite films in the subsequent blog entry. #beetlejuice Caribbean Cabbage Slaw I made this one on the fly with shredded cabbage, carrots, green onions, tarragon leaves (fresh not dried), mango, radishes, and…
I went to the Smoky Mountain Scottish Festival and Highland Games at the Maryville College campus for the first time ever. Despite three layers of sunscreen, I was baked to the core by an unforgiving sun and am struggling to regain energy, but every minute was justified. The SMSF began in 1981 and changed locations…
