Detour off The Royal Mile down Lady Stair’s Close, one of Edinburgh’s medieval pedestrian alleys, and step into Scotland’s literary heritage. The Writers’ Museum, housed in the early 17th-century Lady Stair’s House, immerses visitors in the lives of Robert Burns (1759-1796), Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), and Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894). In addition to manuscripts, original … Continue reading
Category Archives: Europe
London’s Courtauld Gallery is a treasure within a treasure
I was more than content to admire masterpiece after masterpiece displayed in The Courtauld Gallery, a small, university museum on London’s Museum Mile. Then, cued by the upward gaze of another visitor, I glanced—then gawked—at the lavishly augmented and painted ceiling. The Courtauld Gallery is housed in Somerset House, designed by Sir William Chambers, built … Continue reading
The Land Whisperer: Walking through Irish history in The Burren
“Where are we?” asked Shane Connolly. I glanced around the small parking pullout, with ledges descending to Galway Bay on one side and a hill rising on the other. There was no “You Are Here” marker in sight. Shane reeled off the answer, the words flowing together and punctuated by a thick brogue. “The town … Continue reading
Travtastic 