Dresden

George Bähr, Frauenkircke, Dresden, c. 1730

I’ve been coming to Dresden regularly (at least every other year) since the mid-1990s and it’s been fascinating to observe the city’s transformation following the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989….

Caspar David Friedrich

I currently find myself residing at a house in a rural German village tucked into the corner where Germany meets the Czech Republic and Poland. It’s a region where one of my first art historical loves, Caspar David Friedrich, often wandered. He captured the rolling hills, distinguished by pale nuances even at sunset, in many of his paintings, although Cross in the Mountains (painted in 1808 and now in Dresden) depicts the nearby, pointier, red sandstone peaks a few kilometers southeast….

Dietary Restrictions

my favorite Parisian chocolaterie

Short stays in Paris are much less fun now that I’m gluten-free due to heart issues. All of the quick noshes—crepes, croissants, pains au chocolate, croissants aux amandes, sandwiches—are off limits, as are small plats at cafes and restaurants. Also forbidden are most soups and anything with a sauce or eaten ideally with a slice of… Continue reading Dietary Restrictions

Impulse Control

connecting with sun and sea

A few weeks ago, I dined at a Purgatory restaurant known for its creative cocktails with a fellow I’ve known for a few years but have seen only a few times, and not since the COVID-19 pandemic’s denouement. Eighteen hours later, he’d made plans to join me for my first week at a rustic hacienda on a Pacific beach in Costa Rica. It didn’t strike me as an impulsive gesture until I mentioned it to a friend…