Author: Mike

Amsterdam this time.  I was up with the family last weekend for a quick visit.  As soon as I got there we hopped on our bikes and went to a distillery at the Flevopark.  Here are my two favorite people in a beautiful place, on a lovely day. Now, onto the post.  In the last…

  The last time people in Italy welcomed new ingredients into their traditional cuisine was shortly after Columbus’ trips to the “New World”.   Since those famous intercultural exchanges, the Italians have spent the last 500 years perfecting food that can be produced locally.  I love the fact that local food is still cheap here. Somehow…

It’s important to be able to adapt to new situations. I tell that to our students all the time. I reassure them by saying that I’ve been there, far away from anything that made me feel comfortable and yes, it can get a little scary, but here I am in front of them as proof that…

Amsterdam is famous for a number of things, and one of it’s more innocent claims to fame is that it is home to more bikes than people.  So far one impression that I have of the Dutch way of thinking is that they do the most logical thing.  The country is flat, cars are expensive……

When we got the news that Marianna’s grant had been accepted we were in the middle of searching for new apartments in Siena. Our little apartment’s functionality for multiple people is already questionable. It’s functionality for human inhabitation is questionable.  Way back in the 1600’s when it was built as part of a monastery, the…