100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go
Susan Van Allen’s Italian travel book 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go is part travel guide, part “inside peek”. Read more
Photo from the Road: Lazise on Lake Garda
We lived on Lago di Garda in northern Italy for over a year before discovering the quaint little town of Lazise. Read more
Photo from the Road: Monastery Bell in Thailand
As bustling as Bangkok is, there are still places you can go to get zen. Such is this little spot at a monastery we visited there. Read more
Photo from the Road: Grand Canal Snapshot
This particular afternoon snapshot taken along Venice’s Grand Canal is particularly illustrative of how things really appear in this amazing city, which is one of my favorites world-wide. Read more
The Museum of Art in Portland, Maine
This is a gem of a museum. It is the oldest art museum in Maine and is home to over 17,000 objects d’art. Found on the corner of High and Free Streets, and visible from Congress St., the PMA is conveniently located for access on a walking tour of Portland.
In addition to rotating special exhibitions and originals by several Maine artists (Winslow Homer and Andrew and N.C. Wyeth, to name three), the museum offers art from the American Neo Classical, French Impressionism, American Impressionism, Post Impressionism, Surrealism, Modernism, and Cubism schools, and Glass and Ceramics as well.
The museum offers lectures, movies, a gift shop, Sunday morning Jazz breakfasts, classes and workshops.
My favorite thing about PMA, however, is that is accessible financially to everyone. While admission during the week and on weekends is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors and id’d students, and $6 for those 6-17, Friday night… EVERY Friday night… from 5-9 p.m. is FREE! Absolutely. And includes the current special exhibit.
Photo credit: Cliff1066
Photo from the Road: Bedouin Boy with His Goat
Petra falls into the category of amazing by anyone’s standards. The immensity of the site, the antiquity and the intricacy of the stone city itself all combine for a truly remarkable experience. Read more
Book Review: Stealing Fatima’s Hand
Carolyn Theriault’s move to Morocco thrust her into a situation many expats are familiar with: extreme cultural adjustment during a time of total career transition. Those of us who have been through this understand the punchy sense of humor that arises from the “might as well laugh as cry” phase so typical of international moves.
It’s not that we don’t enjoy travel, or value the cultural integration opportunity. We do. But the fact is, the settling-in phase rarely goes smoothly, resulting in one hilarious research mission after another (grocery shopping, obtaining a driver’s license). While we all go through the same adjustments and attempt to get a good laugh out of them, few actually go the extra mile and commit the experience to paper. Theriault has done dust that with an edgy, honest style born of authentic life experiences.
Two particular incidents stuck out to me. First, the weekend getaway with the coworker and local drivers / guides / “new friends” where Carolyn gets stuck in a continuous loop of struggling to reach her desired destination, regardless of how clearly she tries to communicate her needs. A version of this story happens more frequently than most independent travelers might care to admit. Second, the initial post office visit where Theriault goes to retrieve her package from home. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I have had the exact same experience on numerous occasions, but to me this was just wet-your-pants funny. Ditto with the no bathtub chapter.
As a huge fan of the Middle East in general, I was a bit sad that things hadn’t gone more smoothly for Carolyn during her time in Morocco. Negative accounts from westerners relating to the Middle East region always seem so abundant, and positive ones are unfortunately less prevalent. That being said, her experiences and voice were utterly authentic and I enjoyed her style. Congrats to Theriault on her first title, Stealing Fatima’s Hand. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
Photo Credit: Vox Humana
Photo from the Road: Peruvian Woman in Blue
High in the Andes Mountains, in the Sacred Valley of Peru, I ran into this woman somewhere between Cuzco and Machu Picchu. Read more
Photo from the Road: Jordanian Bagpiper
We experienced many magical, beautiful moments during our time in Jordan. One that still stands out was the live musical performance amid the ancient ruins of Jerash, given by local men in traditional costumes. Read more
The Magic Lantern – Bridgton, Maine
The old-fashioned charm of a roomy, plush home town movie theatre with hundreds of seats is the stuff of nostalgia for a lot of people. Those theatres often have been restored and used for different purposes or have been replaced with sterile, non-descript multiplexes that are synonymous with cinema to at least one or two generations of movie goers.
On Route 302 in Bridgton, Maine, the best of both worlds exists in the Magic Lantern theatre. The original Magic Lantern, where Steven King’s “Carrie” premiered in 1976, was leveled in 2006, rebuilt and reopened in 2008. It contains 3 theatres. Each theatre includes a small balcony only accessible to adults age 21 and older. There is ample parking behind the theatre.
There is also a cinema pub on the premises, making dinner and a movie virtually seamless. Sometimes in the same room! Movies are always first-run, and the price of admission is unbelievable. Adults pay $6.50. Children, seniors and matinees are $5.00.
If you find yourself in Bridgton, Maine, with time to spare, consider a movie at the Magic Lantern. It’s an experience you’ll remember at a price you can’t forget.
