In Search of the Past: Sri Lanka/Ceylon: Arrival

On arrival, like many of the characters in my WW2 spy novel–including Lord Mountbatten himself–I check-in at the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo, capital of Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon. Having written a first draft and read multitudes of books, I’ve come to discover their world. Despite modernization, much of the land remains as … Read more

Europe By Train: London #1: Exploring Worlds

Eurostar is a sweet way to travel. We left Gare du Nord mid-afternoon, and in less than three hours arrived at St. Pancras in the heart of London. Two Tube stops later, we reached Covent Garden, where we stayed with my brother. We came across this florist in our neighborhood, a nod to Eliza Doolittle … Read more

Europe By Train #7: Budapest: Finding the Past

Merre va Margit Hid? Where is Margaret Bridge? No offense, only affection for both: Prague is the cool, chic, with-it sister while Budapest is the wry intellectual in arty vintage clothing.  During our six-hour train ride to Budapest, we chatted with an Aussie couple bound for a Danube cruise and two young Scots sampling the local … Read more