I should know better. I’ve seen Roman sites in Italy, Great Britain, Germany, and even on the island of Crete. So why was I surprised to find them in The Netherlands? Granted, it was the frontier, but Romans were there when Julius Caesar conquered the tribes between 57-53 BC. The subsequent 450 years of Roman […]
The Limes the Limit! Read More »
When the Europeans arrived on the continent, they did not find the gold and silver they sought. Nor did they find exotic spices. But what they did find was an abundance of food, much of which they had never seen before. Many foods commonly eaten today were indigenous to the Americas. Whether they were first
Food, Glorious Food! Read More »
Germany is known for its half-timber medieval buildings, and many towns proudly promote these charming structures. But to my delight, each has also had a buried past. The cities are much older than they seem. In some areas, especially the south, you often find Roman ruins beneath them. And in Bavaria, in particular, there is
Peeling Back the Layers Read More »
Sometimes, I wonder about the internet. Having done all those Google searches on Colonial America, they have found me, and articles are popping up on my feed. I recently shared an article on Facebook about the actions Parliament took following the Boston Tea Party in December 1773. Sign of Nine Stripes, my upcoming book, doesn’t
That’s Intolerable! Read More »
The other day, my landlady showed up with a bucket of currants. Don’t get me wrong; I love currants. But what was I to do with a bucket load? I froze most of them in small batches in freezer bags by first spreading them out on a tray in the freezer for twenty minutes. But
Dreams really can come true, and recently one of mine did. Since taking part in the Pompeii Food and Drink Project, I have longed to join a hands-on dig. Twelve years later, working with many of those same people, I joined the Melite Civitas Romana Project, examining the ruins of a Roman Domus and its
When someone says “Black Forest,” what springs to mind? Black Forest cake? Cuckoo clocks? Well, you will find those in plenty and many quaint villages of half-timber houses. But Dave and I stumbled upon a living-air museum, and our plans for the day changed. We went to Colonial Williamsburg as often as possible when we
All-in-One Housing Read More »
I woke up this morning and completely changed my plan for this week’s post. Today is the first of Queen Elizabeth’s four-day Platinum Jubilee celebration. As an amateur historian, how could I not mark this day? At 70 years, she is the longest-reigning monarch in Britain and the first to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. So,
Happy Jubilee to the Queen! Read More »
Dave and I love old houses; the older, the better. Our house in Germany was built in 1705. It began life as a single-story, and they added an upper floor in 1841. Over the centuries, it has been updated, but the original footprint and meter-thick walls are unchanged. It does have its quirks, which are
Half-timber Heaven Read More »