In the early middle ages any journey by ship across a vast expanse of water would have been dangerous. The Narrow Sea, that we know today as the English Channel, was no exception. In the year 1009 a fleet of … Read More →

This happens about once each millennium: somebody decides to tinker with the calendar. A couple of millennia ago, the Roman calendar was 355 days long, divided into 12 months. But to make the days of the year match the seasons, … Read More →

It is nearly Twelfth Night (January 6, thank you, King Alfred) when we will have to put all thoughts of Christmas behind us for another year. Before we do that, though, let us consider what Christmas might have been like … Read More →

One of my favorite Christmas cd’s is Winter’s Dance by the Celtic folk group Golden Bough. It is the background music for all the cooking and baking I do between December 18 and January 1. One of the songs on … Read More →

In our house the tree has been trimmed, the wreaths hung, candles placed on tables and mantels, gifts…….okay, let’s not go there just yet. I haven’t had time to even think about gifts, and barely time to do all of … Read More →

The cruise portion of our trip began in Nuremburg – a large, bustling, industrial city that suffered greatly in the 1930’s and 1940’s, first from Hitler’s megalomaniacal hatred, and then from the War. Passau And then there’s Passau, the last … Read More →

What do you remember about Charlemagne from your 5th Grade History class? I remember learning that King Charles the Great (that was how he signed his name, Karoli Gloriosissimi Regis – really) was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by the Pope … Read More →