Los Angeles freelance science writer and editor
It was the thing I didn’t want to do, travel to Europe. Did I hear myself? My mother wanted to go, I didn’t. My mother expressed interest in traveling to Lourdes (no "s"), where one of the most visited religious sites for Catholics is located, the Grotto of Massabielle. Apparitions of the Virgin Mary appeared... Continue Reading →
I was sitting at a table for two as a party of one in a restaurant in Trento (Italy), mulling over the choices on the menu. I was alone, but let’s face it, solo travel isn’t what it used to be. You can just about always phone a friend. Which is what I did. I... Continue Reading →
I had not thought a lot about the consequences of living in a small city, in a small country with a small population before I moved to Bergen. None of that entered my mind. What kept me up at night was the possibility of getting trapped there in winter. That the airport would be closed... Continue Reading →
Planning a trip isn’t the kind of activity that should break your brain. To Europe anyway. I’ve traveled there so many times, and even lived in Europe – seven years. And yet, I mull over the options until it’s like a last minute cramming session. When I’m planning to travel to Europe, I feel the... Continue Reading →
“I know the feeling,” our young driver Nikola said in his soft Italian accent on our drive to Pisa from Florence, Italy. “Yup, my wallet flew into the night,” I repeated, shaking my head. Me, a veteran traveler fell victim to one of the oldest traditions Florence is also famous for. I wasn’t expecting for... Continue Reading →
Amazing food with a side of culture. That sums up Italy, and in less than 140 characters. The side of culture comes in different flavors, staying with an Italian family, getting pickpocketed, or eating dinner over a labyrinth of tunnels dug out in 300 BC. Now, now you've got Orvieto in Umbria. It takes some... Continue Reading →
Gelato, cioccolato and pasta. You can marinate yourself in history, culture, and art in Italy. And then there is gelato, cioccolato and pasta. Any bad day, even if you’ve been pickpocketed (unfortunately I know the feeling), can end in one of those shops and erase any negative feelings you have about what happened, or didn’t... Continue Reading →
“Are you carrying a lot of money?” the customs officer asked at the airport in Bari, Italy. “Ummm, no,” I said, not sure how to answer that question out loud in front of strangers as I was about to board a local train, with luggage, to a city I didn’t know. I was on the... Continue Reading →
Sometimes when I’m in an airport, waiting in a line, I wonder if I’m part of some giant psychological experiment. You think you have it all together, at least you try because of the cameras and the no-fly list, but then, then a snowstorm of historical proportions hits the city you must depart from. Me,... Continue Reading →
You never know when one of those odd skills you have acquired is going to help you make a connection with someone. Like speaking Norwegian. I tried to learn the language, to speak with the natives, but I hardly needed to use it even in Norway. On a flight to Munich from Los Angeles? I... Continue Reading →
Janice Nigro 