The gleaming black London taxi rolled into the parking lot. A family of three stepped out. Lee, who was five and as frisky as a litter of three month old puppies, pointed at the huge white building that sat across the parking lot. "Are we goin' to see the planes, Momma? Huh? Huh? Huh?"
"Yes, dear. We are."
Lee pulled rather grubby fingers out of his mother's hand and race...
Florence is well known for its fine toiletry shops. On a recent trip there I found a possible reason for this fame. The Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella is one of the oldest pharmacies in the world. It was founded in 1612 by Dominican friars, and their recipes are still used today. The pharmacy provides what must be a unique visual and olfactory experience.
The salesroom, as the main room is called, was built as a chapel in 1335 and restored and converted...
Any western United States horse wrangler rancher would recognize Charley Pollak's place instantly. There's a scatter of utilitarian buildings, mostly in need of paint, which Charley will get around to if business ever slacks off. Of course it probably never will.
But so sturdy are the buildings that they've endured fierce weather for decades and should make it...
A T-junction in southwest Wales and a rock wall if you don't make the corner. A scatter of stones is mute testimony to those who didn't. The Griffin Inn is named for the symbol of Wales, the rampant Red Lion. You see the lions everywhere. The town is Llyswen in Welsh, White Palace in English.
