Eastward to Istanbul, where Europe ends and Asia begins
A hectic day of travel and a long, stressful night retrieving a lost suitcase had me in a fitful sleep. My mind raced from one thought to...
top of page
John Carpenter
Nov 19, 20225 min read
Florence begs a question: What has our generation done for the world?
Two days in Florence, birthplace of the so-called Renaissance, and an extra day in Rome visiting St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, led...
112 views1 comment
John Carpenter
Nov 13, 20223 min read
Rome: History and beauty in plain sight
Outside on the busy sidewalk, groups of loud teenagers wandered past. Italian business people strode from one appointment to the next, or...
82 views0 comments
John Carpenter
Nov 5, 20225 min read
A rugged coast and a laid back vibe: The Algarve
If Florida had secret beaches guarded by limestone cliffs, vineyards sliding down to 900-year-old stone walls, lovely, zig-zagging...
118 views2 comments
John Carpenter
Nov 3, 20222 min read
A lucky musical find in Dublin: The Magpies
Our goal was simple. We were looking for some traditional Irish music and a pub that wasn’t packed to the gills – a trickier ask than one...
43 views0 comments
John Carpenter
Nov 2, 20224 min read
A happy return to a lovely old friend: Dublin
Good luck if you are the city after Paris on a European trip. The deck is stacked. We are now in Dublin, where the answer to the Eiffel...
173 views1 comment
John Carpenter
Oct 28, 20223 min read
Stop the presses! Paris is beautiful!
I didn’t notice until I’d passed her three or four times, looming over the small square near our temporary home base like a guardian...
239 views1 comment
John Carpenter
Oct 26, 20223 min read
Hemingway punched me in the mouth
One of the hallmarks of the good vacation is finding a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that turns out to be delightful, then walking out with...
174 views0 comments
John Carpenter
Oct 25, 20222 min read
Good morning from Paris, where the trip begins
We have landed in Le Marais, our neighborhood in Paris for the next week. It’s an Airbnb apartment three floors up from a street which,...
143 views1 comment
John Carpenter
Oct 23, 20222 min read
Paris to Istanbul to Mumbai - Our first big quest
We'll cross Europe slowly on our way to a Thanksgiving wedding in India.
692 views2 comments
John Carpenter
Apr 8, 20205 min read
Ireland’s Wild Side: Exploring the Northwest Coast
By John Carpenter (Note: This story was originally published in the Chicago Tribune on March 2, 2020. It has also been published in...
37 views0 comments
mary carpenter
Feb 20, 20206 min read
Finding inspiration in Lisbon
By Mary Carpenter Escuche. Preparar. Esperanza. These were among the handful of Portuguese words I could make out during the sermon at...
25 views0 comments
bottom of page