26 April 2023 I am sitting on the edge of Lake Como, a vision of sparkling blue, nestled in the Cyprussy hills of northern Italy. Yesterday we arrived here in the train after eight hours of travel, much of which was through the alpine valleys of Switzerland. Tomorrow we’ll train into Rome. Everything is so … More Travel Log: Rome & Florence
I can’t believe I’m here, I thought to myself as I walked through a German university campus. The side of one old stone building caught my eye: it was covered in vines that were brilliant green and red on that late October day. As I continued walking towards my bus from a building that had … More Living in Europe: Precursors to “The Sendai Test”
Many years ago, when I was in college, I met a young man who always wore large round glasses and white button-down shirts. He was studious and reserved, but always polished and cordial in his bearing. I liked him as soon as I saw him for the first time one September evening, while some of … More 5 Years of Books, 30 Years of Stories
The clean and elegant aesthetic of the tiny country of Luxembourg always impresses the newcomer, but what do we actually know about this place? Those familiar with the feel of France or Germany will find themselves doing double-takes in Luxembourg where these two cultures seem to seamlessly combine. Still, Luxembourg is its own place with … More First Trip to Luxembourg: Tiny Country with a Rich Heritage
With the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic, some of the details addressed in this article have been greatly modified. You can first read the original article below to get a frame of reference for a traditionally Dutch concept of space, then read the UPDATE at the end to find out how social space in the Netherlands has been affected by COVID-19. … More For Cultural Understanding: A Different Concept of Space
Twenty years ago, when our son Matthew was just 3 years old, Val and I took him on a European vacation to Germany, Austria, and Slovenia. We were already living near Amsterdam as American expats and had made a few trips to various European cities, but we were eager to discover more. My parents- and sister-in-law … More The Hills are Alive: A Castle Trip Through Germany, Austria, and Slovenia
A new work of cultural fiction from VM Karren, The Plucked Hen, will whet your appetite not only for travel to France, but make you hungry for the approaching holiday feasting! … More France: The Glorious and the Maddening
Where’s the Witch? A witch, a boat, and a bicycle. What do they have in common? In V M Karren’s new book, The Witch of Drontenburg, they are all located in a small fishing village on the southern coast of the Netherlands. They are all part of a story about local superstition, growing up, and … More A Witch, a Boat, and a Bicycle
Do you have a favorite motto, phrase or mantra that keeps you positive or motivated? Maybe it’s something from a favorite book, or a quote from someone you admire. I have many of these: ‘Stay calm and carry on,’ ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going,’ and of course, ‘when life gives you … More Luctor et Emergo
This week we are highlighting the novel, From the Rooftops by V M Karren, which is set mainly in the eastern European country of Romania. We thought you might enjoy taking a brief glimpse at what everyday life looks like in Romania as an introduction to the book. Although the book is set in the … More Everyday Life in Romania
