On our visit to Iceland, we chose Reykjavik as a base of stay and rented a car to see the region around it via a series of day trips.

WanderingLeslie FarnsworthNovember 20, 2024travelComment

Notes from a Noir Fan: The Definition, History, and Pleasures of American Noir Fiction

Noir fans, like me, have endless theories and stances and opinions about the genre, enough to make me wonder if noir fiction isn’t unique the nebulousness of its definition. (Fitting, no?)

ThinkingLeslie FarnsworthNovember 13, 2024books, writing, culture, historyComment

Month-in-Review Highlights: October 2024

I’m in crunch time for many of the projects and plans I had set for 2024—or I’m coming to terms with the reality that certain things just will not get done.

JournalLeslie FarnsworthNovember 6, 2024goals, postmortemComment

Never Give a Living Person Mums: How the French Celebrate Toussaint

November 1 on the Catholic calendar is All Saints’ Day. The French have blended the term, making November 1 “la Toussaint” in French parlance.

WanderingLeslie FarnsworthOctober 30, 2024culture, France, historyComment

How People React to Accents in Everyday Life: My Observations

The reactions you get when you have an accent and people know or can assume by context that you are a migrant or immigrant are telling, to say the least.

MigratingLeslie FarnsworthOctober 23, 2024language learning, expat, CultureComment

Recommendations for Reykjavik: What to Do, See, and Eat

If your travel will take you to Reykjavik, here are a few of my suggestions on what to do, see, and eat while in town. The city has a lot to offer and a lot to love!

WanderingLeslie FarnsworthOctober 16, 2024travel, culture, historyComment

Books I've Read: Q3 2024

As always, I read fewer books in Q3 than I do in other quarters of the year. I still read plenty, though, listed with my favorites in bold as always.

JournalLeslie FarnsworthOctober 9, 2024books, reading, literature, cultureComment

Month-in-Review Highlights: September 2024

September didn’t slow down, now did it? I crammed it with as much productivity and traveling and literary goodness as I could.

JournalLeslie FarnsworthOctober 2, 2024goals, postmortemComment

The History and Future of Switzerland’s Annual Autumn Cow Parade

At the arrival of autumn in Switzerland, you might be surprised by a procession of beflowered cows and traditionally dressed herders filing down the mountain.

WanderingLeslie FarnsworthSeptember 25, 2024Switzerland, culture, history Comments

A Reading Challenge: Why You Might Like Horror—Even if You Think You Don’t

If you think you don’t like horror novels and short stories, you may not have the full perspective on horror fiction. Hear me out—especially if you like thriller and suspense books.

ThinkingLeslie FarnsworthSeptember 18, 2024books, literature, culture Comments

Ideas for Day Trips around Burlington, Vermont

When we stayed in Burlington, we had more options for day trips than we had time to take. Here are our favorites—all less than a two-hour drive from town.

WanderingLeslie FarnsworthSeptember 11, 2024travel, history, cultureComment

Month-in-Review Highlights: August 2024

Late in the month I marveled at how gloriously long August seemed this year thanks to all the things I did and the people I saw and the places I went.

JournalLeslie FarnsworthSeptember 4, 2024goals, postmortemComment

Why the U.S. Celebrates Labor Day Instead of May Day

If many countries have a holiday to honor laborers, why isn’t it an international holiday celebrated on the same day?

ThinkingLeslie FarnsworthAugust 28, 2024history, culture Comments

Ideas for a Summer Vacation in Burlington, Vermont

When we sought a summer vacation spot in the United States, I figured I should buck up and check out Vermont. Finally.

WanderingLeslie FarnsworthAugust 21, 2024travel, vacationComment

The Why and What of the Bears in Bern

If you wander through central Bern, in Switzerland, you might stumble on some bears Natural question: Why? Here’s the full story and the scoop on how to visit.

WanderingLeslie FarnsworthAugust 14, 2024Switzerland, history, cultureComment

Month-in-Review Highlights: July 2024

A lot of moving around geographically in July, but work and goals still progressed while the adventures unfolded.

JournalLeslie FarnsworthAugust 7, 2024goals, postmortem, travelComment

How the French Schedule their Summer Vacations

In France, family tradition dictates when summer vacation happens, with great debates over which dates are better—and who is better, based on which dates they prefer.

WanderingLeslie FarnsworthJuly 31, 2024France, culture, vacationComment

Swim to the Office: Summer River Commuting in Switzerland

During the hot summer months in at least two Swiss cities—Basel and Bern—workers commute to or from their jobs via river.

WanderingLeslie FarnsworthJuly 24, 2024Switzerland, CultureComment