In A Tramp Abroad, Mark Twain reccounts his 1878 journey through Europe with his characteristic, and occasionally annoying, curmudgeonly humor. Late in the book, after too many months of fine dining and hotel fare, Twain is clearly longing for “American food and American domestic cookery.” In Chapter XX (pp. 235-241), he launches a mild attack [...]
Not surprisingly, my “life in the woods” was far less literal than Thoreau’s, involving little isolation and only fitful removal from my neighbors. Still, there was sufficient labor (more intellectual than physical) to keep me away from this particular place (my sadly static URL) for more than half a year. But unlike Henry David, I [...]
It may seem odd to still be writing about Maine nearly four months after my return from Vactionland, but the Pine Tree State has a way of staying with you. While this is due mostly to the essential quality of the place (see Genius Loci in Acadia), the quantity of made in Maine products that [...]
I returned to New York at the end of May, 75 days and nearly 18,000 miles after I left in March. That was 37 days and 1300 miles ago. I had every intention of writing a brilliant conclusion for the Great American Road Trip, but la vie quotidienne got in the way–deadlines, engagements, distractions, enthusiasms. [...]