by Helen Kain | Feb 8, 2026 | Featured, Italy, Recent
From the outside, the Pantheon is frankly unprepossessing. A heavy cylinder with a classical porch awkwardly grafted on. It bears a striking resemblance to a hedgehog house with columns. And then there is the inscription on the portico—M·AGRIPPA·L·F·COS·TERTIVM·FECIT....
by Helen Kain | Feb 8, 2026 | Carousel Ideas & Systems, Italy, Recent, The Continental Thread
My first trip to Rome included our son Adam and his then-fiancée Annie. They had both been before—Annie in particular is travel-obsessed in the most admirable way—and they undertook to show us Rome in a single day. Though (probably because) we were neophytes, Glenn...
by Helen Kain | Jan 18, 2026 | Carousel Ideas & Systems, Italy, The Continental Thread
Turin was not supposed to be the point. This was a Northern Italy trip with friends — Bill and Maura — the kind of people who have already seen most things, lived in most places, and are not easily impressed. Americans, but only technically so: twenty-three years...
by Helen Kain | May 22, 2025 | England, France, Italy, Living Ideas
When I first began touring great houses, I was drawn, as so many are, to their sheer beauty, scale, extravagance, carved ceilings, formal gardens, and stories of noble families and royal guests. Whenever visitors came to stay with us in Cape Cod, we took a day trip to...
by Helen Kain | Mar 22, 2020 | Italy
Visting Herculaneum was one of the highlights of our recent cruise to Croatia, Montenegro, and Italy. Remember when people went on cruises and emerged unscathed, having actually enjoyed themselves? Neither do I, except I know it happened. As recently as October....
by Helen Kain | Oct 27, 2019 | Croatia, Italy
Greetings, dear readers! We are once again under our own roof and happily in reach of wireless services. Thanks to everyone for their good wishes on our journey. My trepidation about the cruise proved groundless; no seasickness at all. It was smooth sailing al the...
