Rome – The Word Wenches

The Grand Tour

June 27, 2023August 17, 2022 by Andrea Penrose

Andrea here, thinking about the joys of traveling, and how much I have missed the heady experience of of being inspired by visiting new places—or cherished favorite spots that hold a place in my heart. As the world continues to open up, it feels like it’s possible to venture far from home, and I'm busy plotting where to go . . .

As you’ve probably noted, a number of the Wenches have been traveling hither and yon. Research beckons! (That’s always a good excuse for us to pack our bags!) But along with exploring specific sites for our books, it's also just good to get the general creative juices flowing by being in a foreign place and seeing the world from a different perspective.

And human nature being human nature, this desire to experience the world beyond one’s own familiar turf is nothing new in history. In the Georgian and Regency era, the "Grand Tour" was a rite of passage for the beau monde.

Travels in Italy–Part Two

June 27, 2023November 4, 2021 by Patricia Rice

Pat here, still rambling about our Italy trip. (The Vatican's masked Swiss guards to the left just because) In my last segment, I was so eager to get to hill country that I forgot to mention Rome at all. We’ve visited Rome several times over the years. It’s still a very busy city, much of it walkable if you’re staying in the forum area, which we were. The beauty of this visit was that the number of tourists was waaaay down. The lines at the forum and the Vatican were, at best, maybe fifteen minutes long. The guides—just now getting back to work after our long Covid vacation—were ecstatic about how much more they could show us without crowds.

The Grand Tour

June 28, 2023October 18, 2012 by Andrea Penrose

Cara/Andrea here,I recently attended an “Art In Context” lecture at Yale’s British Art Center which highlighted the opening of an exhibit entitled “The English Prize.” It’s a small but very interesting show, not just for the artwork but for the intriguing story behind it. And given the unique insights it gives to “The Grand Tour”—a term we aficionados of British history hear so often—I thought I would share some of the fascinating things I learned. All of the pieces on display were part of the cargo carried by the Westmoreland, a 26-gun British merchant ship which set sail for London …

On the move

June 29, 2023November 3, 2010 by Jobev

Hi, here's Jo, with a picture that seems an auspicious welcome to our new home. Here, there, everywhere! We all talk about being busy, but I really have been. Early in October I went to France for a Dorothy Dunnett gathering, which was delightful. I got home in time to prepare to move from Yorkshire to Devon. We'd hardly settled, and certainly not opened all the boxes, before I set off to Rome to play with Mary Jo and attend a writer/reader conference there. It was delightful, too, but now I can try to settle back to ordinary life, pick …