by Anne Swardson | Jun 27, 2026 | Architecture, France, History, Travel
In these dark times, I decided to visit a lighthouse. Like most of us, I needed a beacon of hope. And what a lighthouse it was. I chose Cordouan mainly because it was easier to reach from Paris than the lighthouses around Brittany. I didn’t realize at first that it... 
by Anne Swardson | Feb 1, 2025 | Italian, Italy, Naples, Travel
My current Italian teacher is a 38-year-old police inspector in Naples. He’s got deep green eyes, dresses beautifully and always nabs the perpetrator. Wealthy, aristocratic women throw themselves at him, and not just because he’s also a baron. Under his guidance, my... 
by Anne Swardson | Feb 19, 2024 | birding, Panama, Travel, Walking
I used to think birding was ridiculous. Tramping around all day with a big camera and binoculars to find small flying creatures whose goal is to stay unseen? Then I tried it. In Panama. This is not as strange as it seems, or least, no stranger than choosing Panama for... 
by Anne Swardson | Feb 5, 2024 | France, Panama, Travel
When a French person tells you’re they’re going to “Paname,” they don’t mean the country. For reasons that are in dispute, Paname is a slang word for Paris. While Charlie and I didn’t travel to Panama-the-country by mistake, we enjoyed seeking out the many French... 
by Anne Swardson | Apr 24, 2023 | Architecture, Italian, Italy, Naples, Travel
To learn a language, you need to learn the culture of the country. I’ve certainly found that to be true with French and France. But when I decided to learn Italian, it all seemed rather intimidating. Unlike in France, Italian cuisine, dialects, traditions and... 
by Anne Swardson | Oct 11, 2022 | Paris, Trains, Travel
First of two parts Paris train stations and I have never gotten along. Years ago, for instance, I was leaving on a ski vacation with my kids, then little, and my parents, then healthy. For some unaccountable reason, I decided we should take the Métro to the gare where...