In honouring Women’s History Month, I have chosen a woman I never had the chance to meet. Her images have always captivated me and grace the walls of my home, and I have heard countless stories of her from my dad and his siblings.

Like most Americans, I did not learn to speak a foreign language until I was a teenager. My first attempt, German, was a disaster. I managed to somehow eke out a passing grade during my two years of German, and can confidently count to twenty, say ja und nein, please, and thank you. I can also order a beer, but that was not part of our middle school curriculum: I learned to do that while traveling in my 20s.

The New Year is often when we try a new hobby, get into a new habit, or set goals for the spin around the sun. So why not get into some new music too? Crossing lines of time, languages, and genre, together, these songs make a great playlist for the year—twelve songs for twelve months of 2022.

In the 1920s, Dr. Rudolf Steiner was a major contributor to what we know as biodynamic farming. This type of farming practice is based on creating a balanced environment for the crop while always keeping in mind holistic, ethical, and ecological elements that surround it. However, many are skeptical because of its cosmic and mystical considerations.

Tour guide Lisa Anderson helps uncover some special New Year’s traditions.

Scottish Blue Badge guide Susan Brown [Eyes on Scotland and Eyes on Bermuda] spends her winters in sunny Bermuda (lucky lady!), and this year, she’s giving us a photographic tour of the the island’s town of St. George all decked out in holiday lights.

For my third installment on the theme of artists and artisans, I’m introducing some of  my favourite artists whom I have been following on social media for a few years now. They range across a variety of media, but perhaps unsurprisingly for a Scottish Blue Badge guide, all of these artists are Scottish. Indeed they are all based on the west coast of Scotland—two in the county of Argyll and two on the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides. 

Sam McDonald is fascinated by the beams of light that penetrate the water and illuminate aspects of the fish who seem to be oblivious to his presence. It is this regular interaction with the marine environment which has given Sam the insight to create such beautiful pieces by mixing resin and traditional metal working techniques, patination, and pewter, gold leaf, brass, and other metals. 

The founders of MASS ended up taking what they learned at Harvard and melded that with what they learned working with locals in Rwanda. It prompted them to develop an ethos for all their projects: design beautiful buildings, help as many local people as possible, source local materials and labor, and provide smart, natural air flow for a healthier environment.

Living on an island means that local raw materials are finite, and part of wood craftsman Alex’s ethos is to reuse and repurpose discarded wood, whether it be windfall, landscaping waste, ocean flotsam and jetsam or off-cut wood. Chris, a designer of rope art, believes in sustainability wherever possible and repurposes discarded ropes that he finds in the ocean, as well as working with new ropes.

Over eons, Scotland was situated at the intersection of colliding continents, creating an unrivalled geological diversity that is reflected in the stone of our buildings. Before the advent of transport links, materials were sourced locally, giving rise to regional variations that are very much a part of today’s landscape…Stone-built buildings were substantial and able to withstand the test of time, leaving us a rich, architectural heritage.

Sometimes called “the king of all roofs,” domes cover some of the most important buildings in the world. Curved structures without angles or corners, they require no columns, and they maximize the space below. This expanse often houses something spectacular or simply creates an elegant, open space in which many people can congregate. Despite their thinness, they are strong, stiff, and able to stand for centuries.

The mission was to provide free, global care for cancer patients with the help of great architecture. Maggie understood the impact environment and design can have on someone dealing with cancer. She knew —from the point of view of both patient and family—the need for “thoughtful lighting, a view out to trees, birds and sky” and the opportunity “to relax and talk away from home cares.”  She knew how the “kitchen table” is often at the centre of people’s lives.

In the 1980s, the city of Bilbao in Spain was a total disaster—not the kind of city you wanted to visit. It suffered incredibly high unemployment rates, street violence, drug dealing on every corner, and to top all of these, ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna or “Basque Homeland and Liberty,” the now extinct Basque terrorist band) embraced Bilbao as its unofficial headquarters. There was no trace of the glorious past of the city. 

“In many ways food and wine are art, evoking feelings and emotions which create memories and give you a sense of place. Thanks to the Ceretto family, cultural points of interest now dot the landscape, with the installation of iconic pieces of art.”

The island paradise of Bali exerts a marvelous, almost magnetic aesthetic appeal for western visitors. Much of that allure is due to the island’s richly diverse artistic culture. Among the many splendid forms, I think Balinese dance is the most compelling. Perhaps it is better called dance-drama as it is an art that cannot be separated from theater.

So many of the stories we hear about travel in Africa are focussed on the Eastern and Southern parts of the continent, including Kenya,Tanzania, Namibia, and South Africa. I was based in West Africa for just over two years in the early 2000’s and had some great experiences, both with work and for leisure.

Ignatius had sensed the generous soul and great potential of this young man. He wanted to bring the best out of Francisco. In the end, Ignatius convinced him to join in and help create the Order of Jesus or The Jesuits. All the strength and vitality that Francisco showed for worldly life, he poured out when he joined Ignatius and began his spiritual life. The man who would become a saint embarked on great journey to the East to spread the Good Word of God.

Bells have been around for a long while and we find them in most of the cultures around the world. In Europe, it’s easy to become accustomed to the melodies of bells ringing throughout the day, and it’s easy to discover their ap-peal (pun intended) wherever you might be in your own hometowns and in your travels.

Italy is moving on with the rest of the world at a fast pace. I remember when I arrived in Italy 16 years ago, and no one knew what sushi or WiFi was. It may have been frustrating at the time, but in retrospect, it was refreshing to jump back into the past. My nostalgic personality yearns for an Italy that preserves its traditions, which is almost frozen in time.