Travel & Travel Tips
“Nobody talks to the maid”
Text & Photos: Julie Schwietert Collazo ** The tagline of our blog is “Stories about overlooked people and places.” More than a tagline–much more–Francisco and I spend most of our time living in what poet Stanley Kunitz called “the layers.” We believe that everyone has stories to share and that those stories have meaning, even … Continue reading
Notes on old travel memories
Text & Photos: Julie Schwietert Collazo ** I’ve actually been to Amsterdam and Zurich before. Zurich when I was 16 or so, after winning a travel scholarship. Amsterdam when I was in college, after spotting a major fare sale and talking my roommate, Drew, into a long weekend in Europe. After receiving an invitation from … Continue reading
Amsterdam Museums: A Quick Guide
Text & Photos: Julie Schwietert Collazo ** Amsterdam is dense with museums, which is hardly surprising, given that the Dutch lay claim to some serious art world heavyweights, both classical (Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Van Gogh, to name a few) and contemporary (Scarlett Hooft Graafland, for one). Beyond art, the city’s long, complicated history lends itself … Continue reading
Amsterdam: “We’re not more tolerant because we’re morally superior. We’re just more clever.”
Text & Photos: Julie Schwietert Collazo ** Willem, my Amsterdam guide, seems bent on convincing me that the Netherlands has always been a model of tolerance and inclusion. At most stops along our three and a half hour walk, he makes mention of some example of forward-thinking on the part of the Dutch. There’s the … Continue reading
Traveling solo… as a married woman
Text & Photo: Julie Schwietert Collazo ** “You’re alone?” I’d seen him when I scoped out available seats in the gradas, way up in the nosebleed section, and I’d watched him watch me throughout the first bull fight. The way he asked wasn’t sinister or sexual, just slightly incredulous. Since it was obvious that no … Continue reading