Topics

Feb

Into Armchair Travel? Try the Wheredunit of Mystery Books

by Joyce McGreevy on February 23, 2021

Coastal Sicily, the home of fictional detective Montalbano, is a popular destination for armchair travelers who read mystery novels. (Image by Giuseppe Costanza/ Pxhere)

1. Which Sicilian detective begins his day with espresso and a sunrise swim?
(Answers below the post)
Giuseppe Costanza/ Pxhere

Follow the Clues Around the World!

Pandemically speaking, today’s most favored mode of transport is armchair travel. But must safety rule out excitement? Not when you travel via mystery books. These page-turners whisk you away to virtually any corner of the world.

Stereotypes persist about mystery books. Like the idea that they’re merely puzzles. That the author presents a lineup of suspects, then interposes an obstacle course between the reader and the Big Reveal. You know, cryptic messages, red herrings, butlers arching an eyebrow, bodies falling out of closets, that sort of thing. Read more...

Joyce McGreevy Comments

Art of Travel/Literary World/Worldwide Sites

Feb

Fond ‘n Funny Valentines from Un-Secret Admirers

by Your friends at OIC on February 11, 2021

Deer head with heart-shaped glasses on a funny valentine card, part of the cultural traditions of Valentine's Day. image © Sheron Long

Who sent this funny valentine? Today you get to open someone else’s mail
and unmask the admirer. Read on…
© Sheron Long

Cultural Tradition Stamped with Love

Every Valentine’s Day, fond and funny valentines go out around the world in TikTok and email, on Facebook, by text, and in an instant on Instagram. It’s a cultural tradition.

Today, however, with so much shelter-in-place time on our hands, the old-fashioned handwritten Valentine’s card, the kind sealed with a stamp and a kiss, is loving its revival. Have a fun look at these tokens of love intercepted by OIC. Read more...

Your friends at OIC 2 Comments

Cultural Heritage & Traditions

Feb

In the Kitchen with OIC: A Fun Japanese Food Tour!

by Joyce McGreevy on February 2, 2021

Yuma Wada serves sushi in Tokyo, the setting for his Japanese food tour and trivia night. (Image © by Yuma Wada/ Ninja Food Tours)

Yuma Wada Turns Trivia into Virtual Travel to Tokyo

A funny thing happened on the way to Yuma Wada’s Japanese food tour and trivia night. You know how it is. One minute you’re folding the laundry or microwaving leftovers. Next minute you’re at a fish market in Tokyo.

Maybe I should explain.

Collectively speaking, it was an ordinary weeknight, work had stolen our weekend, the kids were restless, and supper smelled . . . uninspiring. We’d all been “at home” nearly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for eleven long months. Read more...

Joyce McGreevy 4 Comments

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Japan/The World's Chefs

World Views: