“This small city in northern France has few immigrants and little crime. But in the last local elections here, the candidate of the far-right National Front eliminated the standard-bearer of … [Keep reading >>]

The streets of Rome pulsed with a sense of historic change. Many cheered Mr. Berlusconi’s exit. Outside the Palazzo del Quirinale, the presidential palace, a choir and orchestra performed Handel’s … [Keep reading >>]

Monday night, October 17, was our last night in Paris, and as it happen, my birthday.  Near the end of the must-do boat tour of the Seine after dark, we … [Keep reading >>]

Not finding this in the on-line US sites this morning, so I’ll contribute:

Of the remaining two candidates, François Hollande and Martine Aubry, Hollande, nicknamed Monsieur Normal, convinced a good percentage … [Keep reading >>]

I’m still in Paris.  The headlines in Le Parisienne and the Herald Tribune both flew DSK’s [Dominique Staruss-Kahn] escape from criminal charges for an alleged rape of a French woman, … [Keep reading >>]

Sunday was voting day for the Socialist party in France.  We didn’t see lines at polling places but apparently the 1 million turn-out made it a happy day for the party.   It … [Keep reading >>]

We couldn’t have been more shocked in Como, Italy a few days ago to see this photo, enormous and above the front page fold of La Stampa, one of Italy’s … [Keep reading >>]

I’ve been laid up for a few days, and weeks to come, with a fractured collarbone and two fractured ribs, collected on a down-hill bike run in Stresa, Italy.  As … [Keep reading >>]

Updated Below

From internet postings by the man captured at the Norwegian youth camp, with guns in his hands, Anders Behring Breivik, 32, seems to be a committed right-wing,  virulently anti-immigrant, … [Keep reading >>]

Immigration is big in the news these days – mostly the opposition to it– around the world. It is absolutely the case that most people welcome immigrants when … [Keep reading >>]

Interesting post at Calitics by Brian Leubitz, now traveling in Spain:

Unlock the Puerta
by: Brian Leubitz
Tue May 31, 2011 at 11:17:23 AM PDT

by Brian Leubitz 

You may have noticed that I’ve been pretty … [Keep reading >>]

Spain has added  its share of criminal activity in countries all around the world, from the time its sailors learned to sail the ocean blue.  Closer to our time the … [Keep reading >>]