The Ups and Downs of Running a Somerset Inn

The Bowlish House, a gem of Georgian architecture near Bath and Wells, honors the past, while the English village of Shepton Mallet marches into the modern era.

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The Bowlish House in the village of Shepton Mallet is a beautiful inn and wedding venue

 

I met Len and Martin many years ago when they were living in a three flat they owned in Evanston, Illinois that they had lovingly restored. Their home, on the top floor, was tastefully appointed with a mix of traditional furnishings and antiques (Martin ran an antique business, which I briefly worked for, and Len ran the Chicago Children's Memorial White Elephant Resale Shop).

According to Len, the property was haunted, particularly the front entrance hall and basement. “I never saw the bearded man who walked up and down the front stairs, but others did. In the basement, you would get an occasional sighting of a woman in 1920s dress. You always knew when she was around, as the scent of patchouli was in the air.”

“The Bowlish House’s drawing room was featured in the compelling BBC series “Broadchurch.””

Len and I caught up recently and it was not a complete surprise to discover that he and Martin had moved to the U.K. and purchased the Bowlish House, a storied historic guesthouse in the town of Shepton Mallet. The drawing room was featured in the compelling BBC series Broadchurch. –Duke

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You don’t have to be staying at the Bowlish House to enjoy tea or a drink in the Georgian Room, modeled after an English country house

What led you to the village of Shepton Mallet?

When we first moved to Britain, we tried to find jobs that we thought would be satisfactory, but what we were used to does not exist. So we decided to either run a pub or an inn. After looking for a year, we found the Bowlish House listed on an online real estate site. It was the right size and also the right price.

How’d the town get its unusual name?
The town got its name from two brothers, Roger and Robert Mallet (pronounced “mal-lay”) who fought with William the Conqueror when the Normans invaded England in 1066. Shepton is an old word for a sheep enclosure. All the money here was made in the woolen trade.

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One of the bedrooms at the Bowlish House

How did you decide to start a B&B?
We actually bought the business that was up and running, though not doing well. We then set to turning it around, which has been quite successful. However, the downside is that the amount of maintenance required on a 300-year-old house is shocking.

Did you renovate at all?

We are continuously working on the house to upgrade it and also to bring back the look of a country house in the 18th century.

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Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available in the Cape Cod Room at the Bowlish House, where diners can enjoy panoramic views of the gardens

Are there any fun local traditions?

Unfortunately, the most popular local activity seems to be getting drunk and brawling on the high street, with an occasional bit of Morris dancing thrown in.

What is there to do in town?

The town is minute and suffers the same fate of most rural English villages have: the shopping mall. All the little shops are gone and have been replaced by Chinese takeaways. It is much better to drive 10 minutes to the city of Wells. Farther afield are Bath and Bristol, which are worth a visit.

What’s Bath like?

Bath is second only to London where style, fashion and the arts are concerned. Lots of beautiful and occasionally quirky architecture, interesting museums and nice restaurants. It is also very expensive to live there. I like going there when I need to reconnect with my inner city persona.

Any interesting or funny stories about guests or running the inn?
Yes there are stories — most are gross or indecent or both, though.

What’s the most charming part of British village life?

Nice pubs, when you come across them. Market days, some of the antiques shops, castles and gardens and the most amazing wildlife. You can see foxes and hedgehogs in the wild. I’m not too wild about the giant slugs, though. Some of the smells are not so good, particularly from the pig farms.

Has Brexit affected you at all?

It’s too early to tell about Brexit. The pound has certainly dropped, but it is a benefit to me, as my pensions are in U.S. dollars (yes, I am that old), so I get more than I did a few months ago.

And what the heck do Brits think about Trump?

The Donald is considered a huge joke here. There is a sort of horror and amusement regarding him and his politics. There is absolutely no way that any politician here would ever get away the stuff he does. Another aside is that is any politician here started in about their religion, it would be total political suicide.

Guy Fawkes Day / Bonfire Night: A Bizarre British Holiday

The British remember, remember the 5th of November. But who exactly was Guy Fawkes — and why do kids burn his effigy?

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Bonfire Night can be a bit scary — a time when Brits burn effigies and, apparently, even crosses

To the outsider, November 5, Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Day, can seem horrifying. I mean, who wouldn’t be creeped out by children creating effigies of Fawkes as well as the Pope — and then throwing them atop bonfires and cheering as they burn?

Here’s the story behind this bizarre British holiday.

“The authorities had quite the execution planned for the traitor. They were going to lop off his testicles and cut his stomach open so he could watch his own guts spill out.”

It goes back to the British struggle between Catholics and Protestants.

King James I, despite having a Catholic mother, Mary Queen of Scots, who was executed, continued the persecution of Catholics begun by his predecessor, Queen Elizabeth I. In 1604, he condemned Catholicism as superstition and ordered all priests to leave the country. The next year, 13 young men decided to take violent action in protest.

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Guy (who preferred to be called Guido) Fawkes and his cohorts in the Gunpowder Plot. There were two Wrights involved, though hopefully they weren’t related to me

Guy Fawkes wasn’t the leader of the terrorists.

A man named Robert Catesby led the group, devising the plan: blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill the king — and hopefully throw in the next in line, the Prince of Wales and some members of Parliament.

“In the meantime, as Fawkes escaped by boat across the River Thames, his fellow conspirators would start an uprising in the English Midlands, kidnap James’ daughter Elizabeth, install her as a puppet queen and eventually marry her off to a Catholic, thereby restoring the Catholic monarchy,” the History channel reports.

The plot involved 36 barrels of gunpowder — which, it turns out, wouldn’t have done much.

The gunpowder was placed in the cellar below the House of Lords. In theory, it could have blown Parliament to bits. But some experts think it had decayed to such a state it might not have fully ignited, according to The Telegraph.

And he wasn’t even born Catholic.

While his maternal grandparents were Catholic, Fawkes’ parents were Protestant. But after his dad died, his mom remarried a Catholic when Fawkes was 8. He converted to the faith when he was a teenager.

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An effigy of Guy Fawkes before it’s burned on Bonfire Night in England

One member of the group seems to have betrayed the plot.

Some of the rebels started to realize that innocents — and even those sympathetic to their cause — would be what we today call “collateral damage” and began having second thoughts. There’s a theory that someone in the gang sent a letter detailing what would become known as the Gunfire Plot to Lord Monteagle.

The letter eventually found its way to the king.

Guy Fawkes was caught red-handed.

The reason Fawkes is the best-known British traitor is that the poor sucker was in the cellar when the king’s forces raided. He must’ve drawn the short straw, for it was his job to light the explosives.

Incidentally, that cellar no longer exists. It was part of the 1834 fire that destroyed much of the medieval structure.

Every year at the opening of session, the yeoman of the guard checks to make sure there aren’t any conspirators plotting in the cellars. “This has become more of a tradition than a serious anti-terrorist precaution,” The Telegraph writes.

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Bonfire Night celebrations take place in front of Windsor Castle in this illustration from 1776

The tradition of lighting a bonfire began that very night.

The people celebrated the king’s escape by lighting bonfires. Nowadays, the tradition continues, along with setting off fireworks and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes, the Pope and sometimes politicians (Trump, anyone?) and celebrities.

“In 1677, an elaborate Pope effigy was burned with live cats in its stomach, so their cries would symbolize the sound of the devil whispering in the Pope’s ear,” according to Vox.

Fawkes wasn't actually executed.

The authorities had quite the execution planned for the traitor. They were going to lop off his testicles and cut his stomach open so he could watch his own guts spill out before his eyes, The Telegraph reports.

But Fawkes foiled them. He leapt to his death, dying from a broken neck.

That didn’t stop them from chopping him into pieces.

One of the favorite ways of disposing of the bodies of those who were executed was a practice known as drawn and quartering. It’s a bit like it sounds: The body was divided into four parts. Fawkes’ mutilated corpse was sent to “the four corners of the kingdom” — to teach would-be traitors a lesson, one would imagine.

King James admired Fawkes.

Before his suicide, Fawkes was tortured for two days straight, refusing to admit his part in the Gunpowder Plot. At one point, he was asked why they had so much gunpowder and he replied, “To blow you Scotch beggars back to your native mountains.”

He eventually caved, but lasted long enough to have the monarch say he was impressed by his “Roman resolution.”

Guy preferred to be called Guido.

He felt the Italian variant of his name better suited a Catholic. In fact, when he was forced to sign a document admitting his role in the Gunpowder Plot, he signed it Guido Fawkes.

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This is one of the more horrific effigies created for Guy Fawkes Day

Children wheeled around their effigy, begging for “a penny for the Guy.”

As they went along, they’d sing this song, which dates back to around 19870:

The Fifth of November
 

Remember, remember! 
The fifth of November, 
The Gunpowder treason and plot; 
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!

Guy Fawkes and his companions
Did the scheme contrive, 
To blow the King and Parliament
All up alive. 
Threescore barrels, laid below, 
To prove old England’s overthrow. 
But, by God’s providence, him they catch, 
With a dark lantern, lighting a match! 
A stick and a stake
For King James’s sake! 
 

If you won’t give me one, 
I’ll take two, 
The better for me, 
And the worse for you. 
A rope, a rope, to hang the Pope, 
A penn’orth of cheese to choke him, 
A pint of beer to wash it down, 
And a jolly good fire to burn him. 
 

Holloa, boys! holloa, boys! make the bells ring! 
Holloa, boys! holloa boys! God save the King! 
Hip, hip, hooor-r-r-ray!

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A scene from Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta graphic novel

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Guy Fawkes masks have swept the world, as seen in this group in Vienna, Austria

Popular culture has referenced Fawkes.

The masks in the graphic novel and movie V for Vendetta feature Guy Fawkes. The masks have become the go-to for the hacker group Anonymous.

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Dumbledore’s phoenix, Fawkes, from an exhibit on The Making of Harry Potter

And in the Harry Potter books, Headmaster Dumbledore’s phoenix is named Fawkes for its propensity to spontaneously combust. (Don’t worry — phoenixes always rise from the ashes.) –Wally

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MORE ODDITIES: 

5 Strange World Traditions

The Strange History of Halloween

Strange Iceland: The Penis Museum and Other Off-the-Beaten Path Sights

24 Vintage Halloween Cards That Are Nostalgic — But a Bit Creepy, Too

Halloween greetings from the past featured common Halloween symbols: the witch, black cat, jack-o’-lantern, ghost, devil — and one that has been forgotten.

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A pumpkin-headed boy and an owl decorate this vintage Halloween card

There's something charming and yet disturbing about vintage Halloween cards. They're loaded with the symbols that are still associated with All Hallow’s E’en: witches, black cats, devils, jack-o’-lanterns and ghosts.

But one once-common symbol seems to have fallen by the wayside: the owl. Maybe the creepier, blood-sucking bat won out.

Owls were associated with Halloween back when the Celts would build bonfires at Samhain, their autumn festival. The light attracted insects, which in turn drew bats and owls to feast upon them.

From the time Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, had an owl as her symbol, the birds have been thought of as wise (though I've read that they're not too intelligent actually).

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Mirror magic was common on October 31, as seen in this vintage Halloween card

At Halloween, when the veil between our world and the spirit realm is at its thinnest, we have the power to learn hidden knowledge. And witches took owls as well as cats as their familiars. So perhaps it makes sense that owls were once popular icons of the holiday.

You'll see some owls, along with the other, more lasting, symbols of Halloween in the selection of vintage cards below. –Wally

READ MORE: Halloween Traditions, Year by Year

Gruesome Facts (and Helpful Tips) About the Paris Catacombs

No bones about it: If you think piles of skulls and hallways formed of bones are pretty effin’ cool (like us), then the Catacombs of Paris are for you.

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The bones of about 7 million Parisians were relocated and stacked artistically in the Catacombs below the city

Wally’s parents don’t share our morbid curiosity about death. So there were a couple things we had to hit before they arrived: one being Père Lachaise Cemetery, and the other being the Catacombs.

The Catacombs are an underground ossuary (literally “bone receptacle”), said to contain the remains of 7 million or so Parisians.

“It took over 15 months to relocate the bones of an estimated 7 million Parisians from local cemeteries. ”

Get there early.

Our friends Kent and Michael had advised us to get there right at opening. There’s usually a long wait, as they only permit a limited number of visitors in at a time.

We were both hungry that morning, but because we had woken up later than we intended to (damn jet lag), we decided not to stop for breakfast — we were not going to miss the Catacombs.
 

Grab breakfast nearby.

We took the 88 bus to les Catacombes. The line that had formed was already around the block and longer than the previous day. I held our place in line while Wally sought out coffee and something for us to eat.

Across the street, he found a Paul, a chain of pâtisseries and boulangeries that serves a surprisingly good breakfast. That day he got us two cafés crèmes and jambon and brie sandwiches on crusty baguettes.

People-watch and admire the nearby statue to kill time in line.

A tot in a bright orange corduroy coat ahead of us was finding it difficult to wait in line and wandered away from her parents, the hurried footsteps of her father not far behind. She paused to entertain a couple of water bottle vendors by imitating the nearby Lion of Belfort statue, which our friend Kent has dubbed Aslan, from the Chronicles of Narnia. The little girl raised both her tiny hands and roared, which made us and the vendors laugh.

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The entrance to the Catacombs is marked with an inscription that translates to “Stop! Here lies the Empire of Death”

Don't Stop! Here Lies the Empire of Death

We entered the dark green building located at Place Denfert-Rochereau, paid our admission and descended the spiral staircase 60 feet beneath the streets of Paris.

One of the first things we encountered on our exploration was a rock-cut palace chiseled from memory between 1777-1782 by a quarry inspector who had served time in a prison situated across from it. According to the sign next to the sculpture he died from a “cave-in while trying to build an access stairway at this location.”

I couldn’t help but wonder if he had been added to the crypt we were about to explore.

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Isn't it strange how similar "la morte" (death) and "l'amour" (love) are in French?

Poor Souls

Most of the disinterred bones are from the Cimetière des Innocents in Paris. It was the chosen local burial ground, as the site had been consecrated with a handful of dirt from the Holy Land.

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This sign shows that most of the remains in the Catacombs came from the Cemetery of the Innocents and were moved in the 1700s

So numerous was the quantity of burials there, that most were interred in large open pits that were covered over when full. Once these were overflowing, the exhumed bones were stored within arcades around the perimeter of the cemetery.

In an effort to reduce the risk of fatal disease caused by bacteria spread from the putrefying remains, Alexandre Lenoir, the Lieutenant-General of Police, proposed that the remains be stored and placed in the abandoned subterranean limestone quarries beneath Paris. Stone from these mines was used in the construction of both the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral.

Even though the Catacombs were not affiliated with a particular church, they were still considered a consecrated site. The bones had been transferred from respective cemeteries led by clergy, who performed benediction rites upon them.

It took over 15 months to relocate the bones of an estimated 7 million Parisians from Les Innocents and other local cemeteries. The remains were dropped down chutes by night to workers, who stowed them away in the passageways.

Skulls, femur and tibia bones were packed high and tight, some up to 10 feet deep. The Catacombs are just a small part of the quarries, which date back to Roman times. The bones reinforce these mines, which had been known to collapse, taking the buildings above down with them.

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One part of the Paris Catacombs is covered in graffiti scratches. (Did you hear something behind us?)

Famous Residents

Among these are the remains of Charles Perrault, the author of the Tales of Mother Goose, architect Solomon de Brosse (who designed the city's Luxembourg Palace) as well as a few poor souls who lost their heads to the guillotine.

Napoleon, wishing to outdo the ancient Catacombs of Rome, allowed Louis-Étienne Héricart de Thury, Inspector-General of Quarries, to elaborately rearrange the site, resulting in an impressive if macabre monument.

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Duke’s only pretending to be scared. He loved exploring the Catacombs

Plaques were placed throughout the passages noting from which cemetery the remains were taken. Some inscriptions came from classical sources, others from sacred texts. A biblical passage in Latin — “Memento Creatoris tui in diebus juventutis tuae antequàm veniat tempus afflictionís” — translates to "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come."

During World War II, the tunnels were used by Parisian members of the French Resistance.

The chamber containing the Rotonde des Tibias in particular was thought to have impressive acoustics, and in 1871 it hosted a 45-member orchestra playing Chopin's funeral march.

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Because the guards stagger groups who can enter at a time, we found we mostly had the tunnels to ourselves, which allowed Wally to get up to his usual antics

It had rained recently, and some sections of the tunnels were dripping, rendering the floor beneath them wet. We heard that the Catacombs close when there’s been a bad storm because they get flooded.

At the end of the adventure — Wally kept saying it was like real-life Dungeons & Dragons, sans the dragons — there's a table where they go through your bags. Apparently, there's a large number of people who try to steal a skull or bone.

No one was stationed at the table when we left, so of course Wally was bummed we could have gotten away with pilfering a skull or two.

Arriving back at the Métro, I had to hop the turnstile, as my ticket didn't validate. My novice technique was not graceful — the space is limited once you hop said turnstile and proceed to squeeze through the half-door behind it. But having seen numerous kids do so, I felt I was now a true Parisien. –Duke

“At the end, there’s a table where they go through your bags. Apparently, there’s a large number of people who try to steal a skull or bone.”

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READ MORE ABOUT PARIS

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If you’re interested in this subject, check out the gorgeous book The Empire of Death: A Cultural History of Ossuaries and Charnel Houses by Paul Koudounaris.

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The Strange History of Halloween

Ever wondered why we carve pumpkins, dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating? Learn the pagan origins of Samhain, when spirits roam the Earth and we can see into the future.

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Halloween is the best time to cast divination spells

Halloween: You love it or you hate it.

Our office manager dreads Halloween. She’s religious and sees it as an evil night, when devils and witches and demons and ghouls literally roam the streets.

That, of course, is why many of us love it. It’s a chance to become someone else for a night. To embrace our dark (or sexy) sides.

To the pre-Christian Celts of Western Europe, it was referred to as Samhain (actually pronounced “sow-en”) — a term still used by Wiccans. It’s the one day of the year when the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest.

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Halloween has its dark side — but it can also be a time of good luck

That means it’s the ideal opportunity to try to glimpse into the future. Divination spells work best on All Hallow’s E’en.

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Young women would try to glimpse their future lover’s face in the mirror on Halloween night

Witchy Ways

If you want to get into the Samhain spirit, try these spells: 

Contact a Deceased Loved One
See a Vision of Your True Love

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Witches, black cats and jack-o’-lanterns have become associated with Halloween

But it also means that ghosts and other unpleasant wraiths have the opportunity to invade the world of the living once darkness falls. People felt they had to protect themselves.

How did these origins lead to our traditions of carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, dressing up in costumes and asking for candy with thinly veiled threats of mischief? What’s the history of Halloween, our strangest holiday?

Here’s an infographic I wrote (and the talented Kevin LeVick designed) for a website that’s sadly now defunct. –Wally

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21 Vintage Halloween Photos That Are So Creepy They'll Give You Nightmares

Halloween costumes of the past were scary as hell.

 

They’re like stills from the opening credits of an American Horror Story. 

Maybe it’s the grainy quality of these black and white photos. Or maybe it’s the handmade roughness of the freaky masks and costumes the kids are wearing. But there’s no denying that these vintage shots of Halloweens past are the stuff of nightmares. 

Scroll through them — if you dare. –Wally

6 Fun Facts About Pablo Picasso

The Cubism pioneer, born in a building off the Plaza de la Merced, didn’t stay long in Malaga, Spain. But that doesn’t stop the city from proudly claiming him as its own.

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The Plaza de la Merced in Málaga, Spain, where Picasso was born. This shot was taken from atop the Gibralfaro fortress

Despite the fact that Picasso left Málaga when he was still a boy, his legacy continues to be deeply rooted to the city he was born in. Heck, the rented floor of a building off the Plaza de la Merced where Picasso was born has been designated a heritage site since the early ’80s.

RELATED: A Brief History of Málaga, Spain

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Picasso’s fascination with pigeons came from his father, who bred them (A Child With Pigeons, Picasso, 1943)

1. Picasso’s father, José Ruiz Blasco, was an artist in his own right. He bred pigeons, which became one of Picasso’s favorite subjects to paint — and they still rule the plaza square.

“Picasso’s relationship with his muse began when she was only 17 years old and he was 45 and living with his wife.”

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Picasso took his surname from his mother — the tail end of his 23-word name (Mother and Child, 1902)

2. His complete name was a series of the names of saints and relatives and had a whopping 23 words: Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso. Spanish tradition has children take maternal surnames as well, and Picasso adopted his mother’s, as he felt it better suited him.

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Picasso’s iconic Breton stripe shirt was worn by members of the French Navy

3. The iconic Breton stripe shirt he often wore humbly began as the uniform of the French Navy. According to lore from Brittany, the shirt originally included 21 horizontal stripes, one for each of Napoleon’s military victories against the British, a heritage tied to France’s Normandy coast.

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The subject of this and many other paintings was Picasso’s number-one muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter (Reclining Woman Reading, 1960)

4. During the course of his career, Picasso changed companions as often as he changed focus and painting styles. He never did marry his greatest model and muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter. Their relationship began when she was only 17 years old and he was 45 and living with his first wife, Olga Khokhlova, a former Russian ballerina, with whom he had a 5-year-old son, Paulo.

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The Dream, 1932

Some of his most acclaimed works, including The Dream, were inspired by her.

They had a daughter together who was named Maria de la Concepción after his dead sister, Conchita.

Four years after Picasso’s death, Marie-Thérèse was unable to go on living and hanged herself.

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Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso are credited with creating Cubism

5. Picasso and Georges Braque co-founded the revolutionary art movement of Cubism. The pair were influenced by such things as ancient Iberian sculpture and African masks. Their working relationship lasted until 1914, when Braque enlisted in the French Army at the beginning of World War I.

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Chicagoans have grown quite fond of The Picasso — even though it looks like a giant baboon head

6. In 1963, Picasso was commissioned by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill to create a unique monumental public sculpture for the Chicago Civic Center (now called Daley Plaza). Refusing payment, he created a maquette (smaller-sized model) for the monument and gifted the full-scale reproduction to the city.

Perhaps because Picasso had not titled the piece, it was left open to ambiguous interpretation. At its unveiling, in the summer of 1967, the 50-foot work was widely criticized and universally disliked. Some critics likened it to the head of a baboon or perhaps the artist’s Afghan dog.

Now known simply as The Picasso, opinions have softened and it has since become an iconic symbol of Chicago. You can now watch kids skateboard and slide up and down the metal base. –Duke

RELATED: El Pimpi: A Famous Málaga Restaurant in the Courtyard of Antonio Banderas’ Building

Victorian Post-Mortem Photography: WTF Were They Thinking?

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Memento mori: Victorian death photos were to die for in the mid-1800s.

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It sounds utterly creepy, morbid and unthinkable to us now. But during the Victorian era, posing with the corpse of your child or another deceased family member was a way to honor the recently departed.

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It was a time when children ran a high risk of dying before the age of 5. “Victorian nurseries were plagued by measles, diphtheria, scarlet fever, rubella — all of which could be fatal,” the BBC reports.

“Corpses lean back in chairs, tools used to prop up the bodies are hidden as best they can be, children look like they’re only sleeping, open eyes were drawn on later.”

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A lot of people could only afford to have one family portrait, and the death of a loved one was often what sparked the decision. The rapidly rotting corpse of a child prompted many parents to decide it was time to pull the trigger, so to speak. Time, literally, was of the essence. It was now or never.

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Death photography was part of the memento mori trend, from a Latin phrase meaning, “remember you will die.”

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Looking through the (creepy) photos, you’ll note some of the tricks the photographers employed, according to ViralNova: Corpses lean back in chairs, tools used to prop up the bodies are hidden as best they can be, children look like they’re only sleeping, open eyes were drawn on later.

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Keep in mind that these photos were taken with long exposures. The living tend to fidget a bit, making their portraits a bit blurry sometimes — while the dead person comes out crisp and clear. 

Can you imagine patiently posing for a picture with your dead child in your lap?

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The trend only started losing popularity once healthcare improved, meaning less people died in childhood, and photography became more accessible. At some point, people must have thought, “Gee, this is kind of fucked up.” –Wally

Sources: BBC, Gizmodo, Mdolla, Oddee and ViralNova

The Best Spots to Hit When Visiting Utrecht

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One of Morgan’s paintings depicts a street scene from Utrecht, Netherlands

A day trip from Amsterdam and Den Haag, Utrecht, Netherlands has an amazing flower market, a bar in a converted church, a nearby national park and other don’t-miss spots.

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The gorgeous fall foliage along the edge of the canal in Utrecht, Netherlands

Morgan always has a smile on her face and an amazing sense of style. Heck, she rocked a side ponytail before it was on trend.

I’ve lived vicariously through her artistic endeavors via social media (and exchanged several Cats of Instagram videos).

“No one believes me when I say this, but the Dutch live and die for fried food.”

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Morgan’s lovely studio in her Utrecht apartment

Sensing a kindred spirit, I couldn’t resist checking in and finding out more about her expat experience in Utrecht Netherlands, where she and her boyfriend moved in early 2015.

RELATED: American Expats Tell What It’s Really Like to Live in Paris

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Utrecht is a day trip destination from Amsterdam and Den Haag

How did you and Matt end up in Utrecht?

Matt’s company gave him the opportunity to open their European office, and we were allowed to pick where that office would be. So we spent two weeks traveling to four different countries to see if they felt like a place we could make a home.

After much deliberation, we decided on Belgium! But after telling everyone in our families the big plan, we ended up not able to get a visa for me there.

So next best thing: the Netherlands! Except we had visited Amsterdam during our tour — and hated it. It felt like Chicago’s Navy Pier during the 4th of July.

In typical Morgan and Matt fashion, we decided on Utrecht without having been there, without knowing a soul here, without performing any sort of research. And just jumped in!

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The Janskerkhof flower market is the best part about Utrecht, according to Morgan

What do you like best about Utrecht?

I’m absolutely in love with the Saturday flower market at Janskerkhof!

What do you like least?

It annoys me to no end that the stores close at 5 p.m. every day of the week and are completely closed on Mondays. But we’re coming from Chicago, where we did our grocery shopping at 10:30 at night. We know we need to adjust.

Tell us about a strange custom you’ve encountered while living there.

When Dutch people greet you as a friend, they kiss you on your right cheek, left cheek and again on the right cheek. That third kiss was very unexpected at the beginning and resulted in a few misplanted kisses.

What are your favorite day trips from Utrecht?

Now that we’ve been here for a while, Amsterdam has definitely grown on us. In fact, we head into Amsterdam almost every weekend and dream about buying a house there! Other favorite day trips are Den Haag for the beach and the museums, Otterlo to bike through a national park, and Maastricht, where they have their own dialect.

What are your favorite places in town?

Margaret Wines is our absolute favorite wine shop in the world! We also love Cafe Olivier — a converted church now functioning as a Belgian beer bar! Our go-to bakery is Bond & Smolders.

What’s the local cuisine like?

No one believes me when I say this, but the Dutch live and die for fried food. And their mayonnaise! Other, more traditional foods, are herring and stamppot [mashed potatoes mixed with other veggies].

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Morgan and her boyfriend moved to Utrecht on a whim

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Flowers are a source of inspiration for Morgan

What got you into painting?

I’ve been painting ever since I can remember. I used to color pictures of myself living in Paris as a painter when I was a little kid (I’m a dreamer!). I studied painting at the College of Charleston in South Carolina and again at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for a prior degree program.

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Morgan paints en plein air in Monet’s garden at Giverny

Could you describe your process?

My process is actually something I’m really working on changing right now. Before, I would set up a still life, paint a ground color in acrylic paint, and paint a traditional, realistic still life. Right now I’m working on a more abstract series about change. I still paint a colorful ground, but instead of working out the composition before painting, I jump right in and concentrate on making interesting brush strokes and creating a composition of areas of color. I’m very excited about where this series is going!

You can find more of Morgan’s artwork on her site, ReSource Designs. –Duke

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The Ultimate Las Vegas Vacation: The Best Hotels, Shows and Nightclubs

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Las Vegas is known as Sin City, but there’s a variety of vacations you can have here. This shot was taken from a room at the Cosmopolitan — the only hotel on the Strip with balconies

Vegas, baby! Before you plan Las Vegas travel, learn the hottest spots in Sin City — and how to score the best deals.

The epitome of glamor. That’s the best way to describe Herminia and Brandon. They have a timeless chicness you can’t help but admire.

Many people think of Vegas as Sin City, a destination for debauchery. And while it certainly has its seedier side, turns out there’s much more to it than over-the-top spectacles, legalized prostitution and an obsession with gambling.

“Vegas is also a place where you can have a relaxing getaway, go on a foodie adventure, enjoy art installations or even explore the outdoors.”

I decided to get to the bottom of Herminia and Brandon’s fascination with Las Vegas. I honestly don’t know if there’s anyone who knows the city as well as they do. Here are their secrets to getting the best Vegas has to offer. –Wally

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Herminia and Brandon, the chicest couple on the Strip

How often do you make it to Vegas?

We go to Vegas at least once a year, but some years we’ve gone as much as three times. But if Brandon had his way, we’d go every three months… He doesn’t get his way often.

What draws you there time and time again?

Bright lights city, gonna set my soul, gonna set my soul on fire. –“Viva, Las Vegas,” Elvis

What we love most about Vegas is that you can tailor your trip to however you’d like. Most people see it as a party destination, which it most definitely is. But it’s also a place where you can have a relaxing getaway, go on a foodie adventure, enjoy art installations or even explore the outdoors (Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon are not far drives). There’s something to do for everyone, with activities to match the theme of your trip and your budget.

We’ve been for a bachelor party (Brandon), a wedding, Halloween, a 30th birthday celebration — those were all very much party trips and a ton of fun, but our favorite trips have been just the two of us. We like to stay at nice hotels, eat fabulous dinners, lay out by the pool, gamble, shop (providing the aforementioned was successful) and of course people-watch. (The people-watching in Vegas is like no other. Because there are so many adventures to be had in the city, there are so many different types of people.)

We have a rhythm when we go, and we’ve been so often that’s it’s not a surprise. We know what to expect, and every trip, the bright lights welcome us back right when we land. Oh, and Elvis. We love Elvis.

What are your fave hotels?

Our absolute favorite hotels are the Wynn and Encore. They’re connected to each other, but the Wynn has a more traditional feel while the Encore is more modern. Both are beautifully appointed five-star hotels, with an amazing crop of restaurants. The pools and spa are top-notch as well. It typically has a slightly older crowd, which means it’s a little more chill (except when XS nightclub empties in the wee hours of Sunday morning).

We also like to stay at the Cosmopolitan. Definitely a younger, more partying vibe, but the hotel rooms are well appointed. And, if you’re Brandon, you can talk your way into a suite with a balcony overlooking the Bellagio fountain show. Fun fact: The Cosmo is the only hotel on the Strip with balconies, since the property was initially built as condominiums.
 

What are the hottest nightclubs and pool parties?

We’re not big clubbers…anymore. But every now and again we can be swayed with a free cover. XS at Encore is beautiful, as it spills out onto the hotel’s pool area. We went for Halloween once and saw DeadMau5 spin.

Hakkasan I think is the latest hotspot on the Strip, and Marquee is an oldie but a goodie as well.

Tip: All you need is to post a photo with #vegas, and all of these promoters will try to get you into any club you want for a better deal — especially if you’re a group of girls.

I personally think pool parties are giant cesspools, so we do not go. But all of the big clubs typically have a dayclub version. Just watch out for heatstroke and gonorrhea.

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At the Cosmopolitan, you can have drinks inside a massive chandelier

The Chandelier bar, while not a club, is a great place to get a few drinks. It’s a three-level bar set inside (yes, inside) of a giant chandelier at the Cosmo. At level 1.5, they have a few secret drinks that are fun to order.

Also, you get free drinks at every casino, just for gambling.

What are the best shows?

Our very first trip to Vegas, we went and saw a topless revue because…well, when in Vegas. I don’t think that specific show is on anymore, but it was kind of a fun, kitschy thing to do in Vegas.

The Cirque du Soleil shows are great (there's a Michael Jackson one we’ve been trying to go see), but more and more artists are doing residencies there. So it’s awesome to see who’s on when we’re there. We’ve seen Britney and she’s great, but can’t wait for Backstreet Boys next year (**Herminia currently shrieking with delight**).

Any tricks to score great deals?

We get the best deals from Brandon’s players cards (casino loyalty cards). You can get one at each casino, and you present it when you gamble at the tables or put it in the machines if you’re doing slots. They track your wins and losses and will always invite you back with some great hotel deal. The more you gamble, the better the deals. All the MGM hotels are connected on the same card, and will even offer you credits for any shopping or dining you do on the property as well.

Traveling during the off-season is also great. We usually go at the end of January for Brandon’s birthday. Hotels and flights are typically cheaper. And while the pools aren’t open, everything else is — and not quite as busy. Plus, the weather is always better than Chicago.

If there was one thing about Vegas you could change, what would it be?

Never change, Vegas.

“Tip: All you need is to post a photo with #vegas, and all of these promoters will try to get you into any club you want for a better deal.”