Travels with My Donkey

Author: Tim Moore
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 146687046X
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 340

Book Description
"'A donkey?' blurted my family as one. For a moment it didn't seem they'd ever be able to list all the reasons that made this so entertainingly ludicrous. . . .Yes, I'd never ridden a donkey on a beach or petted one at a city farm, never even pinned a cardboard tail to one's throat after the cake and ice cream....A donkey would be my hairy-coated hair shirt, making my pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela a truer test of the will, a trial." With these words, having no knowledge of Spanish and even less about the care and feeding of donkeys, Tim Moore, Britain's indefatigable traveling Everyman, sets out on a pilgrimage to the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela with a donkey named Shinto as his companion. Armed only with the Codex Calixtinus, a twelfth-century handbook to the route, and expert advice on donkey management from Robert Louis Stevenson, Moore and his four-legged companion travel the ancient five-hundred-mile route from St. Jean Pied-de-Port, on the French side of the Pyrenees, to the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela, which houses the remains of Spain's patron saint, St. James. Over sun-scorched highways, precipitous bridges, dirt paths shaded by leafy trees, and vineyards occasionally lashed by downpours, Moore and Shinto pass through some of the oldest towns and cities in northern Spain in colorful company, both past and present. Pilgrims real and imagined have traveled this route throughout the ages, a diverse cast of wayfarers spanning Charlemagne, St. Francis of Assisi, Chaucer's Wife of Bath, and New Age diva, Shirley MacLaine. Moore's present-day companions are no less florid or poignant. Clearly more interested in Shinto than in Moore, their fellow walkers are an assortment of devout Christian pilgrims, New Age spirituality seekers, travelers grieving over a lost love affair, Baby Boomers contemplating the advent of middle age, and John Q. Public just out for a cheap, boozy sun-drenched outdoor holiday. As Moore pushes, pulls, wheedles, cajoles, and threatens Shinto across Spain toward the crypt of St. James in a quest to find the spiritual pilgrim within, the duo overnights in the bedrooms, dormitories, and---for Shinto---adjacent grassy fields of northern Spain's hostels, inns, convents, seminaries, and farmhouses. Shinto, a donkey with a finely honed talent for relieving himself at the most inopportune moments, has better luck in the search for his next meal than Moore does in finding his inner St. Francis. Undaunted, however, Man and Beast finally arrive at the cathedral and a successful end to their journey. For readers who delighted in his earlier books, Travels with My Donkey is the next hilarious chapter in the travels of Tim Moore, a book that keeps the bones of St. James rattling till this day.

Spanish Steps

Author: iMinds
Publisher: iMinds Pty Ltd
ISBN: 1921798211
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 5

Book Description
Learn about the history of the Spanish Steps in Rome with iMinds Travel's insightful fast knowledge series. The Spanish Steps are one of the most visited destinations in the Eternal City of Rome. This graceful staircase sits like the tiers to a great amphitheatre. But rather than a stage to watch, those seated here can watch the drama and intrigue of Italian life from the safe distance of an inconspicuous spectator. People-watching is a great Italian pastime and these steps form the prime place for it in the buzzing capital of Rome. Visitors like to join in on this secretive hobby when arriving in this area of Rome. What is highly interesting about the Spanish Steps is that they are a tourist attraction where visitors simply relax! They are named after the nearby Piazza di Spagna, which translates to 'Spanish Square'. The square lies at the bottom of the steps and is so named as the Spanish Embassy to the Vatican used to be close by. This piazza itself is of interest, and has a famous sculpture of a boat. The fountain is known as 'La Barcaccia', meaning 'Old Boat' and is so-named as it portrays a half-sunken ship whose bows are overflowing with water. It was the last work of Pietro Bernini, who was the father of the famous baroque artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The fountain was completed in about 1627, but the steps behind it stem from a later date. iMinds will tell you the story behind the place with its innovative travel series, transporting the armchair traveller or getting you in the mood for discover on route to your destination. iMinds brings targeted knowledge to your eReading device with short information segments to whet your mental appetite and broaden your mind.

The City: Land use, structure, and change in the Western city

Author: Michael Pacione
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 9780415252713
Category : Cities and towns
Languages : en
Pages : 612

Book Description

Complete Spanish Step-by-Step

Author: Barbara Bregstein
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 1259643425
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 622

Book Description
Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product. Learn Spanish with the most convenient and effective guide from McGraw-Hill’s bestselling Step-by-Step Series It has been proven that the fastest way to learn any language is through a solid grounding in basic grammar and a mastery of high-frequency vocabulary. This approach provides the confidence and tools necessary to understanding and practicing new languages quickly and easily. Combining the bestselling Easy Spanish Step-by-Step and Advanced Spanish Step-by-Step in one volume, The Complete Spanish Step-by-Step introduces you to the most essential structures, verbs, and vocabulary, then will gradually lead you to a mastery of the Spanish language. Numerous exercises help chart your progress, while engaging readings let you hone your skills in everyday contexts. Unique digital support online and via an app., include: · Flashcards for 3,000 vocabulary items with text-to-speech audio · Audio recordings of almost 2,500 answers · Listening practice with 37 passages spoken by native speakers Whether learning on your own or in a classroom setting, The Complete Spanish Step-by-Step will quickly guide you from novice to near-fluent speaker.

Advanced Spanish Step-by-Step

Author: Barbara Bregstein
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 0071768742
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 305

Book Description
A proven grammar-based approach that gives you a real mastery of the Spanish language Use Advanced Spanish Step by Step's progressive, grammar-based approach to conquer intermediate and advanced Spanish-language topics. This step-by-step approach gives you real confidence and the tools you need to achieve a high Spanish proficiency. You'll get a quick review of the key grammar basics, then move on to more advanced topics that you need for true mastery of the language. With complete coverage of verb tenses beyond the present and past, irregular verbs, sentence structure, parts of speech, and more, this book gives a thorough overview of advanced grammar topics. It also introduces you to hundreds of new vocabulary words that are reinforced with readings that put the new terms in everyday context.

The Architecture of Rome

Author: Ulrich Fürst
Publisher: Edition Axel Menges
ISBN: 9783930698608
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 668

Book Description
Architects and artists have always acknowledged over the centuries that Rome is rightly called the 'eternal city'. Rome is eternal above all because it was always young, always 'in its prime'. Here the buildings that defined the West appeared over more than 2000 years, here the history of European architecture was written. The foundations were laid even in ancient Roman times, when the first attempts were made to design interiors and thus make space open to experience as something physical. And at that time the Roman architects also started to develop building types that are still valid today, thus creating the cornerstone of later Western architecture. In it Rome's primacy remained unbroken -- whether it was with old St Peter's as the first medieval basilica or new St. Peter's as the building in which Bramante and Michelangelo developed the High Renaissance, or with works by Bernini and Borromini whose rich and lucid spatial forms were to shape Baroque as far as Vienna, Bohemia and Lower Franconia, and also with Modern buildings, of which there are many unexpected pearls to be found in Rome. All this is comprehensible only if it is presented historically, i. e. in chronological sequence, and so the guide has not been arranged topographically as usual but chronologically.This means that one is not led in random sequence from a Baroque building to an ancient or a modern one, but the historical development is followed successively. Every epoch is preceded by an introduction that identifies its key features. This produces a continuous, lavishly illustrated history of the architecture of Rome -- and thus at the same time of the whole of the West. Practical handling is guaranteed by an alphabetical index and detailed maps, whose information does not just immediately illustrate the historical picture, but also makes it possible to choose a personal route through history.

Not Built in a Day

Author: George H. Sullivan
Publisher: Da Capo Press
ISBN: 0786736305
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 400

Book Description
Not Built in a Day: Exploring the Architecture of Rome is a unique, unconventional guide and a deeply felt homage to Rome and its extraordinary 2,500-year history. Moving beyond the names, dates, and statistics of ordinary guidebooks, George Sullivan's eye-opening essays celebrate the special character of Rome's buildings, fountains, piazzas, streets, and ruins. From the largest landmark down to the smallest hidden gem, Not Built in a Day explores the city in comprehensive detail, offering detailed visual and historical analyses that enable readers to see and understand exactly what makes the architecture of Rome so important, influential, and fascinating. Not Built in a Day is supported by a companion website (NotBuiltInADay.com) that offers, among other features, detailed illustrative photographs for readers who want to experience the book's walking tours at home and large printable maps for readers using small electronic devices on-site in Rome.

Fodor's Italy 2010

Author: Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc. Staff
Publisher: Fodor's
ISBN: 1400008492
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 962

Book Description
A travel guide to Italy that provides maps, itineraries, expert tips, and ratings of the country's best attractions, restaurants, hotels, landmarks, and activities.

Easy Spanish Step-By-Step

Author: Barbara Bregstein
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 0071483179
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 324

Book Description
A proven grammar-based approach that gets you communicating in Spanish with confidence, right away Easy Spanish Step by Step proves that a solid grounding in grammar basics is the key to mastering a second language. Grammatical rules and concepts are clearly explained in order of importance, and more than 300 verbs and key terms are introduced on the basis of frequency. Numerous exercises and engaging readings help learners quickly build their Spanish speaking and comprehension prowess.

The Passionate Collector

Author: Roy R. Neuberger
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0471471798
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 194

Book Description
"Few living persons have served the Metropolitan Museum of Art-indeed, the entire world of art and art museums-longer, or with more distinction, than Roy Neuberger. A man of taste, passion, persistence, and generosity, he has shared much of his great private collection with the public, and for generations has supported activities that bring people to museums, and motivate them to return again and again. Now, this giant of a man has recorded eighty years of his life-and the result is entertaining, illuminating, and, like the tireless gentleman himself, inspiring." -Philippe de Montebello, Director, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Equal to his passion for investing is Roy Neuberger's love for art-which he has collected and encouraged for eight decades. In The Passionate Collector: Eighty Years in the World of Art, you'll follow this fascinating financial figure and great patron of the arts from the streets of 1920s Paris to the museums of New York as he develops the eye of a connoisseur and begins to collect great contemporary art. Vivid detail puts you in the center of the action as Neuberger collects the brilliant artists of his time-Milton Avery, Jackson Pollock, Ben Shahn, Edward Hopper; works with legendary art dealers Paul Rosenberg, Betty Parsons, Sidney Janis, and Leo Castelli; and befriends avid collectors, including the incomparable Duncan Phillips. You'll follow Neuberger as he strives to further the cause of contemporary American artists by exhibiting, lending, and donating from his growing collection, and becoming an activist for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney. You'll also see how the Neuberger Museum of Art was created at the urging of Governor Nelson Rockefeller, and how it continues to fascinate art enthusiasts today. Part personal memoir, part history of art, The Passionate Collector offers a unique view of twentieth-century American art from a man who has lived it.