| Subject |
Date |
Category |
Presenter |
Description |
| Origins of Florence |
Sat Mar 07 |
Slide Show |
Linda Higgins |
The Origins of Florence
The Etruscans to the Romans
Florence, the glorious Renaissance City. Everywhere you look you see the evidence of her beautiful artistic masterpieces that reflect this extraordinary era. But as you walk the cobble stone streets there is a history of her origins directly beneath your feet. A past that goes back thousands of years to the Mysterious Etruscans whose town Fiesole overlooks Florence and whose marketplace was located on the banks of the River Arno in Florence. A history that tells how the Romans established their city of Florentia in 59 BC to reward the Roman soldiers who fought with Julius Caesar. A Roman city with a forum for the religious and government functions, an amphitheater for “sports”, a theater for music and plays and, of course, baths and aqueducts to bring clean water from the surrounding countryside. Together we will explore the very foundations on which this Beautiful City of Art was built. |
| Origins of Florence |
Sat Mar 07 |
Slide Show |
Linda Higgins |
The Origins of Florence
The Etruscans to the Romans
Florence, the glorious Renaissance City. Everywhere you look you see the evidence of her beautiful artistic masterpieces that reflect this extraordinary era. But as you walk the cobble stone streets there is a history of her origins directly beneath your feet. A past that goes back thousands of years to the Mysterious Etruscans whose town Fiesole overlooks Florence and whose marketplace was located on the banks of the River Arno in Florence. A history that tells how the Romans established their city of Florentia in 59 BC to reward the Roman soldiers who fought with Julius Caesar. A Roman city with a forum for the religious and government functions, an amphitheater for “sports”, a theater for music and plays and, of course, baths and aqueducts to bring clean water from the surrounding countryside. Together we will explore the very foundations on which this Beautiful City of Art was built. |
| On the Road with On the Road |
Sat Mar 14 |
Slide Show |
Carl Moore |
Robert Frank 's The Americans redefined photography in 1959 and inspired Carl Moore to hit the road with Jack Kerouac 's On the Road. Like Frank, Moore sought to reveal America to Americans—capturing the landscapes, faces, and fleeting moments that echo Kerouac 's metaphorical vision.
From Denver, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Los Angeles to a cross-country drive with his son from Santa Fe to New England, Moore, with his Nikon in hand, retraces Sal Paradise 's footsteps. The result is a vivid, contemporary counterpart to Kerouac 's masterpiece—where the photographs themselves feel restless, alive, and haunted by the same hunger for the open road.
|
| On the Road with On the Road |
Sat Mar 14 |
Slide Show |
Carl Moore |
Robert Frank 's The Americans redefined photography in 1959 and inspired Carl Moore to hit the road with Jack Kerouac 's On the Road. Like Frank, Moore sought to reveal America to Americans—capturing the landscapes, faces, and fleeting moments that echo Kerouac 's metaphorical vision.
From Denver, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Los Angeles to a cross-country drive with his son from Santa Fe to New England, Moore, with his Nikon in hand, retraces Sal Paradise 's footsteps. The result is a vivid, contemporary counterpart to Kerouac 's masterpiece—where the photographs themselves feel restless, alive, and haunted by the same hunger for the open road.
|
| The GenX/Millennial book cclub |
Wed Mar 18 |
Book Group |
Jeff Grossman |
The Millennial Gen-X Book Club is a once-a-month fiction book club for anyone in those generations. We skew towards the queer, the tender, and the strange. If you are interested in joining us, drop by on the night of, or direct your interest to Jeff through themillennialgenxbookclub@gmail.com
March and April:
East of Eden
by
John Steinbeck |
| The GenX/Millennial book cclub |
Wed Mar 18 |
Book Group |
Jeff Grossman |
The Millennial Gen-X Book Club is a once-a-month fiction book club for anyone in those generations. We skew towards the queer, the tender, and the strange. If you are interested in joining us, drop by on the night of, or direct your interest to Jeff through themillennialgenxbookclub@gmail.com
March and April:
East of Eden
by
John Steinbeck |
| Travel Tips: Monthly Discussion |
Thu Mar 19 |
SPECIAL |
Ken Collins |
Have you traveled to far off, exciting places? Or are you getting ready to embark on a new adventure? Are you interested in issues relating to travel in general, such as budget ideas or personal security? Join us in our new monthly travel discussion group where you can share some of your favorite travel experiences, practical advice, and general travel topics at our monthly meetings.
This discussion group is for people who have visited a particular destination and want to share their experiences or advice and for those seeking tips, advice, and stories relating to international travel. Everyone welcome!
First meeting will focus on Rome, Italy on Thursday, March 19th from 4:30pm-6pm.
Ken Collins and Rochelle Gerratt will facilitate the meetings. Ken is a frequent presenter at The Travel Bug and a global traveler with a Web site containing practical advice on various destinations. Rochelle has led over 60 domestic and international trips for the Sierra Club and other groups, including her own adventure travel company.
|
| Travel Tips: Monthly Discussion |
Thu Mar 19 |
SPECIAL |
Ken Collins |
Have you traveled to far off, exciting places? Or are you getting ready to embark on a new adventure? Are you interested in issues relating to travel in general, such as budget ideas or personal security? Join us in our new monthly travel discussion group where you can share some of your favorite travel experiences, practical advice, and general travel topics at our monthly meetings.
This discussion group is for people who have visited a particular destination and want to share their experiences or advice and for those seeking tips, advice, and stories relating to international travel. Everyone welcome!
First meeting will focus on Rome, Italy on Thursday, March 19th from 4:30pm-6pm.
Ken Collins and Rochelle Gerratt will facilitate the meetings. Ken is a frequent presenter at The Travel Bug and a global traveler with a Web site containing practical advice on various destinations. Rochelle has led over 60 domestic and international trips for the Sierra Club and other groups, including her own adventure travel company.
|
| Cuzco Machu Picchu and beyond |
Sat Mar 21 |
Slide Show |
Michael Matousek |
Cusco & Machu Picchu: More Than a Ruin—A Living World
Machu Picchu is one of the most famous places on Earth, yet few travelers truly understand what they are seeing—or why it continues to move people so deeply. In this illustrated talk, veteran guide and Peru specialist Michael Matousek takes you beyond the postcard views to explore Cusco and Machu Picchu as living, connected places shaped by history, engineering, culture, and landscape.
This talk is ideal for curious travelers who want deeper context, not just bucket-list photos—and who believe great travel begins with understanding. |
| Cuzco Machu Picchu and beyond |
Sat Mar 21 |
Slide Show |
Michael Matousek |
Cusco & Machu Picchu: More Than a Ruin—A Living World
Machu Picchu is one of the most famous places on Earth, yet few travelers truly understand what they are seeing—or why it continues to move people so deeply. In this illustrated talk, veteran guide and Peru specialist Michael Matousek takes you beyond the postcard views to explore Cusco and Machu Picchu as living, connected places shaped by history, engineering, culture, and landscape.
This talk is ideal for curious travelers who want deeper context, not just bucket-list photos—and who believe great travel begins with understanding. |
| Nigeria |
Sat Mar 28 |
Slide Show |
Phoenix Savage |
Having lived in Ile Ife, Nigeria for a year as a Fulbright Scholar, the most difficult experience I encountered was purchasing one tomato.
The Yoruba people of Southwestern Nigeria consider the city of Ile Ife, an ancient sacred city with over 200 shrines, to be ground zero for the creation of humanity. It is the location where Olodumare instructs a host of deities to form the world and live among humans. It is also the most difficult place on earth to purchase just one tomato. Join me as I share the wonders of Yoruba culture, mythologies and my experiences from tomato buying in the market to walks in the rainforest, home to one of the world 's largest colonies of fruit bats. I will also share the most important tip for becoming a Fulbright Fellow. |
| Nigeria |
Sat Mar 28 |
Slide Show |
Phoenix Savage |
Having lived in Ile Ife, Nigeria for a year as a Fulbright Scholar, the most difficult experience I encountered was purchasing one tomato.
The Yoruba people of Southwestern Nigeria consider the city of Ile Ife, an ancient sacred city with over 200 shrines, to be ground zero for the creation of humanity. It is the location where Olodumare instructs a host of deities to form the world and live among humans. It is also the most difficult place on earth to purchase just one tomato. Join me as I share the wonders of Yoruba culture, mythologies and my experiences from tomato buying in the market to walks in the rainforest, home to one of the world 's largest colonies of fruit bats. I will also share the most important tip for becoming a Fulbright Fellow. |
| Budapest to Isle of Skye By Train |
Sat Apr 04 |
Slide Show |
Sunset Smith |
Train travel from Budapest to Isle of Skye, 2025. Slide show includes Christmas Markets in the Balkans, the world 's longest underground slide, various opera houses, sites galore, lodging, and food/drink along the route. A few nifty travel tips for creating your own solo trip like this one that Sunset enjoyed. |
| Budapest to Isle of Skye By Train |
Sat Apr 04 |
Slide Show |
Sunset Smith |
Train travel from Budapest to Isle of Skye, 2025. Slide show includes Christmas Markets in the Balkans, the world 's longest underground slide, various opera houses, sites galore, lodging, and food/drink along the route. A few nifty travel tips for creating your own solo trip like this one that Sunset enjoyed. |
| Travel Bug Book Discussion |
Tue Apr 07 |
Book Group |
Aimee Gwynne Franklyn |
Tuesday, April 7th, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
The Payback: A Novel by Kashana Cauley
When Jada Williams is relentlessly pursued by the Debt Police, she is left with no choice but to take down her student loan company with the help of two mall coworkers—from the author of the "lethally witty " (The New York Times Book Review) The Survivalists. Jada Williams is good at judging people by their looks. From across the mall, she can tell not only someone 's inseam and pants size, but exactly what style they need to transform their life. Too bad she 's no longer using this superpower as a wardrobe designer to Hollywood stars, but for minimum wage plus commission at the Glendale mall. When Jada is fired yet again, she is forced to outrun the newly instated Debt Police who are out for blood. But Jada, like any great antihero, is not going to wait for the cops to come kick her around. With the help of two other debt-burdened mall coworkers, she hatches a plan for revenge. Together the three women plan a heist to erase their student loans forever and get back at the system that promised them everything and then tried to take it back. "A novel of great fun and unforgettable fury " (Megha Majumdar, bestselling author of A Burning) The Payback is a razor-sharp and hilarious dissection of race, power, and the daily grind, from one of the most original and exciting writers at work today.
|
| Travel Bug Book Discussion |
Tue Apr 07 |
Book Group |
Aimee Gwynne Franklyn |
Tuesday, April 7th, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
The Payback: A Novel by Kashana Cauley
When Jada Williams is relentlessly pursued by the Debt Police, she is left with no choice but to take down her student loan company with the help of two mall coworkers—from the author of the "lethally witty " (The New York Times Book Review) The Survivalists. Jada Williams is good at judging people by their looks. From across the mall, she can tell not only someone 's inseam and pants size, but exactly what style they need to transform their life. Too bad she 's no longer using this superpower as a wardrobe designer to Hollywood stars, but for minimum wage plus commission at the Glendale mall. When Jada is fired yet again, she is forced to outrun the newly instated Debt Police who are out for blood. But Jada, like any great antihero, is not going to wait for the cops to come kick her around. With the help of two other debt-burdened mall coworkers, she hatches a plan for revenge. Together the three women plan a heist to erase their student loans forever and get back at the system that promised them everything and then tried to take it back. "A novel of great fun and unforgettable fury " (Megha Majumdar, bestselling author of A Burning) The Payback is a razor-sharp and hilarious dissection of race, power, and the daily grind, from one of the most original and exciting writers at work today.
|
| Hadrian's Wall |
Sat Apr 11 |
Slide Show |
Brian and Gretchen Johnson |
A trek and ancient history rolled into one: Hadrian 's Wall. This is the experience Brian & Gretchen Johnson will present of walking 8-to-14 miles a day for over a week, across northern England. Close to today 's boundary between England and Scotland, Hadrian 's Wall was a massive defensive line at the limits of the Roman empire, AD 120-410. Today it is a delightful trek through pastures, by historic churches and forts, up to high-point crags, and into quaint villages for each night 's lodging. Come see a slideshow with colorful photos, including the famed Sycamore Gap tree before it was brazenly cut down. |
| Hadrian's Wall |
Sat Apr 11 |
Slide Show |
Brian and Gretchen Johnson |
A trek and ancient history rolled into one: Hadrian 's Wall. This is the experience Brian & Gretchen Johnson will present of walking 8-to-14 miles a day for over a week, across northern England. Close to today 's boundary between England and Scotland, Hadrian 's Wall was a massive defensive line at the limits of the Roman empire, AD 120-410. Today it is a delightful trek through pastures, by historic churches and forts, up to high-point crags, and into quaint villages for each night 's lodging. Come see a slideshow with colorful photos, including the famed Sycamore Gap tree before it was brazenly cut down. |