A Teen in Europe (Part 5): Morning in the Eternal City…I Think

March 17, 2016

I admit to a strong bias when it comes to Rome. Excepting cities I resided in, Rome is the city I know best. It is partially because of the trip I’m writing about, but mainly because I wrote a mystery set there. Google Earth is a tool this author cannot do without. That said, most of the sites in the book I saw only on a computer. Instead of revisiting what was familiar, I set out for new ground. Besides, memory is not a reliable narrator, as I found out.

The Colosseum, Rome, Italy. A van parked near the base provides some scale.

The Stadium

Thanks to Ridley Scott many people have a better idea of the size of the Colosseum. The digital reproduction in Gladiator was amazing. No such re-creation was available in 1990. There was little to prepare us. It was, after all, built in the 1st Century AD. A reasonable mind wouldn’t expect the reality of the Colosseum. My most recent stadium experience at the time was the old RCA/Hoosier Dome, with a seating capacity of just over 60,000. The Colosseum, in contrast, had an average attendance of 65,000, with a larger maximum capacity some sources say.

The Romans had a secret for mixing concrete: they used volcanic ash. In fact, they were particular about which ash was used. The resulting product is weaker than modern concrete, yet more resistant to deterioration. I learned this just a few years ago while researching my book. This is how some of their structures remain intact after two millennia.

We set out from our hotel early. The Colosseum was a short walk. We turned the corner a half block from our hotel’s entrance and there it was, just a few blocks further. Time has not always been kind to Rome. The city lost much of its population after the collapse of its empire. Dust and debris piled up to the point where many of the landmarks of ancient Rome were buried. Because of this, our first view of the stadium was deceptive.

A Teen in Europe - Chris Oler Author — The “aura” effect is present here again. Interior of the Colosseum as it was in 1990.

The ground around the base of the Colosseum is around fifteen to twenty feet lower than modern Rome. In other words, the first glimpse (link to a photo on Wikipedia) we had of the structure was about two stories shorter than it’s actual size. When we came close enough to realize this, I was in awe. To continue the earlier comparison, my eyes told me it was at least as big as the RCA Dome, and probably larger. This was one of the things I recall telling people over and over after the trip.

Our guide Giovanna was probably relaying great information, but I was busy processing the information from my senses. I do remember her talking about the brick structures, visible in my photo at left, used to shore up the outer walls. Much of this preservation was led by the Vatican and large stone plaques (one is also visible in the photo) are placed in various spots around the structure to commemorate the efforts of particular Popes.

It was a spectacular morning. A thin cloud layer had not yet dissipated and its effect on the light of the sun is apparent in my photos. The layer diffused the light of the sun to create the aura effect you see. It was something I barely appreciated at the time, but certainly do now. Please click on the photos to get a better look.

Misinformation

Memory is a tricky thing. I am certain our group was told this: “Every stadium has a ticket office and the Colosseum was no exception.” The moment I heard this we were in the grounds around the Colosseum and my attention was on the Arch of Constantine. Whether the rest of my group was looking the same direction, I don’t know, but for years I thought our guide meant the arch was the Colosseum ticket office. I told people this when they looked at my photos.

It is much easier today to research such things. Sigh.

The Roman Forum – Write It Down!

The area at the base of Capitoline Hill is generally referred to as the Forum, but there are many structures there. It was once the center of Roman civic life and there are a number of temples as well. All in all, it is a compelling location for a tourist. And…I have little memory of our walk to it or partially through it. I can’t tell you which! There is evidence I was there, though. The photo at right and below is the Temple of Castor and Pollux. The angle this is taken from suggests we were right down on the lowest level of the Forum grounds. I have no recollection of this, nor of taking this photo.

A Teen in Europe - Chris Oler — Temple of Castor and Pollux, Rome. I have only a vague memory of taking this photo.

What I do remember is walking along a small side street packed with parked cars, mostly Alfa Romeos. Whatever we were looking at was on our right and below us. We came to corner that overlooked many ruins and this where I shot the photo of the Temple. Or so I believe. Looking at a map of Rome today and using Google Earth, it is impossible to reconcile my memory with the physical reality unless the street I was standing on was excavated in the last 26 years. What I’m saying is if you want to remember something, write it down!

It is surprising how much I remember given the time span between this trip and now, but there are a few blank spots too. I will return to Rome and gather new memories, but return a third time? I doubt it, even though I could spend years, there is too much in the rest of the world I want to see! So…next time I’m bringing a journal. Next time, I’m writing everything down when we return to the hotel in the evenings. Next time, I may make notes while we’re exploring the sites. It is such a rare opportunity to see these things, I am so very thankful for it, and I don’t want to chance not recalling any of it.

This was just the first morning of my first day in Rome. My first evening in Rome was really something special and we’ll get to that next time. Thanks for reading.

A Teen in Europe (Part 4): A Ride Through Tuscany

March 10, 2016

Tuscany, in short order, became the destination in Italy. In the spring of 1990, it was just the place we had to drive through to reach Rome. Venice to Rome is a haul, particularly in a bus.

A Proper Italian Meal?

Vineyards dominated the countryside. We passed traffic signs and saw a bit of Bologna from the highway. We stopped only twice between Venice and Rome. The first time was at a truck stop.

I had several European meals by this point, and my stomach grumbled at the amount of food (see Part Two). The truck stop had a cafeteria-style restaurant. I determined this meal would not lack in any way and got a lot of food…$20 worth, which seemed to be the amount the cashier decided upon, rather than ringing the actual price. He looked at my tray with some disgust and somehow rang up an even dollar amount.

It sounded expensive because $20.00, at the time, was L24,000 (L = Lire, the former Italian currency). In fact, adjusted for inflation, that $20 would be $36.25 today. So I’m sure the cashier purposely overcharged me, and it wasn’t good value to start. Don’t expect much in terms of flavor from cafeteria food in an Italian truck stop. It was a bad move on my part, but fairly harmless. It also made me a bit more wary for the rest of the trip.

A Teen in Europe (Part 4) - Chris Oler Author — Partial view of the Duomo di Siena. When you’re with a tour group, it doesn’t always seem like you have time to frame a shot.

My next decision wasn’t much better…maybe. Italy hosted the World Cup in 1990 and our trip was just a couple of months ahead of the event. Souvenirs were everywhere and it was in this truck stop that I bought a soccer ball emblazoned with the official logo and with official-looking packaging.

Let me be clear: this wasn’t a souvenir-sized ball with a keychain, but a full-size, take-to-practice soccer ball in its packaging. I could not tell you how, but I made room for it in my suitcase and the thing made it back across the Atlantic with no difficulty. The ball sits in my office today and it still has the original packaging. Say what you will, there is a big difference between ordering a soccer ball through the mail and carrying one back from Europe.

The Second-Best Meal I Had in Europe

The other stop we made was in Siena. The city is fairly well known today thanks to the popularity of Tuscany as a destination. In 1990, I had no idea there was a city in Italy named Siena until I saw it on our itinerary.

Siena is primarily known for the Palio di Siena, a horse race around the perimeter of the Piazza del Campo. The race is run twice each summer and pits the various wards (contrade) of the city against each other. Some say the passions the race inspires are the defining extreme of sports fanaticism. The photo at left gives some idea of the event. The gray stone area is the track and it is covered with dirt to give the horses better traction. The central area, which appears orange here, will be a solid mass of people. The race was shown in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace.

The Siena Cathedral (Duomo di Siena) is another notable tourism magnet. We observed the cathedral from afar while our guide talked about it, but did not have an opportunity to tour it. If you check out the link, you’ll see why it’s something not to miss. Instead, we simply made our way down to the Piazza del Campo after the brief lecture.

We were more or less on our own for about 45 minutes. The cafe where I took the photo (again, left) was about halfway around the plaza from where we entered. I heard an older couple in front of us struggle to make their order. It seemed the staff did not speak any English. The names of the menu items were on the wall and the pronunciation seemed pretty straightforward, so I nervously ordered ‘two (holding up two fingers) cheeseburgers and two patata frita (fries). Yes, it was a bold departure, but this was a greasy spoon cafe in a tourist center. We didn’t really have options for an authentic meal, nor did we have the time. Also, that cheeseburger was good (they put bacon on it).

A Local View in Siena

The rain made for a slow day. For the Sienese, it probably meant no crowd in the Piazza del Campo and they had an opportunity to stroll and visit with others during the midday hours. These were some of the easiest moments of the trip. The atmosphere felt small and local. I gather this is what many experience in Tuscany, in various places including Lucca.

We only ranged halfway around the piazza, but it was enough to get us away from our tour group and any others. No one else joined us, though two of the chaperones made a dash for the cathedral and were able to briefly tour it. In any case, it was an opportunity to simply absorb Italy. This was something I sought out two days later in Rome, and, after that, everywhere I’ve traveled since.

Off the beaten track is where you have the chance to truly learn and get a feel for things. True, we were just yards away from our group, but sometimes you don’t have to go far to get a completely different perspective. This is the lesson Siena taught me and another reason this trip made all the difference.

A Teen in Europe (Part 3): Exotic Venice

March 2, 2016

It is easy to think of Venice as an otherworldly place. The geography sets it apart, but there is more. On foot, Venice is a maze of walkways. Everyone knows about the water, but Venice also bridges a cultural gap, a legacy of its rich trading past. It was so much more than expected.

Day 3: Innsbruck to Venice

Our hotel room in Innsbruck was sparsely decorated. A lonely print adorned the wall, a triumphal arch located in Orange, France. Weird. Particularly strange because of all the prints that could have hung there–and all the places it could have shown–it was where my sister lived as an exchange student. So, a print of a landmark in France, encountered in an Austrian hotel room, connected me to home. It was grounding moment before stepping into another world.

We drove through the Alps and our guide mentioned Liechtenstein. Looking at a map, we shouldn’t have been any closer to it than when we left Innsbruck. The mountains defied description. My family went on several ski trips, including one in Colorado, but I’d never seen anything like the Alps. They seemed to rise impossibly high on each side of the highway as we headed for Italy.

A Teen in Europe (Part 3) - Chris Oler Author — The Grand Canal and me, but not my jacket.

The memories of our arrival in Venice are a bit hazy. Soon enough, we boarded a large boat to head to a “glass factory.” The route should be lost to time, but I took a series of photos as we cruised toward then past the Piazza San Marco. We swept down the Grand Canal. It was cooler than I expected, almost certainly the wind whipping off the water. Unfortunately, my jacket was on the bus.

This brought us to the Murano Glass Factory. They took us to the workshop first. The gentleman made his work look effortless. It was truly something to behold. Apparently the demonstration is free…then they herd you into the store, which, honestly was almost as impressive as watching the craftsman. The variation in color and design. I thought a whole tea set didn’t stand much chance of survival in my suitcase, so I opted for a small vase, a pale and transparent blue with gold detail. This was the gift selected for my Mom.

Piazza San Marco

We re-boarded the boat and headed for tourist central. The Piazza San Marco is a small-ish, rectangular (well, trapazoidal, really) plaza with the Basilica San Marco at one of the long ends (facing east). Just to the basilica’s left, the area opens to the waterfront. This is the area you enter the square. The Doge’s Palace and bell tower for the basilica, the Campanile, are the dominant features here. You likely know this tower, whether you’ve seen photographs of Venice that include it or visited Disney’s Epcot Center.

Walking into the square, St. Mark’s (the basilica) is on your right and directly in front of you is the Clock Tower. We arrived just as the tower acknowledged the hour. Two bronze statues took turns hitting the bell and, as you can see in the photo (left), many people gathered to watch.

St. Mark’s Basilica was unbelievable. The architecture is Italo-Byzantine and I saw nothing else like it during the trip. Inside, the ceiling is covered with gold mosaic that depicts various Christian themes. What was truly humbling was the altar containing St. Mark’s relics. I’m not Catholic, but I struggled to process this. “Awesome” is an over-used slang word, but that is exactly what St. Mark’s is.

The remainder of our scheduled time was spent touring the Doge’s Palace. I usually have a good sense of direction, but was quickly confounded by the corridors and steps. Perhaps that was the intention of the various Doge, but, more likely, it was the distraction of St. Mark’s.

The Disco

We had an hour of free time before heading back to our hotel (on the mainland). The “streets” around the Piazza San Marco were tiny. The one thing I’ll never forget was the seeming proliferation of Benetton stores. There seemed to be one in sight at all times, though maybe we were walking in circles.

In any case, we made it back to dry land. Our guide Giovanna announced our hotel had a “disco.” Now, I studied German throughout high school and knew the word for a nightclub or bar in German was “Disco,” but that was a classroom. It was a little strange, given the bad associations we often had of “disco” in the United States, to hear the word in 1990 Italy. Nevertheless, we gave the disco a go, and a disco it was: all the lights you expect to find at a skating rink, but without the skates. The music was about what you’d expect in a European dance club at the time: a bit ethereal with plenty of bass. I was just happy to catch up with my jacket.

The Presence of History

Salzburg opened my eyes to the beauty of travel. Venice revealed what an incredible learning experience travel often is. A social studies teacher could assign a report on Venice, but looking up facts and photos simply does not make the same impact. The presence of history, as I felt it in St. Mark’s Basilica, was dumbfounding. The feeling is easily recalled. It is, in fact, there when I research our books. When I wrote The Shield of Horatius it was a constant. Ah, Venice!

A Teen in Europe (Part 2): Cultural Exchange in Innsbruck

February 24, 2016

Day Two (continued): Innsbruck’s Altstadt

We left Salzburg early in the afternoon. That afternoon, my stomach started cramping. It wasn’t indigestion or bad food, it was intense hunger pangs. Salzburg required a fair amount of walking, but earlier in the morning we had a breakfast that became typical until our next to last day. The main part of the meal was a plain croissant. Added to this was a hard roll of some size, but it was hollow, so the size was deceptive. At least one or two mornings there weren’t enough croissants to go around and I ate as much of the hard roll as possible, which was essentially just the crust of a small bread bowl.

It just wasn’t enough to support our activities and my stomach told me about it. We didn’t have much of a chance to snack, but we did stop for gas between Salzburg and Innsbruck and here I received an introduction to the Milka brand of chocolate. Maybe it was the hunger, but it was the best chocolate I’d ever tasted. Milka wasn’t particularly fancy, it was a mass-produced brand, but when it appeared a couple of years later in a hometown pharmacy, it was just as good, smooth and buttery. Anyway, the chocolate temporarily solved the stomach problem.

Most of our Innsbruck tour was by bus. We really only visited two sites: the Hofkirche or Court Church and the Goldenes Dachl, the “Golden Roof.” Both of these sites were in Innsbruck’s Altstadt or “Old City.” The primary feature of the Hofkirche is the tomb of Emperor Maximilian. It’s set in the middle of a large chamber as you can see here. The statues arrayed around the tomb are of Maximilian’s relatives, ancestors, and heroes, including King Arthur of Britain. It’s a necessary stop if you visit Innsbruck.

A Teen Goes to Europe - Chris Oler Author — Inside the Hofkirche: Some of the statues surrounding the Tomb of Maximilian. My camera didn’t do too well in here.

The Golden Roof is also connected with Maximilian. It was created (finished in 1500) to celebrate Maximilian’s wedding. The emperor and his wife often used the balcony to observe different ceremonies and celebrations. There is a museum inside that features the life of the emperor, but I gathered something went wrong with our scheduling and we weren’t able or allowed to tour it. This seemed to touch off a chain of small mix ups and a couple of big ones, all of which contributed to the flustered state of our tour guide, Giovanna.

Our Guide

“In this place I may as well jot down a chapter concerning those necessary nuisances, European guides. Many a man has wished in his heart he could do without his guide, but, knowing he could not, has wished he could get some amusement out of him…”

-Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad, 1869

The tour guide or chaperone who often leads teenagers ideally has one of two special gifts. The first is the patience brought by the serene security one can find by being circumspect, seeing the future of one’s charges, rather than noting their current behavior and rendering judgment. If he or she does not have this patience, then there should be a distance to the things that surround them, or simple unawareness. The sometime impulsiveness and insecurity of the teen years do not lend themselves to being a good traveler.

I’ve seen it from both sides, first as a student and years later as a teacher. When we were actually there, on this trip, I didn’t appreciate it as well as now. Heck, I didn’t appreciate it as well five years ago, though I’ve always been thankful. So, what could befall this guide who had the courage to travel with us?

A Teen in Europe - Origins of Molly and the Magic Suitcase — Goldenes Dachl or Golden Roof of Innsbruck. The roof tiles aren’t actually gold, but fire-gilded copper.

Giovanna had Coke bottle glasses and constantly wore a long raincoat. She was an interesting character. Her hair revealed a bit of her personality, as it curled and swirled on the edge of chaos. When we weren’t on the bus, she seemed to chain smoke. Maybe this was a clue as to how we harried her, but, looking back, we certainly didn’t follow Twain’s example. There was another element of her smoking that I cannot forget: the ash on her cigarette seemed to hang on for an impossible length of time. It was mesmerizing to watch. You kept waiting for it all to drop, but it just hung there.

Parents, I know how it looks, but this was 26 years ago. There was a smoking section on the plane during our overseas flight. A different time, even though it doesn’t seem that long ago.

Intentions go a long way and hers were golden. Giovanna was conscientious in her efforts to share history. This clashed directly with the only working strategy I found to combat my stomach problems: sleep. Call it conserving energy, I napped every chance between stops. But we frequently passed places of interest and Giovanna dutifully powered up the bus speaker system to tell us all about them. Because she placed enough value in these places to talk about them, I placed enough value in them to take photographs as we sped down the highway. The end result: no relief from the cramping and a bunch of photos I can’t identify.

A Cultural Exchange

Our tour of the museum now out, Giovanna was at a loss and clearly apologetic. We headed for the hotel where more problems manifested. There was no food service or they couldn’t accommodate a group of our size or something. Basically, we had to find something to eat. We piled back in the bus and headed to the only place we knew: the Altstadt. Thankfully, a couple of food trucks that were in the plaza during our visit to the Golden Roof were still there.

It was here I learned the power of speaking the local language. I would love to tell you it was a product of my actions, but it wasn’t. Nevertheless, I observed the changes in disposition of two older gentlemen sitting nearby when drinks were ordered in German. Eyebrows arched, shoulders relaxed, and the looks of wariness replaced with interest and, perhaps, welcome. This too is a bit of Austria carried in conscious memory all these years. Had I been the one to order the drinks, the reaction would have gone unnoticed. It was another moment worthy of gratitude.

The next morning we crossed through the Alps to Italy and headed for Venice.

Mind Blown: A Teen in Europe (A Partial Origin of Molly and the Magic Suitcase)

February 22, 2016

There are two stories important to how our book series Molly and the Magic Suitcase started. One took place in April 2012, our daughter Molly’s first trip anywhere. Michael was not yet born, but that day was coming too, less than two months later. The first relevant travel story is much older. It goes back to March 1990 and a spring break trip to Europe. This experience directly affected some of our first editorial choices.

The Teen in Europe: What Do You Expect?

Our itinerary was: Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Venice, Siena, Rome (three days with a day trip to Pompeii and Sorrento), Florence, Monaco and Nice. Pretty ambitious for a ten-day trip.

A Teen Goes to Europe - Origins of Molly and the Magic Suitcase — The Nymphenburg Palace, completed in 1675. I wanted to get the whole thing, but the palace is pretty big.

So what thoughts did a near-seventeen year old have going into this adventure? There was a responsibility more than any expectation: this trip was on behalf of my family. That in mind, I asked to borrow the “nice” camera for the trip, but departed with my Canon Snappy AF (and eight rolls of film).

One significant thing was our family trips were always full of activity. In other words, I did not expect to be a passive observer.

Day One: Munich, West Germany

Yes, there was still an East Germany, though the dramatic fall of the Berlin Wall happened in the months before. We flew PanAm from Indianapolis to New York, JFK. There, we connected and boarded a Boeing 767 for the flight to Munich.

Highlights of Munich included the Nymphenburg Palace. In fact, we spent a good amount of our first day there. The grounds were sprawling and the two things I recall (and shot photos of) were the frescoed ceilings and a bedroom adorned in green (also shown at the included link). The opulence left an impression, but so did the jetlag. The entire day was a bit of a blur.

We pushed on to the city center, stopping briefly in the Marienplatz to learn about the Glockenspiel at the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus). The Gothic architecture (actually Gothic Revival) impressed and there was a sense this was closer to what I expected of Europe. It contrasted sharply with anything I’d seen in the United States. We also viewed and heard a bit about the Frauenkirche. We drove by many other sites including the Olympic Stadium. Our tour guide, Giovanna, used the bus speaker system frequently throughout our trip.

Our hotel had an indoor pool and we were anxious to use it. Its small size, however, surprised us. Other guests seemed to scurry away at the arrival of American teenagers. The hotel was fairly unremarkable and was across from a German army base. The base was the only nearby feature of any note. My first real overseas meal was in this hotel. It was food, not particularly good or bad.

Day Two: Salzburg…and I Fall in Love with Austria

We boarded the bus early the next morning and drove toward the border with Austria. This was the first of three border crossings and the one that took the longest. In the meantime, we were treated to the visual spectacle of the Alps. I left Germany with only 20 Pfennig and no Deutsch Marks as souvenirs. My disappointment was forgotten with our arrival in Salzburg. Salzburg is the most beautiful place I ever expect to go. The cool mountain air, the low-lying Alps nearby, the complete absence of any sort of trash on the streets, and the charm of the city all contributed to a few hours that left an indelible memory.

Most of us think of The Sound of Music when Salzburg is mentioned. I love watching the movie, particularly when Julie Andrews and the kids are in the carriage singing “Do Re Mi” because they ride through the main part of the city. Whenever I see this, the feel of the air and the atmosphere of the city return.

But I was a teenager. So, instead of schnitzel or finding something more local, our group headed for…Pizza Land. Fortunately, even with the many days spent in Italy, this was the only pizza I ate in Europe. It was also very good, and in a style which seemed common over there. It was heavier with sauce and light on cheese. Several years ago I gave up dairy and now order pizza with no cheese at all. My experience at Pizza Land was not much different. There were small globs of cheese and isolated toppings, nothing at all like the flavor extravaganza we take for granted. They had the fundamentals, though. The crust and sauce were excellent.

We visited the graveyard where the Von Trapps hid from the Nazis. It is quite different from the set they built for the movie. The nuns requested no photography and I complied, snapping only a photo of a World War I war memorial, somewhat offset from the rest of the cemetery. Not too long ago, I saw a photograph of the graveyard on Pinterest. It didn’t sit well, but I suppose the nuns may have relented.

Salzburg Cathedral (Salzburger Dom) was one of our principal stops. The choir loft above the entrance included a beautiful pipe organ. This was of particular interest to me because the church I grew up attending was known for its pipe organ. I couldn’t compare the two instruments and certainly wouldn’t compare the churches given that the Salzburger Dom was built about the same time of the founding of Plymouth here in the Americas.

The Hohensalzburg fortress was the highlight of our brief visit. The views of the city (see below) and the surrounding countryside were breathtaking. Salzburg was an experience I will never forget. On a side note, I still have plenty of Austrian Schillings (currency).

Travel Pries Us Open

It took less than two days for Europe to conjure awe, not only in my senses, but, perhaps, my soul. That’s probably a little dramatic. What I know is this: those first hours were important. I took full advantage of our time in Rome, perhaps only because Austria was such an eye-opening experience.

Travel changes a person. It pries open a mind, reveals new experiences, and makes you want more. The thing is, you have to be open to it. It’s hard to say why I was susceptible, but there are certainly no regrets.

It’s surprising how much I remember going through this day by day. We haven’t yet reached the end of the second day, which includes an overnight visit to Innsbruck, Austria. Innsbruck was also my first cultural exchange. You’d expect, after two-and-a-half years of studying German I would be anxious to use it, but I was pretty intimidated. Part Two is coming soon!

Below is a panorama stitch of two photos to give you an idea of how the city looks from the Hohensalzburg fortress. The church in the foreground is the Salzburger Dom.

Discovering What You Want from Life

January 20, 2016

It is a process and I shared a pretty basic way to get started with the EverydayPower Blog: http://everydaypowerblog.com/2016/01/20/four-steps-to-decide-what-you-want/. Let me know what you think. As always, thanks for reading!

Star Wars: Creative Choices in Continued Mythologies

December 14, 2015

Some writers do more than create stories, they create worlds. It doesn’t necessarily have to be separate from our reality, after all the world of Harry Potter exists here in secret. It’s always fascinating to see what writers do when they create something like this.

Which brings us to Star Wars.

More than a few writers gave a go at the Star Wars universe. Besides the screenwriters for the six films there was the unofficial/official trilogy from Timothy Zahn that launched more and more fiction. George Lucas had just one requirement: that all books take others into account when constructing storylines.

You can see how the stories would become more and more constricted if you wanted to work with the principal characters from the movies. I read several of these books, including Zahn’s trilogy. There were some fascinating stories. Some of them simply continued the historical timeline and the struggle between the good guys and bad guys. Other stories, particularly those centered around Jedi themes, expanded some of the mythology of the pre-prequel Star Wars universe.

Yet another storytelling format went back even further. Knights of the Old Republic, a computer game, introduced us to a new character who seems to have affected even some aspects of the upcoming film The Force Awakens. That character was Revan, the most notable Grey Jedi (neither light, nor dark) and one of the most powerful, at least in the timeline of the stories generally referred to as The Old Republic.

Which Way to Luke?

I bring all this up because there was a lot of internet chatter on the nature of Luke Skywalker’s place in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I haven’t read much of the speculation, but thought about it purely in terms of character development and also in context of what is revealed about Jedi in the six movies.

Recall that the battle between Luke and Anakin was really two battles, each against temptation. One had to avoid succumbing to it, the other had to fight his way back from it. Both succeed, but at the cost of Anakin’s life. We see Luke twice after his father dies. First he creates a funeral pyre for Anakin. (It strikes me that this name could be “Any King” and the temptation of power as a theme is well-placed, if that was Lucas’ inspiration for the name. On that note, “Ana-kin” could be translated as “against family,” just a literary side note, I suppose.) Second, he celebrates with the other members of the Rebel Alliance. Here we already see his separation. He sees what others don’t, has a link to a continuity they don’t feel.

Luke Skywalker off on his own, maybe a bit more Obi-Wan than Yoda in terms of isolation (he apparently takes R2-D2 with him), makes a lot of sense. Add to this that, thus far, Luke interacted with visions of Obi-Wan, Yoda, and his father. What are these three likely to advise Luke to do in terms of his power and the continuation of the Jedi? Luke has emotional entanglements. He is not a warrior monk as the prequel Jedi were. How were the Jedi wiped out? Because Anakin had an emotional connection. It’s sensible to suppose they advised Luke to get out of town.

Creative Enticement

This discussion could go on for some time. There are other story-driven reasons I can think of for this part of the plot, but this is where we circle back to my original point: this movie, as the dozens of books it replaces, creates a new reality. It’s so much more than characters and settings with plot. There is an enormous backdrop to consider, political (suppose the reconstituted Senate of a new Republic exiled Skywalker) and sociological (people might blame the Jedi for the atrocities of the Empire, either for failing to protect them or because the “subtleties” of light/dark are lost on them) aspects come into play in stories this big.

Tattooine? No, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. Just for the social media links. — Tatooine? No, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. Just for the social media links.

It is a daunting task to write in such a context, particularly with much of this universe created by other writers. This is one reason why Lawrence Kasdan’s presence and contribution with the new story makes me want to see it. It is also why I was so fascinated by the Old Republic storylines, mostly set forth in video games. I played these because I wanted to see what the writers (and here Drew Karpyshyn must be mentioned for his excellent work) did with existing mythology and how they added to it.

There is a childhood factor at work here as well. Star Wars was one of the first movies I recall, and I saw it three times in the theater. In terms of hero mythology, the influence of Star Wars weighs heavily on my point of view. I likely will wait until after the weekend to see it, but I am anxious to see the creative choices.

Read Up…Soon to Be Obsolete

There were a few books in the Star Wars “continuum” that I enjoyed, others added some fascinating bits to the puzzle. Among these, I recommend a few:

The Truce at Bakura, by Kathy Tyers: This picks up just hours after Return of the Jedi ends. There are interesting politics in this one in terms of Empire vs. a self-declared New Republic. A rather worn and weak Luke Skywalker encounters a spiritualism that holds Jedi accountable for the existence of evil. R2-D2 has a particularly direct effect in the resolution of this story.

Heir to the Empire and The Thrawn Trilogy in general, by Timothy Zahn: Introduces one of the best characters in any part of the Star Wars universe, Mara Jade. Formerly known as “The Emperor’s Hand,” Mara’s destiny was to oversee the death of Luke Skywalker. I read this trilogy more than 20 years ago and can’t remember much, but there are some interesting connections to the Clone Wars here and the introduction of one of the most enduring and subtly-likable characters ever to head an Imperial fleet, Gilad Pellaeon.

Children of the Jedi, by Barbara Hambly: Not sure I can explain this one. Basically, a ship with artificial intelligence captures a volatile crew (including Tusken Raiders) to aid its efforts at destroying a planet called Belsavis, where Han and Leia happen to be. Luke and a couple of his trainees are also captured, but become more and more cognizant of what is really happening. They must stop the ship before it reaches Belsavis with the help of a long dead Jedi.

The Courtship of Princess Leia, by Dave Wolverton: this one was probably my favorite. A powerful matriarchal society offers the New Republic an alliance with the stipulation that Leia marries the heir to the throne (the current ruler had only a son). Leia’s love for Han is clouded by her duty to the Republic and Han goes a little nuts about it, winning a planet for her through some skillful gambling. Mild Spoilers: The planet, Dathomir, has a history, however, and when Han kidnaps Leia and takes her there, they find the Empire still mostly in charge. Luke arrives and is nearly killed by a group of force users that once defeated Yoda and a band of Jedi. Through this defeat, Luke comes to understand much more about the force and when he heals…well, that’s for the book to reveal. Most of this is on the back cover.

Thanks for reading!

Pen and Suitcase: Travel as a Writer

December 3, 2015

The books we publish center around culture. In order to experience the culture, our characters travel. This blog mainly shares my thoughts on writing and about our completed (or nearly complete) projects. It makes sense to share a little about travel, particularly because of the slow realization that it plays a big role in my writing and an even bigger role in my life.

A Writing Experience

We’ll stick to traveling as a writer. Since we published Molly Goes to Rome, our family has been on two vacations. It was during one of these (in Florida) that I finished the first draft of The Shield of Horatius, the chapter book mystery that also takes place in Rome. It was a working vacation for me, but also for Amy and my parents as they all watched the kids when I went off somewhere to write. The beach was just yards away.

My first working vacation, though I didn't know it until years after. Temple of Castor and Pollux, Rome, Italy. — My first working vacation, though I didn’t know it until years after. Temple of Castor and Pollux, Rome, Italy.

Writing on vacation was not completely voluntary. I was and usually am of the mind that there can be work or there can be vacation, but mixing the two is tough. Both Amy and my parents were a little mystified why I wasn’t writing, but it’s tough to look after two small children in an unfamiliar place. My mind was wholly occupied with it because I didn’t want the responsibility to fall completely on Amy’s shoulders. We were on vacation!

They asked why I wasn’t writing and it was frustrating. “If you want me to write, I have to go somewhere. I can’t be on vacation and work, my mind has to focus on one of those things, it can’t be both.” The laptop and I arrived at a coffee shop about an hour later.

It was good work. Maybe it was the warmer weather or the setting, it’s hard to say, but the work went well and there were no creative blocks. In some way I was still on vacation and my mind was a bit more relaxed. The writing sessions were much longer than the typical efforts at home. That is probably why the last part of the book came together so quick and easy. I missed out on some fun with my family, but they were all supportive and the writing felt less solitary.

A Writer’s (Not Writing) Vacation

Travel is an opportunity to get to know new places and experience new things. The experiential aspect of travel has always been the main attraction. This includes eating local food, seeing unique and unfamiliar places, and trying activities you don’t have access to at home.

One of my previous jobs provided the opportunity to travel to California. Over a two-year period the company sent me four times in support of our products. Each time I took a couple extra days and did my best to take advantage: I drove the Pacific Coast Highway, mountain biked in Marin County, and stayed on in San Diego for a couple of days with old friends. Of all the experiences, the one most remembered is an early evening on an outdoor restaurant patio in Ocean Beach.

This was a moment the “California vibe” was all too plain and obvious. It was the moment that allowed me to understand why people are so attracted to the place and the lifestyle. It is something you can read about in an academic sense, but the experience is something fuller or more complete.

This is why we interview people for our books. Some things about a place are difficult to know without being there, or, more particularly, being from there. No amount of research can give a sense of how mangoes taste in Thailand, but to hear someone describe a tantalizing dessert and see and hear the experience played out through their body language and words…it’s the next best thing to being there. Some of the words our “host” characters use are direct quotes from our interviewees because you can’t duplicate their experience.

These are the little things that shape personalities and local cultures. A writer who travels is smart to seek these experiences. They help a character become three-dimensional and lend an air of authenticity to your settings.

Off the Path

The Colosseum circa 1990, early morning.

This goes back a way, I think, and the benefits cannot be overstated. At age sixteen I was not into taking risks, yet I remember two moments that shaped future travel experiences. I was in Rome with a tour group from high school. We were in the city for three days and had some free time.

Perhaps it was the age, but I recall the confidence gained from using the city bus system. It’s silly, but this was a long way from home and a long way from any sort of comfort zone.

The second formative moment was setting out on my own to explore. The Colosseum was visible from our hotel so there was an excellent landmark to find my way back. I found an out-of-the-way restaurant, essentially in a back alley, and ate a meal hearing no English. The first time this happens to you it is frightening and, only later, empowering. It was a great opportunity to observe modern day Romans, but I wasn’t any sort of a writer then and had no inkling such a thing was possible. Still, it was an adventure and since then it has always been a goal to find places only locals frequent.

One such place I’m aware of, but haven’t seen (yet!), is a bar in the middle of the Nevada desert. This bar has a particular clientele, as related to me by someone who had been there many times: cowboys and soldiers. The latter were part of an Air Force facility that flew drones. The drones didn’t circle the surrounding desert, but another one halfway around the world. The cowboys were cowboys, tipping a few back after a hot day handling cattle. Many of them, I was told, were armed, pistols in holsters at their side. Ah, the story possibilities…

Stories to Discover

There is much more in the Nevada desert just outside of Las Vegas. Excepting family vacations when I was young, Las Vegas has been my most frequent vacation destination. My wife and I have been there three times together and her total visits outnumber mine six to five. On three of those occasions, including my honeymoon, I visited the Valley of Fire.

Many movies have been filmed there. You can see why in the accompanying photo of Amy in nearby Red Rock Canyon. The vistas are incredible, vast, and in a mid-westerner’s mind, somewhat like being on another planet. It can and has inspired stories, nevermind the factual sagas that once took place, or perhaps still do.

To say such stories are embedded in the rocks is not metaphor. In the Valley of Fire there are petroglyphs and one

Petroglyphs and landscape of the Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. The two photos were taken from the same spot.

set records the story of a young boy. The boy was eager to prove his manhood and set out to hunt on his own, but it was too soon. In danger, the boy was rescued by his father and a lesson learned. How much literature has been created showing the dangers of pride? Or folk tales demonstrating the virtue of patience? One such story is written in the rocks of the Nevada desert and it is a place to inspire any writer.

No Right Way

There is no right or wrong way to travel. The point of this piece is just to say when you do, be open to your new surroundings. There is always something to learn. Stories are everywhere and as many know, one doesn’t have to travel to find them, but it sure is fun.

Roman Holiday for Us

November 24, 2015

There is no place like Rome for the holidays. Two of our books are set there and the Eternal City, well, I admit it’s my favorite. It is an easy bias because, over the course of writing Molly Goes to Rome and The Shield of Horatius, I learned so much. I love talking about Rome.

Our first book had a distinct disadvantage: it was our first book. Molly Goes to Rome is a fun story and we immensely enjoyed the process of putting it together. However, each book is a learning process and many lessons were learned with our “prototype.”

Amy has a few more pencils and more tricks to show off these days.

So, we’re revising it. The story won’t change, though one misspell will be corrected. There will be a new illustration for the cover and each of the existing illustrations will get a makeover, as this one, featuring the Pantheon, has.

The revised edition will be out in the next couple of weeks. We’re very excited to do this.

Oval Meets a Square

While you’re here, let’s talk a bit more about Rome. One of the locations featured in Molly Goes to Rome is the Piazza Navona.

The Piazza is a plaza with three fountains, the most famous of which is the Fountain of the Four Rivers (Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi) by Bernini.

The fountain and square area is a large oval. Some of my research indicates it represents what was once the competition ground of the Stadium of Domitian. This may or may not be true as the oval also defines the street that runs around the square. What is true is that portions of the stadium remain and are visible when you take a stroll.

One of the striking aspects, maybe because I was only there at night, is how enclosed the area feels. There is no visual continuity for the small streets that lead into the piazza. In other words, you can’t look down the street to see other buildings, etc..

When you’re on a tour looking for the next thing is a natural thing to do. The Piazza Navona, however, forces you to reckon with it, to appreciate it.

The old illustration, soon to be updated. Molly in the Piazza Navona.

There was another reason for me to appreciate it. I visited Rome as a student in my teens. The excursion to the piazza was not a planned one, and only a couple of students were invited. I was thankful then and continue to be grateful for this.

Then, as now, the piazza had a good place to get gelato. After we confirmed it still existed, there was no question that Molly and Michael would find their way to it. Our contributor to the book, who was born and raised in Rome, agreed it was an excellent place to include.

Part of the charm includes the art market that sets up there. This is depicted in our book where an artist does a drawing for Molly.

If you’re going, particularly if you travel with kids, the Piazza Navona is not to be missed.

Notes from Sydney: Roads Not Taken

November 13, 2015

A couple of weeks ago I shared some things we learned while working on the Shanghai book. These were things we didn’t explain in the book because they were fairly complex or we just didn’t have room. We faced similar decisions on every book.

The process is different every time. I wanted to share some of the thought process because we often are asked about this. Plus, it’s an opportunity to share the attractions and unique places that don’t appear in the books.

Bondi Beach, Logic, and Clothing

World-famous Bondi Beach did not appear in Molly Goes to Sydney. This was not an oversight, we skipped it on purpose and there were good reasons for it.

The first of those reasons is geography. This is a good time to reveal a big secret about the Molly and the Magic Suitcase books. Grab a map of Sydney (or any city or country the books visit) and plot out the sites Molly and Michael visit. What do you find? There is a logical pattern. The sites form a sort of trail, or, in the case of Molly Goes to Barcelona, a circle.

Why did I do this? It just seemed like common sense. Molly and Michael spend a day at these destinations. Now, I certainly don’t make the claim that their tour of Peru or Thailand is possible in a single day (without a magic suitcase), but when it’s a different story when it comes to visiting a city. The Sydney book starts at Manly Beach, makes a quick trip up to North Curl Curl, then down to Shelly Beach. From there, the story moves to the Sydney Zoo, then Luna Park (just on the north side of the Sydney Harbor Bridge), and then on to the downtown sites.

Bondi Beach is well south and east of downtown. It didn’t fit the pattern. Plus, there was another factor: it’s somewhat clothing optional. Thankfully, this was discovered in casual conversation. I talked to someone who traveled to Sydney and knew the beach. He said, “I’m surprised you included Bondi Beach.” I was taken aback. It was world famous, why wouldn’t I include it? “Because it’s a topless beach.” Oh.

Our Sydney contributors failed to mention it, probably because they didn’t think it was a big deal or just assumed I knew. Thank goodness for that conversation.

The Powerhouse

The old Ultimo powerhouse in Sydney is now the Powerhouse Museum (aka Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences) and it is geared to children. It’s interactive, has great family programs, exhibits and a focus on “creativity and curiosity.” In short, it is someplace we’ll definitely take the real Molly and Michael. The building would have been an excellent visual.

Alas, it too was a little outside of our geographic trail. It also never came up in our interviews with our two contributors that grew up in Sydney.

There was a timing issue as well. It was the last illustration set for the book and we decided the book was already long enough, so the Powerhouse was cut, even though both Amy and I are looking forward to seeing it.

And the Rest

Amy was particularly keen on the World Square and how great it would look as an illustration. A quick internet search shows you just how right she is. But in the end, it is a shopping center and likely not a top priority for our nine (Michael) and ten (Molly) year-old characters. No, the pirate ship is a much more compelling activity for these characters, as well as for our intended early-reader audience.

No trip to Sydney would be complete without an excursion to the Blue Mountains. The “world’s steepest railway” was mentioned by our contributors and I don’t recall any travel resources failing to include it. At a minimum, three more illustrations would have been needed to show the train, a view of the Three Sisters, and the Skyway cable car ride over the canyon. We simply could not fit it into the book. It is also a full-day activity (at least) and there are some time constraints in a day trip to Sydney.

If our intention was to produce an illustrated travel guide, we could make the books as long as we wanted or just have the host character (Wesley, in this case) mention a long list of sites. Other books do this. Because they do, we don’t. Our books are adventure stories and they’re meant to pique a child’s interest in faraway locations and cultures.

All of the places the books visit are enthralling and we try to share things beyond the typical travel book, things specific to kids having a good time. These discoveries are a wonderful thing to share, we love this work. There was never an illusion we could share everything, particularly because our first book was set in Rome. Instead, we want children and parents to discover more about these places together.

CO Author

Chris Oler, writer