Europe | France Revisited

Sandro Botticelli's Primavera (Spring)

The Uffizi Revisited, This Time Without the Line

By Joyce Totlis

Florence—Third time’s a charm. Fifteen years ago I waited unsuccessfully in line for the Uffizi Gallery. Same thing happened five years ago. Lines like those remind one of photos of the Great Depression soup kitchens—waay long!

2009: another depression, another trip to Florence, and guess what? NO lines. I walked right up to the Uffizi’s main entry at 9:45 a.m., paid my 10 euros, and was straight away transported back to the 13th century of Cimabue. Unbelievable luck!


Three Questions About Montserrat, Spain The bilious bus from Barcelona dropped us at Montserrat... First Question: Why did the world’s most brilliant military general bother to blow up THIS place? 200 years later, Montserrat remains a nearly inaccessible, 4000-foot high rocky peak that looks like serrated teeth. It could easily be starved out—then or now. Read More
Hungary: Fatty Foods and Friendly SERVAS I love street food, the greasier the better, and the food we found in the square in Heviz, Hungary, met all my requirements—and then some. Thick sausages, spare ribs with a shameless layer of fat, shish kabob with cubes of meat sandwiching sausage and bacon and crispy onions shiny with grease. Then there’s the fish, breaded and fried, and pickles, sauerkraut (not nearly as sour as ours), and a mixture of onions and peppers simmering in large round paella pans. Read More
What the Hell Is Rococo? You were obviously caught unawares, But didn’t you know what Americans do when visiting Europe? They go to church. Sometimes three or four times a day. Do the tour guides think you’re interested in religion? Of course not— It’s the architecture! Read More
Freestyle Cruising and Evil Eyes Joyce Totlis goes freestyle cruising between Greece, Egypt and Turkey and survives with her sense of humor intact. Read More
Understanding Mozart (and Guido) Through the Salzburger Nockerl “Mozart is a product of the Salzburger Nockerl. To play Mozart is to walk on eggs, and if you ever get to Salzburg, you will understand.” Our string quartet was taught to imagine Mozart as an airy meringue by Professor Guido Brand at The New School in New York. “And don’t settle for the Nockerl in Vienna,” he added. “They tried to make them there, but they couldn’t—it’s the Alpine air!” Forty years later I finally took his advice and dined at The Sternbach in Salzburg. Read More
Heard and Overheard in Berlin 1. German in his 60s watching a television interview in which an American military official is explaining NATO maneuvers in the Black Sea: “Americans used to be so beautiful in uniform. I would see one and think, ‘There is a beautiful, strong, kind creature.’ But now—look at them. They sound so false, devious. Look—bad skin… and those eyes! Those aren’t the eyes of a savior.” Read More