Ann Silverthorn

Yesterday, after dinner with out-of-town guests, we visited the popular Presque Isle bayfront in downtown Erie, PA. Our guests hadn’t been here since Christmas, so we decided to show them the new Courtyard Erie Bayfront hotel, which is opening this week. When we parked in the convention-center lot next-door, we noticed people walking in and out of the…

One of the books found in William E. Dimorier’s personal library was The Meaning of Service, by Harry Emerson Fosdick, published in 1921. It, perhaps, more than any other of William’s books, illustrates his life of service. Fosdick graduated from Colgate University in 1900, three years before William, so they had probably met one another there. After…

I’m a worrier. I always have been, but over the years, I’ve gotten much better. I’m not sure if it’s just my becoming more mature, or reading books like Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now, that have eased my anxiety, but I definitely spend less time worrying these days and more time enjoying life. If you’re…

Registered patent attorney Jonathan D’Silva moved to northwestern Pennsylvania in 2005, and he has no plans to leave anytime soon. In fact, he just began a new business venture there, and that’s also where you’ll find his two largest clients. The nature of his business, however, has no geographic boundaries. Born in Kuwait, Jonathan attended…

Waldameer’s First Ravine Flyer (Ravine Flyer I) When I was a kid, my mother told me that long, long ago, a roller coaster used to pass right over Peninsula Drive, in our hometown of Erie, PA. She said that a young man died after he fell out of the Waldameer Park roller coaster, onto the street, and…

In the heart of Lisbon, on the walls of age-old buildings lining a long set of stairs that lead from R. da Madalena to the Church of São Cristóvão, vivid graffiti complements an equally-vivid mural. The mural honors St. Christopher and the musical tradition, Fado. Part of Lisbon’s rich history, Fado is performed throughout the city in…

It all started with a photograph. The large, framed photographic print depicts a stone stairway in Lisbon, Portugal. At the bottom of the scene, a colorful mural, featuring the words, “Fado Vadio,” splashes the side of a stucco building. The piece hangs in the home of a friend. The photograph is a conversation piece, because…

Considering castor-oil packs? If you’ve ever heard of castor oil itself, you might think of an old-time remedy having something to do with digestion. If you’re of a certain age, you might remember children enduring occasional doses of castor oil, to keep them “regular” or even as a punishment. While some people still ingest castor…

Portugal was never on my travel radar, however, when my husband texted me out of the blue last fall and asked if I’d like to go, I replied without question, “Sure!” So, I happily tagged along on his recent business trip to Lisbon. Would I go back? Absolutely. Now that I’m home, I thought I’d share…

You would think that with Portugal sitting right next door to Spain on the Iberian Peninsula, that Spanish would be the native language there. It’s not. It is Portuguese, and some of its words sound like Spanish words, and some are completely different. While consulting Rick Steves’ Portuguese Phrase Book & Dictionary in preparation for an upcoming trip to…