Charles Bridge, Aristotle, and Italy’s Cinque Terre

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” -Aristotle

I have 3 things to share this week:

1) Happy news: Capitol Prague, a new restaurant and cafe in Washington D. C. / Georgetown, has bought use of of one of my photographs of Charles Bridge in Prague for use as a mural inside their cafe.

Isn’t it gorgeous? And, illy is my very favorite coffee, the one we drank at our home in Prague. Na zdravi! (Cheers!)

2) Food for thought and soul: Brainpickings.org.

I’ve long been a fan of the site, but have recently re-discovered the genius of their offerings. A recent favorite article: The Pace of Productivity and How to Master Your Creative Routine. There are hundreds of well-thought articles for every creative and thinker type, some of the pure excellence available in the web-world of our time.

3) Travel photos: Cinque Terre

It’s the third Tuesday of the month, my Travel Tuesday, and I’ve been thinking constantly of Italy’s Cinque Terre. My work-in-progress novel is partially set in the Five Lands, or Cinque Terre, which is a place of beauty and history like none other. The last time my family and I visited there was about 18 months ago. I posted about the Cinque Terre (Cheen-kway Terra) here, but also have new photographs to share here today:

If you ever get the chance to visit the Italian Riviera, seize it. It’s one of the places in Europe where time stops, the seafood and wine are plentiful and good, and the sun and sea rise up to kiss you sweetly. I highly recommend the Cinque Terre.

Summer Reads: I’m working my way down a hefty stack of summer reads, and am currently reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. It is a memoir of a girl growing up in a highly disfunctional family, and it’s a wow book for me in so many ways.

For more excellent reads suggestions, be sure to check in weekly at a site I love so much (I help run it): GreatNewBooks.org.

And, to reflect back on Aristotle’s statement at the top: summer is a perfect time to start a new habit, one that helps move us toward excellence. We are what we repeatedly do. Great food for thought. Enjoy your summertime!