Published Articles
The following are published articles and excerpts from various publications, written by Wanderlust Travel Press and Tours owner & author, Shawnie Kelley
Malabar Farm: Agricultural Legacy & Living Classroom
Malabar Farm “As soils are depleted, human health, vitality and intelligence go with them.” ~Louis Bromfield To say Louis Bromfield was a strong advocate of scientific agriculture is an understatement. Bromfield not only championed the [...]
Picturing Christmas: The Nativity in Renaissance Art
By Shawnie Kelley, as published in Renaissance Magazine, Issue 58. " ... she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no [...]
On the Trail of the Holy Grail: Knights Templar and Cathars
On the Trail of the Holy Grail: Knights Templar and Cathars Château Montségur, a seemingly impregnable castle perched in the Pyrénées Mountains, became the final stronghold of the Cathars–a heretical religious sect against whom the [...]
On the Trail of the Holy Grail: Pyrénées Mountains
On the Trail of the Holy Grail: Pyrénées Mountains Holy Grail traditions and Mary Magdalene’s enigmatic legend persists from the southern French coast inland to the mountains. Rennes-le-Chateau, a sleepy village in the foothills of [...]
On the Trail of the Holy Grail: Southern France
On the Trail of the Holy Grail: Southern France Southern France is a hotbed of grail tales with a far flung cast of characters ranging from medieval jongleurs to Knights Templars to the biblical Mary Magdalene. Local Provençal legends persist [...]
America’s Grand Dames: History & Hollywood at Pittsburgh’s William Penn Hotel
After hopping aboard a Visit Pittsburgh media tour several years ago, I learned of the William Penn Hotel's Hollywood connection–and have been fascinated with it ever since. The luxurious 1916 hotel has been the Grand Dame of Pittsburgh [...]
A Taste of Travel: A Culinarian Trifecta in Philadelphia
A Taste of Travel looks at the ways food connects us with a culture and each other. Sharing the recipes and restaurants we have encountered along the way... It has been a long time since I [...]
Queen Victoria Made the Riviera Royal, guest post by Carol Drinkwater
We are excited to share a guest post by author and actress, Carol Drinkwater. Years ago, I came across Carol's beautifully-written trilogy about her experience buying a Provençal château and olive grove. The Olive Farm book led me [...]
Cathar Country: Languedoc, France
This article was published in Rennaisance Magazine, issue #55. By Shawnie Kelley Southwest France is synonymous with sensuous Mediterranean beaches, hillside vineyards and peaceful hamlets, but upon closer look, the Languedoc’s rugged landscape reveals a turbulent history [...]
Provence’s Sweet Holiday Tradition: Thirteen Desserts
As published in the Winter 2012 issue of Edible Columbus. Les treize desserts de Noël- or the Thirteen Desserts of Christmas- is a delectable holiday tradition celebrated throughout the south of France. An array of symbolic [...]
La Joute Nautique: The Tradition of Water Jousting
Each August, the Mediterranean village of Sète, located on a pencil-thin peninsula in southern France, plays host to the Festival of Saint Louis. The fête’s main attraction is a spirited sporting event officially known as la joute [...]
The Laurel Highlands: Adventure & History
The Laurel Highlands Adventure: History and Nature in Southwestern Pennsylvania Having grown up in Pittsburgh, I took for granted the city's perfect location only an hour north of a most beautiful region known as the Laurel Highlands. [...]