On Saturday Beli and I drove about two hours to Iowa city to met up with some friends and my sister and her kids. It had snowed the night before and I was a bit worried about the driving conditions but by the time I left the house (around 12) most of the snow had melted.
 |
| Photo from my previous trip to Iowa City in May 2010 |
So I learned something knew. Can you believe that I went to school in Iowa city (for 4 years) and I never knew that the city had such a huge important place in American literature? On November of 2008 UNESCO designated Iowa City as a City of Literature, making it a part of UNESCO Creative Cities Network. I knew they had the Iowa Writer's Workshop and of the endless authors that visited the campus. Can you believe they even hosted a writing program in Slovenia? Maybe they can head south to Croatia next time?I found this very interesting page if you are interested to learn more about why Iowa city is often referred to as the
Athens of the Midwest.
After lunch it was too chilly to walk around the beautiful campus so we headed to the Coral Ridge mall to give Beli and my friend's kids a chance to stretch their legs at the indoor playground. Afterwards we walked across to the Barnes & Noble bookshop. I could spend hours there. Really. I could. I love books.
And we ended the day trip with a warm cup of hot chocolate. Beli chose a cream puff pastry to go along with her hot cocoa. We skipped the Children's Museum because it was already too late in the day,the kids were cranky and the adults were exhausted! So we will be returning to Iowa City some time soon!
Busy! Busy!...Dodging the cold, I see! :-)
ReplyDeletesorry you didn't get to visit the childrens museum. it is lots of fun. i know what you mean though, i could spend hours in barnes and noble. i get lost in that store. it is a time vortex. like a black hole. you go in, and hours later you emerge wondering where the time went. they have created the most perfect combination of book and coffee smell.
ReplyDeleteBeli looks soooo pretty on that floor... she will be a beauty!
ReplyDeleteGreetings from South-Eastern Europe. Alina.
Gorgeous photos! I am craving hot chocolate now!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know it was so important in the world of literature. How interesting :)
ReplyDelete@Poetess, yes I guess I had forgotten how cold it gets. Hehe yesterday I had to scrape snow from the car, first time in almost two years!
ReplyDelete@Sarah, I'm hoping to try going again this weekend. Beli was there when she was about one year old, but I think she will enjoy the museum more now that she is older.
@Alina, thank you, you are always so kind.
@Tiffany, I hope you get to enjoy that cup of hot chocolate!
@Indie.Tea very interesting right?
Oh...nostalgia. And right when I'm feeling january blues because I miss Iowa City! But I had no idea that it was the athens...but it makes sense!
ReplyDeletewhat a cool info. and I didn't know it either.
ReplyDeleteand I could also spends hours in a bookstore. but without my busy little bee!