mattlarkin

mattlarkin

The All-Giving Pandora

Pandora (“all-gifted” or “all-giving”), famous in pop culture for opening the “box” of troubles she can never close, has long captured imagination. The conception of Pandora’s jar as Pandora’s box dates to the Renaissance, and has since become the iconic…

Travelogue: Mexico

Mexico Cover

After two and a half months in Albania, we had cause to head back to the Western Hemisphere. Based on the timing of certain external factors, we decided to make a stopover in Mexico on our way back to Florida.…

Travelogue: North Macedonia

North Macedonia Cover

We spent two and a half months staying in Tirana, Albania. During that time, we decided to take a day trip to North Macedonia, given that it was in easy driving distance. We hired the same guide who had taken…

Travelogue: Albania

Albania Cover Photo

Tirana In early January the Larkin family traveled to Tirana, Albania, where we’ve been for almost two months. This Balkan nation had the advantage of being open to travelers on US passports (unlike most of Europe), having low covid cases,…

Travelogue: Scotland

Edinburgh

Edinburgh Sometime around the first century AD, the local Scots in Edinburgh built a fort upon a hill to defend against Romans. It worked, and if you’ve seen how steep the hill is, you’d not be surprised. Later, a full…

Travelogue: England

London

In early 2018, I attended a writer’s conference just outside London. As that was our first to the UK, we decided to take the chance to visit some iconic locations across England for research and personal edification. Naturally, London itself…

Travelogue: Greece

Greece

In 2016, we traveled to Europe to research two of my planned series, one inspired by Rome, and one by Greece. After our time in Italy, and brief hiccup getting to Greece, we arrived in Athens. Naturally, for my interest…

Travelogue: Italy

Rome

In 2016 we planned a research trip to two countries: Italy and Greece.  Rome Our flight landed in Rome, which for me, was the #1 location I wanted to see for this trip. While crowds left the city congested, it…