diff --git a/triqs/python_tools/wrapper_tools.hpp b/triqs/python_tools/wrapper_tools.hpp
index f504420d..aafd71ef 100644
--- a/triqs/python_tools/wrapper_tools.hpp
+++ b/triqs/python_tools/wrapper_tools.hpp
@@ -6,21 +6,28 @@
 #include <vector>
 #include <triqs/utility/exceptions.hpp>
 #include "./pyref.hpp"
+#include <time.h>
 
 #pragma clang diagnostic ignored "-Wdeprecated-writable-strings"
 #pragma GCC diagnostic ignored "-Wwrite-strings"
 
+inline char *get_current_time() { // helper function to print the time in the CATCH_AND_RETURN macro
+ time_t rawtime;
+ time(&rawtime);
+ return ctime(&rawtime);
+}
+
 // I can use the trace in triqs::exception
 #define CATCH_AND_RETURN(MESS,RET)\
  catch(triqs::keyboard_interrupt const & e) {\
  PyErr_SetString(PyExc_KeyboardInterrupt, e.what());\
  return RET; }\
  catch(triqs::exception const & e) {\
- auto err = std::string("Error " MESS "\nC++ error was : \n") + e.what();\
+ auto err = std::string("Error occurred at ") + get_current_time() + "\nError " + MESS + "\nC++ error was : \n"  + e.what();\
  PyErr_SetString(PyExc_RuntimeError, err.c_str());\
  return RET; }\
  catch(std::exception const & e) {\
- auto err = std::string("Error " MESS "\nC++ error was : \n") + e.what();\
+ auto err = std::string("Error occurred at ") + get_current_time() + "\nError " + MESS + "\nC++ error was : \n"  + e.what();\
  PyErr_SetString(PyExc_RuntimeError, err.c_str());\
  return RET; }\
  catch(...) { PyErr_SetString(PyExc_RuntimeError,"Unknown error " MESS ); return RET; }\
diff --git a/triqs/utility/exceptions.hpp b/triqs/utility/exceptions.hpp
index c117943c..4c5f979a 100644
--- a/triqs/utility/exceptions.hpp
+++ b/triqs/utility/exceptions.hpp
@@ -31,13 +31,14 @@
 namespace triqs { 
 
  class exception : public std::exception {
-  std::string acc, trace;
+  std::string acc, _trace;
   public:
-  exception() throw() :std::exception() { trace = utility::stack_trace();}
+  exception() throw() :std::exception() { _trace = utility::stack_trace();}
   virtual ~exception() throw() {}
   template<typename T> exception & operator  <<( T const & x) { std::stringstream f; f<<acc<<x; acc = f.str(); return *this;}
   exception & operator  <<( const char * mess ) { (*this) << std::string(mess); return *this;}// to limit code size
   virtual const char* what() const throw() { return acc.c_str();}
+  virtual const char* trace() const throw() { return _trace.c_str();}
  };
  
  class runtime_error : public exception {