Europe

Now for Something Completely Different: Hiking in the UK

Actually, I’m not sure you’d call it hiking—maybe trekking, or even … well … walking. Sure, it sounds pretty tame, as in no rugged trails or big ups and downs. But for me, hiking in the UK was a revelation: fun, ever-changing, an adventure. On the west coast of the...

Finding the Bogs Outside of Riga Latvia

It's not often that there are more highlights outside of a small country's capital city than there are in it. Latvia's capital city Riga is quaint in an ex-soviet, medieval, tourist-hot-spot, type of way. Quite a lot like Estonia's Tallinn, and Lithuania's Vilnius,...

A Break from CoVid-19 in Finland

As the fireworks exploded over Kalajoki Finland, I reflected on the past two weeks of travel, how easy it had been, and how far away CoVid-19 had felt. The Finn's don't wear masks, they don't queue outside of shops, and when I asked them about social distancing and...

Bucharest: What a difference a decade makes!

My first trip to Bucharest, twenty years after the end of Communism, and I'm among few tourists on streets that feel a tad threatening. Now, a decade later, I'm stunned to find Romania's capital as inviting and 'happening' as any Western...

Finding Warmth when Amalfi is Cold

My thick sweater and blue jeans reflected the London winter I left several hours before. Amalfi’s sun now broke through my warm clothes, bringing out a forgotten stickiness. After nearly twenty-seven hours of traveling with two buses, a plane, and a train ride,...

The Sixth Village of the Cinque Terra

The ferry boat glided out of the harbor of La Spezia beginning my journey to the famous 5 villages of the Cinque Terra. The weather was perfect and water an indigo blue as we cruised along the Ligurian coast. The famous villages with their small...

Minsk, Belarus: Different, Beautiful,
and a Little Bit Soviet

Curious to see what life was like under Communism — but not by way of an artificially recreated, kitschy tour? In Minsk you can! All with the convenience of being able to simultaneously access up-to-the-minute supermarkets, restaurants, and shopping malls....

Toledo: The World’s Finest Swords

It was a sunny yet cold morning in the ancient town of Toledo, Spain. I could feel the tourists’ happiness wandering the narrow and colorful streets, delighted to explore a place that offers such a historical and archeological uniqueness. For no other reason, it is...

Walking Montepulciano

"Hear, all ye drinkers! Give ear, and give faith, to our edict divine - Montepulciano's the King of all Wine!" - Francisco Redi, 1685 The Wine Vino di Nobile has been celebrated since Etruscan times, but it was only 50 years ago that the wine was officially classified...

Sparkling Caves and Baby Dragons in Slovenia

Postojna Caves and Baby Dragons in Slovenia My underground journey began with an open-air train ride. I felt like I was in an Indian Jones movie as I flew through narrow subterranean passages, and past wide open spaces with stalactites hanging like crooked teeth. The...

Driving the White Villages of Andalucia

Andalucia and its White Villages Driving the White Villages of Southern Spain Driving in a foreign country can intimidate the best of us. My first time driving in Southern Spain, I worried about mysterious traffic rules and weird signage, all of which would be in...

Tartu, Estonia, and Christmas

Christmas in Estonia Tartu, Estonia, is the First Country to Use a Christmas Tree Snow falling, children singing, and lights shimmering. This is the scene of a Christmas tradition set in the beautiful city of Tartu, Estonia. Three months into my eleven-month stay, I...