Europe

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...

How I Spent Six Hours in Versailles

Versailles - there really aren't words to describe it. Amazing, magnificent, dazzling, over-the-top, breathtaking just don't do it. I had to see it for myself. And it is everything I ever imagined. I made a day trip from Paris to Versailles, twelve miles away and...

Land of Black Mountain: Hidden Gems in Montenegro

It’s September 2021, and people are finally able to travel freely again. Since Covid-19 and the several lockdowns started, everyone was looking forward to freedom again. To me, the ultimate freedom is traveling. Of course, I didn’t want to put myself at risk and chose...

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek: Enjoying Art in Unforgettable Surroundings

The afternoon air was crisp on a cold November day when my family and I got down at Humlebaek station, after a journey of 45 minutes by train from the Copenhagen city center. The train had sped past a scenic landscape of the azure waters of the Øresund Sound behind a...

The Moody Skies of Malham

Bill Bryson once said, “I won't know for sure if Malhamdale is the finest place there is until I have died and seen heaven (assuming they let me at least have a glance), but until that day comes, it will certainly do.” You see, being half English means being rather...

On the Shores of Lake Baikal

I was sitting cross-legged on a pebble beach. My roll mat and sleeping bag were already laid out next to me, in anticipation of the night ahead sleeping under the stars. It was perhaps on the cold side to attempt a bivouac, but the flickering campfire and large pile...