So many people we meet, interested in going to Albania, are both curious and somewhat fearful about it. They imagine a third world country or extreme deprivation or some such horror because of Albania’s 40…
Albania’s history can read like a tale out of Tolkien’s Ring trilogy. It starts before the 4th century BC with the sophisticated tribes loosely known as the Illyrians. The land since then has been at…
During our first five days in Slovenia, we time traveled through 50 Million years - from the karst caves still being shaped by their rivers, to a Neanderthal era musical instrument, to the remains of…
In prior years, we had circled around Ljubljana a few times on the highway while heading to other places, with only its hilltop castle visible from far off. When we finally headed into the city…
We planned on six months in the Baltic countries – Latvia, Lithuania and our home base of Estonia – though we weren’t completely sure how we would fill up those months. What we found were…
During our six month stay in the Baltic countries, we found charms aplenty. But the three capitals of these countries are the jewels in the northern European crown. Though beset with war and destruction for…
During our six month stay in the Baltic countries, we found charms aplenty. But the three capitals of these countries are the jewels in the northern European crown. Though beset with war and destruction for…
During our six month stay in the Baltic countries, we found charms aplenty. But the three capitals of these countries are the jewels in the northern European crown. Though beset with war and destruction for…
Saaremaa is a roughly 70 by 40 kilometer rectangular chunk of island just off the western shore of Estonia, capping the whole Gulf of Riga. Since the 19th century, people have traveled here for the…
The Finns themselves say that they can seem cold, aloof to visitors. In public, for example, their custom is to stay in their own groups. At a restaurant or the very popular buffet lunches (lounas),…