A labyrinth is a symbolic journey…but it is a map we can really walk on, blurring the difference between map and world.” - Rebecca Solnit, Wanderlust: A History of Walking Incongruously, in a place known…
Eastern Orthodox Church of the Transfiguration, Lviv We were hesitant about visiting Ukraine in the fall of 2015. Wasn’t there a war going on? Why would Czech car rental shops not cover travel there? How…
Many American travelers worry about attitudes toward Americans as they travel around the globe. Perhaps we’ve been unusual, but we have mostly found openness to us. Where Americans are common, as in Paris, our lifestyle…
What is the language of love? The tongue-twirling lyublu? The kissy kissy amour? The caress of amore? The abruptness of love? The explosive finish to liebe? Or the business-like Estonian armastus? We thought about these…
Gravestone, Shepetivka cemetery The custom in Jewish cemeteries is to place a pebble, or small stone, on the headstone at a grave site. In doing this, you affirm you remember the dead. It’s a custom…
We were well aware of the broad historical sweep here in Estonia: how in the Middle Ages, the Danes along with merchants allied across the Baltic in the Hanseatic League kept control of the country;…
The Dalmatian Coast, the long finger of Croatia fronting the Adriatic Sea, has long been praised for its shoreline delights, ancient ruins, myriad islands and historic cities like Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik. (Click here to…
We thought we had figured out a legitimate way to stay in Europe for six months, when a normal visa lasts just 90 days. We just discovered we were wrong...and so far wrong we could…
“It’s shit!” our driver bemoaned as he maneuvered his 4WD along the dirt track. We were bouncing around Hvar Island on a unique tour called Secret Hvar, an excursion that brought us to viewpoints off…
The two women, dressed similarly in jeans and warm jackets, admired the cat sitting on our fleece jackets. The warm afternoon sun had sunk below the buildings, putting us in complete shadow, and the air…