As if painted churches and wooden churches, low costs, colorful old cities, and delightful terrain weren't enough to entice you to Romania, you can also visit quite a number of ancient castles and fortified churches…
The Orthodox religion flourished amid the rugged hills and rich valleys of Moldavia, the kingdom of eastern Romania. Influence from Slavic lands and old Constantinople made eastern Christianity strong here. By the middle ages, Moldavia's…
The old central sections of Romanian cities deliver fine eye candy as well as the typical European pleasures of outdoor tables in busy plazas or narrow streets. In that regard, we found these four Transylvanian…
In brief: Why we had a mixed reaction to Bucharest, yet appreciated some of its charms. People are often ambivalent about Bucharest. Our group walk guide alternated between wonder and sarcasm in showing it to…
In brief: As with their written language, Koreans pack a lot into a small space...but also understand the need for opening things up as well. Start with the written language: every word is made up…
In brief: Though small, Macedonia features plenty of inviting open spaces and reserves. Mavrovo National Park All over the Balkans, we have seen splendid, inviting terrain so we were not surprised that Macedonia enjoys its…
In brief: For centuries, the Joseon dynasty ruled Korean. Its traces are many - in the palaces of Seoul, the ancestral home at Jeonju, and a quiet village at Yangdong.. On a chilly, drizzly day…
In brief: Across several hillsides, we wandered back 3000 years to the dolmens of the bronze age. Traces of early Korean civilization go back tens of thousands of years. In museums, we could see more…
Alexander the Great on his horse & commerce A walk about central Skopje delivers it all. The Great, of course, is Alexander of Macedon, who conquered the western world nearly 2500 years ago and is…
In brief: The Silla Kingdom of south-central Korea endured for nearly 900 years until 935. Today its legacy comes alive in its former capital, Gyeongju. It's thrilling to discover a history completely unknown to us.…