One of my most delightful surprises of the Dalmatian Coast was lovely Korčula — the home of Marco Polo. Korčula? But I thought Marco Polo was from Venice! True. Marco Polo was born in the thirteenth century, back when Venice was a Republic spanning from the canal-filled city to what is now Turkey. No one […]
Korčula: In the Land of Marco Polo Read More »
Here’s a brief confession: when Dave and I stepped off the plane in Pula, Croatia, I wondered briefly if I’d made a giant mistake. It was an afternoon in late May, and it was cool. Temperatures were in the low sixties (about 17 C). Long-sleeved t-shirt weather. I had planned on this trip being our
Photo Essay: Roses of Istria Read More »
Italy is my country. I’ve spent a long time there, I studied abroad there, and I get a huge smile on my face each time I return, excited for the food and the wine and the beautiful people. As a result, my readers are always asking me for Italy advice. Most of the time, people
How Umbria Changed My Mind About Italy Read More »
If you’re 26 or younger, I’ve got news for you: 27 is a scary age. Why? That’s the big year of marriage. Sure, people get married younger than 27, but those tend to be the couples who have been together for years and years, whom you expect to get married. At 27, your single friends
An Offbeat Wedding in Augsburg, Germany Read More »
In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus spent ten years fighting in the Trojan War, then took the LONG way home — another ten years of sailing back to Ithaca and getting into many mishaps along the way. Seven of those years were spent on the island of Ogygia in the arms of the nymph Calypso. As
Mljet: Captive in Paradise Read More »
It was several years ago when I first began reading about the Balkans. I immediately became a Balkans junkie, dreaming of sailing Croatia’s islands, hiking Slovenia’s Julian Alps, partying on Belgrade’s river barges. But the place that captured my imagination the most was a little island off the coast of Montenegro called Sveti Stefan. Look
Sveti Stefan: A Travel Dream Fulfilled Read More »
If ever I had to banished to a small town for the rest of my life, never going beyond the city walls, there would be no better place than Kotor, Montenegro. I fell in love hard and fast with this beautiful little town. Kotor is brimming with things that I love: interesting architecture, an incredible
Kotor: Beauty and the Bedbugs Read More »
Ah, Montenegro. I knew I’d love it. I knew it would be beautiful. But I had no idea that it would have the kind of beauty to knock me off my feet and render me speechless! The scenery in Montenegro was tantalizing: the Bay of Kotor from every direction, storybook-perfect walled towns, mystical islands, a
Montenegro: The Most Beautiful Country in Europe Read More »
After seeing the remnants of war all over Sarajevo, I thought I had seen my fill of Bosnian devastation. Little did I know that Mostar — beautiful, tiny, freshly rebuilt Mostar — would be even worse. This post was published in 2012, based on a June 2012 visit. Shortly after arriving at Hostel Nina, our
Mostar: The Rose That Grows Through Concrete Read More »
The Faroe Islands are famous for their exquisite beauty and isolation. Yet of all the islands and villages and regions, one place stands out as the most unspoiled, most unique, and perhaps even the most beautiful. That place is a little island called Mykines. Mykines (pronounced MEE-chin-ness) is the westernmost point in the Faroe Islands,
Mykines: The World’s Most Unspoiled Island Read More »