Too Square to be Hip
A narcissist's guide to travel and culture
The Balkans region of Europe is often past over by tourist for its better known western cousins. Wine lovers, although sophisticated, often make the same mistakes when purchasing this fine beverage – they skip over anything east or south of Berlin. Balkan wines are some of the best in the world and are still relatively …
In this post I count down a series of highlight real castles from the Balkan region of Europe. Although sparsely populated, this mountainous area has seen much bloodshed – a direct result of its geographic position between Europe and Asia. Successive empires have tried to establish themselves in the region only to be displaced, borders …
What places should you visit in the Balkans? That is if an arbitrary rule limited you to pick only pick one city per country! In this list I pick (1) one city per Balkan nation to visit. If you are travelling on a tight time schedule and trying to hit nation highlights, this may be …
Journey from Bucharest It was a warm day when I ventured out of chaotic Bucharest by way of a car rented from my hostel. Typical of Romania, the vehicle was ancient and it spewed a dark black smoke. The speedometer was no longer functional and navigating through the capital’s heavy traffic and erratic driving was …
Exiled from his native Rome, to the very border of the Empire by Emperor Augustus, the Roman poet Ovid lamented his fate… Tomis, land of the Helenized Thracians held no charm to him. Dismayed by the lack of the Latin language in this provincial outpost, he found time to write his Magnum Opus, Metamorphoses. Later …
When planning a trip it is difficult to know where to stay, fortunately I have compiled a list of trustworthy hostels that will make you feel at home, even if you are thousands of miles away. Having stayed at all but one of these establishments, I can guarantee that they will be of good quality. …
Paris on the Danube they called it, that is until the Communist authorities got their filthy hands on it. What had once been, was quickly erased in a flurry of totalitarian efficiency when Nicolae Ceausescu rose to prominence. The dictator quickly put his mind to redesigning a one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, …
Secluded deep in the foggy Carpathians is a town of indescribable beauty, now frequented by a royal family with no throne. This royalty was born of necessity, foreigners to Romania, given the keys to power and naturalized to their adoptive country. Once they ruled Romania, wisely and diligently before calamity struck. In summers, when the …
A lone traveller approaches a forlorn castle, overlooking a pass, located deep in the mountains of Transylvania. Lightning strikes and the rain is coming down hard, the man/woman is drenched and weary. Seeking refuge the poor traveller makes his way up the ramp to the castle door. Little does he know his host is lying …
Sitting at the southern tier of Transylvania, hugging the Carpathian mountain on all sides, Brasov is surrounded by a sea of green hills. The city is located between Bucharest (along with the pleasant mountain retreat of Sinaia) and the Transylvanian Hinterland. For many, this will be their first (and sadly, only) stop in the province …
