Keen to try out regional winter activities, I found a company, Discover Latvia, that organizes dog sledding tours, and gave them a ring after a particularly snowy week in January. What better place than northern Europe to give this sport a try? And I was in luck – they had a group going out! I eagerly waited […]
Destinations
A Tipsy Tour of the Riga Black Balsam Factory
In 1752, a Latvian pharmacist by the name of Abraham Kunze developed a potent elixir from 24 different plants, roots, spices and oils that was said to cure just about anything that ailed you, from malaria to sword wounds. Kunze sold his herbal balsam in clay bottles priced to match the grandiose claims, around 60 euros […]
40 Photos That Will Make You Want to Visit Istanbul in Winter
When I first learned that Turkish Airlines offered direct flights between Riga and Istanbul, I started dreaming about a sunny winter getaway. The average temperature for Istanbul in January is 45F/7C, which might not seem super warm, but is an improvement over Riga’s 30F/-1C and near-constant snow cover. Istanbul is also 1,800 kilometers south of Riga, resulting […]
The Best Meals We Ate in Istanbul
When documenting my travels for this blog, I don’t usually start with the food enjoyed on each trip. But it’s not every day I go to Istanbul and feast on all manner of Turkish delights. This was my very first trip to Turkey, although I had previously sampled the cuisine (in Shanghai, of all places). As […]
Kutna Hora and its Church of Bones
With a full week to spend in Prague, I had plenty of time for a day trip to see more of the Czech Republic. My destination of choice was the Kutna Hora Bone Church, an unusual attraction famous for its skeletal decorations. Creepy as it might sound, I found the macabre display to be surprisingly […]