Summer weather in Latvia can be surprisingly warm given its Northern European location. Come July, locals flock to the Baltic Sea shore in droves. One of Latvia’s best beaches, Jurmala, features thirty-two kilometers of pristine white sand and tranquil blue water. What began as a collection of humble farming villages has become the premier beach […]
Day Trip
Longwood Gardens: A Botanical Wonderland in Pennsylvania
Visiting a friend in Pennsylvania in late April, we took advantage of the warm spring weather to explore Longwood Gardens. I had only recently learned of these gardens, and while I knew they’d be full of springtime loveliness, I wasn’t prepared for the dazzling beauty we found. What began as a 400-acre farmstead for the Pierce family […]
Drinking Bulls Blood Wine in Eger, Hungary
Imagine you are a Turkish soldier in the year 1552. You and 40,000 of your fellow warriors have been marauding across Europe, gleefully sacking towns and declaring victory for the Ottoman Empire. When you reach the gates of Eger, Hungary, you are expecting another easy win. Your large force lays siege to a castle defended […]
The Royal Palace of Godollo, Hungary
Although Hungary is now a democratic republic, that hasn’t always been the case. The Austrian Hapsburg Monarchy controlled parts of Hungary from the 16th century until the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War I. During the 18th century, Count Antal Grassalkovich, an influential Hungarian nobleman and confidant of Empress Maria Theresa, […]
Baisha Village and China’s Famous Medicine Man
The Yunnanese ethnic diversity and character that old town Lijiang lacked, we found a few kilometers away in ancient Baisha village. Still a part of the Lijiang UNESCO World Heritage Site, Baisha is far enough removed that only a few tourists on bikes wander down its sleepy, dusty lanes. The Naxi first settled in Baisha […]