I stood in the small excursions office at the winery outside of Chisinau and bit my lip. To my surprise, a tear was forming in the corner of my left eye. This woman standing just a foot away from me had just rather cheerfully informed me that the tour I thought I had booked couldn’t […]
Touring Europe’s Largest Underground Wine Cellar Read More »
I want to love Armenia, I really do. The country’s history is fascinating, dating back not centuries but millennia. It considers itself the cradle of Christianity, having adopted the religion 1700 years ago. The mountain landscapes are breathtaking and on a clear day in Yerevan you can find yourself staring directly at Mt.
Language Shock and Not Fitting In Read More »
The Uspenski Cathedral in Helsinki, Finland was just the first of dozens orthodox cathedrals I visited during my travels in the former Soviet Union. And while Finland was never part of the USSR, it shares a long and sordid history with neighboring Russia.
Saturday Scenes: Uspenski Cathedral in Helsinki Read More »
I originally posted the following on the morning of my departure – August 30, 2011 (also my 35th birthday!). I am sharing again today in connection with Meet, Plan, Go!‘s 3rd anniversary celebration and to promote a limited time discount on their Career Break Basic Training online course. It has been about two years
Training to Pursue a Dream Read More »
As we approached the border to Transdniestria (a country not recognized by anyone in the world), the large man sitting next to me pulled out his passport. I looked over to see a red cover with gold letters emblazoned on it: CCCP. That is the Russian equivalent of the abbreviation for the Union of Soviet
Transdniestria: A Day in a Country That Doesn’t Exist Read More »
Orheiul Vechi Monastery is probably the most popular tourist attraction in Moldova, but that doesn’t mean that getting there is necessarily easy. While my guidebook mentioned a few buses that ran there, other sources on the internet insisted no public transportation would take me there. I asked the staff at my hostel to look into
A Day Trip to Orheiul Vechi Read More »
Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu was one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, things I have ever done. No matter how much I look back through my picture from the hike and Machu Picchu itself, the picture below is always my favorite.
Saturday Scenes: Machu Picchu Read More »
Channeling my inner Roger Ebert, I am giving Moldova one thumb up and one thumb down. In the interest of full disclosure, I admit I may have had a very different impression of this small country squished between Romania and Ukraine if I visited at another time of year – a time when it wasn’t
Impressions of Moldova Read More »
(Editor’s note: this is a continuation of Crossing the Black Sea (Part 1), the story of my five day Black Sea ferry ride from Ilyichevsk, Ukraine to Batumi, Georgia) My heart sank when I heard the announcement that the Port of Batumi was closed. It was Sunday afternoon, my third day on the Black Sea
137 Hours on a Boat: Crossing the Black Sea (Part 2) Read More »
I arrived at the UkrFerry office promptly at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday morning and asked for Vladlen – the faceless man with whom I had been exchanging emails for the last month about the Black Sea ferry from Ilyichevsk, Ukraine to Batumi, Georgia. In our most recent email exchange, Vladlen informed me that the ferry,
Crossing the Black Sea (Part 1) Read More »
