In a two-room workshop that is dwarfed by the surrounding massive Meteora rock formations, 38 year-old Greek iconographer Dimitrios Moulas demonstrates admirable focus towards his subject – an icon that will soon represent Jesus Christ. With a delicate paintbrush in … Continue reading
For the past five nights, we’ve been staying at a quaint guesthouse overlooking the mystical Meteora rock formations in northern Greece, atop which sit 6 magnificent monasteries. Some date back to the 14th century. As if things couldn’t get any … Continue reading
A carpet of red roses lay underneath a Greek Orthodox icon in the Greek village of Kastraki, not far from the famous Meteora monasteries. Spring is in full swing in this beautiful part of southeastern Europe, with a bounty of … Continue reading
Music is the universal language of mankind. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow The moment we stepped into the Albanian bar with the mint green walls, I regretted having not done a better job with my Italian studies years before. The five … Continue reading
This spring, we’ve had the delightful opportunity to observe Easter celebrations not once, but twice. In Croatia, where Catholicism predominates, we celebrated Easter in late March, whereas we also got to participate in Orthodox Easter festivities in Macedonia this past … Continue reading
Above, a boat glides smoothly across the golden, shimmering surface of Lake Ohrid on the eve of Orthodox Easter. A silhouetted version of Saint John at Kaneo stands guard in the background. Archaeologists think that the church was built before the rise of the Ottoman … Continue reading
As our minibus chugged through the Albanian countryside during our 6-hour trip, my husband and I inadvertently created a new car ‘game’ to pass the time: who could first spy a bunker as a new one appeared in the ever-changing … Continue reading
Transitioning from Montenegro, we’ve arrived in Shkoder, Albania, following a two-hour bus ride from Kotor to border-town Ulcinj, Montenegro, and one final ride from Ulcinj to Shkoder. It is fascinating to watch the pace of life here in the semi-rural neighborhood … Continue reading
