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Celebrating Mariä Himmelfahrt Day in Oberammergau, Germany
As the clock edged toward nine thirty in the morning, the stream of villagers dressed in traditional German folk costume passing by our window in Oberammergau, Germany grew. Ladies in elaborate Dirndls and men in Lederhosen pedaled by on their bikes. Some navigated their bikes’ handlebars with one hand, with elaborate wildflower bouquets in the…
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Scenes from Santorini
Often touted as the most picturesque village on the Greek island of Santorini, Oia looks like a terraced wedding cake perched upon the island’s craggy northwestern edges. With its stunning views of the caldera and surrounding islands, blue and white church domes, and lack of power lines to clutter its panoramas, Oia is a shutterbug’s…
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A Mask-Maker in Ohrid, North Macedonia
In Ohrid, North Macedonia, the Marinov family has been crafting utilitarian and decorative objects from copper and brass for over a hundred years. Shawn and I stumbled upon the small studio of third- and fourth-generation artists one afternoon while exploring Ohrid’s UNESCO-registered Old Town, which is replete with hundreds of Eastern Orthodox churches. The Marinov…
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Vientiane, Laos: An Afternoon at Buddha Park
Marry Buddhism, Hinduism and a touch of whimsy, and the result is Buddha Park – a sprawling green space dotted with more than 200 concrete sculptures near Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. Hopping out of a minivan shared with French and Swiss travelers we’d met at Vientiane’s bus station, we expressed relief that we…
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Santorini Wine: From an Eruption to Effervescence
Each year, nearly half a million visitors flock to the striking island of Santorini. Many come to the legendary Greek island in search of black and red beaches, cool-blue infinity pools, and rugged cliffs speckled with whitewashed buildings. And many, I suspect, are unaware of the island’s intriguing and violent geological history, which shaped its tantalizing cuisine…
