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Hiking to Greece’s Majestic Meteora Monasteries
The monasteries of Meteora, Greece offer an impressive blend of natural and human-made beauty. Incredibly, some of these Eastern-Orthodox monasteries have crowned the tops of Meteora’s otherworldly rock formations for more than 700 years. Monks who were trying to escape persecution originally built 24 monasteries in this part of central Greece. Over the centuries, weather…
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Photo du Jour: A Rock Climber Conquers Adrachti, in Meteora, Greece
“It’s not just a question of conquering a summit previously unknown, but of tracing, step by step, a new pathway to it.” Gustav Mahler Look carefully at the top of this dramatic, finger-like rock formation, and you’ll see a tiny human silhouette.
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Mingling Over Macedonian Wines: A Wine Tasting & Lecture in Skopje
North Macedonia’s legacy of winemaking goes back to the 13th Century BCE, and today the southeast European nation’s industry is witnessing a rebirth. On our first night in the country’s capital, Skopje, we were lucky to be taken under the wing of Ivana Simjanovska, one of the country’s foremost wine experts, as we attended a wine…
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Honoring the “Greatest Generation” at D-Day Commemorations in Normandy
Today, we commemorated the 69th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. In the village of Arromanches, we met a witty British veteran in his nineties with a love of Louis Armstrong and the foxtrot. He was an extraordinary conversationalist. On this day designated to pay tribute to him, he took time to ask questions…
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The Perfect Skopje Excursion: Exploring North Macedonia’s Matka Canyon
Though I love the energy and cultural offerings characteristic of large cities, I’m most at home in natural settings. During my childhood, I’d go “on safari” in my backyard, passing away hours hiking and hunting for fossils and critters. It comes as no surprise, then, that during our travels to North Macedonia’s capital city, Skopje, I…
