Travels with Tricia

Category: Travelogues

  • Escaping to Marjan Hill, the ‘Lungs of Split’ Croatia

    Marjan Forest Park is often referred to as the “lungs of Split, Croatia.” The park’s pine forest exhales fresh oxygen into the nearby city — which is removed, but within walking distance. Marjan (or Marjan-Park Šuma, in Croatian) has been a popular recreation spot since at least the 3rd century. Back then, Roman Emperor Diocletian (who had…

  • The Women's Lido building overlooks Lake Palic, in northern Serbia.

    Paddleboating & Promenading at Lake Palić, Serbia

    Passing through Palić’s Great Park entrance, a heavily-carved wooden arch that resembled reddish-brown lacework, I couldn’t help but imagine who had strolled through the gates a century earlier when this part of northern Serbia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. We continued along on a sidewalk that was covered by a thick canopy of handsome old trees, our…

  • The Art Nouveau Treasures of Subotica, Serbia

    Situated in northern Serbia, the city of Subotica is like a treasure box overflowing with Art Nouveau gems. Most of the buildings were constructed in the early 20th Century, when Serbia and neighboring Hungary were part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. Designers incorporated whimsical details, colorful flourishes, and folk art into Subotica’s City Hall, Synagogue, private homes,…

  • Amore for Amarone: A Springtime Wine Tasting in Valpolicella, Italy

    Among the verdant, rolling hills of Italy’s Valpolicella region near Verona, winemakers have been turning out wine since ancient Greek times. Once we’d soaked up Verona’s architectural splendor, and had seen Verona’s Arena and Juliet’s Balcony, we traded city life in fair Verona for a wine-tasting excursion in the countryside, replete with the region’s famed Amarone and Valpolicella wine. Our escape took us to the…

  • A chef, wearing a green hat and uniform, holds a tray of bright yellow souffles, preparing to put them in an oven.

    Mouth-Watering Modena: A Cooking Class in Italy

    “Secrets, especially with cooking, are best shared so that the cuisine lives on.” Bo Songvisava Having just thrown back a rich shot of espresso, we slipped into black ‘Chef for a Day’ aprons. Our cooking class in Modena, Italy had officially begun. In strolled our instructor, Chef Massimiliano ‘Max’ Telloli of the Osteria Stallo del Pomodoro…

  • Savoring the Moments in Modena, Italy

     “We do not remember days, we remember moments.” Cesare Pavese As we strolled the cobbled streets of Modena, Italy, surrounded by the graceful city’s earth-toned buildings, we couldn’t help but feel that we were back in a part of the world that doesn’t often see visitors. The portico-packed, elegant lanes were decidedly Italian in architectural character, but…