Tag: travel
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The Roses of Bulgaria
In May and June, residents of Bulgaria’s Rose Valley harvest the area’s roses, filling baskets with magnificent pink and red petals, which are then distilled and turned into rose oil for the cosmetic industry. Bulgaria produces the bulk of the world’s supply. When you consider that it takes approximately 2,000 to 4,000 kgs. (4,000 – 8,000 pounds) of rose…
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Hvar Island: A Croatian Odyssey of Music, History & Wine
The Croatian island of Hvar is renowned for its 2,800 hours of sunshine, deep-blue water, luxury yachts, and summertime nightlife. When we visited there during an early-spring weekend, however, Shawn and I encountered something quite different from the Hvar of postcards: refreshing rain showers, landscapes that appeared to be wearing a sepia filter because of clouds…
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Where Tempranillo & Tradition Meet: A Wine Tour of Rioja Alavesa, Spain
As we motored through the Rioja Alavesa wine country in northern Spain, a golden landscape dotted with hilltop monasteries, sweeping vineyards, and walled towns with window boxes overflowing with red geraniums, I reflected on what we had absorbed that day. In a region famed for wine we’d enjoyed much wonderful vino, of course, but we also…
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The National Revival Architecture of Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Along Plovdiv’s winding, cobblestone lanes you’ll encounter fine, jewel-toned homes epitomizing Bulgaria’s National Revival architectural style. These mansions are decorated with stained-wooden shutters and trim. The buildings are also embellished with flourishes that depict peacocks, flowing ribbons, and flowers.
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Basking in Bilbao’s Renaissance: A Walking Tour of the Basque City
As we passed Bilbao’s state-of-the art structures, juxtaposed with timeless buildings flashing Old World flair, I had a hard time imagining what the Basque Country’s largest city was like before the Guggenheim Museum sparked its economic renaissance in the late 1990s. Still new to Bilbao, I was also fascinated with what constituted a Basque identity – what makes the Basque people unique from others in Spain.…
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Something Abuzz About Belgrade: Things to Do in Serbia’s Capital
Belgrade. It’s an old city with a new vibe, and as we discovered during a whirlwind two days there, it is abuzz with creative energy, innovation, and tradition. In one corner of town a woman wearing a babushka-style scarf sells lavender, white and cranberry-colored flowers at a market, alongside vendors peddling a bounty of cherries, strawberries, and…
