Nis, Serbia Aug 26, 2025 In early 1800s, the vast Ottoman Empire held large swathes of western Asia, southeastern Europe and northern Africa. The Serbians led by Stevan Sindelic rebelled in what is called the First Serbian Uprising. And it came to a head in the Battle of Cegar in 1809. Surrounded by Ottoman troops, … More Enemies Beware
Nis, Serbia Aug 25, 2025 In 272 CE, in the city of Naissus was born Constantine, the son of one Flavius Constantius. Constantine went on to become the sole ruler of the Roman empire from 306 to 337 CE. Named Constantine the Great, he was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity and is … More Constantine called it Home
Belgrade, Serbia Aug 21, 2025 Wandering out to see Belgrade, I head to the central area. Outside the engineering department of the university is a statue of Nikola Tesla, a famous son of Serbia. Down a busy thoroughfare I come to the Terzije Fountain and next to it is the famed Moskva Hotel. An iconic … More In the White City
Belgrade, Serbia Aug 19,2025 I had intended to end this summer’s trip in Finland and was supposed to fly back home from Helsinki. But this trip felt unfinished in a vague way; something was not quite what I’d expected although I would hard put to put a finger on exactly what. More than one person … More Not quiet on the Eastern Front
Tampere, Finland Aug 17, 2025 On a blustery rainy evening in Krakow some weeks ago, a few of us were sitting around the kitchen table in the hostel and trading tales. That is when I met her. Merve is irrepressible with the gift of making ordinary comments bounce with laughter. She is from Diyarbakir in … More You Must Come Visit
Suomenlinna, Finland Aug 15, 2025 The Helsinki harbor is dotted with many little islands, some inhabited, some too small to support more than a cabin for occasional use. The most famous of them are a group of six islands; on these was built a sea fortress called Sveaborg, or Sea Fortress. Begun in 1748, it … More Fortress at Sea
For the curious: I had wondered about the gargoyles in front of a building but nobody I asked knew what they were about. It was only when I met a Finnish traveler in Serbia that I learned what they depicted. These are characters from the Finnish epic poem Kalevala, compiled in the 19th century from … More Postscript to: In the Northern Reaches
Helsinki, Finland Aug 14, 2025 I had imagined a basic ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki. But this was no mere ferry, it was a huge ship. I have never been on a cruise ship but I imagine it must be similar to this. Multiple decks at multiple levels, cafes and restaurants and even duty-free shops … More In the Northern Reaches
Tallinn, Estonia Aug 12, 2025 They may sound like the lead characters of a fairytale, but they are actually the names of a pair of defense towers. Twenty-six towers once studded the encircling wall of Vanalinn old town. Today we know the town as Tallinn. Heavily bombed in March of 1944, much of the walls, … More Fat Margaret & Tall Hermann
Riga, Latvia Aug 9, 2025 A row of what looks like airplane hangars lines the edge of the canal next to the bus station. It is the Central Market. It spills outside with the stalls lined in regimented order, segregated by category. It is very much like Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent or for that matter, … More Smoked Fish Anyone?
ITCHY FEET TRAVELS 