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
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
ITCHY FEET TRAVELS 