A distant dyke collapsed and flooded the city of Szeged back on March 12, 1879, a town set up in southeastern Hungary. Ruining much of the city, Szeged received the help of its neighboring European countries to rebuild, redesign and resolve after such devastation. And like Szeged’s great flood, I was forced to resolve to change my plans to explore Romania. It just so happens Eastern Europe decided to freeze over for my visit. Szeged is mostly known for being a university town peppered with paprika and salami. The two edibles are praised in Szeged. And like most of my Eastern European trip Continue Reading
The Tale of Two Accommodations in Croatia
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us…” –Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities It was the best of times, and yet the worst of times so far on my European trip. I faced the simple spring of hospitality from a hotel and the winter coldness of another. My intuition tends to cry out to me Continue Reading
Suzy Stumbles Over Travel: Week of January 30, 2012
From a freezing Munich, I bring you this week’s Suzy Stumbles Over Travel. Each week, I ask writers and readers to submit their favorite travel posts of the week. I read each submission, comment, post the article to my Twitter, stumble the piece using Stumbleupon and place a link to the article on my Facebook page. The following week, I select my five favorite submissions to be featured here and the stumbling begins again into the next week. Just a few things to keep in mind, please only submit one post per person each week. Your submission must be travel related. Leave your submission in Continue Reading
Trim, Ireland Wishes You Were Here
When I reach the last few days of a trip, I tend to look at these remaining destinations with finality. On my way to the Dublin Airport, I decided to spend that finality in Trim, a place where many spent their own end. The small town just west of Ireland’s capital used to be a major player in the middle ages. Elizabeth I even considered placing Trinity College here. Home to the county jail, ironically Trim was where you could say the herds were also trimmed and thinned. I check into my hotel just across from the Trim Castle, obviously the showpiece to this now snoozing town. The Castle Continue Reading
This Time I Will Be Organized: Avoiding Last Minute Pre-Travel Chaos
The night before I leave on a big trip, or any trip for that matter, is usually a chaotic scene. I prioritize poorly. I start deep cleaning my apartment before I have even decided what to pack. I commence painting my nails in a hurried fashion, only to have them look like the work of a person blindfolded. And yet, every time I schedule new travel plans I always promise myself, “This time, I will be organized”. While traveling is an exciting experience, it can be a stressful one before departure. I usually have a million and one things to accomplish, things I put off for more impractical tasks Continue Reading
Suzy Stumbles Over Travel: Week of January 23, 2012
As I attempt to figure out how to pack enough winter clothes for two weeks in Europe into one bag, I bring you this week’s Suzy Stumbles Over Travel. In case you are new to this site, each week I ask writers and readers to submit their favorite travel posts of the week. I read each submission, comment on the piece, stumble the article using Stumbleupon, tweet the article on Twitter and place a link to the post on my Facebook page. The following week I select my five favorites to be featured here and the stumbling begins again into the next week. Just a few things to keep in mind, please Continue Reading
Vicksburg, Mississippi Wishes You Were Here
In the late afternoon light of Mississippi, an eerie silence takes hold of a tragic and yet beautiful piece of land. Set up in the northeastern portion of Vicksburg is the Vicksburg National Military Park, where in large part the north won the south during the Civil War. The 16-mile driving tour of the park follows Union and Confederate siege lines. The Siege of Vicksburg ended on July 4, 1863, after well over 40 days of battle. Those battles would later lend the Union forces control of the Mississippi River south to New Orleans, cutting the Confederacy in two. No wonder President Abraham Continue Reading