The Fortified Churches of Transylvania, Romania
If you’re looking for pure beauty, as we often are when we go out of our way to see churches, the so-called Fortified Churches of Transylvania are probably not it. … Read more
Tom Bartel
St. Paul’s Shipwreck Church, Valletta, Malta
We arrived in Malta in our usual fashion–which basically amounts to putting pin in a map and saying, “Let’s go there.” Honestly, it’s usually not any more sophisticated than that. … Read more
National Village Museum, Bucharest, Romania
One of the best things about the Viking River Cruises we’ve taken are the tours organized by Viking at the various stops. One of the best was of the National … Read more
Our 2015 Travels in 50 Photos
I said the same thing last year, but 2015 was our biggest year in travel yet. Four continents and 16 countries, about 75 cities, 11 United States National Parks, and … Read more
St. Stephen’s Basilica, Budapest
While I was wandering around St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest, I found myself thinking of that distinction that some people make between “tourist” and “traveler.” Google it sometime and you’ll … Read more
The Hungarian Parliament Building, Budapest
As Kris and I were walking around Budapest last night we were talking about this city and realizing that it was really growing on us. We’re getting familiar with it … Read more
The Old Bridge, Heidelberg, Germany
Since we’ve been in Germany, the weather has been uniformly dreary. But at least this morning, instead of just dull overcast, we had fog in Heidelberg. So, I grabbed the … Read more
The Windows of the Regensburg Cathedral
The windows of the remarkable Gothic cathedral at Regensburg, Germany are a wonderful mix of 13th and 14th Century work, combined with some from the 19th Century and even some … Read more
A Very Brief Visit to Belgrade, Serbia
The short visit to Belgrade, Serbia, as part of our Viking River Cruise, was a bit unsatisfying. To get to the bottom of Belgrade, one would need a lot more … Read more
My 10 Rules for Driving in Romania
I have driven is many countries. And there are many I would never drive in. And then there’s driving in Romania. It’s so wacky, it’s even a little funny.