Tag Archives: travel
So much boot slapping, so many gorgeous clothes: traditional dance and music in Northern Transylvania
Remember that one day we were in Hoteni, way up North in Maramures, Transylvania in the midst of a spring festival dating back to the Roman era? That was a superlative day, a day we spent pressed up next to a small stage watching traditional Romanian music, dance and song. I attend a lot of […]
Want to travel cheap? Stay fit.
I think of budget travel as a sort of prolonged marathon. There’s the constant walking of course—hours and hours of walking and the occasional sprint brought on by a train delay. And the climbing. If you love medieval hill towns as much as I do you’re in for a lot of uphill climbs. (Pro tip: […]
The finest Romanesque mustaches are at Moissac Abbey
This church. The elegant forms. The fantastic creatures. The visionary composition. The mustaches. Moissac Abbey is one of the great Romanesque churches (and admittedly deserves much better photos than what we managed with our crappy camera). The South portal, created 1120 – 1135, and the tympanum are a masterful sculptural illustrations of the vision of […]
Taste of America: they love us for our canned frosting
Earlier this year we were in León, Spain and stumbled on this curiosity: Taste of America. Taste of America proudly proclaims to be “The Original American Supermarket” and, oh hey, we’re American. Naturally, we went inside. I know, I know, the anticipation is killing you, so let me get right to the point. What kinds of […]
The Allegory of Good and Bad Government: frescoes as political propaganda in Siena
Throughout Italy you’ll find almost all central town squares dominated by a church. Not Siena: its enchanting Piazza del Campo is presided over by Palazzo Publico, aka City Hall. Inside Palazzo Publico is another delightful surprise: secular frescoes. Ambrogio Lorenzetti painted The Allegory of Good and Bad Government frescoes inside the council chamber of Palazzo […]
Relaxing (and waxing) in Brasov
An important (and overlooked aspect) of itinerary planning is where to spend your jet lag day. You know, that time when you’ve crammed yourself into at least two flights, failed to sleep, eaten airplane dinners with weird meat and dubious gravy, gone way too long without showering or brushing your teeth and then—hooray!—all that’s over, […]
Do not wear a tube top when visiting Voroneț Monastery
Listen up people: the stunning Voroneţ Monastery was built in only three months and three weeks in the year of 1488. And if that wasn’t remarkable enough, it’s colorful exterior frescoes are magically well-preserved. This is a world famous UNESCO World Heritage Site and you absolutely should not visit while wearing a tube top and jeans shorts. SHOW SOME […]
Drinking Pálinka: how to find the moonshine makers of Northern Romania
They call it Pálinka, horinca, or brandy. I call it moonshine. Whatever you call it, people are making it all over Maramureș. Here’s how to find the hooch: first walk around until you smell wood smoke. Follow the smell to a house with a smoking chimney. Are there buckets of fermenting apples near the house’s […]
The spiritual warmth of Deseşti and the wooden churches of Maramureş
So I have this thing about sacred art and architecture. And in all my travels to see religious art in situ, I’ve never experienced sacred spaces as unique as the wooden Churches of Maramureş in Northern Transylvania. During 1000 or so years Hungarians ruled Maramureş, they forbid the Orthodox Romanians from building churches in stone. As a delightful result, a distinct style of […]
Sighișoara, Transylvania: Dracula font with a side of Dracula sauce
As a rabid fan of medieval hill towns, I was eagerly anticipating Sighișoara, whose 14th century citadel and historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sighișoara is pretty, with pastel-colored houses all nestled inside a ring of towers. But mostly, Sighișoara is a Dracula kitsch-encrusted tourist trap. Some Goth 23 year old graphic designer probably invented the Dracula font. Vlad is […]
