I have mental snapshots and memories of the main house on the family compound. We were living with a Kipsigis family on their rural Kenyan land, surrounded by rolling hills, grazing cows, and red dirt. In this main building, we shared meals around a long table and the boys slept in the corner, having given… Read More George H. W. Bush, from a dung floor under a tin roof in Chebitet, Kenya
The road was average, until the part funded by the EU began. For now, that’s how you know where to turn to reach the Roman fortress of Sucidava – the turnoff road from the main road is paved with a new concrete curb and a surprising sidewalk (not common in these parts). If you drive… Read More The superlative fortress of Sucidava – Corabia, Romania
I spent several days with a friend in Paphos, Cyprus last week. Passionate about people and cultures and how God’s glory is manifest in diverse ways through them, we determined to visit the small Cyprus Ethnographical Museum. We walked by columned government buildings and museums to the aging facade of a large residence, iron gates… Read More Curating Legacy in Paphos, Cyprus
Western Europe does not hold a monopoly on enchanting castles. Romania holds its own when it comes to the influence of monarchs and their illustrious abodes. In May of 1866, at a time of great tension in western Europe wherein Austria and Prussia were on the brink of war, the German Karl von Hohenzollern crossed… Read More Peleș Castle, Sinaia, Romania
In a remote corner of northern Romania, a mile from the border of Ukraine, sits a modest blue home at the intersection of two city streets. A small plaque memorializes this abode, the house whence Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel and his family were deported during World War II. The home, which is now a museum, supposedly… Read More Memorializing the Night – Elie Wiesel’s boyhood home in Sighetu, Romania
“. . . And please be respectful. There are always families here.” The security guard, a former Marine, was absolutely serious as we exited the screening room. We watched the 9/11 Memorial and Museum introduction video in a hall filled with non-English speakers. Maybe they were new Americans. Maybe not. My guess is mostly they… Read More 9/11 Memorial and Museum in NYC – a hot tourist spot for foreigners
On 31 October 1517, one man took a single brave action and changed the course of western civilization. After a series of significant events and after careful study of the Bible, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. The wooden entrance of that church has since been replaced… Read More October 31 – Halloween pales in comparison
