Category: Travel
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A castle fit for the movies – Corvin Castle, Romania
As we approached the castle in our dusty station wagon, we were put off by the factories, smoke stacks and large quarry that enveloped this historic oasis. This was no Burg Eltz, tucked between forested hills on a remote outpost. Then, as we walked toward the gates, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. To…
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Mahango Crackers and cooking like an expatriate
My mom started a blog not too long ago. My parents live in Namibia, Africa, where, among other things, my mom has the opportunity to experiment with new ingredients. Today she wrote about one of those exploits, providing insight not only into what’s available in Namibia, but the thought process a person goes through when…
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Gunshots, and other surprising signs of spring
Pop. . . pop, pop. I lifted my head and listened closely. Gunfire? Was someone prepping their BB gun to deter crows and pests from their vegetable patch? Unlikely, but it sure sounded like it. Slowly lifting my eyes over the fence I saw a man with a very long rod beating his vast area…
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Romania’s gold
I thought they were jars of oil. Gold and amber, glistening in the sun on roadside stands, I didn’t cross my mind that those stacks of jars were honey. Then we were gifted several jars shortly after our arrival. I also started noticing boxes of hives in backyards, in fields, on trailers – everywhere. When we…
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February in Eastern Europe
This month we crossed the Danube River by ferry and spent a weekend in beautiful Sofia, Bulgaria. February is still technically winter, but most Europeans will attest that this winter has been extremely mild. February ushered in an early spring. When we visited Bulgaria, the snow was gone and the breeze was warm. But…
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Traveling with TCKs
While living in Europe, we’re taking advantage of cheap (like, $40 roundtrip tickets, with half-price for kids! Thank you RyanAir) airlines to reconnect with friends and family scattered across the continent. The travel also reveals the third-culture kid (TCK) tendencies of my children. I don’t often write about TCKness, but I am a TCK and…
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Hercule’s Bath – Baile Herculane, Romania
According to the most reputable legends, Hercules stopped in the Cerna Valley in southwest Romania to bathe in the hot springs and take a much-needed vacation from his exploits. During the Roman period in Dacia, Baile Herculane was a leisure spa town renowned throughout the Empire. Today, vestiges of its 19th century glory days…
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The Flower Fork and other lessons from 2015
A year is a long time. I don’t remember many details from the first few months of the year, much less details of life last month. I offer this short list as a sampling of things I remember that have made an impression on me this year, things that have instructed or informed my opinions,…
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The Christmas Pig
One of the most traditional events around Christmastime in Romania is the slaughtering of the pig. Ask nearly any Romanian what Christmas means to them and the killing of the pig, a family affair, is almost always mentioned. Santa Claus and presents are high at the top of the list, the birth of Jesus might be…
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Curating Legacy in Paphos, Cyprus
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…
will travel with kids 