Dog Days of Summer in Europe
Substacking Frequency, Beating the Heat
The Neighbor's Goat: An American in Romania
An American writer living in Romania posts weekly stories on life, culture and travel from a largely undiscovered and misunderstood corner of Europe.
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Ode to Transylvanian Summer, Sans Dracula
A video popped up this week in my Instagram feed from an American vlogger who was wandering through Brașov, Romania, a picturesque city that I know fairly well, spouting off:
Corn Puffs and Communist Nostalgia
Like most of Eastern Europe, communism in Romania ended in 1989.
Cyprus: Beach Volleyball, Friendships and Geopolitics
I scanned the empty horizon of the azure Mediterranean, interrupted momentarily as a small pleasure boat whizzed along the placid waters.
Write the World: Reflections on Judging a Teenage Writing Competition
I read with intensity as each teenager took me on a journey, revealing raw feelings, unpacking soulful reflections and exposing literal and figurative wounds.
Summer’s Coming in Hot, Romanian Tomatoes and Romanians’ Feedback – Rambling in Return
Romanians insist that summer begins every year on June 1, which is also a national holiday for International Children’s Day, as they follow the meteorological calendar, separating each season into a neat package of three months.
Rewilding Bison and Restoring Pride in Romania
A few months ago, a magazine editor in Copenhagen, Denmark, contacted me to see if I was interested in writing about the reintroduction of European bison in the Southern Carpathians mountain range of Romania.
Romania in June: “Life is a Bowl of Cherries” After All
Meeting a friend for coffee this week in Timișoara, Romania, I noticed the next table.
Not “The Pitt” but Pitt in Romania
American college students who partake in a study abroad program – if they have such an opportunity – usually go to Italy, Spain or the United Kingdom.
Romanians Are Winning, Despite It All
Romania has been on a roll.
$108 million: Brâncuși Gets the Last Laugh
Headlines screamed: $107.6 million, the second-most expensive sculpture in history.
Taste of Transylvania: Three Americans, Three Days
I’ve been on the road again in Romania, but this time playing tour guide.
Sunday Strolling in Romania
Sundays are sacred in Romania.
Musical Memories on a Hungarian Highway
I was on my second short podcast when I neared the Romanian-Hungarian border, just over an hour after leaving my house.
Bloodwork in a Palace: Feeling Foreign, Bracing for Ro-ti-tude
Yesterday morning, after walking my son to his elementary school, I continued on to a medical laboratory for routine bloodwork, a list from my family doctor in hand.
Staying at the Gate
Romania’s Village Tradition
Tale of Two Easters
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday here in Romania.
Boys’ Night Out: Immersed in Monet and Matisse
Monet and Matisse caught my eye on the invitation.
Spring’s Sakura: Pink Tunnel of Love
When I hear “Tunnel of Love,” I immediately think of the classic ’80s songs by Dire Straits and Bruce Springsteen.
Beautiful, Bustling Budapest
Last Sunday afternoon, dueling political protests on a national holiday saw hundreds of thousands of people filling the streets of Budapest, Hungary, ahead of the country’s polarizing parliamentary elections in April.