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Chernobyl: 2012
Chernobyl has been getting a lot of attention lately after HBO’s excellent miniseries on the 1986 disaster that occurred here. (If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend that you take a look.) During the …
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Canceling Cambellotti
One of the most beautiful buildings in Bari is undoubtedly the Palazzo dell’Acquedotto (Palace of the Aqueduct). It’s rather unassuming façade masks a nearly unaltered interior entirely decorated in what the Italians call stile Liberty, …
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Why Italian Food Sucks
Back in 1999, I took my first trip to Italy. I was dazzled by the ancient ruins, the magnificent cathedrals, and, of course, the food. It seemed no matter where I sat down, a good …
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Ferry Schedule: Thessaloniki to Peraia and Neoi Epivates
Thessaloniki has a beautiful waterfront but nowhere to swim. However, just across the Thermaic Gulf are the beach communities of Peraia and Neoi Epivates, popular with locals and foreigners alike. It’s not Halkidiki, but nice …
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Tradition and Modernity in Mauritania: The Sands under the Sea
Part four of a four-part series. For part three click here Change comes by way of water. Rivers, lakes, and seas are the great highways of the world. Almost every country on earth is in …
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Tradition and Modernity in Mauritania: The Black Sands
Part three of a four-part series. For part two click here Approximately two hundred kilometers to the north of the Terjit oasis lies Choum, a dusty road stop of mud brick blocks near the border …
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Tradition and Modernity in Mauritania: The Sands of the Oasis
Part two of a four-part series. For part one click here For centuries, the oasis has sustained existence in the desert. These precious pools of water, which seem to bubble up from nowhere, are nothing …
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Tradition and Modernity in Mauritania: The Sands of Change
Part one of a four part series exploring Mauritania’s evolving culture in the face of an encroaching modern world.
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Betel, Tobacco, and Pickled Tea, or: How I learned to Speak Burmese without Saying Very Much (Part III of III)
I awoke to a sharp jolt as the ferry banged against the dock. It was still dark, but most of the passengers were already up. Thet and Khin Myat were busy packing their belongings. I …
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Betel, Tobacco, and Pickled Tea, or: How I learned to Speak Burmese without Saying Very Much (Part II of III)
The first thing I noticed, when my eyes had adjusted to the dim light, was that there was just about as much activity on board the boat as ashore. A varied collection of goods were …