From Vienna to Rome Via Zagreb

Author: Joseph

  • Romania: Icons

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    Joseph
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    Icons are everywhere in Romania, especially in the Orthodox and Uniate churches. Many are of what might be called a naïve, primitive style, but closer inspection reveals considerable sophistication. Unique to Romania are icons painted in reverse on glass (églomise), a process that produces particularly luminous icons. A museum in the village of Sibiel exhibits…

  • Romania: The Mountains

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    Joseph
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    Among my more vivid memories of Romania are the mountains. I hiked in the Carpathian Alps, and marveled at the Transylvanian countryside. My heart, however, was claimed by the beautiful rolling hills of the Bukovina, or Moldavia, in the northeast of the country. Life was slower, absolutely focused on farming in the Bukovina. A hike…

  • Romania: Bucharest

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    Joseph
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    We spent almost a week on our own at the beginning of the trip in Bucharest. The city, in spite of being a bit ragged and rough at the edges after years of Soviet domination, is a city of wonders and beauty. Small Orthodox churches, never empty, are scattered around the city, even in the…

  • Norway

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    Joseph
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    Our sibling trip just before the arrival of COVID was to Norway. My sisters and I, one niece and one brother-in-law met in Bergen where we spent a few days enjoying the city. We then boarded a Hurtigruten ship (a very comfortable mailboat), that made stops all along the coast from Bergen to Kirkeness on…

  • Norway, Northern Lights

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    Joseph
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    My sister Abby took most of these photos. Just when we thought we were going to miss the aurora borealis completely we had several nights of magnificent sightings.

  • Sicily, 2019

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    Joseph
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    There was expected disorder at the Catania airport as we searched for our rental car, but after directions from five or six people, we claimed the car and set off for Ragusa, a delightful city perched atop a steep hill. Ragusa, Modica and Noto were among beautiful cities we explored on Sicily’s western coast. Noto,…

  • Malta

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    Joseph
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    It was good to be back in Malta. My first trip was in the early 1990s, when I was on my way to Tunisia. Much has changed, as the island is more prosperous and certainly far busier. My hotel had two exposures (each with a balcony) looking over the Grand Harbour, site of the 1565…

  • England, Ely

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    Joseph
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    Ely is a charming, small cathedral town atop its hill in the midst of largely now-drained fens. I had expected a hill more like Mont St Michel, but was pleased to find a knoll instead, especially as the train station was at the foot of the hill. The present cathedral is the third on the…

  • Ronda and the White Cities, 2017

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    Joseph
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    To the east of Cadiz and Jerez are several small hilltowns, known as white cities for their whitewashed buildings. The best known city in the area is Ronda, which is also a center of bull fighting. Ronda must have one of the most extraordinary settings in all of Spain, high a top a plateau. On…

  • Granada, 2017

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    Joseph
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    Granada is best known for the Alhambra and Generalife, Moorish palaces and gardens from the 14th century. The two palaces, together with Charles V’s palace are atop a steep hill with the snow-capped Sierra Nevada in the background. Granada also houses royal tombs, including those of the Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, and Mad Queen…