We were an hour outside of Budapest without having seen the first thing of interest when the train broke down. Initially, we assumed it was a planned stop perhaps a bit longer than usual. Our hopes evaporated when a woman… Read More ›
Central/Eastern Europe
Zagreb
As the sun set, I waited on St. Mark’s square in the medieval old city of Zagreb. Lamps on the streets leading to the square glowed. But on the square itself, the lamps remained extinguished since the morning’s dawn. The… Read More ›
Vac, Hungary: The lesser known Danube Bend town
The Danube Bend is the area north of Budapest where the Danube River jogs abruptly left making a 90 degree turn as it heads west to Bratislava and Vienna. Most tourists stay on the hilly Buda side of the river… Read More ›
A weekend at the spa in Piestany, Slovakia
“Your medical consultation is at five.” I dreaded this part, but it was a prerequisite to the treatments at the Thermia Palace spa.. “Thanks, that’s perfect.”. Besides, a quick blood pressure check seemed a good idea after 18 months of eastern European fried… Read More ›
Taking the water cure…
Water treatments are scattered in my literary memory. My Austrian babysitter read to me from Heidi. In the opening pages, Heidi’s Aunt Dete takes a job in the baths leaving Heidi to live with grandfather in the Swiss alps. Heidi’s invalid friend, Clara, visits… Read More ›
The World In Between 