Georgian Food on My Mind
“You must be happy when making dough,” said Levon. “That’s the most important part of Georgian cooking. Your happiness will seep into the dough and make it delicious. An unhappy person cannot make authentic khachapuri or khinkali.” We were in a small restaurant in Kakheti, the type of place where […]
Georgia the Country, Not the State
There are a lot of things in this world I do not understand and probably never will. One of the most confusing concepts for me is why, how, and what is going on with Georgia not being on every “You Need to Get Your Butt to This Country ASAP” list […]
I Fell in Love With a Dog in Tbilisi
Someone once asked me what was the most romantic, poignant, heartbreaking thing that happened in all my travels. I told them the truth – once upon a time, I fell in love with a dog in Tbilisi. I was sitting on a bench, and she walked up to me, large […]
Following the Musical Trail (U.S. South)
When we travel, we rarely have a “theme” for our trips. Usually, we simply show up in a country or region and explore everything it has to offer. But in summer 2008, we drove through three southern U.S. states (Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana), exploring sites associated with rock-n-roll, blues, and […]
Wallonia: Discovering Undiscovered Belgium
We love Belgium! Despite its tiny size, the country packs a lot, and spending eight days there was barely enough to scratch the surface. Roughly the size of Maryland, Belgium has three very distinct regions: Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north, French-speaking Wallonia in the south, and the capital city of […]
Poland: Blast From My Soviet Past
Please start with Part I of My Solo Polish Travels Here When Belarus very unceremoniously refused me entry, I thought my memory trip back to the U.S.S.R. was over. As strange as it might seem, I was actually looking forward to rude serving staff, late buses, and angry janitorial staff […]
