Is Istanbul Now More Expensive Than Dubai for Tourists?
In August, we spent a week in Istanbul meeting with my family, and the city once again left us speechless. But this time, it was not for the reason you might expect. I could write about incredible sites or delicious food (of which Istanbul has plenty), but, as a travel […]
What Else Is on the Menu? Bosnian Edition
Where in the world could you walk into a sweet shop and find a blonde, blue-eyed girl selling Turkish delights to a family from Istanbul? Where could you see Omani tourists admiring “oriental rugs” while a Slavic shopkeeper explains their designs and the centuries-old story of his family business? And […]
Don’t Call It a Burek!
I am a simple person. I see a bakery, I go inside a bakery. Or at the very least, I stare at the goods in the window display like a hungry orphan from a Dickens novel. A cup of coffee and a baked good is our usual go-to lunch while […]
Sarajevo: From Olympic City to Besieged City
My mom rocks me gently in her arms. I’ve just turned one and stare at her with my big green eyes. She watches me lovingly but occasionally glances at the black-and-white TV in our living room. The TV broadcast shows snow-capped mountains, the open-air stadium, and cheering spectators. She would […]
With Love… To Sarajevo
I have never felt more lost in history and geography than on the streets of Sarajevo. Within the same block, there would be an old mosque, a Catholic church, an Orthodox church, and a synagogue thrown in for good measure. Strolling down Ferhadija Street, we would pass Viennese Secessionist buildings […]
Portugal: And This Is Why We Don’t Drink
We rarely drink alcohol. Julia claims that she is too much fun as-is and that alcohol would be wasted on her. I simply like to keep my head clear and maintain a healthy lifestyle. When we are in the U.S., we don’t drink at all. But when we travel, we […]
The Places We Go and The Places We Stay
If I ever decide to run for a political office, I will take an unconventional step of having Airbnb provide my character references. A quick glance at our Airbnb guest review page will quickly demonstrate what an honest, punctual, clean, quiet, and non-intrusive person I am. It really sounds like […]
A Night in the Cemetery – Picnic with Ghosts in San Andres Mixquic, Mexico
Continuing from the previous post: Day of the Dead in Mexico – This is not Disney’s Coco. After the Day of the Dead parade was over, we grabbed a few tortas and coffee at a local restaurant to warm up. It was 5 pm, and the weather was turning again […]
Day of the Dead in Mexico – This is Not Disney’s Coco
We had conversations for years about visiting Mexico on the Day of the Dead (Dia de Los Muertos) but wanted to wait until celebrations fell on the weekend. Finally, in early 2019, we bought tickets to Morelia and excitedly started planning the trip. Around Lake Patzcuaro, an hour from Morelia, […]
Tombstone Tourism
A cemetery is not something you travel to another country to see. Not usually, anyway. Maybe you stop by for an hour or two to stand at a grave of a long-dead celebrity, pay respect to fallen American soldiers of WWII as we did in Normandy, or explore a beautiful […]
Sardines and Egg Custard Tarts – The Overlooked Cuisine of Portugal
We are standing in a giant store where every wall is covered with floor-to-ceiling shelves, displaying thousands of cans of sardines. “Is this… a sardines store?” Julia asks no one in particular. Her question echoes off endlessly stacked sardine cans and down the airport hallway. We had arrived on an […]