War. What is it good for. Mostar Edition.

Any time we mentioned we were traveling to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the first question was always the same: “Isn’t that the place with the war?” Yes. But the war ended 30 years ago. It’s safe. Don’t worry! That answer was usually met with a head shake and a muttered comment […]

Bosnia and Herzegovina: One Country, Two Regions, Three Nations

What is a country? It’s a strange question, especially from someone who has traveled extensively.  But the answer is not quite as simple as a glance at a political map might suggest.  We have been to countries that no longer exist (Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, USSR), regions that used to be countries […]

Smuggling Molcajete

One of my most impractical dreams, born from years of travel, is this: I want to decorate each room in my house in the style of a different country.  The bedroom would be designed like a chamber in an Indian palace with ornate fabrics, carved wood, and a hint of […]

Dancing with Chinelos

The old, battered bus was bouncing on the road with dusty Mexican countryside rolling outside the window.  Google Maps on my phone was showing we were approaching our destination – Yautepec de Zaragoza.  Before the trip, I could not even imagine that we would be trying to get to this […]

Rioting in Cuernavaca

We were enjoying a quiet breakfast of an omelet and sopes on an outdoor patio, taking in the beautiful view of the central plaza. Like so many town squares in Mexico, it featured all the familiar elements: a park, a gazebo, a historic church, and the oversized colorful letters spelling […]

The Norwegian Grocery List

By Julia / October 2, 2024

As I mentioned in the previous post, restaurants in Norway are very expensive and Norwegians cook most meals at home.  We followed suit.  This meant a lot of grocery store trips to the point where we knew the standard Coop Prix and Bunnpris store layouts by heart.  In smaller towns […]

Norway: Table for Two, Please!

By Julia / September 19, 2024

Food has always been an essential part of travel for me.  I’ve always been an adventurous eater, from grubs to scorpions, cow brains, and alpaca.  Except for an occasional refusal to nibble on a fried guinea pig, I am usually game to try anything locals eat and always fully immerse […]

A Brown Slice of Heaven

By Victor / September 5, 2024

Remember last year we went to Türkiye and came back to write the entire post about leblebi – a Turkish snack that impressed us so much. On our trip to Norway this summer, something similar happened. And we are here to tell you about the most iconic Norwegian food item […]

Norway: It’s a Bad Day for a Hike

By Julia / August 29, 2024

Most of the hikes we did in Norway required almost zero planning.  Look up some good hikes in the area, take enough water and snacks to last the round-trip, wear weather-appropriate layers, and off you go!  The Besseggen hike in Jotunheimen was a notable exception to this rule.  It’s a […]

Norway:  It’s a Good Day for a Hike

By Julia / August 21, 2024

This is going to be our 25th post about hiking on this blog, and I don’t think we ever actually acknowledged or explained just how much we enjoy hiking or how much that influences our travel itineraries.  In fact, my own sister, to whom I talk multiple times a week, […]

Polar Plunge. Literally.

By Victor / August 15, 2024

As we moved through fjords, in many beautiful spots we saw one common type of construction – slick, modern, wooden containers, often with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the water.  Some were built on the bank of a fjord; others were floating on a jetty connected to the shore via a bridge.  […]

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