Articles of our fall 2018 trip to Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, the Czech Republic, ending in Germany.
“Is the water safe to drink?” That’s one of the first questions I ask the Internet when I investigate a country to visit. I am very sensitive to microbes in water, getting the runs and vomiting even with the “filtered water” available in quality eco-resorts. For me, bottled water is
My Romania Travel Blog describes the thrill of our visit to Romania on an eleven day tour in September 2018, as the lead-in and most anticipated part of our extended thirty-three day trip around Eastern Europe. Of all the countries in Eastern Europe, Romania attracted me the most, and we
In planning a trip to a new country, I often start by searching for trips offered by local travel agencies, even if we aren’t intending on being accompanied. What sights do the locals want to show off? What sights do they find people want to see? If I search in
My husband, Greg, is always on the look-out for Diet Dr. Pepper wherever we travel. If it is possible to bring an extra suitcase, as was the situation going to Tanzania on KLM, Albania on Turkish Air, Bangkok on Qatar Airways, he brings his Diet Dr. Pepper with him, in
Tucked in Northern Transylvania up at the Ukrainian border, Maramures is a primarily agricultural county famous for its wooden churches, wooden gates, tiled facades and, dare I say, haystacks. I’d seen a couple of pictures of these wooden churches on the travel agency’s website and thought, “Oh, these are nice,
To most people, crossing the mountains in good weather, in a car, is a spectacular experience. Mountains imply beautiful vistas and unique scenery. The Carpathians are particularly scenic, with the Romanian farmhouses and haystacks dotting the folds of the landscape. Unfortunately for me, mountains mean nausea. I have been able
I’m anxious to tell you about, and show you pictures of, the amazing painted monasteries of Bucovina, however I first have to introduce you to the awesome Folk Traditions Museum. There are times when traveling on a planned itinerary (not a group trip mind you!) but a trip where the
UNESCO has declared these monasteries World Heritage Sites, and we could see why! We spent a day driving a circular route out of Gura Humorului (say that five times fast, or anything Romanian for that matter!), and visited four of these amazing buildings in one day: Voronet, Moldovita, Sucevita and
As I wrote earlier, I was fascinated by the shape of the haystacks in Maramures. But in Maramures those haystacks stayed put, at least in daylight hours! They didn’t wander around, like the haystacks in Bucovina, Romania. Check this one out: I’m not sure whether the matter of one day
After we left the Voronet Monastery, we headed out to Moldovita, but in the process we passed several modern churches. It was amazing to me that the tradition of painting monasteries carries on today in such a flamboyant way. In many cultures today, the church buildings are decaying, churches are
We had started our day around 9am, visited Voronet Monastery, the Folk Heritage Museum, Moldovita Monastery and traveled forty minutes over the mountain to Sucevita, all before noon. Both Voronet and Moldovita are both excellent in the morning sun. The sun shines directly on its most preserved frescoes. The drive
Our last monastery of the day was Humor Monastery, just north of Gura Humorului. I can definitely say that the monastery is NOT photogenic later in the afternoon. While the weather continued to be superb, and the blue skies never waivered, the sun’s rays raked through the tall trees and
Subtitle: It’s all Greg’s fault Subtitle: I should have prepared better for carsickness Subtitle: There had to have been an easier way to get from Point A to Point B How many subtitles can I create for this day? If you look at Google maps for this day’s travel, you
Cobblestone streets, tall and narrow townhouses, winding alleyways, Sighisoara has it all, including the imposing and mysterious city hall with its clock tower.
As always, dawn brings a new day, and in Sighisoara, with the bright blue skies, we felt ever so much better than the previous evening. Next on our tour agenda was the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler.
While staying in Sighisoara, Romania, we took a day trip out into the Transylvania countryside to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site Biertan Fortified Church. Why are they UNESCO World Heritage Sites and why would I travel to visit them?
The Gypsies, or Roma as they are generally called, are the second largest minority in Romania, and the relationship of majority to minority is a fascinating one. I can’t pretend to be an authority on their history or current culture, but on our Compass Travel Romanian tour, we got an
We headed off south from Sighasoara towards Brasov, the home of Bran Castle – Dracula’s Castle. However, on the way we passed a hilltop fort, Cetatea Rupea. “Would you like to visit?” asked Iulian. Would we like to visit a fort? Of course Greg wanted to visit a fort. And
It was at Bran Castle, near the end of our trip, that I fully appreciated the itinerary which Compass Travel had created, and which I had chosen. Bran Castle was a mob scene. We had previously bee-bopped around the countryside seeing all sorts of beautiful and unique sites. Granted, there
Following our exhausting visit to Bran Castle, we headed to Brasov, which would be our final city in this fantastic 11-day circuit of Romania. Located only thirty minutes from Bran Castle, it took us twice as long as it should have on this sunny Sunday in September. Say that three
Hello, my name is Wendy Kirkwood Powers and this is my travel blog with travel tips and travel stories for diabetics and non-diabetics alike. |
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I am a type 1 diabetic, and have been for fifty-three years. From Antarctica to Svalbard, Australia to Africa, I’ve visited every continent. With my husband Greg, I have been on safari to Africa, wandered among the blue boobies in the Galapagos, slogged through jungle mud in Laos, and he has even chased an ocelot in Costa Rica (with his camera!) Our travel has taken careful planning, and constant attention to what is most important. I want to give you the inspiration and travel tips to enable you also to look beyond your own personal challenges, to not hide behind those words “I could never” and to see the world. |
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Scotland Sand and Sea - an unusual view of the Islands and Highlands of Scotland in paperback and Kindle from Amazon |
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Antarctica: Voyage Beyond the End of the World Glimpses of penguins, seals, whales and ice collide with fragments of shipboard life and cold feet. in paperback and Kindle from Amazon |
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Amazon - The River Grows on You - My top three Amazon experiences? The amazing mud cliffs and boats along the huge Amazon ... in paperback from Amazon |
