Trenčín (TRENCH-een) was one of the neatest little discoveries I ever made in my travels (this was true when I originally wrote this blog post in 2001 and remains true as of the 2017 update). This pristine little Slovakian town…
Slovenia
The Yahoo! Travel site once describe Slovenia as the darling of Yugoslavia that got away. Slovenia was the first country to declare independence from Yugoslavia after the Cold War, and was fortunate only to have fought a ten-day limited conflict, as…
Bled, Slovenia
The Julian Alps dominate the northern half of Slovenia. It is a region loaded with mountains, rivers, and lakes — breathtaking scenery. Compared with other Alpine locales, Slovenia is less renowned and less expensive, though word is spreading rapidly. With the…
Lesce, Slovenia
It is tempting to hit Slovenia’s main attractions, like Ljubljana, Bled, the Školjan Caves, or Koper. But in doing so, one might miss the flavor of the beauty of the rest of Slovenia… found in the simpler environment of a small town. …
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Ljubljana (lyoo-blee-YANN-uh, also loo- or lib-) has been around since ancient times — first as the Roman city of Emona over 3000 years ago. Situated around a tight bend in the Ljubljanica River and near its junction with the Sava,…
World Cup 2002 Qualifying Playoff — Slovenia vs. Romania, played in Ljubljana
Nearly all travelers have experiences that stand out among all others as a favorite. Mine seems to change each time I go somewhere new, but the opportunity to be present as a new country achieved its first-ever World Cup Soccer…
Salzburg, Austria — Part 4 (Schloss Mirabell and Environs)
Salzburg, Austria — Hohensalzburg | Altstadt (Old City) | Kapuzinerberg | Schloss Mirabell This final chapter of the Salzburg travelogue is writen about a part of the city I completely overlooked in my winter 2002 trip because little was going on. The north-central part of the city,…
Salzburg, Austria — Part 3 (Kapuzinerberg)
Salzburg, Austria — Hohensalzburg | Altstadt (Old City) | Kapuzinerberg | Schloss Mirabell While the Old City and Hohensalzburg Castle were year-round destinations, there were a number of places off the north bank of the Salzburg River that beckoned to be visited. In 2002, as I made my way through the…
Salzburg, Austria — Part 2 (Altstadt or Old City)
Salzburg, Austria — Hohensalzburg | Altstadt (Old City) | Kapuzinerberg | Schloss Mirabell My wife and I purchased a copy of “Sound of Music” when the 40th Anniversary edition was released. The only previous time seeing the movie was as a boy, so the history told within the…
Salzburg, Austria — Part 1 (Hohensalzburg Castle)
Salzburg, Austria — Hohensalzburg | Altstadt (Old City) | Kapuzinerberg | Schloss Mirabell The towering Hohensalzburg Castle is among the most magnificent of Austro-Hungarian castles. Brilliantly white and standing very high over the city, it provides a spectacular view of Salzburg’s Altstadt and the Salzach River valley. More…