The island of Corfu has had a fraught history. Over the centuries, it has changed hands among the Greeks, Venetians, Byzantines, and Ottomans, among others. Its location, in an important sea lane where the Ionian Sea meets the Adriatic, has been a double edged sword. It led to Corfu Town, the island’s biggest city (which … Continue reading The Ghost Towns of Greece: Sinies
The jagged ruins of the village of Vathia, on the southernmost reaches of the Peloponnesian peninsula, make for a fierce skyline on a ridge overlooking the Ionian Sea. Its myriad tower houses are a testament to the clan war that raged here for over a century. These stone fortifications offer a glimpse into generations of … Continue reading The Ghost Towns of Greece: Vathia
The island of Corfu is, along with a few tiny satellite islands, both the northernmost and westernmost part of Greece. Somewhat confusingly, its largest settlement is also named Corfu (sometimes termed Corfu Town in order to make the distinction) and lies on the island’s eastern shore, facing the mainland. We spent two nights here, as … Continue reading Greece Part Two: Corfu Town
Bełchatów (pronounced Bew-hot-oof) is a midsized town in central Poland. It is not usually a tourist destination, but it happens to be where my family comes from, and where most of them still reside. Though born in the States, I lived and attended school there for a couple years in the mid 80’s during the … Continue reading Bełchatów, Poland
I am a first-generation Polish-American. Though born here in the States, I lived in Poland for a few years as a kid, speak the language fluently, and know the history and culture pretty well. Most of my family is still in the old country, so visiting offers a chance not only for tourism but to … Continue reading Gdańsk, Poland
One of Montana’s nicknames is “the treasure state”, a nod to its wealth of natural resources and gemstones. On this recent road trip, I got to understand just how apt this nickname was. Mining is a huge part of the state’s history and culture, and is still a major industry today. This is visible everywhere, … Continue reading The Mines of Montana
I’m fascinated by a scenario where future generations come across the Exclusion Zone, without knowing the nature of what it is or was. (This, of course, assumes some kind of cataclysm that destroys much of our historical record.) What would they make of the what was left behind? Of the vehicles and structures, perhaps still … Continue reading Goodnight, Pripyat
Kiev was founded over fifteen hundred years ago, and though it’s grown into a sprawling city of almost three million, many layers of its history are visible around the center of the city. Golden-domed churches are some of the oldest buildings in Kiev, each about a millenium old. Kiev’s Russian imperial past can be seen … Continue reading A Thousand Years Within Walking Distance
For many Americans, any and all former Soviet republics get lumped into a nebulous mass of geographical uncertainty, authoritarianism, and Borat-type culture. Ukraine is a bracing tonic against these stereotypes; a nation whose rich culture belies its relatively brief geopolitical history. The region of what today is called Ukraine has been at a political and … Continue reading The Crossroads of Ukraine
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