One day was not enough time to take in all that Straubing had to offer, though we did manage to make it to the Papal Basilica of St. James as well as churches of three orders, Jesuit, Carmelite and Ursuline, in Straubing. We did not get to the oldest church, the Romanesque Basilica of St. [...]
Market Day in Straubing
Another beautiful town but the real surprise was the Gäuboden Museum. (Gäuboden is the fertile plain between the Isar and the Danube, which is why the museum boasts 7000 years of history.) The first galleries are Neolithic and Bronze Age (including Celtic) finds. The second set of galleries cover the Roman period. Two more sets [...]
The Holy Mountain from a Distance
Mount Athos has strict rules and limits for entry but it also prohibits boats from approaching closer than 500 meters if women are on board! Still a fascinating journey.
Wines of Greece
Not just retsina by any stretch of the imagination: know and like Moschofilero, Assyrtiko and Agiorgitiko, but Xinomavro (red) and Malagouzia (white) were welcome new discoveries.
Ottoman Thessaloniki
Little evidence of the five-hundred year Ottoman legacy remains. There are two hamams, the Yehudi Hamam near the central marketplace and the Hamam Bey by Aristotle Square. The Hamza Bey Mosque is undergoing renovations as it will be converted into a museum for artifacts uncovered during construction of the new subway line under the Egnatia [...]