The city of Rhodes was formed in 408 BC when the other cities on the island decided to band together and build a capital city. Through out its history Rhodes…
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At the beginning of September Melek was showing me around the Aegean Coast of Turkey and asked me if I wanted to visit a couple Greek islands. Well of course…
From the very first time I saw photos of the pure white cliffs and sparkling blue waters of Pamukkale I was entranced and knew I had to visit someday. That…
Yesterday I wrote all about the ancient city of Ephesus and what makes it a great World Heritage Site. Today I want to talk about the modern Turkish town of…
I had the fortune to visit Ephesus in late September with Melek and it did not disappoint. Ephesus was an ancient Greek city on the coast of modern day Turkey…
When I chose to visit Sigulda on my way back to Riga from Cesis Castle (which I wrote about yesterday) I figured I was just going to see another medieval…
Cēsis Castle is one of the most iconic and best preserved medieval castles in Latvia. The foundations of the castle were laid 800 years ago by the Livonian Brothers of…
Jurmala is the best resort town in Latvia, if not the entire northern Europe. It has a beach of fine white sand that goes on for miles and miles. The…
During my visit to Latvia two months ago, I took time from exploring Riga to go hike through the Great Ķemeri Moorland. This giant raised bog area has small pools…
Yesterday I told you about Duke of Courland Ernst Johann von Biron primary residence at Jelgava Palace and how it was turned into a university. Well today I want to…
In late August I was in Riga, Latvia and decided to rent a car and see a few sites outside the capital. The first place I wanted to see was…
According to legend, once upon a time a very strong man lived on the Daugava riverside and he earned his living by carrying people across the river on his back….
I spent five days in Riga, Lavia in late August and as I checked out the Old Town (a World Heritage Site) I was quickly drawn to the House of…
People have been living in the area around Riga for thousands of years, but Riga itself was founded in 1201 as a port city and a base for the Germans…
In late August I finished up my Estonian visit with a couple days in Parnu, know as the summer capital of Parnu due to the beach and all the spas….
On August 21st I got up to catch a 7:15 bus from Parnu to Munalaid to get on the 8:30 ferry out to a small island off the Estonian coast…
Yesterday I told you about my favorite sites in the split town of Tallin. There is Toompea (upper town) and Vanalinn (lower town). But of all those sites it is…
Tallin is the capital of Estonia and a bit different than other European cities. While most other towns had the upper and lower classes, only Tallin actually had an upper…
Back in mid August I was on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa, which is know for its lighthouses as I wrote yesterday. Well, as I was almost to Tahkuna Lighthouse…
The last two days I have written about the day I spent on Saaremaa Island back in mid August during my trip around Estonia. I also told you how I…
Many people would not like to stay in a place like this because it truly was a cottage from the 1920’s and was just one room with a fireplace breaking…
In order to get to Saaremaa Island you have to take a 30 minute ferry from the mainland, but the good news is that it leaves every half hour or…
Construction of the University of Tartu’s Old Observatory started in 1808 and had the largest refracting telescope at the time. Starting in 1813, Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve worked here…
In fact, Tartu is the oldest city in Estonia and dates back to 1030. Sadly large parts of the town were destroyed in WWII, but Tartu still has a charming…
Yesterday I told you all about my visit back in mid August to Hermann Castle, which sits right inside Estonia next to the Russian border. While I was going through…
After leaving Lahemaa National Park in mid August, I drove across the north part of Estonia to visit Hermann Castle in Narva, which sits right on the board with Russia….
On Friday I wrote about my time hiking through the Viru Bogs in the southwestern part of the Lahemaa National Park. What I did not write was that during the…
Lahemaa National Park was established in 1971 and is one of the main tourist draws in Estonia. The name roughly translates as “Land of Bays” because the large park is…
As you read the last several days, After leaving Lithuania to go to Estonia in mid August I immediately took a ferry to Helsinki, Finland for a day trip. Well…
If you see only one place in Helsinki in the summer, make it the World Heritage Site of Suomenlinna. The “Gibraltar of the North” was once the greatest sea fortress…