“Beauty is not a Luxury” -John O’Donohue The Irish poet and philosopher John O’ Donohue, (God rest his soul) eloquently spoke and wrote about the need for Beauty that our human souls have to feel complete, to be whole. The experience of Beauty, whether it be music or poetry; liturgy and scripture; a caring relationship … More A Walk Around Mont Blanc
(A)nd there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood… … More Chancing it at Chernobyl
The lost Kingdom of Ruthenia is undergoing a rebirth and is attracting renewed interest from adventurous travelers. You may be a history buff, or a vagabond tourist, but could you find Ruthenia on a map? … More Where on Earth is Ruthenia?
I didn’t steal my first Dutch bicycle, I salvaged it from a local train station. It had been abandoned since February and stood rusting in the rain and frost, there in the bushes, until I finally decided to take it home in April. With some elbow grease and a new back tire I would have … More The Dutch Cycle of Life
With the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic, some of the details addressed in this article have been greatly modified. You can first read the original article below to get a frame of reference for a traditionally Dutch concept of space, then read the UPDATE at the end to find out how social space in the Netherlands has been affected by COVID-19. … More For Cultural Understanding: A Different Concept of Space
Marten (with an “e’) shares his fresh cross-cultural insights after his three-week road trip from Chicago to Seattle and how it felt different from travelling in Europe,.. and what things he wishes he could have brought home with him to Holland.
… More Marten (with an “e”) Visits America
Marten (with an “e”) gives you his best travel tips for avoiding the boring and irrelevant attractions in Europe’s most visited cities, and some great spots in some of the continent’s up-and-coming travel hotspots that might be off your radar. Let Marten (with an “e”) help you navigate past the tourist traps and find the “best” food that Europe has to offer to discerning globetrotters.
… More Marten (with an ‘e’) shows you Europe.
This week we are highlighting the novel, From the Rooftops by V M Karren, which is set mainly in the eastern European country of Romania. We thought you might enjoy taking a brief glimpse at what everyday life looks like in Romania as an introduction to the book. Although the book is set in the … More Everyday Life in Romania
by Christine Karren With the arrival of the Corona virus on every continent of the world besides Antarctica, a lot of people are taking precautions. We started by washing our hands more carefully and frequently, and avoiding contact with possibly contaminated surfaces. Next we were buying out the stocks of hand sanitizers, toilet paper, and … More Canceling Travel Plans?
By Val Karren Every year in the midsummer week, I take my wife away on a romantic getaway to commemorate our wedding anniversary. While Europe has a long list of exciting destinations with fascinating history and inspiring works of art and architecture, they are also filled with lots and lots of people. Our modern, hyperconnected … More 5 Most Romantic Getaway Ideas in Europe
