Category: Uncategorized
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Historical Feature- Germany: Oktoberfest Started With a Royal Wedding
Today, Oktoberfest is known around the world for enormous beer tents, overflowing steins, traditional Bavarian clothing, brass bands, pretzels the size of dinner plates, and millions of visitors descending on Munich every fall. But strangely enough, Oktoberfest did not begin as a beer festival at all. It began with a wedding. On October 12, 1810,…
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The Hills Were Alive… and So Was the Highway
Since every official Sound of Music tour in Salzburg was completely booked, I did what any reasonable person with absolutely no tour-guide qualifications would do. I told Sarah, “It’s fine. I can give us a tour.” Because apparently watching The Sound of Music and having access to Google Maps now made me a licensed Salzburg…
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Our Journey- Salzburg, Austria: A Short Stay, A Memorable Detour
Austria was never meant to be a separate trip for us. It was a little detour during our time in Switzerland, with just one night in Salzburg squeezed into the itinerary. Was that enough time? Absolutely not. But somehow, even with only about a day and a half, Salzburg managed to become one of those…
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A True Austrian Specialty… and a Salad
Austria may be known for schnitzel, strudel, and hearty traditional dishes, but somehow one of my favorite food discoveries ended up being… a salad. Sarah, on the other hand, actually committed to the Austrian experience. She ordered Gusto-Ox — Austrian boiled beef with roasted potatoes, chive sauce, and horseradish, which the menu proudly labeled a…
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Historical Feature- Austria: The Real Story Behind The Sound of Music
The family was real. The escape was not. There are certain scenes from The Sound of Music that are almost impossible to separate from Salzburg. Maria spinning through an alpine meadow. Children marching through Mirabell Gardens singing “Do-Re-Mi.” The von Trapp family performing together as Austria falls under Nazi control. And finally, one of the…
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Photo That Tells the Story-Austria: A View Through History
This photograph was taken looking out from Hohensalzburg Fortress in Salzburg, with an old cannon still pointed through the stone opening toward the city below. Beyond it are church towers, rooftops, hills, and the landscape stretching into the distance—a peaceful scene framed by something that was once built for defense. That contrast is what makes…
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Historical Feature- Peru: The Lost City That Was Never Truly Lost
High in the Andes, nearly 8,000 feet above sea level, an Inca settlement was built across a narrow ridge between two mountains. Stone buildings climbed the slopes, agricultural terraces wrapped around the hillsides, fountains carried water through the site, and temples were constructed with some of the finest stonework the Inca ever produced. Then, within…
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Historical Feature- Netherlands: The Day the Dutch Ate Their Prime Minister
The Netherlands in the 17th century is often remembered as a place of extraordinary wealth, global trade, scientific discovery, and some of the greatest artists in European history. Rembrandt was painting in Amsterdam. Dutch ships were traveling across the world. Merchants were becoming enormously wealthy, and the Dutch Republic had emerged as one of Europe’s…