
[Potsdam, Germany, Aug 31, 2016] By Wednesday, I was ready to leave the history-heavy Berlin behind. I headed out of town to Potsdam, where Frederick the Great (1712 – 1786), King of Prussia, spent his summers. In Potsdam, Frederick had two places. They are at opposite ends of the grand Sanssouci park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The small, more intimate Sanssouci palace housed his quarters and apartments for guests…. Read More
Category: 2016 - Bulgaria & Germany, All Travel, Europe, Germany Tags: food, German food, history, old friends, palaces, Potsdam, UNESCO
[Berlin, Germany] I got a hint of Germany’s tumultuous 20th century history yesterday at the German History Museum, but today I got hit in the face with it. I started with Dutch and German painters in the Gemaeldegallerie (“Painting Gallery” in German), but the day turned somber as I visited memorials dedicated to Hitler’s victims and the Berlin Wall. To get to the Gemaeldegallerie, I traveled to Potsdamer Platz. Previously a wasteland… Read More
Category: 2016 - Bulgaria & Germany, All Travel, Europe, Germany Tags: architecture, Berlin, city walks, European capitals, food, German food, history, museums, rooftop views
[Berlin, Germany, Aug 29, 2016] In typical Nadya fashion, I spent the ENTIRE day walking around Berlin, save for a short break around dinner. I racked up 30,000 steps on my step counter, I went into four museums and I watched on amazing sunset from the dome of the Reichstag, to sum it up. I started my day with a coffee at the spot just across from my AirBnB. I sat outside… Read More
Category: 2016 - Bulgaria & Germany, All Travel, Europe, Germany Tags: al fresco dining, architecture, Berlin, churches, city walks, European capitals, food, museums, rooftop views, sunset, UNESCO
[Vienna, Austria] Here it is, before you know it – the last day of my trip! How did this day come so quickly! I am by no means ready to go home yet!!! Honestly, I have so quickly gotten used to the public transport and the amazing food and the architecture and real coffee (espresso) and al fresco dining and castles and high speed trains and such. Alas, I had one more… Read More
Category: 2015 - Italy, Austria & Slovakia, All Travel, Austria, Europe Tags: Austrian food, city walks, European capitals, food, markets, opera, palaces, UNESCO, Vienna
[Bratislava, Slovakia] Today’s detour took us into Slavic territory. Just 60 km (37 miles) away from Vienna is the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava. This city of 430,000 (of which 60,000 are students) is going through a post-communist era revival that holds the potential for making it the next up-and-coming European capital.
Category: 2015 - Italy, Austria & Slovakia, All Travel, Europe, Slovakia Tags: Bratislava, castles, city walks, Eastern Europe, Eastern European food, European capitals, food
Balabanova All Over