Things to Do in Western Ukraine
For a country that’s about the same size as Texas, Ukraine is constantly surprising me with the depth of adventure it offers. In over two years of living here, my ‘to do’ list has grown, not shrunk,…
It’s Not About the Castle, Vladimir.
I was walking alongside the road, in a Ukrainian village I couldn’t have pointed to on a map before this trip, when I met Vladimir. We had been riding on the same bus, but he discovered I…
Hunting for Ukrainian Castles: Kamianets-Podilskyi and Beyond
You haven’t truly lived until you’re bumping down flooded back roads, following a priest to one of the backwoods Ukrainian castles. Wait, let me back up. Day 1: Kamianets-Podilskyi Fortress Ah, the joys of rolling off a…
Exploring Romanian Castles
I’m not that great at pre-trip research. Even though we had two Romanian castles on our itinerary, I was only vaguely aware of them, knowing that one is considered ‘Dracula’s Castle.’ And true, these Romanian castles might not…