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Romania and Ceausescu: Dictatorship left scars on a bustling nation and a warning to the U.S.

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With the U.S. election today, I found it ironic that I recently toured the home of Romania’s ruthless dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. I saw some parallels between what he did to his people and what Donald Trump threatens to do if elected. Ceausescu’s regime left marks on today’s society but I couldn’t tell while traveling around the wonderful country and strolling the pretty capital of Bucharest.

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Bran Castle: This giant tourist trap is more trick than treat

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About 1 million people pour through Bran Castle in Transylvania every year hoping to connect with the legend of Dracula. I didn’t. I knew the castle had little to do with the famous horror novel or the legend that followed. What I found was one of the world’s biggest tourist traps.

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Moldova: Village life a drop back in time in the least visited country in Europe

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On every trip, I try to take a couple days and do nothing but watch that particular world go by. Who would’ve thought that in the middle of Moldova I’d find a village that was a pseudo paradise? Butuceni was that for me. I spent two days at the Butuceni Eco-Resort, getting to know the owner and locals and spectacular scenery.

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36 Hours in Rome: How I’d spend a short weekend here

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The New York Times does a wonderful feature in its Sunday travel section called 36 Hours in … It picks a city around the globe and give readers places to go at appropriate times of the day. I did the same for Rome. I don’t include the major attractions such as the Colosseum and Vatican. You know those. I wrote about the places I would go as a Rome resident of 8 1/2 years. Hope it gives you some ideas next time you come to town, especially for the second time.

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Travel tales from hell: Disease, machetes and the lessons we learn

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(Director’s note: I’m traveling in Moldova, Europe’s poorest country which made me think of the worst trips of my life. I’m re-posting a blog I wrote five years ago on my travel tales from hell. I hope when I return I won’t add to it.”) To truly travel, one must truly suffer. It’s a backpacker’s […]

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My Five Favorite Restaurants in Rome 2024: A new No. 1

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I started running a list of my five favorite restaurants in Rome in 2016. I try to do it every year that’s not wiped out by a global pandemic. The 2024 list is a little late but it’s out today. There is a new No. 1 but my usual No. 1, Renato e Luisa, made the list for the fourth time. Keep this list handy for that next trip to Rome.

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Bodo: European Cultural Capital no longer “Boring Bodo”

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Once the butt of bad jokes, “Boring Bodo” has made international headlines this year after being named European Cultural Capital 2024. More than 1,000 events highlight a city that has boomed in the last 12 years. I went on assignment for BBC.com in June and rewrote it for my blog.

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Shoulder season best time to travel, particularly South Africa

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If you want to enrich your travel experience, do not travel during the high tourist season. Go in the shoulder season: right after or before the high season begins. In South Africa, the ideal time is spring and fall. Here is guest blogger Diana Parker looks at why shoulder season is the time for savvy travelers.

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Feta: A trip to Greece and my love affair with its cheese

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Ever since my first trip to Greece in 1978, I have been in love with feta cheese. Topped on a Greek salad, it makes for the perfect meal: tasty, healthy and filling. On my most recent trip to Greece, I visited a feta farm where it has been made for six generations.

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