Latvia and Lithuania
Summer, 2015. I spent some time in Sigulda, where I learned about a Jewish painter who had a strong influence on Latvian art. I tried to find a latte but […]
Category Archives: Europe
Tblisi
May 7, 2015, Georgia. I arrived at Tbilisi airport around 5 pm. Max, a Nigerian student at the Technical University, greeted me. He’s been working with the Georgian consulate to […]
Car Camping through Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, and France – summer 2016
Croatia I started my day with a latte at Pécsi Kave, then hit the road for Zagreb. The drive was slow and packed with trucks, winding through small villages that […]
Tarn
August 26, 2018, France. I thought about stopping in Lyon, but the roadwork was daunting—too many diversions and closed roads. I continued on and decided to visit Rodez, which claimed […]
Germany
August 19, 2018. In the morning, I continued to Lübeck and arrived around 11:15 a.m. I really enjoyed the city—it was beautiful, with a charming tower, a moat, and a […]
Denmark
August 16, 2018. After stopping to look at a mill and manor, I crossed a bridge under construction and came across a beautiful church, which I took time to explore. […]
Norway
August 9, 2018. I went to the tourist office and asked about the route. A very kind and tall man named Sven helped me. The drive became beautiful after I […]
Sweden
July 29, 2018. I woke up to rain leaking through the fly of my tent. People kept walking by, which made me nervous. Got a cappuccino for $5, a burger […]
Alone Again in Finland
July 23, 2018. I headed to Haltia in Nuuksio Park, hoping for a good coffee, but the €4.50 latte was terrible. From there, I walked down to the lake and continued […]
Latvia to Finland with Shawn
July 11, 2018. Shawn had joined me in Riga the day before. With the end of the National Latvian Song Festival, I was spent, but happy to see Shawn. We […]
On to Riga for the National Song Festival
June 30, 2018. I woke up in Mikulov, just over the Austrian border in the Czech Republic. I drove toward a large castle, then wandered on foot, discovering the old […]
Istrian Peninsula
June 25, 2018. I slept on a hill behind the church, wondering if a police officer might find me. The bar in the valley below blasted music until 5 a.m., […]
Istria to France
August 23, 2022. I camped on the beach near Pula, falling asleep to the sound of the Adriatic lapping against the shore. I awoke to the sound of cars driving […]
Slovenia
August 19, 2022. I woke to a wet, miserable mess. Everything felt damp, but miraculously my tent fly had held up and kept me dry. Thank you, trusty gear. I […]
Lungau, Austria
August 15, 2022. I hadn’t slept all night, spiraling with anxiety about whether my housemate would agree to move. Bleary eyed, I checked my email and there it was—his message […]
Hallein, Austria
August 12, 2022. I woke to a damp world. Everything was wet—tent, gear, me—but I had actually slept pretty well, considering. I drove down to the base of the park, […]
Bavarian Alps to Salzburg
August 9, 2022. I woke up in a pile of dog poop. Not the best way to start the day. I packed up camp, determined to find coffee and something […]
Munich
August 6, 2022. Arriving in downtown Munich was no small feat—first a ten-minute walk to the metro, then a half-hour subway ride. But I bought my €9 ticket and made […]
Landsberg am Lech, Germany
July 31, 2022. I’ve visited my childhood friend Anne a few times since 2010, my first time in Europe as an adult. Her father had worked with my mom at […]
The Romantic Strasse
July 28, 2022. I was sad to leave Ursula. Her kindness and comfortable abode had provided a valuable respite. I left reluctantly, heading to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, but traffic […]
On to Schwäbisch Hall
July 18, 2022. I slept in till 10. It took me a while to get moving—washing clothes, showering, making breakfast and lunch, clearing out the car, tidying up the house. […]
Along the Neckar
July 16, 2022. I woke up to a cool morning, a refreshing change after the heat of the previous days. It’s been sweltering, with temperatures in the 80s and 90s […]
Leaving Bonn
July 12, 2022. I woke around 9 having slept poorly due to worry. I’d been tossing and turning thinking about the two months remaining and had no idea how I […]
On to Germany
July 4, 2022. Today was a slow start—I woke at 10 and headed to breakfast, where Coosje and I talked for a few minutes. I thanked her for her kindness, […]
Exploring Eibergen
July 1, 2022. Given that I hadn’t gone to sleep till 1 a.m., I had a better sleep than expected. I woke with a start, worried Roel and Coosje were […]
Brussels to Eibergen
June 29, 2022. Another bad night sleep. This time chocolate was the culprit. After only three hours of sleep, I rolled out of bed at 8:45, went to my favorite […]
Wandering Through Bruges
June 26, 2022. After breakfast with my friends, I packed up for Bruges—well, almost. I made it halfway to the car before realizing the keys were still back at the […]
Ghent, Belgium
June 22, 2022. Even though it was hot and I hadn’t slept well, we had had a special solstice watching the sunset and I was grateful to be here. Hendrik […]
Reims to Ghent
June 20, 2022. Exhausted from the past few days, I slept in and didn’t wake up until 10. I set off to find a sunshade, a pillow, and some groceries—just […]
Dinan to Reims
June 16, 2022. The place we were staying at was lovely—peaceful, green, and full of character. I wandered around the yard in the morning and ended up chatting with a […]
Chichester to Dinan
June 13, 2022. Tension between Shawn and I carried over from the night before. I woke knowing Shawn wanted more time to see the Roman villa and offered to ask […]
Bath and the Cotswalds
June 11, 2022. We woke up to a really nice breakfast at our place—surprisingly good, especially considering it was included in the price of our hotel, which was very reasonable […]
Across the Channel to Cornwall
June 8, 2022. I woke at 7am after three hours of sleep and felt miserable—my cold was worse, and my body protested every movement. We left late, at 7:30, and […]
Landudec to Commana
June 4, 2022. I regretted having to retrace my steps for the forgotten pillows. My anxiety manifested as a nightmare. I dreamt I had slept through my alarm and not […]
Locoal-Mendon to Landudec
June 1, 2022. I had a nice chat with our hostess over breakfast. My French was steadily improving, and I enjoyed understanding more nuance. She and her husband were wooden […]
Rennes to Carnac
May 24, 2022. Bretagne Rules the Waves. A punny reference to “Rule Brittania, Brittania Rules the Waves”, a patriotic British song oft heard at Dickens Faire. The names “Brittany” (French: […]
Gay Paris
May 16, 2022. This was my first time in Paris as an adult. My experience as a 5 year old on our European camping trip doesn’t count. All I remember […]
Hungary to Slovenia
June 18, 2018. I awoke in the outskirts of Amstetten, Austria, within a stone’s throw of a sign indicating that this was a biologically sensitive area. On my way to […]
Austria
June 12, 2018. I had to repack the tiny Citroen, which took two hours. It’s amazing how much longer it takes when you have a small space. Everything has to […]
Budapest and Bratislava
June 4, 2018. I arrived in Budapest the day of my dental appointment with Dr. Windisch, an implant specialist whom I’d found several years earlier when I was in Greece […]
Lisa Karpinski 