This week in The Cyprus Files, join me on Mount Olympus for a look at the Troödos mountain range, an unlikely ski resort, and the UNESCO World Heritage-certified painted churches of Byzantine vintage.
As always, thanks for reading!
Tag: Travel
Read “Four Holy Sites in Cyprus” in The Cyprus Files
Cyprus’ religious history spans millennia. In the latest issue of my newsletter, learn about four holy sites on the island, each relevant to different faiths.
Thanks for reading!
Read “The Virus in Cyprus” in The Cyprus Files
As the pandemic resurges to the top of the news, learn about how the situation is being handled in Cyprus, in the latest post in my newsletter series, The Cyprus Files.
Stay safe out there. Thanks for reading.
Read “The Two Nicosias, Part I” in The Cyprus Files
This week’s Cyprus Files newsletter takes a look at the contemporary urban experience of the walled city of Nicosia, the last divided capital in Europe.
In future posts I will continue to do my best to explain the complex geopolitical situation in Cyprus. Thanks for reading!
Read “No ‘I’ in Travel?: Travel writing in the Trump era” in The Startup
Travel writing has a long and storied history, dating back to the time of Herodotus. But what is the place of travel writing in the 21st century?
Should travel writing be written by a traveler, or by people who live in the places being written about in question? Should travel writing use the first-person perspective? And how should travel journalists frame their coverage in the age of Trump?
I try to address these questions in my review of The Best American Travel Writing 2019 anthology: “No ‘I’ in Travel: Travel writing in the Trump era” published in The Start Up, Medium’s largest publication. Check it out at the above hyperlink; I hope it can at least distract you from the terrible public health crisis afflicting the globe.
Stay inside and wash your hands!
Read “In Texas, a tale of two cities” on Medium
Working from home today? Tired of reading about COVID-19?
Maybe you’ll read about Texas. Last week, I got the chance to spend time in San Antonio and Austin, TX during the 2020 AWP Conference (which, of course, was marred by the then-dawning novel coronavirus pandemic).
During my travels, what I learned was this: If San Antonio offers a glimpse of Texas’ past, Austin might just yet be a glimpse of its future.
Check out my new travel piece on the divergent trajectories of San Antonio and Austin, TX, from my Medium blog.
Read “The elusive star of Vergina” on Medium
Last June, I had the opportunity to visit Vergina, a small village in Northern Greece that is home to the tomb of Philip II, Alexander the Great’s father. It was a tremendous experience, full of the power and splendor of ancient Macedonia. In terms of the difficulty in navigating Greece’s public transit options, however, it amounted to a modern odyssey. The perfect exp
To read my travelogue of my visit to Vergina, full of awe, frustration, and some witty observations, check it out on Medium:
“The elusive star of Vergina: To visit the tomb of Alexander the Great’s father, a modern odyssey”
More summer travel memoirs forthcoming on Medium. If you’re looking for a hint—next up will be along the lines of “Coming into the country with ‘Coming into the Country’.”
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Photo of fields of Vergina by Harrison Blackman.
Harrison Blackman 