Archive for the ‘EUROPE’ Category
Staycation during the Hungarian Cultural Days of Kolozsvár
Text & photos Copyright © Estrella Azul
KOLOZSVÁR IS HUNGARIAN for Cluj-Napoca, Romania (the city’s Romanian name). Because in this article I’ll be talking about the Hungarian Cultural Days, I will use the city’s name in Hungarian.
A view of Kolozsvár from St. Michael’s Church...
September 21st, 2018 | STAYCATIONS, EUROPE, SHOWS/FESTIVALS/HOLIDAYS | Read More
Quirky architecture of Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia

Text & photos Copyright © Estrella Azul
IN A PREVIOUS travel article I talked about discovering Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia’s Ottoman influences, the biggest of influences still left standing.
Today, I want to tell you why I deemed Skopje as having the quirkiest architecture I have...
June 29th, 2018 | STAFF, EUROPE, QUIRKY PLACES | Read More
Sunbathing at Hungarospa Thermal Baths, Hajdúszoboszló, Hungary
Text & photos Copyright © Estrella Azul
IN ROMANIA, we recently had two bank holidays fall during the same work-week: May 28th celebrated the Orthodox Pentecost Monday and June 1st was Children’s Day.
For the Children’s Day holiday we planned for a bathing-suit kind of day, so we headed...
June 15th, 2018 | STAFF, EUROPE, Beaches, Water | Read More
Sunny Day at Belgrade Fortress, Serbia

Text & photos Copyright © Estrella Azul
IF YOU ONLY HAVE one day to visit the capital of Serbia, Belgrade (also called the White City)—and if it’s a sunny one—make sure to go for a walk downtown, but also explore the fortress.
Hotel Moskva
We visited Belgrade on our drive back home from...
May 4th, 2018 | EUROPE, GARDENS & PARKS, Historic/Museums, WALKING/HIKING | Read More
The lesser delights of Scupi, the Skopje Aqueduct and Macedonian Village

Text & photos Copyright © Estrella Azul
In my last travel article about the capital of FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), entitled 6 Essential and 7 Practical Travel Tips for Visiting Skopje, FYROM, I mentioned that while it’s a very good place to take long walks, one may need...
April 20th, 2018 | EUROPE, TRAVEL BUMMERS | Read More
Alba Carolina Fortress Through the Seasons

Text & photos Copyright © Estrella Azul
The 18th-century Alba Carolina Fortress (also known as Alba Iulia Fortress) has over time slowly but surely become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Romania.
Arrowed signs guiding you through the fortress
With a fascinating “change of the...
March 23rd, 2018 | STAFF, EUROPE, GARDENS & PARKS, Historic/Museums | Read More
6 Essential and 7 Practical Travel Tips for Visiting Skopje, FYROM

Text & photos Copyright © Estrella Azul
AS MENTIONED IN MY previous travel story, Discovering Skopje’s Ottoman Influences, I have never visited a city quite like Skopje.
I learned so much about the capital of FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), most of it while walking Skopje’s...
March 9th, 2018 | TIPS&SECRETS, EUROPE, TRAVEL PREP | Read More