A few weeks ago I went to Kishinev, Moldova, to discover one of the forgotten corners of Europe (as part of a venture to discover them all, eventually). Here is my story. • more

The terrifying swell depicted on the cover of the "Nordic Days" album is not the "snotgreen, scrotumtightening sea" of James Joyce's Irish shores, but the navy-black, mutinous water that washes coasts from Iceland to Russia.  • more

Many, many Germans followed the soccer game against the Czech Republic. Many, many Germans hoped that the national team would advance. The first victory in the tournament was needed. A victory was needed. Give the Germans something to be proud of, something to be enthusiastic about. However, in the 77th  • more

This delicious site has information on the trips that Elias L̦nnrot, compiler of the Kalevala, took into the Kainuu region of Finland to collect the oral poetry he stitched together into the Finnish national epic. Illustrations of Kalevala may be found here and here. You can look at engravings and sketches of the Finnish countryside from the late 19th century. ʥ more