Sunday, 05 February 2012

Curiosity Chest


Electric Candle Is Fine, Online Blessing - Not

Sound blasters and electric candles, that are switched on by dropping a coin, have long infested Christian churches around the world. Yet virtual prayers and blessings remain controversial... Full Story



Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia’s Bitter Bouquet: the Sarajevo Rose

Sarajevo carries all kinds of traces of its past in its cityscape. And while some of them are easy to notice, one – despite its prevalence, can be missed quite easily: the Sarajevo Rose, a scar in the ground and a daily reminder of the horrors... Full Story


Serbia
Serbia: Tito's Mausoleum in Belgrade

Whatever your opinion on communism, many people across Eastern Europe and the wider world have a romanticised view of the former Yugoslavia’s grand leader Josip Broz Tito. Full Story


Serbia
Serbia's Football Mania: Collecting Stickers in Belgrade

The World Cup is about much more than what takes place on the field. For many Belgraders, the daily exchange of football stickers is just as exciting. Full Story


Albania
Bunkers in Albania Converted into Hotels and Bars with Stunning Views

18 May 2010 | In Albania, projects to convert some of the 750,000 bunkers built during Enver Hoxha’s totalitarian regime and scattered all over the country into hotels, cottages and bars are underway. Full Story


Turkey
Santa Claus Museum in Turkey to Attract Newlyweds and Tourists

4 May 2010 | A Turkish travel agency intends to popularize the birthplace of Santa Claus’s prototype, Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, in present-day Turkey, not just as a tourist but also as a wedding destination. Full Story


Kosovo
Kosovo: Dodona Theatre, A Symbol of Cultural Resistance

Dodona’s history goes way beyond the walls of its small yet celebrated theatre located in a Pristina neighbourhood which quickly took the name of the institution after its construction in 1992. Full Story


Croatia
Croatia Artists' "Broken Relationships" Exhibit to Be Displayed in Zagreb

The exhibition "The Museum of Broken Relationships," initiated by two Croatian artists and showcasing people's remnants of their past relationships, quickly became a global attraction. It is now looking for a permanent home in Zagreb. Full Story


Croatia
Former Yugoslav Leader Tito’s Elephant Dies in Croatia

7 April 2010 | Sony, the elephant gifted by Indira Gandhi to former Yugoslavia’s socialist leader Tito, recently passed away unexpectedly at the Brijuni National Park in Croatia. Full Story


Serbia
Graffiti in Serbia's Capital: Brightening the Streets or a Blight on the Streets?

You may think that there’s quite enough graffiti around Belgrade already and that anything or anyone that encourages more of it is behaving criminally in every sense of the word. Full Story




Epicure


Turkey
Izmir Gourmet: Food is in the Air

Food is literally everywhere in Izmir.

The first stop a traveller would usually make, is Passaport – the vivid promenade along the seaside, which has turned into a landmark with its black and white pavement.
Full Story



Useful Reads


Greece
In Sfakia: Passing Time in the Wilds of Crete (2008) | By Peter Trudgill

Crete has long been acknowledged as one of the most singular and unique parts of Greece. Its people keep a fierce hold on their traditions, customs and history. Practically a country of its own, this vast island looms over all others in Greece. Nevertheless, as In Sfakia author Peter Trudgill aptly notes in his preface, “some parts of Crete are more special than others, and Sfakia, on the remote south coast, is certainly one of those.” Full Story




Music


Macedonia
Macedonia: Esma Redžepova's Passion for Humanity

"A Gypsy from the city of Skopje", as she calls herself, Esma Redžepova has more than 40 years of singing and humanitarian efforts under her belt. Full Story