IT Travels with Amy Alipio
Just back from Eastern Europe (and maternity leave), assistant editor Amy Alipio shares the highlights from her trip in get-to-the-point fashion:
Best Hotel Amenity—The locally produced bath products made from lavender, rosemary, and other Adriatic plants at the harbor-front Hotel Kastil in Bol, on the island of Brac, Croatia. They made me feel like I was showering outdoors in a summer meadow.
Spookiest Moments—Driving through Bosnia and passing whole villages of abandoned houses—brick and concrete skeletons bearing witness to the 1992-1995 war. We found good roads in Bosnia, with modern and clean gas stations, and discovered that Sarajevo is a lively city with stylish young folk. But those silent houses were unforgettably eerie.
Favorite Romanian City—Oradea. Okay, it’s the only Romanian city I know well—it being my husband’s hometown. Regardless, this northwestern city is a former belle of the Austro-Hungarian empire (it’s now near the border between Romania and Hungary) and its city center shows off now-faded baroque buildings scattered beside the silvery Crisul Repede River. Best of all, it’s a gateway to the bucolic time warp that is Transylvania.
Best Baby-Changing Room—At Nancsi Neni restaurant in Budapest. Since we were traveling with a baby for the first time, finding a good changing room was a big deal, and the one at Nancsi Neni was the presidential suite of baby-changing rooms: It had a fun printed curtain and a thickly padded changing table with a mobile over it—and a handy roll of plastic trash bags alongside, all testament to Nancsi Neni’s popularity with families coming to sample home-style Hungarian fare, like roast duck and red cabbage.
Go Further
Animals
- Cougar travels 1,000 miles in one of longest recorded treksCougar travels 1,000 miles in one of longest recorded treks
- Rare gray whale spotted in the Atlantic—and it's only the beginningRare gray whale spotted in the Atlantic—and it's only the beginning
- Why 'funga' is just as important as flora and faunaWhy 'funga' is just as important as flora and fauna
- Termite fossils prove mating hasn't changed in 38 million yearsTermite fossils prove mating hasn't changed in 38 million years
Environment
- Why the 2024 hurricane season could be especially activeWhy the 2024 hurricane season could be especially active
- Mushroom leather? The future of fashion is closer than you think.Mushroom leather? The future of fashion is closer than you think.
- This deadly fungus is hitchhiking its way across the worldThis deadly fungus is hitchhiking its way across the world
- Why 'funga' is just as important as flora and faunaWhy 'funga' is just as important as flora and fauna
- This exploding mine holds a treasure that may change the worldThis exploding mine holds a treasure that may change the world
History & Culture
- See the story of Jonah and the whale like never beforeSee the story of Jonah and the whale like never before
- This ancient mosaic offers extraordinary insights into the pastThis ancient mosaic offers extraordinary insights into the past
- These are the real dunes that inspired Dune—and you can visit themThese are the real dunes that inspired Dune—and you can visit them
- Meet the only woman privy to the plot to kill Julius CaesarMeet the only woman privy to the plot to kill Julius Caesar
Science
- Women’s bodies are understudied—but that’s starting to changeWomen’s bodies are understudied—but that’s starting to change
- Hundreds of tiny arachnids are likely on your face right nowHundreds of tiny arachnids are likely on your face right now
- What's worse than a hangover? Hangxiety. Here's why it happens.What's worse than a hangover? Hangxiety. Here's why it happens.
Travel
- A taste of West Bengal, from curries to Kolkata street foodA taste of West Bengal, from curries to Kolkata street food
- Discover southeastern Spain's secret coastal regionDiscover southeastern Spain's secret coastal region
- All aboard Norway's slow train under the midnight sunAll aboard Norway's slow train under the midnight sun