An important seaport city on the Baltic coast, Gdańsk has been a contested area throughout history. Early Gdańsk was part of the Polish state, but was annexed by Prussia and later incorporated into the German empire in 1871. From 1807-1814 and 1920-1939, it operated as a free city-state known as the Free City of Danzig.... Continue Reading →
In early December I took a trip to Poland. I have Polish ancestry on my dad's side, so the trip was a bit of a heritage exploration trip for me. I've also always had an interest in World War II history, and hit a ton of historical sites and museums throughout my ten days in... Continue Reading →
This past summer I traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio for the first time. It was a tennis trip, with my primary goal being to attend the Cincinnati Open held just outside of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. I added on about two full days of time for exploring the city as well. Cincy is an interesting blend... Continue Reading →
San Francisco is a cultural melting pot that lends to a great diversity of cuisines. From mission burritos to spicy ramen, you're guaranteed to leave full. I stayed in San Francisco for a full week in January, giving me a good amount of time to eat my way around the city. Here are some of... Continue Reading →
Hungarian cuisine is known to be some of the spiciest food in Europe, in large part due to the extensive use of spices, especially paprika, throughout many dishes. The paprika spice, made from crushed peppers, was first introduced to Hungarian cooking in the early 19th century and has since become a staple in the cuisine,... Continue Reading →
Czechia is the country with the highest per capita beer consumption in the world, known for its pilsners, and any country that holds that record has to have the cuisine to balance out all that beer drinking! Czech cuisine is full of hearty dishes rich in meats, breads, potatoes, and soups, with many dishes being... Continue Reading →
If you know me, it's obvious that what I was most looking forward to about Belgium was all of the delicious Belgian beers. A country with such a sophisticated beer scene has to have the gastronomy to match, and Brussels proved to have much more than just waffles and chocolate. I enjoyed trying some lesser... Continue Reading →
One thing you don't really hear much about the Netherlands is how awesome the food is, but I had some truly great eats while I was there. I mean, one of the country's biggest foods is cheese (or kaas), and anything involving cheese sounds gouda to me (sorry - I couldn't resist). Amsterdam is a... Continue Reading →
New Orleans is a cultural melting pot, and its mixture of African-American, French, and Spanish influences has yielded some of the best cuisine in the United States if not the world. I don't think I've ever strategically planned out individual meals on a trip as much as I had to with New Orleans because there... Continue Reading →
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