Category: Family

Austria, Part Three: Vienna and Iulia

One delightful discovery along the way, was Iulia Pop. In planning for this trip, I had asked my sister's grandson, Drake Southwick, about people there since he had traveled to Romania about two years ago. I asked him for some contacts to help with planning our trip. One of the contacts he gave me was Iulia … Continue reading Austria, Part Three: Vienna and Iulia →

Belgium Part 2

Friday, September 21 When Kevin came in after work Friday, he handed me a letter from Mobile Viking; I got my SIM card! (I wasn't sure it would arrive before we were to leave.)  I spent about an hour getting the SIM card installed and getting the account set up. The phone sputtered and chirped … Continue reading Belgium Part 2 →

Belgium Part I

On the morning we left Paris, we had breakfast at the street cafe right outside our rented apartment. We finalized our packing and took the subway to the Gare du Nord train station. The station is under renovation and not quite done, but it will be new and shiny when it's done. I noticed a … Continue reading Belgium Part I →

We’re off to Florida! Our first stop.

Sept. 12 Up at 2:00am, leave by 3:00am, airport by 3:45am, on the plane at 5:00am. Rebecca said something about Simon and Garfunkel and their song about Wednesday morning at 3am and that they knew when to leave. Far too early, I thought. Our first leg of the journey was a short one to Denver. … Continue reading We’re off to Florida! Our first stop. →

The Backstory

My grandmother and father, just after arriving at Ellis Island, 1914   My father, originally named Dimitru Fritea, arrived in New York in 1914 with his mother.  They were escaping Romania and the turbulence of pre-World War I political unrest.  They were looking to begin a new life.  My father had four older siblings, and … Continue reading The Backstory →

Welcome Readers

We are making our way through Eastern Europe, discovering wonderful people who are enterprising, caring, struggling with today's changing times and yet doing extraordinary things.  We invite you to meet some of them and see some of the sites we've encountered.  The focus we've adopted, "People first, places second" is a mantra that has really … Continue reading Welcome Readers →