Rudolph Chelminski

The Curse of Count Dracula

The prospect of a tourist bonanza from a Dracula theme park in Transylvania excites some Romanians, but opponents see only red

April 2003

Fare-Minded Arbiter

Quelle surprise! Englishman Derek Brown presides over France's prestigious Michelin guide to haute cuisine

March 2003

Unearthing Athens' Underworld

Throughout the decade-long construction of the city's new metro, archaeologists have found a trove of treasures

November 2002

Cold Comfort

Intrepid travelers pay cold hard cash to chill out in the world's coolest hotel

December 1, 2001

An American in Bourron-Marlotte

When they moved here in 1976, the author and his wife thought they knew all about the French. How wrong they were

August 31, 2000

The Last Schoolhouse

When a handful of senior citizens revisit the school they attended years ago, they become children again

August 2000

In Praise of Pianos and the Artists Who Play Them

March 1, 2000

Jeu de Paume, Anyone?

Pete Sampras and the Williams sisters play tennis. The author and his fancy French friends prefer its ancestor

January 1, 2000

The Bosporus: A Disaster Waiting to Happen

Within the past ten years, 150 serious accidents have occurred in the world's most dangerous strait. Each tanker that passes through is a potential bomb

November 1, 1998

In the Game of Chess "Your Opponent Must Be Destroyed"

January 1, 1998

Warsaw: The City that Would Not Die

After Hitler obliterated it, the Poles put it back together, brick by brick

November 1, 1997

The Maginot Line

It is known as a great military blunder, but in fact this stout network of ingenious bunkers did what it was designed to do

May 31, 1997

Ooh La La! Only in France Can You Find Cheeses Like These

It's easy to lose your head over the luscious array of fromages fermiers still being made the old-fashioned way by Gallic artisans

November 1996

Guess What My Li'l Chopin Played Today

October 1996

We Eat, Breathe and Dream Music. We're a Bunch of Nerds Here'

Make that an international bunch of nerds. The Berklee College of Music, aka "the MIT of pop," is respected all over the world

August 1996

Harmonicas Are...hooty, Wheezy, Twangy and Tooty

They're from the Old Country, but there's nothing better for American music, from blues to honky-tonk and the fans are blown away

November 1995

Any Way You Slice it, a Poilane Loaf is Real French Bread

Forget the baguette. This legendary Parisian baker makes authentic sourdough boules the old-fashioned way—by hand, over wood fires

January 1995