Czech Republic & Central Europe
Only three days after I moved to Prague, Europe was hit by one of its worst ever environmental disasters. An industrial reservoir in Hungary collapsed sending a tidal wave of red toxic sludge into the villages around. Only a few people died but the contamination was a danger to thousands and risked polluting the Danube River. While covering the story - and for weeks later - I had a stinging metallic taste in my mouth. My skin was unbearably itchy. I had to destroy all my clothes and cut my hair very short. I can't imagine how people living in the spill zone were able to keep living there. A whole section of one village had to move.
Once I was finally able to get back to Prague and complete unpacking, I discovered that it isn't just one of the most beautiful cities in the world, it's also one of the most fascinating. At the geographical heart of Europe, the Czech capital has always been at a crossroads. But consider for a moment the dizzying pace of political and national change it has experienced in only the last 100 years. A century ago it was just another city in the multi-ethnic Austro-Hungarian Empire. After World War I, it became the capital of a new confident nation called Czechoslovakia. Twenty years later, the Nazis annex the territory without even a shot thanks to the appeasement of the Munich Agreement. Then liberation and Soviet control. A Prague Spring - which is crushed. Another 20 years and a Velvet Revolution. Followed by a Velvet Divorce. And now full membership in the European Union and NATO. But through it all the city's has kept its timeless charm and its people, their passion and poise.
Once I was finally able to get back to Prague and complete unpacking, I discovered that it isn't just one of the most beautiful cities in the world, it's also one of the most fascinating. At the geographical heart of Europe, the Czech capital has always been at a crossroads. But consider for a moment the dizzying pace of political and national change it has experienced in only the last 100 years. A century ago it was just another city in the multi-ethnic Austro-Hungarian Empire. After World War I, it became the capital of a new confident nation called Czechoslovakia. Twenty years later, the Nazis annex the territory without even a shot thanks to the appeasement of the Munich Agreement. Then liberation and Soviet control. A Prague Spring - which is crushed. Another 20 years and a Velvet Revolution. Followed by a Velvet Divorce. And now full membership in the European Union and NATO. But through it all the city's has kept its timeless charm and its people, their passion and poise.
Hungarian Toxic Sludge Disaster 2010
Preserving Auschwitz - Poland
Central Europe Floods 2013 |
Vaclav Havel Dies 2011
Kosovo Organ Trafficking Ring
Horse Meat ScandalThe 'funny' Hitler Book - Munich |
