The author, pictured here in Vienna sometimes in the late-1980s. What could the StB have been thinking? I didn’t exactly have the look of a seasoned American spy. Photo by Delia Meth-Cohn.
MarkAboutToCry
About the author
Mark Baker
I’m an independent journalist and travel writer who’s lived in Central Europe for more than two decades. I love the history, literature, culture, and mystery of this often-overlooked corner of Europe, and I make my living writing articles and guidebooks about the region. Much of what I write eventually finds its way into commercial print or digital outlets, but a lot of it does not.
That's my aim with this travel website: to find a space for stories and experiences that fall outside the publishing mainstream.
You’ll find a mix of stories here. Some will be familiar “what to see and do” travel articles on particular destinations. Others will be tales of “adventure” (usually with a comic twist) from life on the road. I'll also share tips about living in my adopted hometown of Prague and stories from a more-distant (but seemingly ever-present) past, when Central Europe was the “Eastern bloc” and I was a full-time journalist trying my best to cover it. I hope you enjoy.