by Marco Pontuali The Eternal City is, of course, famously an enormous trove of outdoor public art. Not just buildings and monuments but also hundreds upon hundreds of statues, from classical antiquity through the 20th century. And about a particul
If you’ve got even a passing knowledge of history and/or Greek mythology, you’ve probably heard of the Minotaur, the monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull, imprisoned in a labyrinth by Minos, king of Greece's island ofCrete, and fed
by Allan D. Kissam A small, historic university city in the bucolic foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains,Lynchburg is truly an under-the-radar gem, founded in 1757, its hilly terrain packed with lovely 19th-century manses, historic sites, m
Some three to four hours from Naples (depending on whether you're driving or taking the bus/train) and six south of Rome - not to mention less than an hour from Bari), the Basilicata region sits right atop the instep of Italy's boot. And in the
I will never forget, nearly 40 years ago, laying eyes for the first time on my first ancient archaeological site. About an hour’s drive north of Mexico City, this UNESCO World Heritage complex of temples absolutely electrified my imaginat
Today is a momentous Armistice Day, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of the horrific “Great War” that embroiled dozens of countries, kingdoms, empires, and colonies, and scarred and shaped all of world history for the past century, fo
TheParque de las Leyendasis basically a zoo in the city of Lima - but with an amazing an unique "something extra". Located in theSan Miguel district near the coast, west of the old city centre and north ofMirafloresandBarranco, it is far, howev
Nowadays better known to many as the gateway to Aegean Sea resorts, Bodrum is also a fascinating ancient port city in southern Turkey, which we recently had the pleasure of touring. Its medieval castle and underwater museum are are just two of the
Israel’s neighbourJordanis home to some the most fascinating excursions fromTel AvivorJerusalem. Top of the list for many, of course, isPetra, the jawdropping, 2nd-century city hewn out of living rock, and nearbyWadi Rum, a mix of dramatic na
During my first visit to Madrid way back in 1978, strolling out near my family’s hotel near Plaza de España, I was gobsmacked to suddenly spy, of all things, an ancient Egyptian temple – right on downtown Calle Ferraz, on a platform in a reflecting
Today, many across the USA are watching in fascination a rare solar eclipse as the moon's shadow makes its way across the country this afternoon. These days that fascination is astronomical, but before astronomy, for much of the world it was apocalyp
In school, U.S. kids still learn the patriotic poem connected to the battle of Concord and Lexington, Massachusetts that begins, “Listen, my children, and you shall hear, of the midnight ride of Paul Revere...” And on this long weekend of their coun
Though yet another of China's megalopolises, Xi’an (pop. 13.6 million), on an inland plain in the country's northwest, is one of the Middle Kingdom’s oldest cities (dating back some 3,000 years, as well as one of its four great ancient capitals, unde
Long gone are the days when you could hover over the Andes Mountains to view Machu Picchu from above in a helicopter. All flights have been suspended due to environment concerns - and rightfully so I might add.
The Acropolis, the Plaka, and the rest of Greece‘s compelling capital are a treasure chest you could rummage through for days if not weeks on end. But just as important to this ancient country and culture are sites out in the hinterland, where the ai
"Living history" - that is, the ways and events of the past brought back to life through recreations and re-enactments - have an enduring appeal for travellers, which is of course why many historic sites have actors in period dress, and there are ent