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
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The Parque de las Leyendas is basically a zoo in the city of Lima - but with an amazing an unique "something extra". Located in the San Miguel district near the coast, west of the old city centre and north of Miraflores and Barranco, 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
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Israel’s neighbour Jordan is home to some the most fascinating excursions from Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. Top of the list for many, of course, is Petra, the jawdropping, 2nd-century city hewn out of living rock, and nearby Wadi Rum, a mix of dramatic na
More than 3,000 years old, a short drive from capitalTbilisi...just wow! See details.
The world’s third most populous city is one of those places which are of course home to some of the most iconic historic sights on the planet, and now a heady mix of the old and the new China. Though compared to when I first visited back in 1993 swa
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
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.
So what are your options to get to the
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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
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
The allures of the tiny Central American country of El Salvador are still not all that well known beyond its borders. Furthermore, local tourism, even though ramping up infrastructure, has been further challenged by perceptions of insecurity, though
"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
There are various good reasons to consider a visit to the tiny country of Honduras in Central America, especially if you’re a fan of diving, adventure, ecotourism, and castaway beaches. But if you’re fascinated by ancient archaeology - and in particu
Imagine it, if you can - in the mid 19th century, more than 300,000 men, women, and children making a 2,200-mile trek through open country from Missouri to what's now Willamette Valley and beyond in wagons and on foot. Here, five miles east of Baker
When it comes to the pre-Columbian past of Peru, most of us automatically and understandably think of the Incas. But there were many other cultures and civilizations in these lands through the millennia, some far older than the Incas. Several of thes
