Immerse Yourself in Historic Bath
Confession: we almost skipped historic Bath, worried that the famous spa town might be too touristy. Popular for so long with fashionable society, we pictured the streets of Bath crowded with well-to-do weekenders carrying bags from high-end shops, taking breaks from hours of pampering and massage. You can certainly find these things, but there are […]
Legacy of the Swedish Warship Vasa
A Brief History of the Swedish Warship Vasa On the 10th of August 1628, the Swedish warship Vasa set off on her maiden voyage. Never leaving Stockholm Harbor, she sank after sailing no more than 1300 meters (less than a mile). Although her guns were salvaged in the 1660s, the wreck sat underwater for 333 […]
Is Stonehenge Worth a Visit?
Why is Stonehenge on the Must-See List? Admittedly, we aren’t huge fans of the “must do” or “must see” attractions during our travels. This may be because we think they will be too touristy, or maybe we are just snobbish about seeing things that pretty much everyone else already has. Stonehenge is one of the most […]
Cranberries, History and Puppies in Carver, MA
Sometimes the most mundane errands can turn into a lovely adventure. My Dad lost his faithful companion, Yankee this past spring, and he’s really been missing the companionship and fun of a dog. We accompanied his wife and him to check out some Golden Retriever puppies in Carver, MA, a town an hour or so away […]
Cities of the Dead: New Orleans Cemeteries
http://beta.quiet.ly/list/share/7faa0-new-orleans-cemeteries?width=640&height=0&heightAuto=true&showGradient=true&showMapView=true&showAuthor=false&showLogo=true&showListTitle=true&showListDescription=true&showTitles=true&showDescriptions=true&showWeblinks=true&makeClickable=true&sharePage=true&showEmbedCode=true&showIcons=true&embedTheme=dark&titleSize=18&titleType=quietly&descriptionSize=14&descriptionType=quietly&useOriginalImages=false&lastSlide=default&lastSlideMsg=&lastSlideUrl=http: The first things that come to mind when thinking of New Orleans are usually Mardi Gras, drinking to excess on Bourbon Street and maybe Jazz Fest or beignets at Cafe du Monde. These may be part of the experience, but there are some interesting places to explore outside the French Quarter too. New Orleans Cemeteries […]
Cartagena Doors: Infinitely Photogenic
To say we took a lot of photos in Cartagena is an understatement. The doors of Cartagena in particular continuously stopped us in our tracks, begging us to photograph them. We’re not sure if it’s the sheer size, the interesting design of smaller, inset doors, the ornate door knockers or the endless variety of […]
Villa de Leyva: Colonial Town in a High-Altitude Valley
The Road to Villa de Leyva Villa de Leyva is tucked into the mountains a few hours’ drive north of Bogotá. Traffic was heavy getting out of the city on the holiday weekend we set out, but we still had time to make a stop at a very important historic site. Just before the city […]
Don’t Skip: Ollantaytambo, Peru
Intro to Ollantaytambo The town of Ollantaytambo lies at the intersection of three valleys, at the western end of the Sacred Valley region in Peru. Traditionally, it was a place to rest and restock on the way through the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu. Remains of temples show religious significance as well. During the 1400s […]
Don’t Skip: Nagasaki, Japan
Intro to Nagasaki Fishing village to busy port Modern visitors to Nagasaki may not realize there’s a lot more to the city’s history than its sad title as one of the places an atomic bomb was dropped in 1945. Nagasaki was once a sleepy fishing village. When the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century, they […]
Nantucket in Winter
Nantucket Island has been the subject of countless books, legends, poems and song for hundreds of years. With its history as the center of the whaling industry in the northeast (in the late 1700s, Nantucket had 60% of New England’s whaling fleet) and its more recent popularity as a tourist destination, there’s no lack of […]