Armenia: Buildings and Christianity In this post, we will look at examples of Armenia’s buildings and building design before and after its conversion to Christianity. Grigor Lusavorich, later Saint Gregory the Illuminator, was born and …
The Bund The Bund, a stretch of historical buildings lining the western bank of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, China (“bund” derives from the Hindustani word band which means “embankment”), was initially a British settlement that at …
Discovering Georgia Standing at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains, the lands of Georgia are filled with wondrous sites just waiting to be discovered. The deep religious devotion of nation’s inhabitants is manifested through the …
The Ottoman Empire, c. 14th-20th centuries The Ottoman Empire once extended from Iraq to North Africa, from Arabia to the Balkans, even pressing to the walls of Hapsburg Vienna on two separate occasions. Originating from …
Tehran Through Time Tehran, Iran at the foot of the snow-capped Alborz Mountains. Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution that toppled its monarchy and paved the way for an Islamic Republic under its supreme leader, Ayatollah …
India’s Mughal Empire More than 4 centuries ago the Mughal empire was an immensely successful empire, covering the entire subcontinent of India and reaching a population of 100 million at its peak. It is …
The Legacy of the Safavids in Persia Modern-day Iran is a mass of tiled architectural gems and of immense artistry, textiles and culture. But this is all thanks to its to the legacy of its …
The Roman Empire The Roman Empire at its peak covered an area of five million square kilometres (1.9 million square miles) and included territories in Asia, Africa, and the Western European nations around the Mediterranean Sea. …
Southern Italy: from Magna Graecia to Italian Unification When you ask people about Italy, more often than not one of the first places they mention is the capital city, Rome, or the submerged streets of …
Exploring York Like a page out of a history book, the North-Eastern city of York in the United Kingdom is a Gothic wonder. What lies beyond this walled Roman fortress, aside from York Minister, …
Exploring Kazakhstan. “Land of Wanderers” Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world and covers a landlocked area bigger than all of Western Europe. But unlike Europe, it does not figure prominently in the …
New York City: Architecture Styles Through the Ages What makes the Empire State Building different from the Haughwout Building in SoHo? How do the surrounding skyscrapers allow just the right amount of natural lighting for …
Malta, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica: Educational Journey through History
- 19 mins read
Blog, France, heritage, History, Italian History, Italy, Lists, Malta, mature-travelers, Odyssey, over-50s
Malta, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica: An Educational Journey through the History of the Western Mediterranean This article takes you on a journey through the beautiful islands of the western Mediterranean–Malta, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica–by tracing …
Mature Travellers Discovering Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Austria. It is best-known for its capital Budapest, the country’s cultural and commercial centre and …
Early History of Sicily: From the Phoenicians to the Arab Conquest (Antiquity to the 10th Century) Sicily in Southern Italy is the largest island in the Mediterranean, separated from the mainland by the Strait of …
Beauty and Artistry in Iran: The Persian Garden and Persian Mosaic Tiles
- 7 mins read
Architecture, Art, Blog, Cultural, heritage, History, Iran, Lists, Middle East, over-50s
Nasir al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz, Fars Province, Iran Beauty and artistry can be seen everywhere in Iran, and its philosophy and religious beliefs are reflected in the country’s public and private spaces. In this article …
Your Next Holiday Destination: Germany The Moselle River, which runs through Trier, Germany’s oldest city. Once labelled the “sick man of Europe”, Germany is now the continent’s largest economy and the sixth largest economy in …
Guillaumot prevents Paris collapse
- 8 mins read
Architecture, Blog, Europe, France, heritage, History, over-50s, small-group
Guillaumot prevents Paris collapse. Modern-day Paris On April 24, 1777, architect Charles-Axel Guillaumot, newly minted Inspector of Quarries, experienced the worst first day at work. More than two years prior, in the afternoon of December …
Ancient Routes, Fresh Eyes: Nine European Pilgrimage Routes for the Modern Traveller The word ‘pilgrimage’ or ‘pilgrim’ comes from the Modern French word pèlerin, which means ‘foreigner, stranger’, highlighting the concept that the faithful is not of …
England’s Liverpool: Port City, Architecture Marvel The Beatles and the Merseybeat era, football, and the waterfront. Liverpool’s vibrant culture and rich history has more to offer than what you may already know. In 1207, King …
Barcelona for mature and senior travellers The entrancing cosmopolitan city of Barcelona is one of the cultural highlights of Europe. Situated on the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula, the Catalan capital is famous for …