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 …
Problem of “Overtourism” The night crowd at the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy Tourism is a double-edged sword: it brings economic prosperity to a community, but can also be a burden on its resources. Cities …
Choosing the Right Walking Shoes: Advice for Women For women, especially older adults, choosing the right walking shoes has repercussions beyond fashion. A study in 2005 showed that “incorrectly fitting footwear is common in older …
10 Unimaginable Destinations
- 8 mins read
Archaeology, Blog, Cultural, heritage, over-50s, small-group
10 Unimaginable Destinations This article details 10 Unimaginable Destinations for travellers to visit in the world. Although much of the mystery of travel may seem diminished in the age of online search engines and low …
Key 19th century painters No trip to any country in Europe is complete without a visit to one of the many impressive art galleries that are lined with the artistic talents throughout history. Especially in …
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 …
Secret Venice: The Council of Ten and Medieval Espionage The city-state of Venice emerged on a lagoon from the ruins of the Roman and Byzantine empires in the 9th century, and grew to become the greatest …
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 …
Islands of the Outer Hebrides An article that shares some the culture, people and history of the key islands on the Western side of Scotland. The Outer Hebrides The name Hebrides is derived from the …
Uncovering Albania Albania sits on the Ionian and Adriatic Seas in southern Europe, bounded by Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Greece. This small and mountainous country in the Balkan peninsula had roots in ancient Illyria, and …
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 …
Clothes began in Georgia In September 2009, a team of researchers and experts from the United States, Israel, and the Republic of Georgia examined clay retrieved from the Dzudzuana Cave and discovered something that would, …
Victorian Women’s Fashion The Young Queen Victoria by Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1842). Photographic reproduction from Wikimedia Commons. Victoria ascended the throne at the age of 18. In British history, the Victorian era refers to the …
Silk Road Explorers – “Imperialist Villains” The Silk Road, extensive trade routes that once connected the East and the West, fell into decline in the 15th century due to several factors, among them the drying up …
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 …
Selecting Shoes and Socks: Advice for Mature Travellers. Walking–we typically perform this motor function without any thought for our body movement or concern for our feet! Yet, transitioning from general activity to a walking and …
History and Legacy of the Silk Road
- 10 mins read
Archaeology, Art, Asia, Blog, China, History, small-group
The History and Legacy of the Silk Road The Silk Road (also called the Silk Routes) was an extensive system of trade routes formally established during the rule of China’s Han Dynasty. The routes traversed …
For centuries, trade via France from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean has been of the utmost importance for the country’s cultural and economic development. From as far back as the 3rd century BC when Cornish …
Visiting Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia: The South Caucasus’ Entwined Histories and Must-See Sites Visiting Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in one trip makes logistical sense as the countries sit next to each other south of the Caucasus …