Age is just a number, right? Is 60 the new 40? When can you classify yourself as being ‘old’ rather than ‘middle aged’? The truth is, the older you get, the further you distance your …
The Human History of the Balkans The aptly-named Balkan region comes from the Turkish word for “mountain“. It was so named because of the vast number and expanse of the mountain ranges that have been …
Exploring Uzbekistan In a 2018 article, The British newspaper The Telegraph described Uzbekistan as “the most fascinating country you’ve never been to”. Decades of isolation, particularly during Soviet rule, have pushed it down the list …
Turkey: From Anatolia to the Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, also historically known in the West as the Turkish Empire, was a superpower that lasted for 600 years. Parcelled out among the victorious Allied nations …
The Clash of the Mughals and the Marathas The Mughal Empire officially ruled in India from approximately 1526 until 1856. Unofficially, however, Mughal reign became obsolete much sooner than 1856. It was in the later …
The Political and Social Climate at the Palace of Versailles. The Palace of Versailles was a place of total luxury from the time of Louis XIV’s initial plans to the end of the French monarchy …
Bhutan a journey into the Hidden Kingdom Bhutan, a tiny and remote nation nestled within the Himalayas, has been described as a real-life Shangri-La. It is famed for its Buddhist spirituality, pristine mountain landscape, and …
Istanbul, Imperial City For more than a thousand years, Constantinople stood as the capital of the Byzantine Empire, surviving numerous attacks and internal rebellions, until the cannons of the Ottoman Empire breached its walls. Constantinople, …
European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) The EU has recently announced a system for its border entry process to the Schengen Zone. The system is called ETIAS, and here is everything you need to …
Constructing Versailles, the making of a Palace The Château du Versailles is an iconic destination for all of those interested in French history. A stone’s throw away from Paris, Versailles was the official residence of …
The Portuguese in Africa The Kingdom of Kongo and the Transatlantic Slave Trade The Kingdom of Kongo was a former kingdom that dominated West Central Africa in the fourteenth century (Heywood, 2009). Located south of …
Five Female Explorers and their Adventures There are many female explorers who have been forgotten or are not as widely remembered as their male counterparts–Gertrude Bell, for example, has been overshadowed by her male colleague, …
Exploring Newcastle Newcastle (or Newcastle upon Tyne) in northeast England is rich in architectural wonders and steeped in history. It was an important settlement on the River Tyne during Roman times, a thriving commercial hub in …
Who led Rome? There are plenty of lead characters that rose to Roman power throughout its empire. While some of them are very well known, others are less so. Some ascended to leadership via lineage …
Venetian maps ruled the world “Venice was always a frontier,” Peter Ackroyd (2009) declares in Venice: Pure City. “When the empire was divided in the time of Charlemagne, the lagoons of Venice were ascribed neither …
Shetland Islands Discovered Scotland’s Shetland Islands (or simply, Shetland) is a group of more than 100 islands, only 16 of which are inhabited, with a pristine coastline unrivalled in all of the United Kingdom. Its …
Claude Monet’s Water Lilies are among the most beloved artworks of the 20th century. Displayed in Paris’s Orangerie in a set of rooms devoted entirely to the paintings, they are Monet’s gift to France at …
Ten key influencers that shaped Queen Victoria’s Britain (Part 1 of 2) This article related to Queen Victoria’s Britain was prepared by one of our Odyssey Program Leaders, Mal Bock. She will be leading this small group …
The Beginning of Human Civilisation Ancient Greece is well-known as one of the earliest civilizations that contributed significantly to human advancement. “Greece reached heights in almost every area of human learning” (Mark 2013). Generally speaking, Ancient, …
Exploring the Faroe Islands
- 9 mins read
Blog, Denmark, Europe, History, Scandinavia, Scotland, Travel tips
The Faroe Islands, far far away Tjornuvik village, Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands (also called the Faroes or Faeroes) is a self-governing region of the Kingdom of Denmark, a group of 18 pristine volcanic islands …
Queen Victoria’s Britain (Part 1 of 2) This two-part article on Queen Victoria’s Britain was prepared by one of our Odyssey Program Leaders, Mal Bock. She will be leading this small group tour especially designed …