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 …
Mediterranean World Heritage Sites threatened Mediterranean World Heritage Sites threatened with flooding and permanent inundation as a consequence of global warming. The images of a flooded Venice that spread worldwide in late 2018, highlights another …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Trans-Siberian Landscapes and Wildlife Even in a fast-paced world where travelling long distances means hopping on a plane and journeying through the air for a few hours, the Trans-Siberian Railway continues to have a magnetic …
History of Persian Carpets
- 9 mins read
Blog, heritage, History, Iran, mature-travelers, Middle East, over-50s
History of Persian Carpets: From the Nomadic Tribes of Iran to Europe’s Richest Inside the Nasir al-Mulk Mosque (colloquially known as the “Pink Mosque”) in Shiraz, Iran, with the floor covered with beautiful Persian carpets. …
The Delicate Art of Art Restoration The Netherland’s Rijkmuseum recently announced that it will be restoring Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, its most famous and most treasured painting by the Dutch master. Rembrandt’s group portrait masterpiece, …
History of Tokyo
- 9 mins read
Asia, Blog, Cultural, History, Japan, Lists, mature-travelers, over-50s, small-group
A Short History of Tokyo Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, the busiest intersection in the Japanese metropolis The history of Tokyo is intimately intertwined with that of Japan’s. In this article, we’ll explore Tokyo’s history from …
The Shoguns of Japan: An Introduction to Six Centuries of Japanese Cultural Evolution
- 17 mins read
Asia, Blog, heritage, History, Japan, mature-travelers, over-50s, small-group
The Shoguns of Japan: An Introduction to Six Centuries of Japanese Cultural Evolution From 1192 to 1867, Japan was ruled by military dictators called the shogun. The civil government continued under the imperial court in Kyoto, …
Trans-Siberian Railway: Travel advice. What is it? The trans-Siberian railway was once hailed ‘the fairest jewel in the land of the Tsars’. Crossing Russia, Mongolia and China, this web of tracks provides unrivalled views of …
Six Short Walks through Britain Britain is renowned for its walking trails, and many world travellers choose to roam its green, rolling lands. How better to get a sense of its dramatic landscapes? From granite …
From Cairo to the NAC: Egypt Builds a New Capital City
- 8 mins read
Archaeology, Blog, Cultural, Egypt, heritage, History, mature-travelers, over-50s
From Cairo to the NAC: Egypt Builds a New Capital City On July 11, 2018 Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi laid the first stone of what was to become Egypt’s new capital. The city is …
Monet’s Giverny Garden Claude Monet French Impressionist Claude Monet (1840-1926) was a pioneer of a major art movement, but he created a thing of beauty that he believed eclipsed even his own celebrated works of art. …
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 …
Scotland & Scotch Whisky
- 7 mins read
Blog, Europe, History, mature-travelers, over-50s, Scotland, United Kingdom
Scotland & Scotch Whisky If you ever find yourself in Scotland, you’d be hard-pressed not to take a sip of Scotch whisky or consume it in some of Scotland’s local meals. Whisky appears to be …
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 …