Thought you had seen enough Armenian monasteries here on the blog, did ya? Nope nope nope: here's yet another. One different from the rest, located in a gorge with tall red cliffs. On the road to Noravank - and past the mysterious Nakchivan In this [...]
Remember The Emperor’s New Groove? Where Kuzco, the selfish Inca emperor is transformed into a llama by mistake, when his evil advisor Yzma gives him the wrong poison? My kids must have seen that film 100 times, and can quote pretty much every line in [...]
When people think of the UNESCO-listed Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin, Sanssouci is probably the first that comes to mind. And that Rococo palace of the Prussian king is indeed a fine example, with its park and temples and follies. Voltaire even stayed [...]
Utopia: we all have our own ideas of that, don’t we? Compassionate capitalism and urban planningSo did Robert Owen. Back in the late 18th century, this Welsh philanthropist, social reformer and idealist thought it was possible to combine a highly profitable business with human welfare. [...]
I'm noticing I haven’t written nearly enough about wine here on the blog. Scandalous really, considering the total yum! We’ve covered the vines of Switzerland’s Lavaux, (surprised Switzerland is wine-growing country? I was.) We’ve briefly touched upon the yummy wines of Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. We’ve [...]
See this bell? We'll come back to it soon. But first, the building in the background. Independence Hall: where the US Declaration of Independence was signed, and later, the US Constitution. This building then, is where the first steps towards democracy in the USA were taken. [...]
Norway has stunning nature. I say that entirely objectively (ok, not really. But still!) Excellent hikes abound just about everywhere you turn, all around the country. You'll also find some iconic rock formations. The three most famous in the south-western part of the country include:Trolltunga [...]
