In the year 802 CE, Khmer ruler Jayavarman II moved his Capitol and court to the new city of Angkor and declared himself to be a god-king. A few decades later, in 889, Yasovarman I ascended to the throne and undertook one of the most massive building projects of the pre-industrial world. Over the next…
Editor's note: getting off the beaten path can lead to some amazing experiences, like this trip to Serbia by writer Sam Spector. When I was in Belgrade ten years ago, I remember thinking that it was going to be a hot destination, but wasn't quite there yet. I'm glad to see it made it! For…
In the heart of Silicon Valley lies Santa Clara University, a private Catholic university. And, in the heart of Santa Clara University lies Mission Santa Clara de Asis, from which the university, city, and county derive their names. Founded as the eighth mission (of twenty-one) in California by Spanish missionaries in 1777, it was the…
Editor's note: another incredible glimpse into a part of the world I'd never have thought to go by Sam Spector, our wandering rabbi. Check out all of his articles here! This is the second half of my writing on Lebanon, a country that I visited and found fascinating. I decided to write about Lebanon in…
Editor's note: After reading Sam's amazing description of Beirut, please follow the link at the end of the article to make a donation to the Lebanese Red Cross if you are inspired to help after the terrible tragedy that befell what seems like an incredible place. To read more of Sam's content here at TRT,…
Editor's note: I am so proud to host another amazing piece from Sam Spector, the traveling rabbi! For more of Sam's writing, visit his index here. If you are like me, you have probably had a trip… or three… canceled by the COVID-19 outbreak. Also, if you are like me, as you have been touring…
Love him or hate him; there seems to be little room for opinions between those extremes when it comes to Antoni Gaudi, the architect who is more closely identified with transforming a single city than anyone perhaps since Sir Christopher Wren and his additions to London's skyline. When visiting Barcelona, it is impossible not to…
It's such a contrast to pretty much everything else I've seen in Spain, a country with so much history. The palaces and monuments of Seville and Granada seem to be a world away here in Valencia; the complex I am currently standing in is so ultra-modern that is seems less European and more Saturnian, like…
Words can't accurately describe my feelings as my small tour group departs the office and walks toward the wall. The morning is chilly, but clear here at the top of a hill in the middle of Granada in southern Spain. Our group, headsets on listening to our guide narrate, shows our tickets and enters. Some…
For Americans visiting Spain, Barcelona and Madrid seem the focal points. Both are amazing destinations, but seeing only those two cities misses my personal favorite city in Spain: Seville. The capital of Andalusia is one of the cultural highlights of all of Europe, a mid-sized city, easy to explore and with more to do than…