Gazing across Marsamxett Harbor at the skyline of Valletta is a surreal experience. The capital of the tiny island nation of Malta is itself minute, almost pocket sized, with a population of around 6,000. (However, the Valletta area contains the majority of the country’s residents, at about 400,000, and it feels like a single entity.)…
There is no shortage of places of historical interest in England. But here in the north, one city shines above the rest in that respect: York. Well preserved, beautiful, and fascinating, York could easily be a destination in and of itself, with more than enough to do to last a week or more. Well, I…
Palermo, the capital of and largest city in Sicily, has a history that dates back thousands of years. Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Byzantine… all of these civilizations had settlements or large cities here. But the golden age of Palermo, and indeed all of Sicily, began with the Arab conquest of the island starting in 826. Palermo…
The tunnel is dim, barely lit by the lanterns provided to a few members of the tour group. Miles of tunnels are cut through the interior of Mount Saint Peter, a former limestone quarry turned tourist attraction. Both here in the Netherlands and just across the border into Belgium, the area once held more than…
When I was a teen, I decided one day that I was going to read the encyclopedia from start to finish. My family had a World Book set (this dates me, I know), and I picked up the A volume and sat down to begin. As you might imagine, I didn’t get very far, and…
Of my ten days in Belgium, this was the one I was looking forward to most. Bruges is said to be one of the prettiest and best preserved medieval cities in Europe, let alone in this small country. Formerly an important port city, made rich by merchants, and now mainly a tourist destination, Bruges seems…
Normally, I am a planner when it comes to my travel. Whether I spend a month in a place, or a day, or just a few hours, I am fairly meticulous with my research. I have a list of things I might want to see - the list is always more than I’ll get to,…
Istanbul was ConstantinopleNow it's Istanbul, not ConstantinopleBeen a long time gone, ConstantinopleNow it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night Istanbul (Not Constantinople) sung by The Four Lads Yes, the song gets it right. Istanbul was Constantinople. (Before that, it was Byzantium, but that doesn’t make it into the song.) The town of Byzantium was elevated…
Standing at the stern of the Sea Stallion, I am in awe. At around 90 feet in length, this sleek warship once carried close to 80 men as it sailed the waters of the Baltic and North Seas. Of course, this one is a reconstruction, but done to the exact specifications and with the same…
Note: since writing this article, the Danish Queen Margrethe has announced her abdication, with her son Frederik ascending to the throne. So while I have endeavored to replace instances referencing the Queen as the current monarch, please excuse any I missed. It is, in theory, the oldest continuous monarchy in the world. Dating back to…