Some of Edinburgh’s history, which dates back well over a thousand years, is quite obvious. Edinburgh Castle dominates the city center, itself dating to the eleventh century. (Click here to read more about Edinburgh Castle.) From here, the Royal Mile stretches past historic St. Giles Cathedral and onto the royal palace at Hollyrood, lined with…
Editor’s note: I’ve been lucky enough to visit Atlanta a few times, back when I had a “real” job and I needed to come in for work meetings. But even with a minimum of one day free on each visit, I feel I’ve barely scratched the surface of what is truly a cool city. Sam…
It stands as the most visible and dominant portion of the city’s skyline, and has for roughly 1,000 years. Top tourist attraction, most recognizable landmark, and the first thing visitors notice when arriving, Edinburgh Castle looks magical. It sits at the top of the Royal Mile, a mix of pedestrian zone and not that contains…
Is it not strange that at a time when we have lost our Princes, our Parliament, our independent Government… that we shou’d really be the People most distinguish’d for Literature in Europe? In 1757, the Scottish philosopher David Hume wrote of a rather peculiar phenomenon. Scotland, despite losing most trappings of its independence between 1603,…
The portrayal of Scotland as a country of wild kilt-wearing sword-wielding savagery is nothing but English propaganda, sadly perpetuated to this day. In reality, Scotland is - and has been for centuries - a place of highly educated, incredibly literate, poets, artists, philosophers, and scientists. Its institutions of higher learning are as storied as those…
Editor’s note: I have a Morocco trip booked for next year, which begins in Casablanca. After reading this, I’ve decided to add a couple extra days in the city prior to my tour starting. What can I say? Sam Spector’s writing has that effect on me! For more of Sam’s awesome adventures, click here to…
I can’t imagine a more perfect experience than this. A pot of tea, specially blended for this single place. A warm scone bursting with raisins and red currants, along with proper clotted cream and strawberry jam. A tea room straight out of its 1903 opening, bright and airy, warm and inviting. And the genius of…
Few things both unite and divide the United Kingdom (and especially England) more than football. European football, soccer to us in the States. England is home to nearly 100 professional football clubs (with a few in Wales) arranged in four levels, and a whopping 5,000 clubs in the amateur levels below that. It is absolutely…
What do you get when you cross a reclaimed storied industrial area with the single most famous thing to ever come from your city? It sounds like a joke in need of a good punchline, but it’s actually a totally rhetorical question. The answer is that you get Liverpool’s Royal Albert Dock, Britain’s historically most…
Editor’s note: I’ve been to Japan twice, but have not made it down to Hiroshima. It is the single top place on my Japan bucket list for my next trip, and I’m grateful to writer Sam Spector for his brief but awesome guide to a visit. For more of Sam’s adventures, click here to visit…