Pena Palace is considered by many to be the most beautiful building in all of Portugal, and it certainly lives up to that reputation. The colors - yellows, reds, blues - of the fanciful towers and decorations play masterfully with the cloud-filled sky and the greens of the open mountainous space around it. It is…
In 1305, Pope Clement V, under pressure from King Phillipe IV of France, refused to move to Rome and instead established his court at Avignon, where he purchased the city and its surroundings from the Provençal ruler. This began the only period of popes ruling from outside Rome, and led to decades of competing popes.…
While China and Japan get most of the publicity and tourism dollars in East Asia, Korea has just as long of a history, and just as proud of an empire. Visitors to Seoul, the bustling capital of South Korea, will still find remnants dating back to those imperial days. While there have been people living…
Madrid is a fairly large city. However, to a tourist's delight, most of the major sights can be found in just a couple of neighborhoods. Centro is one of those. Centro is the historical city. Puerta del Sol, one of the major squares in the neighborhood, was actually a gate into the old city at…