The Vatican’s art collection vast, to put it mildly, and definitely something not to be missed even if you don’t have time to soak in every piece. From sculptures to paintings…from unknown artists to masters such as da Vanci, Raphael, and Titian…it’s a feast for the eyes and a bit overwhelming at first. The big…
The 1st century AD Arch of Titus looms large upon entering the Roman Forum. One of many such honorary or triumphal arches in Rome (and elsewhere in Europe for that matter), it was constructed as an homage to Emperor Titus by his brother, Emperor Domitian. Titus earned fame within the Roman Empire for leading many…
Naturally we had to pay a visit to the Flavian Amphitheater, aka The Colosseum. Getting there was pretty straightforward as our hotel was near the Republica metro stop. This meant we only needed to go one stop to the Termini metro stop and transfer to the “B” line to the Colosseo stop just across the…
Whenever possible we like to walk around a bit the first evening after arriving in our destination. It helps to get some exercise before bedtime and adjust to the jet lag. Besides, evening is an interesting time of day to observe the local happenings – people are getting off work, going out to eat, doing…
Temple of Vesta I’d say that the Forum was my favorite spot in our visit to Rome this past spring. Although it’s a small piece of the ruins, I had really looked forward to seeing the remnants of the Temple of Vesta. As a boy, my parents would occasionally play the song A Whiter Shade…
One must-do item on our agenda, at the insistence of our daughter, was a visit to the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour: http://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk Which isn’t to say that her mother and I aren’t fans of the books and movies, either! Taking public transportation to the WB studio is pretty easy, even though it lies…
With an empire that spanned so much of the globe, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that Great Britain’s collection of historical and cultural artifacts is vast. The works housed in the British Museum are indeed many and varied….Egypt, Greece, Rome, Asia, Africa, the Pacific, the Americas…most major portions of the world are represented…
Although it wasn’t our first stop, I’ll begin with the Tower of London. Unfortunately we only had 3 days to spend in London so we barely even scratched the surface! I won’t claim to have any grand insights or report on undiscovered corners of the city. But I will say that our time was a…
Before diving into what we did on our stop in London, I’ll briefly mention our lodging. For this stay I chose the Novotel London Paddington, not far from…wait for it…Paddington Station! I had collected a decent number of points in the “Le Club Accor Hotels” loyalty program, enough to cover our time there. And as…
Unexpected Food Flashback While my family enjoys trying new food, or new twists on familiar food, in our travels, it’s always fun to check out the overseas extensions of McDonald’s. What many Americans may not realize is how different international McD’s menus can be. My wife was surprised though to find this apple pie at…
An archive for my stuff
Travel
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Adventures in Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Current events and history: Retrospect and thoughts
A blog full of humorous and poignant observations.
Observations and random thoughts from a "not so teenager."
The life of PASSION
Pencil sketches and colors of life in line drawing with inspirational poetry
The Granite Globe 