Apr 7th, 2013 at 10:00AM: It is easy, without historical context, to mistake our own travels – and the documentation thereof – as some kind of bold act. We think ourselves grand for going around the world and we think our stories worthy of sharing merely because we can. But 150 years ago, this was just not the case. Travel was a big deal, women traveling an even bigger deal and women traveling solo, if not ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
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Travel Reads: 'Eighty Days' By Matthew Goodman
Apr 7th, 2013 at 10:00AM: It is easy, without historical context, to mistake our own travels – and the documentation thereof – as some kind of bold act. We think ourselves grand for going around the world and we think our stories worthy of sharing merely because we can. But 150 years ago, this was just not the case. Travel was a big deal, women traveling an even bigger deal and women traveling solo, if not ...Love In The Civil War At The New York State Museum
Mar 30th, 2013 at 1:00PM: The Civil War is the subject of numerous exhibitions and special events these days as the country commemorates the war's sesquicentennial. Most study the battles and politics, but one at the New York State Museum in Albany is focusing on how the war affected the relationship between two lovers.
"I Shall Think of You Often: The Civil War Story of Doctor and Mary Tarbell" opens today as part of ...British Museum Opens Exhibition On Life And Death In Pompeii And Herculaneum
Mar 28th, 2013 at 9:00AM:
Today the British Museum in London opens what is sure to be the hit exhibition of the year.
"Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum" examines the daily life of the Roman world, as it was preserved in two cities buried under volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Through fine art and mundane objects, we get to see what life was like for ordinary Romans.
Romans like ...Crypts Discovered Under Coventry Cathedral
Mar 27th, 2013 at 12:00PM:
Workers at Coventry Cathedral in England have discovered several well-preserved crypts underneath the ruins, the Daily Mail reports.
A maintenance team has been working to repair a crack in the ruins of the 14th century St. Michael's church, which became a cathedral in 1918 and was mostly destroyed by the Luftwaffe in World War II. When the workers investigated the floor of the cathedral, ...Photo Of The Day: Uppsala Botanical Gardens, Sweden
Mar 24th, 2013 at 6:30PM:
Sun in the middle of Swedish winter is a sought after thing, and this photo by Flickr user mjlacey captures the seasonal beauty of sunlight on snow.
The oldest botanical garden in Sweden, Botaniska Trädgården (Botanical Gardens), located in the university town of Uppsala, was founded in 1655 and was originally used for teaching students about botany and pharmacy. Today the ...Mussolini's Bunker Discovered In Rome, Will Become A Tourist Attraction
Mar 23rd, 2013 at 4:00PM: A bunker intended for the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini has been discovered in Rome, World Crunch reports.
The bunker was found in 2011 by workers restoring the Palazzo Venezia, but its existence wasn't revealed until now. The workers found a trap door in the cellar of a 15th-century building that led to nine rooms fortified with concrete walls up to two meters (6.6 feet) thick.
...Egyptian Mummies Weren't Given Enemas, Study Shows
Mar 23rd, 2013 at 1:00PM:
Ancient Egyptian mummies have been an object of fascination. The Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the fifth century B.C., visited Egypt and wrote a description of the mummification process. Since no ancient Egyptian text survives, his account forms the basis of many descriptions in modern books and museum displays.
Now a new study by two Canadian scientists suggests Herodotus may have ...Gadling Guide Review: Bradshaw's 1862 Guide To London
Mar 22nd, 2013 at 9:00AM:
George Bradshaw was responsible for the development of a series of railway timetables that were an icon of British Victorian travel – they're mentioned by Sherlock Holmes, Phileas Fogg and there was a 1876 music hall song called "Bradshaw's Guide."
I reached my destination, and was going to alight
When she placed her hand upon my arm, and said with much affright
'Oh Dear Sir, ...London Crossrail Project Unearths Black Death Burial Pit
Mar 15th, 2013 at 11:00AM: "Bring out your dead!"
If you lived in London in 1348-50, you'd hear that call a lot. All of Europe was swept with the Black Death, a virulent plague that killed an estimated one-third of the population. London, like other congested urban areas, got hit hard.
Now archaeologists working in London have uncovered a mass grave of Black Death victims, a Crossrail press release reports. Digging ...Cyrus Cylinder, 'The First Bill Of Rights,' Tours US
Mar 12th, 2013 at 1:00PM:
The famous Cyrus Cylinder, a baked clay tablet from the 6th century B.C. that's often called the "first bill of rights," has made its U.S. debut at the Smithsonian's Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, D.C.
The Cyrus Cylinder was deposited in the foundations of a building in Babylon during the reign of the Persian king Cyrus the Great. It commemorates his conquest of Babylon and ...VIDEO: Prehistoric Art Of Panther Cave Reproduced In 3D
Mar 10th, 2013 at 2:00PM:
Panther Cave in Seminole Canyon, Texas, has some of the country's best-preserved prehistoric cave paintings. A colorful frieze of leaping panthers, feathered shamans and strange abstract shapes have puzzled researchers for decades. It appears to be telling a story of some sort, but what does that story say?
Now this new 3D video allows you to study it for yourself. Color enhancement brings ...
Castle Drogo, England, Opens To Public
Mar 10th, 2013 at 12:00PM:
The last castle to be built in England is opening to the pubic, BBC reports.
Castle Drogo is more of a stately home than a castle, since it was built long after artillery made castles obsolete. It was started in 1910 by Julius Drewe, founder of the Home and Colonial Stores, near Exeter in Devon. World War I and the Depression slowed down construction and it wasn't completed until 1930. The ...Victoria & Albert Museum Showcases Treasures From Royal Courts
Mar 7th, 2013 at 2:00PM:
The Victoria & Albert Museum in London has just opened a new exhibition about the development of trade and official relations between Russia and the United Kingdom.
"Treasures of the Royal Courts: Tudors, Stuarts and the Russian Tsars" brings together more than 150 objects for a look at the interaction between both courts from the accession of Henry VIII in 1509. He and later Tudor ...Conservatives, Pack Your Bags! Liberal-Free Travel Has Arrived
Mar 6th, 2013 at 9:00AM: Some people like risks when they travel. Others don't want to take any chances that their entire hard-earned vacation will be ruined by angry, bitter, close-minded companions - you know, liberals.
That's the philosophy behind Conservative Tours, a Boston-based company not to be confused with conservation-related tourism. It's led by political pundit Ken Chase, a 2006 Republican candidate for ...A Medieval Monastery In Estonia
Mar 5th, 2013 at 1:00PM:
Estonia had an interesting time in the Middle Ages. Along with the other Baltic States of Lithuania and Latvia, they were the last bastion of paganism in a continent that had become entirely Christian.
Various Christian kingdoms decided this was a good excuse for conquest and launched the Northern Crusades. From 1208 to 1224, the Germans, Danes, and Swedes attacked Estonia and eventually ...Chasing The Estonian Army - And Finding A Different One
Mar 4th, 2013 at 12:00PM:
Machine gun fire thudded through the snowy woods. Mart looked up from the missile shelter we were inspecting; an excited look appeared on his face.
"It came from that way, let's go!"
He started running through snow up to his calves. I followed. The snow immediately trickled down the tops of my hiking boots, melted and gave my feet a cold bath. I kept running. At least I wasn't wearing ...Pyramids Discovered In Egypt And Sudan
Feb 24th, 2013 at 12:00PM:
You'd think archaeologists would have found all the pyramids of Africa by now, but two recent discoveries show there's a lot more discovering to be done.
A team of archaeologists working in Luxor, Egypt, have just announced they've discovered the pyramid of Khay, a powerful vizier of the Pharaoh Ramses II (ruled 1279-1212 B.C.). The pyramid was made of mudbrick and originally stood 49 feet ...The Secret Tunnels Under Tallinn
Feb 20th, 2013 at 2:00PM:
Tallinn is an old city, and like many old cities it has its share of secrets. Stories of ghosts, buried treasure and hidden tunnels add to the atmosphere of the medieval streets.
For a couple of years, one of those secrets was revealed when the city opened up the Bastion Tunnels. These corridors were built by Estonia's Swedish rulers in the 1670s and ran under the earthen bastions that ...Exploring A Snowy Traditional Village In Estonia
Feb 18th, 2013 at 1:00PM:
After so many years living in Spain, it was nice to visit Estonia and experience a real winter again. That numbness on the tip of your nose while the rest of your body is bundled up and warm, the way sounds get muffled by the snow, the intricate designs the icy branches etch into the sky – winter is a good season when you don't have to experience it for too long.
The best way to ...Tallinn's Medieval Old Town
Feb 18th, 2013 at 10:00AM:
Tallinn is a medieval wonderland. The capital of Estonia isn't on a lot of people's bucket list but anyone at all interested in history, architecture or art will love this place.
The central attraction is Old Town, a medieval walled city filled with old buildings and fortifications. The sheltered bay and the easily defended Toompea Hill made it a natural place to settle. Sometime about 1050 ...
