In 1978, the science-fiction author Michael Moorcock wrote the celebrated essay ‘Epic Pooh’ that lambasted J R R Tolkien and his ilk for constructing fantasy universes in which – whatever the ‘there and back again’ meanderings of the plot – nothing ever really changes. Moorcock felt that his own ‘new worlds’ science fiction of the…
History
In 1678, a Chaldean priest from Baghdad reached the Imperial Villa of Potosí, the world’s richest silver-mining camp and at the time the world’s highest city at more than 4,000 metres (13,100 feet) above sea level. A regional capital in the heart of the Bolivian Andes, Potosí remains – more than three and a half…
This Babylonian Map of the World is a clay tablet containing a labeled depiction of the known world, with a partially surviving description, dated to roughly the 6th century B.C.
The map is circular with two outer defined circles. The plan is centered on the Euphrates, flowing from the north to the south of the…
There’s nothing quite like stepping out onto the summit of Masada, the sun beating down on you and the Dead Sea stretching out before you.
This stunning ancient fortress is one of the most visited sites in Israel for a reason, and everyone should aim to visit at least once if planning a visit…
This timber house built in the 1400s was dismantled and kept in a Buckinghamshire barn - a medieval flat-pack home that's for sale at £100,000... Mention a 'flat-pack' home for sale and you might imagine a latest offering from Ikea, or perhaps something destined for the centre of Tokyo. You're less likely to imagine a…
We explore some of Wikipedia’s oddities in our 6,079,214-week series, Wiki Wormhole. This week’s entry: Co-Princes of Andorra What it’s about: One two, princes kneel before you, that’s what I said now. Princes, princes who co-rule Andorra, just go ahead now. (And you thought we were kidding last week about trying to get that song…
I stumbled upon Daphne on the rooftop of a dusky riad in Marrakech. This six-foot Canadienne with man-sized feet was the only other guest there, and she was naked. Or mostly naked, which is startling for me at the best of times, but particularly in Morocco – a conservative north-African Muslim country. “Oh, er, hello!”…
During the heyday of train travel in the late nineteenth to early-twentieth centuries, rail stations in major cities were places where wealthy travelers showed off their status and prestige. Le Train Bleu, a restaurant situated in Paris’ Gare de Lyon, is a historic reminder of that bygone era. Rail is the way to go in Europe.…
Do you devour every documentary on the ancient world you can find? Or are you simply fascinated by the Ancient Romans and ready to learn more? This is the best way to begin! One of the most rewarding aspects of learning about Ancient Rome is recognizing the immense influence it has on our daily lives.…
You can't find much more excitement from day to day than being in the government, especially the welcoming Canadian Parliament.
Here's a chance for a dry run. What do you have to lose?
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With stay-at-home orders in effect across the United Kingdom, bulk buyers and consumers alike have been purchasing much more flour than normal, according to the National Association of British & Irish Millers (NABIM). To help meet this spike in demand, a 1,000-year-old English flour mill has resumed commercial production for the first time in decades, reports Jason Lewis…
Did you know that Japan’s shrines and temples welcome regular tourists to stay for a night or more? Experience authentic Zen meditation, the traditional, vegetarian cuisine called shojin ryori, and explore a fascinating world so different from anything you know. Staying at a shrine or temple is an experience that even a lot of Japanese people don’t get to have that easily, a…
This long distance footpath is unique because it follows a World Heritage Site. Hadrian built the Wall to separate the Roman Empire from the barbarians. It is a complex structure with curtain wall, milecastles, turrets, ditches and forts. Walking the Path is logistically easier if the east-west route is followed. The Path that mainly follows…
Colombia’s most famous writer, the inimitable Gabriel García Márquez, once said in a press interview that he could never have written his books if he had not been a journalist – because all of his material was extracted from reality. Wandering between the pastel-coloured colonial structures of Cartagena’s labyrinthine cobbled streets, one could be forgiven…
You’ll almost certainly be familiar with the Channel Island’s main settlements, Jersey and Guernsey, part of the UK. They’re famous for their handsome cattle and the unctuous, buttercup coloured milk they produce. But there are three others – Sark, Herm, and Alderney. While the first two are trickier for tourists, Alderney is a precious, hidden…
....Okayama is a must-see sightseeing area tourists often miss. Okayama is lies on the Shinkansen route connecting the two iconic tourist centers of Osaka and Hiroshima that are popular among many tourists to Japan. Its accessibility is yet another part of its appeal. For travelers wanting to explore historic spots, experience cultural activities, soak up…
The gentler, less gilded neighbour of Tuscany, Umbria enjoys a lower profile and seems less troubled by tourism. The “green heart of Italy” doesn’t have an endless stream of visitors plying between their checklist of big-drawer Tuscan Renaissance cities, just miles of undulating hills carpeted in sunflowers, tobacco or untamed bosco (woodland). Read more courtesy…
Full coverage of the Eiffel Tower from the base to a 360 view on the top floor including two 150m elevator rides to the 300 height view-deck. Turn on subtitles for an immersive descriptive virtual tour! And don't forget to get the best deal on Paris events and activities
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Hardknott Roman Fort, also known as Mediobogdum in the Ravenna Cosmography is a Roman Fort constructed at the Hardknott Pass in the Lake District, Cumbria, England to guard against raids by the Scots and Brigantes The fort is built on a rocky spur at an altitude of 800 feet and is one of the highest…
Centrally located in the Iranian capital Tehran, the Vali-e-Asr Mosque’s most distinguishing aspect is the fact that it does not look like a mosque. Designed by Iranian architects Reza Daneshmir and Catherine Spiridonoff of Fluid Motion Architects, the building eschews the stereotypical typology of large domes and tall minarets in favour of a modest horizontality…