Ring-a-ring-a roses. A pocket full of posies. Atishoo, atishoo. We all fall down. Folklorists say that this children’s nursery rhyme originated when the Great Plague ravaged London in the mid 17th century. With symptoms of red rings on the skin, people clutching flowers to fend off the disease (remember, this was the old days) and Read More …
Ever wondered what the White House (the very one now occupied by Barack and Michelle) is modeled after? See for yourself on our Athens, Istanbul and Aegean tour where you’ll survey the foundational architecture of Western civilization. After all, democracy is an invention of ancient Greece, so experience its birthplace on the Athens sightseeing walk. Read More …
Hear Galápagos and think amazing natural history, right? But in the 1830s, it was practically the equivalent of a local post office. As you explore San Cristobal Island, one of the oldest geographically of the Galápagos archipelago, it’s hard to imagine it as it once was: a mailroom and pit stop for whalers in the Read More …
You’ll never be short on monuments, museums and historical sites to visit in big east coast cities. But even for die-hard urbanites, it’s nice to go beyond the desktop Zen garden and be one with nature—even for a few hours. Here are some places in Washington DC, New York and Boston, where you’ll discover nature…the Read More …
In 1967, Scott McKenzie put flower power on the map by asking visitors to San Francisco to come wearing flowers in their hair. But McKenzie wasn’t a fashion-fiend. In fact, he was a pop singer with a message. Flowers represented peace and love in an era when the USA was at war with Vietnam. And Read More …
The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plane. At least that’s what you’ll be hoping for if you’re planning a trip to see Spain’s infamous Semana Santa, or Holy Week, in April. Semana Santa is a week (or two in Toledo) of outdoor festivities marking the Passion of Christ—the Christian events of Jesus’ trial Read More …
Those feelings of irritability. That pair of elephant-trunk ankles. The overwhelming fatigue. That’s jet lag for you. It’s hard to live with it and unfortunately, hard to escape it, especially for long-haul fliers. Experts say that for every time zone crossed we’ll need an extra day of recovery at our destination. And with a 10-hour Read More …
Pura vida! The “Rich Coast” is filled with it. It’s a life philosophy in Costa Rica, a toast, a blessing… It can mean hello, goodbye, thank you and you’re welcome depending on the occasion. Some say that the Costa Rican slogan, literally the “pure life,” came from the surfers and Ticos (the local name for Read More …
You know how to throw a party, but what about throwing festivals? (And making the throwing part of the fun, at that.) From tomato throwing in Spain to water throwing in Thailand, we’ll help you understand the rituals so you when you go, you’ll know to bring a healthy sense of humor—and a change of Read More …
Life’s a circus. But some days, you might still daydream about running off to join one. Try it on for size in Montréal, Canada whose unique circus company brought the world the spectacular Cirque de Soleil. Though the idea of a circus—involving a traveling group of trained animals, acrobats, and clowns—dates back to Ancient Rome, Read More …
