History calls it The Dark Ages. The earth is flat. Ships sailing across the ocean intent on returning with the fabled riches of India may perish in the void. Darkness has descended as a global cold front sweeps across Europe. In the ensuing misery of famine and disease, barbarians fan out across the continent intent on conquest. This is the world of Alhambra in 1238. In Granada, on the Iberian …
The three Aran Islands lie across the waters of Galway Bay on Ireland’s west coast. Sometimes called “the Islands of Saints & Scholars” they are a hallmark of Celtic culture not only for their stunning geological formations but because of their linguistic and cultural heritage. I fell in love with the Islands on a recent trip to the Cliffs of Moher, another stop on my tour of the Republic of …
Of all the sacred ground on earth, Jerusalem is one of the most prized; its history marked by bloody sieges and transfers of power, leaving wounds too deep to be addressed by politics or priests alone. You can’t possibly see everything, so choose the sites most important to you. Know before you go! Hotel and a Guided Tour First, book a centrally located hotel. If you do this, most sights …
The Matterhorn which means “peak in the meadows” in German, is a nearly 15,000 foot tall mountain on the border between Switzerland and Italy. K2 and Mount Everest may outshine it in sheer stats but it’s the stuff of legends for any climber worthy of the calling. It looms, majestic and snow covered, purpled in shadows. I visited in the fall while temperatures in the village of Zermatt below were …
Ever have one of those songs you just cannot get out of your mind? It’s there when you wake up, you find yourself humming it in the grocery store or on the train. People stare. Someone asks, ”What IS that song?” Mine is Waterloo. Made famous by the Swedish rock group ABBA in the 70’s. I recently visited the place behind the song and the legend on a trip through …
Yad Vachem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem is a place of beauty, hope and acknowledgement. It is also a place of unspeakable pain. Designed by architect Moshe Safdie, the building is a prism-like structure penetrating Mount Herzi from one side to the other with both ends cantilevering into the open air. I experienced walking through the dark, interior galleries, a warren of small rooms, each purposed to tell …