Photos of Iceland - Dreaming of the Island of Fire and Ice Iceland is home to volcanoes, hot springs, northern lights, glaciers, waterfalls, and a population that believes in elves. Its capital city, Reykjavik, is a colorful mix of history and art surrounded by natural beauty, and black beaches, rocky coasts, and icy interior mountains beckon with adventure. Here are 25 photos of Iceland to ... Read Full Article
Six Nations’ Rugby Championship
An American’s Guide to Six Nations’ Rugby Attending a sporting event while you travel is a great way to experience a country's culture and connect with locals. Rugby can be a fun choice, because it is similar to Football, yet a little exotic at the same time. One of the biggest events is the Six Nations' Rugby Championship, which began 4 February 2017. Whether you watch in person or in a pub, in ... Read Full Article
Art and Science in the Netherlands’ Watersnood Museum
Watersnood Museum, Netherlands Four gray cement blocks, half-sunk in the ground at uneven angles, are the modest home of the Watersnood Museum: the remarkable and beautiful memorial of one of the Netherlands’ greatest disasters. At 2 am, Sunday, February 1st, 1953, a churning storm in the North Sea forced a wall of water into the narrow channel between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. ... Read Full Article
My Love Affair with Great British Food
I love British food. When people ask me what I love about the United Kingdom, what keeps me coming back, I often blurt out “food!” Some people laugh. Most think I’m joking. Britain, they note, is not exactly known for its cuisine. But I beg to differ. Perhaps it’s because I’m a Minnesotan. Midwesterners, Northerners, we like our meat and potatoes and we like them covered in gravy so thick ... Read Full Article
Capitoline Museum: The Story Behind Boy With Thorn
I had never been to the Capitoline Museum. The first time I saw Boy with Thorn, he was a black and white projection snapping in and out of focus on the classroom wall. It was my senior year of college, and I was fulfilling my Literature and Arts general education requirement with an Italian Art History course. The classroom, a small, dusty room on the third floor of the Harvard Fogg Art Museum, ... Read Full Article
Visit Amsterdam’s Zoo for Family-Friendly Fun
Amsterdam is well known for its history, art, and adult entertainment, but when I found myself wandering the historic canals and streets with a 3-year-old niece on my shoulders, I had to find something a little more family friendly. Enter the Amsterdam Artis Royal Zoo (Natura Artis Magistra). With over 1.2 million visitors each year, the zoo is the second-most visited site in Amsterdam ... Read Full Article
A Walk through Literary Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, as it serves up a delicious array of libraries, bookshops, historic authors, literary monuments, and scenic tours. In the 1700s, Edinburgh was the heart of the Scottish Enlightenment, and it gained the nickname “Athens of the North” for its classical architecture and reputation for producing literary and scientific geniuses. Three hundred ... Read Full Article
Winter Solstice at Stonehenge
Attending the winter solstice at Stonehenge is a dark and cold logistical challenge that deters less dedicated tourists and, as a result, is a more intimate and spiritual event. The summer and winter solstices are two of only four times during the year when Stonehenge has 'Managed Open Access', meaning patrons can enter without paying admission and are not required to remain at a distance ... Read Full Article
Hiking into Finland’s Natural Beauty at Nuuksio National Park
I like hiking, though I’m not a Survivor-level flint and tinder type of hiker. Instead, I enjoy the walk-through-the-woods-and-admire-the-scenery type of hiking. So when my brother told me that the Nuuksio National Park, where I could see the natural beauty of Finland, was less than an hour from Helsinki, I was excited, but unprepared. I hadn’t packed for hiking. So I wore tennis shoes and jeans ... Read Full Article