On a recent visit to London, I only had a morning to spend sight-seeing so I chose a visit to Kensington Palace. I had no idea when I went there how much I would learn about the romance, tragedy and scandals of the royalty who had occupied the palace over the centuries. Kensington Palace has been […]
Heinrich Schliemann’s House in Athens
I’m sitting in a beautiful garden surrounded by classical sculptures and exotic foliage. Brazilian jazz is playing as I sip my glass of sangria. Who could imagine I am in the middle of downtown Athens or that this garden is at the former home of the explorer Heinrich Schliemann. This “Garden of the Muses” is […]
Exploring Naxos’ Venetian History
One fascinating era of Greek history is the Medieval period during the occupation by the Venetians. One of the Venetian strong-holds in Greece was on the Cycladic island of Naxos. The Venetian Duchy of the Aegean ruled here from 1204-1537. At that time the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas were beset by pirates who invaded the coastal […]
Visiting the Jewish Ghetto of Venice, Italy
The Jewish Ghetto in Venice Even as far back in the 1300’s the Jews of Europe were being persecuted. Jews began settling in Venice in the 16th century. They were mainly moneylenders, physicians, artisans and traders. Though the republic valued their services, to placate the Catholic Church they were confined to live on this walled […]
London’s Alexandra Palace: The People’s Palace
When I was a youngster, growing up during WWII, every evening I’d sit in my grandparent’s kitchen and together we’d listen to the wavering voice of the BBC broadcasting the war news from London England. My father was serving as a chaplain at a field hospital in Holland. So after the news,Grandpa and I would […]
Searching for Loggerhead Sea Turtles in Zakythos, Greece
The Bay of Laganas on the south west coast of Zakynthos is considered to be the largest nesting ground in the Mediterranean for the Caretta Caretta loggerhead sea turtles . They are commonly called “loggerheads” due to their large heads with a horny beak. They are the largest hard-shelled turtles in the world and the […]
Get Hip to Summer Theatre in Greece
From the ancient times until today, the theatre has been a large part of Greek culture. And, many of the ancient theatres are still used during the summer months for dramas or music events. There’s nothing quite as thrilling as watching an ancient drama unfold in the exact venue where it was first performed […]
Exploring Torcello, Venice’s Most Deserted Island
A popular day-trip for visitors to Venice is the three-island boat tour to Murano, Burano and Torcello, the most popular islands in the Venice lagoon. My friend and I boarded the tour one morning for this much anticipated day’s outing. Our first stop was Murano, the most famous of the small islands and the […]
The Mystical Beauty of Samothraki Island, Greece
Off the coast of Thrace in northern Greece, lies the mystical island of Samothraki. I arrive by bus at Alexandroupolis, a pleasant city near the Turkish frontier. It originated as a small garrison town founded by Alexander the Great, and is now centre of the local tobacco trade. Offshore, in the mist of early […]
A Magical Day at Stonehenge
It was on my first visit to Stonehenge some years ago that I experienced the magic of the stone circle. I’d been visiting a friend who was a psychic while I researched for a novel set on the Salisbury Plain. She urged me to go to Stonehenge and stand inside the inner circle to […]