Independent Travel, Thoughtfully Planned
The Hawaiian Islands are surrounded by many beautiful legends – stories of gods and men, love and betrayal, goodness and evil. Some of these tales have been around for so long, that they are now deeply rooted into the Hawaiian culture. Like most indigenous people, Hawaiians explained everything through myths and folk tales of passion. Almost …
8 Fascinating Hawaiian Legends That Few People KnowRead More
Somewhere in the Verdugo Hills, between Downtown Los Angeles and Glendale, lies the largest religious painting ever painted: The Crucifixion. The painting is displayed in the Hall of the Crucifixion, a massive structure which is part of the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale. At the top of the building is a huge cross that lights …
“The Crucifixion” – the Largest Painting Ever PaintedRead More
Living in Southern California means being part of one of the world’s most vibrant and exciting cultural landscapes. From visual arts, home decor and fashion, to music festivals, opera and jazz, you get a wide variety of events that can keep you busy year round. Among these cultural events there is one that often passes unnoticed, despite its 85 years of …
Secrets of Southern California – Laguna Beach Festival of ArtsRead More
Skansen Museum is one of Stockholm’s biggest attractionsLocated just a short 30-minute walk from Stockholm‘s city center, on the island of Djurgården, Skansen is the oldest open-air museums, showcasing houses and farmsteads from every part of Sweden.
Inside Skansen Open Air Museum – Five Centuries of Swedish TraditionsRead More
The Vasa Ship Museum is one of Stockholm’s biggest attractions, and for a few good reasons. One one hand, the Vasa is the only ship from the 17th century that still exists. On the other, after laying hidden under water for 333 years, the ship was brought to life and could finally tell its tragic story. Vasa, …
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”George Santayana Some wounds should remain open forever so that people can never forget. This was my first thought as I opened the small wooden door of the Corner House in Riga – the former headquarters of the KGB secret police, also known as Cheka. The imposing structure on the corner of Brivibas and …
Dark Secrets of the Corner House – Riga’s Museum of OccupationRead More
Romania is one of the very few places left in Europe where you can still experience the bygone era of the steam engine locomotives. So if you ever find yourself in the region of Maramures, Romania, don’t miss riding the Mocanita – Viseul de Sus – the last steam forestry train in Europe. The nostalgic …
Aboard the Mocanita, Romania’s Nostalgic Steam TrainRead More
If you ever visited Siena, you surely must have heard of its famous Palio. This horse racing tradition that goes back 300 years, is the most important event in town. But for the Sienese, Palio di Siena is more than just a horse race. The air is loaded with emotions and jam-packed with people twice …
Palio di Siena – Insight Into Italy’s Oldest Horse Racing TraditionRead More
When I think of Avignon, the first thing that comes to my mind is the traditional French song that we used to sing as kids: “Sur le Pont d’Avignon” (on the Bridge of Avignon). This was a very popular song at the time, and one of the first ones you’d learn if you took French lessons. …
