The long wait is finally over for the grand reopening of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology. After being partially or completely closed for the past three years, the museum's vast collection is finally open to the public again, with twice the exhibition space ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
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Museum Junkie: Oxford's Ashmolean reopens today
The long wait is finally over for the grand reopening of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology. After being partially or completely closed for the past three years, the museum's vast collection is finally open to the public again, with twice the exhibition space ...Trekking Tajikistan
The mountain countries of Central Asia have been a bit of a hidden gem for adventure travel in recent years. While the vast majority of people can't find Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan on the map as of yet, the more adventurous travelers have begun to hear tales of ...The Spice Isle: Grenada moves on past Hurricane Ivan
I didn't know a lot about Grenada before visiting recently, but one name was familiar to me: Ivan -- the hurricane that came through with force in 2004. So once I got there, I wanted to find out two things: what's it like during a hurricane? And how does the country look ...Gadlinks for Wednesday 11.4.09
This is the best day of the week, in my opinion: You're in a midweek groove, but the weekend is in sight. That's a perfect metaphor for how I'm feeling this week in life, too. I'm past the midpoint of many things in life, but the end is nigh! We have a whole lot of great ...The real problem with dying languages
When the last speaker of the Sechelt language, a tongue spoken by fewer than 40 people in southwestern British Columbia, eventually dies, an entire language will perish too. But, linguist John McWhorter wonders, so what?
In his recent article in World Affairs, McWhorter ...Get out and go: Events around the world (November 3-9)
Here's a travel factoid for the day: It was 106 years ago today that Panama proclaimed its independence from Colombia. Apparently, today in Panama, which they call "Separation Day," even the bars are closed.
It's time to look at the festivals and events happening around ...The Spice Isle: Nutmeg's always the answer in Grenada
You wouldn't know it from the abundance of nutmeg in shops, but Grenada's production of the spice stopped five years ago. And it'll continue to be at a halt for another five years. Why? Because of Hurricane Ivan. 82% of the island's nutmeg trees were destroyed by the 2004 ...Bowermaster's Adventures -- Welcome to the Galapagos!
Often by the time the mainstream media runs big stories about an environmental battle it's often too late. I've seen it up-close dozens of times during the past couple decades and have reported so many David-versus-Goliath stories – usually positing good-hearted ...First map to name America goes on display at Library of Congress
Visitors to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., have a rare opportunity to see the first map that used the name "America" for the New World.
The Library has the only surviving copy of the famous Waldseemüller map, created in 1507 by Martin ...Museum Junkie: Manga and Moctezuma at the British Museum
Trust the British Museum to have two completely different but totally cool special exhibitions at the same time. There's still time to catch Moctezuma: Aztec Ruler, a dazzling collection of art from one of Mesoamerica's greatest civilizations. It focuses on the reign of ...Gadlinks for Friday 10.30.09
I find costumes scary and Halloween night even scarier. I may love to travel, but on this particular evening there's no better place than the comfort of my living room. For those of you who are a bit more brave and eager to set out into the spooky evening donning a custom ...Met returns stolen Egyptian art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York announced this week that it will return a fragment of Egyptian sculpture to its homeland. Unlike the bust of Nefertiti or the recently returned frescoes that the Louvre gave up, the Egyptians weren't calling for its return for ...Cycling the Silk Road
Cycling tours have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially amongst adventure travelers who are looking to explore the world from the seat of their bikes. One of the leaders in organizing these kinds of adventure cycling trips has always been Tour d'Afrique ...Edgar Allan Poe travel for Halloween weekend
Even though Edgar Allan Poe's funeral do-over in Baltimore was a couple weeks ago, there are several locations where it's not too late to pay tribute to this literary master of horror. Poe, a traveler himself, moved between Boston, Charlottesville and Richmond, Virginia and ...Ship graveyards from around the world
Eco-friendly website Environmental Graffiti has an interesting story on their site today that details some of the top cargo ship graveyards from around the world. The article also includes some amazing photos of the rusted out shells of former cargo and cruise ships that ...Istanbul's hammams becoming more popular
In Ottoman times they were the daily ritual of the wealthy and middle class. Hammams were a place to unwind and socialize while getting clean. But in the twentieth century with the rise of internal plumbing and changing attitudes, the traditional hammam declined. Many ...Get out and go: Events around the world (October 28-31)
It's time to look at the festivals and events happening around the world, and this week has a particularly spooky selection of happenings. It is Halloween weekend after all. If you're close and have time, then you have no excuse to get out and go!
Denmark - Since the ...Vintage candy making in Maine
Ten vintage carousels with a romance side
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What is it about painted horses that follow each other around and around in a circle that's so compelling? Ever since carousels first became part ...A Classic West Virginia Resort Returns to its Roots
Once commonplace in society, the ultra-luxurious retreats of the South were in abundance and served as the ultimate vacation spot for the well-to-do. Often found in off-the-beaten-track locales, such as sprawling alongside a private beach or set atop a lonely mountaintop, ...
