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Roman Art, Architecture, Arches, and Arenas Are Arright!

One of the things I like about living in the heart of Europe is that so many beautiful and extraordinary European cities are just a short plane ride away. (See my earlier posts on Paris, London, Dublin, Budapest…) I have a list of cities that I want to visit during our time here, and a couple weeks ago, I crossed Rome off that list.

We spent a long weekend in Rome, and during our stay we walked from place to place, taking guided tours, visiting museums and other tourist attractions, Continue reading →

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London Calling!

During our recent visit to London, I was struck by the town’s various dichotomies. In the realms of architecture, the arts, and cultural traditions, one immediately recognizes these divisions: old and new; classical and contemporary; solemn and whimsical. This post includes some photos and videos documenting some of the sites we saw and the activities we undertook in our 5-day visit that illustrate this dichotomy.

Once one completes the hour-long Tube trip from Heathrow International Airport into the heart of the city, the most apparent of these dichotomies is in the architecture. Continue reading →

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My opinion on the best tour-guided attraction in Geneva? The European headquarters of the United Nations.

One of the things that makes Geneva uniquely Geneva is that the city hosts the greatest number of international associations in the world. These include the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization, the European Organizatin for Nuclear Research, the International Federation of the Red Cross, and many many others. Due to the historical significance of these organizations, many of these facilities include their own museum and/or guided tours. For my money — and it’s 12 Swiss Francs for an adult — the best of these tours is the hour long tour of the Palace of Nations, the European headquarters of the United Nations. Continue reading →