Articles from this Category
May 15, 2020
Nestled in the Portuguese mountains not far from Lisbon is the fairytale city of Sintra. The palaces of Sintra were once the summer homes for Portuguese monarchs and it’s a wonderful reprieve to escape the heat and humidity of the capital city. The historic center of Sintra is known for its 19th-century Romanticist architecture, royal […]
January 21, 2020
Recently, we took a fantastic cruise with Princess Cruise Lines, Ltd. through the Mediterranean which was departing from Athens. We decided to fly in a day early so we could spend one day in Athens, taking in as much as we could of this splendid city. We were actually in Athens for 28 hours, which included […]
April 5, 2019
I love exploring ancient civilizations. It takes a lot to impress me. I’ve seen the Aztec pyramids of Teotihuacan in Mexico City; I’ve seen the Egyptian pyramids at Giza and the ruins of Karnak and Luxor; I’ve seen the Athens Acropolis, Roman Colosseum and Stonehenge in England; I’ve seen numerous Mayan ruins, including Chichen Itza, […]
August 27, 2018
I’ve been obsessed with the Incas and Peru ruins since my early 20’s. Maybe it’s because the Inca civilization is so enigmatic. Or perhaps admiration at having created such an impressive culture without written language, monetary system, iron, or slaves. I’d pour over photos of Machu Picchu in glossy magazines, imagining myself standing on that […]
April 11, 2018
About a one hour drive from Cusco, Pisac is the city used as the starting point to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. The better-known Inca ruins at Machu Picchu and Ollantaytambo are spectacular, for sure. But Pisac itself is one of the most colorful and diverse cities in Peru. And with far fewer tourists. […]
March 26, 2018
Dating back to the 15th century, Ollantaytambo was established as the royal estate of Inca Emperor Pachacuti and is one of the best-preserved Inca sites and example of Inca urban planning. History The Inca emperor Pachacuti conquered and ruled this part of the Sacred Valley, including Ollantaytambo. He built a fortress, agricultural terraces, an irrigation […]
February 20, 2018
The year was 1985. I was in my 20’s, and my sense of wanderlust had already firmly taken hold, particularly when it came to exploring ancient civilizations. I’d had a blast traveling throughout Mexico and Central America, visiting and climbing (yes, you could do that back in the day) Mayan and Aztec pyramids and ruins. […]
February 12, 2017
Ask a random sampling of people about their bucket list destinations, and virtually all of them will mention the Great Wall of China, probably near or at the top. “He Who Has Never Been to the Great Wall Is Not a True Man” I’m no exception. My two-week trip to China was prompted by my […]