Category: History

 

I search out historical sights on my travels and share my experiences here.

Bathing Like a Sultan – Overcoming Naked Inhibitions in a Turkish Bath in Istanbul

Enjoying a hamam, or Turkish bath in Istanbul is a unique experience in Turkey. I wanted to try it on my first visit to Istanbul, but to do so, I would have to set aside my inhibitions about being seen naked by strangers. Could I do that?

I know I have a typical American hang up about public nudity. Hollywood may show a lot of bare skin, but that’s not me on that screen. Plus, at my age, I feel like I am losing both the battle of the bulge and the battle with gravity. I am not sure that I really should subject the world to seeing my body without clothes on.

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Sleeping With the Sultan – Behind the Walls of Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace Harem

The Topkapi Palace harem complex is a beautiful and still slightly mysterious part of the Topkapi Palace which was the home of the Ottoman Empire Sultans.

Paris has the Palace of Versailles. Vienna has the Hofburg Palace. London has Buckingham Palace. In Istanbul, it is Topkapi Palace that was the opulent home to the Sultan rulers of the Ottoman Empire and their female entourage for almost 400 years. Learn about what went on behind the walls of the Topkapi Palace harem.

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Istanbul’s Hagia Irene – A Step Back in Time

Before the more famous Hagia Sofia was built, Hagia Irene served as the main church in Constantinople. Hagia Irene also served as a model for the construction of the Hagia Sofia next door.

To step through the door into Hagia Irene in Istanbul is to step through a time portal back to fourth century Constantinople. Before the more famous Hagia Sofia was built, Hagia Irene served as the main church for the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Hagia Irene also served as a model for the construction of the Hagia Sofia next door.

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Visiting the Historic and Famous Mosques in Istanbul

Not all of the mosques in Istanbul are open to non Muslim visitors. But fortunately, the most historic and famous mosques in Istanbul are open to tourists.

Not all of the mosques in Istanbul are open to non Muslim visitors. But fortunately, the most beautiful and famous mosques in Istanbul around the historic core of the Sultanahmet area can be visited by tourists during the non prayer times of the day.

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PhotoPOSTcard: Experience the Atmospheric Basilica Cistern in Istanbul

There is no doubt that the city of Istanbul is steeped in thousands of years of history – history that can still be touched today. Sitting beneath modern city streets that are teeming with pedestrian, automobile and tram traffic, a walk through the underground space of the Basilica Cistern is an opportunity to physically experience a world that existed 1500 years ago.

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Finding Dubai Old Town on An Easy Walk Along Dubai Creek

Take a walk along Dubai Creek and explore its two sides to find remnants of Dubai old town. It is along the shores of Dubai Creek that the area was settled in the 1830’s, and it is here where I was able to still find some examples of traditional Dubai. On the south side of the creek is the Bur Dubai neighborhood where I explored the Al Fahidi Historical area, the Dubai Museum and the Bur Dubai Souq. Then, after taking a ride across the creek on a traditional abra to the northern Deira side, I explored the exotic Spice and Gold Souqs.

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Adirondack Glamping Like a Vanderbilt – The Illusion of Roughing It

Discover the ultimate Adirondack glamping experience at the historic Great Camp Sagamore, once owned by the Vanderbilt family.

This story was recognized in the 2018 North American Travel Journalists Association awards competition with an Honorable Mention in the Illustrated Story-Online Publication category.

The Great Camps in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York were the wilderness playgrounds for the wealthy and elite of the Gilded Age in the late 19th century. One such camp, Camp Sagamore, has been preserved and restored and the serene and secluded wilderness setting can give you the ultimate Adirondack glamping experience, much like its Vanderbilt owners did over a century ago.

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Unplugging at the Lodge at Stehekin – a North Cascades National Park Adventure

A six hour plane flight, a three hour car ride, and 2.5 hours on an express boat – that’s what it took to get away from it all at the Lodge at Stehekin, one of the most isolated communities in the North Cascades National Park area of Washington state.  Continue reading “Unplugging at the Lodge at Stehekin – a North Cascades National Park Adventure”

A Day with Royals, Romans and Ruins – Visiting Historic Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor

On a recent visit to London, my husband and I took a whirlwind tour through time, experiencing 5000 years of British Isles history in one day as we went to Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor. Our tour took us to the prehistoric ruins of Stonehenge, the Roman baths in Bath, and the (relatively) modern royal residence of Windsor Castle. Continue reading “A Day with Royals, Romans and Ruins – Visiting Historic Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor”