Betraying your Brother in Leiria
The long walk up to the castle of Leiria, in Portugal, is paved with cobblestones that are slippery when wet. I gingerly trekked up until, gasping for air, I reached the
Slapping a French Empress in Turkey
Once you cross the Bosphorus Straits from Europe to Asia, one of the first places you can visit is Beylerbeyi Palace. This is where you would slap a French Empress
The Black Sun of Prague
I’ve written about symbols visible in Celetna Street in Prague – The Black Madonna, the White Peacock and the Powder Tower. At No 8, you can see a decorative Baroque symbol of
Discovering Nazareth in Portugal
Along the Atlantic coast, in Portugal’s central region, lies the town of Nazaré – literally, Nazareth. It sprawls over a clifftop and a beach below the cliffs and is a
The Myth of Sylvanus
Throughout the ages, man had a certain respect for nature. Many cultures imagined that there must be some spirit or god responsible for nature and the wilderness. The Romans called
Crossing Continents, the Quick and Easy Way
I looked up from my newspaper in down-town Şişli. I shrugged into my jacket to keep the worst of the cold wind at bay as I prepared myself. It’s not everyday
The Land of the Rising Sun in 10 days
While planning a trip to Japan, I faced a conundrum of sorts – should I spend all my time in Tokyo or should I travel the country? Experience different aspects
The Spooky Statue of a Rotting Corpse
Prague’s castle complex is one of the beauties of this Bohemian city. It also contains a spooky statue of a skeletal rotting corpse, a woman with frogs and snakes entwined in
Choosing a comfortable seat for your flight
Preferred seat on an aircraft – what’s your choice? Window? Aisle? Try to figure out how to leave a middle seat free so you can have a comfortable seat? Get
The Significance of the Alchemist’s White Peacock
I’ve written about the Royal Way in Prague – the path that the procession to a coronation would take through the city of Prague. I’ve also noted the connections to