Fort St Angelo’s Fortifications
Fort St Angelo guarding the harbour. This is a quintessential view of Malta from the capital, Valletta. Many assume that the Knights built it for the Great Siege of Malta, but
The Fall of Constantinople & the Siege of Malta
On 29 May 1453, the Ottoman Empire captured the eastern capital of the Roman Empire, Constantinople. On 18 May 1565, the Ottoman Empire advanced on the tiny island of Malta
Ggantija – The Giant’s Tower in Gozo
On the island of Gozo, in the middle of the Mediterranean, you can find one of the oldest man-made structures. Older than Stonehenge or the Pyramids, this is Ggantija - The Giant's Tower.
The Crying Madonna of Malta
In the centre of island of Malta lies a small neighbourhood known as ‘Tal-Mirakli’. (‘The Miraculous [Neighbourhood]’). It nestles between the three residential villages of Attard, Balzan and Lija. There you
The Mystery of Mnajdra
On the south-west coast of the island of Malta on a large open plain facing the Mediterranean, you can find two neolithic temples. These are some of the oldest religious
The Statue of a Bearded Lady
Once you leave the famous Prague castle complex, most people tend to saunter down the hill back to the city centre. This is a shame as the sheer quantity of
St Valentine’s Shoulder in Prague
I’ve written about saintly relics before. They exist all over the world because there is a belief that proximity to even part of a saint means ‘something’ can rub off.
The Tongue of St John (Of Nepomuk)
I’ve written before about the Czech saint St John of Nepomuk – but I hadn’t visited the main church dedicated to him, right in the middle of Czechia.
The Lisbon Earthquake
Earthquakes, uncommon as they are, are as realistic to me as World War II or a sensible lawyer. I know they exist but I’ve never experienced them directly. This makes it
Istanbul’s Galata Tower
Like any self-respecting city, Istanbul is not short of towering city blocks providing incredible views. One of the oldest towers is the Galata Tower which overlooks the Bosphorus straits.