Europe

Book reviews
Books

Book review- Germania

For a country that is both Europe’s most prosperous power and arguably the worst villain nation of the 20th century, Germany does not get much mention in the English-language world, especially when compared to France or Italy. Germania- A Personal History of Germans Ancient and Modern attempts to remedy this by showcasing the history and […]

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Book reviews
Books

Book review- Around the World in 80 Trains – A 45,000-Mile Adventure

Monisha Rajesh travels the world in 80 trains in an impressive, intrepid inter-continental journey, criss-crossing Europe and Asia twice, and going around North America solely by train. Having done the same in India a few years ago (and also written a book about that), Rajesh is an accomplished pro at train travel. With her fiance […]

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Book reviews
Books

Book review- Why the Dutch are Different

I always enjoy reading books about entire countries and Why the Dutch are Different- A Journey into the Hidden Heart of the Netherlands was certainly very enjoyable. Usually, when most people think of the Netherlands, windmills, dikes, and the red light and marijuana delights of Amsterdam usually come to mind. In reality, the country is so […]

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Book reviews

Book review-Ottoman Odyssey-Travels Through a Lost Empire

If it wasn’t for the fact that Turkish authorities decided to ban the author from reentering the country due to her political journalism, the idea for writing about the former Ottoman Empire would not have come to fruition. So it is thanks to Turkey’s sensitive regime that Alev Scott wrote Ottoman Odyssey – Travels through […]

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Cities
Europe travel
Italy travel
Museums
Photo roundups
Travel

Vatican Museums photo roundup

The Vatican Museums feature so much great artwork that I had to devote a second post to them. See my first post about the Vatican Museums if you haven’t seen it already. Gallery of Geographic Maps One of the beautiful giant 16th century maps of Italy in the map gallery Sphinx with an eerily realistic […]

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Vatican Museums, Vatican City
Europe travel
Italy travel
Museums
Travel

Visiting the Vatican Museums

When it comes to the Vatican, I have to confess that I almost didn’t want to go. Rome was already really fascinating with so much to see. Luckily, I decided to spend my final day in Rome at the Vatican otherwise I would have missed out on one of the best museum experiences in my […]

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Swiss Watching cover
Book reviews
Books

Book review- Swiss Watching

I enjoy reading about different countries, but Switzerland has never really struck me as fascinating. Sure, it’s famous for making expensive watches and has stunning mountains, but I’d always considered it to be a bland wealthy country, exemplified by its neutral status. However, my perception has changed thanks to Swiss Watching- Inside Europe’s Landlocked Island by Diccon […]

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