Places Facebook Hates

Let me pose the important question first: Have you sold your Facebook shares? The company is collapsing, and its performance over the last months is a shambles. People have been wantonly banned form commenting or posting for no reason at all. A whole town was ostracized over one of it's beauty spots. Facebook 'algorithms' were blamed, where Facebook illogirithms would describe it better if in a novel way.

 

One of Exhibition: Saint Maurice at the Louvre in Paris

If you want to see one of the richest church treasuries in the world, then Paris should be your destination. Since March 14 and until June 16, 2014, the Louvre Museum presents the treasury of the Abbey of Saint Maurice in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. It is also called Abbey of Saint Maurice in Agaunum. The exhibition is a one of and not likely to be repeated within our lifetime.

750 Years City of Thun in Switzerland

In the Swiss city of Thun, the year 2014 will be marked by ongoing festivities, festivals,  and cultural highlights. The celebrations have been chosen to highlight and mark the work, cultural contribution, and political development of women in these 750 years. The reason for this extraordinary theme for a basically medieval jubilee lies in the person of the founder of the city: Countess Elisabeth of Kyburg.

Hobbit Museum in Switzerland

Tolkien fans might think they have to fly out to New Zealand to see the Shire. They are wrong. In October 2013, a Hobbit Museum opened its doors in Switzerland. Geographically in the tourist region called Heidiland, the region is an ideal holiday destination for families with children. For the parents, there are excellent local wines to test which the Swiss usually keep to themselves.

Delphi Mystery Writing

Sometimes, mystery novels are the better travel guides. Delphi is beautiful; and everybody knows about its temples and ruins. The landscape around and behind this tourist Delphi is mostly forgotten. This book takes you to God Apollo's Parnassus Mountain where Pan is still playing his flutes. If you want to look at Delphi from the other side, Mary Stewart is showing it all in a well written story.

New World Art Capital: Athens

If you are interested in art, then Athens should be the place to go to next. The art scene in Athens is booming. New cultural spaces open almost daily. Studios and apartments are turned into galleries. For artists, living in Athens is cheaper than elsewhere. Artist have moved their studios from London and Berlin to Athens. And art is seen in Athens, not only bought.

Buddha in Lapland

Have you ever considered visiting an extraordinary Buddha statue somewhere? How about the one that stands tall in Lapland, Sweden. The statue is maybe not the most ancient work of art, but its geographical location is out of the ordinary, and out of the way. To get there, you will need one of Buddha's great virtues: Patience.

Fake Birth Certificate For Hamburg's Harbor

One of  the events that should be on everyone's bucket list happens every year at the beginning of May in Hamburg. Over 1.5 million people come to Hamburg for the festival commemorating the birthday of itsharbor on 7 May 1189. There is a document proving it, and it is a fake. Never mind, bring out the fireworks.

Imperial Austria in Leipzig

On the countrified outskirts of Leipzig in Germany, a double-headed imperial Austrian eagle spreads its wings on a memorial to an Austrian hero of 1813. Built in 1913 by the Austrian Military Order of Maria Theresa, it was blissfully forgotten by German imperials, republicans, communists, and republicans again. When the monument started causing costs, no one felt responsible to pay them.

The Picasso Miracle of Basel

In 1967, the Swiss city of Basel was rocked by student protests. Their protest slogan was: "All You Need Is Pablo." The students were not protesting against something or everything, they were protesting for the acquisition of two pictures painted by Pablo Picasso. The protests were a turning point and moved voters in Basel to spend more than six million Swiss francs in public money. This legendary ballot led to a miraculous propagation of pictures by Pablo Picasso.

Engineering Time Capsule: Amsterdam

In the 17th century, Amsterdam was bursting at the seams fed by a booming economy. Population growth and influx led to a housing crisis. To end the housing shortage, rich merchants designed and built horseshoe-shaped canals with ostentatious houses overlooking the waterways. The canals known as 'grachten' are the landmark of Amsterdam to this day.

The Town That Builds a Medieval Monastery

They wear homespun clothing made from flax. They use wicker baskets for transportation. Workers in the German city of Messkirch have started building a monastery. The technology is exclusively medieval. The template for the monastery was provided for in the never realized a plan dating to the 9th century intended to be built in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Is it a gimmick, tourist attraction, or archaeological research?

Cleopatra's Needle on the Embankment

One of the things you do when in London is walking along the Thames. That will inevitably bring you to the Victoria Embankment where Cleopatra's Needle is standing tall. The needle is an obelisk, and it has absolutely nothing to do with Cleopatra. Otherwise the name is apt.

Yemen: The Way Into Today's Mess

Yemen is not a usual tourist destination. It could be one, if the country had a minimum of organization and structure. But that was lost and willfully destroyed during the cold war in the last century. If you want to know the reasons why you are unable to enjoy the Yemen historic sites and landscapes, here's a book to read. 

Slow Travel: Walking From Somerset to India

Parents like to remind their children to eat slowly. And slow cooking has progressed from being a fad to being a way of life. Time to think about slow traveling. And quite frankly, you can't see anything when doing Europe in three days. My advice, take a page out of Thomas Coryat's book and start walking.

Superhighway from Londinium to Isca

A Roman road was uncovered in Puddletown Forest in Dorset. While the existence of the road was a well-known historical fact, it had been well hidden by the forest that it could not be located so far. The harvesting of a planting of Norway spruce firs by the Forestry Commission brought parts of it to light finally.

Swiss Village St Silvester on Its Saint's Day

The feast day of Saint Sylvester is the 31st of December, New Year’s Eve. In French and in German, the saint's name is synonymous with New Year’s Eve, party, booze, and fireworks. In the village of St Silvester in Switzerland, his special day starts off with an old tradition dating back more than 400 years.

How a Village Prays For Its Glacier

For times immemorial, humans have prayed to their gods to look favorably upon them, to keep them safe, and to grant their wishes. But what happens once the wish has been granted? This real life story tells you exactly what. The village of Fiesch in the canton of Valais in Switzerland does a yearly pilgrimage to ask God and Saint Ignatius of Loyola for help.

The Real Tower Bridge in London

Everyone knows one of the most iconic buildings to be seen in London: The Tower Bridge. The Olympic Rings had been suspended between its two towers and its raising platforms have fascinated generations. Have you seen it? Stupid question, you might think, pictures are all over the internet. But have you seen the working bridge? Because what you see is not what you get.

My Teddy Needs a Break

My Teddy was recently complaining. He felt overworked and desperately needed a break. While lying in bed all day might be your idea of relaxation, he thinks it’s just another day in the office. Luckily, there are options for Teddy’s holidays.