“Madame Tussaud’s is something more than an exhibition, it is an institution” wrote Charles Dickens, the author, in All the Year Round Volume 2, (1860,) page 250. Marie Tussaud, though born in France, created her famous exhibition of wax models in 1830s England on Baker Street, London. Could this have influenced Sir Alfred Conan Doyle, another […]
The National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, Wales, U. K. is unique and different in that it holds exhibitions of the best in science and art all in the same building. The building itself is beautiful, and very notable in the bustling center of Cardiff. Although I had not planned a visit on the day […]
The Cotswolds region in England lies on the border of Wales, where I came from in my previous posts. Although close to the southwest Welsh border and the capital city of Cardiff, the Cotswolds still are attainable in a day trip from the bigger cities of Bath or London. Cotswolds market-towns like Chipping Campden settled, […]
I have been on break since late November, but I am back now to continue my videos and songs of the places I have seen and can recommend. So, where was I when I left off. Oh yeah, castles in Wales. “A long time ago, in a land far, far away, there was a maiden, […]
Although many countries around the world claim they have the most castles, Wales certainly has an outstanding collection, which are preserved through Cadw, their historic environment (cultural) service. Some of the best are located near Cardiff, the nation’s capital. The following video displays the first of these sights: Castell Coch, Wales’ Victorian fairy-tale castle. To […]
Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, is the ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill. He was born and raised here, and, proposed to his life-long wife Clementine here (in the Temple of Diana.) Although our knowledge of Churchill generally centers around his leadership of war-torn Europe during World War II, one should also get to […]
Besides museums, public buildings and structures can serve as cultural and historical representations of a civilization. Encompassed in this sphere, some of these even become known and remembered throughout not only a society, but in the world at large. They become icons. Paris, France, has many icons, and today we see three of them — […]
Impressionists – need I say more? Paris, France highlights two of the best collections of Impression-era artwork in the Musee d’ Orsay and the Musee de l’Orangerie. The following video shows only a few of what these museums hold, by the best artists and painters of their generation. By all accounts, make it your mission […]
In a quiet corner of Paris, France, the Musee Jacquemart-Andre beckoned me. Less crowded and more sedate than other museums on a weekday afternoon, I walked quickly from my hotel, close to the Arc de Triomphe, to be on time for a tearoom “invitation” (reservations recommended for the cafe and museum, especially on busy weekends.) […]
The Centre Pompidou in Paris, France, is closing on September 22, 2025. It housed Muse’e National d’Art Moderne, Europe’s largest modernistic art collection, but will be shut down for five years while the Centre undergoes building restoration work for asbestos abatement, accessibility upgrades, and energy improvements. The Pompidou is known for its innovative glass and […]