Category: Culture and History
-
An Afternoon in Cinq-Mars-la-Pile, France: Where Roman Mysteries Meet Renaissance Drama
In a region that’s home to world-famous châteaux, other worthwhile destinations can easily be overshadowed. But the French town of Cinq-Mars-la-Pile, with its enigmatic Gallo-Roman tower and its small, but atmospheric castle, also deserves a peek when you’re visiting the Loire Valley. One sunny spring day, Shawn and I did just that. Catching a train…
-
Spilimbergo: Italy’s Enchanting “City of Mosaics”
Spilimbergo, a charming medieval town nestled in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Italy, offers a lovely blend of art, history, and natural beauty. With its well-preserved historic center, world-famous mosaic school, and picturesque surroundings, Spilimbergo makes for a delightful day trip when you’re visiting Venice or the Friuli Venezia Guilia region. What are the…
-
France’s Breathtaking Pont du Gard
The autumn sun illuminated the rocky landscape as two kayakers plied the waters of the Gardon River in Southern France. Crimson and yellow trees danced on the gentle breeze, alongside a tree bearing one over-ripe pomegranate. The pair of kayakers continued their journey down the calm river and eventually glided underneath an arch of France’s…
-
Creating Handmade, Italian Marbled Paper in Florence, Italy
The art of paper marbling is mesmerizing. An artisan applies droplets of paint to a small pool of water. The colors appear to gracefully dance upon the surface of the water, but these individual splotches of paint respect the neighboring colors’ boundaries. As the artisan adds more and more colors, this dance continues. Finally, when…
-
Komiža, Vis: Savoring the Off-Season Charms of One of Croatia’s Most Remote Islands
The enchanting Croatian island of Vis has had many identities over the last few thousand years. For a time, it was an ancient Greek colony known as Issa. Then, from the 1950s until the 1980s, Vis was a secret Yugoslavian naval base that was off-limits to foreigners. From there, tourists — and filmmakers — started…
-
The Art of Florentine Marquetry: Watching Italian Mosaicists “Painting with Stones”
The arts have long flourished in Florence — the so-called “cradle of the Renaissance.” Hundreds of years ago, there were tens of thousands of artisans in the city, each dedicated to everything from leather goods and hand-decorated paper to jewelry making. Over time, the number of workshops has declined. Nevertheless, Florence still has a sizable…
