Europe – Page 63 – The Intentional Travelers

Ancient Athens and the Acropolis

Rising up out of the center of Athens, Greece is the Acropolis. It sits atop a rock formation that rises 490 ft above the sea with a semi-flat surface that covers an area of about 7.4 acres. Considering its size it’s a pretty small place to be recognized as the birthplace of Western democratic civilization.Continue reading “Ancient Athens and the Acropolis”

Blarney Castle Ireland

The Magical Blarney Stone & The Gift of Gab The ritual of kissing the Blarney Stone has been performed by “millions of people”, including “famous statesmen, literary giants and legends of the silver screen” according to the castle keepers. The kiss actually is not an easy task. Kissing the stone, requires you to climb toContinue reading “Blarney Castle Ireland”

The Giants Causeway Ireland • Mingling Myth With Geology

The Legend There are many stories in Irish Mythology of adventures, grudges, voyages, battles and gods and a key character in many of the early tales is the mythical Irish hero Fionn MacCool and his warriors of the Fianna. These were forest-dwelling warriors often referred to in myths dating back to the 3rd Century ADContinue reading “The Giants Causeway Ireland • Mingling Myth With Geology”

Thera/Santorini And the Death Of A Civilization

You’re standing on the deck of a cruise ship near Santorini, Greece that’s anchored in the middle of a ring of islands. The near island’s sheer cliffs rise almost a six hundred feet right out of the water. You are looking at the aftermath of the largest explosive event in all of human history. OverContinue reading “Thera/Santorini And the Death Of A Civilization”

Richard The Lionheart In The Holy Land

King Richard I And The Third Crusade In the twelfth century various orders of knights controlled land and cities along the Mediterranean coast from Tyre in Lebanon to south of Acre in Israel. The major orders included the Order of the Knights of St. John or The Hospitallers, the Order of the Temple of SolomonContinue reading “Richard The Lionheart In The Holy Land”

Visiting Castles In Europe

Traveling around Europe it’s hard not to be drawn to those fantastic castles found in virtually every country. They stand as a substantial reminder of a remarkable history. There’s a tour guide joke about traveling thru Europe called ABC – it has a dual meaning standing for Another Beautiful Church or Another Beautiful Castle. FollowingContinue reading “Visiting Castles In Europe”