It all began with the French New Wave, which inspired the British New Wave’s Kitchen Sink Realism, New German Cinema, Japan’s New Wave, the Hollywood Renaissance; it seemed to be everywhere.

Background

The Australian film industry almost collapsed by the early 1960s, but The Gorton (1968-71) and Whitlam governments (1972-75) saved it from extinction with the funding of film production and the training of film makers through the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, which created a new generation of Australian filmmakers who were able to bring their visions to the screen. The 1970s saw a revival of the Australian film industry, producing almost 400 films between 1970 and 1985, altogether more than the entire backlog of Australian films.

The Australian New Wave was a period of resurgence, beginning in the early 1970s and lasted until the mid-late 1980s, which also led to Ozploitation, a film genre by the exploitation of colloquial Australian culture.

For me, as a young film student in Seattle, the precursor to the Australian New Wave began not with an Australian film director, but rather the English director, Nicholas Roeg. In his 1971 film Walkabout about two Anglo-Australian children, one a teenager and her much younger brother, who had lived a comfortable city life, but were abandoned by their father who had committed suicide on a road trip deep into the Outback. Struggling to survive in this unbearably hot and harsh terrain, they are saved by a young Aboriginal man, who is on a ‘walkabout,’ a rite of passage for Aboriginal males on the cusp of manhood. He teaches them to eat lizards, find water and hunt for lizards and wild game. The role is played by David Gulpilil, who at the time did not speak a word of English, which added to the film’s authenticity. The controversial nude swimming scene with Jenny Agutter still raises eyelids today. It is her rite of passage of emotional freedom.

KEY FILMS AND DIRECTORS

Peter Weir

Picnic at Hanging Rock is a 1975 Australian mystery directed by Peter Weir from a screenplay by Cliff Green, based on the 1967 novel by Joan Lindsay. The plot involves the disappearance of several schoolgirls and their teacher during a picnic at Hanging Rock, Victoria on Valentine’s Day in 1900, and the subsequent effect on the local community. One of school girls is never found, and, the ones which were, are mystified, unable to explain what had happened.

The film stars Rachel Roberts, Dominic Guard, Helen Morse, Vivean Gray and Jacki Weaver, who reappears on screen decades later as a middle-aged crime boss in the Australian drama, Animal Kingdom, then in Hollywood’s Silver Lining Playbook.
Weir’s protagonists are generally outsiders in their own worlds, characters out of place, facing danger, uncertainty or betrayal. These figures often undergo a loss of innocence or spiritual awakening, where the camera captures their subjective states through oneiric compositions, distorted sound, slow motion, and unconventional lighting. His cinematography is atmospheric, almost bordering on surreal, creating a sense of place that becomes essential to the narrative.

Picnic at Hanging Rock was a commercial and critical success and helped draw international attention to the then-emerging Australian New Wave. It is considered one of the most iconic and defining films of the New Wave.

Other notable Peter Weir Australian films: The Last Wave (1977), The Plumber (1979), Gallipoli (1981).

Fred Schepisi

The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith is a 1978 Australian drama film directed, written and produced by Fred Schepisi, and starring Tom E. Lewis, Freddy Reynolds and Ray Barrett.The film also featured early appearances by Bryan Brown, Arthur Dignam, and John Jarratt. It is an adaptation of the 1972 novel The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith by Thomas Keneally.

The story is about an exploited Aboriginal Australian who commits murder and goes into hiding. It is based on actual events.
The cast, a mix of professional actors (most of them white actors) and amateurs (most of them Aboriginal actors), was described by Pauline Kael as “a triumph of casting and coaching.”

Schepisi frequently sets his plots in a historical or cultural context, with precise attention to period detail. This is evident in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1970s Australia), where he integrates authentic locations, costumes and social atmosphere to immerse the audience. His work often explores themes of redemption, isolation, and the human condition.

Bruce Beresford

Breaker Morant is a 1980 Australian biographical war drama film directed by Bruce Beresford, who also co-wrote the screenplay based on Kenneth G. Ross’ 1978 play of the same name. It stars Edward Woodward as the title character, Lt. Harry Harbord Breaker Morant, along with Jack Thompson, John Waters and Bryan Brown.

It is about a 1902 court martial of lieutenants Morant, Peter Handcock and George Witton, one of the first war crime prosecutions in British military history. Morant, Handcock, and Witton, Australians serving in the British Army during the Second Anglo-Boer War, are accused of murdering captured enemy combatants and an unarmed civilian in the Northern Transvaal. The film covers the exploration of the Nuremberg Defense, the politics of the death penalty and the human cost of total war. As the trial unfolds, the events in question are shown in flashbacks.

The film won ten 1980 Australian Film Institute Awards including: Best Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Leading Actor (for Jack Thompson) and Best Supporting Actor (Bryan Brown). It was also nominated for an Academy Award for the Best Adapted Screenplay.

Breaker Morant remains the movie with which Beresford is most identified and has “hoisted the images of the accused officers to the level of Australian icons and martyrs.” In a 1999 interview Beresford said Breaker Morant “never pretended for a moment” that the defendants were not guilty as charged. He had intended the film to explore how wartime atrocities can be “committed by people who appear to be quite normal.”

Beresford films showcase their ability to evoke empathy and provoke thought, often blending intimate personal stories with broader social or historical contexts. His camerawork is often unobtrusive, allowing performances and story to take center stage. This is particularly evident where music, setting or period detail enhances the emotional tone.

Other notable Beresford Australian films: Don’s Party (1976).

George Miller

Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller in his directorial debut, who co-wrote the screenplay with James McCausland, based on a story by Miller and Byron Kennedy. Mel Gibson stars as “Mad” Max Rockatansky, a police officer turned vigilante in a dystopian near-future Australia.

Filmed on a budget of $400,000, it earned more than $100 million worldwide in gross revenue and set a Guinness record for most profitable Australian film of the year. The success of Mad Max has been credited for further opening the global market to Australian New Wave films.

Mad Max became the first in the series, giving rise to three sequels: Mad Max 2 (1981), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).

In the original 1979 Australian version, Mel Gibson spoke with a thick Australian accent. But for the American release it was redubbed with American voices to make it easier for U.S. audiences to understand. The U.S. dub also replaced Australian slang with American equivalents (e.g., “Oi!” became “Hey!”, “very toey” became “super hot”) and altered some sound effects.

George Miller’s style is defined by spectacular, practical filmmaking, archetypal narratives, thematic duality, and genre flexibility, all underpinned by a consistent empathy for his characters and a belief in cinema as a universal storytelling medium.

Philip Noyce

Newsfront is a 1978 Australian drama film directed by Phillip Noyce, and starring Bill Hunter, Wendy Hughes, Chris Haywood and Bryan Brown. The film is shot in both black and white and in color, incorporating actual newsreel footage.

Newsfront is about newsreel cameramen who are committed to finding compelling footage of newsworthy events. The film begins in 1948 and ends in 1956, when television was introduced to Australia, and follows the destinies of the cameramen’s quest within the context of sweeping social and political changes in their native Australia. I learned a lot.

Noyce often combines tight, tension-filled sequences with vivid environmental settings; urban landscapes, natural backdrops, or period-specific locales. He integrates action with deeper narrative exploration, ensuring that even the most spectacular scenes serve the story.

Gillian Armstrong

My Brilliant Career is a 1979 Australian period drama film directed by Gillian Armstrong, and starring Judy Davis, Sam Neill, and Wendy Hughes. Based on the 1901 novel of the same name by Miles Franklin, it follows a young woman in rural, late-19th-century Australia whose aspirations to become a writer are impeded first by her social circumstance, and later by an early romance. My Brilliant Career was released in Australia in August 1979 and later premiered in the United States at the New York Film Festival. It received significant critical acclaim, and was nominated for numerous AFI Awards, winning three, while Davis won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. In the United States, it received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film.

The film is regarded as being part of the Australian New Wave, as well as a piece of feminist cinema.

Armstrong’s work consistently explores women’s inner lives, relationships and the choices that shape their identities. While often associated with feminist themes, she emphasizes portraying complex individuals rather than making intentional political statements. Her films are anchored in emotional truth and psychological depth, noted for sharp story sense, meticulous design, and a strong sense of rhythm. Armstrong often uses period authenticity in historical settings, grounding her work in real locations and authentic period detail. Her visual language brings attention to music, lighting, and mise-en-scène that enhances the narrative.

The Road to Hollywood

Due to their success in Australian cinema, this led to the road to Hollywood, for big money and budgets, and bigger screen goers, many unaware that the Australian New Wave even existed.

Here are a few American films directed by these Australians:

Peter Weir: The Year of Living Dangerously, Witness, The Mosquito Coast, Dead Poets Society, Green Card, Fearless, The Truman Show, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Fred Schepisi: Barbarosa, Iceman, Roxanne, A Cry in the Dark, Six Degrees of Separation

Bruce Beresford: Black Robe, Driving Miss Daisy, Tender Mercies

George Miller: Lorenzo’s Oil, Babe, Witches of Eastwick

Gillian Armstrong: Little Women (1994), Starstruck, The Last Days of Chez Nous, Mrs. Soffel, Charlotte Gray

Phillip Noyce: Dead Calm, Clear Present Danger

Stay tuned for the New Zealand New Wave.

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I was lucky but didn’t know it. My high school years were spent at Queen Anne High School, nestled on top of one of Seattle’s seven hills. With views of the Space Needle, Puget Sound, downtown and Mount Rainer. We had a joke, if you could see this volcanic mountain, it meant it was about to rain. But we didn’t care, taking our lofty location for granted.

Mount Rainer was sacred to my family. It was where my parents had their first date, picnic prepared by mom’s mother. This time the joke was on my dad. He had thought that the elegant picnic basket, full of delectables, was made by my mom, later realizing she could barely boil an egg. Today, she can.

Mount Rainier National Park serves as an icon for Western and Central Washingtonians. The park is about 65 miles southeast of the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area and 65 miles west of Yakima in the Cascade Range.

It’s an active volcano, strewn with glaciers, wildflowers, wildlife and well-designed hiking trails, ideal for seniors and children.

Mount Rainier National Park covers about 236,381.9 acres. This area includes all of Mount Rainier, a 14,410 foot stratovolcano (a tall, steep-sided composite volcanic cone built by alternating layers of hardened lava, ash, and rocks), along with surrounding valleys, waterfalls, subalpine meadows, and over 91,000 acres of old growth forests. Ninety seven percent of the park is designated as wilderness under the National Wilderness Preservation System.

The park spans a dramatic elevation range from roughly 1,600-1,700 feet at its lowest points to the summit of Mount Rainier, and it is home to more than 25 named glaciers, the largest glacier system in the contiguous United States.

Around 10,000 climbers come from around the world each year to attempt the summit.

Paradise, at 5,420 feet elevation, is my favorite. In August it is blessed with wildflowers, huckleberries and blueberries. Mount Rainier National Park was recognized by the United States Congress. This made it the fifth national park in the United States. The park was created to protect and preserve Mount Rainier, once again the tallest volcano in the contiguous U.S. outside Alaska, along with its natural and cultural resources.

Mount Rainier National Park was established by an act of Congress signed into law on March 2, 1899, by President William McKinley. While
McKinley signed the bill, the park’s creation was the result of sustained local advocacy in Washington state. Efforts began in 1893 when state lawmakers introduced multiple bills in successive
congressional sessions to set aside the area. The campaign drew support from local mountaineering clubs, newspaper editors, University of Washington faculty, and conservationists like John
Muir, who praised the region’s natural beauty.

Mount Rainier National Park is open all year, 24 hours a day. Visitation is at its peak in July and August, when the weather is warm and dry and the wildflowers are blooming. If you are planning a summer trip to Mount Rainier, consider visiting mid-week, which is generally less crowded..

For further information, visit Mount Rainier National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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As recently as 1990 there was virtually no tourism to the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, Norway. Located in the Arctic Ocean between the Norwegian mainland and the North Pole, Svalbard (“cold edge”) was believed to be discovered by the Vikings in the 12th century. It became a base for many Arctic expeditions, then home to whalers and coal miners. Thanks to companies like Hurtigruten, it is now on the map for the world to see.

My adventure began with a flight from Oslo to Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen – the largest island in the archipelago. With a population of 1700, Longyearbyen has the distinction of being the most northern city in the world. Once a mining community, it is now a center for science and tourism. Only four land mammals can survive on this barren tundra: the Svalbard reindeer, the Svalbard mouse, the Arctic fox and the polar bear—which has become the symbol of Svalbard. Encounters with this species are rare, but their presence is felt everywhere. They are known to hunt humans on occasion, so people cannot leave settlements without a weapon or armed guide. Accommodations were at the Spitsbergen Hotel, where, like all the area’s hotels and restaurants, you must follow the tradition of removing your shoes before entering. Longyearbyen also offers shopping, galleries and the Svalbard Museum, an essential stop in preparation for the voyage.

The next day we boarded the 115 passenger MS Nordstjernen. The oldest ship in the Coastal fleet, it maintains the authenticity of a real Arctic expedition vessel. The ship has 54 cruise cabins, all with upper/lower berths. Creature comforts include café, lounge and dining room. Most of the adventure, though, was spent on the wooden deck – where no one wants to miss any of the attractions, clearly in view with 24 hours of sunlight in July.

Heading northwest on the coast of Spitsbergen, I experienced breathtaking fjords, calving glaciers, unique animal and plant life, and a midnight sun that refused to set. More than 60 percent of the archipelago consists of national parks, nature reserves, and bird or plant sanctuaries.

A large number of aquatic mammals inhabit the islands, including whales, seals and walruses. It is also a breeding ground for numerous seabirds. I found a remarkable variety of small flowering plants, which use the 24-hour daylight to produce colorful blossoms.

Landings on tenders were conducted by the highly-skilled Spitsbegen Travel guides – a passionate group and walking encyclopedias on all things Svalbard. They also carried rifles and acted as our protectors.

Highlights included a landing at Barentsburg (pop. 500), a Russian mining town and relic from the Soviet era. The group was treated to a Russian and Ukrainian folkloric show, and stopped for a taste of vodka at the settlement’s one hotel.

Magadalenefjorden is where Dutch whalers came to bury their dead in the 17th century. Stone gatherings and wooden coffins still remain, as well as blubber ovens. Ivory Gulls made nosedives on the group’s colorful hats when we got too close to their feeding area. Words of caution: don’t look up!.

Moffen is a flat island and protected reserve, located north of the 80th parallel. Known for its walrus colony, we spotted fifty of the creatures, many larger than two tons. Enroute we saw two polar bears on an iceberg, who seemed as curious to see us as we were to see them.

Calving glaciers was one of the many marvels of a stop at the Monaco Glacier. We did a tender cruise in front of the glacier and witnessed beluga whales swimming before us. Next was a tour of the former mining community of Ny-Alesund (pop 30), now an important research station.

On the voyage back to Longyearbyen, we assembled on the deck for the presentation of certificates for crossing the 80th parallel. There were also certificates for those crazy enough to go ice swimming in the fjords. Yes, I was one of them. If you are a lover of nature and history, this is an adventure of a lifetime with a landscape that is dramatically changing –so my advice is to book your trip now.

• Original article published April, 2017

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I fondly remember Lake Geneva (Matterhorn Region) when Switzerland Tourism blew into Los Angeles on January, 2017 with the most esteemed guest, Eugene Chaplin. A man of remarkable lineage, he is the fifth child of Oona O’Neill and Sir Charles Spencer “Charlie” Chaplin, the grandson of playwright Eugene O’Neill, the brother of Geraldine Chaplin and father of actress/model Kiera Chaplin.

Eugene Chaplin in Los Angeles. Courtesy Switzerland Tourism

An artist in his own rite, Eugene directed the documentary film Charlie Chaplin: A Family Tribute and created the musical ‘Smile,’ a narration of his father’s life through his music. He’s also a recording engineer, having worked with The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and Queen. He was in town to promote Chaplin’s World, the first-ever museum dedicated to the life and work of Charles Chaplin in the filmmaker’s former home in Vevey, Switzerland.

Back Story

In 1952 Charles Chaplin was exiled from the U.S. as a result of the House Un-American Activities Committee’s witch hunts, a disturbing period in U.S. history where Cold War tensions fueled fears of widespread Communist subversion. The committee used various charges of communism, communist sympathies and disloyalty to attack a number of politicians and other individuals, many Hollywood personalities. Chaplin was considered dangerously progressive and amoral. It was also revealed that he had never bothered to become a U.S. citizen. When Chaplin and family were departing for a trip to England, Chaplin was informed that he would have to submit to an interview concerning his political views and moral behavior in order to re-enter the U.S. Rather than fight a pending investigation by Immigration Services, Chaplin decided not to return to Hollywood. The Chaplin family, though, needed a new address in Europe. His half-brother Sydney Chaplin, suggested they visit Switzerland. Chaplin was taken by the peace and quiet of the Lake Geneva region, with its stunning lake and countryside, not to mention the attractive tax laws.

Gardening was one of Chaplin’s passions at Manoir de Ban. Courtesy photo

He purchased the vacant Manoir de Ban, a neoclassical mansion in Corsier-sur-Vevey, a wine-growing region near the banks of Lake Geneva. This is where he chose to live his remaining years with his family, from 1952 until his death in 1977. According to the Chaplin family, his 25-years at Manoir de Ban constituted his “happy years,” where he would walk in the grounds, garden, play with his children and host friends from around the globe. He also spent a large percentage of his time working on the screenplays for his films A King in New York, A Countess from Hong Kong and The Freak (which was never filmed), as well as adding music to his silent films, which he composed at the family piano. There’s a version of the Gold Rush, where he eliminated the title cards of the silent film, speaking all of the parts instead. In1964 in wrote My Autobiography at the Manoir.

Courtesy Chaplin’s World

On April 17, 2016, Chaplin’s former home and expansive grounds were officially open for the whole world to see. Rechristened Chaplin’s World – Manoir de Ban was repurposed and expanded as a museum that showcases Chaplin’s work and life as a family man in Switzerland. The goal was to allow visitors to discover the man behind the movies. The centerpiece of the museum is the three story, richly decorated Manoir, and the newly constructed Studio.

The grand opening at Chaplin’s World. Courtesy Chaplin’s World

A reproduced Winston Churchill pays a visit to Manoir de Ban.
Courtesy Chaplin’s World

In the Manoir, visitors are introduced to the Chaplin family, which has been restaged with a number of its original furnishings, personal items, photographs and family mementos. Each room focuses on a particular period of Chaplin’s personal life, while the dining room pays homage to the family’s everyday routines as well as the many Hollywood celebrities who visited them.

The new interactive studio features the work of Chaplin the artist which commences with a montage of clips from his half-century of writing, directing, producing, scoring and acting in movies. He outdid himself in the 1928 film, The Circus, where he also wrote and sang the title song for a rerelease in 1969. Curiously, he doesn’t mention the film once in his autobiography. The interactive studio is followed by an exhibition of recreated scenes and sets from many of his most famous films, along with wax figures of Chaplin’s famous co-stars.

Courtesy photo

It’s almost like a theme park where guest can enter the iconic cabin from The Gold Rush, while in the middle of a simulated blizzard, sit in the famous barber’s chair from The Great Dictator (where Chaplin played two roles), or negotiating the cogs of the industrial revolution machine from the madcap scene in Modern Times.

A statue of Chaplin graces the shores of Lake Geneva in Vevey.
Courtesy My Switzerland

A stroll in the Manoir’s 10 acres of expansive green grounds is mandatory with the reward of stunning views of the Swiss Alps and Lake Geneva.

Chaplin fans can also enjoy the onsite restaurant, affectionately named The Tramp.

If you decide to spend additional time in the breathtaking Lake Geneva region, The Modern Times Hotel is conveniently located nearby.

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The Wall was not only intended as a defensive structure, protecting the civilized Roman world from the unconquered barbarians in the north, but stood as a testament of Rome’s will and might. It was a propaganda statement, but also served as a census bureau, for the Romans were meticulous record keepers, and wanted to know who was in and who was out. It was the equivalent of a modern-day protection racket, for each person who would pass through the wall was taxed; you were protected, but you would have to pay for it. And tax and trade were among the many things that defined the Roman Empire.

But now, my real education, an oral one, of the history of Hadrian’s Wall would begin by booking a personalized tour with the passionate tour guide extraordinaire, Mr. Peter Carney. My day commenced with Mr. Carney driving us 16 miles from North West England’s city of Carlisle, to a place where locals simply refer to as the Wall. His narration began almost immediately, explaining why Hadrian’s Wall was built, what it did and how it changed the course of human and technological history. But this piece of history does not begin or end with the Wall; it’s as much about the history of the Roman Empire as well as the world we live in today.

The Wall That Bears His Name

Caesar Traianus Hadrianus, Roman emperor from 117 to 138 ACE, was known for his travels throughout the empire, devoting much of his time to civil and military constructions. He was considered to be a benevolent dictator as his interventions generally went unchallenged. And this included building projects, in particular, building projects in which he had designed. Prior to the advent of Hadrian’s Wall, he constructed the Arch of Hadrian in Athens, the Temple of Venus and Roman Arch of Hadrian and rebuilt the Pantheon in Rome. Many of the world’s most famous structures and monuments may lay claim as an homage to others, but were also intended to be an homage unto oneself, where the wealthy have branded their buildings with their own names and logos, even more so today. No lists required.

Hadrian had drawn the design for his Wall without ever having visited the new Roman province of Britannia before. Prior to his arrival, the province had suffered a major rebellion (119 to 121 ACE), comprising some 3,000 soldiers. This might have had something to do about his arrival in Britannia in 122 ACE, but most sources have indicated that it was really more for him to see the early construction of his Wall and then to revise it, and perhaps revise it again.

It was a herculean task to construct the Wall, almost unimaginable in its day, where Roman masons and auxiliary were relentlessly challenged by harsh windswept fields, wide rivers and rolling hills that were not conducive to Hadrian’s initial plans. But Hadrian and his builders, like the Roman Empire itself, could not be stopped, making brilliant use of local geographical features. The well-known Central Sector ran 12 miles along the crags, with the east Wall placed on a long ridge running eastwards to Newcastle, while the west Wall was often located on shorter ridges, allowing views of the north to improve the mobility of the army in the event of Celtic attacks in the frontier.

There is still no conclusive evidence to determine when Hadrian’s Wall was actually completed. An inscription suggests that at least one part of Wall was finalized around 128 ACE, six years after Hadrian left Britannia. He never saw what is believed to be the finished Wall, the Wall that bears his name… but his name and Wall will always remain the same.

Julius Caesar and Britannia

The first direct Roman contact with Britannia began when Julius Caesar undertook two expeditions in 55 and 54 BCE, believing the Britannic people were helping the Gallic resistance in what is today’s France. The first expedition was more of a reconnaissance one than a full invasion, only gaining a foothold on the coast of Kent,a county in South East England, unable to advance further due to storm damage to his ships. Despite what he thought was a failure, it was a political success, with the Roman Senate declaring a 20-day public holiday in honor of Caesar’s achievement of obtaining hostages and pacifying small tribes. The second invasion involved a substantially larger force where Caesar coerced many of the tribes to pay tribute in return for peace. This concluded with the surrender of the warlord, Cassivellaunus, and the installation of the more Roman-friendly king, Mandubracius. Caesar conquered no territory and left no troops behind, but established new trade partners and brought Britannia into Rome’s sphere of influence.

Remember Vindolanda

The Vindolanda site today contains a modern world-class museum using the latest interpretation techniques which convey the mysteries of Roman life at the Wall. The Vindolanda Writing Tablets, thin slivers of wood covered in unique Latin scribble, were found in the oxygen-free deposits, buried beneath the wooden fort’s floor. They are the oldest surviving handwritten documents in Britain.

In 2018 the museum was extended with an underworld gallery, housing collections of 2,000-year-old artifacts, which included everything from a wooden toilet seat to a children’s toy sword.

It could be a cold and lonely life for a Roman soldier stationed at Vindolanda, where heavy rains and chilling winds would often be a daily occurrence. Many of the solders had arrived from the warm climate of the highy populated Italian Peninsula, and for new Roman commanders and their families, it was akin to a blunt slap in the face in comparison to their early life of luxury in the capital city of Rome.

Vindolanda has attracted archaeological attention for more than a century, but many mysteries still surround it. Students and amateur archeologists volunteer their time and money for digs and lodging during the summer, but often never make it in due to the long list applicant

Claudius, the last person considered to be an Emperor

Emperor Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was born August 10 BCE at Lugdunum (modern Lyon, France). He was the first Roman Emperor be born outside of Italy, and was ridiculed throughout his life by speaking a rustic form of Latin. His pedigree came from the Julio-Claudian dynasty; Claudius from his father’s side, Julian from his mother’s side of the family. The mocking Claudius received upon speaking rudimentary Latin was not unusual, for he had been ridiculed most of life. At a young age, due to sickness, he had a limp and slight deafness, and was ostracized by his family and kept hidden from the Roman aristocratic eye. In a sense, this was was good for him, for potential enemies did not see him as a serious threat, thus saving him from the fate of assassinations and purges of earlier powerful Romans. By the time of Claudius’ adolescent years, his physical symptoms seemed to subside, and Rome’s senators and patricians began to notice his intelligence and scholarly interests. Nevertheless, Claudius did he best to remain out of view, pleased that there was no hope for advancement, which was exactly what he did not want.

But the new emperor, Caligula, his relative, did recognize Claudius to be of some use as a historian, and appointed him as his co-consul in 37 ACE to inflate the memory of Caligula’s deceased father, Germanicus. After Caligula’s assassination, despite Claudius hiding as an act of survival, he was declared emperor by the Praetorian Guard, as the last adult male of his family.

As an emperor, Claudius was considered to be fair and and efficient. He constructed new roads, aqueducts and canals across the Roman empire, and restored its finances after the excesses of Caligula’s reign. He issued new reformations; ranging from the mandatory death of a slave owner who kills his own slave, to public flatulation, believing it will lead to a healthful life.

But the manifestations of Claudius’ new physical condition were difficult to ignore: his head shook and his body buckled under weak knees. He slobbered and stammered when under stress, making his speech almost incomprehensible. Historians assume his stress was from the fear of his own assassination. Several coup attempts had already been made during the first year of his realm, and he was aware that it could happen at any moment. And so he did everything in his power not to offend his armies; rewarding the Praetorian Guard with coins and tributes, and resorting to bribery to secure loyalty. One of the major themes of the Roman Empire was expansionism, and Claudius made an important calculated decision: keep the generals busy and hide them from the Roman capital by sending them off to distant lands to conquer. And one of those distant lands was an island off the western coast of Europe which Julius Caesar had named Britannia.

In 43 ACE, Claudius sent the general and politician, Aulus Plautius, with four legions to Britannia, under the guise of an appeal from an ousted tribal ally. Claudius himself traveled to the island after the completion of initial offensives, bringing with him a massive army and reinforcements, which also included elephants, an unknown beast that had a demoralizing effect on the enemy. Claudius knew that no people could ever withstand the might of the Romans with their highly trained centurions, legionaries and auxiliary who would march into battle with precision, as a unit in tortoise shell formations, using advanced technical warfare, so advanced that the Celts had never even seen such a force before. It was akin to a Martian landing for the local tribes, witnessing Roman legionaries jumping from their fleet of vessels into rough waters, and then swimming fully dressed in heavy steel armor, carrying swords and supplies, prepared to battle the second they walked on the shore.

Emperor Claudius, whose dominionship began in 41 ACE, was murdered by poison in year 54, perhaps due to a conspiracy between the senate and the Praetorian Guard, but some assumed it was by his 4th and final wife, Agrippina.

The Final Conquest

The Roman conquest of Britannia finally ended under the command of Gnaeus Julius Agricola in 84 ACE, with the Roman armies’ slaughter of the Caledonians at the Battle of Mons Graupius. Celtic casualties were estimated to be upwards of 10,000 and about 360 on the Roman side. The battle ended the forty-year conquest of Britannia, a conquest that saw approximately 250,000 Celtic people killed. Thus, the new province of Romano-Britannia was officially born with Aulus Plautius as the first governor of the new province.

Things Change

From 43 to ACE 410, in the Roman province of Britannia, all people became Romanized and enjoyed the full rights of Roman citizenship. And Britannia’s former landscape, which had once consisted of broken paths, crumbling stick homes and savage Celtic warriors with only blue tattoos covering their bodies, became endowed with Romano-Britannic culture. Their world transitioned to a network of 1,500 Roman roads, some still used today, leading to well-planned city centers and forums with monumental architecture held together with the Roman invention of concrete. Fountains, bathhouses, arenas for music, plays and poetry flourished throughout the new province. Aqueducts fed new homes with running water for bathing, indoor sewage, and some with heated floors. And through trade, Rome’s new citizens would be introduced to unknown spices, unique tools and mechanics. People who lived in rural areas discovered new forms of agriculture, grains and advanced methods of farming. In times of famine, it was no longer necessary to raid a nearby tribe or neighbor to survive.

The new Romanized people were allowed to live and travel wherever they liked without any form of confliction, as did Roman citizens who settled in Roman Britannia, bringing new ideas and new cultures from the far corners of the empire. And they were all protected by the Wall which Hadrian had built.

Roman Emperor Constantine I: The Edict of Milan

In the year 313 ACE, Roman Emperor Constantine I, along with the Emperor Lininius, who controlled the Balkans, issued the Edict of Milan, a proclamation that promised religious tolerance and freedom to be a Christian to all of citizens of Rome. Constantine kept his word, where he himself converted to Christianity, and became known as the ‘First Christian Emperor,’ though many assumed he didn’t actually understand what it meant. Nevertheless, he is venerated as a saint in Eastern Christianity, and considered responsible for introducing this new religion to mainstream Roman culture, a culture who had once thought Christianity was just another new Jewish cult, this one dedicated to a man named Jesus who had once lived in an obscure part of the Roman world. Now, when new Christianized Roman legionaries arrived at the northen frontier, Christian Crosses were embedded on their shields, and the soldiers were morally shaken upon finding that the barbarity of druids, the high Celtic priests, actually preformed human sacrifices. As Rome transition Britannica to Christianity, as they had done to much of the known world, Constantine transitioned the Christian day of worship to Sunday.

Antonine’s Wall

Antonine’s Wall was a turf wall built on stones, initially intended to be Romano-Britannia’s furthest northern defense fortification and replace Hadrian’s Wall. But it was abandoned eight years after completion, when the Roman legions withdrew to Hadrian’s Wall in 162 ACE. The Caledonians north of the Wall were never fully defeated or occupied. The Roman sentiment was basically: ‘Why even bother with these savages, there’s really nothing up there anyway.’ Today tours are readily available to Antonine’s Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  

And in the end…

The Romano-Britannic province all seemed to work until it didn’t, when most of the Roman army pulled out to deal with far more important matters, such as to curtail invasions in Germania from the Franks, the Alemanni, the Goths and the Sarmatians, who stood at Rome’s doorsteps. The Western Roman Empire, whose empire had once spread from the damp gray of Britannia to the deserts of Arabia and to the river banks of the Nile, would eventually fall and become another empire, the Holy Roman Empire, with the Frankish king, Charlemagne, as its emperor.

The Romano-Britannic citizens were left with a scattering of Roman military with little real form of real protection from which would soon come from the remaining barbaric Celts in the north, the war-like Vikings of Scandinavia, the conquering pagan Saxons and Angles from Germania, endless tribal wars, a new Germanic language and a new Germanic name for their island: Angland.

John Clayton: The Savior of Hadrian’s Wall

John Clayton (1792-1890) was a lawyer, an antiquarian and the town clerk of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. During Clayton’s youth, his father purchased an 18th-century country mansion in Humshaugh, Northumberland, adjacent to Hadrian’s Wall. The ruins of the 2,000-year-old Roman fort, Cilurnum, ran through its front garden. Clayton enjoyed exploring and digging around the fort to the point of becoming an amateur archeologist. But, he became annoyed upon seeing local people loading the Wall’s stones into wheelbarrows for reusage in constructing their own buildings. This was not unusual for much the world was built from reusage, which included the stones and marble from the Roman Forum that helped build the Rome and Vatican City of today. But for Clayton, when his own stones were taken from his own property, it was something he could not bare.

John Clayton, due to his successful lawyer-ship, had become wealthy and began purchasing large portions of the Wall and forts, and preserved them by placing sods of grass on their top. At the time of his passing, Clayton owned five forts as well as most of the Wall within 20-miles of his residence.  I was informed by Mr. Carney that when we see contemporary maps dotted with English city names that end with: ‘-caster,’ ‘-cester’ and ‘-chester,’ it is an indication that the city was once the site of a Roman military camp or fort. Another example how the Roman world still affect us today.

Perhaps this obituary about John Clayton says it best:

He strove to become the Wall’s possessor. By purchasing these sites, he brought them under his protection. He stopped quarrying near to the Wall, forbade the use of Roman stone for new buildings, and moved buildings away from the archaeology. Today, he’s remembered as ‘The Savior of Hadrian’s Wall.’

Hadrian’s Wall Guided Walks with Peter Carney

Below is not a paid sponsorship for a Peter Carney Hadrian’s Wall Tour. It is an important suggestion to join one of his tours, and your memory will be enhanced, just as mine has, where the memory of my own tour is carried with me each day.

Contact: pe*********@ha***************.com
Website: www.hadrianswall-walk.com

POST SCRIPTUM: A few things that Julius Caesar left to the world

July, the Julian Calendar, Czar / Kaiser/ Cezary in Polish / Cezar in Romanian / César in French and Spanish / Caesarism / HMS Caesar / Caesarsboom (Caesar’s Tree).

For the Caesar Salad, however, it’s best to swing down to Old Mexico and visit Caesar’s Restaurant in Tijuana, and you’ll see its birthplace and how it was created by the Italian immigrant, Mr. Cesare Cardini, ninety-nine years ago.Here’s the history of Caesar Cardini’s Iconic Caesar Salad by T-Boy Food Critic, Audrey Hart.

‘Hail Caesar’ is a phrase that was used in the Roman Empire as a greeting, a way of showing respect to Julius Caesar. But after the phrase traveled to Germany and transition to ‘Heil Hitler,’ it appears to be less popular today.

PPS: Barbarian

You might have noticed that I use the term, ‘Barbarian,’ a number of times in the text. I’m aware that once a new word or names goes out to the world, over time it takes on a new meaning with different people. I studied the etymology of ‘Barbarian’ within the context of the Roman Empire. It means, during the life of the Imperial Western Roman Empire, any person regardless of race, religion and ethnicity was branded a barbarian if they did not adhere to Greco-Roman culture. But, looking at the name within the context of the ancient Athenian world, it means: any person who did not speak Greek, spoke an incomprehensible language which sounded similar to a noise that a sheep makes: ‘bah bah, bar bar, barbarian.

To see the first three installments in the series, visit:

What’s New and Old in London, Part I
What’s New and Old in London, Part 2
What’s New & Old in England’s North

The post All Roads Really do Lead to Rome: Hadrian’s Wall appeared first on Traveling Boy.

Question 1: What are some of the “things” or activities that the people of Kraków do for fun?

Answer:

Tourists: sightseeing, shopping, clubbing, eating in restaurants, walking (source: the annual research of tourist traffic in Kraków).

Inhabitants: shopping, going to day spa, eating in restaurants, going to the zoo and boulevards of the Vistula river.

Question 2: What is one thing the public probably does NOT know about Kraków?

Answer:

Lajkonik, Hejnal z Wiezy Mariackiej, Muzeum Bursztynu, Muzeum Witrazu, Muzeum Lotnictwa, Twierdza Kraków. Also The nuclear/air-raid shelters in Nowa Huta, Crèches, The Dragon Monument and The Dog Monument (called Dzok [Jock]), the symbol of fidelity.

Question 3: What has Kraków contributed to the world?

Answer:

Pope John Paul the II, The Jagiellonian University, Poet Wislawa Szymborska, Rynek Glówny – Main Market Square – the biggest medieval square in Europe.

The post Kraków, Poland appeared first on Traveling Boy.

Wiseman has spent more than half a century documenting the structures, contradictions and rituals of modern life. In Titicut Follies (1967), Wiseman’s landmark debut film takes us inside a Massachusetts institution for the criminally insane, unflinchingly documenting the treatment and mistreatment of inmates. Often blurring the distinction between doctors and patients, and at times harrowing to watch, the film was prohibited from general distribution in the USA for almost 25 years.

More recent, expansive cultural institutions include the New York Public Library (Ex Libris, 2017) and the Opéra de Paris (La Danse, 2009).

While producing a film, Wiseman often acquired more than 100 hours of raw footage. His ability to create an engaging and interesting feature-length film without the use of voice-over, title cards, or motion graphics had been described as the reason Wiseman is seen as a true master of documentary film.

His works affected American institutions and attempted to hold institutions accountable for moral and ethical situations. He was noted as one of the most admired and influential filmmakers by the Associated Press. The Guardian called Wiseman’s films “monuments to human suffering and human challenge and human potential.”

Wiseman said, “My films are based on unstaged, un-manipulated actions. The editing is highly manipulative, and the shooting is highly manipulative… What you choose to shoot, the way you shoot it, the way you edit it and the way you structure it… all of those things… represent subjective choices that you have to make. In [Belfast, Maine] I had 110 hours of material … I only used 4 hours – near nothing. The compression within a sequence represents choice and then the way the sequences are arranged in relationship to the other represents choice.”

Wiseman’s death was announced in a joint statement from the Wiseman family and Zipporah Films:

“For nearly six decades, Frederick Wiseman created an unparalleled body of work, a sweeping cinematic record of contemporary social institutions and ordinary human experience primarily in the United States and France,” the statement read. “His films – from ‘Titicut Follies’ (1967) to his most recent work, ‘Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros’ (2023) – are celebrated for their complexity, narrative power and humanist gaze. He produced and directed all of his 45 films under the banner of Zipporah Films, Inc.”

Wiseman announced his retirement in 2025 due to the lack of energy to make further films.

The post Frederick Wiseman: RIP appeared first on Traveling Boy.

This will be the third Paralympic Games hosted in Italy. It also marks the 50th anniversary of the Winter Paralympic Games.

The Games are expected to feature 79 events in six Winter Paralympic sports. A mixed doubles event will make its debut in wheelchair curling. A total of 665 athlete quota places are available: 323 for men, 176 for women, and 166 gender-free.

The Paralympics were established to provide elite competition for athletes with disabilities, originally created by Dr. Ludwig Guttmann in 1948 England to aid the rehabilitation of World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries. They promote equality, challenge perceptions of disability, and showcase incredible physical, and psychological, athletic achievement.

Why do the Paralympics exist:

• Rehabilitation & Social Integration: The first games, known as the Stoke Mandeville Games, began as a way to help war veterans with disabilities regain physical strength, self-esteem, and social confidence.
• A “Parallel” Elite Competition: The name “Paralympic” derives from the Greek preposition “para” (beside or alongside) and “Olympics,” meaning they are games held alongside the Olympic Games to celebrate, not just rehabilitate, athletes with a wide range of impairments.
• Shifting Perceptions: The Games aim to focus on ability rather than disability, fostering a more inclusive world by showcasing elite-level performance.
• Global Unity: Since the 1960 Rome Games, the event has grown into a major international sporting event that brings athletes with varied disabilities together in the spirit of friendship and competition.

The competition events are:

Alpine Skiing:

• Downhill (sitting, standing, visually impaired): women – men
• Super-G (sitting, standing, visually impaired): women – men
• Giant slalom (sitting, standing, visually impaired): women – men
• Slalom (sitting, standing, visually impaired): women – men
• Super combined (sitting, standing, visually impaired): women – men

Also:

• Para biathlon
• Para cross-country skiing
• Para ice hockey
• Para snowboard
• Wheelchair curling

With one month to go, the Paralympics are ready to take over Italy and turn Milano Cortina into the global stage for the very best of Para sport.

Support the Team USA dream

Your 100% tax deductible gift fuels Team USA athletes as they pursue excellence at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Games – and strengthens their journey long after the Games are over.

Your support assists with the cost of training, health and wellness resources, innovative equipment and more as Team USA athletes strive to reach the podium.

100% of your gift goes to athletes and the programs that make their dreams possible.

Donate to Team USA Fund | TeamUSA.com

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At the other end of the square sat the iconic symbol of Milan: The Duomo di Milano. Occupying an entire city block, the Lombard Gothic style cathedral glistened in evening light due to the façade of pink-veined white Candoglia marble. Adorned with 3,400 statues, 135 gargoyles and 700 figures, construction took over 500 years to complete. As the third largest cathedral in the world, I could just catch a glimpse of the rooftop terrace with the gold-colored statue of the Madonnina, standing on the Duomo’s highest spire.

I proclaimed then and there it was the most beautiful cathedral I had ever seen. I read in a guide book that there’s an elevator to the top, but you can also walk up the stairs in an average time of 10 to 15 minutes. I challenged myself to do it in under 10. But first, the night was before me and it was time to explore more of the pulsating city of Milan.

The Next Day

After a filling lunch of the Milanese specialties Osso Buco – a cross-cut veal shank with a bone marrow hole at its center, served with the traditional side dish of Risotto alla Milanese with saffron – I took another look at my guide book.

Surrounded by skinny suit attired locals on the go, I read that Milan is an important railway hub, which many tourists use as a starting point for journeys to more ancient Italian cities with Roman ruins and medieval cobblestone streets.  This is not Milan. As the fashion capital of the world, it is there to experience the moment. Milan embodies the Italian notion of la bella figura: behaving well and looking good doing it.

With a population of 1,357,599,  Milan is also a major financial, industrial, and design hub. It possesses a historic core that has an imposing, solid grandeur to it.  In recent years, vehicles have begun being banished from it (gradually – street by street), making one feel as if in an open-air living room.

As I strolled to the Duomo, I remembered last night’s outing to the famous Navigli, a canal area left over from a system of waterways that once connected Milano with Lake Como and the Adriatic Sea.

The innovative system of locks was designed by Leonardo Da Vinci in the late fifteenth century. One of the canals actually stopped directly in front of Duomo, transporting the Candoglia marble from quarries in Lake Maggiore. Leonardo spent 17-years in Milan. His fresco of “The Last Supper” is available for viewing at the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, but make sure you get your tickets in advance.

1:02 PM: Soon I arrived at the darkened entryway of the Duomo. Before me were the high steps to the terrace.   I gave the elevator a second look, and began my ascent up the stairway. Worn smooth by centuries of other pilgrims, it seemed an easy task. There was a young family leisurely walking up the steps before me so I lessened my pace, rather than rush by them and ruin their experience. I decided to take a short break by an open window overlooking the square.

I could just make out the magnificent Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Arcade, named for the first king of Italy in 1900 after the unification of the Italian States. The famous passageway through the arcade was where the likes of Toscanini, Verdi and Maria Callas would walk after a performance at nearby Teatro alla Scala. I had hoped to book a ticket at the historic opera house, but did manage a tour where I enjoyed an unforgettable afternoon rehearsal, thanks to With Locals’ all knowing guide, Francesca Giorgetti.

1:06 PM: I took another look at my watch, and realized that I had some serious time to make-up. I charged up the steps, this time passing the group before me. Another 100 steps on, I began to falter. Did the guidebook say anything about the effect of the altitude? And why had I had such a big lunch? Disappointed in myself, I needed another reprieve.

I caught my breath before another open window where I could see the entrance to the interior. I had booked my ticket earlier at the Museo del Duomo where the helpful staff were quite accommodating, answering my endless questions. As expected, the interior of the Duomo was beautiful, consisting of a nave with four side-aisles, crossed by a transept, then followed by an apse. Above the apse there is a small illuminated red light bulb. This marks the spot where one of the three nails of Jesus’ crucifixion was placed, believed to be retrieved by Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine, after a religious tour of Jerusalem. She is regarded as the one who converted Constantine to Christianity, who, in turn Christianized the Roman Empire. Once a year the nail is presented in a wooden basket for viewings.

1:11 PM: Okay, no more time for breaks. I needed to make up some serious time, with about one minute left to make it to the terrace. My legs felt as heavy as Candoglia marble.  Taking deep breaths, I remembered my wife begging me not to let my membership to my health club expire. Huffing and puffing I was soon met with glorious daylight, 30 seconds ahead of schedule. But somehow it wasn’t what I had expected. Where was the statue of the Madonnina and the flying buttresses? A kind guide noticed my confusion, and informed me that there were still more steps to the terrace, just around the corner.

I hurried to her direction to the base of the final stairway. A tourist gave me a quizzical look. I shouted over my shoulder, “I’m on a mission.” The tourist replied, “This is the Duomo, not a Mission.” Adrenalin kicked it and I began to ascend the final stairs.

1:12 PM: With just seconds left of my allotted ten minutes, I made it victoriously to the terrace. Although there were no medals or applause; my reward was more inconceivable than anything I could ever have imagined: I had just ascended to heaven. Before me was a fairy tale array of openwork pinnacles and spires, set upon delicate flying buttresses. And yes, there was the glorious Madonnina, towering above me. The other tourists on the terrace were serene and respectful, only adding to this other-worldly experience. I recalled a quotation from  Mark Twain:

What a wonder it is!
So grand, so solemn, so vast!
And yet so delicate, so airy, so graceful!
A very world of solid weight, and yet it seems
In the soft moonlight only a fairy delusion of frost-work
That might vanish with a breath!
How sharply its pinnacled angles
And its wilderness of spires were cut against the sky,
And how richly their shadows fell upon its snowy roof!
It was a vision! — a miracle! —
An anthem sung in stone, a poem wrought in marble!”

– Mark Twain

I walked to the ledge for the angel-like view before me. It was a picture perfect day with spectacular vistas of the city and even the snowcapped Swiss Alps in the distance. There was still much to see and do in Milan. But, for the moment, I was in no hurry.

For further information about travel to Milan, logon to Turismo Milano.

The post Up the Staircase to the Top of the Duomo di Milano: Exploring Milan, The City of Now appeared first on Traveling Boy.

Virtual Sicily

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL SICILIAN SIGHTSEEING TOUR

Sicily, Italy by Fyllis Hockman: “It happens all the time with Overseas Adventure Travel. I start out expecting to write about the trip itself – in this case, Sicily’s Ancient Landscapes & Timeless Traditions – and I end up writing about all the things that are not on the itinerary – what OAT refers to as Learning and Discovery.”FYLLIS HOCKMAN’S ARTICLE ON SICILY

Virtual Antarctica Adventure

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL ANTARCTICA SIGHTSEEING TOUR

Journey to the Bottom of the Globe by Ed Boitano: “After setting foot aboard the deck of my vessel to Antarctica, I began asking guests why they chose to take an eight-day cruise to the coldest, windiest and driest continent in the world; a landscape which is 98 percent thick continental ice sheet and 2 percent barren rock; a continent so cruel and unforgiving that almost no life can survive on it. The overwhelming answer from my fellow cruisers was simple: ‘Because now I can.’ It was a good answer. The more I thought about it, I realized it was my reason too.”

ED BOITANO’S ARTICLE ON ANTARCTICA

Virtual Hemingway’s Paris

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL HEMINGWAY’S PARIS SIGHTSEEING TOUR

A Magical Walk Through Hemingway’s Paris by Richard Carroll: “Magically enchanting and much-loved Paris, the Urban Empress of Europe, remains eternally young and amorous. Occasionally vain, always passionate, and with a long and turbulent history, the legendary city has a special flair for life that has captivated many of the world’s most inspired artistic talent.”

RICHARD CARROLL’S ARTICLE ON HEMINGWAY’S PARIS

Virtual Churchill Museum

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL CHURCHILL MUSEUM SIGHTSEEING TOUR

2 Lumps of Sugar Make This Churchill Museum Unique by John Clayton: “Are several lumps of sugar worth putting in an historic museum? That may sound like a funny question, but the fact is that yes they are – especially if they’re part of the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms (CWR) in London.”

JOHN CLAYTON’S ARTICLE ON THE CHURCHILL MUSEUM

Virtual Aran Islands

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL ARAN ISLANDS SIGHTSEEING TOUR

The Aran Islands: A Living History by Ed Boitano: “In Robert Flaherty’s brilliant 1934 documentary film, Man of Aran, we see an Irish man smashing limestone rocks to bits, while his wife gathers seaweed from the shore below the island’s steep windswept cliffs. Meanwhile, their young son scavenges for animal manure and precious particles of dirt that have collected between the rocks, blown from the mainland. These four ingredients will be used to create the soil in order to grow potatoes – the family’s main source of subsistence. This is the Aran Islands; a landscape made almost entirely of solid limestone rock.”

ED BOITANO’S ARTICLE ON THE ARAN ISLANDS

Virtual Frank Lloyd Wright

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL TALIESIN WEST SIGHTSEEING TOUR

A Tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West by Susan Breslow: “Taliesin West should be an inspiration for everyone who faces another birthday and thinks: I’m too old to follow my dream. Frank Lloyd Wright, who had achieved public acclaim back east for his architectural designs (as well as public disdain for his scandalous affairs), was 70 years old when he arrived with a few apprentices in the foothills of Scottsdale Arizona’s McDowell Mountains in 1937.”

SUSAN BRESLOW’S ARTICLE ON TALIESIN WEST

Virtual Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL LYNTON AND LYNMOUTH CLIFF RAILWAY TOUR

2 Classic Trains in England by John Clayton: “Growing up in Great Britain, I loved the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway. Situated in a setting of steep, ruggedly rolling green hillsides alive with unequalled beauty, below which lies a perfect picture postcard sea, and enriched by a town that looks as if it stepped out of a Beatrix Potter book.”

JOHN CLAYTON’S ARTICLE ON THE LYNTON AND LYNMOUTH CLIFF RAILWAY

Virtual Bluesman Phil Gates

EXPERIENCE A PHIL GATES CONCERT

Phil Gates – Following Tradition by T. E. Mattox: “Bluesmen have been lacing up their walking shoes and relocating to Europe for generations. So, when L.A.-based guitarist Phil Gates packed his bags in 2016 and moved to the Swiss countryside, he was just following in the footsteps of a long-standing blues tradition.”

T.E. MATTOX’S ARTICLE ON PHIL GATES

Virtual Skeleton Coast

EXPERIENCE A SKELETON COAST SIGHTSEEING TOUR

Exploring the Surreal Skeleton Coast by Skip Kaltenheuser: “The Skeleton Coast is one of the most appropriately named stretches of land in the world, a place where many hapless sailors of centuries past have mingled their bones with whale ribs and shipwrecks.”

SKIP KALTENHEUSER’S ARTICLE ON THE SKELETON COAST

Virtual Berlin

EXPERIENCE A BERLIN SIGHTSEEING TOUR

Berlin: Yesterday and Today by Ed Boitano: “I can still recall in detail my first arrival to Berlin. As the cab driver raced passed Tiergarten; the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe; the Reichstag; and Brandenburg Gate, I asked about the new Kennedy Museum, now located in the Mitte (middle) district). Without hesitation, he offered his own personal narrative about JFK’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech of 1963: ‘Over 90% of the people in West Berlin were on the streets. None of us had ever seen anyone so charismatic.’”

ED BOITANO’S ARTICLE ON BERLIN

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