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

The post The 2026 Winter Paralympics appeared first on Traveling Boy.

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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Hemingway slept above me. No, not in the same room, of course. In fact, not even in the same century. But room #206 – The Ernest Hemingway Suite – was the room directly above my own at the Sun Valley Lodge. It was a big deal for me. I had always admired him, and now here I was staying at his favorite lodge, walking the lodge’s very same halls, breathing the same mountain air and basking in the very same scenery that he too had experienced. I could see why he liked it here and why he eventually made the Sun Valley/Ketchum area his home. Tucked away in the Idaho Rockies, Sun Valley’s 4,000 acres were not only a thing of breathtaking beauty, but they also offered a peaceful solitude – something that a man like Hemingway, who grew tired of the glare of the camera, would relish. The resort’s vast terrain also offered unlimited recreational possibilities for the true outdoors person. As I wondered around the resort, I saw Sun Valley’s world-famous day lodges, tasteful alpine style walking village with shops and restaurants; and a friendly, courteous staff. It almost seemed too perfect. But then, that was the plan.

The Country’s First Destination Ski Resort

In 1935, Austrian Count Felix Schaffgtosch was hired by Averell Harriman of Union Pacific Railroad to find the perfect location for a grand American resort. After fruitless months of searching the mountains of the west, the Count finally heard about Ketchum, a dying mining town in central Idaho. He quickly made a B-line to this town in the Idaho Rockies, and was overwhelmed by what he saw. He immediately wired Harriman with these words: “This combines more delightful features than any place I have ever seen in Switzerland, Austria or the U.S. for a winter resort.”

“Harriman rushed to join him, and purchased 4,300 acres of what was to become Sun Valley. Harriman was determined to build Sun Valley into a resort worthy of its majestic setting, which would include a timeless four-story mountain lodge, complete with a glass-enclosed pool, world-class cuisine, ice-skating rink, impeccable service and nightly orchestra performances. After only seven months of construction, Sun Valley opened in the winter of 1936.

Harriman shrewdly marketed the resort to the Hollywood elite, and soon local wildlife was sharing the mountain with Hollywood royalty that included Clark Gable and Gary Cooper – who would go hunting with Hemingway – as well as Errol Flynn, Claudette Colbert and Bing Crosby. The resort wasn’t just for relaxation either, as world champions used the mountain for Olympic training. Today, as the Sun Valley Lodge turns 80, it is been updated to include 108 new and larger guestrooms, a 20,000 square foot destination spa, a world class fitness center and yoga studio, a glass enclosed outdoor pool and pool café, and re-appointed restaurants, lounges, lobbies and event space.

Not Just Another Day in Paradise

It’s one thing to experience happiness, but to be aware of it that very moment is a rare thing. Last ski season, I had a day of sublime happiness. It went something like this: A breakfast of homemade crepes with seasonal berries in front of the fireplace at Konditorei, an European-style bistro located in the walking village. The food was outstanding; so was the conversation with the attentive staff. It was tempting not to leave the warm fire, but the Sun Valley Nordic and Snowshoe Center, situated in the backyard of the lodge, was waiting.

About 25 miles of manicured and marked trails begin at the Nordic Center, where gentle terrain progresses to challenging hills. I could see that gliding over glistening meadows of snow at an elevation of 6,000 feet would be a great experience for the cross-country skier, but this would be just too extreme for a lightweight such as myself. I opted for the very pedestrian snowshoeing, which fortunately requires the very same skill level as walking. I was soon on my way. For the next two hours I saw not a soul with the exception of a couple of cross-country skiers far off in the distance, who I had sensed was placed there solely for my own visual benefit. I crossed bridges over pristine mountain streams and watched wildlife  scatter into the brush. Snowflakes filled the sky. Once again, I was so happy with surroundings in which I didn’t want to leave.

But I detected the scent of food cooking, and it was coming from the Seattle Ridge Day Lodge, just on the other side of the river. Another warm fire and friendly smile greeted me as I took off my gear, and soon grabbed a table for some homemade soup and a good local micro-beer. While staring out the window, I could see that it was beginning to snow again. I could have stayed there forever, even more so due to having eaten more than my share of food. Maybe I shouldn’t have ordered the huckleberry pie? The snowshoeing back to the Nordic Center would be long and perhaps a little cold, plus I had an important event on my mid-afternoon calendar. I would have to move fast. I was then informed that a free shuttle comes to the lodge every 15 minutes. I decided to order a cappuccino.

After a quick shower back at my room, I headed over to River Run Lodge to attend a Super Bowl party. As I entered the lodge, the party was already hopping with a festive crowd, an array of big screen TVs, food and drink. The event was welcome to all ages, but I was struck by the attendance of so many 80-year-old-plus skiers, some even in their 90s. Yes, it was inspiring.

Later I took a dip in the resort’s famous outdoor circular pool. It was so cold outside that I felt like I was in an Olympic-size Jacuzzi. You couldn’t even see across the surface due to all the fog. As I sat on the edge of the pool, nursing my aching muscles from the earlier snowshoeing, I thought how I someday want to be like one of those 80-year-old senior skiers at the Super Bowl. After all, age is what you make it. And I decided that I would regularly return to Sun Valley Resort. Besides, I still needed to sleep below the Gary Cooper Suite – #306.

For further information about Sun Valley Resort, contact (800) 786-8259 or www.SunValley.com

The post America’s First Destination Ski Resort: Sun Valley appeared first on Traveling Boy.

Desert Hot Springs has long been a destination for rest and rejuvenation. Situated 20 minutes from Palm Springs’ expansive golf courses, artistic rows of palm trees and desert estates, rustic Desert Hot Springs feels a world away. It is one of the few places on the globe with naturally occurring hot and cold mineral springs. The Mission Creek Branch of the San Andreas Fault bisects the wellness getaway where one side is a cold-water aquifer while the other a hot-water aquifer, naturally heated to temperatures as high as 180 degrees by geothermal forces thousands of feet below the earth’s surface.

Unlike hot springs that have high sulfur content, Desert Hot Springs’ hot mineral waters are pure and odor-free, so pure and odorless that you can drink it, which increases its medicinal values.  Research told me that  “balneology” – the study of the therapeutic benefits of natural mineral waters – is especially advanced in Europe and Japan, where balneologists have studied the healthful effects of geothermally heated mineral waters which reduce pain, increase mobility, blood circulation, cell oxygenation and stimulates your metabolism, ultimately rebalancing many of your own body’s natural systems. My own scientific study revealed that soaking in a Desert Hot Springs’ mineral water pool was something that I never wanted to leave.
 
Since 1995, the Desert Hot Springs Groundwater Guardian Team has been designated as a Groundwater Guardian Community, with  the nation’s first Groundwater Guardian Campus, taking voluntary steps in protecting its award-winning ground water resources.
 

Onsen Hotel & Spa 

Upon my arrival at the boutique Onsen Hotel & Spa I was surprised by its serene surroundings. Snuggled in a residential neighborhood, this meant little traffic noise which helped to serve my quest for de-stressing. The front desk receptionist, Tracy Ayala, was waiting at the counter to greet me. She explained the history of the property where it had once been a hotel, an apartment building and then vacant until the official christening of Onsen Hotel & Spa on March 1, 2023. After pointing out the hotel’s amenities – the reception area also serves as a breakfast room with complimentary omelets, fruit, cereal and pastries – I was directed to my two-bedroom stylish suite, complete with office and living room. Creature comforts included a big screen TV, coffee makers, and spacious bathroom and shower, refrigerator and endless bottles of water. But it was a dip into the crystal-clear outdoor pool spa that warranted my attention. Along with the on-site Jacuzzi, both fed by a mineral-rich aquifer, and the surrounding simple plant arrangements, the spa achieves a distinctly Zen aesthetic. For those with walking difficulties two ADA lifts offer an easy and accessible way to enter the pool and Jacuzzi. There’s also a 24-hour fitness center and an on-site spa offering revitalizing massages and hydrating facials to cleanse your body and heal your mind.

Later, I conversed with the affable manager John Hopp, a walking encyclopedia on all things Desert Hot Springs. He covered in detail the work required to turn the vacant property into a spa hotel. He spoke how the goal of Onsen Hotel & Spa was to make it like home-away-from-home for guests. He noted that half the travelers arrive from England, Italy, France, Spain and Germany, as well as South Korea and Japan, drawn to its therapeutic mineral-rich waters, pumped directly from beneath the earth. Onsen Hotel & Spa also proves to be convenient homebase for experiencing the splendor of Coachella Valley’s stunning landscapes with its mountain slopes, panoramic views and wide-open desert expanses, all just outside your door. The property is near the Mission Creek Preserve, a protected part of the Wildlands Conservancy that includes lush wetlands, a perennial stream, and native flora and fauna. And the otherworldly terrain of Joshua Tree National Park is only a 40-minute drive away.
 

Cabot’s Pueblo Museum

Just up the street from Onsen Hotel & Spa is Cabot’s Pueblo Museum. This should be an essential component of your trip. In 1914, Cabot Yerxa (1883–1965) was the first person to rediscover and unearth the curative mineral waters of Desert Hot Springs. Then, only 600 yards from his home, Cabot dug a second well,  delivering drinking water. Finding both the hot and cold mineral wells prompted him to name the area Miracle Hill.

Cabot’s Pueblo

In 1941 Cabot began construction on what would be his and wife’s Portia Yerxa’s home. Considered a marvel of engineering and design, the Hopi-inspired building is hand-made and created from reclaimed and found materials from throughout the Coachella Valley. His intention was also to make it into a museum, showcasing Native American art and artifacts, souvenirs of Cabot’s travels around the world, displays on Native American Rights, and his own works of art. Today, 45-minute tours are available where you will visit the rooms of the Pueblo, experience the story of Cabot Yerxa and discover how he built his incredible home. This is also the best place to purchase gifts and souvenirs, with an array of indigenous art, jewelry, pottery, woodcarvings and Navajo blankets.

For further information

Desert Hot Springs: www.VisitDesertHotSpring.com
Onsen Hotel & Spa: www.OnsenHotelSpa.com
Cabot’s Pueblo Museum: www.CabotsMuseum.org

For more on Oceanic’s selection of properties: www.oceanicenterprises.com

The post Around the Desert Town of Onsen Hotel & Spa appeared first on Traveling Boy.

The Night Witches were the all-women pilots of Russia’s 588th Night Bomber Aviation Regiment. In World War II, the Night Witches were the first women military pilots in the 20th century to directly engage an enemy in combat.

One the most horrifying sounds a German soldier on the Russian front could hear in the dead of night was the “whooshing” of the wind off the struts of a Night Witch jerry-rigged biplane bomber. It was described as the eerie sound of a witch’s broom as it quietly glided in to drop its payload of bombs.

Unfortunately, there weren’t enough modern planes to go around. So, the 588th was given out-of-date Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes that were primarily used as crop dusters and training planes. The pilot sat up front and the navigator, who also was the bombardier, sat in the rear. The plane was like a death trap waiting to spring. Some Night Witches likened the rickety Po-2 to “a coffin with wings” because the plane was made of plywood with canvas stretched over it. If a tracer bullet struck the plane, it could easily burst into flames. The plane’s top speed was 90 miles per hour, and it could carry only two bombs, one under each wing. The weight of the bombs and crew forced the plane to travel low, which allowed it to be spotted easily by the enemy. Because of those handicaps, the planes could only fly at night, under the cover of darkness.

The Night Witches carried no parachutes because they flew so close to the ground and parachutes also added extra weight. They also had no modern instruments and had to rely on maps, compasses, stopwatches, pencils, and flashlights to find their way to their objectives. Because the cockpits were open, the pilot and navigator were exposed to the elements, including rain and freezing wind. In extremely cold weather, they could get frost bite. If they put their bare hand on the fuselage, the flesh might come off when they pulled their hand away. The Night Witches also carried pistols to use if they crashed, but would save the last bullet for themselves so they wouldn’t be captured alive.

The Po-2 did have some advantages, however. Its light weight made it more maneuverable than the German planes, which made them harder to shoot down. Being made of wood and canvas, the plane didn’t show up on German radars or infrared indicators. And the top speed of the Po-2 was slower than the stall speed of German fighter planes, making it hard to engage from the air. The biplanes also could take off and land almost anywhere. That quality was essential because the 588th had to operate very close to enemy lines, constantly moving operations during the day so the women could fight at night. Because of their combat schedule, the women slept and trained during the day and flew during the night. Understandably, they didn’t get a lot of sleep… but neither did the German units nearby that had to be prepared for nighttime air raids. The psychological effect of the Night Witch raids took a nightmary toll on the German troops.

Because their planes could carry only one or two bombs, the Night Witches flew multiple bombing sorties – from eight to eighteen – in a single night. They’d drop the bombs, return to their temporary base, refuel and take on more bombs, and then fly off on another sortie. Each sortie lasted between 30 to 50 minutes. Sometimes the Night Witches would return with planes riddled with bullet holes. Nadezhda Popova, one of the most famous Night Witches, once returned from a sortie with 42 bullet holes in her plane as well as in her helmet and map. Another pilot lost the bottom of her plane to enemy fire but kept on flying.

Thirty-two Night Witches died in service. Eighty-nine Soviet women won their country’s highest honor, the Hero of the Soviet Union award.

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The group’s performance on the program was seen by over 73,000,000 people, people, setting a record at the time for the largest television audience in America.

Soon the whole world was to become obsessed with what was known as the Fab Four: John, Paul, George and Ringo. John was the founder, leader co-lead singer of the band. He had his own microphone while Paul and George shared one.

There was something special about John. Even then I recognized he had star power and wanted to look like him.

Everyone had their favorite Beatle. My best friend chose Paul. Arguments would break out between us. But it was a friendly rivalry, for we loved them all. Boys generally preferred John and George; girls, Paul and Ringo.

My parents let me grow my hair longer and I became conscious of how I dressed. I even wore Beatle Boots playing kickball in the 5th grade.

Today, John and Paul are regarded as the greatest composers in pop and rock history.

John Lennon’s life ended in December 1980 in New York City, approximately at 11:15. He was shot twice in the back and twice in the shoulder by a lone assailant. John was 40 years old.

RIP: John.
Your music and legacy lives on.

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