Spanish Africa: Ceuta and Melilla

Spanish Africa: Ceuta and Melilla

Transcript If you think of Spain, you probably think of a European country which has its arm around Portugal where they eat tapas and paella. However, what if I told you that Spain is also an African country? In fact, it is the smallest country in Africa, and no, I’m not talking about the Canary …

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Visiting the Serra de Tramuntana in Mallorca, Spain

Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana  UNESCO World Heritage Site

Overview Mallorca is one of the most popular destinations in Spain. It is famous for its beaches and resorts, and it gets millions of visitors per year. However, most people are not aware that Mallorca has another side. Along the northwestern coast of the island runs the Serra de Tramuntana mountains. History Mallorca has a …

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Visiting Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia

Visiting Banská Štiavnica

Banská Štiavnica is a town located in central Slovakia. It was an important center for gold and silver mining from the 15th to 19th centuries. At one point it was the second-largest city in the Kingdom of Hungary. It was inscribed on the world heritage list as The Historic Town of Banská Štiavnica and the …

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Visiting Pont-du-Gard, France

Pont-du-Gard UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Pont-du-Gard is the remains of a Roman aqueduct that delivered water over 30km to the Roman colony of Nemausus, what is today called the modern city of Nimes. It also holds the distinction of being the highest surviving Roman aqueduct in the world. Overview The aqueduct was used as a bridge across the river …

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Visiting the Major Mining Sites of Wallonia

Visiting the Major Mining Sites of Wallonia, Belgium

The Major Mining Sites of Wallonia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site established in 2012 which preserves the heritage of coal mining and early industrialization in Wallonia. The site consists of four different properties: Grand-Hornu, Bois-du-Luc, Bois du Cazier, and the Blegny-Mine. It is one of 12 world heritage sites in Belgium, and also on the European …

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Thoughts on my Central Europe Trip

Before I get too far into Europe, I figure I should go back and do a quick review of my time in the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia and Slovenia. It was only a quick trip of 10 days, but I was able to get a taste of the region and see some of the things …

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When Things Seem Slow They Are Actually Quite Busy

The last week or so I haven’t posted much. It has been an extreme case of Gary’s Paradox. This has been due to my manic schedule across Europe and the limited Internet access I’ve had on the Carnival Magic as we have been sailing around the Mediterranean. Just to give you an idea how hectic …

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My Big Fat Greek Layover

I only have a few hours left in Israel. At 4am tomorrow I take off to the airport for my 7am flight to Rome. I’ll have an eight hour layover in Athens, so I’m going to try and make the best of it and so see the Acropolis in the time I have. It should …

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Paris Part Deux

Suffice it to say that my Paris experience has improved dramatically since the weather improved. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last several days wandering around the streets of Paris, eating in the restaurants, and seeing the sights. Unfortunately, that hasn’t let much time for blog updates, especially considering the hotel I got moved into does not …

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