Notre Dame Fire Interview
I did an interview with Paul Lasley of On Travel, on the American Forces Radio Network this afternoon to talk about the Cathedral of Notre Dame fire and a wider discussion of cathedrals and cultural preservation.
World Heritage Sites
Curonian Spit
Curonian Spit Overview From the Curonian Spit World Heritage inscription: The Curonian Spit is a unique and vulnerable, sandy and wooded cultural landscape on a coastal spit which features small Curonian lagoon settlements. The Spit was formed by the sea, wind and human activity and continues to be shaped by them. Rich with an abundance …
Vilnius Historic Center
From the Vilnius Historic Centre World Heritage inscription: The Vilnius Historic Centre began its history on the glacial hills that had been intermittently occupied from the Neolithic period; a wooden castle was built around 1000 AD to fortify Gedimino Hill, at the confluence of the Neris and Vilnia rivers. The settlement did not develop as …
Historic Center of Riga
From the Historic Center of Riga World Heritage inscription: The Historic Centre of Riga is a living illustration of European history. Through centuries, Riga has been the center of many historic events and a meeting point for European nations, and it has managed to preserve evidence of European influence on its historical development, borders between …
Historic Center (Old Town) of Tallinn
From the Historic Center of Tallinn World Heritage inscription: The Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn is an exceptionally complete and well-preserved medieval northern European trading city on the coast of the Baltic Sea. The city developed as a significant center of the Hanseatic League during the major period of activity of this great trading …
Medina of Marrakesh
From the World Heritage inscription: The capital of the Almoravids and the Almohads played a decisive role in the development of medieval planning. Marrakesh (which gave its name to the Moroccan Empire) is the textbook example of a large Islamic capital in the Western world. With its maze of narrow streets, houses, souks (markets), traditional …
Sian Ka’an
From the World Heritage inscription: Sian Ka’an is situated on the eastern side of the Yucatán Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo. Where possible, boundaries were defined to coincide with natural features: the site is bounded by the Caribbean Sea and the barrier reef to a depth of 50 m in the east; by …
Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is one of the first national parks when I began traveling full time. I had previously been to Volcanoes in 2006 as part of a geology department trip with the University of Minnesota. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is one of the few places on Earth where you can see an active …
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
The Grand Canyon is one of the greatest natural attractions on Earth. It’s a vast and visually powerful landscape with plunging cliffs and variegated colors slashing across the ancient rocks. Known for its multihued toned, the colors of the rocks change color through the course of the day, culminating in a spectacular sunset. It also …