Tagged With "Theare Gum Wall"
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Quebec — A Walled European Fortress In America
Quebec, like New York, is both a city and a state (or rather, a province). It’s an island of French heritage and culture within our Anglo-North American continent. We combined this visit with stops in Montreal and...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Feb 21, 2014: Hadrian's Wall, England
1,450 miles from Rome was the limit of the mighty Roman Empire in 122 AD when the Roman Emperor Hadrian came to Britain and took the decision to build this massive stone wall in order to consolidate his rule and the geographical extent of his Empire....
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Verona: More than Romeo & Juliet
Verona from the hills, looking toward St. Anastasia and the Ponte Pietra My visit to Verona last summer was almost an accident—but a lucky one. It wasn’t on the original plan for our three weeks in Northern Italy, but online...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov. 13, 2013: Jeronimos Monastery
Sunlight and shade highlight the complex carving of this stonework at the Monastery of Jeronimos at Belem, in Lisbon. This late-Gothic style is called Manueline, after King Manuel I. It’s marked by ornate stonework, often including maritime...
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Dry Falls – Home of The World’s Largest Waterfall!
Imagine a waterfall with a precipice over three and a half miles (5.5 km) long and a drop of over 400 feet (120 m)! By comparison, Niagara Falls is about 1/10th as wide. Think of the millions of gallons of water pouring over it each...
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The "Noah's Ark" airport
We normally think of airports as people places, but Frankfurt's airport handles twice as many animals as people each year, and it's a very busy people airport! Everything from horses to fish to rare exotic creatures. An interesting piece...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, January 17, 2015: Shakespeare Books, Avignon
I didn’t really need more books, but how could I not visit the English bookstore, Shakespeare Books, in Avignon. I was staying in this great medieval town on the Rhône, on the south side just inside the wall near...
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Left Bank of the Tiber
I’d looked online for an apartment for my week in Rome, until I was sick of the thought of going. At some point I came across a recommendation for a women’s hostel in Trastevere (Tras TAY veree), on what I came to think of as...
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Clashing Views: Who's responsible for fees and misery?
Tim Wu, in a recent New Yorker article makes a strong case that most of the things we complain about in travel, and especially air travel—cramped seats, fees for everything, etc.—are due to Wall Street pressure on carriers to...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, January 10, 2015: Pantheon, Rome
The Pantheon is a memorable building, whatever the circumstances of finding oneself there, but this day was particularly notable. Right after I took these pictures I turned and came face-to-face with a Dutchman, a stranger until the day...
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A Home for Caribbean Artists: The Puerto Rico Museum of Art, San Juan
Sometimes, at home or traveling, you miss an obvious place to visit, just because it’s nearby and you can fit it in “any time.” On our last day in Puerto Rico, we finally got to visit the museum around the corner and a few blocks...
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El Yunque: A visit to the rain forest
When we began planning a trip to Puerto Rico, and planning to include our 14-year-old granddaughter, we sent her some of the material we were gathering and asked her what her priorities were. She, and we, both had El Yunque right near the top of the...
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A small plaque high on the wall...
Today I went for a stroll down by the old harbour in the historic seaside town of Weymouth in Dorset. The late winter sun came out and promised that warmth is soon to return. As I passed by the harbour master's offices, I glanced up to a small...
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San Juan, Puerto Rico: Outside the Walls
Because Puerto Rico was the first freshwater island for 16th-century travelers from Spain, and because it guards the entrance to the Caribbean, its Spanish masters went out of their way to defend it, not only with the huge fortifications at the...
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Old San Juan: Beautiful...and not all old
San Juan, Puerto Rico is a city of contrasts, of modern skyscrapers, crowded residential areas of different eras, resort hotels and casinos along Condado, and much more...but the image that usually comes to mind is really that of Old San Juan, the...
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Beating Jet Lag
One of the most frustrating things about traveling between continents is jet lag. It's a little different for everyone but basically is caused by your body's 24 bio-rhythm (internal clock) being thrown into disarray by changing time zones,...
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Who Is Puerto Rico's Artisanal Ice Cream King?
That's a tough question...and can only really be decided by tasting and tasting and tasting and...well, we couldn't spend all our time at it, could we? So, intrigued in advance by tales of great ice cream and unusual flavors, we identified...
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Pu`uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park (The Place of Refuge), Big Island of Hawaii (Where Gumbo was #113)
Perhaps the best place on the Big Island to enjoy a sunset (from many great possibilities), Pu’uhonua o Honaunau (the Place of Refuge) is a remarkable destination. This is a National Historic site which should be...
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The Stravinsky Fountain, Paris
I have quite a few favorite places in Paris, but I think the Stravinsky Fountain is the only one I've gotten to on every visit. I never get tired of it, or of watching children marvel at it, or of the whole idea of this wonderful whimsical...
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Gold Country, California: The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum
I thought this series about Gold Country was done. But I realize now that may not be true for some time. About 6 months ago, wanting to replace the wood stove in my house that was installed when the house was built in 1978, I called...
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Luxury Centurion Airport Lounge to Open in Miami - June, 2015
Photo from Centurion Lounge Dallas /Fort Worth American Express is set to open their latest Centurion Airport Lounge in Miami in June. It will be a ring shaped 8,000-square-foot space with tarmac...
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Expedia buys Orbitz; now it's down to 3
Or maybe 2. Expedia has snapped up Orbitz and its subsidiary brands, including ebookers.com and CheapTickets.com. In the past year it has also acquired former main rival Travelocity. Its remaining big rival is Priceline, which owns...
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Britian's Famous Attractions Get Literal Chinese Names
VisitBritian announced the winners in their 'Great names for Great Britain ' campaign The campaign used the existing trend of the Chinese to give literal names to favorite celebrities, places and foods. Over 2 million Chinese visited the...
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Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#103)
When Gumbo wanders, he also wonders—and so should you! In this case: Is it an illusion? are there mirrors? Is it the floor? the wall? What in the world...and Where in the World is TravelGumbo now? THE RULES Share your suggestions,...
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Mercato di Ballaro, Palermo, Sicily
There are four big street markets in Palermo, one in each of the 4 historic quarters of the city. We had chance to visit two of them during our visit and the Mercato di Ballaro was the one we liked most. While I'd read about the...
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'New Machu Picchu'...but who will benefit?
Peru is making plans for a cable car link to Kuelap, high in the Andes. Kuelap, centuries older than Machu Picchu, predates the Incas. It's the largest pre-Columbian stone-built city in South America, with over 400 round houses and a 1.5 km stone wall...
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Is there a "best day" to buy tickets? Maybe not!
There's always a lot of talk about when it's best to buy airline tickets—how far in advance, what day, even what time. A recent study that got a lot of publicity, even a Wall Street Journal article, suggested that Sunday is the best day because...
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NY to DC in 40 minutes by train? Maybe!
A US rail promoter is trying to get funds and approval to build a maglev (magnetic levitation) train line between NYC and DC. TNEM, the company, has already applied for permits to build on an old right-of-way between DC and Baltimore. Magnetic...
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A Busy Weekend in Philadelphia
A few weekends ago, my fiancé, my best friend and I decided to go to Philly for an overnight trip. Our goal for the weekend was to see all the touristy parts of Philadelphia. When we got to Philly from NYC, we headed straight for the L...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov. 30, 2014: The Mural on Queen Street
Walking with friends on Queen Street in Charleston a few weeks ago, we spotted this large mural on the wall of a building, above a parking lot. It certainly looked familiar if somwhat altered; we recognized it as a take on Renoir's 1881...
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Charleston's Cathedral of St. John the Baptist: Where Gumbo Was (#76)
Visiting Charleston recently, I was struck by its handsome cathedral and unusual spire. The church seems reasonably well-rooted in the 19th century, but the tower reminded me of the turn-of-the-last-century church of Saint-Jean-de-Montmartre ...
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Airline scheduling: Hurry up and wait, or run like crazy?
Have you ever stopped to wonder, while planning a trip, how your airline’s schedule was planned? Especially when it seems you’re about to be condemned to a headlong half-marathon across the airport to a flight that leaves all-too-soon, or...
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September 6, 2017: Remembering the Albertville Olympics
George G shares a scene commemorating the Winter Olympics, which were held in 1992.
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American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame, Amarillo, TX
Samantha explores this museum dedicated to a favorite American breed, and shares the excitement with us.
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San Francisco Museum of Modern Art: Where Gumbo was #233
Jonathan L reveals a museum whose architecture and its collections both qualify as modern art.
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October 20, 2017: Black Middens Bastle House, Northumberland
Black Middens Bastle is a rectangular mid to late 16th century stone two storey defensible farmhouse in Northumberland.
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Columbus Antiquities Discovered in the Unlikeliest of Places
Who would have thought a great collection of Christopher Columbus artifacts could be found in a small Pennsylvania town. Stephanie Kalina-Metzger shares her discovery!
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A solo female traveler in Palestine
Going to an area seldom visited by Americans, Melissa finds unusual sights and new friends.
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Paris starts to build its Eiffel Tower wall
Paris has begun work on a glass security wall for the Eiffel Tower, but city authorities promise it won't spoil the experience.
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Back to Oaxaca: Hoofing It, Dainzú to Tlacochahuaya
This week’s walk in the southern Mexico countryside takes PortMoresby from an ancient Zapotec Ball Game site to a beautifully decorated church in the valley below.
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Early summer - North Yorkshire.
Paul Hunter shares some beautiful shots of early summer in his home region of North Yorkshire!
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Dubai Museum (Where Gumbo Was #219)
Gumbo was visiting the Dubai Museum in the United Arab Emirates. The Museum is housed in an old 18th century fort, the oldest building in the city, and contains a large variety of exhibits which document the history of the region.
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May 30, 2017: Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary
Marilyn Jones takes us to a sanctuary that rehabilitates injured seabirds and works to raise awareness of the perils they face.
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Syracuse's Greek Temple Cathedral, Sicily
Gumbo was visiting a most unusual cathedral. Built as a Greek temple about 500 BC, it was already over a thousand years old when it became a church.
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June 17, 2017: Two-faced Sundials, Nürnberg, Germany
Not all sundials are flat on the ground, but it's taken PHeymont a while to figure out the operation of these two-faced vertical clocks.
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Good news for travelers! Hotels are adding more outlets
Hotels are getting the word: We need more outlets and ports, and we need them where we don't have to crawl to find them!
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Our Amazing Pineapple Experience at the Dole Plantation
Samantha visits a famous Oahu destination, and shows us how much more there is than just how pineapples are grown.
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Tips For A Perfect Summer season Tour
Summertime’s have struck one of the most of the plain areas with the intense warm days; every passing day is getting hotter. The heat is making is harder for everybody to head out specifically in day time. Summer season breaks in the schools all across the country are almost to start, that makes it an ideal time for the family trip to go for Berlin Wall Tour . This is the time when kids are already set for a daring summertime vacation and they anticipate you to plan a trip to some hill...
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Visit to USS Arizona Memorial Brought up Many Emotions
Samantha finds a visit to the memorial at Pearl Harbor both fascinating and emotional.
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Eastern Europe Rail Odyssey: Budapest to Kiev
Do you love unusual train journeys as much as Wilbur does? Check out this fascinating adventure through eastern Europe.