Travel and Leisure

Batalha and the Monastery of the Battle (Moisteiro da Batalha)

Life in Batalha revolves around a single structure of epic proportions, a truly monolithic sight: the Batalha Monastery (Moisteiro da Batalha), or Monastery of the Battle. With intricate stone latticework decorating the exterior, ornately carved stone ceiling that soars overhead, and high Gothic sty Read More

Vancouver British Columbia Sights, Facts and, Points of Interest

It was just last year that I got an opportunity to visit Vancouver, a coastal seaport city located in British Columbia, Canada. Located on the Burrard Peninsula, Vancouver lies between Burrard Inlet to the north and the Fraser River to the south. The moment I got down the fl Read More

Some National Parks at a Glance

[Number, 18; total area, 10,739 square miles] NATIONAL PARKS IN ORDER OF CREATION LOCATION AREA IN SQUARE MILES DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS Hot Springs, 1832 Middle Arkansas 1-1/2 46 hot springs possessing curative properties—M Read More

Istanbul's Hagia Sophia: A History of Two Cultures and an Architectural Marvel

Istanbul, one of the most popular cities in Europe for weekend trips, annually hosts over 8 million tourists. This number places it among the ten most-visited metropolises in the world. Located in the area between two continents, Europe and Asia, is this thriving industrial and cultural center. You Read More

Kakadu National Park and Northern Territory Vacation Travel Guide (Video)

Kakadu National Park, located in Australia's Northern Territory, contains nearly 20,000 square kilometers of natural, geological, and archaeological treasures. There are so many valuable pieces of Australia's ecological and cultural history in the park that it was placed in its entirety on t Read More

Madeira: A Beautiful, Lush, Diverse and Fun Island

We were utterly unprepared for Madeira, at least from an automotive perspective. This unpreparedness was symbolic of the wonder of the Island of Madeira; let me explain. We rented a car, as we always do on vacation so that we could explore the island as it was meant to be explored. As usual, we rent Read More