About an hour or so outside of Racine, a small town in Wisconsin where my mother is from, you can go back in time to when there were no cell phones and you had to churn your own butter. At Old World Wisconsin, the history lesson is immersive as you tour around old homesteads and farms with workers in full costumes as they take you through the daily lives of our ancestors. You begin to appreciate all of the modern technology that we have!
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes there is more to a photo than what you see. This is Behind The Photo where we explore the story behind the shot, from why we took the picture to interesting history and tidbits of the subject.
This one is a little more personal. Before my trip to Tennessee back in January, this Florida born-and-raised girl, had never seen snow before! Crazy right? So, when we stopped at a rest area up in the mountains and I saw this thin smattering of icy-white fluffiness I had to get out and play with it. I’m sure people thought I was a crazy person. Who gets excited at an inch of snow at a rest area? Well, this girl sure did! Fortunately I got to see much more later on on the trip, where I didn’t look like an escaped asylum patient playing in it.
I‘m always curious about how everyday people of times past lived their everyday lives. One of the things those people did (and still do, I believe…) is use the toilet. I am always curious about toilets and bathrooms throughout the ages. Does that make me weird?
Anyways, at the Ruins of Philippi in Greece there are some pretty well preserved latrines. I don’t know about you, but they seem a little too communal for my tastes. But, I suppose if you had to go, you had to go!
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes there is more to a photo than what you see. This is Behind The Photo where we explore the story behind the shot, from why we took the picture to interesting history and tidbits of the subject.
The Caryatids that support the roof of the Erechtheion porch at the Acropolis in Athens are certainly unique. But, they aren’t the real deal. To see the real ancient ladies you’ll have to visit a museum nearby, and one a little further away. Five of the original six are on display in the Acropolis Museum and have undergone a recent restoration. The sixth however, is located faraway in the British Museum. How did it end up there? Well, back in the day, early 1800s days, a man named Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin and British ambassador removed the statue along with other parts of the Parthenon and took them back to England. He later sold it and his collection, known as the Elgin Marbles, to the British government to help pay off debt. And so, there they remain with some controversy, in England. A lone Caryatid separated from her sisters.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes there is more to a photo than what you see. This is Behind The Photo where we explore the story behind the shot, from why we took the picture to interesting history and tidbits of the subject.
Life as a royal was not always easy. Especially if you liked your privacy. When I went to the Palace of Versailles, I wondered why the King’s and Queen’s chambers had a railing separating the rooms. Well, some research later I found out about a strange ceremony called the levée. It was basically a ceremony at the beginning of the day where people would gather to watch the King or Queen rise and get ready for the day and even help them get dressed. The railing was to separate the public from the private areas. The whole thing sounds like a nightmare to me! I would not like to wake up to an audience, that’s for sure!
I‘m a sucker for ancient ruins. I love to explore and learn about them whenever I get the chance. And a few years ago, on a trip across Europe, I had the opportunity to tour the well preserved site of Pompeii.
A couple hours away from Rome by bus, Pompeii is near the port city of Naples. It’s totally worth the trip, even if you are not really into ruins, or if you are ruined out from Rome. A whole town preserved in time, with parts of it even restored, you feel almost transported back in time.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes there is more to a photo than what you see. This is Behind The Photo where we explore the story behind the shot, from why we took the picture to interesting history and tidbits of the subject.
Everyone has seen the famous Arc de Triomphe, even if they don’t know the name of it. It’s one of the most recognizable monuments in Paris. But what many people might not know is that it is in the middle of a massive roundabout. A pretty hectic one at that. So you may be wondering, how do you get to the other side? No, you don’t play a real-life version of Frogger. (I mean, you can if you want that type of thrill…) There is actually a tunnel that goes under the crazy traffic so you can safely reach the other side and look at the architectural marvel.
Confession time: I’m not really a beach person.
I grew up in Florida, surrounded by water and beaches. How can this be?
I’m not entirely sure, maybe it’s all the sand in places it shouldn’t be, the bright sun (night owl here!), or the self confidence issues that come with wearing bathing suits. I can appreciate a good beach every once in a while though. I’m just not as into them as other people seem to be…
