Blue Gold in the Midi-Pyrenees

Blue Gold in the Midi-Pyrenees

The magic of Blue Gold in the Midi-Pyrenees. During the renaissance the leaves of this very ordinary looking plant known locally as Pastel created a triangle of huge wealth in the Midi-Pyrenees linking Toulouse, Albi and Carcassonne.  In its heyday during the 16th and...
The Mystery of the Missing Amber Room

The Mystery of the Missing Amber Room

Dubbed the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’ the location of the original Amber Room is still a mystery. Gifted to Peter the Great by the King of Prussia in 1716.  This extraordinarily beautiful room glowed with tons of amber and other semi-precious stones and...
Saints and Shamans coexist in the Mayan World

Saints and Shamans coexist in the Mayan World

Following the brutal Spanish conquest of the Americas in the 16th century the conquerors immediately set out to convert the indigenous people to Catholicism. Violence was the preferred method of persuasion of the Spaniards so, the Indians opted to incorporate elements...
Isola Comacina

Isola Comacina

A medieval curse and an exorcism with every meal Isola Comacina is the only island on  stunningly beautiful Lake Como.   For centuries it remained uninhabited.  It was abandoned after the destruction of its fortifications and buildings in 1169.  One of the casualties...
A Day in Andorra

A Day in Andorra

This week’s trip from our home in L’Escala was to Andorra. We went there once before – many, many years ago – and had been, how shall I put it, underwhelmed. From the border and into the capital, Andorra La Vella, is just one long traffic jam; it is almost...

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