Charming Timisoara

Timisoara is a charming little city of about 300,000 in western Romania. After 150 years under Turkish Ottoman rule, Timisoara was captured by the Austrian Hapsburgs in 1716. It was under Austrian influence that Timisoara became a center of culture, art, and science, even at one point becoming known as "Little Vienna."

Bratislava Castle in Slovakia

Bratislava is a city of about 425,000 and is the capital of Slovakia, a nation which was formally created in 1993 when the nation of Czechoslovakia was divided. The origins of Bratislava Castle date to the 10th century, and its significance as a military and/or political center has waxed and waned greatly over the course of the years. It experienced its apex in the mid-1700s when Austrian Empress Maria Therese used the castle as the seat of the Kingdom of Hungary and was herself regularly present at the castle. Today, the castle is home to the Slovak National Musuem.

Dinosaurs in Houston

The Houston Museum of Natural Science in Texas is one of the most impressive museums of its kind in the world. The museum was established in 1909 and opened its present location in Houston's Hermann Park in 1969.

Austin, the Capital of Texas

Austin is the home of the University of Texas, a vibrant local music scene (the one that produced Stevie Ray Vaughn), as well as the government of the state of Texas. To read more about Austin as a travel destination, you can read my article about Austin HERE>>>

Khan el-Khalili Bazaar in Cairo

Known by most as simply the "Khan," this marketplace dates to 1382. It is the largest in Cairo, Egypt and one of the most fascinating bazaars in the whole of the Middle-East. It is also considered the best place for tourists and locals to mingle in Cairo.

Marcus Aurelius Arch in Tripoli

Tripoli is a city of about 1.7 million and the capital of Libya. Though Libya is technically one of the wealthiest in Africa, its wealth is not readily apparent. Because of its government's suspicions of foreigners, Libya had yet to fully embrace tourism. Its oldest historical landmark of interest is the Marcus Aurelius Arch. Built in 168 A.D., this archway is the only surviving vestige of the Roman Empire in Tripoli.

Tunis' New Clock Tower

Tunis is the capital city of Tunisia. Tunisia was where U.S. forces first fought the Germans during WWII, and not very far from the ancient city of Carthage, the North Africa American Cemetery is located. Dating to 2001, the Tunis Clock Tower is 125 ft and a symbol of the new, modern Tunis.