Thanksgiving and Christmas have always been my favorite holidays. Now we have one more reason to celebrate. While everyone else is out Black Friday shopping, we're celebrating a quiet first anniversary at home. One year ago today I married the love of my life at Holladay House bed and breakfast in Orange, Virginia. We knew from … Continue reading 6 Amazing Reasons Why Eloping is Awesome
October 10, 732 It's the date that one man changed EVERYTHING! As a historian I've long known that the Battle of Tours is a key moment in world history. Why doesn't it receive more than a paragraph or two in world history textbooks? I can't really answer that, but I suspect it has something to … Continue reading Why You Should Know What Happened on October 10, 732
Spectacular Mayan ruins, the sounds of nature in its full grandeur, the deepest of blues and the greenest of greens. Would you like to experience these sensations in one place? If the answer is yes, then all you have to do is venture just 10 miles south of Tulum. There you will find the archaeological and … Continue reading The Solitary Beauty of Muyil
The Tulum Ruins They're amazing, and definitely worth the visit. The Tulum ruins are second in number of visits only to the ruins outside of Teotihuacan, Mexico. Hoards of tourists from Cancun and Playa del Carmen descend on the archaeological ruins in Tulum every day. By noon the site is so crowded you can't … Continue reading Tulum Ruins: How to Have an Awesome Visit
The British Museum was on my "bucket list" for a very long time. After I was finally able to check it off, I spent some time thinking back to my one favorite exhibit. Even though my visit lasted just a few hours, I was able to take in some pretty amazing treasures, the Mold Cape above … Continue reading Golden Mold Cape
Few Places stand out among my travels as much as the inspiring historic mosaics of Ravenna, Italy. Although I spent only a single day in Ravenna, I managed to view almost every ancient church that boasted a set of Byzantine Mosaics. Ravenna's history goes all the way back to the time of Emperor Augustus, who … Continue reading Ravenna, Italy’s Arian Baptistry
Have you heard the tragic story of Heloise and Abelard? The remains interred at Père Lachaise Cemetery number in the millions, but there are some tombs, like those of Heloise and Abelard, that deserve more than a passing glance. The cemetery, located in the heart of Paris, France is famous for the grave of Jim Morrison as well as … Continue reading Forbidden Love at Père Lachaise Cemetery
Let me tell you all about Malt'a's secret neolithic underground. It's been a while be since my last update. The last few months have gone by in a flash. The new school year started in early August (I teach 9th grade world history as many of you know), I got married on the day after Thanksgiving (whoo-hoo), there was … Continue reading Malta’s Neolithic Underground
I don't often comment on politics or current events, but I feel compelled to write about the senseless and sickening destruction of one of Syria's greatest treasures, the Temple of Bel in Palmyra, which was a UNESCO world heritage site. I am deeply saddened and troubled by this ATTEMPT to revise history by one of … Continue reading Don’t Let the Temple of Bel Die
Reposted from the Ancient History Encyclopedia Cuneiform Writing. Photographer Jan van der Crabben I've been spending most of my free time teaching 9th grade World History, but I'm thrilled too see Jaunting Jen included in the Ancient History Encyclopedia's list of 10 history blogs to follow. 10 History Blogs to Follow by Jade Koekoe There are hundreds … Continue reading 10 History Blogs to Follow
The recent headline, "Mosaic of Alexander the Great Meeting a Jewish priest," recently caught my attention. I have been to Greece twice, once on an archaeological excavation, and I teach 9th grade World History. This is just the kind of headline to get my students excited about ancient Greece. It reminds me of the excitement … Continue reading Conjecture or Fact? The Two Faces of Alexander the Great
The name Salubria, comes from the Latin word for healthful, "salubrious." When you step in the mansion and feel the cool spring breeze blowing through the slightly offset north and south entrances, you can feel why the mansion earned its name. Have you ever wondered why old doorways are so small? I had always assumed … Continue reading Saturday at Salubria
