The Bode Museum in Berlin, Germany boasts a number of spectacular artifacts from the Roman Empire, but the medallion of the Emperor Valens particularly stands out. Valens was Emperor of the eastern half of the Roman Empire from 28 March 364 until his death at the battle of Adrianople (in Turkey near the border of Bulgaria … Continue reading Emperor Valens from the Trier Mint
After so many years of travel, it is difficult to choose one single place as a favorite, but there is one place stands out in my mind more than the others. Trier, Germany’s oldest city, and nicknamed, “the Rome of the North," calls me back again and again. Every visit to Trier is like the first … Continue reading Trier: The Rome of the North
I’ve neglected my blog for a little while to pursue my license to teach middle and high school history. When I first started Jaunting Jen, I thought I wanted to travel full time, but after two months in Europe and Malta, it's clear to me that it's better to maintain a base to travel from for … Continue reading Curse Scrolls, Mystery Cults, and the Secret Roman History of Mainz
You would never guess that main attraction of the Bode Museum in Berlin is a mosaic from Ravenna, Italy. The Bode Museum on Museum Island houses a unique collection of Byzantine art, and I went there specifically for their Byzantine collection. I had no idea that a mosaic from Ravenna was waiting for me at the end of the exhibition hall. … Continue reading The Byzantine Beauty in Berlin
A lot of people have been to Pompeii, and a lot of bloggers have written extensively about the city. However, each perspective is unique, and no two people will experience the city in the same way. Pompeii was a thriving cosmopolitan Roman city near Naples, Italy. Although the city was conquered by the Romans in 80 B.C., it … Continue reading The Last Moments of Pompeii, 79 A.D.
A trip to Cologne, Germany usually means a trip to see the Kölner Dom, or Cologne Cathedral, and why not? It's one of the most spectacular Cathedrals in Germany. However this post is not about the Cathedral, this post is about the modern-looking building right next door, the Römisch-Germanische Museum. If you're wondering what's so special about another … Continue reading Glass Slippers and Sixth-Century Wine
In one photograph I managed to capture more than 1300 years of history. Trier, one of the oldest cities in Germany (16BC) lies on the Moselle River near Luxembourg, and is sometimes called "The Rome of the North." Trier earned this title because it has multiple surviving Roman monuments, including Constantine's basilica. Construction began on Constantine's basilica, or … Continue reading Pic of the Week: Trier, Roman and Rococo
I often fall into a daydream about past trips when staring at the computer all day at work, and this past Friday was no exception. Germany, 2009, Christmas 4-day weekend, what to do? Italy was the answer! Italy is a quick Ryanair hop from Germany, and after setting up in Bologna (where its cheap), I boarded the … Continue reading Ravenna: Italy’s Byzantine Beauty
