Tag Archives: architecture The only thing better than a day at a zoo is a day at the zoo with young children. Add trips across Sydney Harbour on a summer day, and the whole experience is hard to beat. Christmas was fast approaching, and my young grandchildren were visiting with their parents. My husband and I decided that […]  Perfect weather, fabulous food, and historical and natural sites galore: Crete was an absolute joy to visit. I was staying in the hills outside the island’s capital of Heraklion/Iraklio, and had no difficulty filling my days with fascinating day trips (see: Weekly Wanders Crete). Towards the end of my week, I decided to explore closer […]  I spent less than a week in the Sultanate of Oman, an Islamic Arab country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. In that time, however, I saw countless forts, castles, and towers (see: Oman’s Fortress Castles and Jabreen Castle). Perhaps this is unsurprising, as the country is called “the land of [a] thousand forts.” These […]  I’m not normally a huge fan of museums: there are only so many plaques I can read on dusty displays before I hit overload, or become mind-numbingly bored. But, all of the guide books and everyone I met on Crete recommended the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. It is reputed to be one of the greatest museums […]  Nestled at the foot of the Hajar Mountains are some of the oldest villages in Oman. This is a rugged, desert region with little rainfall. Settlements could only survive where ground water was available. But, where water was found, it was ingeniously managed. Using a type of irrigation system developed 5000 years ago in Persia, […] |
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