Must-See China: Your Guide To Visiting The Terracotta Army in Xian

by Lindsay Shapka in , ,


In 1974, east of what is now called Xi’an in China, peasants digging a well in their field uncovered one of the largest, and arguably the most important finds of the 20th century — an underground vault full of thousands of intact terracotta warriors and horses standing in battle formation.

Read More

One Of The Oldest Maps In The World

by Lindsay Shapka in ,


This ancient clay tablet is inscribed in cuneiform with a map of the countryside around the important Mesopotamian city of Nippur, now part of southeastern Iraq, south of Baghdad. Written in cuneiform, it is dated to some point in the 14th-13th century BC, making it one of the oldest known maps in the world!

Read More

The History of The Covered Passageways in Paris

by Lindsay Shapka in , , ,


If you are anything like me, one of your favourite things about travelling is finding those spots that transport you back in time, and for just a moment you can pretend that you are part of the era that gave birth to artistic genius, architectural marvels, or mysterious cultures.

Read More

What Is An Inukshuk?

by Lindsay Shapka in ,


Meaning “in the likeness of a human” in the Inuit language, these mysterious stone figures are found throughout the circumpolar world (and often on hiking trails in the Canadian Rocky Mountains) and are the oldest, and most important, objects placed by humans upon the vast Arctic landscape.

Read More

Greek, White and Blue: Why Are the Buildings in Greece Painted White and Blue?

by Lindsay Shapka in , , ,


If I were to ask you to close your eyes and picture the Greek Islands, what would you see?

White sand? Feta cheese? Brad Pitt dressed as Achilles?

Read More