The second largest park in Paris has a long history. Marie de Médici, widow of Henry IV and mother of Louis XIII, wanted to build a palace similar to the Pitti Palace in her native Florence. The resulting Luxembourg Palace (constructed in the 1610s) is today the home of the French Senate, though it has undergone substantial renovations since. The garden surrounding the palace was...
The only remaining London home of author Charles Dickens has been converted into the Charles Dickens Museum, a place all literature buffs must visit! Dickens wrote the classics Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby in this very house; so who knows maybe your visit may inspire you to start writing a potential classic yourself. Manuscripts, rare editions, personal items and paintings that belonged to...
Yet another of London’s iconic landmarks, Trafalgar Square is situated at Charing Cross, London’s most important intersection. The square gets its name from the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar. For the British, the victory over Napoleon’s forces was simultaneously flawless and Pyrrhic. Not a single British ship was lost, compared to 22 French/Spanish vessels. The b...
Robert E Lee lived in this beautiful home set high on the hills overlooking the Potomac river. His home and part of his 1110 acre property were confiscated when his wife fled after he left to command the confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War. After the war, the family sued the federal government for reimbursement and received it. A fine blending of the styles of the Greek...