Posts Tagged “history”
When you wake in your hotel room in the beautiful green mountains of the Jura, in Eastern France, you may hear, for the first time, the iconic sound of bells – cow bells, tinkling across the valleys as the brown-and-white ladies stroll to the milking parlour (or return to the pasture, if you’re a late…
Slovenia is a small country in Central Europe. Small it might be but it has natural beauty, with mountains (Slovenia’s highest mountain, the three-peaked Triglav, is part of the national flag), vine-strewn hills, thick forests, historic cities and a 46 km long coast on the Adriatic. It is, in some regards, Europe in microcosm. Slovenia…
Archaeological evidence suggests that viticulture in Burgundy started as early as 200 AD, and later the monks and monasteries were to have an important influence on the progress of wines which were to become so prized. The Benedictines in the Abbey of Cluny were the first truly big Burgundy vineyard owners. Another religious order which…
It’s true that many British tourists are regulars on the beaches of the Algarve and they will say they love the country. Yes, they enjoy that little corner of this amazing land; but far fewer visitors travel away from the resorts to discover the real personality of Portugal. The Portuguese are the product of a…
Balmer Lawn is a large and rather imposing building set behind an open field, or lawn, where still can be seen cricket matches in good summer weather. The Lawn in the hotel name is actually 500 acres of open land grazed by New Forest cattle and ponies. The name of the hotel is thought to…
Ancient Peru till 20 February 2022 The Joseph Hotung Great Court Gallery The central Andes in Peru, South America, are one of the most geographically rich and diverse regions in the world. To coincide with the 200th anniversary of the independence of Peru in 2021, this exhibition will highlight the history, beliefs and cultural achievements…
On show in UK for first time at the British Museum The world of Stonehenge 17 February – 17 July 2022 Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery Organised with the State Museum of Prehistory, Halle/Saale, Germany The world’s oldest map of the stars will go on display for the very first time in the UK at the British…
This worthy tome isn’t a cocktail recipe book, and I would venture to say The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails is for the serious cocktail drinker. By that I don’t mean those who drink a lot of mixed alcoholic drinks but rather those who want to know and understand every element that helps to…
British Museum and Sketchfab collaborate for the first time on a touring exhibition A British Museum Spotlight Loan Troy: beauty and heroism § Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology, Reading (till 12 December 2021) § Haslemere Educational Museum, Surrey (10 February – 8 May 2022) § The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum (19 May –…
A Food Adventurer’s Guide This truly is a real food-lover’s treasury. By ‘food lover’ I mean those who sincerely love food rather than just the latest restaurant, and are excited by the prospect of new flavours. Gastro Obscura will be bedtime reading for so many of us, although it’s such a culinary page turner it’s…
An illustrated guide to London’s best pubs by John Warland London is a wonderful city. Perhaps I am somewhat biased as I am a Londoner. Ask any tourist of drinking age where they would most like to go, and the list is predictable: The Tower of London, Harrods and a pub. London pubs are steeped…
Nederlands Fotomuseum Reveals 99 Iconic Images In The Gallery Of Honour Of Dutch The development of 180 years of photography On 9 June, the Nederlands Fotomuseum in Rotterdam opened the Gallery of Honour of Dutch Photography to the public and welcomed His Majesty the King for a visit to the museum. As one of the…
27 May – 24 October 2021 at the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery Nero (r. AD 54–68), the last male descendant of Rome’s first emperor Augustus, succeeded to the throne aged only 16. During his reign of nearly 14 years, he murdered his own mother, his first wife, and allegedly his second wife; it has even been…
2020 is the 850th anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury Year-long programme of Becket events unveiled British Museum to host first ever major UK exhibition on Thomas Becket’s life, death and legacy A year-long programme of events marking the 850th anniversary of one of the most shocking crimes in European history,…
Cowries to Crypto: The History of Money, Currency and Wealth Cowries to Crypto: The History of Money, Currency and Wealth is a delightful book bound to raise a smile at any time of year. This Christmas we need a grin even more than ever. Money is important to all of us. But what exactly is…
Delftware or Delft pottery, also known as Delft Blue, is a term now widely used to describe the instantly recognisable Dutch earthenware. Most of it is blue and white, and the city of Delft in the Netherlands was the predominant production area in Europe. Four centuries ago the first Dutch East India Company ships returned…
‘A Dog of Flanders’ is a novel by English-French author Marie Louise de la Ramée and was published under her pseudonym “Ouida” in 1872. It is about a Flemish boy named Nello and his dog Patrasche, and is set in Antwerp, where there are numerous reminders of this popular literary work. I confess that I…
In May 2020 the British Museum opens the first major exhibition on the history of the Arctic and its indigenous peoples, through the lens of climate change and weather. The Arctic has been home to resilient communities for nearly 30,000 years, cultures that have lived with the opportunities and challenges of one of the most…
Aelbert Cuyp Exhibition 27 September 2020 to 14 March 2021 To celebrate the 400th anniversary of the birth of Aelbert Cuyp (1620–1691) the Dordrechts Museum is organising a major exhibition to celebrate the Dutch artist and his impact on English landscape painters. In the light of Cuyp: Aelbert Cuyp & Gainsborough – Constable – Turner…
The BP exhibition – Troy: myth and reality at the British Museum 21 November 2019 – 8 March 2020 Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery The British Museum announces its major exhibition for Autumn 2019. The BP exhibition Troy: myth and reality will be the first major Troy exhibition in the UK. It will reveal the lasting legacy…