Church of Nativity in Bethlehem

25 December 2025 | Author/Destination: | Category: General, UNESCO World Heritage, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  21 minutes

© Thaler Tamas/cc-by-sa-4.0

© Thaler Tamas/cc-by-sa-4.0

The Church of the Nativity, or Basilica of the Nativity, is a basilica located in Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine. The grotto holds a prominent religious significance to Christians of various denominations as the birthplace of Jesus. The grotto is the oldest site continuously used as a place of worship in Christianity, and the basilica is the oldest major church in the Holy Land.   read more…

Theme Week Seychelles – Aride Island

24 December 2025 | Author/Destination: | Category: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

© Gerard Larose - Seychelles Tourism Board/cc-by-4.0

© Gerard Larose – Seychelles Tourism Board/cc-by-4.0

Aride Island is the northernmost granitic island in the Seychelles (Bird Island is the northernmost Seychelles island overall). A nature reserve, it is leased and managed by the Island Conservation Society of Seychelles. The island is part of the district of Grand’Anse, located 10 km north of Praslin island and is 68 hectares in area.   read more…

Portrait: Architect and designer Frank Gehry

24 December 2025 | Author/Destination: | Category: Portrait Reading Time:  7 minutes

Frank Gehry © City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 2311, File 2969, Item 89

Frank Gehry
© City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 2311, File 2969, Item 89

Frank Owen Gehry was a Canadian and American architect and designer known for his postmodern designs and use of unconventional forms and materials. A number of his buildings, including his private residence in Santa Monica, California, have become attractions. His most famous works include the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris. These buildings are characterized by their sculptural, often undulating exteriors and innovative use of materials such as titanium and stainless steel.   read more…

Theme Week Seychelles – Silhouette Island

23 December 2025 | Author/Destination: | Category: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

Silhouette Museum © Cybersister27/cc-by-sa-4.0

Silhouette Museum © Cybersister27/cc-by-sa-4.0

Silhouette Island lies 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Mahé in the Seychelles. It is the third largest granitic island in the Seychelles. It has an area of 20.1 km² and has a population of 200, mostly workers on the island. The main settlement is La Passe, where a Hilton Hotel is located. The name Silhouette was given after Étienne de Silhouette (1709-1767), the French minister of finances under Louis XV.   read more…

Museum Square in Amsterdam

23 December 2025 | Author/Destination: | Category: General, Museums, Exhibitions Reading Time:  3 minutes

© Ank Kumar/cc-by-sa-4.0

© Ank Kumar/cc-by-sa-4.0

The Museumplein (English: Museum Square) is a public space in the Museumkwartier neighbourhood of the Amsterdam-Zuid borough in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Located at the Museumplein are three major museums – the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Stedelijk Museum – and the concert hall Concertgebouw.   read more…

Theme Week Seychelles

22 December 2025 | Author/Destination: | Category: General, Bon voyage, Theme Weeks, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  16 minutes

Victoria Clock Tower © Bjørn Christian Tørrissen/cc-by-sa-4.0

Victoria Clock Tower © Bjørn Christian Tørrissen/cc-by-sa-4.0

Seychelles, officially the Republic of Seychelles (French: République des Seychelles; Seychellois Creole: Repiblik Sesel), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, is 1,500 kilometres (800 nautical miles) east of mainland Africa. Nearby island countries and territories include the Maldives, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and the French overseas departments of Mayotte and Réunion to the south; and the Chagos Archipelago to the east. Seychelles is the smallest country in Africa as well as the least populated sovereign African country, with an estimated population of 100,600 in 2022.   read more…

Rosetta in Egypt

22 December 2025 | Author/Destination: | Category: General, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  4 minutes

Abou Mandour Mosque © Wael Mostafa/cc-by-sa-4.0

Abou Mandour Mosque © Wael Mostafa/cc-by-sa-4.0

Rosetta or Rashid (Arabic: ????; romanized: Raš?d; Coptic: ??????; romanized: ti-Rashit) is a port city of the Nile Delta, 65 km (40 mi) east of Alexandria, in Egypt‘s Beheira governorate. The Rosetta Stone was discovered in nearby Fort Julien in 1799.   read more…

Christmas goose

21 December 2025 | Author/Destination: | Category: General, Bon appétit Reading Time:  6 minutes

© Jürgen Howaldt/cc-by-sa-2.0-de

© Jürgen Howaldt/cc-by-sa-2.0-de

Goose has a distinct flavor which makes it a favorite European Christmas dish. In Germany, roast goose is a staple for Christmas Day meals. For European cultures, roast goose is traditionally eaten only on appointed holidays, including St. Martin’s Day.   read more…

London Borough of Tower Hamlets

20 December 2025 | Author/Destination: | Category: General, London Reading Time:  7 minutes

Canary Wharf © Diliff/cc-by-sa-3.0

Canary Wharf © Diliff/cc-by-sa-3.0

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a borough in London, England. Situated on the north bank of the River Thames and immediately east of the City of London, the borough spans much of the traditional East End of London and includes much of the regenerated London Docklands area. The 2019 mid-year population for the borough is estimated at 324,745.   read more…

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