Today, the Dublin Castle in Ireland is a government building used for official ceremonies, dinners, presidential inaugurations, and other state affairs. Historically, however, it has had a varied past and was once called home by the Vikings, Normans, English, and British. Through most of its history, it has served as the administrative seat for English and British rule in Ireland. In 1922, it was finally handed back to the people of its country and has served them ever since.
Aït Benhaddou is a fortified city in Morocco that is located along the old caravan route between Marrakech and the Sahara Desert. This UNESCO World Heritage site served as an important trading post in the old trade route that passed all the way from Morocco on the west coast of Africa, to Sudan on the east coast.
Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, is one of the most iconic buildings in Moscow. Located in Red Square, it faces off of other mighty architectural giants, such as the Kremlin, Lenin’s mausoleum, the State Historical Museum, and the GUM shopping center, and quite easily holds its own.
On our trip through Sweden, we stopped overnight to camp at Kalmar County to see two things; the Rumskulla Oak or Kvilleken, and the Norra Kvill National Park. Sweden is world renown for its abundance of trees and this park promised us a close look at some old growth forests, which are rare this far south in Sweden. Not only did we find old growth forests, but large areas of moss covered rocks, a lake covered with lily pads, and heather flowers. It is a truly magical spot.
Hallig Hooge, the Queen of Halligen, is a small island off the northwest coast of Germany in the Wadden Sea; the southeastern part of the North Sea. It is one of ten small islands that make up the halligen, the German part of the North Frisian Islands. The North Frisian Islands are located just off the coast of the European mainland next to Germany and Denmark.
When we booked our trip to Morocco, we knew that we wanted to visit Marrakesh. Not only because of the song, “Marrakesh Express” by Crosby, Stills, and Nash, or the wonderful book, “The Drifters” by James Michener, but because of this lovely little book I read in school titled “Reflections on Fieldwork in Morocco” by Paul Rabinow. Jemaa el-Fnaa is the main square in the old part of the city where Marrakesh truly comes to life. Here, you can experience the sights and smells of all of Morocco into one small condensed area. It is a sensory overload in the most fantastic way!
I first encountered the Holger the Dane character (or Holger Danske) in the underground passageways of Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, Denmark. There, I found an immense statue of a sleeping warrior sitting in a chair with his sword and shield at the ready. I had not heard of Holger before my visit to Kronborg, but was immediately enraptured. Spotlights periodically turned on and off, brightly illuminating Holger in between periods of darkness, creating a breathtaking vision. Who was this man? What was he known for? Was he myth or history? So, I decided that I had to do a little bit of research.
While driving from Denmark to Sweden, there was one place that I really wanted to stop at and visit while passing through. This place is on the very itty bitty end of Zealand Island at the edge of the Danish border. Looking across Øresund Sound is Sweden and after a very short boat ride, you are on Swedish soil. This place is Kronborg Castle, of course, located in the town of Helsingør.
To be honest, I had never heard of Dunn’s River Falls prior to our Jamaica trip. But when I heard about the number one tourist destination that was even featured in a James Bond film, I did my homework (watched Dr. No) and decided that it was worth a visit.
Driving from Stockholm to Fulufjället National Park in Sweden, we were looking for a place en route to go horseback riding and grab some hiking supplies. Leksand is about three hours from Stockholm and two a half hours from Fulufjället National Park, and was pretty much the perfect place to stop along the way. We did end up horseback riding at gathered up some supplies for our upcoming hike, which included the delicious Leksandsbröd, a Swedish crisp bread that is fit for Elves!