Rundale Palace was the lavish summer residence of the Dukes of Courland. The Duchy existed from 1561 until 1795 and was located in the western half of Latvia. Its original seat of power was located in Bauska until the castle and manor house were destroyed during the Great Northern War. The new palace was built […]
Museums
7 Reasons You Should Visit Cleveland Right Now
Cleveland, Ohio has a bit of a bad rap. In 1969, the heavily polluted Cuyahoga River running through downtown Cleveland caught fire and Time Magazine published a photo of the flames engulfing a ship. This was followed by a major economic recession in the 1970s and 1980s. The factories closed, unemployment rates soared and there […]
International Spy Museum: Celebrating 50 Years of James Bond
Growing up in America, December was always a special month. Not only did we get to celebrate Christmas, but in the days leading up to the holiday, in some kind of quirky tradition, cable TV channels would play all the James Bond films ever made. I watched these classic movies every year with my family, […]
Walking With Dinosaurs at the National Museum of Natural History
Growing up in Virginia, my classmates and I were often taken on field trips into Washington, DC, to explore the variety of cultural riches on offer. My favorite museum was (and still is) the National Museum of Natural History, thanks to its amazing collection of dinosaur fossils. Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum opened […]
New York City Revisited: A Fanciful Retreat
I visited New York City a few months ago and afterwards wrote about my perfect weekend. And it was perfect, filled with long aimless walks through the Village and meals shared with old friends, many of whom I hadn’t seen since before moving to Shanghai. I was able to reconnect with the city I used […]