Skip to content

Posts tagged ‘history’

Jun 6

Omaha Beach Memorial

D-Day 70 Years Later – The Omaha Beach Memorial

My first impression of Omaha Beach in Normandy was of summer fun.  Alongside the massive stretch of sand, there was a boardwalk dotted with summer beach rentals, ice cream stands and the occasional creperie.  The laughter of a visiting group of British school children added to the ambiance of carefree days.  But anyone who has studied the D-Day landings of June 6, 1944 knows that Omaha was the bloodiest of battlefields of D-Day with some units in the first wave suffering up to a 92% casualty rate.  How do we memorialize the 4,000 who died in a few hours?  Today a bold, modern memorial stands out along the relaxing beach and marks the critical military objective that the American soldiers sacrificed so dearly to achieve.

Omaha Beach Memorial

Omaha Beach Memorial

Read more

May 8

hostel view
4 Comments

A Hotel with its Own Archaeological Ruins

hostel view

Terrific view of old city from the roof deck of the Akko Knights Youth Hostel (Photo from hostel)

I wrote recently about the old historic core of Acre (or Akko), Israel which is packed with Crusader era ruins.  Since Acre is mostly a day-tripper’s destination, we stayed a night in the only accommodations in the old city – a youth hostel.  Apparently you can’t dig anywhere in the Acre without discovering an archaeological site!  I was surprised to find that our youth hostel had its own set of ruins on site and did an excellent job exhibiting them as natural elements of the hostel premise.

Read more

May 1

Projected animated manuscript images
3 Comments

Crusader Acre

Akko ocean fortification from the Crusader era

One edge of square shaped Acre abuts the ocean ad is heavily fortified

For approximately the 12th and 13th century, Acre (or Akko) served as the capitol of the Crusader kingdom of Palestine.  A valuable port city on the Mediterranean, Acre received soldier and supplies as waves of European warriors landed.  This city also prospered as a trading hub between Europe and the near East.  The old city of Acre and the Crusader structures therein are well preserved and provide a glimpse into this bloody period of history.  But what I found in Acre was a well established historical city with elegant architecture suggesting a more stable community during a very violent period in the region.

Read more

Apr 17

Beit She'an ruins

Israel – First Impressions

Flowering cactus near the Sea of Galilee

Flowering cactus near the Sea of Galilee

I’ve been back from Israel a month now and have had some time to reflect on the experience.  I’ve been describing my trip as “intense”  – but in a good way!  There are a lot of amazing things packed into this small country and I was nearly overwhelmed by the cultural, historical, and religious wonders I encountered.  I wanted to share with you some of my first impressions.

Read more

Apr 14

17 Comments

Man and Myth: Interpreting Statues of Lincoln

Mount Rushmore

Nothing says importance like being carved into a mountainside – Mount Rushmore National Memorial, near Keystone, South Dakota (Photo: Wikicommons)

The monthly ArtSmart Roundtable brings together some of the best art-focused travel blogs to post on a common theme.  This month we are focusing on Sculpture.  We’ve got picks from all over the world and different time periods.  Be sure to check out all the posts below!

Statues always remind me of monuments and I am fascinated by how cultures remember their heroes.  Living in Washington DC, I am surrounded by monuments to great American men.  A lot of artistic thought goes into these sculptures because subtle, and not so subtle, visual choices shape how we view and remember these famous people.  I think no other figure is wrapped in as much symbolic meaning and myth as Abraham Lincoln.  Whether in books, art, or movies, we continue to struggle with who this president was and how we remember him.  Two statues in DC epitomize this debate for me.

Read more

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »