There’s something electric about standing where centuries of footsteps have echoed before you. When I finally walked through the heavy stone gates of Fort Jesus, it felt like history reached out and grabbed my hand. The scent of salt and old stone hung in the air, and the sound of distant waves crashing against the […]
When I first arrived in Gondar, Ethiopia, I didn’t expect to be so moved by stone and silence. The early morning mist clung to the hills, and through it, Fasil Ghebbi emerged like a mirage from another time. A local boy selling coffee on the street pointed and said, “King Fasil built that to touch […]
I’ve seen a lot of famous places on my travels, and sometimes they don’t live up to the photos. But then there are spots that completely exceed expectations—Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is one of those. When I first laid eyes on it from the Dufferin Terrace, perched high above the St. Lawrence River, it genuinely […]
There’s something surreal about Mont Saint-Michel. Maybe it’s the way it rises from the tidal sands like a dream. Maybe it’s the golden statue of Archangel Michael gleaming from the abbey spire. Or maybe it’s because it feels like it was designed for a fantasy novel and forgotten by time. Whatever the reason, this place […]
High above the forests of Sintra, where the Atlantic winds whisper through ancient pines and clouds swirl like spirits around mountaintops, there rises a palace so dreamlike, so unapologetically whimsical, it’s hard to believe it’s real. Yet there it is—Pena Palace—a riot of color and romance perched atop a rugged ridge, glowing like a gemstone […]
I’ve seen castles that sit atop cliffs, ones nestled in forests, and even a few that look like they were conjured straight out of a fairytale. But Himeji Castle? It’s different. It doesn’t just sit on a hill overlooking the city of Himeji—it owns it. Gleaming white like a heron taking flight, this castle has […]
Let’s wander up the hill to one of Europe’s most spellbinding landmarks—Prague Castle. Towering above the Vltava River and cradled in the heart of Prague, this castle is more than a stunning silhouette on a skyline. It’s a layered patchwork of stories, some whispered, some boldly carved into stone, unfolding across more than a thousand […]
Perched high on the Sabika hill, with the Sierra Nevada as a dramatic backdrop and the city of Granada sprawling below, the Alhambra isn’t just a castle. It’s a wonder. A mosaic of art, war, poetry, and politics fused into stone, tile, and water. You don’t just visit the Alhambra—you feel it, breathe it, and, […]
When I first laid eyes on Château de Chambord, it felt like walking into a dream someone else had sketched four centuries ago. There it stood, massive and magnificent, like a French Renaissance fantasy come to life, rising out of the misty green heart of the Loire Valley. Chambord is one of those castles that […]
When I first went to Edinburgh Castle, I wasn’t expecting to feel anything, really. Just another historic site, I thought—a good photo, maybe a few plaques. But as I walked up Castlehill and the skyline shifted, I stopped. It wasn’t the size of Edinburgh Castle that struck me—it was the silence it seemed to carry. […]
