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Academic travel articles, written by our expert tour leaders.
The Academy Journal
Written by our specialist tour leaders, these articles explore hidden gems, historical events and artistic masterpieces, enriching your upcoming travels with their unique perspectives.
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Interview with iconic Australian designer Linda Jackson
In this story for Academy Travel, Distinguished Professor Peter McNeil interviews iconic Australian designer Linda Jackson, who will accompany him on the forthcoming tour to Darwin and the Top End this August. This is an important moment to celebrate Linda, as the National Gallery of Australia has just announced the acquisition of a major archive of the fashion and textiles created by Linda and Jenny Kee, including Flamingo Park Archives.
Abruzzo
In an era of mass tourism with Italy amongst the world’s most popular destinations, it can come as a surprise to find that there are still entire regions in the country which are virtually unknown to the international traveller. But such is the case with the region of Abruzzo, nestling in the centre of the peninsular to the east of Rome. I first came to Italy in 1980 with the usual expectations of a place
La Raya: Where Spain and Portugal meet
Iberian history could be viewed as a chronicle of two nations separated by a shared geography. These regions with their charming small towns that lie along the Hispano/Portugal border, the so called La Raya in Spanish (or A Raia in Portuguese), are some of the most spectacular and interesting to visit in both countries.
Slovenia
Romans, Illyrian tribes, Attila the Hun, Habsburgs, Golden Fleeces, Argonauts, and Dragons – Slovenia is a country which straddles history, myth, and legend. Slovenia also straddles four geographic and cultural (and gastronomic) regions, despite its small size; deep green alpine forests near the border with Austria, glittering karst and limestone caves that reach underground to northeast Italy
Palermo’s Splendid Cappella Palatina
Few cities in Europe are as cosmopolitan as the wonderful, vibrant city of Palermo, largely because, throughout its long history, it has been ruled by a number of different people. It was founded by the early lords of the Mediterranean, the Phoenicians, in the 8th century BCE, and was conquered by first Rome and later by Muslim Aghlabids, coming from Tunisia, only to be ruled by Spain
Cosmopolis Crete
Due to Crete’s fortunate position at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Sea, the large mountainous island with its fertile valleys and safe harbours, became a strategic trading hub between Europe, Asia and Africa from the earliest days. In its heyday, the island was a melting pot, home to approximately 250,000 people and, despite its multiculturalism, or perhaps due to it, the thriving country developed
Behind the Throne
Henry VIII is one of the most famous monarchs - in his 38-year reign he married six times, broke with the Catholic Church, and ruled during one of the most politically tumultuous periods in England’s history. When the 18-year-old Henry VIII ascended the throne of England in 1509, he was determined to epitomise the age as a Golden Renaissance Prince. His reign marked the shift from the medieval period to
Passion in an Irish Garden
Most gardeners would happily admit that their garden was born of passion, of an intense desire to create something beautiful that excited interest, brought peace, and calmed the soul. And yet the very word passion is a multi-faceted concept. From the Greek word for suffering, it implies a strong or even a barely controlled emotion – a disorientation of the mind, of the soul.
Georgia’s Election: A referendum on a country’s place in the world
Last weekend, the small, former Soviet Republic of Georgia—a country of 3.7m people whose territory lies within the tectonic folds between the Greater and Lesser Caucasus Mountains—held parliamentary elections. The result was victory for the ruling “Georgian Dream” party founded by the billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili in 2012,
Top Ten American Revolution Sites
With the 250th birthday of the United States on the horizon in 2026, there’s never been a better time to visit the key sites of America’s War for Independence. It all began in Boston in the early 1760s when colonists there began agitating for better treatment by the British government, soon kickstarting a mass movement across 13 colonies up and down the East Coast to press for complete independence