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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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- Ben Churcher 1
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The Utopian Dream of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian Homes
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the renowned 20th century American architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed only for the wealthy elite. After all, household-name architects (or “star-chitects”) like Wright don’t typically get famous by creating homes for the average family. Like his architectural peers, Wright did, of course, design a number of
Oman - Travels in Old Arabia
Far to the east of Beirut, Damascus, Aleppo, Jerusalem and the other great cities of the Levant exists a completely different world, namely that of the Arabian peninsula. The peninsula is, of course, dominated geographically by Saudi Arabia, whilst to the south-east we have Yemen (the land of Sheba) and Oman. Yet while Oman may lack ancient cities comparable in wealth or splendour to Palmyra, Petra or Jerash
Brescia & its Astonishing Museum of Santa Giulia
Few people would put Brescia, the 2nd largest city in Lombardy, near the top of their list of places to visit in Italy – perhaps because it is such an industrial city and associated with steel and arms manufacturing. Walking along the historical streets of the city, sipping the famous bubbly Franciacorta made in the province and, above all, visiting its historical heart
10 great ways to experience Lisbon
Tour leader, linguist and art history specialist Dr Jeni Ryde takes you through one of her favourite destinations – Portugal’s coastal capital city of Lisbon. Situated on seven hills at the wide mouth of the river Tagus (Tejo), where it meets the Atlantic Ocean, Lisbon enchants travellers with its white bleached limestone buildings, intimate alleyways, and brightly coloured yellow trams.
What is the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair?
Darwin hosts two very important cultural events in the same week: the largest and most important annual event for Indigenous Australian art, the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF); and Couture to Country, the leading space to highlight the rise of Indigenous fashion and textile design. It is a unique opportunity for over 1,500 artists from more than 70 Indigenous owned Art Centres to showcase
Insider’s Venice
The crowds in Venice are almost as famous as the gondolas. At the cruise port, in the height on the summer season, as many as five large ships can arrive in a day, bringing with them up to 20,000 fun-seeking day-trippers. An equal number can arrive by coach, arriving at the island car-park of Tronchetto and winding their way up the Grand Canal to St Mark’s. The itinerary of these day-trippers is
Tales of Trailblazing High-Country Women
Towards the end of last year, a book caught my eye called ‘Sheilas – Badass Women of Australian History’ by Eliza Reilly. Opening the front cover, I read the introductory paragraph, where Eliza starts by saying: Let’s be blunt. There aren’t enough women in our history books. There aren’t even enough we can name off the tops of our heads, compared to the blokes. The problem is, in our enthusiasm to
Ikara Flinders Ranges
The Flinders Ranges, as they are today, are the mere stubs of once majestic mountains, which hundreds of millions of years ago would have rivalled the Andes or the Himalayas. The original sediments were laid down over half a billion years ago before uplift, folding and faulting formed a massive mountainous range, followed by the weathering that has left us with the current landform
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
Tresco Abbey Gardens
This 19th-century garden is immersed in history and yet has a botanic twist, holding more than 20,000 plants from over 80 countries. Tresco, one of the Scilly Isles, lies 28 miles off the Cornish coast of England. A subtropical island, blessed with white sand and turquoise sea, it is home to just 150 people. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the climate is unique in the UK and makes it possible to grow rare and exotic species