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Tagged With: religion

Vatican City

With a population of just 800, Vatican City is the smallest independent country in the world in terms of both population and area, so I’m guessing they won’t be fielding a bobsled team at the Sochi Olympics next year. But that’s ok because the Vatican is truly an incredible place to visit, even without an … Continue reading »

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Florence, Italy

For such a small city center, Florence really packs in a number of sites. The best place to take them all in is from Piazza Michelangelo.   Spanning the Arno River is the Ponte Vecchio, a stone arched bridge lined with jewelry shops. Hundreds of years ago, the bridge hosted butchers but the leaders of … Continue reading »

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Valletta, Malta

Malta’s capital city, Valletta, is laid out grid style on a small and hilly peninsula. If the hills don’t bring San Francisco to mind, then you’re obviously not on foot. Walking through the streets, the first thing I noticed were the ubiquitous window boxes.   I usually try to pick up a few words of … Continue reading »

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3 Cities, Malta

Across the Grand Harbour from Malta's capital are the 3 small cities of Senglea, Vittoriosa, and Cospicua (also known as Isla, Birgu, and Bormla respectively) on 3 neighboring peninsulas.   Like many Maltese towns, you'll never get lost strolling through the gridded streets since here you're guaranteed to hit the Mediterranean before too long.   … Continue reading »

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Mdina & Rabat, Malta

Mdina lies almost in the center of Malta high on a hill. The walled city is so immaculately preserved that it almost feels a little like a movie set! With only a few hundred residents, the Silent City as it is also called, is a peaceful and lovely town.   The view from the walls. … Continue reading »

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Mellieha & Mosta, Malta

Mellieha is a relatively young city by Maltese standards. Located at the northern end of the island of Malta, the area was sparsely populated for hundreds of years due to its vulnerability to pirate attacks. Under the British, settlement was encouraged in the mid 19th century and town Mellieha is home to around 8,000 people. … Continue reading »

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Comino & Gozo, Malta

By far the smallest of Malta's 3 islands, Comino is just 3.5 square kilometers. What it lacks in permanent residents (the number varies between 1 and 3 depending on your source), it more than makes up for with hotel guests and day trippers when the sun is shining. The island is reachable with a quick … Continue reading »

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Ljubljana, Slovenia

Small and friendly, Ljubljana is so cute I wanted to cuddle it and put it in my pocket for safe keeping. The main square, Prešernov Trg, features a statue of Slovenia's beloved poet, France Prešeren, standing underneath his muse. Across the square is a small statue of a woman looking out of a second floor … Continue reading »

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Tunis, Tunisia

My first morning in Tunis, I got off the metro severely misinformed. This was the one and only time there was any space at all in the train!   Every other time, the metro looked like a can of human sardines. I never got a photo of it, but usually there were a couple of … Continue reading »

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Kairouan, Tunisia

Visiting the walled coty of Kairouan 7 times is equal to visiting Mecca once. Known as Islam's 4th holiest city, Kairouan is not only religiously significant, it's also a beautiful place to explore.   Zaouia Sidi Abid el-Ghariani (the Mausoleum of Sidi Abid el-Ghariani), built in the 14th century, was my first stop. It is … Continue reading »

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