Culture
Madame Tussaud's & London Planetarium
Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum is one of the very few attractions in London that is both centuries old and completely modern.
Madame Tussaud learned her unusual craft of modeling figures in wax by creating death masks of those executed by guillotine in 18th and 19th century France. Among her 'clients' were Louis XVI and Marie Antionette. That mixture of precise art and macabre display is reflected in the modern museum - but with a much greater sense of fun!
Xi'an
A place with a rich history as the city is one of the ends of the Silk Road and capital of the province. Fkind here the Terracota Warriors and the Forest of Stone Steeles.
The Great Wall
Under construction from the 3rd century BC to the 16th century AD, the Great Wall of China stretches from east to west across one of the largest countries in the world.
Beijing, Traveler's Dilemma
One of the most popular sights isn't even inside Beijing - the Great Wall. Located about 60-125km outside it, the distance varies depending on which part of the wall you visit.
It stretches over 6,000km and is easily visible from a low-level satellite orbit. Visitors would have to take that kind of trip to see even a small portion of this immense structure. But even what you see on the average walking tour is astounding.
China, The Land of Awe
The Great Wall is probably the only man made monument that astronauts can see from orbit with the naked eye.
The London West End
Soho is a short walk away. For those interested in the red-light district in the home of the Puritans, that's here - and has been for over a century.
But Soho is much more than strip bars and prostitutes. As the area, along with many parts of London, undergoes a rejuvenation, there are also expensive restaurants and shops to enjoy. Soho Square has places to sit and watch the city go buy in safety and comfort.
Royal Observatory, Greenwich, London
To most, the question "What time is it?" is mundane. But to the men and women whom, over the centuries since 1675, have worked at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich it is of huge importance.
Montmartre, Paris
(Note: An 'arrondissement' is a district, laid out around Paris clockwise, with the 1st at the center of the clock face.)
There are steep hills in parts, so be prepared for a hike, particularly up to the Basilica. But there are cobblestoned streets, too, with antique shops and 'bistros'.
The word 'bistro' comes from the Russian meaning 'quick'. It was first imported in the early 19th century by Cossack occupiers who wanted to be fed immediately. Everything from frogs legs to Tarte Tatin is served at spots as old as 1793 in the Place du Tertre.
Paris, Maison de Victor Hugo
'Maison' is French for 'house'. In this case the word is slightly misleading. While no palace, though sited in the Place des Vosges - originally known as Place Royale - the site is no simple domicile. These sprawling apartments were the home of the famed writer between 1832 and 1848. Hugo fled from the revolution in that year.
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre is in fact long gone - closed by Puritans in 1642 and taken down 2 years later. Fortunately for fans of the bard, there's a faithful reproduction housed only a few hundred meters from the original site.