Religious Sites

In the Red Sea Mountains of Egypt’s Eastern Desert, the Monastery of St. Anthony, at more than 1,650 years old, is reputed to be the world’s first Christian monastery. Egypt has completed its eight-year, $14.5-million renovation, restoring and conserving the fortress walls, several outbuildings and the two main churches and installing a modern sewage system. 

Boasting the burial places of four saints plus paintings dating back to the Middle Ages, St. Anthony’s houses 120 monks and receives a million visitors a year. 

The London landmark St. Paul’s Cathedral (phone 020 7246 8357) turns 300 years old this year. Construction of the Anglican cathedral, designed by architect Sir Christopher Wren, began in 1675 and took 35 years.

Its restoration and cleaning of the stone interior has just been completed after four years at a cost of $64 million. One grimy slab of stone near the west entrance was left untouched. Open to sightseers 8:30-4, Monday-Saturday. £12.50 adult, £11.50 senior.

For people of all ages, more than 50 one-week courses are offered at Christ Church College in Oxford, July 4-Aug. 7, 2010. Among them are “Castles in Britain,” “Jane Austen’s Heroines” and “Victorian Scandals.” There are no prerequisites to enroll, and the classes are taught without papers to write or tests to take. No academic credit is offered.

Nine-day/seven-night family-focused tour of EGYPT. Highlights: Egyptian Museum in Cairo/Giza pyramids/Nile cruise to Temple of Philae, Kom Ombo, Luxor’s Valley of the Kings/12th-century Citadel of Salah el-Din. Land/cruise, from $4,530 adult or $3,790 child under 12. Internal air, from $630.

Abercrombie & Kent (Downers Grove, IL; 800/652-7963).

13-day/12-night, “moderate” walking tour (longest walk, six miles), April 20-May 2, 2012. Highlights: Wine and cheese tastings/two cooking classes/Cinque Terre/13th-century La Castiglia in Saluzzo/Mombracco (“Leonardo’s Mountain”)/Barolo/Turin. Land, $6,390. Single supp., $640.

World Expeditons (Level 5, 71 York St., Sydney, NSW, Australia; fax 02 8270 8401 or phone, in US, 800/567-2216).

12 days/11 nights. Highlights: In Luang Prabang, LAOS, Wat Xieng Thong monastery/boat ride to Tham Pak Ou caves/weaving village of Ban Phanom/National Museum, Vientiane/fly to Yangon, MYANMAR/Sule Pagoda, Shwedagon Pagoda/11th- to 14th-century temples in Bagan/visit a lacquerware workshop/in Mandalay, Golden Teak Monastery/world’s biggest book/Inle Lake for floating gardens, market. Land, $3,039. Single supp., $740.

Third Eye Travels (Fremont, CA; 800/456-3393).

14-day, 13-night tour accompanied by Jewish India expert Dr. Shalva Weil, Jan. 26-Feb. 8, 2015. Highlights: In Mumbai, tour synagogues, ancient bazaars/Hindu caves on Elephanta Island/in Cochin, Kathakali performance, India’s oldest synagogue, Indian cooking lesson plus nonkosher Shabbat dinner in private home. Land, $7,995. Single supp., $2,600.

Burkat Global (Hastings on Hudson, NY; 914/231-9023).

Peace on Earth. . . The particular piece of earth where the white, Indian-style pagoda shown in our April ’05 issue is located is Gotemba City, Japan.

The temple, located in Peace Park, contains some relics of the Buddha presented to Gotemba City by India’s first prime minister, Pandit Jawaharial Nehru.

Twenty-seven readers correctly guessed the subject of the picture in the April issue: the Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Viet-Nam.

The winner of the drawing was GORDON KILGORE of Sharpsburg, GA.