Religious Sites

Founded in 1148 by Cistercian monks, the Sénanque Abbey (Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque) was the fourth Cistercian abbey founded in Provence, France. The abbey is the building pictured in our November mystery photo.

19-day, 18-night textile tour in Southeast Asia, June 19-July 7, 2020. Group limit, 6-12. Highlights: In LAOS, Buddhist temples in Luang Prabang, Vientiane wats (temple complexes), natural dye workshop/in CAMBODIA, Siem Reap for carved stone temples at Angkor Wat, silk ikat weaving demos/in THAILAND, Wax Candle Parade (Kao Phansa), indigo ikat dying/Bangkok. $4,595 ppdo. Single supp., $850. Behind the Scenes Adventures (Santa Fe, NM; info@btsadventures.com, www.btsadventures.com).

 7 days, 6 nights in ENGLAND. Departures May 3 & 24, July 12, Aug. 2, 9 & 16, 2020. Highlights: In London, Hampton Court Palace for tour of Henry VIII’s apartments, Hampton Court Maze/Windsor Castle/Cliveden estate, former home of Astors/Highclere Castle (aka Downton Abbey)/on River Thames, Stanley Spencer home in historic village of Cookham/Christ Church at Oxford. Cabins from $5,850 per person, double occupancy (ppdo). Single supp., $1,800. European Waterways (Berkshire, England, UK; in US, 800/394-8630,  www.europeanwaterways.com).

A bomb was detonated in a mosque in eastern Afghanistan on Oct. 18. Immediately after the blast, the roof caved in, causing further casualties. The incident killed at least 62 people and injured 36. No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing. Islamist militant groups Daesh (ISIL) and the Taliban are both active in the area.

The bombing occurred after the United Nations released a statement saying that at least 1,174 civilians had been killed in Afghanistan from July through September 2019, the highest quarterly number since the UN began keeping records in 2009.

On Oct. 7, a man intentionally drove a semi-trailer truck into a line of cars stopped at an intersection in Limburg, Germany, injuring seven people. The incident is being described by German police as an act of terrorism. The driver of the truck was identified as a Syrian national who had been living in Germany since 2015.

6-day, 5-night, “easy” culinary and cultural tour in Québec, CANADA, July 19-24, 2020. Group limit, 12. Highlights: In Montréal, Museum of Jewish Montréal, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, Mile End neighborhoods, Montreal Holocaust Museum, 18th-century Shearith Israel synagogue, shared meze-style dinner in Saint-Henri, tour Habitat 67 residential complex, bagel-making workshop at Fletcher’s Espace Culinaire. From $2,280 ppdo. Single supp., $425. Atlas Obscura (Brooklyn, NY; 646/961-4857, www.atlasobscura.com/trips).