History

—Timeless Roads of the Mideast and Mediterranean is written by Ed Kinney.

(Part 5 of 6 on Spain)

My husband and I traveled by train to Berlin, Germany, in June ’04. We used public transportation there (U-Bahn and S-Bahn), seeing all of the exciting landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate, once a dividing point between East and West Berlin and now a symbol of German unity.

We visited the Kaiser-Wilhelm Church, or Gedächtnis-Kirche. I was impressed with the historical pageantry done in mosaic.

The Pergamon Museum was outstanding, and the Reichstag building was an architectural wonder with far-reaching views of the city.

We are extremely interested in history and enjoy visiting different cultures. In August ’04 we visited Bulgaria. After spending 10 days in this largely unknown jewel of the Balkans, we wanted to tell our friends that Bulgaria has everything anyone would expect for a perfect vacation.

Customized tour

Our trip was planned by Balkan Travel & Tours in New York City (phone 888/763-4288 or 212/594-9000 or visit www.balkan-travel.com). It cost $1,115 per person, with additional airfare from LOT Polish Airlines of about $740.

by Gloria Grant, Chevy Chase, MD

by Ed Kinney

by Jay Brunhouse

by Michael Algar, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Within easy reach of London, some of East Anglia’s landscapes will live forever in Constable and Gainsborough paintings. But it is wealth from this area’s cloth-weaving industries that is reflected in its historic communities of such appeal today.

Our family (husband, wife, 16-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter) visited France and Belgium for three weeks in June ’03. While in Paris, we arrived at the Sainte-Chapelle minutes before a free English-language tour was to begin. It was the luckiest day of our trip!

The guide, Vicki-Marie Petrick, was a native of Jacksonville, Florida, who has been living in Paris for 10 years. She has a Master’s in Medieval and Renaissance Art History from the Sorbonne and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Medieval Art History. She also has a background in theater and she teaches.

by Russ Ellis, ITN

In October ’02, I was a guest on a 4-night tour of Vienna jointly hosted by Austrian Airlines and the Vienna Tourist Board.