Japanese samurai were elite warriors, highly skilled in sword-fighting, archery, and horseback riding. Exploring Tokyo with kids, go up the high hillside where the donjon of Edo Castle once towered over the city, find samurai armor and swords in museums, and visit Sengakuji temple of the Forty-Seven Ronin – samurai who were loyal to their daimyo to the end.
Read more…Music in St. Petersburg
Remembering a visit St. Petersburg, we enjoyed a concert at the Philharmonia concert hall, listening to Russian classical music in a spectacular setting. And, read our favorite children’s books about Russian composers.
Read more…The Parthenon: Athens and London
The Parthenon, “wonder of the world,” is a symbol of classical ancient Greece. Background information about the history of the Parthenon, gods, heroes, monsters in the sculptures, our travel tips, and children’s books, will help kids get the most of out of a visit to the Parthenon in Athens and British Museum in London.
Read more…Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions
Leonardo da Vinci is famous for his paintings, but he was also a genius inventor. Visit museums in Italy and France to see Leonardo da Vinci’s designs created in exact models, some life-size.
Read more…Celebrate Mardi Gras and Carnival
New Orleans Mardi Gras is famous for colorful parades, but there’s also world-wide Carnival celebrations, such as the yearly samba festival in Rio de Janeiro and costumed party-goers in Venice. Celebrate at home – cook a King Cake, listen to Brazilian samba music, make Venetian Carnival masks.
Read more…Marie Antoinette: Vienna and Versailles
Marie Antoinette was a symbol of the monarchy of France, but she wasn’t French. Born Maria Antonia, she was Austrian, and grew up in Vienna at the Habsburg court. Her favorite palaces were Schoenbrunn, summer palace outside Vienna, and the Petit Trianon and Hamlet at Versailles.
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