Home to cowboys and Indians, pioneers and gold rushes, Frontierland is where guests go to visit the 19th century American Old West. Premiering with the opening of the Magic Kingdom in 1971, this area of the park has undergone considerable expansion and renovation, growing from just two attractions and a Walt Disney World Railroad station, to home of both Splash Mountain and the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – which was unfortunately closed while we were there.

Adjacent you can walk through to Liberty Square, and back through time to visit 18th …

Presently the process for analysis and detection of pollutants in seawater can take up to weeks as a sample must be collected and then transported back to land for examination. SHOAL has instead developed artificially intelligent fish they believe can take this analysis from the usual weeks to mere seconds, thanks to inbuilt chemical sensors and on board WiFi systems for communication back to land. Allowing for quicker action to be taken.
Originating with Professor Dr. Huosheng Hu at the University of Essex, the British technology firm BMT Group Ltd. has …

With a history that stretches millennium, it’s unsurprising that the Maltese have accumulated a number of ghost stories. Fort St. Angelo and the Grand Masters’ Palace both have ladies who haunt their halls, while further afield the Hypogeum and the Verdala Palace in Rabat have their stories.

The one that stood out for me however was the one concerning St. John’s Co-Cathedral.
A long-standing caretaker having gone through early morning preparations as he had every morning for the monsignor who performed the daily first Mass, instead found one morning the priest …

Like each of the different themed lands in the park, Adventureland is meant to transport you to another time and place. While the location may differ from park-to-park, each draws upon the post-war craze of the 1950s for tales of exotic locales in remote unchartered jungles far from civilization.
The Jungle Cruise at the Magic Kingdom for example is a simulated riverboat cruise that takes park guests down the Amazon River aboard tramp steamers from a 1930s depression era British outpost. Interestingly while much of the ride has been fabricated …

Incorporation of Ephesus into the Roman Republic proved tumultuous as taxes rose and the treasures of the city were systematically plundered – a practice that would contribute to the Vespers of 88 BCE, an infamous episode responsible for starting the First Mithridatic War, when the king of Pontus, Mithridates the Great, used local discontent with the Romans and their taxes, to orchestrate the execution of some 80’000 Roman and Italian citizens (effectively anyone who spoke with a Latin accent) across Asia Minor.
Having heard word of the massacre at Chios by …

When you first pass through the gates at Disney World you’re transported through time to early-twentieth small-town American featuring influences from across the country. And while this area is largely lined with shops selling merchandise and food, it’s one of the only places in the park you can find espresso, so make sure to hit the bakery if you need an extra boost.
Interestingly the buildings along Mainstreet have been constructed with each consecutive story being shorter than the previous, creating the impression that the buildings, and even Cinderella’s Castle beyond …

Today the Spanish navy calls Cadiz home, but over its long existence, this ancient port city has offered safe harbor to numerous fleets. Perhaps the most exciting period of its history was the Age of Exploration when the city underwent a renaissance. Used for the staging of Christopher Columbus’ second and fourth voyages, the city would in turn become the homeport of the Spanish treasure fleet, and consequently an attractive target to Spain’s enemies.

Over the sixteenth century Barbary corsairs would launch a series of failed raids, while the true threat …

The first weekend of May is again upon us, which not only means the patios will start to open across the city with many Torontonians braving even cool weather for a chance for some sun and their favorite drink, but also that people will once again be taking to the streets this weekend to remember urban thinker, writer, and activist Jane Jacobs, and hopefully learn something new about their city.
Champion of residents and pedestrians, Jacobs moved to Toronto in the late 60’s and so it only seemed natural that something …

While the majority of our time was spent in the Magic Kingdom, we did manage to swing by Epcot on our last day there, and were treated to this year’s International Flower & Garden Festival.
Presented by HGTV, the festival boasts a dazzling array of Disney characters brought to life as floral and garden arrangements. And is certainly worth a look, as they’ve done an amazing job realizing so many of our favorite characters new and old.

Bambi and friends can be found in the butterfly enclosure over by the Future World …

We just got back from another trip to Florida for a visit to Disney World and my parents near Sarasota.  We were celebrating my birthday – and we’ll have a post on what it’s like to celebrate at Walt Disney World shortly – but first, here’s five quick tips from our three days at what hard-core Disney fans call ‘the World’.
1. Prioritize – and don’t get ambitious.
When we started planning the trip, I wanted to do way too much.  Since I hadn’t been to the parks in years, I wanted …