Aswan was our final destination on our Nile River cruise; it borders Sudan and its civil war was just beginning when we got there. It contains significant archaeological sites like the Philae temple complex, on Agilkia Island near the landmark Aswan Dam. Philae’s ruins include the columned Temple of Isis, dating to the 4th century B.C. Downriver, Elephantine Island holds the Temple of Khnum, from the Third Dynasty. Our takeaway from our brief visit to Aswan is that it is a co

The Valley of the Kings, located just outside the modern city of Luxor in Egypt, is a remarkable archaeological complex that serves as a significant tribute to the Pharaohs and their Queens of ancient Egypt. I really did not know what to expect when we toured the Valley of the Kings. I did not expect vast tunnels which are intricately decorated with elaborate hieroglyphs and stunning frescoes. These artistic representations not only highlight the grandeur of the Pharaohs but

We visited Egypt with a group of 16 friends to celebrate a milestone birthday. Our itinerary first started in Cairo and Giza, we then flew down to Luxor, took a boat down the Nile and ended in Aswan. It was an epic adventure. On our first full day in Cairo, we visited the Old Egyptian Museum , a historical landmark that has captivated visitors for generations. Although the Old Egyptian Museum is in the process of being replaced by the Grand Egyptian Museum, which promises to

We went to the Museum of Fine Arts to view their old masters and enjoy a beautiful Capra photography exhibit. I think we were spoiled by the extensive collections in Munich and Vienna, but this was still an enjoyable museum to visit. And let's not forget the old masters.

We took a brief morning bus tour of Vienna to reach the city from where the ship was docked, but decided to skip the scheduled tours as we had had our fill of detailed histories. Instead, we wanted to visit a couple of museums. Vienna boasts over 140 museums, and we chose to visit the Belvedere Museum, which houses many of Gustav Klimt’s paintings , and the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, known for its old masters and various artifacts. Both museums were impressive. The Belv

Munich boasts numerous museums, and for us, traveling is all about art and architecture. I always relish the opportunity to see both old and new masters, especially pieces we haven't encountered before. Fortunately, Munich managed to protect its art during the war. We visited the Alte Pinakothek , which houses a vast and significant collection of old masters and contemporary art. Highlights included works by Rembrandt, van Gogh, da Vinci, Raphael, Botticelli, Lippi, El Greco,

Berlin is loaded with art from old masters to modern. Even the Berlin Wall is a work of art as after it was taken down, artists and just plain folk were given the opportunity to paint on a section of the wall and it became known as the East Side Gallery. The Old Master Museum is known as the Germaldeggalerie. We got our fill of old masters and what we loved about this museum, was that there were very few visitors, so it was a joy to hang with Botticelli's, Vermeer’s, Rembrand

Another day trip to consider is to the Meissen Factory to see how their porcelain is created and decorated. I now understand why they charge what they charge, because it is labor intensive, and all done by hand. Remarkably, we came away from the museum store with nothing but pictures and no tzotchkes. From there we went to Maritzburg, an old hunting palace built by none other than August II. It is known for its many mounted stag heads (no comment), a bed that was decorated by

If you desire to get out of town and see the country, this is a nice day trip. We took the train to an area they refer to as Not Switzerland Saxony where they have rock formations out of sandstone which reminded me of Sedona but surrounded by verdant forests instead of desert. When we got back into town, we visited their main concert hall, the Palace of Culture , which was built under the communists and was surprisingly beautiful in a mid-century modern way. The murals inside

The artwork from the Old Masters Gallery was relocated to safety during the war and returned afterward. The collection is extensive, but their centerpiece is Raphael’s famous Sistine Madonna, known for the little angels at the bottom that we've all seen countless times on holiday cards. Below are just a few of the many paintings we viewed including works by Rafael, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Correggio, and Tizian. SISTINE MADONNA BY RAFAEL We also visited the Albertinum which houses