Jacob Harris

Ruins of a historical monastery in Central Ireland that thrived for a while safe from the predations of coastal Vikings until the wily Norwegians figured out how to float longboats into the interior. Today, it’s still a site of serene beauty and spectacular ruins.

Not that exciting in itself I suppose, but it does have a sweet hot tub place that’s just the spot after you’ve been hiking in the woods a few days.

If you were to ask a British colonist in 1700 what the most prominent city in the colonies would be in 300 years they most likely would pick either Boston or Philadelphia (both religious havens and economic centers). Few would think of New York, then just a property of the British empire since 1674 and a small city that had been a struggling Dutch colony. So, how did the city’s fortunes rise so rapidly that it had become the biggest city in the United States by 1835 and has had an national and international prominence? Commerce.

New York was not necessarily a better shipping port that Boston in the beginning, but New York accrued advantages that led to further advantages over the years. The opening of the Erie Canal allowed New York to become a primary shipping point for goods from the interior to Europe. This in turn led to the development of a vibrant ship-building industry and more commerce through the city. Which then led to regular scheduled clipper ships to London and eventually the first Trans-Atlantic cable. Which meant that information from Europe came first to New York, so there was a natural advantage to locating banks and financial firms here. This also led to the growth of communication and innovation in the city, technology and trade. But it all started with shipping. Before the glass towers of commerce there now, lower New York was bristling with the masts of ships.

But, I’m losing my main point here is that the South Street Seaport is the best place to learn about this fascinating history. In addition to galleries of artifacts and history, the museum also has several docked boats that can be visited. In addition, there is a working letterpress print shop where you can learn about some of the supporting industries to the shipping trade.

But my favorite part is the Pioneer. A working schooner from 1885, she goes on 2-hour sails in New York harbor during the day and even sunset or night. Tickets are available at the seaport and include admission to the museum and other ships. It’s a great perspective on the city and a lovely experience on a summer day.

If you are in Florence and want a nice day trip from the city core take the bus north into the mountains to Fiesole where you can see some examples of all three at the outdoor site and attached museum.

The first Jewish ghetto was located in Venice and mandated by the Doge on the site of an old foundry (or geto in Italian). Ashkenazi inhabitants were required to live in this area and be locked up at night. Later Sephardic immigrants were allowed to live in a New Ghetto south of the old ghetto and with less restrictions (due to their prosperity and access to wealthy trading routes in the Levant).

This site is worth visiting if you want to see an aspect of Jewish history in Europe, specifically the origins of a this particular form of anti-semitism and isolation (it was Napoleon who finally abolished the ghetto in Venice). And if you are interested in the community that remained strong until the Holocaust. The Jewish Museum there is worth a visit. In addition, inhabitats built ornate top-floor hidden synagogues that the museum offers regular tours of.

Murano is renowned as a center for blown glass so this place is worth a visit. Yes, you should avoid the chintzy shops and the pushy people looking to sell you “special tours” of the area, but if you avoid them you can see some interesting sites, enjoy the glass museum, and perhaps find some nicely crafted glassware.

It’s also a nice boat ride north of the main group of islands, as having a large concentration of furnaces was seen as a poor idea for the main group. In addition, highly skilled artisans were not allowed to leave the island so they would not be able to take their secrets elsewhere.

1. Glassware is delicate and light, not hulking aand heavy
2. Like other parts of Venice, Murano is an island with no cars

It was a pretty awesome place to get my college education. There is just an intense visceral intellectual energy to the place.

But a big enough cultural event it deserves mention…

I read about in Bergen goes something like this. A businessman from Oslo is visiting Bergen for a few days and he endures 5 constant days of clouds of rain. Finally, one day he snaps and asks a kid on the kid if the sun ever comes out in Bergen. The kid replies, “I don’t know, I’m only 5 years old.”

That said, it’s a nice gateway to some pretty Norwegian countryside.

Copenhagen is one of the most livable and wonderful cities I have ever visited.