Tag Archives: mont-saint-michel

From James Bond to ‘Game of Thrones,’ the impossible and incredible monasteries of Meteora

The karst rises from the flatland as if escaping the underworld, violently forced up by something down there. The truth is the opposite. The stark, imposing rocks are what’s left after millions of years of weathering take its toll on the surrounding land. Towers of stone form the base, literally and figuratively, for the magic …

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The Tower of London: Take a look inside

The Tower of London. Even the name sounds cool. Founded in 1066, the castle has at times been a royal residence, a prison, a mint, an armory and more. Its imposing stone facades still watch over the River Thames, even though her days as a defensive fortress are long gone. The setting and inspiration for countless scenes, shows and movies, …

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Behold the haunting decay of Gunkanjima, Japan’s ‘Battleship Island’

Battleship Island. It’s a fantastic name for an unbelievable place. A place unlike any in the world. A tiny island, once home to 5,259 people with the highest population density in history, abruptly abandoned and left to the elements for decades. The result is haunting and fascinating. If you’ve played any of the recent installments in of the post-apocalyptic Fallout …

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The Crow and the Heron: An inside look at the legendary Himeji and Matsumoto castles of Japan

Japanese castles are familiar to movie lovers, gamers, and anyone interested in world history. Their iconic designs and impressive appearance are a stark contrast to the castles of Europe. Matsumoto castle is one of the oldest, a largely original example that dates back to the 1500s. Its mostly-black exterior earned it the nickname the “Crow” Castle. Himeji is the largest, …

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