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The Baptistry of Saint John in Florence: Beauty Tempered with Deprivation
There’s a lot more to this place than just what’s above your head.
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The Colosseum: Lessons No One Ever Taught Us
I was shocked at the level of misinformation I had picked up over the years about this iconic building.
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The Steamboat Arabia
Lost for 132 years, the re-discovery of this steamboat is an epic treasure-hunting story.
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The Gaches Mansion
I love Victorian houses, with their elegant porches, dormers, scrollwork, and spindles. I particularly love the Queen Anne style, because towers and turrets make my imagination run wild. I can see myself living in one of these magical manses, wearing high-collared, full-length dresses. I just can’t picture me paying the heating bill. One of my…
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Greetings from a Former Brothel
During my recent visit to Port Townsend, Washington, I explored a gorgeously restored Victorian edifice called the Palace Hotel. This brick building was built in 1889, and has housed many things throughout its history, including a billiard room, a saloon, a newspaper, a theater, a grocery store and several restaurants. But, most famously, for 8…