Spilling the Tea on History!

Imagine, dear reader, you are living in one of the largest kingdoms in Western Europe and your queen.... is mad as hatter! Meet: Johanna of Castile! Johanna was born into the world in 1479 as the daughter of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, (of Columbus fame), and the older sister of Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife. Just from that description alone you can tell there's going to be drama! Suffice it to say, Johanna didn't have your traditional upbringi

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Yes, Salzburg has hills and the beautiful Mirabell Gardens. It also has Leopoldskron Palace where you can spend the day retracing the footsteps of Maria and the von Trapp children while quietly wondering why your family refuses to sing in harmony with you. But Salzburg was serving up drama long before Hollywood arrived, and long before the von Trapp kids were even out of diapers! Julie Andrews Long before Julie Andrews arrived with a guitar, a young co

Castel Sant’Angelo Rome has no shortage of dramatic stories, but this one isn't just rumor and whispers in the confessionals. This one has high stakes with real life consequences! Back in the 846, things were getting a little heated in Rome. The Saracen raiders were threatening to attack and anyone who could, including Pope Leo IV, was getting the heck out of town. Fortunately for him, Pope Leo had had the foresight to have a "Get Out of Rome Free" tunnel-like system installe

Chateau d'Ambroise Forget the TV show Succession! The Valois family of France, did royal family dysfunction for centuries! Imagine you're Catherine de’ Medici, the Queen of France, circa 1548. You have a royal household to manage, ten children to marry off to make alliances, a husband who is the king, and a rather complicated family business to manage back in Italy. Your hands are clearly already full. Catherine de Medici Then one day your husband, Henry II of France, says to

Those of you familiar with the hit show Downton Abbey might know a little bit about our next topic. Those of you who haven’t watched the show, there’s still time to make better life choices and get caught up, I won’t hold it against you. Highclere Castle Set in the early twentieth century, the show highlights the lives and times of the fictional characters, Lord and Lady Grantham and their family. Their lavish life of luxury centers around their family estate, Downton Abbey,

What if I told you that salt, that simple ingredient found on nearly every dining table around the world, is responsible for the musical, The Sound of Music? You’d probably think I was nuts but hear me out. Salt (or NaCI if you want to get elemental), has played a pivotal role in Austria's history, shaping its economy, culture, and even contributing to the naming of its cities. Often referred to as "white gold," salt was a highly valued commodity. Before refrigeration, salt w

In July 1807, fresh off of signing the Treaty of Tilsit with Russia, French Emperor and European bad boy, Napoleon Bonaparte organized a celebratory rabbit hunt to commemorate the event. You know, as you do. His Chief of Staff, Alexandre Berthier, arranged the event, procuring a large number of rabbits—reports vary from hundreds to over 3,000. The jubilant event took an unexpected turn however, when the rabbits, instead of fleeing to start the hunt, charged at Napoleon and hi

William Wallace Movies have a profound impact on travel by inspiring audiences to explore the real-world locations featured on screen—a phenomenon known as "film tourism" or "set-jetting." Today, we will delve into one of my favorite movies for this genre: Braveheart! We’ll take a look at its effect on the people of Scotland, the impact it had on Scottish tourism and most importantly, its relationship with the truth. That’s a lot to unpack I know, so let’s get started! Like m