Ruling from 1485 to 1603, the Tudordynasty included some of England’s most fascinating monarchs. Like celebrities of today, they were equally lauded and demonized, their lives played out on the Shakespearean stage. Five centuries later, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, and Mary, Queen of Scots still captivate the imagination. Thanks to the Smithsonian Channel, take a virtual voyage over some of England’s most important Tudor landmarks.

One of our most popular new tours is A Tudor Tapestry, where we explore royal residences and strongholds, from countryside to harbor, with noted authors and historians. Next April’s departure is filling quickly, so click to find out more.

What’s your favorite historical period? Please share.

Guest Blogger William J. Higgins, FAIA is an architect with 37 years of worldwide experience, has practiced in 10 different countries, and has traveled through more than 20 countries across Europe, Asia and North America.  He is contributor to two recent books: International Practice for Architects and Founder’s Folly.  He has a Masters of Architecture degree from Harvard University, a Bachelor’s Degree from Louisiana State University, and has taught at Stanford University.  He is a founding Principal of Architecture International, Ltd. and was a Principal of The Architects Collaborative, Inc. Here, he shares a tale of travel planning with family.

Travel's always more fun with friends and family. (Cafe, Florence).

It was Christmas, and we were gathered at a family dinner.  My wife and I were regaling our parents with tales of our personal travels to Europe.  I paused, looked at my wife across the table, and then blurted out, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all of us went to Europe together?”  One would have thought that I was Santa Claus flying down the chimney loaded with gifts, for the resounding “Yes! What a wonderful idea!” that instantly sprang forth from my mother, mother-in-law, and father-in-law. Their happiness filled the dining room.  Even my wife, Norma, beamed with approval.  

I consider myself to be an educated, informed and, yes, mature individual. I generally have my wits about me and usually make wise choices when it comes to life decisions such as what color socks to wear, what channel to watch, or what to eat for dinner.  So why did a sensible person like me, married to an intelligent and insightful woman, think it would be a great idea to travel to Europe with our parents?   The Italians have a word for it: pazzo, or crazy.  The French would say fou.  Yes, crazy.

Both of us are of European descent.  Norma is Italian and Hungarian, and I am a blend of Italian, French, Irish, and English.  So the thought of journeying to Europe with our parents to explore the roots of our heritage seemed like an exciting way to bond with our family and enjoy some time together.  We are fortunate in that we get along with our in-laws, and that our three “old ones” enjoy each other’s company.  We all share common interests, one of which we now discovered, is travel.

As we continued with Christmas dinner, pouring more holiday wine, the questions came in rapid succession and with excited voices: when to go? where to go? how do we get passports? what about medicines? Travel insurance?  The question of when to go would not be as much a challenge as where to go.  Now that I had opened the proverbial can of  traveling worms, the suggested places to visit stretched across the entire European continent from the Danube  to the English Channel. My English Literature professor mother-in-law, Alice, was inclined to try Shakespeare’s England, or perhaps Shelley’s Rome or even Lord Byron’s Venice.  My High School principal mother, Gwen, thought it would be grand to see the Louvre in Paris, or the Uffizi of Florence, but “England would be nice, too”.  My recently retired yet adventurous father-in-law, Rus, yearned to see the majesty of the Matterhorn or Michelangelo’s Florence or the WWII cemeteries of France.  More wine please.  

The Danube River, as it passes through Budapest.

I asked myself, how do we see 2,000 years of history and 2,000 miles of landscape in a fourteen day timeframe?  Oh yes, the senior members of our family decided our trip had to be at least two weeks.  What the heck, they had plenty of time on their hands, why waste an opportunity to delve into old world culture especially if I am offering to be the tour guide?

Norma retrieved the World Atlas from the study and we moved all the dishes to one end of the table, poured more wine, and swarmed over the maps of Europe, measuring distances between destinations with a nearby, uneaten string bean. After much bean positioning and stretching, we decided that the farthest we should travel in one direction was 1,000 miles or three string beans.   Thus was born the rule of the haricot vert.

Our inaugural grand tour would encompass a scenic loop by car through Switzerland, Italy, and France, a mere 2,000 miles, or six string beans.  This way we would please everyone and be so exhausted at the end that the thought of doing this a second time would completely vanish from our collective noodle heads.  All heads turned to me, and in unison, said “So, when do we go?”

I paused because I thought it would be cool to travel to new places, visit world renowned museums, cathedrals, and historic sites and see them through the eyes of our parents.  Can you imagine exploring the inner streets of old cities discussing the window patterns and architectural detail of a French neighborhood with your mother?  Or sampling the local cuisine at an outdoor cafe in Rome with your mother-in-law?  Or taking a gondola ride to the base of the Matterhorn with your father-in-law?  Well, neither did I, until I realized that the excitement that was already expressed in their eyes and the gaiety in their voices meant that this could be a very energizing experience for our parents, at a time in their lives when they were contemplating what their next chapter was going to be.  We were ready to help them write it in a foreign language.

Where do you want to go next? Please share.

Ready to take off yet? Click here to see how you can travel to Europe with Smithsonian Journeys.

Note to readers: Want to share your own travel story? Just e-mail it to smithsonian.journeys@gmail.com .

The stunning Cliffs of Moher  are the most visited site on Ireland’s rugged west coast, drawing more than one million visitors each year. More than 20 species of birds make the Cliffs their home, including Atlantic puffins, gulls, hawks, and ravens. One of the best ways to see the cliffs is from above, like in this video from the Smithsonian Channel.

If you’ve never visited this part of the world, you’ll want to go in the Spring. We still have space available on our May, 2011 departure of Exploring the British and Irish Isles. Click  for more information.

England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland are full of fascinating ancient sites. Which is your favorite? Please share.

Michelangelo's David, a Renaissance masterpiece, in Florence. Photo by Elaine Ruffolo

When any art fan thinks of Florence, there is always a connection to Michelangelo. No artist has put his mark on the city quite like he has. Yet, how much do we really know about him? Although his reputation has spanned centuries, he was human like the rest of us – with ups and downs in his own life. Here are a few things about this iconic artist that you might not know.

1. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was born March 6, 1475.

2. The family business was small-scale banking, a trade that had been passed down for generations. But his father struggled to keep the business successful, and took government positions to supplement the family income. Because of this break in tradition, Michelangelo was free to explore other career opportunities.

3. At the age of 17, Michelangelo worked as Bertoldo di Giovanni’s apprentice, as did fellow contemporary Pietro Torrigiano. It was Pietro who punched Michelangelo, resulting in a broken nose that is clearly reflective of every portrait of Michelangelo.

4. When Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the original idea was to paint the 12 Apostles against a starry sky. But the artist insisted on a more complex theme, and when it was finally completed it included 300 figures highlighting stories from the Book of Genesis.

5. Although many of Michelangelo’s most notable works were created earlier in his life - Pietà, for example, was carved when he was 24 years old-  he lived a surprisingly long life and passed away at the age of 88.  

Who is your favorite Renaissance artist – Michelangelo, Raphael, or Da Vinci?

Explore the Italian Renaissance with new eyes and perspectives when you travel to Florence with Smithsonian.