John Sweets is Professor Emeritus of History, specializing in the Vichy France era, the French Resistance, and occupied France. He has taught 19th and 20th century European history at the University of Kansas, University College, Dublin (Ireland), The School of International Studies (Fort Bragg, NC), and at the Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon (France).

John led a group of Smithsonian travelers this September on a journey of France Through the Ages.

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This morning, after finishing a nice breakfast at our hotel, we walk to the center of the old city at Sarlat, a beehive of activity, enticing aromas, and the bright colors of the Saturday market.  Since Sarlat offers a regional market for this part of the Perigord, scores of farmers display fruit, vegetables, wine, and local specialties such as foie gras, sausages, bread, baked goods, and cheese.  Artists, flea market vendors and producers of handmade goods also come to the city to sell their products, attracting hundreds of customers from the surrounding area.  Our travelers wander amongst the stalls, and many of them purchase the fixings for a nice picnic lunch to have at Rocamadour, the first destination for the day’s bus ride.

The Rocamadour Chapel settled within the rock face. Photos courtesy of John Sweets

In route to Rocamadour the sky suddenly brightens and the temperature rises to provide perfect conditions for our visit of the spectacular medieval pilgrimage sight hewn out of the side of a cliff high above the Alzou, a small tributary of the Dordogne that through the ages has carved out a steep canyon whose walls rise more than 400 feet above the river.  After a quick photo stop to allow the travelers an overview of the sight, the bus driver lets us out at the top of the canyon, from which we begin our descent, along a 19^th-century trail marking the fourteen stages of the cross for a visit of the Chapel of Notre Dame, built into the cliff at the sight of the discovery of Saint Amadour’s body in the 12^th century.  Francoise, our guide and tour leader, explains the significance of Rocamadour as an important pilgrimage sight and points out the wall paintings and the handle of the Sword of Roland which sticks out of the cliff above the entry to the Chapel.  Then we are left on our own to discover the famous Black Virgin of Rocamadour and the beautiful stained glass windows of the Chapel.  Some of the travelers who did not bring a picnic lunch from Sarlat enjoy a delicious omelet filled with morel mushrooms, served with French fries, a large green salad, and slices of bread from possibly the world’s largest loaf of bread (see photo).

Beautiful stained glass at Chapel Rocamadour. Photo courtesy of John Sweets

An impressively large loaf of bread found around lunch time in the Rocamadour village. Photo courtesy of John Sweets

Driving back toward the Dordogne valley, we seek out the Dordogne River whose meanderings we follow to one of France’s most beautiful villages, La Rocque Gageac. This village was once home to cliff dwellers who built their homes high above the Dordogne, remains of which can still be seen.  We have a wonderful view of the village that follows the curve of the Dordogne from the shallow-draft gabarre, the traditional boat of the region, which takes us on a lovely and restful river cruise, round-trip from La Rocque Gageac to the Chateau de Castelnaud. Returning to Sarlat by bus, we have time for another photo stop below the Chateau de Beynac, once ruled over by Eleanor of Aquitaine and her beloved son, Richard the Lionhearted.

Former cliff dwellings of troglodytes embedded in the cliffs in Dordogne. Photo courtesy of John Sweets

A beautiful view of the Dordogne River Valley.  Photo courtesy of John Sweets

Chateau de Beynac was owned by Eleanor of Aquitaine and her favorite son, Richard the Lionhearted.  Photo courtesy of John Sweets

It has been a full day already, and we return to Sarlat just in time for dinner at Le Regent, an excellent restaurant situated on the central square in front of the Hotel de Ville, where we sample foie gras and confit de canard, served with pommes a la sarladaise, the local potato specialty.  Entering the restaurant, the travelers had been astonished by the large crowd gathering in the central square.  However, they soon discover that this is one of the dates designated for celebration of the French patrimony- a day when many towns open historical landmarks, otherwise not open to the public.  The town was beautifully decorated for the evening with candles everywhere, colorful light shows illuminating the walls, story-tellers and actors performed on stage in front of the Hotel de Ville and along narrow streets, women dressed in Renaissance clothing, leaned out their windows to shout insults to one another.  The evening was concluded with a harp concert at the local Church.  With this wonderful, and completely unanticipated surprise, the travelers made their way back to the Hotel for sleep before an early morning start to their next day’s destination in the Loire Valley.

The celebration of French Patrimony forms in a busy market place. Photo courtesy of John Sweets

The Cathedral of St. Sacerdos in Sarlat from behind.  Photo courtesy of John Sweets

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Read more about upcoming departures of our France Through the Ages tour here.

Rita Sodha, a lecturer in the Department of Art History at the University of Baroda’s Faculty of Fine Arts, is an expert on Indian painting and contemporary art, holding degrees in both art history and fine arts.

Rita recently led a group of Smithsonian travelers in Northern India.

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Midway through our Mystical India journey, after our exciting stay at the tiger reserve in Ranthambhor, we set our sights on our next destination, the Dera Lake View Retreat in Kalakho. We were all looking forward to it, and the drive was picturesque, as we travelled through small hamlets and large stretches of green wheat fields.

We passed men, women, and children doing their morning chores, brushing their teeth with the neem tree twig, giving fodder to the cattle, and preparing breakfast in the open courtyard on little stoves made of clay and cow dung.  Older men and women were seen with their hookahs, as their daughters-in-law prepared breakfast. They all seemed busy but were excited to see our coach pass by, and they waved happily at us. Their laughter and energy were delightful.

We drove past a morning vegetable bazaar bustling with activity, and saw people driving their locally made vehicles, called jugads.  We also drove past a medieval fortress, perched on a hilltop, appearing formidable and recalling the bygone age of heroic stories, tragic deaths, poignant sacrifices, unheard valor, and romantic poetry.

Later on, we drove past a bigger village, where our enterprising tour director, Karni Singh, spotted a village movie theater.  In no time, we were all out of the coach and Karni was negotiating with the theater manager to screen a Bollywood song for our group. We all went about peeping into the projecting room and the private viewing boxes, and then we enjoyed an impromptu Bollywood song!

At around lunchtime, we reached our breathtaking retreat, Kalakho. Situated in the middle of farm lands and close to a monsoon lake, it is surrounded by mountains on all sides. We disembarked from our coach and were escorted in several jeeps to the beautifully set retreat. After a traditional welcome with marigold garlands and the tika (the red mark of vermillion applied on the forehead), we freshened up in our cozy cottages and went for lunch.

After a superb lunch, we enjoyed a henna session. Henna is traditionally used to decorate the palms and feet of Indian women during weddings or festivals.  Then it was time for a very special visit, to a nearby hamlet, on camelback. The camels and camel carts were assembled, and we proceeded to the hamlet through narrow tracks amidst the fields.

The hamlet comprised about ten to twelve houses, with courtyards and a row of adjoining rooms. The children had just returned from school and many of them were still in their uniforms. The families gave us a tour of their beautiful and fascinating village. We saw their homes, their outdoor kitchens, their grinding stones, and hearths, and enjoyed festive dancing and chatting.

After all the merry making, it was time to return to our retreat, where a local troupe had been invited to perform for us.  Our visit to the village offered us a warmth and familiarity that remained with us long after we departed.

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You can read more about our Mystical India tour here.

Dr. James Kus recently retired after forty one years at California State University, Fresno, where he taught courses on South American geography and archaeology.  He first travelled to Peru in 1966; since then he has lived in that country for more than eight years, taught at Peru’s leading university, and carried out archaeological research on ancient agriculture in the northern coastal region.  Jim has led more than twenty tours to Peru and has published widely on Andean archaeology and geography, in both popular media and professional journals.  He is particularly excited to introduce Smithsonian travelers to Andean culture and food; he notes that Peruvian cuisine has recently become very popular worldwide.

This October Dr. James Kus led a group of Smithsonian travelers to Legendary Peru.

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When our group met together for the first time at our Lima hotel, along with discussing various logistical matters, we focused on introductions and expectations.  Not surprisingly, when asked why they had come to Peru, almost all of our participants mentioned Machu Picchu – in fact, many said that it was on their longtime “bucket list” and, for several, it was the only Peruvian site that they knew much about.  At the end of the trip, when we met for one last Pisco sour at the Lima airport, the participants were asked what their favorite spot was among the many interesting places that we had visited.  Not surprisingly, Machu Picchu was mentioned by several people, but many travelers cited other special experiences as well.

Traditional markets showed a side of Peru that has gone overlooked by many tourists. Photo courtesy of trip leader Dr. James Kus

For example, we visited the town of Ollantaytambo, which has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site for its traditional architecture and nearby Inca ruins.  My god-daughter’s family lives in this town and we were able to spend almost an hour with her family, who live in a house that dates back to pre-Hispanic times.  It is constructed of stone with a thatched roof and has guinea pigs (raised for food) scampering around the floor.  We met several members of the family and saw many of the tools used by local agriculturalists as well as the other artifacts of their daily lives.  This glimpse into a more traditional way of life was cited as a trip highlight by several of our travelers.

Smithsonian Journeys Legendary Peru travelers explore a traditional market place in Peru. Photo courtesy of Dr. James Kus

Another highlight mentioned was travelling from Puno by boat to the see the floating reed islands on Lake Titicaca.  After visiting one island, we were able to stop at a second island, Tupiri, where a young Uro woman, Amalia Suana, has set up a preschool for Uro children ages three to five.  These children sang to our group in their native language, Aymara, as well as in Spanish and English.  We toured the school and saw the fantastic job that Amalia is doing with these children (incidentally, she has received a national award last year for her work at her school).

Children line up for a song at a preschool on Tupiri, an island in Lake Titicaca.  Photo courtesy of Dr. James Kus

Uro preschoolers performed for Smithsonian Journeys travelers, but also provided an insight into local living on an island in Peru’s Lake Titicaca. Photo courtesy of Dr. James Kus

Finally, before leaving Puno, we visited the local fruit and vegetable market.  Although we had previously stopped at several markets that were primarily aimed at tourists (with lots of native handicrafts for sale), this time we were seeing where the local people shop on a daily basis.  The assortment of fruits, vegetables, fish, and meat (plus staples such as toilet paper, soap, rope, etc.) was impressive.

Travelers explore a fruit and vegetable market while traveling around Peru. Photo courtesy of Dr. James Kus

It has been my experience on previous trips that it is often the unexpected serendipitous moment that sticks in the minds of tour participants, and these three places certainly were highlights for everyone on this Smithsonian journey.

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For more pictures from Dr. James Kus, visit our Smithsonian Journeys Facebook page and learn more about our Legendary Peru tour here.

Hugh Agnew is a Professor of History and International Affairs at George Washington University. He has taught courses and published books and numerous articles about the Habsburg Empire, the Czech national identity, and Czech heritage and history.

This fall Hugh led a group of Smithsonian Journeys travelers on a tour of Old World Europe.

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A classic traveler’s dilemma: here you are in a lovely, historic, culture-filled place and you have only a limited amount of time to devote to activities.  Do you try to devour as many galleries, museums, and historic buildings as you possibly can, or do you take a little time to step off the treadmill and relax, perhaps in some way capturing an echo of how the locals relax when they are off the treadmill themselves?  Of course, in any major tourist center there are practically no places “untouched by tourism” because tourism is an essential part of the economies of such places.  Yet even now it is possible to experience moments where the impact of tourism is lightly-felt, if at all noticed.  That’s one of the things I like about Vienna.

Vienna is a major tourism hub, and it is also a very international city with institutions such as OPEC, the United Nations, and the European Union (among others) housing many offices and headquarters here. But it is also home to thousands of Austrians, and in their own ways they continue to live as Austrians and relax as Austrians.

The green lungs of the city, the famous Vienna Woods (Wienerwald), are one place where everyday Austrians like to go to relax. And thanks to Vienna’s world-class transportation system, park-goers simply hop on one of the several tram lines that run from the center of the city, ride it to the edge of town, and begin walking.

And once you’ve started walking, typically it isn’t long before you find yourself among vineyards – and if among vineyards, then how much farther is it to one of the informal Austrian wine garden restaurants?  In the villages that used to be outside the city, and which are now being swallowed up as its extended suburbs, the local winegrowers have had the right, since Emperor Joseph II confirmed it in 1784, to offer this year’s vintage for sale in their own establishments.  In the southern German dialects, of which Austrian German is a standardized version, the term heuer means “this year’s” – and so these institutions have come to be called “Heurige.” When the year’s vintage is ready to be released, the vintner typically hangs a bunch of pine twigs over the entrance to the courtyard or house to let everyone know that he is open (“hat ausg’steckt,” as the Viennese would say).

The Viennese microclimate seems to me (not an expert) to be kinder to white wine varieties. Rieslings and Austrian varietals, such as Grüner Veltliner and Müller Thurgauare, are becoming better known abroad.  Reds are typically the central European varieties such as Blaufränkisch (also known as Lemberger), St. Laurent, or a successful cross between the two: Zweigelt.

Austrians share the famous Heuriger locations with tourists by the busload, especially in centers like Grinzing, perhaps the best known of the winemaking former villages, or Beethoven’s summer retreat in Heiligenstadt.  Slightly further away, and therefore less crowded but still easily accessible from the city center, is Nussdorf. This is where I, and a few other travelers, went on this journey. Even though it was not the best weather for sitting in a Heuriger garden, we still enjoyed this year’s Gemischter Satz “gespritzt” with carbonated water.  Typically the new wines are also accompanied by a buffet of light dishes, with some institutions offering hot meals (including gluten free and vegan!).  We stayed with the classic snacks: a few spreads (Aufstriche) including the famous Liptauer cheese, a salad of salsify in a creamy sauce (Schwartzwurzel Salat), Austrian-style potato salad, and a wonderfully sour Viennese rye bread.  We ended the afternoon fortified for the evening’s cultural activities and in an overall mood that could only be described as “gemütlich.”

Classic Viennese Snacks- Smithsonian Journeys. Photo courtesy of Hugh Agnew

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Read more about our small group journey to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic here.

Ingrid Larsen is an art historian and specialist in Chinese arts and antiquities. Her current research is focused on the formation of Chinese art collections in American museums and private collections during the 19th and 20th centuries. Ingrid has been traveling to China for three decades and has spent five years living in Beijing––most recently in 2009–2010.

This Fall Ingrid led a group of Smithsonian travelers on a trip to Imperial China and the Yangtze.

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The Chinese like to call Xian’s famous terracotta army the “Eighth Wonder of the World.”  The terracotta warriors created over two thousand years ago by the First Emperor of China hold many wonders.  Each time I visit Xian, I’m reminded about how unprecedented the Qin emperor’s army is in the history of Chinese tomb sculpture.  It baffles me that there are no life-sized naturalistic human figures in Chinese tomb art before the First Emperor and no life-sized soldiers in the archaeological record following his reign.

Terracotta horses and chariot shown here add to an estimated 130 chariots with 520 horses, plus 150 additional cavalry horses. Photo courtesy of Julian Mason.

Who was this extraordinary emperor?  The basic facts of his biography are well known.  The First Emperor, or Qin Shihuang, was not only a brilliant military tactician who overwhelmed six rival kingdoms and unified China under a centralized authoritarian bureaucracy, he built a network of roads and canals strengthening communications throughout the empire; he standardized the coins, weights and measures, the writing system, and the legal code; he also engineered grand scale architectural projects, built gigantic palaces in his new capital and extended the Great Wall. And — as if that wasn’t enough — shortly after taking the throne, he commenced work on a grand underground palace replete with the luxuries he enjoyed at court and an army of roughly 8,000 life-sized terracotta soldiers, 670 horses, and 130 chariots to protect him in the afterlife.

Each Terracotta Soldier has their own individual features and details, making each of the 8,000 soldiers seemingly unique. Photo courtesy of Julian Mason.

The scale of these projects is unfathomable — as is the beauty and quality of his terracotta army.  Each soldier is the work of a master craftsman who fashioned individual features, postures, and uniform details to indicate age, attitude, and ethnicity, as well as the rank of high officials, generals, cavalrymen, and infantry.  Each face has a slightly different shape. Some with high cheek bones and a square jaw; others with broad foreheads and a flat nose.  Each figure conveys a unique personality.  Some appear stern and stoic while others seem humble and sympathetic.  Despite concentrated efforts and many return visits, I have never found two alike.  To my eye, the diversity in facial features and physical attributes imbue the clay figures with humanity. Some scholars speculate that each sculpture was indeed modeled after a living soldier in Qin Shihuang’s vast army. If true, the terracotta warriors are as much a tribute to those 8,000 men as they are to their supreme ruler.  Still, there is no tradition of life-sized naturalistic sculpture in China before the Qin emperor.  Where did the idea come from and why didn’t subsequent Chinese emperors follow Qin Shihuang’s lead? It truly is a wonder.

Terracotta sculptures depicting the soldiers of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor to rule over a unified China. Photo courtesy of Julian Mason.

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Learn more about our Imperial China and the Yangtze tour here.