Features

by John Scheleur, Arnold, MD

To mark my 60th birthday with something more than just an attempt to blow out 60 candles, my wife and I set out in September ’04 to walk across northern England, following the 84-mile path of Hadrian’s Wall. ‘Why in the world would a man want to travel over 3,000 miles to do this?’ you are asking. Well, he must have a love of history, a love of England and a love of the outdoors — and, according to my wife, be slightly deranged! It turned out to be a fantastic 6-day trip.

A bit of history

First, a brief history lesson. Nearly 2,000 years...

by Mary Beltran, Associate Editor

As our introduction to China, my husband, Cesar, and I toured the highlights of its imperial past and took a short cruise on the Yangtze. In April ’05 we participated in the 10-day “Imperial Jewels of China” cruise-tour, starting in Beijing, as a guest of Viking River Cruises (Woodland Hills, CA; phone 877/668-4546).

Since we wanted to explore our own interests in Beijing as well, we contacted Mrs. Ping Lee of ChinaPlus, Inc. (Las Colinas, TX; phone 888/868-8811 or 972/887-9088 or visit www.chinaplustour.com) to set up a pre-cruise visit....

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne lies three miles from the mainland of Northumberland, England, not far from the Scottish border. It’s not only a picturesque site but a religious and historical place well worth a visit if one is traveling in northern England.

A little history Since the island is connected to the mainland by a causeway at low tide, visitors must check the tide timetables located at the entrance to the causeway so as not to be stranded on the island for a much longer time than planned.

Centuries ago, pilgrims waded through the water and sand at low tide following...