The colossal cost of ancient Rome
If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called “If You Only Read 6 Things This Week”. A handpicked selection...
Why you should never give up on love
When they were children living on opposite sides of the world, Christine “Tin” Miguel and Matt Mandino had something in common: they were afraid...
The five types of Latin kisses
The enchanting Mexican city of Guanajuato feels lost in time. Narrow cobblestone streets and staircases wind around Colonial era buildings, while estudiantinas – roaming...
An eerie sight on the ocean floor
Off the coast of West Africa, the Spanish island of Lanzarote sparkles in the bright midday sun, with azure Atlantic Ocean waves crashing against...
Where head banging meets tradition
Tradition and heavy metal mosh together in a new kind of African expression
One country’s endless war against water
My mom and I caught our first glimpses of the Netherlands while driving to Rotterdam from the airport. Some sights were exactly as we’d...
The right way to eat sausage in Prague
I had just hopped off the metro and was standing at the bottom of Prague’s Wenceslas Square, the late morning sun glistening off the...
The world’s next independent countries?
At various moments in time, cultural, language and political differences have led residents of a destination to seek independence from their ruling governments. Most...
Scenery once owned by James Cameron
When most visitors set out to explore movie and TV history around Los Angeles, they head for traffic-clogged Sunset Boulevard, the crowded...
A new railway rivals a glamorous past
Gilded Age industrialist Henry Flagler knew a thing or two about tourism; he’s a big reason why St Augustine, West Palm Beach and Miami...
The Emirates’ elusive tastes
“The phrase ‘local food’ takes on its very own meaning in Dubai,” said Debra Greenwood, director of the annual Dubai Food Festival. “As a...
A city that hides an underground world
Nottingham is a city with a secret: below its shops, restaurants, houses, malls and pubs lies a hidden world of caves and tunnels. Best known...
The 1,000-year-old Samurai bridge
Could you cross without clutching the sides – or falling through the cracks?
Italy’s mysterious hallucinogenic drink
During the day, the two iron portcullises at number 10 Via Fratelli Calandra are tightly closed. There are no signs, and the graffiti that...
The sausage loved by presidents
A friend in Washington DC recently told me that the one dish most associated with the US capital was something called a...
A luminous lake of unusual talents
I was in a sky blue motorboat traversing Myanmar’s peaceful Inle Lake – the second largest in the country. Surrounded by mountains and clusters...