Category: History

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Boxing Day: Pugilistic or Humanistic?

urlI found out recently every Premier League soccer team will be playing on Boxing Day in England.

It happens to be the day after Christmas and apparently, this is a tradition in England. It seems every sport will play that day. So Sandy asks me, “Do you know what Boxing Day is and what the tradition is?” I naturally say, “Of course I do. It’s not hard to figure out. It’s the day when a big boxing match is held, huge wagers are made, and they all eat chips and dip (well, I suppose our type of chips). Just like our Super Bowl.”

Wrong

I start to research Boxing Day and find out that it is a secular holiday in England (and other countries but primarily the former British empire countries). Read More Boxing Day: Pugilistic or Humanistic?

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Knights Templar

Those of you new to this site, may not have been privy to this blog. Which seems to be a topic of interest.  We are bringing it back for your entertainment and enjoyment. As you travel during the holidays, these might come in handy during those delays and waits in the airport and more. Happy Holidays.

As many of you may know, I’m doing research for two books on Paris during times where people got their heads chopped off and were burned at the stake (among other agonizing events). So how could I NOT talk about more dead people?

P_003 by Stew Ross Travel
Jacques de Molay met his fiery end right here.

We were on our way to the second district on our (translated: mine) prescheduled itinerary for the day when I abruptly got everyone off the Metro. We were so close to the Pont Neuf that I couldn’t resist. Sandy and I had never been down to the lower level of the point of the island (the extreme western side of the Île de la Cité). One of the attractions of going to the lower point is to see the real level of the island when the Romans began their colony.

Read More Knights Templar