Europe combines Old World charm and 21st century delights to present a fascinating destination for business and pleasure. Enjoy some of these short visits to get a taste of the Continent.
Iceland straddles the line that separates Europe from North America, literally. The two tectonic plates that make up those continents meet where Iceland was formed (and continues to be formed) by volcanic activity. Throughout Iceland, there are springs where steam and hot water bubble up from deep within the Earth. Iceland's Geysir was once a regularly erupting water spout, and it gave such phenomena their name, "geysers." Now, the nearby geyser Strokkur is the reliable one, sending water into the sky every 8 to 10 minutes. Enjoy.
A wonderful way to enjoy the relaxed pace of the highlands of Scotland is to travel by luxury barge. European Waterways offers a tour through the Caledonian Canal on the Scottish Highlander, which includes changing altitude (slightly) through a series of locks. The canal was opened in 1822 and is now protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. It runs from Inverness to Fort William... through Loch Dochfour, Loch Ness, Loch Oich, and Loch Lochy. Here's what going through a lock (from loch to loch) looks like, along with music played on board the barge one night by two local musicians who came to serenade us.
The Summer Exhibition of England's Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is the world’s oldest open-submission exhibition. For 247 years, the exhibition has served as a showcase for artists -- young and old, famous and obscure -- and a playful treat for the people of London. The RA uses the proceeds to support the tuition-free schools it runs.
In 2015, photographer Victor Dorff found the interaction of the art and the visitors creating its own exhibit, and he captured a minute of it in this slideshow of images. The music, "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky, was performed by the Skidmore College Orchestra and made available through Musopen.org.
