Robben Island Prison: A peep into Mandela’s cell; Vanguard News

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And one of the inmates who made the prison to attract global attention was prisoner 466/64, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Mandela, referred to as Madiba or Tata (Father of the nation), who was later to become President of South Africa, spent 18 of his 27- year jail term in Robben Island prison. He never gave up. The bold inscription on the walls of the docking area, THE HUMAN SPIRIT CANNOT BE MENACLED, or another, THE TRIUMPH OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT, are testaments to the struggle and the never-say-die mentality of Mandela and his other freedom fighters during the anti-apartheid struggle.

Source: Robben Island Prison: A peep into Mandela’s cell – Vanguard News

Weekend Escape From Budapest To Naples; XpatLoop.com

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Photo: Xpatloop

First named Neapolis, meaning ‘new city’, the Naples of today is a vibrant and exciting place to visit with plenty of things to see. Italy’s third most populated municipality has one of the largest historical city centres on the globe, with 448 monumental churches – the highest number in the world for a single city.

Source: Weekend Escape From Budapest To Naples – XpatLoop.com

Adventures In France: Laser Light Magic In The Home Of Ancient Popes; John Giuffo; Forbes

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Photo credit: John Giuffo

As it turns out, the courtyard of an ancient palace that resides within the walls of an even older city is the perfect setting for a historical 3D laser light show with booming sound effects. Who knew? That’s definitely true of Les Luminessences, a stunning light and sound show that fills the central courtyard of the Popes’ Palace in Avignon, the southern hub of French art and culture.

Source: Adventures In France: Laser Light Magic In The Home Of Ancient Popes

Discovering Africa: The Ancient Ruins Of Tipaza; Venicia Guinot; Ventures Africa

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Algeria – Tipasa

Located 70 km from Algiers – capital of Algeria – is the coastal town of Tipaza.  With vestiges of the ancient Punic and Roman civilization, the city has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Tipaza was an ancient Punic trading-post founded in the 5th century BC. The city’s name, which means “place of passage “or” stop, was also inspired by early Phoenicians.  But after being conquered by Ancient Rome, it was turned into a military colony by the emperor Claudius for the conquest of the kingdoms of Mauretania.

The modern Tipaza is the capital of the Tipaza Province in Algeria.  It was founded in 1857. This Berber-speaking coastal town is now famous for its sandy beaches and ancient Roman relics.

The archaeological site of Tipaza contains various relics: the remains of a Basilica, cemetery, baths and an Amphitheatre.

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A cheap vacation in the Riviera? Try Albania; Davia A Andelman; USA Today

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Albania – Butrint

SARANDA, Albania — Nestled in the remote eastern corner of the Adriatic, where it joins the Ionian Sea, is a 125-mile stretch of beachfront real estate unlike most others in the world. This little-known edge of Europe is called the Albanian Riviera. It differs sharply from its counterparts, the French and Italian Rivieras, by its cost — a week there could give you barely a few hours in its snazzier, snootier namesakes.

Certainly there are other vacation beach fronts along the brilliant blue waters of the Adriatic: the increasingly popular Dalmatian Coast of Croatia, for example. But few visitors uncover the beauty and simplicity of Albania, which at one time was Europe’s most thuggish communist gulag but is now America’s most slavishly devoted ally on the continent.

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