Eyeflare - Travel Articles and Tips

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 02:00 AM PDT

You know those mummies you see in old horror movies or at museums around the world? Imagine life without them? Okay, that's probably pretty easy to do. But here's something you probably can't imagine life without - paper, embalming, an organized trading system, calendars, perhaps even graphic representations of words (i.e. letters and words).

The ancient Egyptians were the cradle of civilization. While much of the rest of the world was still huddling around fires and sharpening sticks, the pharoahs were using advanced astronomical data to build massive burial tombs for themselves that still stand today - the pyramids. Without the Nile River, Egypt would have never blossomed and the world would no doubt be a very different place today.

In visiting the Nile, you have an abundance of choices of how you wish to see the longest river in the world. There are pleasure cruises, ones that will take you within eyeshot of the famed pyramids at Giza. For those who want a more intimate tour, there are private boat rentals and guided tours available. Of course, the banks itself are free. One can explore the many sandbanks on foot and be very near to the ancient Thebes and Memphis. The most common mode of transportation is a Felucca - a sort of one-mast, wind-powered craft. No matter what you chose, you will certainly never forgot that you are sitting, riding or walking on the most important natural wonder in the world - the one that made civilization possible.

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/nile-river-egypt/

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The Leper Chapel in Cambridge, England

Posted: 28 Aug 2011 02:00 AM PDT

The Leper Chapel in Cambridge, England is a wonderful place to be married and so much history would almost be impossible to find anywhere else. It had its start as one of the buildings in service as a local leprosy hospital. Most of the original building was rebuilt but parts still remain in the chapel today. Despite the history, the Leper Chapel was close to being lost and at one point suffered a life as a storage shed.

From there the chapel served a new purpose which was to hold a three day fair helping to raise money for the lepers. In the end this fair became the largest medieval fair in Europe, the Stourbridge Fair, but today the fair is a small event. It died off in 1933, but was revived in 2004, and is held each year in the first half of September.

Since its low point it has been restored and is still a place of worship. Weddings can be held there and being located in Cambridge, there are so many nearby historic places to visit that any history buff would be smitten. The chapels, also known as the Chapel of St Mary Magdalene, was given to the Cambridge Past Present & Future (formerly Cambridge Preservation Society), and still continues to be maintained by them, since 1951. Don't miss this chance to see an important place in medieval history.

Leper Chapel address and hours

Chapel of St Mary Magdalene
Barnwell Junction on the Newmarket Rd
Cambridge
England

Visit by appointment only unless there's an event.

Photo by Prisoner 5413 on flickr

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/leper-chapel-cambridge-england/

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Monday, August 29, 2011