Seniors Visit World Heritage Sites

World Heritage Sites exist all over the world. Senior travelers, you have probably experienced several on your routes. I am always surprised when I discover that people do not know about World Heritage Sites. Basically, World Heritage Sites are culturally and historically significant sites such as the Great Wall of China, the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty, Mount Fuji, Uluru, Chitzen Itza, Victoria Falls, the Great Barrier Reef and so forth.

Senior travelers, if you want to be sure to see the World Heritage Sites in any state or country to which you are traveling, go to Google and input World Heritage Sites and then the place you want to visit. My wife and I did that for Spain and it made for a terrific itinerary.  So we’ve decided to chose just three for this blog and here are our choices for today:

Masada

 The story of the stronghold, where Jewish Zealots took their own lives rather than suffer slavery to the Romans, is compelling. And the ruins of the fortress itself, built by Herod the Great between 37 and 31 BCE, are fascinating, no matter what your heritage may be. With such a history, it’s no wonder that Masada stands as a symbol of Jewish pride. Israel Defense Forces graduate there, shouting ‘Masada shall not fall again!’ It’s also become a popular spot for bar and bat mitzvahs in recent years.” My mother and father-in-law visited Masada and it was a most memorable visit for them.

Monticello

“A home always reflects its owner, and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, which he began building in 1769, is no different. It reflects our third president’s brilliance but also reminds us of his imperfections. Seeing the Great Clock, whose weights descend through a hole that had to be cut in the floor because of a slight miscalculation, always reminds me that no man is without flaws, even a man largely responsible for the foundation of our country. If you have never visited Monticello, put it on your “bucket list.” I remember several things including the site where the slave quarters stood.

And since I have personally visited this one…

The Pantheon, Historic Center Of Rome

“From its blunt and windowless exterior, the Pantheon is hardly the most dramatic monument on UNESCO’s list, or even in Rome, whose World Heritage sites include the Forum, the Colosseum, the Vatican, and more. But step inside and you realize that this Roman temple—still standing after almost 1,900 years—has the most perfect proportions of any building on earth.”  And that’s a fact senior friends. The rotunda is 141 feet in diameter and 141 feet in height. A cylinder of light beams through a hole at the top of the dome, dramatically lighting the entire space. The Pantheon was consecrated in 609, and when I visited it two years ago, an organist was practicing Ave Maria. That’s why I love that hymn.”  It shook the walls.

More of these outstanding sites later folks… jeb