Beautiful Manor Russum – Your Best Hotel in Calvi, Corsica

Marina in Calvi, Corsica

Calvi is considered one of the most beautiful and fashionable seaside resorts in Corsica. It is located on the northwestern coast of the island, some 165 kilometers from the Corsican capital Ajaccio. Founded by the Romans in the first century CE, the city was ruled by the Genovese maritime republic from 1278, until it was given away to France in the 18thcentury.

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The Best Hotel in Malta: Ursulino Valletta

The Great Harbor of Malta

The Malta archipelago, a tiny spot in the middle of the Mediterranean with  400,000 inhabitants occupying an area of 316 square kilometers, remains unknown to most US travelers. And this is a pity, because if you do visit this island (or rather all three of them:  Malta, Gozo, and Comino) you will be forever inspired and spiritually enriched by the magical beauty of these gems that remain still-hidden for many.

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Clive Cortis and his Malta Private Guide Company

Irene Shaland and Clive Cortis

My husband Alex and I have been globe-trotting for over four decades, visiting close to 70 countries, feeling at home in most of them. When in Europe, we very seldom hire private guides, but we did so in Malta. As an art and travel writer, focusing on history and Jewish history, I had an extensive “must see” plan or rather a research “curriculum” I intended to follow in that tiny country, which is arguably one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world.

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Discovering Jewish Connections in Sardinia

Cagliari

Sardinia is an island famed for its unearthly beauty. Sardinia is second only to Sicily in its size among the Mediterranean islands. Like Sicily, Sardinia attracted numerous waves of invaders: Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, the Italian city-states of Pisa and Genoa, and the Spanish Kingdom of Aragon—all succeeded one another in dominating the island. The Northern Italians came last, with Garibaldi himself falling in love with the island. He chose to live the last years of his life in Carpera, Sardinia.

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