Pickled Pyrenees | Snowflake science | Jurassic Coast tours

Hello,

Our guides are frequently asked why Britain has so many beautifully preserved historic buildings. The next question tends to be, “How can I visit them?”

For those of us who haven’t grown up with the names of institutions such as the National Trust, Cadw and Historic Scotland as part of our vocabulary, knowing how to navigate Britain’s hundreds of historic houses and sites can be a puzzle.

Why do so many historic houses look like they’re still lived in? (Answer: because they probably are.) Who looks after them all? (Answer: so many different people!) Can I buy one membership to visit all the places I’m interested in? (Answer: Unlikely.) And who runs Stonehenge anyway? (Answer: it’s a collaborative affair.)

Someone needs to write an explainer!

It’s well worth figuring out how to visit the places that appeal to you the most. As much as we love landscapes and geology at GeoCultura, we also appreciate archaeology, more-recent history and local culture. We know that an old house can tell you as much about the past as a mountain range. It’s just a different era under the microscope. 

If you’d like to know more about why you should visit a stately home on your next trip, read about how Britain’s historic houses are a uniquely fascinating window to its past.

If you’d like to find out more about the salty history of the Spanish Pyrenees, the conservation of cannons, or the science of snowflakes, read on!

We hope to see you on one of our upcoming small-group tours soon.

Rob

Rob Knipe
Chairman, Emeritus Professor and Tour Guide

The surprising influence of salt on the Spanish Pyrenees

Take a walk through the deep time, human history and future of a peculiarly pickled region of the Pyrenees. Pushing through the rock layers of the Pyrenees Mountains are amazing natural masses of evaporite, a.k.a. salt. It’s the last thing you’d expect to find so far inland. But, of course, there’s a perfectly (geo)logical explanation! Think of this article as a tasty appetiser for our 7-day tour to the Spanish Pyrenees, which covers everything from rock salt to wine!

5 Curious Things for Inquisitive Travellers

❄️ While spring attempts to oust the dregs of winter this month, there’s still a chance of snow. Watch this short, beautifully illustrated video about the science of snowflakes so your appreciation of the frozen fractals will be sky high if/when they do fall. (Via BBC.)

🗺️ Calling all cartophiles! Lose yourself for a few minutes hours in Old Maps Online, a community effort by libraries around the world. Search for an area, then travel back in time there through the digitally archived maps. We love the 1886 map of Lacock, which shows the number and size of each field for tracking agriculture, management and ownership. It’s fascinating to compare it with the current place, which we visit on our Southern England tours. (Via Old Maps Online.)

🖌️ It’s not just old buildings that get TLC from English Heritage. This video shows how the institution looks after 18th-century cannons on St Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly. It’s a painstaking process and you can see the results on one of our Isles of Scillies tours – if you don’t mind a bit of a hill! (Via Star Castle, our hotel of choice on the Scillies.)

💰 Lucy Ankers, an archaeology student at the University of Glasgow, found a stash of 300-year-old coins that might be linked to the Glencoe Massacre. On her first dig! You can find out more about the Glencoe Massacre on our Isle of Skye and Scottish Highlands tours. (Via Smithsonian Magazine.)

📈 If you’re planning a trip to the cooler climate of Scotland, a shoulder-season vacation, a holiday with the grandkids, or a private group tour, then rest assured you’re entirely on trend, according to this list of the biggest travel trends to expect in 2024. And if not, then get in touch – we can help you plan your next vacation, on trend or not! (Via Condé Nast Traveler.)

Thank you to everyone who has travelled with us so far. If you're considering a tour with us, read these testimonials from travellers like you, or get in touch directly.

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