When you get ready to travel, some very useful URLs are listed below. They will provide you with political information about intended destinations as well as what to expect from local weather. Not listed is Wikipedia which I have used extensively to provide a brief set of information about the sites visited. I would like to provide local websites, but they often emphasize local marketing, not the information that interests me. I have copied, abstracted, summarized, etc. from Wikipedia in order to allow you quick access to some descriptive information about the site associated with the image. In all cases I have provided a reference for quick access to the original URL. The amount of information varies greatly depending on the things that interest me and on the information that I consider common knowledge.
Google Maps, Google Earth, Google Maps and Google Translate have provided an excellent interface to allow satellite and political map access as well as translation facilities throughout the site. My thanks to them for helping bring my site to life. I have used their images to help make my drawn maps of ancient sites more accurate. Keep in mind however that the satellite images provided are subject to change. The item of interest may be obscured by cloud cover, sand storms, etc. Satellite imagery continues to get better and better, note the clarity in the metropolitan Italian satellite images. It is excellent.
The books listed below provide an excellent reference to the visual aspects of the sites they feature. I personally prefer the DK series because of the lovely pictures which help in identification. I have not provided book references for images because they are not available on-line.
Useful URLs
- US Department of State
- CIA World Factbook
- Google Earth
- Google Maps
- Global Weather
- Web Gallery of Art
Travel Books
- Abram, David and Sen, Devdan and Edwards, Nick and Ford, Mike and Wooldridge, Beth; The Rough Guide to India; ISBN: 1-84353-089-9; Rough Guides Ltd.; 2003; 1404 pages.
- Ayliffe, Rosie and Dubin, Marc and Gawthrop, John and Richardson, Terry; The Rough Guide to Turkey; ISBN: 1-84353-071-6; Rough Guides Ltd.; 2003; 1119 pages.
- Baillie, Kate et all; The Rough Guide to France; ISBN 1-85828-697-2; Rough Guides Ltd.; 2001; 1160 pages.
- Ball, Caroline; Venice & The Veneto; ISBN: 0-7894-9574-0; DK Publishing Inc.; 2004; 312 pages.
- Belford, Ros; Dunford, Martin; and Woolfrey, Celia; The Rough Guide to Italy; ISBN 1-85828-167-9; Rough Guides Ltd.; 1996; 1022 pages.
- Dubin, Marc and Ellingham, Mark and Fisher, John and Jansz, Natania; The Rough Guide to Greece; ISBN: 1-85828-866-5; Rough Guides Ltd.; 2002; 1133 pages.
- Francesio, Giovanni; Naples & The Amalfi Coast; ISBN: 0-7894-9569-4; DK Publishing Inc.; 2003; 240 pages.
- Freeman, Charles; Egypt, Greece, and Rome Civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean; ISBN: 0-19-815003-2; Oxford University Press; 1996; 638 pages.
- Ghose, Aruna; India; ISBN: 0-7894-8395-5; DK Publishing Inc.; 2002; 824 pages.
- Ham, Anthony and Greenway, Paul; Jordan; ISBN: 1-74059-165-8; Lonely Planet Publications; 256 pages.
- Inman, Nick; Istanbul; ISBN: 0-7894-9725-5; DK Publishing Inc.; 2004, 272 pages.
- Inman, Nick; Jerusalem & the Holy Land; ISBN : 0-7894-5170-0; DK Publishing Inc.; 2002; 304 pages.
- Khalidy, Soraya; Egypt; ISBN: 0-679-75566-7; Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.; 2003; 535 pages.
- Michelin; The Green Guide, Dordogne, Berry, Limousin; ISBN: 2-06-000871-9; Michelin Travel Publications; 2002; 375 pages.
- Morris, Douglas; Italy; ISBN: 1-892975-65-3; Open Road Publishing; 2002; 960 pages.
- Oliver, Jeanne; France; ISBN: 1-74059-291-3; Lonely Planet Publications; 2003; 1079 pages.
- Pagano, Mario; Herculaneum A Reasoned Archæological Itinerary, ISBN: 88-87150-04-4; T&M srl, 2000, 112 pages.
- Phillips, Catherine; St. Petersburg; ISBN: 0-7894-9727-1; DK Publishing Inc.; 2004, 229 pages.
- Rice, Christopher and Melanie; Moscow; ISBN: 0-7894-9726-3; DK Publishing Inc.; 2004: 229 pages.
- Richmond, Simon; Russia and Belarus, ISBN: 1-74104-291-7; Lonely Planet; 2006; 792 pages.
- Santini, Loretta; Pompeii; ISBN: 88-7280-806-5; Plurigraf, 96 pages.
- Stannard, Dorothy; Insight Guide Egypt; ISBN: 0-88729-449-9; Insight Guides; 355 pages.
- Tillier, Alan, Paris; ISBN:0-7894-9389-6; DK Publishing Inc.; 2004; 432 pages.
- Wild, Fiona; Italy; ISBN: 0-7894-9386-1; DK Publishing Inc.; 2004; 671 pages.
- Wild, Fiona; Rome; ISBN: 0-7894-9421-3; DK Publishing Inc.; 2004; 432 pages.
- Wilkinson, Richard H.; The Comoplete Temples of Ancient Egypt; ISBN: 0-500-05100-3; Thames & Huson Inc.; 2000; 256 pages.
