Things to Do in Piedmont & Liguria

Bologna is home to the world’s oldest university in continuous operation - founded in 1088 - and one of the many schools in the university is a medical school. You might not think that a medical school would be an attraction worth seeking out, but the historic Anatomical Theatre of the Archiginnasio alone is worth the trip.

The Archiginnasio is a university building, originally constructed in the 16th century, that served for many years as the primary university building. Today, it houses the largest municipal library in the region, but the main attraction is the Anatomical Theatre. Built in 1637, it’s a gorgeous room paneled entirely in spruce with a coffered ceiling. The seating is amphitheatre-style, and the seat from which a professor would deliver lectures more closely resembles a throne or a preacher’s pulpit than a teacher’s desk.

There are niches in the walls of the Anatomical Theatre of the Archiginnasio, in which you’ll see carved wooden statues of historic physicians. Of particular note are the carved statues on each side of the professor’s chair - they’re carved as if they have no skin, to make their muscles visible. The enormous table in the center of the theatre’s floor may look pristine now, but this is where the dissections of both human and animal bodies took place during lessons.

The Archiginnasio building is on one side of the Piazza Maggiore, right in central Bologna, and it’s free to visit, making it a perfect - if slightly off-beat - addition to your itinerary in this lovely city.

Armenian Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator is the oldest Christian church in Singapore, completed in 1835 by an Irish civil architect key in the construction of the country’s overall infrastructure. A towering all-white structure, the church is adorned with numerous crafted pillars and features an entrance framed with classical pediments.

Aside from admiring the exterior façade, the church is surrounded by an open garden and at the back a peaceful cemetery that was never used as a burial ground. The tombs there were brought over from a site in Bukit Timah when it was exhumed. Even though the last regular services in the church halted in the 1930s, the interior still has alters and between them, a royal red carpet leading up to the nave.

Overall, the church is a standalone example of tranquility in busy Singapore. Every now and then the church is the site for art exhibitions, but other than that it is open for visitors to see.

Set 36 miles (58 km) outside the capital city of Beirut, the ancient city of Anjar is literally a Lebanon attraction unlike any other. While many of the ruins in Lebanon existed under a multitude of rulers, the fortified city of Anjar was occupied solely by the Umayyad dynasty during the 8th century AD when it flourished for a mere number of decades. This city's Opulent rulers eventually fell to the Abbasids, but at one point their influence stretched from the valleys of India to the shores of southern France. With the exception of a mosque in nearby Baalbek, Anjar is the only place in Lebanon which provides an example of the Umayyad period.

Located in the fertile Beqaa valley amid the Anti-Lebanon mountains and along a prosperous trade route between Beirut and Damascus, Anjar made a perfect summer retreat for the ruling dynasty. Disrepair and earthquakes eventually took their toll on the city which was once protected by walls over 6 feet thick and filled with over 600 shops. The once bustling town of Anjar was left unexplored until its eventual excavation in 1949.

Today visitors can amble past the partially restored walls of the main palace and gaze at Umayyad graffiti which dates to 741 AD. Wandering the grounds of the sprawling 1.2 million square ft. compound can take a couple of hours, and a bevy of Lebanese and Armenian restaurants are situated around the city grounds. Although there are no accommodation options readily available in Anjar, lodging can be found in the nearby town of Chtaura, or, for those making a day trip from Beirut, a host of tour operators depart directly from the city.

One of Saint Lucia’s most beautiful beaches, Anse Chastanet enjoys a prime location in a sheltered cove within sight of the distinctive peaks of the Pitons. Much of the immediate hinterland is taken up by the Anse Chastanet resort, a development in harmony with its surrounds which still allows public use of the beach.

There are few better places in the world for sipping on something fruity than the beach’s bar, right on the sand. The walk back to your hammock or thatched hut might very well be the only exercise you care to indulge in. But the crystalline waters aren’t just there for resting your eyes on as you recline; you’re just a stone’s throw from a reef known by divers the world over for its superb visibility and huge variety of coral and sea creatures. The dive center at the southern end of the beach is your gateway to this sub-aquatic paradise.