(Photo: MarkGDub / Flickr)

The Middle East is often in the news with wars, or rumors of war. Can there ever be lasting peace? Everyone hopes so, for the Middle East is the birthplace of some of the world’s great religions.

This photo, by Irish photographer Mark Gilleran, shows glass incense burners that hang above the Stone of Anointing in the Church of The Holy Sepulcher, in Jerusalem. Christians remember the death of Jesus each year during Easter.

Tradition claims that after his crucifixion, Jesus’ body was laid on the Stone of Anointing to be prepared for burial. Known as the Prince of Peace, he lived and died in a land that has never known peace.

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(Photo: freddysherman1 / Flickr)

Located high in the Andes Mountains, along the Peruvian-Bolivian border, Lake Titicaca is South America’s largest freshwater lake and the highest navigable lake in the world. Photographer Freddy Sherman photographed these adorable children, modeling “Funny Glasses,” in Laquinas Chico on the Peruvian side of the vast body of water.

Forever replenished by glacial melt, Titicaca has some problems: First, it is located on the Altiplano, the arid high plains of the Andes. Second, its glaciers are melting away. Without the glaciers, human consumption (from Peru and Bolivia) and evaporation will inexorably take their toll; scientists predict the tipping point will be around the year 2045, when the “Funny Glasses Girls” will be in their mid-30s.

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(Photo: Courtesy of International Expeditions)

The wilds of the Amazon jungle turn over flora and fauna on an unimaginable scale, while fostering the indigenous cultures of some of the most isolated people on Earth. The Amazonian terrain—comprising a staggering third of the world’s tropical rain forest, as well as a third of its animal species—can be tough to tackle via land exploration alone, making it perfectly primed for adventure-minded cruises along the Amazon River, where the heat, humidity, and discomforts of the jungle can be met with considerable comfort.

Though the massive and mighty river—the world’s largest, in fact—spans eight South American nations, most larger vessels’ itineraries are limited to segments of the 1,000-mile stretch between the Brazilian ports of Manaus and Belém (the latter is set at the river’s mouth). Expedition vessels, smaller cruise ships, and riverboats, however, can also venture hundreds of miles further upriver to Iquitos, Peru, incorporating stops (usually made with skiffs) in more

(Photo: jun-ta / Flickr)

Some of the most iconic images of rural Japan are those of Fujisan (Mount Fuji). The 12,389-foot volcano last erupted in 1708.

While on a bicycle outing, Japanese photographer Jun-ta stopped at an overlook, in Hakone, in Kanagawa Prefecture and captured this late-afternoon image of windblown Chinese Fairy Grass, aglow in the late afternoon sun.

Lovely as it is, Fujisan is a ticking time bomb. Since the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, rising pressures within Fujisan’s Lava Chamber have begun to concern the scientists who monitor such things. Japanese people have grown accustomed to earthquakes; volcanic eruptions are something else, indeed.

(Photo: Courtesy of Trina Turk)Trina Turk’s fashion designs are easily spotted for their modernist/vintage approach and signature pops of color. What inspires Turk? Her blog on www.TrinaTurk.com shows readers, taking them along to the St. Regis Princeville Kauai, Hawaii, where she designed a beach cabana; the Cooper-Hewitt; National Design Museum in Washington, D.C., which inspired her Modernist Maverick collection; and the Turks & Caicos, where an exclusive swimwear line was spawned for the Grace Bay Club. Along the way, Turk shares accommodation/restaurant/shopping finds and, of course, fashion tips. From a recent trip to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico: “Because of the swing in temps, layering is a must. I wore sandals by day and boots by night -- flat heels are in order to navigate the stone streets, stairs and sidewalks.” Which takes us to the contents of her suitcase…

What's something you never fail to pack in your suitcase?
Too many pairs of shoes!

Carry-on or check-in?
Carry-on.

Window or aisle?
Aisle.

(Photo: Sky Noir / Flickr)

In March of 1912, Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo City gave Washington, D.C., some cherry trees; 3,020 cherry trees, to be exact. Times were good; there was a growing friendship between the United States and Japan. In a happy ceremony held at the Tidal Basin, First Lady Helen Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two of those trees and started what would become one of the most beautiful features of the U.S. Capitol: the Cherry Blossom Festival.

Photographer Bill Dickinson captured this image of the blossoms, and the Jefferson Memorial, in March 2012. This year's festival began March 20 and goes until April 14.

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(Photo: Courtesy of Neal Pollack)

This is the second of a two-part series on Neal Pollack's visit to Dublin, Ireland, during St. Patrick's Day festivities. The first part covered a visit to the Guinness Storehouse.

The sleet fell wet and cold that St. Patrick’s Day morning. Hundreds of us stood on the streets of Dublin, flanked on either side by restored brick Georgian homes. We lined up six abreast, keeping our eye on the bright-pink sign bobbing in front of us. In front of me was a beefy American rugby team wearing mustard-and-tan jackets, clearly not men to be messed with. Behind were a dozen Poles, draped in vinyl that bore images of the most recent Euro Cup, which had been hosted by Poland and the Ukraine for the first time in 2012. As the day progressed, they would extend their arms, which were augmented by small-p poles, and flap around making noise while people took their pictures.

“So who won the Euro Cup this year?” I asked one of them.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Spain, maybe? None of us really follow

The Baseball Hall of Fame. (Photo: Courtesy of Tauck)

Baseball season begins Sunday, and for those fans who want to get closer to the sport, there’s a new way to experience it this year. Legendary producer and documentary filmmaker Ken Burns has partnered with the travel company Tauck to create a four-day celebration of America’s national pastime.

Based on Burns’ acclaimed film “Baseball,” the event will anchor in Cooperstown, N.Y., and the National Baseball Hall of Fame. You’ll arrive in Cooperstown and check in at The Otesaga Resort on Lake Otsego. The trip is unique because it’s not merely a chance to tour baseball’s national shrine, but also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear Burns speak and meet with baseball legends such as Hall of Fame players Phil Niekro and Ozzie Smith. There are presentations by historian and author Daniel Okrent, an originator of fantasy baseball, and exclusive tours of the museum.

Ken Burns (Photo: University of Texas-Arlington).A lakeside barbecue will give you a chance to mingle with Niekro and Smith, and you’ll get to hit a few balls at the