Beyond Borders Adventure Retreats

07/23/2025

Scotland is doing a lot rewilding. Nice to see.

07/23/2025

In the heart of Nazi-occupied Hungary, a Spanish diplomat named Ángel Sanz Briz risked his life to save thousands from certain death.

Stationed in Budapest in 1944, he witnessed the horrific roundups of Hungarian Jews for deportation to concentration camps.

Sanz Briz refused to be a bystander to the tragedy unfolding around him.

He dug up an old, defunct Spanish law from 1924 that granted citizenship to Sephardic Jews. Using this as a pretext, he began issuing protective documents.

Though most Hungarian Jews were not Sephardic, he used the loophole to protect anyone he could. He was initially authorized to issue 200 passes, but he cleverly numbered them 1 through 200 repeatedly, adding series letters to save far more people.

He then rented 11 apartment buildings with his own funds, declaring them annexes of the Spanish Embassy and granting them diplomatic immunity.

These buildings became safe havens, shielding entire families from the horrors on the streets.

By the time he was ordered to leave Budapest in December 1944, Sanz Briz and his team had issued papers and provided shelter for over 5,200 people.

His work was heroically continued by an Italian businessman, Giorgio Perlasca, who posed as the new Spanish consul and used Sanz Briz's system to save thousands more.

For his incredible courage, Ángel Sanz Briz was later honored by Yad Vashem as one of the Righteous Among the Nations. His story stands as a testament to individual moral courage in the face of immense evil.

07/22/2025

“The birds are doing particularly well in northern and eastern Europe, and they’re now seeking out other sites with good food supplies where they can live.”

07/17/2025

The tomb of Fernand Arbelot, a celebrated musician and actor, stands as a touching tribute to enduring love. After his death in 1942, Arbelot was laid to rest at Paris’s famed Père Lachaise Cemetery, where his grave features a poignant detail: a sculpture designed so he could gaze upon the face of his beloved wife for eternity. This heartfelt gesture reflects the depth of his devotion, immortalizing their bond even in death.

Père Lachaise, known for housing the graves of many iconic figures, adds another layer of significance to Arbelot’s final resting place. Visitors can still see this emotional testament to love, a reminder of the artist’s passion both on and off the stage. Whether you’re a fan of his work or simply moved by timeless romance, this tomb offers a quiet moment of reflection.

A visit to Arbelot’s grave is not just a glimpse into history but a touching story of love that transcends time.

07/17/2025

New idea for Peru 🇵🇪

07/16/2025

So true. Those that travel learn from the past.

Sometimes it's important to know where you're standing.

These haunting photo blends overlay modern-day scenes with powerful moments from history, reminders that the ground we walk on often carries unseen weight. In one frame, a man walks his dog across the very field where the Hindenburg exploded in 1937.

Another shows beachgoers at Normandy, blissfully unaware (maybe) that they’re standing where soldiers stormed ashore on D-Day. At Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, a tourist strolls through the spot where the Berlin Wall once divided a nation. And in Paris, couples pose for selfies beneath the Eiffel Tower, unaware that a *certain person* once stood in the same spot during World War II.

The juxtaposition is jarring and humbling. Time may move forward, but these places are still etched with memory. Sometimes, the most ordinary moments unfold on sacred ground

07/16/2025

Iceland keeping it interesting.

07/15/2025

07/14/2025

The waters of the river flow into the lake in the form of a tree with many branches!

Lake Cakora in AUSTRALIA. 🏞🌍💙