Liepaja, Latvia, is the home of extremes in architecture from the beautiful late 19th century downtown to its dead, both artistically and habitably, Soviet blocks (or is it blocs?). During my visit in 2014 I didn’t get a chance to…
Two Warbirds in One Little Museum
The first flying Zero to call Japan home in 70 years has come to Kanoya, in the far south of Kyushu. Flying or not, Japanese warbirds are a rare breed. They were never produced in the same numbers as…
My Bullet Train Can Eat Your Bullet Train: 500 Type Eva Shinkansen
Japan and trains go together, they’re a common sight and practical means of conveyance, and while most are pretty unassuming there are more than a few colorful and distinct trains running around. One of those is the Neon Genesis Evangelion-themed…
Bargello: A Medieval Frame for Renaissance Art
Painted, sculpted, constructed, there is an overabundance of impressive art, art that is part and parcel to the history and existence of the town. The Uffizi and it’s never ending halls, the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio and the Galleria del’Accademia, which…
Take Flight Into the Past
Kanoya, in the far south of Japan’s southernmost main island, is a rather inconvenient location for an air museum. It’s more than 500 miles from Tokyo and getting there via public transport requires taking a Shinkansen bullet train to the…
Ft. Meade is Rather Inconvenient for European Tank Lovers, Isn’t It?
For those living in the Old World, visiting Ft. Meade’s small post museum to see the ultimate World War I heavy tank, besides the TOG II*, would be a bit of a trip. As mentioned the Mark VIII was an…
Mark VIII: Joint Tank Designed to Help End War to End War
This tank has been or will be moved to the US Army’s Armor & Cavalry Collection at Ft. Benning, which is not open to the public. Today’s Joint Strike Fighter is an example of the modern push to have militaries…
Fire!
Ashigaru, under the command of a samurai, give a Tanegashima (matchlock) firing demonstration at Hikone-jo (Hikone Castle), a Japanese National Treasure. Last year we saw a similar, but larger, demonstration at Matsumoto-jo (Matsumoto Castle), another National Treasure. Both Hikone and…
Matsushiro Daihonei: Preparing to Fight the Final Battle of World War II
In early August 1945 World War II was far from over. Months and even years of fighting were still in the future of Japan and the United States as the Americans and their allies made amphibious assaults on the Japanese…
Welcome!
Welcome to Wayfarer Daves, a travel and history blog were two guys named David will share their travel experiences seeing historic sites and museums around the world. We hope to show people places they may have never heard of or…