COLOMBO  –  In our roundup of travel stories this week: a man recreates his father’s round-the-world bicycle trip, a luxury yacht that turned out to be a mold-covered wreck, plus the ancient Roman city 10 times the size of Disneyland. Jetavanaramaya, a colossal fourth-century Sri Lankan monument, was once among the world’s largest structures. This vast and ancient brick-built engineering marvel was born out of religious rivalry, and over the centuries it has survived earthquakes, neglect and civil war. However, while it’s the largest brick structure by volume ever constructed, it’s little known outside of Sri Lanka, and for periods of history was largely forgotten. The UNESCO World Heritage site Ephesus is one of the world’s best-preserved examples of a Roman port city. Its many historical marvels are spread over a 1,600-acre plot 10 times the size of Disneyland. Once a bustling metropolis inhabited by the likes of Alexander the Great and Cleopatra, it’s still a popular destination, pulling in 2.5 million visitors a year. Here’s what there is to see. Finally, a European masterpiece that’s still under construction. Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi’s unfinished church, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, is edging towards completion, 144 years after work began in 1882. Pope Leo has been invited to lead the opening ceremony of the central tower next summer. For CNN subscribers, we have the story of a Canadian couple who tried to buy a luxury yacht and ended up with a mold-covered wreck. Despite the vessel’s appearance, Janis and Blaine Carmena felt an immediate pull — they knew they were “the right people” to take her on. Six years later, it’s their floating home. American woman Amelia Butler bought a bargain home in the village of Latronico, in Italy’s Basilicata region, sight unseen. As soon as she spotted the property in an online listing, “I knew it was mine,” she tells CNN. Based on the valley view from the window, she bought the one-bedroom apartment without viewing the property in person or even visiting the village. Here’s how it turned out.