The British Museum in London has a wonderful collection of artifacts and treasures from all over the world.  I was able to acquire information enough to craft two complete novels while there. This was information that could not be found in visiting those countries involved.  Below are a couple of items, for example.  The statute of Horus the falcon god, gave me an idea about the Falcon of Abydos: Oracle of the Nile.  The tablet on the right is the oldest known artifact discovered in Egypt, over 4,000 years old.

Wherever I travel, I always find places that hoard beautiful artifacts from the past.  Tying them together with the locale and wonderful people of a particular country works to give me the stage to set my novels into action.