Author: Ms. R.

The village of Ose, tucked among Norway’s western fjords, is what one might call prime Scandinavian real estate, if you’re into the misty essence of storybooks and sagas. It’s not surprising then that there’s a market for new housing in the area, or that it once hosted temples to leading figures of the Norse pantheon. On the site of a forthcoming housing development, archaeologists from Norway’s University Museum of Bergen recently discovered structural remains of a pagan temple, or……

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Messrs Bloodworth, and McArthur, members of the Sorrowful Guild of Master Ghostmakers, opened this shop on York‘s famous Shambles street in 2019, with the intention of selling original York Ghosts. With the city considered one of the most haunted in the world (occasionally nicknamed The City of One Thousand Ghosts), it would make sense that many souvenirs contain phantasmagorical features. The York Ghost designs favor the more playful “bedsheet with two holes” depictions of ghosts. This tongue in cheek seriousness……

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This collection of more than 3,000 pieces spans almost 100 different Latin American groups and 10,000 years of history. The artifacts, many of them donated by collector Sergio Larraín García-Moreno, are displayed in the beautifully restored, three-story Royal Customs House, which was constructed in 1807. In addition to everyday clothing and ceramics, some of the more unique pieces include ceramic whistling jars and a Chinchorro mummy from the Chilean northern coast dating to 1900 BC. Also throughout the museum,……

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During the 4th-century CE, King Senchareb of Nineveh commissioned the building of this monastery as an act of atonement for having killed his son, Behnam, and daughter Sarah for converting to Christianity. Behnam, was eventually sanctified, hence the title Mar, a title of sainthood in the Assyrian language. He and Sarah’s bodies were buried in a crypt at the monastery. The site quickly became a beacon for Christian pilgrims throughout the region.  As a result, the monastery attracted several……

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Chinhoyi Caves National Park is a hidden gem not far from Zimbabwe’s capital Harare. Visitors to the park will find stunningly blue pools inside preserved limestone and dolomite caves. Inside the caves, the air becomes cool and damp and silence descends as one walks down to the water. Holes in the roof of the cave ushers in sunlight that illuminates the depths. One of the best parts of visiting the caves is that you’re likely to have them to……

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On the eastern side of the Belarusian capital city, the Slepianka or Slepnya River once flowed undisturbed on a meandering course through the countryside. With the arrival of urbanization, the city administration tamed this stream by rerouting its flow through a 13 mile (22 kilometers) concrete channel that runs through nine parks. The waterway is complete with 13 cascades that are each unique in their Brutalist design. Construction on the project began in 1981 and was completed in 1985…….

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The Arch of Janus is a tetrapylon triumphal arch, also known as a quadrifron. It’s the only remaining structure of its kind in Rome. It’s located at the edges of the Forum Boarium, a market area of ancient Rome. The arch was constructed during the 4th-century using materials from older buildings in the city. It’s known as the Arch of Janus but has nothing to do with the Roman god of gates. The arch was never given this name during antiquity…….

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Look at Erik Rintamaki’s rock collection under the white light of a 60-watt bulb or with sunlight streaming in the window, and you might nod politely. A lifelong rock picker, the Michigander has gathered a smattering of shapes, sizes, and colors. The rocks with rounded edges—many of them small enough to fit in your palm—tell long stories of ancient, grinding ice, and the relentless movement of waves and sand. Many are unassuming shades of gray, white, or pink. Mottled……

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The Priory Church of Little Dunmow, St Mary the Virgin, is one of Essex’s oldest buildings. A short distance from the Flitch Way, a nature walk named after the Flitch Trial.  St Mary’s church was originally the lady chapel of a 12th-century Augustinian Priory, but is now all that remains. Inside this former chapel lies an alabaster tomb, that depicts one of the most famous women in British history, Maid Marian. Fabled partner of Robin Hood, the legendary character……

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