Author: Ms. R.

In 1643, a young chaplain named John Wallis was at a London dinner party hosted by his patron when another guest mentioned a most intriguing bit of political gossip. England was several months into a Civil War between royalists and parliamentarians, and the latter group had intercepted a royalist letter after the December 1642 battle of Chichester. It could have been a priceless bit of strategic intelligence, if not for one rather thorny problem: The letter was written in……

Read More

In the history of literature, Alice Liddell is widely known as the girl who inspired Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, but her later life often goes untold. At the age of 28, she married professional cricketer Reginald Hargreaves and lived in Lyndhurst for most of her life. They had three sons: Alan, Leopold, and Caryl. After the onset of World War I, Alan and Leopold Hargreaves served the British military and were killed in action. Grieving their deaths, Mrs…….

Read More

On any given Saturday throughout the year, locals and visitors can browse through the offerings from a variety of community farmer’s markets. The markets are located in several neighborhoods spread across the city, including Leith, the Grassmarket, Castle Terrace, and Stockbridge. The neighborhood of Stockbridge, just north of the city center, earned its name from the planks of timber that were used as a bridge to cross the Water of Leith. In 1825, an architect by the name of……

Read More

Located in the ancient Forum Boarium near the Tiber river, the Temple of Portunus is a well-preserved example of ancient Roman architecture. The temple overlooked the fluvial port of Rome, watching over the goods entering the city. The small temple, which is raised on a podium, is a pseudoperipteros. Four free Ionic columns are located on the portico, while the other columns are connected along the walls of the cella. The temple dates back to the 1st-century and was……

Read More

Tucked away on the campus grounds of the Georgia State University’s Perimeter College is a little-known garden of Jurassic proportions. Few people realize that beyond the over-sized college parking lot, and behind the Native Plant Botanical Garden, lies a hidden world frozen in time. Ferns of the World is a sanctuary with perhaps one of the most impressive collections of ferns in the United States.  In 1990, a botany professor by the name of George Sanko was given permission……

Read More

This tomb consists of a square base surmounted by an octagonal structure. Including the cupola, the structure is about three-stories tall. Inside the square base are three off-center tombs. Although there are no epitaphs, it can be assumed they belonged to members of Columbo Sahib’s immediate family. It’s unclear where Columbo Sahib (aka Colombo Saheb) is buried. The tomb is a composite of different architectural styles. The lower structure resembles a Mughal mosque, with four openings, one on each……

Read More

On August 24, the Spanish naval training vessel Juan Sebastián de Elcano set off on an epic voyage that will take it across the Atlantic to Argentina, then through the Straits of Magellan and across the Pacific Ocean, passing Guam and the Philippines on its way back to the Spanish port of Cádiz. On board are 197 men and women, all the necessary provisions for a year at sea, and two half butts of Amontillado Viña AB sherry from……

Read More