Author: Ms. R.

These two metal beams are a surprising sight to behold when entering Winslow from the east along the famed Route 66. They happen to be actual fragments saved from the World Trade Center in New York City. This memorial pays a somber tribute to the men and women who lost their lives during the September 11th attacks. It’s a truly moving installation consisting of two original beams that were erected to represent the Twin Towers.  The plaque located at……

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The Arch Cathedral of St John is one of the oldest in the Polish capital. The historic church was almost completely destroyed during World War II. It has since been painstakingly restored, retaining its noble gothic facade, though having lost its opulent, baroque interior. With a lofty, vaulted ceiling and some striking stained glass windows, the interior is now more gothic in character. Its crypt, which is the last resting place of generations of bishops, dukes, and other eminent……

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Sprawled across the border of what are now Peru and Bolivia, Lake Titicaca is seven times the size of Los Angeles. Despite the lake’s massive proportions, itsy-bitsy Incan artifacts have been turning up there for the last 50 years. Recently, a small box with remarkable Incan offerings was found at the base of a reef, the first-ever such discovery on the Bolivian side of the water. Inca people were already dropping offerings below the surface of Titicaca when the……

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Vivid shades of purple, yellow, and blue weave a stunning tapestry of murals hidden in an alleyway behind a small strip of shops in Lemon Grove. The murals came to life when Sydel Howell and her mother, who own the medical supply store some of the murals are painted on, were inspired by a trip to the Wynwood Art District in Miami, Florida. After seeing the work of Beth Emmerich on a tattoo shop in North Park, Howell hired her to paint……

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A part of Los Angeles history since 1972, the Rainbow Bar & Grill, featured in many songs and music videos, has been a home away from home of many rock legends. The music venue Whisky a Go Go was the sounding ground for musicians with dreams of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Whisky a Go Go was the place rock stars came to see other rock stars perform, and the Rainbow was where they “networked.” A place that the……

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When the plague hit York in 1604, infected citizens were forced to leave the city. Many moved to wooden lodges on Hob Moor. This large, marshy tract of land is to the southwest of the city’s outskirts, near the modern racecourse and opposite the Tyburn. Friends and relatives still visited the infected but wisely kept their distance. Next to the modern path on Little Hob Moor is a flat stone with a dipped bowl in the middle. Visitors would……

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This Ottoman-era Greek Orthodox church was built to honor Agia Kyriaki, a Christian saint martyred under the Roman emperor Diocletian.  Kiriaki was born to Dortheus and Eusebia on a Sunday (Kyriaki is the Greek word for Sunday). At an early age, Kyriaki dedicated her life to religion. When she was 21, an Ottoman magistrate took notice of her and decided she would make an ideal bride for his son. When the magistrate spoke to Kyriaki and her parents about the potential marriage, Kyriaki informed……

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Ladies and gentlemen, quiet please. Players are ready. Thank you.” This is a common refrain at tennis matches, especially rowdy ones, which are not particularly rowdy by the standards of almost any other major sport. It’s a line delivered by the chair umpire, the lead on-site official. Weirdly, if you think about it, the crowds aren’t dismayed at this message. Sometimes they applaud it. “Yes,” tennis crowds seem to say. “Tell us to shut up.” The US Open, one……

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