Author: Ms. R.

The Grand Staircase offers a steep climb toward a panoramic view and is commonly known as “The Steps” or “The Stairs.” The staircase leads to the top of Communications Hill, named for the 114-foot decommissioned microwave tower at its peak.  Architect Daniel Solomon designed the stairs utilizing inspiration from the better known Telegraph Hill, which leads visitors up 400 steps to San Francisco‘s Coit Tower. The Grand Staircase is actually two staircases with a walking trail between them.  On any……

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The Lapidarium is a small outdoor museum of tombstones and roadside stone monuments. In this unusual complex resides 33 tombstones and roadside monuments crafted by sculptor Radosav Čikiriz and other stonemasons from Guča. The open-air exhibit is divided into three vaulted structures (sobrašice), which house some of the tombstones described as the most beautiful examples of “folk blue plastic.” Some of these monuments were created around the 1830s. The tombstones (krajputaši) are highlighted by their authentic decorations and epitaphs…….

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Ponte di Cecco is the oldest bridge in the town of Ascoli Piceno in Central Italy. It passes over the Castellano river connecting the Malatesta Fortress to the rest of the city. For centuries thought to be a Medieval structure, the original bridge was actually constructed during the age of the Roman Republic more than 2,000 years ago, forming part of the ancient Via Salaria. The structure is said to have been renovated in 1349 by an architect known……

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Along the left bank of the River Dora, between the mountains of the Aosta Valley, a few crumbled houses catch the eye. This is the abandoned village of Barmaz, located on a mountainside near the town of Saint-Denis. The area was inhabited for centuries, but the oldest structures still standing in Barmaz date back to the 16th to 17th-century. The villages survived off agriculture, surrounded by rye fields, terraced vineyards, and pastures for grazing cattle. But despite its optimal……

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Between two farmers’ fields is a corridor of woodland wilderness filled with the scent of wild garlic in the spring. In it is a path that leads from the road toward Barnburgh, but if you look to your right at the stone crags, every so often, hidden among the foliage is faces peering out, carved into the rock face. There are also symbols that look alien in origin, or resemble insects. Winter is the best time to go, when……

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One hot day in May 2019, Georgie Williams went to a South London market to buy antique furniture for her new place. Later, within the vintage cabinet she brought home, she found something intriguing: a brown booklet, with Official Diary 1968: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office inscribed on the cover. Inside, she discovered 150 handwritten recipes, scribbled down by a mysterious cook. Williams was stunned by the hard work the diary owner had dedicated to preserving her beloved recipes. Apart……

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Since ancient times, the night sky has been full of mystery and a source of fascination. Some early civilizations, living under naturally dark skies that are far less familiar to many people today, envisioned the stars as part of a solid dome that touched the Earth at the horizon. It’s easy to see why: True outdoor darkness has a depth you can sink into, with innumerable pinpricks of light embedded in the blackness. Capturing the magic of this darkness……

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