Author: Ms. R.

Some 200 miles northwest of Kansas City, the sleepy town of Hebron, Nebraska, boasts an unusual attraction: the world’s largest covered porch swing. With a seat 32 feet long, the swing can easily accommodate 18 adults or 24 children, making it a favorite location for wedding or family photos. The swing’s massive frame was built using a section of a Reinke Manufacturing irrigation frame, a familiar farming tool dotting many nearby fields. Originally built in 1985, the swing was designed……

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Hidden in plain sight along South Main Street in Boerne, Texas, rests a small structure built of local stone where Confederate General Robert E. Lee often stayed while traveling between Camp Verde, 30 miles to the west, and Fort Sam Houston, 35 miles to the east in San Antonio. Located at the corner of South Main and Evergreen Street and hugged by the Cibolo Creek, the small building at 525 South Main is all that remains of a once……

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To most modern-day passersby, the clock tower of Budolfi Church in Aalborg, northern Denmark, might seem innocuous—just another church spire blending into the cityscape. But only a few centuries ago, it was the center of sinister legends and whispered fears. At one time, the townsfolk believed the Devil occupied the belfry opening, with a lair large enough for a man to lie down in. Dreading this unwelcome resident, locals avoided the spot. When the tower’s fire watchmen needed to……

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This group of sculptures, collectively known as “Dr Salter’s Daydream,” depict Dr. Alfred Salter, his wife Ada, their daughter Joyce, and their cat. Created by Diane Gorvin, the sculptures were originally unveiled in 1991 but have since moved to their current location. Dr. Alfred Salter arrived in Bermondsey in 1898, a newly qualified doctor shocked by the poverty and misfortune he encountered. Bermondsey wasn’t just where Dr. Salter practiced medicine; it became his home. He and Ada, who he……

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Some of the most extraordinary cakes in Ljubljana are found at Zvezda (which means “star”), one of a small local chain of fashionable patisseries. If the idea of Mitteleuropa makes you dream of sitting for long spells at a café decked in flowers, eating cakes, sipping coffee, thinking Great Thoughts, and possibly sketching in a notebook with your head at a rakish slant, this is the place to live out that fantasy. All of Slovenia is west of Vienna, the heart……

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On most Saturday and Sunday mornings from early spring to late fall, you can find what appears at a distance to be a normal game of adult recreational baseball. But take a closer look, and you’ll notice some anomalies: fielders playing without gloves, an umpire wearing a three-piece suit and top hat, players’ uniforms looking as though they were borrowed from the costume department of a movie set in the 19th century. Set in the backdrop of Old Bethpage……

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