Author: Ms. R.

Most visitors to the Kilmuir Cemetery are there for Flora MacDonald, and the Celtic cross on her memorial fittingly dominates the view. Dubbed the “Heroine of the Highlands,” she was responsible for assisting Bonnie Prince Charles in his escape from Scotland after the second Jacobite uprising failed. But dig deeper and you’ll find several other surprising stories resting within this cemetery.  Behind the ruins of a chapel in the old section of the cemetery lies a knight with a……

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Take a ride on the way, way, way back machine to about 520 million years ago. The Cambrian Explosion—Earth’s biggest bang of biodiversity, when the variety of living things increased exponentially—was just wrapping up. Terrestrial plants and animals had not yet evolved so the land was still barren, but oceans teemed with life. Early arthropods, invertebrates with tough exoskeletons, were becoming fierce predators. Now meet the terror beasts who ate arthropods for breakfast (and lunch and dinner). Paleontologists working……

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The Senju Thermal Power Station was established in 1926 by the Tokyo Electric Power Company as a replacement for the Asakusa power plant that was driven into shutdown following the catastrophic earthquake of 1923. The new plant was situated by the Sumida River so that it was easy to transport coal. Initially, the thermal power station was equipped with three chimneys handed down from the Asakusa plant, originally installed in 1905. They were joined by another chimney in 1926, forming a……

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At first sight, these picturesque buildings seem like they could be home to Ježibaba, a Czech folklore character similar to Baba Yaga. In truth, they are carefully restored architectural treasures that still offer cozy rooms and warm food to alpine guests and visitors. Built in 1899 by the Czech architect Dušan Jurkovič, known as “the poet of timber” for his woodwork, the cottage and hotel are a lively combination of Czech-Slavic heritage and the Art Nouveau style of the……

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In remote northeastern Cyprus, among palm trees outside the tiny village of Boltaşlı, travelers can find the well-preserved Byzantine basilica Panagia Kanakaria. Externally beautiful yet architecturally modest, the church reveals its rich history only upon entering. The skeletal structure of the church, which does not serve a congregation, is a blend of somber, mysterious, and unusually alive: Madonna images hang on bare walls in deteriorating frames, small candles occasionally flicker, wax figures sit quietly on windowsills, and partially preserved……

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Millennia ago, a shallow sea covered this area in Oklahoma. Its legacy is the Great Salt Plains, a salt lake and 11,000 acres of salt flats atop a saltwater aquifer in the middle of the Great Plains. The area is now a state park and a wildlife refuge. More than 300 protected species of birds call the region home or stop by during seasonal migrations, and large game animals seek out the salt plains for nutrients, which historically made……

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In 1490, a farmer told his wife that he’d had a miraculous encounter while grazing his flock: the Madonna appeared to him and instructed him to build a chapel. The simple wooden structure that he constructed evolved over the years into an ornate complex and basilica, now known as the Shrine of Nostra Signora della Guardia. The name, Guardia or “guardian,” references the area’s history: The basilica is built atop an old lookout point that was used to observe……

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During World War II, as the Nazis seized power over Europe, it dawned on the British War Office that an invasion was looking increasingly likely, and the coastline of the United Kingdom was nowhere near ready to defend against it, particularly around the River Crouch Estuary. The War Office set out to arm the undefended area with the quick construction of pillboxes as well as laying mines and booms in the estuary. But that seemingly wasn’t enough; In 1941,……

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Last year, we peeled back the layers of hauntings, spirits, and demons to explore what lurks behind the legends. From scientific explanations for eerie sights and sounds at a haunted penitentiary to a psychoanalyst’s unconventional theory for one man’s belief in a supernatural mongoose, our stories examined the why behind each bump in the night and whisper in the rafters. We met the Bell Witch, the Dybbuk, and the Donkey Lady, and along the way learned that sharing and……

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In April 1746, British government forces killed 1,250 Jacobite soldiers in a waterlogged field near Inverness, Scotland—ending the last serious attempt to reinstate a Catholic monarch in England. Centuries later, the hallowed moor has become a national park in Scotland: Culloden Battlefield. But lately, informational plaques and war memorials aren’t the only things capturing visitors’ attention. Since 2015, 19 adorable, shaggy Highland and Shetland cows have become critical residents of the historic battleground. As the park’s conservation manager, it’s……

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Caffe Reggio claims to have introduced the cappuccino to the United States. When Domenico Parisi set up shop in New York‘s Greenwich Village in 1927, he whipped up foam-crowned cups for delighted crowds. Word of this Continental pick-me-up spread and soon cappuccinos were cropping up on menus across the country. The espresso machine, which dates back to 1902, is the oldest on display in the city. In addition to this retired workhorse, the cafe contains an original bench from……

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