Author: Ms. R.

Near the port of Brindisi, one of the largest in Southern Italy, a set of monumental stairs climb from the waterfront to a small square with a column and the remains of another. These are the Roman Columns of Brindisi, the origins and purpose of which are still unknown. Historically, it’s believed the columns marked the end of the Via Appia, a massive Roman road that connected the capital to the port of Brindisi, or the Via Traiana, a……

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In a renovated, 11th-century priory in rural France, Orthodox monk Frère Jean cooks delicious, seasonal dishes prepared using produce from the monastery garden. The kaleidoscopic plates are served with artistic flair: In a past life Frère Jean was a fashion photographer and journalist.  Frère Jean became a monk in his 30s and was quickly appointed monastery chef. He cooked for his brothers at a monastery in Greece, before spending several years at a monastery near Jerusalem, always using locally……

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As Carroll Creek meanders along the southern side of Baker Park in Frederick, Maryland, it passes beneath several distinct bridges, including an iron and swinging bridge, but the most eye-catching one of all is Carroll Creek Covered Bridge. Like a microcosmic companion to the larger covered bridges a few miles north of downtown Frederick in Thurmont and Rocky Ridge, the Carroll Creek Covered Bridge has a similar look and feel with its red-painted exterior, but it’s much smaller in……

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The North Creek Mosaic Project is the largest piece of public art in North Creek. It was conceived by local artist, Kate Hartley over 12 years ago. Work went on for years and was finally completed in 2020 and consisted of well over 700 volunteers. The mosaic is comprised of four, 60 foot long by 10 foot high panels of tile and glass depicting a stylized early spring day in North Creek. The mural showcases people enjoying outdoor activities……

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The sculptures of a mustachioed medieval warrior king and queen stand ready to knight any of the busy passersby in the city of Canterbury. Unfortunately, few stop to take in the royals. During the period of Anglo Saxon rule of England, separate kings ruled over nine different regions. The territories traded, made alliances, and (when those alliances didn’t work out) waged wars against one another.  King Æthelberht ruled the kingdom of Kent from his capital in Canterbury from 589  to……

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Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, visit the ruins of an ancient economic powerhouse’s capital city, Great Zimbabwe, and learn how a colonial empire was determined to rewrite its story. Our podcast is an audio guide to the world’s wondrous, awe-inspiring, strange places. In under 15 minutes, we’ll take you to an incredible site, and along the way you’ll meet some fascinating people and……

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A large three-story floating Chinese pagoda is perhaps not the first thing that one expects to see when leaving Amsterdam Central Station, but despite all expectations, that is indeed a huge floating restaurant docked in the water.  The aptly-named Sea Palace was built in 1984. The massive building was then considered the world’s largest Chinese restaurant, capable of seating 900 people at once. The whole project cost over 5 million gulden (about 4.3 million Euro, in 2021) and was……

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Each year, both locals and tourists from around the world crowd into the farm exhibit building at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer to get a look at cabbages the size of huskies, carrots so big they seem otherworldly, and pumpkins that must be lifted by a small crane. With its fertile soil and summer days boasting close to 20 hours of sun, this region of Alaska, including Palmer’s Matanuska Valley, has garnered a reputation for producing huge, record-setting……

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Excerpted and adapted with permission from Ranulph Fienne’s Shackleton: The Biography, published January 2022 by Pegasus Books. Copyright © 2022. When explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew set out for Antarctica on the Endurance in 1914, they had no idea their journey would become one of history’s greatest epics of survival. After sea ice trapped the ship for nearly a year, ultimately crushing it, the men camped on unstable sea ice for months. The loss of the Endurance and……

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