Author: Ms. R.

This story was originally published on The Conversation and appears here under a Creative Commons license. The vampire is a common image in today’s pop culture, and one that takes many forms: from Alucard, the dashing spawn of Dracula in the PlayStation game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, to Edward, the romantic, idealistic lover in the Twilight series. In many respects, the vampire of today is far removed from its roots in Eastern European folklore. As a professor of……

Read More

Originally a Roman fort called Eboracum, the city of York is believed to have been founded in 71 CE by the famous Ninth Legion. Several ruins still stand throughout the city, and one of the most fascinating sites can be found inside a popular public house that is aptly named The Roman Bath. Established in the late 1920’s replacing the Mail Coach Inn, the pub is a Grade II listed building with a half-timbered, Tudor Revival-style façade, but its main……

Read More

Perched imposingly on a rocky, arid mountain peak above the white village of Pruna, Spain in the northern Cadiz mountains, this partially restored fort ruin was famed for being one of the last Moorish strongholds in the region. Because of this, it was christened El Castillo de Hierro, or the Iron Castle. Being pretty far off the tourist trail and located near no large cities (Ronda is the closest at about an hour away by car), the site retains……

Read More

This former textile mill was the last working cotton mill in Clitheroe, Lancashire. It was steam-driven until 1973. Since its redevelopment as a brewery, hospitality, and retail complex, much of the steam infrastructure has been retained. The old steam engine has pride of place in the room known as the Engine Room, but perhaps the greatest current claim to fame is the bar in the German-style Beer Hall. It claims to be home to the longest bar in the……

Read More

In the 14th and 15th centuries, spice merchants, devout pilgrims, and Knights Templar were a common sight in Averara, a mountain hamlet that lies along one of the most important routes connecting Italy to the rest of Europe. One day in 1446, Don Davide Bottagisi, the local priest, unveiled an unusual fresco on the porch of the church. At the time (as now), artwork in places of worship mainly depicted Jesus, Mary, or patron saints. But instead of these……

Read More

Within the iron-wrought walls of American cemeteries—beneath the shade of oak trees and tombs’ stoic penumbras—you could say many people “rest in peace.” However, not so long ago, people of the still-breathing sort gathered in graveyards to rest, and dine, in peace. During the 19th century, and especially in its later years, snacking in cemeteries happened across the United States. It wasn’t just apple-munching alongside the winding avenues of graveyards. Since many municipalities still lacked proper recreational areas, many……

Read More