Author: Ms. R.

Squatting among the historical colonial buildings on Hobart’s waterfront is a single-story pine hut guarded by two brass sled dogs. The Mawson’s Huts Replica Museum is, as its name implies, an exact reconstruction of the main research hut built in 1911 on Cape Denison by members of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, lead by the famed Australian geologist, explorer, and academic Douglas Mawson.  Every detail of the museum, from its cladding to the flooring, has been painstakingly recreated, based on……

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Wharram Percy was a medieval village whose deserted remains can be found near Malton. Because of its state of preservation, historians have been able to gather important information from the site. It was an ancient settlement, which reached its peak between the 10th and 12th centuries when it had two manor houses, both of which were owned by the wealthy Percy family from which the village took its name. Contrary to some beliefs, it was not the Black Death……

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These centenary castles in Alcorcón (a southern suburb of Madrid) were designed by the architect Luis Sainz de los Terreros: the main castle for the Marquis of Valderas and his family, and a smaller one for personnel. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), it housed General Franco during the offensives to capture Madrid. In 1967, it served as frame for an alleged UFO “sighting” in the context of the bizarre Ummo affair. In 1917, José Sanchiz de Quesada, Marquis……

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Villa La Favorita was the last great Gonzaga palace (the dukes of Mantua) built by the will of Ferdinando Gonzaga. Ferdinando was the second-born of Vincenzo Duke of Mantua; he was sent to Rome to start an ecclesiastical career, which was typical for the Italian noble families to avoid succession fights. Ferdinando became cardinal when his brother Francesco IV died of smallpox with his only son. He returned to Mantua just to find the worst economic crisis of the duchy…….

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Motels became staples across the country during the mid-20th-century. However, only one holds the distinction as “the world’s first motel,” and is found in the unlikely town of San Luis Obispo along the central California coast. Long road trips became more of a reality as automobiles became more readily available. In 1925 two brothers, Arthur and Alfred Heineman designed the Milestone Mo-Tel, a concept where travelers could rent out a room by night while on long road trips. Prior to this creation,……

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Phanom Rung is a Khmer temple dedicated to Shiva built in what was once part of the ancient Khmer Empire and today falls within the borders of the Thai province of Buriram. The full name of this site is Prasat Hin Phanom Rung, but it’s usually referred to as Phanom Rung. This complex was designed to make the most of the morphology of its location, so that the temple on top of the hill can be reached via an……

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