The real Sleepy Hollow: where the legends lives!
From the listless repose of the place, and the peculiar character of its inhabitants, who are descendants from the original Dutch settlers, this sequestered glen has long been known by […]
Fire Island Lighthouse – history and ghosts!
The stately Fire Island Lighthouse, on Fire Island’s west end, was first opened in 1827 and is a familiar landmark on the barrier island where it stands 55 meters above […]
January 1985-2020: the anniversary of the greatest snowfall of the (last) century.
The snowfall of January 1985 in Italy is very popular still today: between 13 and 17 January many cities in the north of the country found themselves covered by almost […]
Snagov Monastery: the island that (allegedly) houses the tomb of Dracula
We are in Romania. Transylvania has long been known as a place where vampires, werewolves, and the souls of the dead haunt dark forests, like Hoia Baciu forest, which has […]
A splendid collection of rare color Photos of Paris taken about 100 Years Ago
For most of us are normal to see historical photographs in black and white, due to the diffusion of monochrome films during the early years of photographic technique. The color […]
The Wonders of New York: a Midcentury Map packed with weird local stories
There is an old board game, in which someone throws a die at a map, and then dreams traveling wherever it lands. However, If you happened to find yourself in […]
Julia Margaret Cameron: the greatest Victorian-era portrait photographer
Julia Margaret Cameron (11 June 1815 – 26 January 1879 ) was an English photographer considered one of the most significant portraitists of the 19th century, who managed to make […]
African Cemetery at Higgs Beach – Florida
Among modern Key West’s greatest characteristics is its inclusiveness. During the Civil War, Key West remained in the United States despite Florida having joined the secession, and African Americans on […]
Sostila, the uninhabited village where the road don’t go
Of countries without roads, in Italy, are few left: one of these is Sostila in Val Fabiolo, a small picturesque valley out of time in Valtellina, between Morbegno and Sondrio. […]
Torre Nueva: The defensive tower in Spain built centuries ago to warn locals of pirate attacks.
We are on the South of Spain, where a series of centennial towers are spread along the whole coast, some of which still standing. One of the best preserved towers […]
How do people celebrate New Year around the world?
Even if people celebrate New Year in a number of ways, on 31st December, the festivities hit all places across the world at slightly different times too, due to the […]
Metelkova: the alternative cultural center in Ljubljana
If you ask any local in Ljubljana, they will point you in the right direction, 5 minutes from the city centre of Slovenia’s capital city. The area now known as […]
Amelia Dyer: the Victorian “Baby Farmer” who killed 200 to 400 children
England was not a safe place for children in Victorian times. On the other hand, it wasn’t even for adults, if we think of serial killers like Jack the Ripper […]
The ruins of the lost city of Nan Madol: a pearl in South Pacific
Off the coast of a remote Micronesian island are the ruins of a once-great city of man-made stone islands, that represent the remains of megalithic architecture on an unparalleled scale […]
The World Discoverer: the ship that got left behind.
MS World Discoverer was a cruise ship designed for and built by German shipbuilding company, Schichau Unterweser, in 1974. The ship had a double hull construction, allowing for periodic voyages […]
Boilo: the original Coal Miner Liquor
In Pennsylvania’s Coal Region, chilly winters have long been accompanied by a powerful and potentially explosive companion, known as boilo. Typically, it’s an orange brew made of liquor, honey, citrus […]
24# Feast of the Seven Fishes
On the night before Christmas, some people are preparing and decorating Christmas cookies, while others are readying a delicious roast beast for the oven. But for Italian-Americans, the traditional dinner […]
21# Puto Bumbong – Philippines
We are in the Philippines, which are home to one of the longest Christmas seasons in the world, stretching from the beginning of September until the end of December. In […]
“The Ugly Duchess”: the Enigma of the portrait of a woman deformed by a rare disease (or not?)
Probably, before devoting himself to painting, Quentin Matsys (1466-1530) was a blacksmith. However, perhaps to conquer his future wife, who was seeing a painter more romantic than a blacksmith, or […]
19# Fruitcake: the gift that keeps on giving
American journalist and humorist Calvin Trillin theorized that there is only one fruitcake and that it is simply sent from family to family each year. What is true, is that […]
18# Melomakarona: Greek Christmas Honey Cookies with curious origins
Sweet orange-zest cookies soaked in honey and topped with walnut? Yes, please! This treat is a holiday treat that regularly appears on tables in Greece. Known as melomakarona, if you […]
17# Lussekatter – Swedish saffron buns
Julbord, a three course meal, is served come Christmas in Sweden. The first dish is usually fish, often pickled herring. As second, cold cuts (including Christmas ham) along with sausages […]
The beautiful letter of 1973 from an illiterate woman to a distant husband
Being far from the people you love is one of the most difficult experiences in life, even with today’s trans-continental video-calls, skype and similar, all solutions cheap and easy. So […]
16# Traditional German Weihnachtsgans – the Christmas Goose
Christmas season in Germany conjures different things: winding and pictoresque Weihnachtsmärkte, seasonally draining wallets or St. Nick and terrifying (at least in Bavaria) counterpart Krampus. One thing, however, a German […]
Panam Nagar: a ghost town of Sonargaon – Bangladesh.
We are in Sonargaon, about 30 km southeast of Dhaka, along the Meghna River, Bangladesh. As early as the 14th century, Sonargaon was the ancient capital of Bangladesh, or more […]
14# The Christmas Pickle
Each december, millions of people dust off Christmas ornaments and hang them on their respective trees. They carefully place glass baubles and string lights to respect a tradition that, as […]
#13 Cuccía: a Sicilian tradition on Saint Lucy’s day
On the calendar, December 13th appears a day like any other, but in Sicily many are waiting for this date. The day of Saint Lucy (also celebrated in other parts […]
The true story of Trim, the adventurous cat belonging to navigator Matthew Flinders
Outside Sydney’s Mitchell Library stands a statue of Matthew Flinders, the celebrated English navigator and cartographer who helped map Australia, declared it a continent, and was influential in giving it […]
11# Chicken Bones: the story behind an uniquely Canadian holiday treat
In the riverside town of St. Stephen, New Brunswick, sweet tooth still speak with reverence about an almost 140-year-old candy known as Chicken Bones, a vibrant pink candy made of […]