Paris through a Nazi’s lens: Propaganda pictures of Occupied France in 1940’s
André Zucca (1897-1973) was a French photographer and Nazi collaborator, popular thanks to his work with the German propaganda magazine Signal. Born in 1897 in Paris, son of an Italian […]
Al `Arish: an abandoned fishing village in pre-oil Qatar.
We are in Qatar. Abandoned villages once inhabited by fisherman and pearl drivers speckle the northern coast. They’re usually small, and at times boasting no more than five or six […]
“Half-Hangit” Maggie Dickson: the woman who survived the hangman’s noose.
Maggie Dickson was consigned to the gallows on Edinburgh’s historic Grassmarket on September 2, 1724. So, it was unlikely that anyone attending her public execution thought they would see her […]
122 and not feeling it: the (unhealthy) Lifestyle of the longest-lived person in history!
Ms. Jeanne Louise Calment was born in Arles (France) on February 21, 1875, a year before the battle of Little Big Horn, and a year before Alexander Bell patented the […]
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 […]
Berlin: The Return of the Cows
Dietrich-Bonhoeffer Strasse is a quiet street in Berlin, which lies on the lively edge of gentrified Prenzlauerberg’s encroachment into Friedrichshain. If you are in the splendid German capital, apparently there […]
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 […]
Fremont Troll – Seattle
A five and a half meters tall troll, made of cement lives underneath an overpass in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood. With only half of its torso showing, the concrete statue appears […]
Son-in-Law Eggs: The curious story behind this Thai food delicacy
In Thai legend, a probably devious protective mother’s led to the creation of son-in-law eggs or, locally, kai look keuy. As story goes (and, like most stories, its origins and […]
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 […]
Sapporo, Japan: a giant Buddha statue wrapped in a Lavender Hill
In the Makomanai Takino cemetery, in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo, the famous Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando, designed a spectacular temple, opened in December 2015. “The aim of […]
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 […]
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. […]
