Written by The Biltmore, a popular destination in the area of western North Carolina ravaged by Hurricane Helene, will reopen Saturday. Local travel operators nervously hope it will mark the return of tourists. Source link
Two swans and six dusty-grey cygnets mew and whistle as they glide in single file along the canal. Silver birches wiggle their leaves in the gentlest of autumn breezes. Auburn, ochre, russet and shades in between glow in the afternoon sun. It’s time for a sit down and a cuppa. I’m not in a national […]
In a city famous for its cemeteries, one of the strangest is easy to miss. Its tombs are scattered in locations that seem improbable for interments: an antique shop, an old hotel, a museum. But these tombs have never held human occupants. Standing less than a foot tall, each is a meticulously handcrafted miniature facsimile […]
The southeastern corner of the island of Sicily is home to the Necropolis of Pantalica, a collection of cemeteries with rock-cut chamber tombs. There are thought to be just under 4,000 tombs in the area, dating from the 13th to the 7th centuries BC. The area is of archaeological significance, and it is also a nature […]
Turin, Italy, was once known as Europe’s occult capital. Sure enough, rumors about Freemasons, alchemists, ghosts, the devil, and such continue to hover over this charming city of mysteries. Not far from the more famous Portone del Diavolo (Devil’s Door), on Via Lascaris is a series of drain-like slits nicknamed Occhi del Diavolo, or “the […]
Many Wild West towns have a Boot Hill Cemetery, but this one is the first—predating even the famous graveyards of Dodge City and Tombstone. While a sign at the site and the accompanying website claim bodies remain buried here, there are no visible markers to tell their stories. Instead, you’ll find a small, grassy corner […]
A little over a year ago, Daniel Crouch, one of the foremost dealers of rare books, maps, and atlases in the world, came into possession of a 19th-century map. It had been drawn by a man named Gregor MacGregor. “The first thing you need to know about Gregor MacGregor, from the Clan Gregor, is he’s […]
One of the largest temples in Yamagata City, the main building of Senshōji dates back to 170. Its roof is supported by a quartet of guardian statues attributed to Hidari Jingorō, a legendary sculptor best known for his carvings of the Three Wise Monkeys and the Sleeping Cat in Nikko. As the statues were so […]
Consumers claim they were duped by a vacation club managed by Hyatt. Some are locked into 40-year, $50,000 contracts that they say offer few rewards. Source link
Blickling Hall, Norfolk Blickling Hall is a handsome house that boasts gothic architecture and plenty of atmosphere. However, the old Tudor house that once stood here is what truly made its ghostly name. It is said that Anne Boleyn continues to haunt her childhood home, carrying her own severed head as she walks the corridors. […]