Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer

Unusual

Unusual

The oldest buildings in Canada

We have to chuckle a bit at this article - the oldest buildings in Canada .  We lived in London where we almost rented a house that was built in the 1400's, so considering that one of the oldest places in Vancouver is from 1921, it's not much of a comparison. But, fair is fair and Canada…

Read more

Why? Because it was there.

Humans are forever looking at new ways to discover - and sometimes conquer - our planet (not even mentioning the moon.) Sometimes they succeed and it is a truly noteworthy success.  Other times, not so much. Have a look at the video below to marvel at the assumptions (and sometimes hubris) of our fellow earthings. If you want…

Read more

Hey, big spender

Is your life mundane?  Do you want power and influence? Do you have $2.75 million to spare? You could become the owner of a tiny desert outpost in rural California. The town of Nipton, California, is for sale after the idea to establish the community as a cannabis consumption destination went bust amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On any given…

Read more

Where is Ultraman when you need him?

It is so nice to see when something actually means something to the people around it, and that they treasure it and preserve it. Especially when it is larger than life. Sendai Daikannon, officially known as the Sendai Tendou Byakue Daikannon, is a large statue of Byakue Kannon bearing a gem in her hand located…

Read more

An aerial photographer, overexposed

If you're of a certain age (like we are) you might have a penchant for music from the 80's.  In our case we're talking about alternative (or new wave) music. One of our favourite bands from that period was Wire, an artistic, uncompromising, challenging group of gentlemen.  Not easy listening for those who prefer easy listenng. In…

Read more

How many points should you get when there’s an active shooter at your hotel?

This is not something that we thought we would ever have to consider, let alone write about.  To us, there is something peculiar about the whole thing, but maybe it's just modern living. A few months back, at Mexico's Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun, several active shooters landed on the resort’s beach. Two of the shooters…

Read more

Run away, run away . . . runway!

This article is not meant to be funny, but it is, in a way.  Monty Python would think so, anyway.  (And, to be sure, no-one was hurt.) ETF Airways, a startup charter airline from Croatia, is preparing a lawsuit against Bremen Airport (BRE) in Germany over the damages caused by a rabbit strike in August, as…

Read more

We can Kurgan

As we often write here, as we humans get more clever, we often discover magical places and things that sometimes make us question our own "superiority," even with our intellectual and technical prowess. A good example is the Royal Kurgan of Kerch.  The Royal Kurgan, also called the Tsarskiy Kurgan, is one of the most…

Read more

Not big enough. Try harder.

The future is sphere.  Have a look at these specifications for Las Vegas's new OTT spectacle. The MSG Sphere at The Venetian is a sphere-shaped music and entertainment arena being built in Paradise, Nevada, near the Las Vegas Strip and east of the Venetian resort. The 17,500-seat auditorium was initially scheduled to open in 2021…

Read more

Image: ANA PAULA LUSTOSA

Anthropological soup

Sometimes, you never know when you'll have an epiphany.  In this case, please form an orderly queue for the Brasilian surprise, Biatüwi. Located in Manaus, this unasuming eatery has burst into the limelight over this past year as the place to eat.  After much soul-searching, Clarinda Ramos (holding her breath) opened when enough friends, family…

Read more

Go, cat go!

Elvis Presley was a lot of things, but never boring. Whether it's his Army hip-shaking' days, to his Qaalude and banana sandwiches legend, The King will never disappear from the world stage. If you want to learn more, Peter Guralnick's two-volume work is currently considered the definitive Presley biography. His Last Train to Memphis: The Rise…

Read more

Let’s get Pagan!

The more we keep digging, the more we find about our ancient history.  With this, we can understand who we are, and why we behave the way that we do.  It's fascinating stuff. In this article, we cover the tumuli of Bougon, also called the necropolis of Bougon, an archaeological site dating back to the Neolithic…

Read more

300 kph kitty

Manga?  Man, go! Japan is a wonderous place of so many contrasts. Surgically-focused mega-corporations.  Almost unreal scenery.  Respectful and warm humans. And a Hello Kitty bullet train.  Never again will your commute be mundane.  You can even be the engineer - sort of. Enjoy the video below and experience it yourself.  Bullet trains in Japan are just…

Read more

Volk’s wagon

There can often be lots of fun things under your nose, and sometimes you miss them entirely.  Take the Brighton (UK) seashore, for example:  it has its own little railway.  Volk's Electric Railway (VER) is a narrow gauge heritage railway that runs along a length of the seafront of the English seaside resort of Brighton.…

Read more

Fall to pieces

Some music lasts forever, even if their creators don't.  Country singer Patsy Cline is one of those artists.  Even if you're not from the USA and a country music fan, her outputs will still likely linger in your head.  Like far too many musicians, Patsy Cline's life was cut short by a plane crash in…

Read more

Hope springs eternal

As always, hope springs eternal.  Mankind will always correct its errant ways and will always achieve its highest aspiratiions.  And, humans keep trying to make that so. In 1900, Ida Hofmann, a German pianist, and her companion Henry Oedenkoven, the 25-year-old son of a businessman from Antwerp, purchased a hill in Ascona which had been known…

Read more

Just close your eyes – it’ll be fine

Sometimes when we stay at a hotel, we're miffed when it doesn't have our favourite brand of coffee, or the pillow is too stiff, or it took three minutes to have more towels delivered.  Sheesh! But, it could be worse . . much worse. Is this Britain’s WORST hotel? Inside filthy seaside spot with dirty kitchen &…

Read more

Hail. I come from Nirivia

Here is something that you don't see often - a country within a state within a country.  Especially within the USA.  But, it's true.  Dear readers, please behold The Republic of Nirivia, which  resides in the middle of it all on the shores of one of the largest Great Lakes. Not only is Nirivia its own…

Read more

How now, Macau?

Macao is an autonomous region on the south coast of China, across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong. A Portuguese territory until 1999, it reflects a mix of cultural influences. Its giant casinos and malls on the Cotai Strip, which joins the islands of Taipa and Coloane, have earned it the nickname, "Las Vegas of…

Read more