Qadam train station was once the pride of Syria’s capital, for some a symbol of post-war revival A train station in Damascus was once the pride of the Syrian capital, an essential link between Europe and the Arabian Peninsula during the Ottoman Empire and then a national transit hub. But more than a decade of war left it a wasteland of bullet-scarred walls and twisted steel. The Qadam station’s remaining staff say they still have an attachment to the railway and hope that it, like the country, can be revived after the swift and stunning downfall of leader Bashar Assad last month. On a recent day, train operator Mazen Malla led us through the landscape of charred train cars and workshops damaged by artillery fire. Bullet casings littered the ground. Malla grew up near the s...
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Unusual places and destinations around the world- natural and man-made!
A butterfly collector in Africa with more than 4.2 million seeks to share them for the future
What began as a childhood hobby more than six decades ago has led to what might be Africa’s largest butterfly collection in a suburb of Kenya’s capital. Steve Collins, 74, was born and raised in western Kenya. By the age of 5, he was fascinated by butterflies and started building a collection that has grown to more than 4.2 million, representing hundreds of species. “My parents encouraged us to look for butterflies after visiting the Congo and were gifted a trapping net by some friends,” Collins said. “By the time I was 15 years old, I was already visiting other countries like Nigeria to study more about butterflies.” During his 20-year career as an agronomist, Collins dedicated his free time to research. He established the African Butterfly Research Institute in 1997. Now...
Read MoreLA-based PaintScaping, a global leader in 3D projection mapping, has created DINO LUMINA, the world's first dinosaur park that uses giant projections on invisible screens. As guests walk thru the forest, they are surrounded by full-sized dinosaurs that, unlike animatronics, are walking, running, fighting, and hunting. This limited engagement runs at the Dallas Zoo, until Monday, January 6, 2025. A CGI trailblazer, PaintScaping CEO Philippe Bergeron previously collaborated with Daniel Langlois, the genius behind SoftImage—the groundbreaking software that brought Jurassic Park's dinosaurs to life. Dino roars for the crowd "Daniel was instrumental in creating one of the most memorable scenes in movie history, when we see the dinosaurs for the first time," no...
Read MoreHalloween – a time for thrills, chills and wonderful traditions. But did you know that everyone’s favorite spooky holiday began in Ireland? Trace Halloween right back to its origins and you’ll find yourself in the mists of pagan Ireland over 3,000 years ago – a time when the ancient festival of Samhain was celebrated in the heart of Ireland's Ancient East to mark the beginning of winter. Marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, Samhain was a time when the Celts believed the veil between the living and the dead was at its thinnest. Bonfires were lit, costumes were worn to ward off spirits, and offerings were made to appease the otherworldly beings. Why not go back there this year where festivalgoers and fans of folklore are in for a treat as Púca Fest...
Read MoreHalloween loving Brits looking for a spooky encounter are being given tips on the most haunted stately homes and castles to visit across the UK – as 23% confess to believing in ghosts and 42% say they know someone who’s seen one. The travel and motoring insurance experts at Tiger.co.uk conducted a spooky survey and started investigating some of the ghostliest destinations with the most haunted tales. Some of the earliest recorded ghost sightings date back to the first century AD and while there are no official recordings throughout the centuries, stories of ghosts and ghouls lurk across every corner of the UK. The experts have found spooky stately homes and castles in Scotland, Cornwall, Norfolk and North Yorkshire, uncovering ghosts including the White Lady in Lanc...
Read More1966 Ferrari 275 GTB wins Best of Show at 2024 Concorso d’Eleganza Varignana 1705
# A distinguished panel of global automotive experts judged 35 mostly pre-1973 cars, meticulously selected for their design, provenance, and engineering excellence across six competitive classes # The event - in its second year - saw some of the most prestigious collection of motor cars come together for one weekend at the luxury Palazzo di Varignana in Bologna, Italy # Other category winners included a 1925 Bugatti Type 35A, a 1950 Alfa Romeo 2500 SS Villa D'Este, and a 1964 Porsche 904, among many other extraordinary vehicles celebrating automotive heritage The Concorso d’Eleganza Varignana 1705 has concluded its second edition with the iconic 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB, owned by Mr Giuseppe Matildi, awarded the prestigious Best of Show prize. This year's event was he...
Read MoreDiscover a legendary chapter in maritime history as you step aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2), the world’s most celebrated ocean liner, now permanently docked as a floating hotel in Dubai. While the QE2 no longer sails the high seas, it remains a living testament to a bygone era of luxury travel and historic voyages. Today, guests have the unique opportunity to explore this iconic vessel through through highly informative and unique guided heritage tours, offering an unparalleled glimpse into the ship’s illustrious past. Ferghal Purcell, General Manager, Queen Elizabeth 2 Hotel said, “The Queen Elizabeth 2 is a living piece of history, a vessel that has sailed through some of the most significant moments of the 20th century. Every corner of this iconic vessel tells a story of adventu...
Read MoreContestants from all over the Netherlands gathered in the central village of Polsbroekerdam on Saturday for the yearly national 'fierljeppen' or canal vaulting contest. Over 2,000 people gathered to watch 48 competitors across five categories battle it out for the championship where contestants have to vault the greatest distance across the water using a pole. "Fierljeppen is a really extreme sport," organiser Danny Baas told Reuters. A contestant takes part in a yearly national 'fierljeppen' or canal vaulting contest in the village of Polsbroekerdam, Netherlands August 31, 2024. REUTERS/Bart Biesemans Contestants run at a long pole on one side of a canal, jump in and while the pole is tipping over to the other side they climb in as high as they can, to land as far as possible...
Read MoreIn the country's first underwater military museum, tanks, a helicopter, and an armored vehicle are just some items that divers can swim around and see resting on the seabed near the Jordanian city of Aqaba. The vehicles, imitating a battle formation, have been stationed at a coral reef in the Red Sea. Inaugurated in 2019, the museum was created with the hope that the underwater structures will enhance the environment for marine life, encouraging more diving enthusiasts. The museum also hopes to relieve the pressure on natural reefs by drawing visitors away from those sites. Fish swim next to a submerged military vehicle at the Underwater Military Museum in Aqaba, Jordan, May 7. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas The war machines were sunk in a depth range of 15 to 28 meters, stationed al...
Read MoreAlong with taking in temples and cherry blossoms, Tokyo visitors can now join a curated pilgrimage of the city's more modern wonders: its public toilets. Penelope Panczuk was inspired to hop on the Tokyo Toilet Shuttle for a two-hour tour of artistically enhanced public conveniences by "Perfect Days", the Oscar-nominated film about a toilet cleaner in the city's Shibuya district. Foreign tourists get their photos taken in front of a public toilet which was redesigned as part of a project to transform public toilets into restrooms that can be used comfortably by everyone, during a Tokyo Toilet Shuttle Tour, at Shibuya ward, in Tokyo, Japan April 4, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon "In the U.S. or in France where I originally come from, you just don't go," Panczuk said of using public ...
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