The long, cold winter nights are over, and thanks to the natural light, we can finally see the filth that’s been hidden in our homes for months. It’s a tradition in many households to have a good clear-out during springtime, but who do we have to blame (or thank) for the spring clean?
The meaning of the phrase “ice cream” varies from one country to another, with terms such as gelato, frozen yoghurt and sorbet being used to describe the variations and styles. There is some speculation over where and when ice cream was invented. Some historians consider it was created in the Persian Empire when people would pour fruit juices over snow, whilst others believe it has origins in China in 200 BC. Vanilla may be the most popular ice cream flavour of all time, but if you fancy something a little more adventurous why not try one of these unusual flavours whilst on your travels.
In the UK, cherry blossom is just a lovely leaf accompaniment created by the cherry tree at spring time. But in Japan, cherry blossom, known as sakura, is an altogether more important business.
The Coso artefact is a small, metal and porcelain object that was found in California in 1961. There’s nothing unusual about that (I’m sure there are lots of small, metal and porcelain objects in California), but this one was found inside a geode, which would’ve taken around 500,000 years to form.
If, for some reason, running 26 miles through London’s rainy streets doesn’t appeal to you (or if you’ve applied to take part but haven’t won a spot in the inexplicably popular race) then maybe you’ll need to travel a bit further to find the right competition.
When people say, “Oh, it’s raining cats and dogs,” you know it’s metaphorical. But having done some research, I’ve found some truly peculiar occasions where things other than rain have fallen from the sky. Here’s a list of my favourites:
According to “conventional” history, powered aircraft have only been around since the beginning of the twentieth century. So, if this is true, why were the Quimbaya civilisation making little model aeroplanes a thousand years ago?
The word “electricity” wasn’t even thought of until the 17th century, but that didn’t stop the ancient Parthians from creating (what some people think are) batteries capable of delivering a small electrical charge.
Sometimes described as an “Asian Stonehenge”, the Plain of Jars is an area in Laos covered in thousands of stone jars. The jars have all been carved out of solid rock and range from one metre high (not terribly impressive) all the way up to three metres high (slightly impressive).
Around the world, horses come in many forms – some are giant, some are stripy, some have Frankie Dettori sitting on their back. Here’s a quick gallop around a few of them: