Plants aren’t usually thought of as very fast moving – they stay in one place, almost completely still, occasionally drooping over if you forget to water them. In some cases, however, plants can be amazingly quick; grabbing hold of insects, shooting out their...
Pamukkale (pronounced “par-moo-car-lay”) is a UNESCO world heritage site in south west Turkey. The name translates as “cotton castle”, but whoever came up with this can’t have been looking very closely: Pamukkale is not a castle and, what...
I love weird weather. Hot, sunny days are all well and good but I find stormy, dramatic skies especially thrilling. Even when they pour water on me and mess up my hair. This morning, from the windows of our office in Southend-on-Sea, we were treated to a particularly...
Around the world, coffee production provides a livelihood for 25 million people. For them, coffee is a reason to get up in the morning while, for everyone else, it’s the reason they can get up in the morning. Over two billion cups of coffee are drunk every single day,...
To many people, a hotel is just a necessity – somewhere to sleep and to store the suitcase while they’re out exploring. As long as the room has a bed, preferably a bathroom and ideally a well-stocked minibar, it doesn’t need much else. Sometimes, however,...
I have a Spanish friend who balks when he sees me liberally applying vinegar to my chips. Apparently, in Spain NO ONE puts vinegar on their chips – it’s weird. They do, however, put it on their strawberries. And that’s not weird. This got me thinking about...
In the 21st century, we’re surrounded by giant images – you can’t walk down the street without a 30-foot Jonathan Ross trying to sell you a TV subscription. In the past, however, people weren’t so lucky and had to create their own pictures from their...
At one time or another, every country in the world will hold a parade. Often these parades will be used to celebrate a successful national sporting team. Sometimes, a country will arrange a parade to mark a royal wedding. In a small number of countries, a parade might...
Caves are often thought of as little more than empty holes in the ground, but this is only half right; they’re holes with things in them. Far from being just a hollow space, caves are full of curiosities – unusual rock formations, prehistoric artwork and, frequently,...
Everyone loves a theme park. Except me, of course. Maybe I’m a bit of a grump, but if I’m going to spend £40 on something that makes me nauseated, I’d rather queue up at the sweet shop than Alton Towers. My own experiences aside, amusement parks have been...
