Wintery myths and legends
We know that spring will soon be here, but in the past people couldn’t be so sure. So what did folk around the world think caused the cold conditions and long nights?
Unusual races from around the world
Running on a treadmill, or pounding the same old streets, can be a bit repetitive. So why not enter one of these unusual races instead?
Legends and folklore from around Poland
Poland is a country with beautiful cities, mountains and forests. But, beneath the beauty, it has a strange history of kings being eaten by mice, musicians being hit by arrows and dragons drinking so much that they pop.
4 spooky ghost towns from around the globe
Although Halloween may be over, the scent of pumpkins and (for some reason) latte are still on the chill autumn air, so let’s take a peek at some of the more spooky ghost towns from around the world.
Autumn traditions from around the world
Autumn is here (apparently) and we all have our own traditions, be it the first pumpkin spice latte of the season, or the ceremonial Changing of the Coats. But what about the rest of the world? What do they do when the leaves start to fall from the tree and the nights get darker?
Everything you always wanted to know about spiders (and maybe some stuff you didn’t)
First off, I’m sorry. As something of an arachnophobe myself, I know how scary these creepy crawlies can be. Just ask my wife about the time I walked through the spider exhibit at the London Zoological Society, while making a small keening noise and trying to make myself as tiny as possible.
4 animals who sleep in a surprising way
I once knew an absolute animal who would fall asleep while eating a kebab at the end of the night. But that’s not the sort of animals I’m talking about here. Going to sleep is the highlight of my day. Don’t pity me – I live a full and well-rounded life. It just so happens that napping down brings me a huge amount of joy. Maybe I was a desert snail in a past life…
Pheasant Island: The island that changes countries every six months
When you first look at it, Pheasant Island doesn’t seem like anything special at all – it’s a tiny island in the middle of the Bidasoa, a river that runs between France and Spain; it’s only 660 feet long and 130 feet wide; and it’s gradually eroding away.
Welwitschia mirabilis: The world’s toughest plant
Last year, I decided my bathroom needed brightening up with a plant of some kind. But the windowless, sunlight-abandoned room didn’t really seem like the best place for a living creature (apart from me during my toileting and showering). After a bit of research, I settled on an orchid. Needless to say, my bathroom now features two dead sticks in a pot.
The Dancing House: Prague’s wonkiest building
The other morning, I woke up feeling quite dizzy. Unless I was lying flat on my back, the room felt like it was spinning, just a little bit. (No, I wasn’t drunk.) It was horrible. But I imagine this is how the people who live in the Nationale-Nederlanden building in Prague feel every day.