The world of gargantuan statuary has changed considerably since we published the original Very Large Buddhas post just over 3 years ago. The title of world's largest statue is now held by the Spring Temple Buddha in Henan, China. The…

This rather innocuous-looking bridge over the River Thames is the latest in a long line of bridges to stand on this spot and lay claim to the name London Bridge. This current bridge opened in 1973, but a bridge has…

Today, the fourteenth of July, is the French national holiday that is known in English as Bastille day. The Bastille, a Parisian prison, was stormed on this day in 1789. Along with the Tennis Court Oath, it was the successful…

The giant Perito Moreno glacier in the Patagonian region of Argentina is notable for a couple of reasons. First of all, it is one of only three in the area that are not currently retreating. Secondly, it actually advances right…

Picher, Oklahoma is a small town in north-eastern Oklahoma near the Kansas-Missouri border. It was once a major hub for heavy metals extraction, boasting some of the most productive lead mines in the world. By the early 1970s however, all…

For our first post about Finland, we visit the capital Helsinki where we find Temppeliaukio - a circular dome-roofed rock church carved into a large granite outcropping. Rather more modern than the Ethiopian Rock Churches which I wrote about recently,…