Tag: Best of the Web
Behold, the Capuchin Monk Catacombs where it's said as many as 8000 corpses hang on the wall or in glass caskets on display for the world to see–fully clothed. Originally it started as a place to mummify Capuchin monks where after a year long draining and drying process, brothers could pray with the one they lost, instead of for them. Eventually it became known around Sicily and Italy at large that people could be preserved...for a price...and the monks set up a method of 'donation' wherein an annual payment assured your loved one would be mummified and propped up into a prominent niche for all to see. If you fell short on your payment the loved one was placed aside in a less visible position. Eventually the man who engineered this process died without fully passing on his knowledge for the technique. Thank goodness. But the bodies endure, decorated in tattered clothing from their era be they a priest, virgin, man, woman, or child. Believe it or not, it's mildly disturbing to walk around in there, especially in the children's room. Oh and before you ask... yes... it's illegal to photograph in there.I've added some beautiful photos of Sicily to the end so you can sleep tonight.
There's nothing more frightening than an artistically carved jack-o-lantern on Halloween night. Carving pumpkins has been a Halloween tradition since the late 1800's. Now, divers in the Florida Keys have taken this carving tradition underwater.
Is Lana'i the best island to reveal your inner cat lady? After visiting Lana'i Animal Rescue Center I'm convinced it is. The center is home to nearly four-hundred cats that roam the center's 3.4 acres. The cats climb trees, sleep in custom built cat suites, and sunbathe in the Hawaiian sun. The center offers felines for adoption, but I'm not sure a cat would ever want to leave this place. If you'd like to visit and get your feline fix, email kathy@lanaianimalrescue.org
Cruises — travelers seem to love or loathe them. Some people think of being on a boat as a vacation in itself; others see these vessels as merely a means of accessing the remote islands they dream of. Our mixed bag of contributors contains plenty of both. Follow them as they fend off unwelcome guests in Borneo, become one with the moai on Easter Island and sail to the end of the world. Seas are calm right now, but that could change.
Multifaceted, articulate, and surprisingly humorous, Nigel Haywood is incumbent Governor of the Falkland Islands and Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. In addition to his diplomatic charge, which he see's simply as to assist the people of the islands as they wish, he is an avid angler. When fishing for trout and mullet some days, he may write a speech in his head, while on others he won't recall a single thought in the world. When determined however, he admits fishing can be the extreme opposite of relaxing, and in the Falklands, can also leave you quite damp. See more at 51DegreesSouth.com
Set sail in the British Virgin Islands. The turquoise sea looks good enough to drink, but we brought provisions for a week anyways - enough to go island-hopping, shipwreck diving, and cave snorkeling. As night falls in a sea of anchor lights, I find myself surrounded by stars above and below.
“Mauritius Island” is a true postcard that you pin to your refrigerator. There are white beaches, mountains, waterfalls, lagoons and behind this a beautiful country. I will tell you the legend of a wave called "One Eye." People travel from all over the world to ride it. We love it, we respect it–but very few of us know the real story of this world class surf break.
Sharp, and charmingly mischievous, Charlie MacKenzie was keeper at Cape Pembroke Lighthouse isolated on the easternmost point of the Falkland archipelago. Revisiting the site, the white bearded, coverall clad Charlie vividly recalls passing time with HAM Radio, hiding contraband and eventually "the day they came" when he found himself at the apex of an invasion. Today, both the beacon and its keeper are in their own rights, true landmarks of these islands.Cape Pembroke Lighthouse, standing at 56ft tall was built in 1855 and rebuilt in 1906. The light operated continuously up until the invasion of 1982 when it was put out of operation and subsequently fell into years of disrepair, mostly at the hands of vandals . The lighthouse was officially restored in 1990 and is now a historical listed building. See more at 51DegreesSouth.com
New Zealand is home to Middle-earth once again, with the release of the first of three films based on 'The Hobbit' on December 14th. To mark this moment in cinematic history, New Zealand Post is issuing official stamps as well as the only official legal tender commemorative coins from Middle-earth.
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