Did You Know ... ? Malta claims the world’s oldest freestanding temple, Ggantija on Gozo (earliest construction: 3600 B.C.). Tradition says St. Paul was shipwrecked on Malta in about 60 A.D. The Malta archipelago, at 122 square miles, is not quite twice the size of Washington, D.C. Maltese is the
Did You Know ... ? The 1959 movie, “South Pacific,” was shot on Malaysia's Tioman Island. Malaysia’s first railway, built in 1869, was made of wood — and was soon destroyed by ants. The country’s paper money is really made of plastic. The rafflesia, the world’s largest flower, can be
Did You Know? The Saxon name for Luxembourg City was Lucilinburhuc, meaning little fortress. Luxembourg is the world’s only grand duchy (meaning headed by a grand duke). More than 60% of Luxembourg City’s inhabitants are foreigners. Luxembourg has Europe’s highest per capita income. The country’s Grand Duchess Maria Teresa was
Did You Know ... ? At the Mount Kenya Safari Club, guests cross the Equator to get to the restaurants. In Kenya, hitchhikers flag drivers by flapping their arms up and down. Roughly 3 million to 3.5 million animals move in East Africa’s annual Great Migration. Kenya is home to
Did You Know ... ? Jordan’s Queen Noor was American born; she was married to the late King Hussein. John the Baptist began and ended his ministry in Jordan; he’s the patron saint for Jordan’s Roman Catholics. Much of the 1962 movie, "Lawrence of Arabia," was filmed in Wadi Rum.
Did You Know...? There are fewer than 10,000 geisha in Japan today. Kansai International Airport sits on an artificial island that is sinking (as expected). The same family has owned the Houshi Ryokan in Awazu for 46 generations. Japan is home to 10% of the world’s active volcanoes. Also, the
Did You Know...? The ortanique, a cross between a tangerine and orange, is unique to Jamaica. Back to Africa’s Marcus Garvey and pirate Blackbeard (Edward Teach) were natives. Jamaica opened the first railway (1845) outside Europe and North America’s mainland. More than 252 bird species are found on the island;
Did You Know...? Two independent countries lie within Italy’s borders: San Marino and Vatican City. Marco Polo did not bring pasta to Italy; the Italians had already thought of it. Turin was Italy’s first capital (1861), followed by Florence (1865) and Rome (1871). Italy is home to about one in
Did You Know...? Israel uses kosher glue on its stamps. The Dead Sea is evaporating; it loses about three feet of depth each year. Israel counts about 100 kinds of wild mammals, compared with 140 varieties in all of Europe. Israel has more cell phones than people. The same two
Did you know ... ? Gaeltacht refers to areas, mostly to the west, where the Irish language is common. Ireland’s Valentia Island is the westernmost point in Europe. Leprechauns of Celtic folktales are shoemakers for other fairies. University College Dublin houses more than 100,000 tales, myths and legends, the world’s