Did you know ... ? John Huston’s “The Night of the Iguana” (1964) was filmed in Puerto Vallarta. Jalisco, Puerto Vallarta’s state, is the home of mariachi music. Only tequila made in the town of Tequila (in Jalisco) can carry the town name. The local brew raicilla is believed to
Did You Know? The Dominican Republic is North America’s main source of amber. Puerto Plata got its name a decade after Christopher Columbus called it a puerto plata (i.e., silver port). The words barbecue, hammock and hurricane originated with the Taino, the first Dominican inhabitants. Nearby La Isabela was the
Did You Know? It took nearly 600 years to build St. Vitus Cathedral (1344-1929). Czechs drove on the left side of the road until Hitler invaded and changed that. Prague’s Old-New Synagogue is Europe’s oldest functioning synagogue (1270). The Prague Castle complex covers 111 acres, almost equal to Vatican City
Did You Know? The Mayflower sailed from Southampton (but had to return to Plymouth before heading to America). Portsmouth is home to the Victory, the world’s oldest commissioned ship (launched 1765, commissioned 1778). The Titanic nearly collided with another ship at Southampton, an accident that would have precluded later catastrophe.
Did You Know? The Mayflower sailed from Southampton (but had to return to Plymouth before heading to America). Portsmouth is home to the Victory, the world’s oldest commissioned ship (launched 1765, commissioned 1778). The Titanic nearly collided with another ship at Southampton, an accident that would have precluded later catastrophe.
Did You Know...? The Leaning Tower began to tilt while in construction; adjustments left the top leaning less than lower sections. Pisa Cathedral was the world’s largest cathedral when built in the 11th century. Pisa had around 700 tower houses, which lost their top floors when Florence took over the
Did You Know ... ? The Printemps department store has the world’s largest beauty department, 43,000 square feet. During the French Revolution, Notre-Dame Cathedral was used as a warehouse. Wide boulevards were created in part to keep revolutionaries from barricading streets. The Eiffel Tower, built in 1889, was meant to
Did You Know? Disneyland Paris covers nearly 5,000 acres, one-fifth the area of Paris. Chartres Cathedral’s stained-glass windows, including 150-plus early 13th century works, cover 27,000 square feet. Versailles debuted with gushing outdoor fountains but no indoor plumbing for toilets or bathing. Forty-two kings, 32 queens and 63 princes and
Did You Know? Lewis Carroll named Alice in Wonderland for the daughter of the dean of Oxford’s Christ Church. Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world (1191, maybe earlier). Blenheim, Winston Churchill’s birthplace, is Britain's only private palace. Oxford University Press (first book, 1478) is the world’s largest
Did You Know? In winter, a section of Rideau Canal is the world’s longest ice skating rink, five miles. Queen Victoria selected Ottawa to be Canada’s capital. Ottawa’s tulip festival is the world’s largest, attracting some 600,000 people annually. Holland’s Princess Margriet was born in Ottawa, the first European
