November 10, 2022

UNUSUAL MYSTERIES  Who Murdered This Famous Goose?  In 1988, the talk of the town in Hastings, Nebraska, was a two-year-old goose named Andy, who had been born with no feet but who had been recently outfitted with baby shoes, stuffed with foam rubber. The goose’s story is one of a meteoric rise and devastating fall—the Footless Goose would become first an international superstar, then the victim of a brutal murder, then the subject of a mysterious cover-up.  READ MORE → GHENT, BELGIUM Cuberdons A tiny battle rages in Belgium, involving several vendors, a street brawl, a bucket of water, and legal action, all over one of the country’s lesser-known candies: cuberdons, conical sweets that have a candy shell on the outside and thick, gooey syrup on the inside. Due to cuberdons’ resemblance to a certain facial feature, they’re also known as “small noses” in Flemish. It’s only fitting, then, that the bitter vendor disputes surrounding the sweet have become known as the “War of the Noses.” READ MORE → ANIMAL RESCUE Saving Ukraine’s Bats The Ukrainian Bat Rehabilitation Center, an organization of biologists and veterinarians who rescue and treat injured bats, has become the largest bat rescue and research facility in Eastern Europe. But the war changed everything. The center lost all its funding in February, and some of its staff and collaborators were drafted. And hundreds of trapped bats—which are a key part of the ecosystem—began dying in destroyed or abandoned buildings. The race is on to save these injured animals, despite shelling and accusations of spreading bioweapons. READ MORE → SPONSORED BY DISCOVER ATLANTA Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea Party When patrons offer coffee or tea from Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea Party, a teashop in Atlanta’s Candler Park village, they don’t just leave caffeinated—they walk away knowing their purchase helped educate, clothe, and empower women in Darjeeling, India. A portion of all the shop’s sales benefit women who age out of orphanages and cannot afford to pursue an education. LEARN MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA Savory Cocktails The word “cocktail” once meant something very specific. When it first entered the English language in the 19th century, it “denoted something far more specific: spirits or wine, sweetened with sugar, diluted (if necessary) with water, and spiced with a few dashes of bitters—that is, a medicinal infusion of bitter roots, herbs, barks and spices.” But these days, cocktails are going in a decidedly savory direction. Here’s a primer on how to balance savory, salty, and sharp flavors in a drink. READ MORE → WANGARATTA, AUSTRALIA Grave of Daniel "Mad Dog" Morgan Daniel “Mad Dog” Morgan is one of Australia’s most notorious bushrangers, once described as “the most bloodthirsty ruffian that ever took to the bush in Australia.” Born in 1830, he began by stealing horses and cattle, before becoming a bushranger. There is no hint of the image of a “champion” or “gentleman” that accompanies the other famous bushrangers like Ned Kelly or Ben Hall. He’s buried here in Wangaratta Cemetery. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES Taste Honey Like an Expert Join beekeeper and honey sensory expert C. Marina Marchese and learn how to taste honey like a sommelier. Using methods practiced by sensory experts, we'll evaluate samples of honey and learn a new vocabulary to describe their scents, flavors, and textures. We’ll cover everything from floral sources and terroir to human psychology and physiology—exploring how both internal and external factors influence the way we experience each drop. ENROLL TODAY → BLAST FROM THE PAST 105-Year-Old Time Capsule In April 2020, conservators and historians were pleasantly surprised to find that—thanks to smartly designed copper boxes—the ephemera tucked inside a time capsule buried in the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery had aged gracefully, a century after being sealed. READ MORE → TUNIS, TUNISIA Hotel du Lac The structure is well-known among lovers of Brutalist architecture around the world. Fans of the Star Wars movie franchise will certainly find some familiarity with the silhouette of the hotel. Indeed, the first movie in the series was filmed nearby in Tunisia during 1976 (Episode IV - A New Hope). Perhaps it’s just mere coincidence that the “Sandcrawler,” a huge mobile fortress in the movie, is designed with a near-identical shape to the extraordinary Hotel Du Lac? READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA TRIPS A Culinary Adventure from Hanoi to Saigon Vietnam is home to a breathtaking assortment of architectural, natural wonders, and arguably the best street food on the planet. On this nine-day journey, we’ll explore the country through its unique cuisine, tasting our way across north, central, and south Vietnam by way of steaming pork belly meatballs in Hanoi’s Old Quarter and the white rose dumplings of Hoi An. Come with an eager palate, an empty stomach, and, possibly, a flexible return ticket—once you’ve had a taste of this place, it’s difficult to say goodbye. BOOK NOW →