November 11, 2022

GASTRO OBSCURA  Emperor Hadrian’s… Olive Oil  Hadrian’s Villa, a 250-acre archeological complex located in Tivoli, 20 miles outside of Rome, has inspired an unlikely collaboration between art historians and farmers. Today, Hadrian’s Villa produces around 1,500 liters of olive oil yearly, made from olives harvested from the 3,000 olive trees in the villa gardens. Olea Hadriani (Hadrian’s oil, in Latin) is officially recognized as a product of Rome, and is only available at the estate.  READ MORE → QUAKERTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA Boova Shenkel Imagine a Chinese potsticker dumpling with a white dough wrapper, browned in a frying pan. It’s huge. When it’s put in front of you, it’ll have caramelized onions on top like pierogies do. Cut it open and you´ll find the same sort of peppery potato filling you’ll see in knishes. These are boova shenkel, the traditional filled dumplings of the Pennsylvania Dutch. READ MORE → KOLKATA, INDIA Chinese Kali Mandir Tangra is a region in east Kolkata, and is also known as China Town. For many generations, it housed several tanneries owned by people of Hakka Chinese origin. This temple is the only temple to Kali that was established and managed by the Chinese community of Kolkata, and is visited throughout the year by the local Chinese and Bengali people. READ MORE → SPONSORED BY THE MAINE OFFICE OF TOURISM See Maine From Above There’s already plenty to see and do in Maine with your feet firmly planted on the ground. But what if you could change your vantage point and get above it all? From the state’s highest peaks to hot air balloons soaring through the sky, there’s nothing stopping your high-flying self from seeing Maine’s grandeur in a whole new light. Elevate your itinerary today. LEARN MORE → HAUNTED PAINTINGS Was This Boy To Blame For Fires? On September 4, 1985, British tabloid The Sun published “Blazing Curse of the Crying Boy Picture!” a story about a very unlucky painting that caused fires, supported by the comments of a local fire station officer. These paintings, the firefighter said, turned up mysteriously unscathed in fires across the U.K., all of which started spontaneously. If the fact that paintings of crying kids were hung in the living rooms of multiple households makes you double-take, you’re not alone. READ MORE → LONACONING, MARYLAND Lonaconing Furnace What does a furnace have to do with pigs? Well, first of all, we have to clarify—the “pigs” here refers to a mold that shaped molten iron. And this blast furnace in Lonaconing, Maryland, was the first in the United States to use coal and coke fuel instead of charcoal to make pig iron. Its heyday, however, only lasted about two decades. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES Experiment With Scent Led by Saskia Wilson-Brown, the founder and director of The Institute for Art and Olfaction, this course will provide an overview of perfumery—from the history and foundations of the craft to the contemporary industry and experimental perfume practices. We'll look at a historic formula, spend time smelling our materials, and create several short perfume formulas. ENROLL TODAY → HISTORICAL CURES Corpse Medicine If you had money in 17th-century England and happened to fall ill, there was purportedly one cure that could save you. Goddard’s Drops, or which later came to be known as King’s Drops, was considered a miracle cure for all manner of ailments. The recipe for this liquid concoction was complex, involving numerous components and multiple distillations, but its efficacy supposedly hinged on one crucial ingredient: a powder consisting of five pounds of crushed human skulls. Yikes. READ MORE → ORLANDO, FLORIDA ‘Fantasy Swan’ Many public parks around the world are home to unique works of art, and Lake Eola Park in Downtown Orlando is no exception. At first glance, the Fantasy Swan sculpture may not seem very special, just an ordinary statue of a girl with a swan for company. It’s nearly impossible to guess what it actually depicts, however, as the piece is based on an original fantasy story authored by its donor, an Orlando local named Angi Perretti. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA TRIPS Machu Picchu and the Last Incan Bridges Trace the living legacy of the Incan Empire as you journey to the spectacular ruins at Machu Picchu, visit one of the last Incan Rope Bridges, and delve into the enduring Inca influences on modern Peruvian culture. You’ll soar above the mysterious Nazca Lines etched in the desert, feel the morning mist as you walk the Inca Trail, and get to know local artisans during a weaving workshop. BOOK NOW →