May 20, 2022

ODENSE, DENMARK  Submerged Sculpture of Hans Christian Andersen  Odense is the hometown of Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), and the city has plenty of monuments commemorating the world-renowned fairy tale author. This particular one was crafted by local artist Jens Galschiøt, but when the city council cut the project’s funding and failed to find a suitable downtown location for the artwork, the sculptor arranged a public “burial” for his statue. The €250,000-sculpture ended up being lifted up in the air by a crane before slowly being submerged into the water in front of hundreds of “mourners” devouring free hot dogs and “funeral beer.” Would Andersen have been delighted by the spectacle? You tell us. READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA Chocolate Pudding Fruit: An Investigation It sounds too good to be true. Zapote negro, or chocolate pudding fruit, is native to Central America, and some say it tastes sweet and mild, with chocolatey overtones. Does it live up to the hype? An investigation—and some ideas on how to make the best foods out of the fruit. You’re welcome in advance. READ MORE → ANCIENT CREATURES Predatory Worms More than 20 million years ago, off the coast of what is now northern Taiwan, a marine creature tunneled vertically in the seafloor sand, then veered to the side. Every now and then, the animal—probably a skinny, sprawling, ancient worm—jutted its head above the sediment, snatched some prey, and dragged the unwitting morsel into its warren. When it died, its body wasn’t preserved, but though its body has vanished, scientists can begin to decode the story of its life thanks to evidence of its ambushes. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES | STARTS 5/25 Hidden Mythology: Decoding Everyday Symbols If you know where to look for them, symbols can be found everywhere from our coffee cups to classical art. Join mythologist Dr. John Bucher to learn to decode the hidden meanings and mythology behind the symbols that surround us. ENROLL TODAY → THE HOTTEST SHOW IN TOWN… Staging Train Wrecks From 1896 until the 1930s, staged train wrecks were a popular—albeit destructive—event at fairs and festivals across the U.S., long before anyone ever thought of wrecking old automobiles at a demolition derby or monster truck rally. Organizers would lay a stretch of track, usually anywhere from 1,800 feet to a mile-long, and then get two old steam. Two engineers would pull the throttles as far back as they could, then jump from the locomotive before it crashed in front of a crowd, who had all paid to be there. READ MORE → SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND Ruins Of Sheffield Ski Village When the first slope at Sheffield Ski Village opened in 1988, it was to much fanfare. In the years that followed, the site expanded exponentially. By 1994, there were eight slopes, a bar, a lodge, and shops. Olympians even trained there. But today, after a spate of arson incidents, Sheffield Ski Village is now more of a crumbling ruin—a place that’s perfect for a picnic or to get a taste of what the apocalypse might look like. READ MORE → THE ATLAS OBSCURA PODCAST The Places We Return To In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, our contributors take listeners to some of the places they loved so much they keep going back. From a beloved ‘mountain’ to a lush diorama in a museum, dive into some of our teammates’ favorite places. Got your own place that calls you to return again and again? Submit a voice memo at hello@atlasobscura.com.  DEEP DIVES The World’s First Underwater Farm Sergio Gamberini had a dream. Gamberini, a professional scuba diver and amateur gardener from Liguria, a coastal region in north-west Italy, wondered if he could grow a vegetable garden underwater. Today, his project, named “Nemo’s Garden,” counts six underwater greenhouses hosting an estimated 700 plants including basil, tomatoes, salad, strawberries, aloe vera, mint, marjoram, and liquorice. As you can imagine, though, the journey from what many saw as an “odd experiment” to full-scale underwater farm wasn’t easy. READ MORE → MGARR, MALTA Ta' Hagrat Temples In the Maltese village of Mġarr, you can find the remains of a stone temple that is one of the oldest known religious sites in the world. Known as Ta’ Ħaġrat, the structure is made up of a megalithic temple that dates back to the Ġgantija phase (3600–3200 B.C.) and an irregularly shaped lobed structure from the later Saflieni phase (3300–3000 B.C.). While Ta’ Ħaġrat might be one of the smaller Maltese temple sites, its beautiful rural views, impressive megalithic entrance, and daunting stone facade make it well worth the visit. READ MORE → SPONSORED BY TRAVEL NEVADA Basque Food… In Nevada? In fact, Nevada is known for it! In sparsely-populated northeastern Nevada, towns such as Elko are oases in the Great Basin Desert, and almost all of them have an old Basque hotel. How did Basque people, whose language is the oldest in Europe and not known to be related to any other on Earth, and whose cuisine is based on a rich seafaring history, end up running hotels in the middle of the Nevada desert? READ MORE →