August 05, 2022

A NEW CHAPTER  Venetian Bookbinding Tradition  The first thing one notices upon approaching Paolo Olbi’s bookstore from Ca’ Foscari bridge in Venice is the intricate patterns and vibrant colors. His carefully displayed selection of handmade books are traditionally hand-bound, using techniques that can only be learned through apprenticeships with masters of the form. When Olbi started in this trade, there were around 20 traditional bookbinding shops in Venice. Today, he is one of just three.  READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA Food On the Go As long as humans have ventured far from home, they’ve sought to master the art of eating well on the move. For early adventurers, meals were purely functional, like the protein-packed energy bars that fueled ancient Great Plains hunters or the hard biscuits that explorers packed for Antarctic expeditions. But as travel has evolved, so too has travel food. This summer, Gastro Obscura is celebrating extraordinary stories of food on-the-go with a new series, “Moveable Feasts.” READ MORE → GORDOLA, SWITZERLAND Verzasca Dam Hidden among the towering mountains of the Central Alps, the Verzasca Dam (also known as the Contra Dam) looms quietly in the background of the small resort town of Locarno, Switzerland. The dam was originally meant to provide hydroelectric power to the Verzasca Valley region, but now it’s home to the third-tallest bungee jump in the world. This death-defying activity was inspired by a certain James Bond film—do you know which one? READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES | TOMORROW Fairy Tale Writing Fairy tales have long offered rich source material for stories. In this seminar with author Anca L. Szilágyi, delve into the genre of fairy tales—reading and dissecting modern retellings before sharing and workshopping a draft of your own. Class time will include a mix of mini-lectures, discussion, writing, and sharing fresh writing in pairs, small groups, or with the whole group. ENROLL NOW → FROM OUR CONTRIBUTORS A Personal New England Tour Atlas Obscura would not be possible without the work of our dedicated community, who help us add more wondrous places to the site every day. So we love to spotlight some of our most active contributors in order for them to tell us all a little more about themselves. Today, we meet Josh Woolstenhulme, or @TheDiscoveryService, who has been digging deeper to see what hidden wonders he could unearth across central Massachusetts. READ MORE → ATHENS, GREECE Ruins at Coco Mat Athens B.C. Hotel When developers began constructing the hotel in Athens, they were surprised to find the ruins of an ancient civilization. Greek laws protecting archaeological sites and artifacts are strict, requiring the ruins to be protected and made available for display to the public. As such, visitors to the hotel can see the ruins on display in the main hotel lobby, protected with a secure perimeter and partial glass flooring. READ MORE → THE ATLAS OBSCURA PODCAST The Blue Whale of Catoosa In this episode of the podcast, we visit Catoosa, Oklahoma, the site of a massive landlocked whale—and possibly the greatest anniversary gift ever. LISTEN ON OUR SITE →    LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS →    LISTEN ON SPOTIFY →    LISTEN ON STITCHER → FUN FUNGI New Zealand’s Blue Mushroom E. hochstetteri is a mushroom, and it’s blue. It’s really, really, really blue—almost unbelievably blue, saturated in a way more often associated with kids’ markers or mouth-staining candy than with fungi.The diminutive mushrooms play an outsized role in New Zealand’s cultural landscape and also flourishes in locals’ lives, with the Māori using these mushrooms as food, medicine, and pigments for tattoos. Come learn about this mushroom that blue us all away. READ MORE → KATHMANDU, NEPAL Apollo Lunar Sample Displays When the astronauts of Apollo 11 went to the moon, they brought along flags from each of the 50 states and all U.S. territories, as well as from 135 countries to hand out as goodwill souvenirs upon their return, along with small samples from the moon’s surface. In 1972, the crew of Apollo 17 did the same. Today, Nepal is one of 29 countries to still have both. READ MORE → FREE MEMBERS-ONLY EVENT Monster of the Month: Cats For August's Monster of the Month, we'll be looking at the weird, strange history of folklore surrounding ordinary house cats. Are they really out to steal sleeping children's breath? Why are they so familiar with witches? Are they cute and cuddly, or do they have a secret agenda? Let's find out! If you aren't a member yet, you can sign up during the RSVP process for this event. RSVP TODAY →