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The Bridge of Sighs
Popular myth suggests it was the last view of Venice that convicts would see before they were led to their dungeons. The Bridge of Sighs is the only covered limestone bridge in Venice. However much one may wish for it to be true, in some weird sort of way, it isn’t. It is actually from the pen of Lord Bryon, who, perhaps high on Laudanum, let his imagination run wild while writing ‘Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage’ and decided to interpret the Italian ‘Ponte dei sospiri’ to suit his purpose. And thus the quote, “I stood in Venice on the Bridge of Sighs, a palace, and prison on each hand.” Thankfully, the…
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The People’s House
Years ago, in 1971 to be precise, when Nicolae Ceausescu embarked on a tour of East Asia, one of the countries on his itinerary was North Korea. Of course, where else could he go? It is the heaviest building in the world, sinking by a few millimeters each year. And so impressed was he with the scale of the government buildings and mass adulation that the North Koreans showered on their revered leader, that megalomaniac that he was, decided to head back to Bucharest and implement these policies for the betterment of the Romanians. He started with Project Bucharest – which intended to develop Bucharest on the lines of Pyongyang…
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Enter the dragon
He is Ljubljana’s most famous mythical resident and is celebrated everywhere. The dragon – Ljubljana’s most famous resident. However, to understand his relevance to the city, we must go back to a legend we have all grown up with, involving a certain Jason and the Argonauts, and their quest to steal the Golden Fleece from the Aeetes, King of the Black Sea. He not only managed to steal the fleece by slaying a dragon protecting it, but also the heart of the king’s daughter, Medea, who very wisely decided to flee with him rather than face the wrath of her dad. They say when a maiden walks on the bridge,…
