Curiosities

Sagrada Familia fined

War declared on fluffy killers

New Zealand has proposed a radical method to protect unique local birds: a regional council has put forward an initiative to ban domestic cats. The thing is, environmentalists have long been trying…

Venice finishes off tourists with fines

Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro has developed a new ordinance against "indecent" and "rude" behavior of some tourists. According to The Guardian, the document prohibits sitting or lying on the ground…

How to Get a Portrait of the Queen

If you live in Australia, you can get a portrait of Elizabeth II completely free. All you have to do is write to your MP – and a framed photograph of the Queen will be sent to you by mail. This is…

Women allowed to drive

Women in Saudi Arabia have officially been granted the right to drive a car. A royal decree lifting the long-standing ban came into effect on June 23. Until that day, Saudi Arabia remained the only…

Venice to curb tourists with turnstiles

Venice authorities have for the first time in history begun regulating tourist flows. To this end, on Saturday, April 28, turnstiles were installed in several locations in the city. If the number of…

Ah, These Romantic French!

The French have proven to be champions of generosity and romanticism. Such is the conclusion of a survey conducted by the British market research institute OnePoll on the eve of Valentine's Day among…

Quarter of Extinguished Lanterns

Amsterdam authorities have banned alcohol and drugs in the Red Light District. But that's not all: not only will it be forbidden to photograph the girls in the legendary windows, but even to look at…

French tired of kissing

The mayor of a small French town has raised a highly sensitive issue for France: how acceptable is it to follow the tradition of the greeting kiss? A double or triple kiss on the cheek – "la bise"…

“To Tip” – Such a Custom

The tradition of leaving a tip originated in England and then spread throughout the world. But why do some people give generous tips, while others do not, and why in some countries is additional…

The Whole World in One State

Tourists visiting the state of Maine may be misled by some of the road signs they see. According to the signs, Paris is just 48 kilometers south of Peru, and Norway is located quite nearby, just a…

To the Village, to the Alps!

Mountain villages in Switzerland, as in the rest of Europe, have been suffering from population outflow for many years. Schools are closing due to a lack of students, houses and apartments are…