Early Americans were absolutely oyster crazy. When the first English settlers arrived at Plymouth Rock, oysters were a reliable and tasty source of nutrition. Coastal American Indian Nations had already been harvesting them for at least 3,000 years. As the young colony’s population grew and spread to cover much of the East Coast, folks along the shores devoured oysters. In stuffings, chowders, …

This installment of Three Things About Bordeaux is courtesy of Richard Carroll; writer & author at Traveling Boy. 1. Question: What are some of the “things” or activities that the people of Bordeaux do for fun? Answer: The Bordelaise, active and vibrant, enjoy wine tasting in one of the world’s great wine growing regions such as Saint Emilion or Pomerol. Dining at sidewalk tables …

I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. – Jack LondonThe grounds at Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Photograph by Deb Roskamp.3 Ways Urgency Makes Waste – (kathleenallen.net)Research Discovery: Brain Aging in Childhood-Onset – (scholar.google.com)How to Deal With Self-Doubt – (theepochtimes.com)Can Cannabis Relieve …

TRAVEL NEWS STUFFToday, around 4,000 people still live on floating reed islands on Lake Titicaca in Peru. Photograph courtesy of Alex Brouwer.I HAVEN’T BEEN EVERYWHERE, BUT IT’S ON MY LIST. – Susan SontagNearly Half of Americans Believe Their Health Insurance Would Cover Them if They Got Sick or Hurt on International Vacation — But It’s Not That Simple – ValuePenguin10 …

Answers courtesy of ATOUT FRANCE.What are some of the “things” or activities that French people do for fun?ANSWER: In the South of France, the French play petanque. In the winter in the alps, many families go on holiday, especially in March, to ski and snowshoe. And the French enjoy the “art de vivre” [art of living], relax, cook, eat, spend …

I grew up eating meatballs – but this was not due to having a grandmother hailing from Italy. On the contrary, it was the result of having a Danish/Swedish grandmother on my mother’s side of the family. My Grandmother Stave had a knack for making anything taste good.

When did women start wearing trousers? The short answer is in prehistory, and there have been many civilizations throughout human history that have survived the ‘scandal’ of its women wearing trouser-like garments.

Growing up, I was taught that the Philippines was an archipelago composed of a staggering 7,100 islands. But recently, that number has changed. The Filipino National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) had suspected there were actually a lot more for a long time. Using synthetic aperture radar satellite technology and in-person checks they remapped the country and came up with over 500 more islands … 534 more to be exact. The 3 main islands are Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao but there are thousands of smaller ones. A friend of mine says his family owns one in the Quezon province that is so small there are days in the year when the whole island is under water. I think he was joking ... then again, maybe he wasn't.

Take a flying tour of ancient Rome, recreated digitally in spectacular detail by J-P Mauro for Aleteia.org There have been some beautiful digital recreations of ancient Roman sites, but the work being done by History in 3D goes above and beyond. At the tail end of 2021, they released this 8-minute aerial tour of their work so far. The project …