Here’s a gift idea for the historian or map lover in your life. Peter Whitfield’s new book, Cities
of the World: A History of Maps is a timeless treasure that would be a wonderful addition to someone’s personal
library or book collection. Cities of the World traces the life-cycle and character of more than sixty of the world’s
greatest cities, like Athens, Saigon, Venice and Lhasa. Illustrations of maps and panoramic photographs are presented
in a series of different time periods, showing how the architectural and social life of cities has been shaped over
time by geography, religion, government, commerce and art. Cities of the World might just be the perfect gift for
armchair travelers or anyone passionate about history, cartography or urban planning.
The Ultimate Western Town: Sheridan, WY
Regional magazine True West has released its first annual
Top Ten Western Towns, and awarded the #1 spot to
Sheridan, Wyoming, which calls itself The West at its Best.
Obviously the True West team agreed that the town’s history, heritage and overall “feel” make it a quintessential
western town. The Sheridan tourism board has a top ten list of their own, which offers up
Ten Ways to Surrender Your Spirit to the West. If you want to
experience the wild west in winter, check out Sheridan’s
Christmas Stroll or host of other
activities that can be enjoyed this season. Another Wyoming
city, Cody, came in at the No. 2 spot on True West’s list. Buffalo Bill
would be so proud. Also among the Top 10 are Carson City, Nev.; Silver City, N.M.; and Prescott, Ariz. The magazine
hits newsstands on December 15.
World Insect Snacks
Mmm… I haven’t even eaten breakfast yet and I’m reading about all these (gulps) delicious
insect snacks from around the world. Oh yeah! I’m talking about ambrosial
cooked locusts, sweet honeypot ants, mouth-watering witchety grub (type of moth larva), and of course hachi-no-ko
(boiled wasp larvae). Is your stomach growling yet?
The write-up on these global finger-licking
snacks comes from the University of Kentucky’s Department of Entomology and questions why the North American
culture is so bugged out by bugs? Just a guess here, but when they’re frantically crawling around a glass dish on Fear
Factor the idea doesn’t come off as a pleasurable dining experience. I haven’t had the chance to feast on insects to
date, but I’d probably chomp on a locust or two. Had any yourself?
See what kind of critters await your taste-buds in your next travels through Algeria, Australia, Japan and
Nigeria.
(picture from photoroamings)
Mt. St. Helens in the Chicago Trib
The Chicago Trib
heads out West to God’s country and visits the great Mount St. Helens that blew her top on my birthday all those
years ago. Writer Robert Cross takes us there and delivers a dose of history and geology about this monumental natural
event. Myself, I was a wee lad, but I still remember the images on the tele. And it seems ol St. Helens has been acting
up again lately, though she hasn’t yet blown her top again. There is an active volcano there still and St. Helens
watchers (as well as a few apocalypse hunters) have been camping out waiting for her to go, thus heralding in the end
of the world as we know it. But don’t worry, you’ll feel fine. (subscription req)
Swedes do Burning Goat
If you head out into the California desert in early fall…you might stumble upon legions of tatterdemalion youth,
decked out in colorful garb and wearing greasy dreadlocks as they worship a pagan god in the shape of a stickman. We
here in the US are proud to say we have Burning Man, a celebration for the side of the America psyche whose idea of
worship has little to do with singing hymns. And apparently the Swedes are jealous. Yes, in Sweden they are
trying to make a burning man of their own…except that they are
burning a goat.
Yes, the authorities are saying it’s vandalism, but that’s basically what they said about Burning man at first. What
happening is that there are these 43-foot high goats, erected as decorations. And every year in Gavle, 150 kilometers
(90 miles) north of Stockholm, someone sets fire to them. Since 1966, just 10 of the 43-foot-high goats have survived
beyond Christmas Day. Most are torched, but one was hit by a car and one ruined by fireworks.