Although 21st century Rome is a living museum of centuries of history and culture, it is a modern city that is as much about the people who live here now as it is about those who lived here in the past. So whether that’s the hip dude in his sharp suit and Armani sunglasses with [...]
The history of trains is beloved of every young trainspotter and uber-geek, and it does make fantastic reading. From the revolutionary Rocket through to the high speed journeys of the Mallard and the Flying Scotsman, Japan’s sleek electric Bullet and France’s pride and joy, the TVRs, and on to the mindblowingly-fast Maglev, it is true [...]
The cute white rabbit used so frequently as a symbol of Easter has its roots in the pagan fertility festivals celebrated at the time of the Spring equinox. The rabbit was actually a hare, an animal that was traditonally seen as being sacred and mystical. The hare was often associated with moon and goddesses in [...]
For most Brits, think summer and the image of sitting outside your favourite pub with a glass of something thirst quenching in your hand will immediately flash into your head. Ahh the pub… it’s such an institution it’s almost a way of life, and actually, in the past this was true because the life of [...]
From earliest times and in most cultures, the egg has signified birth and resurrection. The Egyptians buried eggs in their tombs. The Greeks placed eggs on top of graves. The Romans coined a proverb: “Omne vivum ex ovo”, which means “All life comes from an egg.” By Medieval times, giving decorated hen, goose or duck [...]
Chocolate’s scientific name Theobroma cacao literally translates as ‘food of the Gods’, and few of us would disagree, yet it hasn’t always enjoyed mass popularity and modern production has hardly been what you might call angelic. So just what is it that makes us so attached to it? The History of Chocolate Originally cacao trees [...]
Claire Burdett
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