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Here are 10 interesting facts about Paris
The Eiffel Tower was supposed to be a temporary installation, intended to stand for 20 years after being built for the 1889 World Fair. Paris was originally a Roman City called “Lutetia.” It’s believed that Paris only has one stop sign in the entire city. A flat in Paris was left unoccupied under lock and key for 70 years, but the rent was paid every month; when the renter passed away, a painting by Boldini valued at more than $2 million was found inside. There are at least three replicas of the Statue of Liberty in Paris. The most famous of them exists on an island in the middle of the Seine and looks towards her sister statue in New York. The main bell of the Notre Dame Cathedral is named Emmanuel and weighs over 13 tonnes. There are 6,100 rues – or streets – in Paris; the shortest one, Rue des Degrés, is just 5.75 metres long and can be found in the 2nd arrondissement. The French army was the first to use camouflage, which comes from the French verb “to make up for the stage.” The army began wearing camouflage in 1915 during World War I. The first public screening of a movie was by French brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière in December 1895. They used their invention “the cinématographe” to show 10 films of about 50 seconds each. Visitors to the Eiffel Tower have to climb 1,665 steps to reach the top – unless they take the elevator! There are a mere 270 steps to reach the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur.
Here are 10 interesting facts about Thailand
Thailand is nearly equal the size of Spain. Until 1939, Thailand was known as Siam. Approximately 35,000 temples can be seen in the whole country. Despite the fame of the old Hollywood movie “The King and I,” it was not shown in theaters in Thailand because the film was considered derogatory to the King. Thailand follows the lese majeste rule, which states that anyone committing disrespectful acts towards the monarchy can be imprisoned for treason. Visiting temples requires modest clothing. Shorts and sleeveless tops are prohibited. Some religious sites do offer cover-ups for tourists. There are 44 consonants, 18 vowels and 4 tonal notations in the Thai alphabet. It originated from the Khmer culture of Cambodia. His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. He is the direct grandson of renowned King Chulalongkorn or Rama V, who is credited for bringing modernism to Thailand. Thailand’s national flower is the orchid, which has over 27,000 varieties. The flag carrier Thai Airways always offers orchids to its passengers before they leave the plane.
Here are 10 interesting facts about Havana
When Havana was founded around 1515, it was on the south coast of Cuba in a swampy area near where Batabanó is now. Just a few years later, the city moved to its current spot on the northern coast with a built-in bay, which is now the harbor. The former Presidential Palace built between 1913 and 1920 and used through Fulgencio Batista’s presidency is now the Museum of the Revolution. Inside, there's a Room of Mirrors, resembling the one at France’s Palace of Versailles. The palace's interior was embellished to the nines, thanks to Tiffany & Co. Inside a glass enclosure behind the museum is the Granma yacht, which Fidel Castro used to sail to Mexico in 1956 along with 81 other revolutionaries. It's said that the 59-foot-long boat had been locked up and guarded day and night to prevent anyone from using it to escape to Florida. Every night at 9 p.m., the traditional cannon blast, or cañonazo, takes place at the fortress, La Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña. The guards start marching about 20 minutes before and perform a ceremony leading up to the explosion. The daily ritual is as much an attraction for locals as it is tourists, with a crowd of about 1000 showing up for the big event every day. One of the most popular sites in Old Town: The Catedral de San Cristóbal. Its baroque exterior and classical interior were designed by Italian Francesco Borromini and originally built by the Jesuits in the 18th century. Opened in 1930, the eight-floor Hotel Nacional de Cuba was built by two American firms, McKim, Mead and White and Purdy and Henderson Co. Though mostly Art Deco in style, the five-star accommodation also has influences of old California, Hispano-Moorish, neoclassical, and neo-colonial styles. The towering hotel is so proud of its guests that it has a Salon de la Historia, or History Hall, featuring photos of its most famous visitors organized by decade. Among those on display: Walt Disney, Mickey Mantle, Frank Sinatra, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mohammed Ali, Steven Spielberg, and Ban Ki-moon. Fifty-two panels covering 3229 square feet make up the outdoor mural on Mercaderas Street by artist Andrés Carrillo. Carillo used only four colors for the mosaic, soaking natural rocks to achieve the 13 shades that make up images of 67 characters throughout Cuban history. “My mojito in La Bodeguita, My daiquiri in El Floridita,” reads a handwritten sign, seemingly autographed by Ernest Hemingway, which hangs at La Bodeguita Del Medio in Havana's Old Town. Tourists now flock to try both cocktails at Hemingway's favorite haunts. A bronze, life-size statue of the author sits perched at the corner seat of the bar at El Floridita, waiting for his daiquiri. After indulging in Hemingway’s favorite drinks, follow his footsteps to where he slept, at the salmon-colored, 52-room Hotel Ambos Mundos. This was the writer’s first Cuban home, where he stayed for seven years during the 1930s. Room 511, where he wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls, is now a museum.
Here are 10 interesting facts about Cancun.
The Cancun beaches are only 14 Miles long. There’s no shock that this party city is small. The beaches are even smaller! White sand beaches are made of crushed coral. Since the beaches are made with crushed coral, the sand is never hot no matter how high the temperature is! There is an underwater museum in the ocean. Cancun took museums to the next level by opening up a underwater museum with tons of sculptures to look at while snorkeling. Cancun has the deepest waterhole in the world! Cancun has many cenotes, which are waterholes. These waterholes are thousands of feet deep. One of the largest and longest ones in Cancan and in the world is 134 miles long. You can watch baby turtles go into the sea from your resort beach. The staff at many resorts have guests watch turtles with them. You can see the baby turtles hatch and go into the sea! The employees protect these animals by not allowing guest to go too close and not allowing them to touch the sea creatures. There were only 3 residents when Cancun was first developing. In 1970, only 3 people were living in Cancun, who mostly took care of coconut plantations. Today, there are more than 700,000 residents in Cancun. Cancun is shaped like a number 7. Since Cancun is shaped like a number 7, guests at the hotels have both a beach and lagoon view. Essentially everyone on the peninsula has a good view. There are 4,674 hotels in Cancun! With there being 4,674 hotels to choose from on the small peninsula, there are plenty of rooms for people to book and get a taste of Cancun. Best time to visit Cancun is between November and April. The best time to go to Cancun, Mexico is between November and April because that is when the sun will never leave the sky! It may be very crowded during these months, but if you want a tan during the winter, Cancun is your destination. Cancun’s original name was Ekab. Before Cancun was Cancun, it was called Ekab by the Mayan people. The meaning behind the name Ekab is “black earth.”
Here are 10 interesting facts about London.
The iconic clock tower isn't called Big Ben. One of London's most famous landmarks operates under a false identity - its real name is simply The Clock Tower. Big Ben is the name of the bell within. The Houses of Parliament are officially known as the Palace of Westminster. This makes this famous political landmark the largest palace in the country. Great Ormond Street Hospital was gifted the copyright of Peter Pan by the author. J.M. Barrie - he had no children of his own so made sure that the hospital received royalties from all associated works and performances of his masterpiece. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament. So, don't even think about it unless you want to be accused of seriously flouting the law. The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree comes all the way from Norway. To show their gratitude to the people of England for their alliance in World War II, the people of Oslo, Norway, present London with the Christmas tree proudly displayed in Trafalgar Square every year. There was a Circle Line party the night before London banned drinking on public transport. On May 31st 2008, the eve of the day the ban was to be brought into action, revellers took a trip on the Circle Line, many in fancy dress, for one last knees-up before the era of public transport prohibition began. The City of London is actually one of the smallest cities in the UK. If we're getting technical, this itty-bitty city only boasts just over 7,000 residents. However, the administrative district of Greater London, plays host to roughly 8.3 million residents and spans a large enough area to squeeze in New York four times over. Speaking of the Big Apple, the long arm of the New York Police Department stretches all the way to London and is operational in the city. There are around 20 subterranean rivers flowing beneath London's streets. The address 'Number 1, London' is a Grade I listed Georgian building that was once the home of the 1st Duke of Wellington. It's also known as Apsley House and is open to visitors keen to sneak a peek at one of the best preserved examples of an 18th century English aristocratic residence in town.