gailclarke's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal

'Half Rabbit'

This giant sculpture made of trash is a critique of society's wastefulness.
Porto, Portugal

McDonald's Imperial

This restored Portuguese cafe may well be the most beautiful place in the world to grab a Big Mac.
Porto, Portugal

Livraria Lello

One of the most beautiful bookstores in the world hides a neo-Gothic interior behind an art nouveau facade.
Porto, Portugal

Carmo and Carmelitas Churches

A hidden three-foot-wide house separates these two regal churches.
San Antonio de Pichincha, Ecuador

Intiñan Solar Museum

Home of the "true" equator.
San Antonio de Pichincha, Ecuador

Middle of the World

An elaborate shrine dedicated to the four corners of the world unfortunately misses its mark.
Lima, Peru

Huaca Pucllana

This stone complex marks the urban center of a lost civilization.
Alexandria, Virginia

Torpedo Factory Art Center

A former major munitions plant that has been converted into a sprawling art space.
Alexandria, Virginia

Carlyle House Historic Park

A superbly preserved example of Georgian residential architecture that was once home to one of the founders of Alexandria, Virginia.
Alexandria, Virginia

First Lot Sold At Auction Marker

This small pedestal marks the spot of the first lot of land sold in Alexandria, Virginia in 1749.
Alexandria, Virginia

Gadsby's Tavern

This colonial tavern played host to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and other famous early Americans.
Alexandria, Virginia

Hollensbury Spite House

The narrowest house in America is seven feet of pure spite.
Venice, Italy

Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs

This Roman statue is missing a limb from when the Venetians stole it from Constantinople during the Crusades.
Paris, France

Montmartre Funicular

The water-powered carriages are long gone, but for over a century this funicular railway has been the fastest route to the highest point in Paris.
Milan, Italy

Milan's Duomo "Dinosaur"

Milan's duomo is covered in beautiful carving including a curious "dinosaur-like" beast.
Milan, Italy

'Saint Bartholomew Flayed'

This grisly effigy displays an early Christian martyr who was skinned alive and beheaded.
Tokyo, Japan

Godzilla Head

Not quite the menace it once was, this monster still has some chops.
Tokyo, Japan

Omoide Yokocho

Colloquially known as “piss alley,” this narrow street filled with tiny bars and barbecue stands looks like it was pulled straight out of “Blade Runner.”
Saint Simons Island, Georgia

Saint Simons Island Tree Spirits

Carved faces add a touch of magic to this island's impressive oak trees.
Cape Town, South Africa

Seal Island

Haven for Cape Fur Seals, until the Ring of Death of jumping Great White Sharks arrives.
Cape Town, South Africa

Boulders Beach Penguin Sanctuary

This African beach is home to thousands of rare mainland penguins that are known for their annoying voice.
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Cuyperspassage

Some 80,000 Delft Blue tiles line the inside of this Amsterdam walkway.
Lisse, Netherlands

Keukenhof Gardens

Unsurprisingly, Holland is home to one of the most magnificent flower gardens in the world.
Charleston, South Carolina

Robert Smalls Memorial

This small memorial is almost as well concealed as Smalls himself was on the night he sailed to freedom.