25 Amazing Facts About Nashville

1. City Origins

Nashville is named after Francis Nash, one of the few Patriot generals who were killed during the American Revolution.

2. AT&T Tower

The downtown tower is nicknamed the Batman Building because of its resemblance of bat ears.

3. Slogan Origins

President Theodore Roosevelt coined the phrase “good to the last drop” after drinking a cup of local Nashville coffee at the Maxwell House Hotel.

4. FM Radio

Nashville was the first city nationwide to be granted an FM-broadcasting license. The original WSM and radio announcer David Cobb called Nashville “Music City” for the first time in the 1950s.

Nashville's replica Parthenon — Nashville’s replica Parthenon. Wikimedia Commons

5. Centennial Park

The park is home to the only real replica of the Greek Parthenon. Sometimes referred to as the Athens of the South, the city of Nashville built it for the World Exposition in 1897. It is the Western Hemisphere’s tallest enclosed sculpture and houses a full-scale replica of the statue.

6. GooGoos

This iconic local candy is made of caramel, marshmallow, milk chocolate and peanuts. The name is believed to stand for “Grand Ole Opry.”

7. Elvis

Elvis recorded well over 200 of his songs at RCA’s historic Studio B on Music Row. A string of Christmas lights put up by Elvis to get into the holiday spirit while working on an album still hangs in the studio to this day.

8. Founders

The daughter of John Donelson, one of the city’s founders, married Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States.

The grave of Andrew Jackson at the Hermitage. Wikimedia Commons

9. Hermitage

This was Andrew Jackson’s local residence, which he constructed in 1835. The driveway was made in the shape of a guitar. Many believe this was some sort of magical foreshadowing of the city’s future as an influential center of music.

10. Seeing-Eye Dogs

Morris Frank first brainstormed the idea of using seeing-eye dogs in 1928 after reading a magazine article about guide dogs in Switzerland. The blind Vanderbilt University student first brought them back to the country after traveling to Europe in order to train with a German Shepherd. He returned less than a year later and founded The Seeing Eye, Inc., the first seeing-eye dog training school in the country.

11. Belle Meade Plantation

Two well-known thoroughbreds, Seabiscuit and War Admiral come from Nashville. The novel and movie Seabiscuit told the story of a horse that traces its lineage to Iroquois who was the first thoroughbred to win the English Derby.

12. Old Glory

Sea captain and Nashville resident, William Driver, is credited with first calling the flag “Old Glory” in 1837.

13. Grand Ole Opry

Originally named WSM Barn Dance, Nashville’s famous weekly country music show was renamed “the Grand Ole Opry” in 1927. It remains the world’s longest-running live music radio show.

14. Ryman Auditorium

Also known as the Mother Church of Country Music, this venue began its life as a place for gospel meetings. A small circle was removed from the stage here and embedded center stage at the Grand Ole Opry House when it was first built in 1974.

15. Tin Pan South

This is the largest songwriter’s festival in the world with nearly 350 songwriters performing original music in various venues around Nashville. The festival lasts for a whole week in spring.

16. Kurds

With nearly 11,000 people in the local Kurdish community, it is the largest anywhere in North America.

17. Hot Chicken

This local culinary tradition was first created to inflict pain. Thornton Prince’s girlfriend thought he was cheating on her in the 1930s, so she added extra seasoning to the chicken batter in an attempt to make him suffer. However, he liked the fiery flavor so much that he changed his recipe and opened Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack.

18. Oprah Winfrey

She got her big break in television as the first black female news anchor at Nashville’s WLAC-TV while she was still a Tennessee State University student.

19. Tomato

The Five Points District hosts an annual costume art festival dedicated to the beloved tomato. A King and Queen Tomato are elected to lead a parade each year.

20. Vinyl Records

United Records Pressing is one of only four companies left in the nation still producing vinyl records. The Blue Room, a live venue located inside of Jack White’s Third Man Records, is the only venue globally that can still record music directly onto vinyl.

21. Live Music Venue Mecca

Nashville has over 180 live music venues. If a venue plays music for four or more nights a week, they are issued a guitar pick shaped sign with the words ‘Live Music Venue’ on it.

22. Grammys

Nashville hosted the Grammy Nominations concert in 2012, making it the only other city besides Los Angeles to do so.

23. Prohibition

During Prohibition, many print shops found in Printers Alley ran a series of speakeasies, creating a swinging underground bar scene. After Prohibition was repealed, many of these bars stayed open; some are still in business today!

24. Music Employees

The city has the highest concentration of music industry employees anywhere in the world, at nearly 60,000.

25. Local Food

Nashville is known for hot chicken (mentioned previously), meat and three, and hot fish, but according to Travel & Leisure magazine, it is ranked number 13 on the list of snobbiest American cities.

Are you ready to visit Nashville yet?

The 7 Weirdest Drinks From Around The World

Not all drinks are created equal, and some are definitely stranger than others. Here are 6 weird drinks from around the world that might just slake your thirst. …Or have you doing a spit-take.

1. Kumis (Horse Milk Alcohol)

Horse milk (mare milk to be precise) is the basis of an alcoholic drink called kumis, beloved in countries like Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The milk is not usually consumed in its pure form because it is a strong laxative. It is no wonder then that Central Asian people have been fermenting it and turning it into alcohol for millennia: the earliest recorded mention of kumis dates from the year 5 BC.

Kumis is not highly alcoholic, similar to beer in its strength and form of consumption. However, it is closer to wine in its production, since the fermentation happens from liquid sugars (fructose in wine, lactose in kumis) instead of grains. Of all the drinks on this list, it is by far the most reasonable.

2. Snake Wine

Snake wine is pretty much what it sounds like: rice wine that has a snake in it. This traditional drink has been consumed in China for millennia, and can still be found there, as well as in certain areas of India and Southeast Asia. It was once consumed as medicine, with the snake venom thought to have beneficial effects for the drinker. Don’t worry, though: the venom may not be restorative, but it’s neutralized by the alcohol and poses no threat.

Threat or no threat, many people would still be put off by the idea of drinking wine with a dead snake in it. If you are not one of those people, one of the best places to find snake wine is the legendary Huaxi street night market in Taipei, Taiwan.

3. Seagull Wine

If you think you’ve got the hang of this now, I am sorry to disappoint. Seagull wine is not simply a wine with a dead seagull in it, like its snake-based cousin. Seagull wine, which is made by the Inuit people of the far North, is the result of placing a dead seagull in water and leaving the whole thing to slowly ferment in the sun.

According to one traveler who tried the beverage before being told how it’s made, it “wasn’t bad.” That is probably the best praise that seagull wine will receive from anyone south of the Arctic circle.

4. The Sourtoe Cocktail

The Sourtoe Cocktail has been proudly served by the Sourtoe Cocktail Club in Dawson, Yukon Territory, since 1973, although we are not entirely sure why that is. It’s not so much a cocktail as it is an ingredient that can be added to any drink: a real, preserved human toe.

Multiple people have donated their toes to the bar, and it now has a small collection. There used to be a $500 fine for drinking the toe itself, which was increased to $2,500 when a man deliberately drank the toe in one shot in 2013.

There is only one rule: “You can drink it fast, you can drink it slow – but the lips have gotta touch the toe.” Some people just love a challenge.

5. Pizza Beer

Pizza and beer have long been known to go together, especially at the end of a long week. One Illinois couple has taken this further by developing Pizza Beer, the “World’s First Culinary Beer.” They achieved this by including tomatoes, garlic, and herbs in their brewing process, achieving a taste that many people have confirmed is very similar to that of pizza.

Depending on who you ask, this is either an abomination against the good name of pizza or the greatest invention in the history of mankind. If you fall on the latter end of the spectrum, you can find Pizza Beer at a range of U.S. locations, or online.

6. Gau Jal (Cow Urine Soda)

Gau Jal is a soft drink made from cow urine. It is the brainchild of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a prominent group of Hindu paramilitary nationalists, who want it to replace the American Coca-Cola as India’s go-to soda.

Because of the sacred nature of cows in Hindu culture, cow urine and dung have been used as traditional remedies for centuries. The makers of Gau Jal hope that their product will lead to a resurgence in the use of cow urine as a health drink. While the soda may be popular with the members of the organization, there is little evidence that the wider Indian public has taken to replacing its refreshing Cokes with refreshing cow urine.

7. Placenta 10000

Unlike some other weird entries on this list, which have long histories within their cultures, Placenta 10000 was created in Japan back in 2008. The logic behind it is that placenta supposedly has regenerative properties, which is why some new mothers have taken to eating the placenta after giving birth in recent years. The drink supposedly tastes like fresh peaches, which sounds delightful, but the name of the drink is not likely to let you forget what it is you are drinking.

You’ll be relieved to know that it is pig placenta they use, although that just begs the question: where are they getting all their pig placentas from? There is, believe it or not, no scientific evidence to support health benefits of drinking pig placenta.

Well, bottoms up. Here’s mud in your eye! (Or, more likely, something less appetizing.)

The World’s 5 Most Dangerous Airlines

Airline safety is measured by AirlineRatings.com, which uses a variety of metrics to award airlines as many as seven stars for safety and quality. The below airlines are the only ones in the world with only one star.

An Air Koryo plane from North Korea. — Starz12 / Shutterstock

1. Air Koryo

This may not be particularly surprising, but North Korea’s national airline is rock bottom in the world rankings. Unlike most entries on this list, it is fatality-free and has an IOSA Certification, which is an internationally-recognized standard for the airline’s operation and control systems. So, why the low star rating?

For one, Air Koryo received an EU ban in 2006 due to safety concerns about their equipment. While parts of their fleet has begun complying with international standards and thus been allowed to operate internationally, the majority of their planes remain banned. Also, Air Koryo’s planes were made in Russia, which automatically costs you a star in AirlineRatings’s score.

A Blue Wing plane from Suriname. — Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

2. Blue Wing

Blue Wing is an airline based in Suriname, flying domestically as well as internationally to surrounding countries such as Brazil and Venezuela. Their one-star rating is due to the many crashes that have occurred since they launched in 2009. They were banned from operating in the EU in 2010, which only affected their ability to fly to French Guiana, an overseas French territory subject to EU regulation.

Blue Wing planes have been involved in three major crashes in the last ten years, in 2008, 2009, and 2010. Two of those led to the deaths of all passengers on board, while the third mercifully only resulted in injuries. Blue Wing claims that the crashes were due to poor airport infrastructure which did not allow them to land safely.

However, no matter who or what is to blame, you should probably use another airline when flying in South America.

A Nepal Airlines plane. — Suparat_C / Shutterstock

3. Nepal Airlines

Nepal Airlines is the flag carrier of Nepal, and yet another one-star airline. It fares even worse than the other two airlines listed so far, given that it fails to meet every criterion listed by AirlineRatings apart from being FAA endorsed, which the vast majority of airlines are. It was banned from the EU in 2013 due to its abnormally large number of crashes.

Of these, a few were particularly tragic. In 2000, a plane collided with some trees on Jarayakhali hill and caught fire, killing 22 passengers and 3 crew. More recently, Nepal Airlines Flight 183 crashed into a hill in 2014, killing all 18 people on board. The investigation following the crash established that the reason was lack of coordination and awareness by the crew, combined with poor weather conditions.

A Trigana Air plane. — Nardisoero / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

4. Trigana Air

Trigana Air operates out of Indonesia. Like Nepal Airlines, they fail all criteria except for FAA endorsement. An EU ban was applied in 2007 to all Indonesian airlines, but several have now been exempted. No such luck for Trigana Air, which since 2002 has experienced 14 major incidents. Of these, 10 were listed as a “hull loss,” the term used when a plane is damaged beyond repair or entirely lost.

The most disastrous of these incidents occurred in 2015 when Trigana Air Service Flight 267 crashed in a rural area of Papua, an island which Indonesia shares with the country of Papua New Guinea. A total of 49 passengers and 5 crew died in the accident, the official report of which was not released until two years later. The reasons listed were pilot error and failure of the Ground Warning Proximity system.

A Yeti Airlines plane in Nepal. — Nick Fox / Shutterstock

5. Yeti Airlines/Tara Air

Nepal once again elbows its way onto the list, which leads us to the conclusion that flying a plane in and around the Himalayas is a dangerous business. In fact, there have been nine fatal accidents and crashes in Nepal in the last eight years alone. For that reason, the EU ban applies to all airlines certified by the Nepalese regulatory authorities, as they are believed to be unreliable.

Yeti Airlines are the parent company of Tara Air, which is why they are listed here together despite being shown separately in the AirlineRating rankings. Both airlines rank a poor 3/8 in the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) safety audit, and have a history of accidents and mishaps – occasionally fatal ones. Despite this, they combine to form the largest fleet of aircraft in Nepal with the widest domestic network. This means visitors to Nepal who do not have the time to travel overland run a high chance of having to use one of their poorly-ranked airlines.

Unless you need to travel in Nepal, these airlines are quite easy to avoid. However, these are just the ones rated one-star, the unsafest of them all: there are plenty of two and three-star rated airlines from around the world. Before booking a flight on an airline you have never heard of before, it is always a good idea to check its safety rating and history of accidents. While a low score is not a guarantee of danger, it is an indicator of poor practices and low standards, which is never reassuring when you are in the air.

11 Things To Know When Renting A Car In England

Although you can tour England extensively by rail, sometimes renting a car in the United Kingdom’s largest country is the best way to explore to out-of-way villages, historic sites, and verdant countryside. Here are some useful things to know about car rental or “car hire” as it is called in England.

Buildings and street in Beaulieu, England — Donna Janke

1. Age Restrictions

Minimum rental ages vary by company and range from 17 to 25. Surcharges for drivers under 25 years of age can be hefty.

Rules regarding older drivers also vary from company to company. The rules are usually driven by what insurance provider they use. Maximum age limits, when they are present, vary from 70 to 80. Even when no maximum age limit exists, extra charges may apply or insurance clearance may be required prior to renting. In some cases, that may involve providing a doctor’s certificate.

If you are a younger or older driver, find out the requirements before you make rental arrangements, and be prepared to shop around.

2. Left Of Center

In the United Kingdom, vehicles drive on the left side of the road. This can be disorienting if you are used to driving on the right.

The first difference is in the car itself. The driver’s seat is on the right-hand side, which means you shift with your left hand instead of your right. However, the clutch, gas, and brake pedals are in the same positions you’re used to. As you should do for all rental cars, familiarize yourself with the position of all buttons and controls before driving.

Once you’re on the road, take it slow while you adjust. You may instinctively look the wrong way for oncoming traffic. Beware of that bias and make a point of looking both ways. Also, be careful of overcompensating and veering too far to the left.

Driving on the “opposite” side of the road can be as disorienting for passengers as for drivers. I initially thought my husband was drifting over to the left, but when I checked lane lines on the road I realized he was within his lane and where he should be.

3. Transmission Type

The default for most car rentals in the United Kingdom is standard transmission. Automatic transmissions are available, but be prepared to pay significantly more for an automatic vehicle. If you are not used to driving a standard transmission, the cost may be worth it to avoid additional stress.

4. Filling Up

Rental cars may be fueled by petrol (what North Americans call “gasoline”) or diesel. Find out which one your rental car uses so you select the correct pump when you refuel. Putting the wrong type of fuel in the tank can cause damage that you may be liable for. Almost every UK petrol station is self-serve, so make sure to pay attention. Note that petrol and diesel in the UK are sold by the liter rather than the gallon.

Beare Green roundabout sign — Rob Enslin / Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

5. Roundabouts

Roundabouts, circular intersections in which traffic flows around a central island, are commonplace and provide an excellent means of keeping traffic moving, but they can be challenging to drivers not used to them. There are a few basic guidelines for navigating roundabouts.

Signs as you approach the roundabout show the position of exits/roads fanning out from the intersection so you can plan where you want to exit before you enter. As you approach, yield to traffic already in the roundabout. It has the right-of-way. Enter the roundabout when it is clear to do so, turning to the left. Roundabouts in busy areas may have traffic lights controlling entry. Traffic moves in a clockwise direction through the roundabout.

If you are taking the first roundabout exit to the left, stay in the left lane and signal left. If you are taking an exit to the right or going full circle, signal right and enter the roundabout in the right-hand lane. Keep to the right until you need to change lanes to exit and signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want to take.

When there are several lanes at the entrance to a roundabout, use the most appropriate lane on approach. Sometimes markings on the road identify lanes based which on road you’re taking.

Your satisfaction and relief after successfully navigating your first roundabout may quickly dissolve to frustration when confronted with a second roundabout almost immediately. However, it doesn’t take long to become accustomed to these intersections. Although there have been a few times we’ve circled through roundabouts until we were certain of our exit, we generally found the directions to be quite clear. As you become used to them, you appreciate the role they play in keeping traffic moving.

Read the UK Highway Code for complete rules on navigating roundabouts.

6. Variable Motorway Speeds

Variable speed limits apply to some motorways, expressways designed for fast travel and long distances. Speed limits and distances in England are shown in miles. (The speed limit for cars on motorways is generally 70 miles per hour.) At certain times of the day, lower speed limits may be in effect to prevent start-stop congestion.

Studies have shown that slowing everyone down in high traffic situations results in traffic flowing more smoothly and quickly. Overhead digital signs notify you when the variable speed limit is in effect and what that speed is. Please observe the revised limit. There are speed cameras capturing images of speeders’ license plates.

7. Narrow Roads

Apart from the motorways and major arteries, some roads will seem narrow by North American standards. Still, two-way traffic only becomes an issue when you’re on one of the single-track or one-land roads in rural areas. There are a few things you should know before driving on such extremely narrow roads.

First, take it slow. Second, pay attention when you pass a widening in the road or a pullout/turnout. Be prepared to back up to those spots when a car approaches from the other direction.

Similarly, if a car behind you seems to be in a hurry, pull into the first widening you come across and allow it to go on ahead.

Third, approach every curve in the road, especially ones where trees block your vision of what’s around the bend, as if another car is definitely approaching.

Fourth, enjoy the scenery! You can plan your trip to avoid narrow roads, but they are often picturesque, and will lead you to quaint villages with welcoming pubs and inns.

Road in the English countryside — Donna Janke

8. Why Is That Other Car Flashing Its Headlights At Me?

Officially, the UKHighway Code states: “Only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there. Do not flash your headlights to convey any other message or intimidate other road users.” However, you may encounter unofficial headlight flashing as a way of saying “go ahead” or “thank you.”

At unmarked crossroads or t-junctions, another driver may flash their headlights to indicate that you should proceed first. Make sure that is the true intent of the flashing and that it is safe to proceed before doing so. In situations where you’ve allowed another car to go first, that driver may flash headlights as a “thank you.”

9. Insurance

As is the case in many other countries, car rental insurance in England can cost more than the basic cost of the car itself. The insurance terminology used may be unfamiliar to you.

Third party Cover (TPC), also known as Third Party Liability Insurance, is a legal requirement and is generally included in the baseline car rental. This covers accident-related damage to anyone or anything outside the car. Other insurance coverages relate to damages to the rental car itself.

Vehicle Damage Cover covers the cost of damages to the rental vehicle. Sometimes this is included in the car rental package. Note, however, that there may be exclusions, such as tires and windshields. Note also that there remains a fixed amount the renter must pay toward the repairs. This amount, more commonly referred to as a deductible in North America, is known as the Excess or Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and can range from £1,000 to £2,000. Additional insurance coverages, such as Super Collision Damage Waiver (SCDW) or Excess Cover, can be purchased to reduce the excess amount.

Vehicle Theft Cover, or Theft Protection, is another available optional insurance to cover the cost of replacing the car or parts of it in the event of theft.

No matter which coverages you purchase, you will usually not be covered for damage caused by breaching the rental agreement, negligence, or using the wrong fuel.

If your credit card offers car rental insurance, check with your card issuer to confirm they provide coverage in the UK, what they cover and under what conditions. Typically, you need to decline the rental company CDW in order to use credit card coverage and that may be difficult if the CDW is bundled into the rental price. If you find navigating the insurance options overwhelming, enlist the help of a travel agent.

10. No Left Turn On Red, No Cell Phones

Left turns on red lights are prohibited. Some intersections have separate left-turn lights.

Not only do traffic lights turn amber when they switch from green to red, they turn amber before switching from red to green. That is a signal to be ready to move, but you mustn’t start moving until the light is green.

Seat belts are mandatory.

It is also illegal to use a handheld phone or similar device while driving, including when stopped at lights or queuing in traffic. For a complete list of driving rules, read the UK Highway Code.

11. Driving In London

Don’t drive in London if you can avoid it. London traffic can be busy and chaotic, plus it costs £11.50 to drive weekdays in the Congestion Zone Area in central London. Public transportation via subway, buses, and above-ground trains is excellent. Taxis are plentiful. Save your car rental money for when you explore the scenic back roads, rolling hills, and picturesque villages of the countryside.

Travels With Siegfried: Breakfast At The Edge Of The World

I bought an apple-green Wet Westie when I learned the divorce was unavoidable.

A Wet Westie is a water-cooled VW camper. I would be driving it to the edge of the world and possibly beyond.

Lucy, named after the first of all known roamers, had thirty thousand miles on a replacement engine that burbled happily at one twist of the key. Anyone who ever owned one of these ‘Hippie Vans’ will forever start at that sound. Like a coffee percolator idling, promising to do your life a good turn.

I was desperate for a cup of coffee that particular morning. When I say ‘morning’, I mean daybreak; a blue-color working man’s morning, diners opening at 5:30, pickups idling to keep the cabs warm, blue curlicues of exhaust vanishing into thin air, fog still crouching low in the dells.

And when I say ‘desperate’, I am not hyperbolizing either. I’d been on the road since dinnertime the day before going north, north, north until the roads gave out. Somewhere in northern Québec, I guessed. And now I needed some coffee before I fell asleep slouched over Lucy’s oversized horizontal steering wheel.

Crossing the border into Québec had provided a bit of distraction. It must have been around midnight, and both the Vermont guards and their Canadian buddies were bored. So we talked vans.

A stout Canadian Officer squeezed himself behind the wheel and became ecstatic about the offset extension on my stick shift.

“On my van, the stick shift it is too far over – for my arms,” he held them aloft, “especially getting into fourth gear. You make tis?”

“No, no – I found it on a website.”

“I can make tis,” he said, “I can make tis.” He turned his mouth downward, visualizing, and nodded slowly. Then he jumped down and held the door for me. His eyes twinkled. “I have the five kids.” He spread the fingers of his right hand apart and – leaning in confidentiality – added: “All of them they were made in a van just like tis.” He patted Lucy’s rump the way you pat a sweet horse, and waved me on. Wistfully.

Everyone I ever talked to about Lucy grows wistful. The guys, anyway.

From there on out, all I remember is woods. Pine barrens; straight, dark one-lane dirt-roads branching off to towns with the hyphenated names of obscure saints; the occasional rotten-fish smell of a pulp-mill; and more woods. Hours and hours of them.

The brights were none too bright on Lucy, and they barely picked out the dark splotches of potholes. Miles of diagonal washboard made my teeth chatter.

Lucy’s prehistoric radio never worked. The six-foot CB antenna, which once connected me to truckers with suggestive handles, lay mangled among the blue nylon brushes of a Connecticut car wash.

I wedged the triangular side vent open to douse myself with cold air. There was nowhere to pull over to grab some sleep back in my nest of quilts and pillows. One speeding eighteen-wheeler loaded to precarious heights with fresh-cut lumber, and the slip stream alone would tip me into the murky ditch to my right.

Sweet Lucy did not have an aerodynamic figure.

The forest looked less foreboding. Morning light seeped through the wet fingers of silent dark pines. It had to have been around 6 or 6:30.

“St. Côme-Linière,” announced a blue-and-white sign, or what was left of it. Most signs I saw had been shot up.

An archetypal Québécois church dozed in its splendid coat of Rust-Oleum silver. A telephone pole served as the town’s bulletin board.

A hand-written white cardboard sign offered “Petit Déjeuner” – breakfast – in bleached red letters. A magic marker, diligently applied. Underneath, an arrow drooped downwards and to the left. It had recently been outlined in blue: bleu, blanc, rouge – no red maple leaves here in Québec profond.

I made a u-turn on the empty Main Street and followed the sign. To the right stood the object of this morning’s desire: what looked like a prefab one-storey house with a three-season porch, tidy front yard, gravel driveway, and another cardboard sign wired to the screen door.

The town was sleeping in. The house was quiet.

I raked my fingers through my hair and noticed that I had not shaved in two days. Couldn’t be helped. Sliding off the driver’s seat, I made sure the gear was in first – didn’t want Lucy rolling away, as she was wont to do – and clanked the door shut.

By the time I crossed the gravel patch, a woman was standing in the screen door. Dark hair pinned up; a blue calico housecoat over jeans; leaning slightly forward as if the door somehow kept her from falling out.

“Non, non, non!” She stepped aside and held the door open for me. It was as if I’d been expected. A family friend, not a customer. A small step away from une bisse, the left-right-left kiss that comes as natural to a French as a handshake to a German.

The front room housed three card tables, each with four metal folding chairs. Church basement material. Madame pulled one chair out and bade me sit. My back was to the window and I could see movement behind the milk-glass door that led to the rest of the house.

She took a white tablecloth out of a dark, ornate dresser, and, with a practiced shake-and-flap, spread it over the table. Et voilà!

Next came a little cut-crystal vase with a plastic flower arrangement, followed by real china, two plates, cup, saucer, and a setting of silver utensils. Just so.

Ah, and yes, the linen napkin.

I forgot my scruffiness. I’d become a frog, kissed, a princely guest. Was this Montréal? Paris, maybe? I was no longer unwashed, I was debonair with a distinct flair bohème.

I studied the typewritten menu. I hadn’t felt so special in a long time. I’d definitely have eggs and a creton. Maybe a pouding chômeur?

Madame had disappeared. Other than some surreptitious commotion behind closed doors, there was nothing for a long, long time. Half an hour easy. A memorably long time, anyway, for a weary traveler.

Finally the kitchen door opened and I saw something I will never forget.

A girl, maybe 15 or 16, in a complete 50s waitress outfit made an appearance at my table. “Monsieur? Votre coffee?” It was the timid voice of a brave person. She wore a black dress, a white pinafore, and a white, starched kerchief, worn like a tiara, held in place by a plethora of hairpins. And then her sneakers.

Without spilling once, she poured from a china coffee pot that easily could have served eight. Then she straightened up and smiled with relief, with professional pride.

From behind the half-open kitchen door, maman supervised. Unbelievable fragrances followed the girl to my table. I closed my eyes and inhaled. They had been cooking me breakfast without waiting for my order.

“Mireille!” Maman gestured and passed the girl a heavy, round tray laden with food.

I could tell you that the bacon was thick, the jam and bread homemade, the beans fried in duck-fat, the coffee more than plentiful – but that’s not what I remember.

What I remember is that Mireille – bending close to arrange an orange-slice with parsley sprinkles over my eggs – smelled of soap. Old-fashioned soap.

It was the most endearing thing.

5 Little-Known Attractions In South Korea

South Korea has great food, fascinating culture, and stunning nature. But the more unusual attractions may be the ones you should make time for.

1. Explore An Abandoned Theme Park

Yongma Land opened in 1983 and enjoyed almost three decades as a small, moderately successful family theme park before being shut down in 2011. With other, bigger amusement parks becoming available to Koreans, profits dwindled and the small neighborhood park became a relic of the 80s and 90s. Nowadays, the rides are still there, but the park is run down and dilapidated, giving the place an eerie, nostalgic feel.

Abandoned theme parks have gained some popularity in recent years due to the opportunities they present for photography and exploration. However, unlike several others, Yongma Land does not require you to jump over a fence or creep through a hedge to gain access: the owner will let you visit and roam the park at your leisure for 5,000 won (under $5), and he will even light up the old carousel for you for 30,000 won. The park has become a bit of a hotspot for photoshoots, but it remains a relatively quiet attraction and a great option for a one-of-a-kind visit in Seoul. Just don’t forget your camera.

2. Have A Cup Of Coffee Inside A Giant Camera

Speaking of cameras, why not grab a drink inside one? Another great visit for photography enthusiasts, the Dreamy Camera Cafe is located in a village on the outskirts of Seoul. It is a slightly surreal sight, constructed to look exactly like a vintage Rolleiflex camera, with its iconic two lenses functioning as two large bay windows on each floor. These windows open out onto a beautiful view of the Korean countryside and mountains.

The theme continues inside, with a decor fully dedicated to photography, including a collection of vintage cameras and small touches like film reel paper towel dispensers. The owners, a local couple whose house sits next to the giant camera, built the Dreamy Camera Cafe as a place where people could “visualize” and share their dreams. They invite every guest to take a photo and write down their dreams next to it; the cafe’s walls are lined with these dreamy images.

3. Go See The Full Buddhist Scriptures

The Tripitaka Koreana is the largest and oldest version of the complete Buddhist canon, carved into over 80,000 wood blocks. It is notable for its size and cultural significance, but also for having absolutely zero mistakes. A first version of the Tripitaka Koreana was carved in 1011 AD but was destroyed; the version we have now dates back to 1237. It took 12 years and a huge workforce of scholars and carvers to complete.

This exceptional collection is housed in Haeinsa, a famous Buddhist temple located in Gayasan National Park. The halls housing the blocks make up one of the largest wooden storage facilities in the world, and everything inside was perfectly engineered to survive the ravages of time and the elements.

Amazingly, the Tripitaka Koreana has survived multiple fires and invasions and was saved from a bombing in the Korean War by a pilot who disobeyed direct orders to save the contents of the temple.

4. Visit A Cavernous Gold Mine

Hwaam Cave in Jeongseon is a former gold mine and the largest limestone cave in Asia. As well as being a fascinating natural site where you can witness huge stalactites and stalagmites, it is a one-of-a-kind museum exploring the intricacies of gold mining and the history of the cave. At some points, the visit becomes slightly garish and jarring: expect bright colorful lights and statues of cartoon goblins. However, it remains a great attraction for those interested in natural formations and mining.

Jeongseon is quite an isolated area, a three-hour bus ride away from Seoul. The entrance to the cave is accessed by a monorail, which for a small extra fee will save you a 700m uphill walk.

5. Make Your Way Along A North Korean Tunnel

The visit to the Korean DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) is relatively popular. It can easily be done in a day, since the border is terrifyingly close to Seoul. These visits will most often take you to locations such as the “truce village” of Panmunjom, where the treaty that instigated the Korean War ceasefire was signed, and the Joint Security Area, which is still used for negotiations between the two Koreas.

Lesser-known features of the DMZ that you can also visit are the North Korean “Tunnels of Aggression,” a name given by South Koreans when they were discovered during the 70s. It is believed that they were designed to sneak armies into the South and attack Seoul, although North Korea has long denied this. In fact, when the Third Tunnel was discovered, North Korea claimed it had been a coal mine; however, there is no evidence of coal in the region.

The visit to the Third Tunnel is the most popular. It takes you from a gift shop, deep underground, and through the long tunnel, ending at a concrete barrier representing the border. It is a must-see for history and war buffs, but is probably best avoided by claustrophobics.