My husband
always likes to say, “Lisa would drive 100 miles to see the World’s Biggest
Ball of Yarn.” He’s probably right on
that. Not that I have a strong affinity
for yarn but because I actually find these “off the beaten path” attractions
rather interesting. Don’t judge. Don’t get me wrong, I stared in awe at the
Eiffel Tower, Colosseum and Big Ben as much as the next gal but some of the
lesser known sites around the world have actually proven to be quite
memorable. Here are some of my favorite
“not-ready-for-prime-time” attractions.
The Dog
Collar Museum Leeds,
England
This is a
real thing. This museum is located on
the grounds of Leeds Castle. It’s
actually quite an interesting little museum showcasing dog collar relics
(hopefully I haven’t lost you yet). Some
of these collars are from as far back as the 15th century. Many of the collars were made of thick iron
covered with long spikes and were worn by hunting dogs for protection. Other collars were ornate and less
functional. Some bear the arms of their
royal owners and were made of velvet or leather and adorned with jewels. Interesting, right?
Bath Postal Museum Bath, England
Bath’s Post
Office was once located where this museum now stands and is where the first
recorded posting of a Penny Black took place.
The Penny Black is the world’s first adhesive postage stamp used in a
public postal system. The museum
contains many artifacts including quills; ink well, letters, postcards and post
boxes. A few years after visiting the
museum my kids received a trivia book for Christmas and one of the questions
was “Where was the first postage stamp used?” My kids proudly shouted out the
answer. Now if this question turns up on
my son’s SAT exam then it was well worth the 10 pound admission.
The Smallest
House in Great
Britain Conway, Wales
I’ll admit
this one was a bit of a circus attraction but we just happened to be walking by
during our visit to Wales so we stopped in. This house is as small as promised
with the dimensions being a mere 10’ x 6’ x10’.
If it makes you claustrophobic just thinking about it then imagine how
its last tenant, a 6’ 3” fisherman, felt.
Thousands of visitors each year from around the world actually come to see
this tiny little house and some even purchase a cheesy replica as a souvenir (I
keep it on my bookshelf).
Unusual
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These are just a few of the properties available for home exchange
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and that includes Texas, who has earned the bragging rights as Home of the
Biggest Ball of Yarn.
Thank you
travel writer Lisa Medeiros. Follow her
on twitter @lisamedeiros_
This blog entry was a lot of fun, Lisa.
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