Sicily has a ‘second Pompeii.’ But it’s covered in concrete
By Maureen O’Hare, CNN
(CNN) — In our roundup of travel stories this week: the Wyoming monument made famous by “alien encounters,” the rise of solo dining, and the lowdown on the “Schengen Shuffle.”
Rock of ages
The Sicilian village of Gibellina was destroyed by an earthquake in 1968, but its ruins were to be reborn as a spectacular piece of land art.
Artist Alberto Burri poured concrete over 926,000 square feet of hillside, freezing the streets and pathways for eternity, transforming this disaster site into a modern Pompeii.
This year, Gibellina is Italy’s first ever Capital of Contemporary Art and locals hope 2026 will strengthen the legacy of this “magical place.”
Much older stone masterpieces are to be found at the Mount Nemrut UNESCO World Heritage site in southeastern Turkey, where colossal limestone heads guard a 2,000-year-old mystery.
The giant sculptures were commissioned by Antiochus I, king of the region in the first century BCE, and the ruler wished that his tomb would sit among the deities for eternity.
In Uganda, the Kasubi Tombs UNESCO World Heritage site has finally reopened to the public following reconstruction after a devastating fire in 2010.
The giant basket-like thatch structure is the spiritual heart of the Buganda kingdom and, for believers, marks a portal to an ancient, invisible realm.
Movie monoliths
Wyoming’s Devils Tower, a startling 867-foot-tall geological formation, is a spiritual site for Native Americans and in 1906 became the United States’ first national monument.
What really gave it status on the tourist map, however, was its starring role in Steven Spielberg’s 1977 movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”
The tower was created by cooling magma, rather than industrious aliens, but its mystique is no less majestic for that. CNN went to visit.
Over in Northern Ireland, the 50-million-year-old mountainous “Kingdom of Mourne” has appeared in movies and TV as everywhere from Westeros in “Game of Thrones” to Transylvania in “Dracula Untold.”
Perhaps the mountains’ grandest claim to fame, though, is that they’re the real-life inspiration for the Narnia books by Belfast-born writer C.S. Lewis.
Fine dining but coarse behavior
When chef René Redzepi stepped down earlier this year from the world-famous Noma restaurant amid abuse allegations, the news made headlines around the world.
But in an era of superstar chefs celebrated for high passion and exacting standards, accusations of toxic behavior will, for many, simply reinforce preconceptions of life in a Michelin-starred kitchen.
Some chefs and industry figures believe the Redzepi moment was a potential turning point — and a long-overdue reckoning is underway.
Another trend to come under scrutiny recently is restaurants discriminating against solo diners.
One noodle eatery in Seoul recently went so far as to tell single diners to bring a friend or order for two, posting a sign saying, “We don’t serve loneliness.”
The fear of dining alone is so real that there is a name for it: solomangarephobia. Yet with solo living on the rise around the world, and likewise solo dining, it’s time to call last orders on the stigma.
Love in a cold climate
A couple that met and fell in love in Antarctica returned 12 years later for their wedding ceremony. This time, they brought their kids along for the year-long stay.
In case you missed it
These Americans have worked out how to live in Europe without a residency visa.
They call it the Schengen Shuffle.
Aaron Jackson bought a house to make a protest about equality.
Then people showed up to visit.
A historic summit. A costly war. A famous film festival.
What do you remember from the week that was?
Australians will tell you not to visit Canberra.
Here’s why you should visit anyway.
The-CNN-Wire
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