Picture Yourself There

Nelson Mandela in Parliament Square, London

 

It’s somehow caused an awful lot of fuss – but the bronze statue of Nelson Mandela, once destined for Trafalgar Square but refused by Westminster Council, will finally take its place in Parliament Square as of 29th September. This is a result of sustained pressure from London’s Mayor, Ken Livingstone, who has campaigned for five years to find it an appropriate home. So, well done to him – but now you’re done with this, Ken, maybe you could do something about that Victoria line which never seems to be working?

Only joking. London's just great right now. And that's because it is one of the fine, multicultural places in the world that will not tolerate the apartheid Mandela fought against. The statue is a reminder that, thanks to the work of such icons, racism will never be tolerated. Truly inspirational, the piece reminds us that the greatest achievements can be made if we each stand up for what we believe.

Not like Picture Yourself There to get all serious, is it? Sorry, we’ll have a little lie down and be back on form tomorrow. Get the NavPix here...

96 Years since Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre

Tomorrow, it will be 96 years since the world-famous Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in what can only be described as the most nonchalant and least dramatic robbery of all time. Without any cunning disguises or ingenious gadgets (or, it seems, any proper plans) a former employee of the gallery called Vincenzo Peruggia simply walked in, checked that no guards were around, and took the picture from its frame. For two years the picture sat in Vincenzo’s flat, and it was only when he tried to sell the piece in the same amateur fashion as he stole it that he was finally arrested.

Even though the mystery of her disappearance was solved, the greatest still remains: what the devil is she smirking about? Lovers of the painting have speculated that she was perhaps pregnant, or a new mother – more cynical spectators have suggested that her smile is merely an optical illusion and isn’t even there. We think she’s just chuckling to herself about the outlandish theories conjured up in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code…

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The World Speedcubing Championship

Anyone in their mid twenties upwards will fondly remember the Rubik’s Cube, the 1980s worldwide smash toy. They might also remember the geek at school who could solve the thing in two minutes flat every time.  Chances are, that very geek (ok, you were one of them weren’t you) is now a contender at this year’s annual World Speedcubing Championship, in October.

The Championship is celebrating its 25th anniversary and returns to where it started; Budapest. This is certainly fitting – the cube was originally invented by Hungarian sculptor and professor Erno Rubik in 1974. Little did he know that his creation would become the best selling toy of all time, selling over 300 million and catching the imagination of a generation. We’re not sure how he feels about the fact that the toy has bred a legion of Rubik’s fanatics though. Anyone who has practised enough to be able to solve the cube in 9.86 seconds (the world record) really needs to get out more. Get the Navpix here

Ice cream for dogs

Copyright: Stew Stryker

So much for basking in the glorious summer sun; the British ‘summer’ is almost over before its even begun. The number crunchers reckon that ice cream sales have been lower than ever this year which is hardly surprising - who wants to get stuck into a Cornetto when its raining cats and dogs!

Talk of dogs and ice cream brings us nicely onto today’s Navpix. Unlike the UK, it appears to have been unusually hot in Europe and apparently, our canine friends have been overheating. Iora, a small Gelateria in Vienna, Austria has come up with an ingenious idea; they’re selling special ice cream for dogs to help them cool down. Flavours include classic vanilla (of course), rice (what?) and soya (urgh!), so evidently the little blighters have a slightly more savoury tooth than us. And, whilst being faithful to the original ‘Italian’ recipe, the sweet dish is healthy for the pups too. We’re not sure if the owner works for the RSPCA, but they certainly should. Get your Navpix here

The Saudi Arabian Evolutionary Gardens

Copyright: Paul Townsend, www.paultownend.com

Once, world powers were competing to build the widest dam, the tallest skyscraper, the longest bridge; symbols of capitalism and industrial strength. But the times, they are a-changing and nowadays our planet’s health and all things green are at the top of the political agenda.

But lets be brutally honest; it’s a dog eat dog world and the ‘mine is bigger than yours’ philosophy will always apply when it comes to competing nations. Britain’s uber-green Eden Project might have raised eyebrows, but Saudi Arabia plans to make a mockery of it with its own botanical venture. The giant crescent-shaped ‘evolutionary gardens’ near capital city Riyadh, will be no less than five times the size of Cornwall’s transparent domes. Take that! Project designers pledge that renewable energy sources will be exploited and water will be recycled. We’re all for it.

But you can’t picture yourself there, cos it doesn’t exist yet. So today’s NavPix is Montreal’s Biodome, Canada’s very own indoor nature exhibition. Not as modern as the UK version, and certainly not as big as the Saudis’ effort but really quite fascinating none the less.

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Stone Age Neolithic site found in Orkney

 

Copyright David Little

www.littled.net

It is quite poignant to think about our Stone Age ancestors, how they lived, how they interacted, what they believed. Certainly, many modern historians and artists alike reference the era as being integral to contemporary culture (notwithstanding Spinal Tap’s hilarious ‘Stonehenge’). It seemed a bit dull at school, but actually we’re intrigued by it all now. Aside from hunting and gathering, the tribespeople also created some really fantastic art.

The recent discovery of a Neolithic settlement in Orkney, northern Scotland will no doubt shed more light on the period. So far, archeologists have unearthed a few temples and ‘pottery by the bucketful’, but this is surely just the beginning. The significance of the find is potentially equal to that of nearby Skara Brae, which is Europe’s most celebrated Stone Age village and even older than the Egyptian pyramids. Get your NavPix here

Italian town offers money for dieting

Copyright: Gianluca Garelli

www.fotogian.com

People often choose to limit what foods they eat for reasons of health, morality, religion or other factors such as tabloid induced peer pressure. Our glossy magazines are full of the newest and trendiest dietary secrets, complete with ‘before and after’ case studies and of course, the token celebrity fan. The ‘Lose Ten Pounds in Ten Days’ plan might have worked for Carol Vorderman, but the Countdown cleverclogs should know better - money talks!

Bringing you onto our case in point; the overweight mayor of tiny Italian town, Varallo, has recently introduced a novel scheme of offering cash to residents who lose weight. Men will earn 50 Euros for losing 9Ib and women the same for shedding 7Ib, about enough for dinner for two at the local pizzeria. We’re not sure if the residents are unusually obese or unusually poor (or possibly both), but one has to admire their laughter in the face of political correctness. Perhaps one for Boris Johnson to slip into his upcoming mayoral election manifesto…

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Alpine village Kaisertal has road built

Ever advancing improvements in communication and transport means that there is nowhere to hide away from today’s westernised society. Like an old faded black and white photograph, there is still one sleepy outpost where time has stood still however.

Even though road construction dates all the way back to 4000 BC, roads don’t even exist in the remote Alpine valley of Kaisertal in Austria. The only things that connect the few resident ‘Kaisers’ to the valley down below are a rope pulley system (for delivering the odd TV presumably) and three hundred wooden steps - some trek after a night out in neighbouring Kufstein.

Until now. The first official appeal for a road was in 1900, then 1970 and finally the villagers have got their wish granted. Local mayor said “I want this road laid because people are threatening to desert otherwise”. We reckon he’ll be eating these words once the boy racers roll into town…

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World Youth Day

Youth. Wasted on the young, they say. But it seems that young people are wasted on our very culture, which – while simultaneously vilifying and revering the fresh-faced movie stars, teenage pop stars and pampered heirs and heiresses who rule the media roost – seem to suggest that the kids are all about Playstations and ASBOs. But, don’t forget: the children are our future. And on a more serious note, the UN’s International Youth Day takes place on the 14th to recognise the potential and achievements of young people internationally, and to celebrate the work that is done to support this across the world.

A number of events will be taking place to mark the occasion all over the globe – for instance, in Banglasdesh a talk show for policy makers and young people will be aired, in Kenya there will be celebrations at the UN Headquarters in Nairobi, and in the Philippines there will be fun runs and clean-up drives. But we love the fact that in Australia there will be… a BBQ! Throw another shrimp on the barbie for us.

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Poet on the Platform

If you find travelling by rail enough of an ordeal already, what with the astronomical prices, inevitable delays, and soggy egg sandwiches which cost more than a night at the Ritz, it’ll be interesting to know how you feel about the latest addition to First Great Western’s network: a platform poet. Sally Crabtree will be entertaining passengers from Reading to Plymouth with improvised poems and songs about subjects chosen by commuters.

Ms Crabtree explains her unusual vocation by describing how ‘like many writers and poets, famously WH Auden, I am inspired by the reasons for our rail journeys – the human connections and stories involved’. Unlike WH Auden, Ms Crabtree appears to be donning a neon pink wig and matching basque as part of her poetry performance, but we don’t imagine this will even register with most of the passengers who will be plugged into their iPods and hiding behind their newspapers.

If you want to catch Sally, head for Reading, Oxford, Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Barnstaple, Paignton or Plymouth stations on her three day tour beginning on the 14th. Makes a change from the usual trainspotting anyway. Get the NavPix here…