Inside: Butter sculptures from around the world 

An island castle, tortoise breakups, and more. Welcome, Wednesday! One of our favorite things here at Atlas Obscura is observing how the simplest of things can lead to wondrous marvels. For example, could you imagine [taking a giant slab of butter and carving it into a realistic portrait]( Or [snapping a photo that looks straight out of a sci-fi film]( Be sure to look at things a little more carefully today—what small wonder will you find? Butter Masterpieces What can you do with butter? If you think it’s only fit to eat, you’d be sadly mistaken. Butter can be an incredible medium for sculpture, and in fact, the tradition of butter art goes back centuries. In the right hands, a humble block of butter can be transformed into everything from a life-size cow to a colorful dragon. Here are some of our favorite butter sculptures—and you better believe it is butter. [READ MORE →]( Places of the Day Trakai Island Castle Trakai, Lithuania Located on a small island in Lake Galvė, Trakai Island Castle was built at the end of the 14th century. It had many lives, including being a strategic castle, a noble residence, and a prison. [READ MORE →]( Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn's Grave Bloomington, Illinois Carved from the stump of the tree, this statue commemorates Charles “Old Hoss” Radbourn, one of the greatest pitchers in 19th-century baseball. [READ MORE →]( The Grand Kugel Richmond, Virginia Whether one is young or old, weak or strong, the massive granite sphere known as the Grand Kugel can be spun or stopped with almost no effort thanks to a neat effect of science. [READ MORE →]( New York and Paris's Grittiness and Romanticism In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we speak with the author of several critically praised books, Lucy Sante (Whiting Writer’s Award and Best Literary Criticism Award), and discuss the practice of digging into place and how our relationship to places can shape our identities. [LISTEN ON OUR SITE →]( [LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS →]( [LISTEN ON SPOTIFY →]( [LISTEN ON STITCHER →]( A Misunderstood Aeronautical Event Ensign John Gay of the U.S. Navy had just returned home from several months aboard the U.S.S. Constellation in the South Pacific when a reporter for a photography magazine called to tell him that Gay’s photo had taken first prize in the Science and Technology category. The photo itself is incredible: it looks like the aircraft is reentering the sky through a misty portal. Almost all media coverage of the photo described the image as a physical manifestation of the breaking of the sound barrier, but that turned out to be incorrect. [READ MORE →]( The Soup That Stopped a War The first war of Kappel divided the idyllic Swiss countryside, pitting neighboring cantons against one another in armed religious conflict. Like in most intra-Christian conflicts of the Reformation, men were prepared to spill blood over theological differences. Unlike any war in history, however, it was over before it even began thanks, perhaps, to an iconic pot of soup. [READ MORE →]( Breakups Are Hard Why do relationships end? The question plagues experts and laypeople alike. Circumstances change. The spark goes away. An attribute that once intrigued you is suddenly repellant. It’s a tale as old as time—even for animals. This is the story of Bibi and Poldi, the Galápagos tortoises that were together for 90-odd years and then, suddenly, weren’t. Box it up, and bury it in the ground. [READ MORE →]( Engage With Us Collect and Weave Together Oral Histories Join oral historian Meral Agish to learn the key elements of oral history, hone your listening skills, and prepare to record your own interview. Each session will include a mix of multimedia presentations, reflective exercises, and small-group discussions, so that students have the chance to practice their interviewing and listening skills together. [ENROLL IN THIS COURSE →]( New Zealand’s Natural Wonders Maori Te Ika-a-Maui, the North Island of New Zealand, abounds with natural wonders. On this trip, we’ll be paying homage to all things aquatic, from rivers and oceans to waterfalls and mud pools, and to cap it all off: the incredible glowworm caves of Waitomo. [BOOK THIS TRIP →]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Link]( [Website]( Copyright © 2022 Atlas Obscura Inc., All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you once requested to be included on the Atlas Obscura Newsletter mailing list. You can unsubscribe at any time. Our mailing address is: Atlas Obscura Inc. 61 Greenpoint Ave Suite 210Brooklyn, NY 11222 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.