matthewplowman's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Places visited in Kenosha, Wisconsin
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Newport Beach, California

The Frozen Banana Stands of Balboa Island

Try the frozen treat that inspired Arrested Development's famous banana stand.
Milan, Italy

Bar Luce

A Milanese café entirely designed by the American director Wes Anderson.
Milan, Italy

La Vigna di Leonardo (Leonardo’s Vineyard)

Just across from the "Last Supper" painting is the famous painter's vineyard, a gift received for creating the masterpiece.
Rome, Italy

Ponte Nomentano

One of Rome's most picturesque and original bridges was also a popular choice for Grand Tour artists.
Rome, Italy

Sedia del Diavolo

According to local folklore, this Roman sepulcher was once a throne for the Devil.
Vatican City

Stufetta del Bibbiena

The Vatican's secret porn-festooned bathroom was painted in erotic murals by one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance.
Rome, Italy

The Aventine Keyhole

Rome's semi-secret peephole vista is also a former Crusader stronghold.
Rome, Italy

Passetto di Borgo

The Pope’s secret escape route.
Rome, Italy

Pasticceria Boccione

In Rome’s Jewish ghetto, a 200-year-old bakery still makes the neighborhood’s historic sweets.
Rome, Italy

Casa Romuli

These hut foundations are believed to be the residence of Romulus, founder of Rome.
Rome, Italy

Piè di Marmo (Marble Foot)

A massive marble foot is tucked away in a small alley near the Pantheon.
Rome, Italy

Ludus Magnus

The ruins of the largest gladiatorial school in Rome are largely hidden under modern streets.
Rome, Italy

Servian Wall at McDonald's

Inside this McDonald's you can dine on your Big Mac and fries next to a 2,500-year-old Roman wall.
Rome, Italy

Via Appia

2300-year-old Roman road connecting the empire.
Rome, Italy

Nymphaeum of Egeria

Roman politician Herodes Atticus built this nymphaeum to honor his wife, whom he may have murdered.
Pisa, Italy

'Tuttomondo'

A local student's chance encounter with Keith Haring led to the creation of one of Europe's largest murals.
Pisa, Italy

Orto Botanico di Pisa (Botanical Garden of Pisa)

The first botanical garden, a feather in the cap of the Grand Duke of Tuscany.
Pisa, Italy

Guy Rope Anchors for the Leaning Tower of Pisa

The only visible reminders of an elaborate engineering project that kept the tower from reaching the tipping point.
Florence, Italy

Galileo's Middle Finger

The middle finger of modernity.
Florence, Italy

L’importuno di Michelangelo

The famous sculptor left his mark on this Italian wall in an internationally protected example of street art.
Florence, Italy

Vasari Corridor

This private skyway is filled with art and was expanded explicitly so that Hitler could appreciate a river.
Florence, Italy

Michelangelo's Hidden Drawings

The doodles of a genius line the walls of a secret room under the Medici Chapel, where they were hidden for nearly 500 years.
Florence, Italy

Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy

The oldest operating pharmacy in the world features 800-year-old recipes.
Rome, Italy

Mercatus Traiani (Trajan's Market)

This ancient market is often referred to as the oldest shopping mall in the world.