Augustine nuns founded a hospital in Old Quebec in the 1600s. The Hotel-Dieu de Quebec National Historic Site of Canada is a religious and medical complex that was the first of its sort north of Mexico on the North American continent. A wellness hotel is currently part of this complex. During the Women in Travel Summit, my friend Olivia Christine of O.Christine Blog stayed at this hotel and blogged about her experience.

A caustic phenolic compound, urushiol, a powerful skin-irritating toxin also present in the related poison ivy in the sumac family, surrounds the seed. Although some people are sensitive to cashews, they are a less common allergen than other nuts.

Malta was awarded the George Cross by King George VI of England for its valour against the Axis siege during WWII. The George Cross is still depicted on the national flag.

There are so many different ways to express your beliefs. Some people believe in God and go to church regularly or belong to a religious community. In contrast, others do not believe in God at all! Some people meditate. Others just focus more inside themselves rather than externally. And others are less egoistic and more altruistic.

There is a common misconception that writers are lonely, maladjusted introverts who dislike interacting with others. While this stereotype isn't entirely accurate, studies have shown that introverts are more creative, making them better creative writers. One of the reasons for this is that introversion allows for more time alone to think, and thinking alone helps to spark creativity.

World’s largest tea-growing state – Assam is considered the largest tea producing state in the whole world. Assam contributes more than 52 percent of the country’s total tea production.

Wearing sunscreen every day to protect your skin from ageing is one of our best skin care recommendations. Choose a zinc-rich sunscreen formula if you're concerned that it will cause acne on your skin. These items are perfect for skin that is prone to acne or is sensitive because they are typically non-greasy and non-irritating.

The demise of massive stars results in black holes because the gravity of the star overwhelms the natural pressure that the star maintains to sustain its form. When the pressure from nuclear reactions drops, gravity overwhelms and destroys the star's core, and the star's various layers are hurled off into space, resulting in a supernova. The rest of the core collapses, leaving a place overrun by density and devoid of volume — a black hole.

While most of us have had a shattered bone at some time in our lives, the truth is that bone is a very tough substance. So powerful, in fact, that "ounce for ounce, human bones are stronger than steel," as Discover Magazine puts it. A bone has a higher pressure tolerance and bearing strength than a steel rod of equal width. The femur is the strongest bone in the body, capable of supporting 30 times the weight of an ordinary adult. We all are men or women of steel...

House centipedes are the most prevalent species of centipede found in residences and establishments, thus their name. This is because house centipedes have a completely special ability to live their entire life cycle indoors, from egg to old age.

This is a fun fact about Spain and Spaniards. You can easily spot Spaniards anywhere because they are the ones that speak in the loudest voice. It is part of the Spanish character and it is something that contributes to creating that special atmosphere.

Pompeii received the designation of World Heritage Site in 1997. It is a very significant location because it offers such a comprehensive illustration of Roman life, architecture, community, and history. The Pompeii excavations have yielded a wealth of knowledge in the fields of history, science, and sociology. If you are in Italy, you must visit it, and a Pompeii tour from Rome is the ideal way to do that.

The Starry Night, painted in June 1889, depicts the view from the east-facing window of Van Gogh's asylum room in Saint-Remy-de-Provence just before sunrise. It is widely considered to be one of the most recognizable paintings in Western art and Van Gogh's masterpiece. Van Gogh willingly admitted himself to an asylum in May 1889, following a breakdown that resulted in the self-mutilation of his left ear. He stayed at the asylum for a year and created some of his most famous and renowned works, including Irises and the blue self-portrait.

You're probably thinking I'm crazy right now, but it's true! As part of their mating ritual, the peacock spider, Maratus volans, performs a dance that resembles the YMCA. Furthermore, the bright colours on their abdomen make this a spectacular sight to behold. However, if the male spider's rendition of the YMCA does not impress the female, she will attack, kill, and even eat him.

Pirates from The Bahamas had their flags custom-made by a sailmaker's widow who accepted brandy as payment, while Blackbeard had his own black flag with a skeleton with horns. The skeleton held an hourglass in one hand and a spear pointing to a heart dripping with three drops of blood in the other.

There are thousands of distinct species all throughout the world, and Britain has 26 of its own. The most prevalent in the UK are reddish-brown 'surface dwellers,' such as tiger worms (Eisenia fetida), grub around in rotting leaves and other organic materials. Then some worms dig no deeper than 30cm, such as the grey worm.

Brit Garry Turner has quite the talent – he can pull the skin of his stomach a length of 15.8 cm (6.22 in) giving him the record for the Stretchiest skin! 

He is able to do this because he has a rare medical condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. With this, the collagen that strengthens the skin and determines its elasticity allows for him to have such loose skin and super flexible joints.

Lao-Lao is a powerful rice whiskey produced in Laos that costs less than a dollar per liter! The spirit is the cheapest in the world and can be found in any corner store, a mom-and-pop business, or market across the country. However, before you get too thrilled, the extremely low price has its own set of consequences. It tastes like a bottle of Methylated Spirits, has caused blindness on extremely rare occasions, and is a sure bet that you won't recall the events of the previous night. Of course, this is all hearsay. Take this as a warning.

Pulp Fiction was one of the great 90s flicks, but there are a few facts about the film you might not be aware of. One such fact about the Quinten Tarantino film is that one of the scenes was shot in reverse. When Uma Thurman’s Mia Wallace suffers an OD and must be brought back to life with a shot of adrenalin, John Travolta’s Vincent Vega plunges a needle into her chest. To avoid any injury, this scene was actually shot in reverse. Travolta was filmed pulling the needled out of Thurman’s chest. Who would have known? 

While the core games' stories span around 821 years, from the first Assassin's Creed in 1191 to around 2012 and Desmond Miles' modern-day plot, Ubisoft has constructed a large, Star Wars Expanded Universe-style backstory loaded with mythology and intertwined with historical events. According to the publisher, the first known assassin was Xerxes, who assassinated King Darius of Persia, according to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, indicating that the custom dates back millennia.

It is home to the country's only legal two-wheeler taxis. This is the only place in India where you can pay a motorcyclist for a lift without fear of riding off with a stranger! Goa is teeming with motorcycle taxis and pilots, who are known as the state's most cost-effective mode of transportation.

The colour of a chicken's earlobes—yes, chickens have earlobes—is a good predictor of the colour of the eggshell it will lay. Chickens with white earlobes lay white eggs, whereas chickens with red or brown earlobes lay brown eggs.

According to Bayer, the noise you hear is "air trapped in the stomach and forced into the mouth after being devoid of water for brief periods of time." Lobsters lack vocal cords and are unable to process pain.

The Ritz-Carlton occupies the 118th level of Hong Kong's tallest building, the International Commerce Centre (ICC), and contains the world's highest outdoor bar and swimming pool.

In the 1920s, makeup artist Michelle Menard invented a nail polish made of car enamel. Her recipe was popular among flappers. Their preferred method, known as the Moon Manicure, was to paint only the centre of the nail, leaving the tip and cuticle uncovered. Menard was working for Charles Revson, which is now known as Revlon, at the time.