DAVID ADAMS writes about the odder side of life…
• A farmer in Belgium accidentally moved his country’s border with France recently – and, yes, it was in his country’s favour. The farmer, annoyed about a stone which was blocking the path of his tractor, reportedly moved the block a couple of metres (2.29, to be exact). Problem was, the stone was an official border marker and dates back to 1819 when the 620 kilometre border was marked out after agreement between the two nations in the wake of Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo in 1815. The movement of the stone was spotted by an eagle-eyed local history enthusiast while on a walk and, no, it didn’t spark an international incident, just some laughter (and moves by local authorities to have the farmer restore the stone to its original location). David Lavaux, mayor of the nearby Belgian village of Erquelinnes, reportedly expressed his happiness as his town was “made bigger” by the move while Aurélie Welonek, mayor of the nearby French village Bousignies-sur-Roc, said the move didn’t spark too much concern. “We should be able to avoid a new border war,” he said.
The Arouca 516 Bridge in Portugal. PICTURE: Via the Arouca 516 website.
• Don’t like the wobbles? You might like to avoid the new pedestrian suspension bridge – hailed as the world’s longest – which opened in Portugal recently. The Arouca 516 Bridge, which hangs some 175 metres over the Paiva River, stretches for 516 metres and features a see-through metal grate as a walkway. The bridge, which took about two years to build, has reportedly taken the honour of being the world’s longest from Switzerland’s 494 metre long Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge. One of the first people to cross the bridge, Hugo Xavier, told Reuters he was “a little afraid, but it was so worth it”. “It was extraordinary, a unique experience, an adrenaline rush.”
• “By Grabthar’s hammer, you shall be avenged!” Such were the words apparently heard by a subcommittee of US Congress this week when, during a mishap, part of the soundtrack of the 1999 science fiction film Galaxy Quest played in the background. The meeting continued over the top of the movie’s audio with those attending apparently unaware of the audio issues – which also involved some music from The Village People playing in the background – until a recess was taken. The incident was reportedly related to the feed and not the result of one of members watching TV with their microphone on. Still, might be a way to keep people entertained during what can be rather dry hearings.
