You Should Know, You Need to Know, and Do You Want to Know on This Week's Fast Five!

 I decided to do a few more Did You Knows for this week's fast five, so hope you get something out of this one!

1.    Did you know that there was a park called Morningside in Manhattan and that they are supposed to have a waterfall?

The park is located on a cliff, so this makes a waterfall entirely possible.  There is a lake, so that makes a waterfall even more possible.  The powers that be actually made a man made waterfall in this park.  It's roughly 20 feet high and is embedded in the cliff next to the lake.  Pretty cool right?

I went to visit the waterfall the other day, however, and it was dry.  I don't know if it's the season, if there was something wrong with the pumps or what.  I'd heard that they'd recently done some work on the pumps to make sure it was flowing and I saw a lot of pictures and videos online, but when I got there it was dry.  Just a heads up!

You can reach Morningside Park best by taking the B, A, or C, lines to 116th St. and walking west.  If you take the 1 line to 116th St. you'll have to walk across Columbia University Campus and that isn't as easy as it sounds.

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/morningside-park   

https://www.morningsidepark.org/   

https://www.centralpark.com/things-to-do/attractions/morningside-park/   

https://news.columbia.edu/news/morningside-park-restored-waterfall-renewed-pond-and-blueprint-climate-resilient-public-space   

https://foresyteapp.com/morningside-waterfall-new-york/   

2.    Did you know that the Waterbury Line on Metro North is shutting down for 10 months?  That's right.  10 months, starting July 20th, 2026.  They expect to reopen on June 1st, 2027.

There have been many changes to the Waterbury line over the years, although I suspect they're still using the same trains, and this is just the latest.  The state of Connecticut decided that in order to fix all the platforms at all of the 6 stations that are exclusively on that line; they'll get it done fast and better if the trains aren't in the way.  Fair assessment.  

Don't worry, you can still take advantage of the free parking and the lack of dealing with Bridgeport's transportation hub traffic.  There will be buses throughout the duration of the upgrades and you'll still be able to use your traintime app for tickets.

https://www.mta.info/   

https://portal.ct.gov/governor/news/press-releases/2026/05-2026/governor-lamont-announces-construction-underway-on-four-waterbury-branch-line-station-upgrades?language=en_US   

https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/mta-buses-to-replace-waterbury-branch-trains-starting-july-20/3750825/   

https://www.wshu.org/connecticut-news/2026-05-01/ct-metro-north-train-stations-upgrades   

https://valley.newhavenindependent.org/2026/07/01/waterbury-branch-to-use-buses/   

3.   Did you know that if you take an American Cruise on an American Cruise Ship, you'll only be dealing with Americans?

Let me explain this one.  In the United States, there are cruise lines that only travel places in the country.  There are some exclusively Alaskan cruises, Mississippi River cruises, Puget Sound area, Chesapeake Bay, coastlines, great lakes and the likes.  This particular area of cruise travel has some unique laws in our country.

If your cruise company only travels in the United States of America with no other ports, your company needs to be owned and operated by Americans.  The ship must be made by an American company and staffed by Americans, while being an American run cruise company.  I'm not joking.  I didn't know that, but there it is.

What do I think about this?  I'm not sure.  It's called the Jones Act and it's not new.  It comes from around 1920.  I'm all for supporting American products and companies.  The government has made no such restrictions on international cruise ships operating within American based companies.  It's a point of conversation.  Just found out and thought I'd share.

https://www.tipsfortravellers.com/legal-restriction-on-usa-cruise-ships-shorts/

https://www.help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1004?language=en_US   

https://www.barneslawfirm.com/how-the-jones-act-affects-cruise-ships/   

https://naylorlaw.com/blog/how-does-the-jones-act-affect-cruise-ships/   

https://www.sutliffstout.com/jones-act-cruise-ships/   

4.    Did you know that tipping is more prevalent in several South African locations than it is in the United States?

Bet that one never occurred to you.  I've been bombarded in recent years with tipping situations.  I buy a bottle of water at a stand and they want a tip.  Sorry, you don't see the cashiers at Walmart doing that.  It seems as though we have the most intrusive and constant tipping society in the world.  When I visit Europe, tipping is mostly not done, and if it is, it's by choice.  So, how on Earth could there be anywhere that's crazier on tipping than here?

My friends, that place is South Africa.  From what I understand, Apartheid is over, but some of the issues linger on.  Apparently, and I don't know for sure, because I've never actually been there; segregation and the wealth gap larger than the Grand Canyon are still alive and well.  I heard a story just last week that some restaurants still seat certain people in the back and others in the front.  True story.

At any rate, to make some extra cash, the people doing various unskilled and menial jobs are reliant on tips.  They need to get by.  So, remember when you're tooling around South Africa; tip.

Tip your bartender, housekeeping, servers and waitstaff, valets, guides, gas station attendants, and more.  It's customary there.

https://www.capetownmagazine.com/tipping-south-africa   

https://www.expertafrica.com/south-africa/info/tipping-in-south-africa   

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293740-i9186-k14701257-Tipping-South_Africa.html   

https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/108672/tipping-in-south-africa   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=318aSmggvdg   

5.    Did you know that there's a cat boat in Amsterdam?

There are a lot of things that we all hear about Amsterdam.  Getting around by bike and boat, all the canals, the red light district, hash bars, Anne Frank.  We hear a lot of that stuff.  What I'd never heard about was the cat boat.

I find this fascinating, because we all know that there are a lot of homeless cats in the world and they need a place to live and someone to care for them.  shelters are not uncommon.  However, I was intrigued to hear about a bunch of homeless cats being cared for and living on a boat.  I've had cats and they were never a fan of water.  This is something I never would have thought of.

At any rate, they are cared for and comfortable and a little bit spoiled.  They are available for adoption and if you want a kitty; there are plenty there to choose from.

https://depoezenboot.nl/en   

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/de-poezenboot-the-cat-boat   

https://all.accor.com/a/en/limitless/thematics/off-the-beaten-track/cat-boat-amsterdam.html   

https://www.help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1384?language=en_US   

https://www.state.gov/transition-center/returning-to-the-u-s-with-pets   

That's all I have to say about that.  I hope you found these items a bit interesting and somewhat helpful.  Sorry to say that the waterfall in Morningside Park is dry.  But, it is.  I'm rummaging around New York City on my YouTube Channel, "Adventures for Anyone With Terri Dixon" that's me!  If you'd like to check out what I'm up to right now, here you go;  https://www.youtube.com/@adventuresforanyone2026   

Thanks for joining me! Never stop adventuring!  Enjoy!

We're Doing A Did You Know For This Week's Fast Five!

 Sometimes I just want to see if y'all are paying attention to some of the stranger little things around the world!

1.    Did you know about Seborga, Italy?  It's a town that thinks it should be a country.  What?  Well, it's all about a technicality.  apparently, the village of now 300 people was sold in 1729, but the sale to then royalty was never officially recorded.  Somehow, that led a local resident named Giorgio Carbone to campaign for the village's independence in 1963.  

The little village is only 35 km from Monaco along that southern coast along the Mediterranean Sea, and is a great little stop along the way.  They've printed and minted their own money and they have their own flag.  They are not recognized as a country, but they are determined.  Is it a vacation spot?  No.  Just a stop along the way.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g2052406-d4420640-Reviews-Seborga-Seborga_Province_of_Imperia_Liguria.html   

https://instantlyitaly.com/discover-seborga-an-old-village-in-liguria-unique-character/   

https://www.italia.it/en/liguria/seborga   

https://www.forbes.com/sites/catherinesabino/2023/09/06/what-to-know-about-visiting-seborga-a-destination-unlike-any-other-in-italy/   

https://www.principatodiseborga.com/history   

2.   Did you know that there's an island called Pheasant Island, in France or Spain?  Actually, it's both.  This strange island which is uninhabited, needed a home.  France is on one side of the Bidasoa River and Spain is on the other.  Ironically, no one ever included this little island in any treaties or anything, so it's not clear whom it belongs to.

How to sort that out?  Well, the two countries decided to be fair.  Or what seems fair to Spain and France, which was to each claim responsibility for the island for half the year every year.  And, it's not like they set up the schedule using new year's which most people would do.  No.  That would be too easy.

From February 1st to July 31st each year, France is responsible for the island.  From August 1st to the next year's January 31st, it is governed by Spain.  Does this make any difference to the island?  No.  But rules are rules.  My favorite part is that it's not even open the public, so you couldn't visit other than to look at it if you tried.

https://www.fascinatingspain.com/articulo/what-to-see-in-basque-country/pheasant-island-nationality-spanish-half-year-french-other/20240710150541067216.html

https://www.basquecountry-tourism.com/directory/pheasant-island/   

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pheasant-island

https://www.defactoborders.org/places/pheasant-island   

https://airial.travel/attractions/%C3%AEle-des-faisans-pheasant-island-bidasoa-river-france-spain-5vHz6X_m   

3.    Did you know that the time zone in Newfoundland is weird?  We've probably all heard of Newfoundland.  Although it sits on the east coast of Canada, it's very remote.  St. John's, Newfoundland is the first place the sunrise is visible in all the Americas every day.  It's an interesting country with very few people living in it for its size.  There are two islands just off its southern shore that are a province of France.  You can sit on the beach in Newfoundland and watch icebergs float by.

There's not doubt that it's an interesting country, famous for Vikings having lived there and their fishing industry, and very cold winters.  My father was stationed there with the Navy in the 1950's and he told some crazy stories about the winters there.

However, did you know that they have one of the strangest time zones on Earth?  In a world where times zones are separated by an hour, Newfoundland decided that none of that suited them.  Here's the story.

When the world decided to standardize time zones, Newfoundland was a British Dominion and not a part of Canada.  They fall precisely in the middle of two of the time zones that were established back then.  So, they split the difference.  They became part of Canada in 1949, and at that point it was assumed that they'd adopt a time zone.  However, it's been a cantankerous political topic to this very day.  The Newfoundlanders like their unusual time zone.  They feel it's part of their history and they aim to preserve it.  There have been votes, campaigns, referendums and on and on, but as of right now, they are still 3.5 hours west of Greenwich Mean Time.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/newfoundland-half-hour-time-zone-1.7001193   

 https://www.britannica.com/story/why-are-some-time-zones-30-minutes-off-instead-of-an-hour   

https://www.productofnewfoundland.ca/articles/5-facts-about-the-newfoundland-time-zone   

https://www.citymonitor.ai/analysis/the-worlds-weirdest-time-zones/   

https://www.canadainfolink.ca/time-zones-canada/   

4.    Did you know that the Giant Ferris Wheel at Der Prater, Vienna is special?  Why?  Well, it's the oldest Ferris Wheel in the world.  I wondered about this.  I was always told that the Ferris Wheel was created in Chicago, Illinois, USA for the Columbian Exhibition in 1893.  Turns out that also is true.

The things are named after the creator; George Washington Gale Ferris Jr.  That's a mouthful; pretty happy they shortened it to Ferris.  But, alas, that first wheel went away.  It was refurbished a few times for events in Chicago but was officially demolished in 1906.

The Giant Ferris Wheel in Der Prater in Vienna came along in 1897 to celebrate the 50th Jubilee of Franz Joseph I.  Unlike Chicago, Vienna has preserved that very wheel to this day.  It's 65 meters high and takes about 15 minutes to make a revolution.  It does give a great view of the city and comes with its own museum.  It costs 13.5 Euros for a ride and is well  worth it!

https://www.wien.info/en/see-do/prater/giant-ferris-wheel-346994   

https://wienerriesenrad.com/en/home/   

https://www.praterwien.com/en/attractions/details/platform-9-giant-wheel   

https://www.austria.info/nl-nl/bestemmingen/giant-ferris-wheel/   

https://viennawelcomecard.at/attraction/giant-ferris-wheel   

5.    Did you know that Napoleon blew up Devin Castle, Slovakia?  I had no idea.  But, this medieval behemoth, which sits on top of a fantastic hill overlooking the Danube and also the Morava Rivers was just a bit much for Napoleon to deal with back in 1809.

This castle was originally an area inhabited in prehistoric times.  It was a piece of land used by Romans, Celts, Hungarians and many others over the years.  Fast forward to the years of Napoleon.  He put a siege on Pressburg (modern day capital, Bratislava).  While that was kind of working out, the castle was being used as a stronghold station against him.  When the whole thing was over, Napoleon simply decided, in his paranoid mind, that he should blow it up so no one could use it as a stronghold against him in the future.  Now, we all visit the ruins.

The castle is a deeply embedded piece of Slovak history.  It holds deep meaning for the people there.  The castle is a popular site to visit and it only costs 8 Euros to enter.  You can reach it by boat or bus and it's open daily until 6 pm.

https://www.visitbratislava.com/places/devin-castle/   

https://muzeumbratislava.sk/en/devin-castle   

https://hraddevin.mmb.sk/en/   

https://slovakia.travel/en/devin-castle   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIx80SMa3qI   

I do cover a lot of these topics on my YouTube Channel, "Adventures for Anyone with Terri Dixon."  You can learn more there about several of the topics here.

https://www.youtube.com/@adventuresforanyone2026  

There you have it.  Just a few little things that I didn't know if y'all knew about.  There are a lot of little tidbits around the world.  I've mentioned just a few.  If you're curious about what goes on out in the world, go out and check it out.  You only live once and there's a whole world to see!  Enjoy!