If you go down to the woods (in Sri Lanka), you’re sure of a big surprise

Tracked down in the forests of northern Sri Lanka, a new species of venomous tarantula has been found. Related to the Goliath bird-eater, it is one of the world’s largest spiders with legs like the goddess Kali.

Rupert Brooke in exile: “And is there honey still for tea?”

In 1913, after a emotional upset, the English poet Rupert Brooke visited North America. He wrote travel diaries for the Westminster Gazette, an influential Liberal newspaper based in London. Best known for his idealistic poems “The Soldier” and “The Old Vicarage, Grantchester”, he was also a great travel writer.

Paris sera toujours Paris!

The Moulin de la Galette has stood on Montmartre since 1622. It must be one of the most painted and photographed landmarks in Paris – which, as Maurice Chevalier sang, will always be Paris.

When in Rome, do as the tourists do

Near the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, concealed by its plain exterior, is the less well known Basilica of Saint Praxedes. It contains some of the most beautiful Byzantine mosaics in the city.

There’s many a good tune played on an old fiddle

The violin played by the band leader on board the RMS Titanic has been discovered in Yorkshire, England. An engraved silver plate on the tailpiece carries his name and experts say that evidence of corrosion is compatible with it having been immersed in seawater.

In the playground of the gods

Every conductor worth his or her salt has performed and recorded Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du printemps – celebrating its 100^th anniversary this year. From Pierre Monteux, who gave the first performance, to Sir Simon Rattle, who has just released his latest version with the fabled Berlin Philharmonic, there are now over 126 recordings to choose from.

Reading between the lines in the George W. Bush Presidential Library

At a cost of $250 million dollars, the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is not the most expensive monument of its kind. But why is such a sycophantic memorial needed at all, unless its purpose is to vindicate a man whose policies are reviled?