Curious Oslo

Who stole the famous Ghent Altarpiece, and who recovered it? And who is restoring it? What is Prinsenhof, and why is it so pretty? Where did the famous Ghent Dragon fly in from? Why is Ghent so famous for its lace? Why is St. Peters Abbey so important to Ghent history?

Why does George IV's Royal Pavilion look so different from other British royal palaces? What happened at the Seven Sisters Cliffs? What is a Smugglers Pub? Who wouldn't sit under a dragon? Where did Sherlock Holmes retire? And what does the Guinness family have to do with a medieval hotel?

England's Great West Way follows the ancient path from London to Bristol. We take the train and get curious at stops along the way: Stonehenge, Bath's masonic architecture, the Roman Baths and the S.S. Great Britain. We also sample some curious pub pies, learn some cockney rhyming slang, and visit a few charming villages.

Why is La Grande-Place so gilded? How did Brussels' chocolate legacy begin? Where can you walk through the pages of a comic book? How did Flanders become such a source of Master artists?

Why is there a giant wall in the middle of Cardiff? Who built Cardiff Castle? And Coch Castle? Why does Cardiff have so many Victorian and Georgian arcades? What is a bara brith? And laverbread? (Seriously, what is it?) Where did Princess Diana give her first public speech in Welsh?