Unusual but true: Smurfs turn a small German town blue
2019-02-22
In unusual but true stories this week, we have a library in a Boeing 737-400, thrill-seekers addicted to an international hair-freezing competition, Smurfs turning a small German town blue, two globetrotting children visiting 70 countries, and a 3D puzzle cabin for worn-out hikers.
All the odd and interesting anecdotes from around the world are here in our review.
A library in Boeing 737-400
An aerial view of a Boeing 737-400, which serves as a library, outside the Aksu Aircraft Maintenance Technology Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Antalya, Turkey, on Feb 19, 2019. [Photo/VCG]
A decommissioned Boeing 737-400 has been turned into a library at the Aircraft Maintenance Technology Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Aksu, Antalya, Turkey.
School headmaster Haldun Cevik said the plane was donated to the school by a philanthropist who asked to be unnamed.
Students read books in a library inside a Boeing 737-400 at the Aksu Aircraft Maintenance Technology Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Antalya, Turkey, on Feb 19 2019. [Photo/VCG]
The passenger plane, formerly operated by Sky Airlines, was retired after it sustained substantial damage in a landing accident at Antalya Airport in 2011.
The plane will not just be a library, but also both a museum and movie theater, featuring a video telling the story of the aircraft.
Thrill-seekers addicted to intl hair-freezing competition
A man's shows off his frozen hair while bathing in a pool in air temperatures of -15 C at Takhini Hot Springs in Canada, Feb 13, 2019. [Photo/VCG]
Thrill-seekers from around the world have taken part in an international hair-freezing competition to see who can make the coolest hairstyle when their locks freeze solid in -15 C temperatures.
Participants jump into Canada's Takhini Hot Springs, where waters temperatures are between 36C and 42 C, before fashioning their wet hair into hilarious shapes, quiffs and spiky hairdos.
A woman's long locks point to the side while her fringe stands upwards after taking a dip at Takhini Hot Springs in Canada, Feb 13, 2019. [Photo/VCG]
The attraction in Whitehorse, Yukon, runs the contest annually, with winners announced in March.
Smurfs turn small German town blue
People dressed as Smurfs pose before an attempt to hold the world's largest meeting of Smurfs, in Lauchringen, Germany, Feb 16, 2019. [Photo/VCG]
A small German town was turned blue when it tried to break the world record for the largest meeting of Smurfs.
Lauchringen, near the German border with Switzerland, was a sea of blue and white as people donned costumes from the Belgian cartoon.
A participant dressed as a Smurf paints a man's face blue before an attempt to hold the world's largest meeting of Smurfs, in Lauchringen, Germany, Feb 16, 2019. [Photo/VCG]
The attempt saw 2,762 participants dressed as characters like Papa Smurf and Smurfette dancing and singing the series' theme song.
People dressed as Smurfs pose before an attempt to hold the world's largest meeting of Smurfs, in Lauchringen, Germany, Feb 16, 2019. [Photo/VCG]
Created in Belgium in 1958, the appeal of the Smurfs – or Die Schlümpfe as they are known in Germany – still endures for children more than 50 years on.
Two globetrotting children visit 70 countries
Siblings Esme Bayes, four, and Quinn, one, take a photo with their parents Karen Edwards, 34 and Shaun Bayes, 33. [Photo/IC]
Two young children have visited more than 70 counties – despite either yet reaching the age of five years old.
Siblings Esme Bayes, four, and Quinn, one, have traveled across the world with their parents, Karen Edwards, 34 and Shaun Bayes, 33.
Two world-traveling siblings Esme Bayes, four, and Quinn, one, share a moment. [Photo/IC]
After deciding to spend her maternity leave planning adventures for her family in 2015, Karen has been living out of a rucksack as she makes her way around the world ever since.
The family of four is now planning to embark on their latest expedition, having decided to sell their house in Crystal Palace, London.
3D puzzle cabin for worn-out hikers
The quirky cabin where worn-out hikers can rest and recharge in Norway, on Feb 4, 2019. [Photo/IC]
Thanks to a true community effort, weary hikers trekking along the arctic terrain of northern Norway will have a new place to rest their feet.
A small cabin in Hammerfest – commissioned by the town's local chapter of the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) – stands out along the rough terrain, looking like a tortoise shell.
The quirky cabin where worn-out hikers can rest and recharge in Norway, on Feb 4, 2019. [Photo/IC]
The effect was achieved through an incredible amount of research, including the use of a drone and photogrammetry software to create a 3D map of the site. The cabin's outer shell is made of 77 wood timber shapes that fit together like a puzzle.
The cabin was partially built in a warehouse and then moved to its final destination. It took a group of volunteers four days to piece together the main structure, while another group focused on cutting the outer panels and cladding for the exterior.
