Believe it or not

Replica of Michelangelo's David

For many years, I have been fascinated by Riley's. Without giving away my age, this love stemmed from the days when the newspapers used to carry daily, snippets from the fascinating world of Ripley's. Some pictures and stories were so bizarre that one really had a problem believing the claims.

Over the years, Ripleys has morphed into a franchising business, so many cities now have museums bearing the name. Wherever I see one, I do try to take it in to get a top-up of the grotesque and bizarre happenings throughout the world.

On a recent trip to St. Augustine, Florida, the minute I saw the ads that this city had one, it went to the top of my "to see list". And they did not disappoint.

As if one needed a drawing card, right at the entrance is a huge replica of Michelangelo's renowned statue of David and in the yard is a 4 room house carved out of the trunk of a monstrous 1900 hundred-year-old redwood tree. The inside of the house is 247 feet high but as happens with wood, the termites have discovered it and the damage they are doing is now quite visible on the outside.

Inside the 4 room house carved from a redwood tree trunk

Wherever you go and see

 Ripley's, take a look as they never disappoint!

This stallion displayed in the yard was made from chrome bumpers of old cars.

                        

What can I say here?