Stripes of human ashes cover a back lawn in the most sought-after burial grounds in Paris.

A 400-year-old church covered floor to ceiling in ex-voto offerings from the faithful.

The industrial architecture honors the laborers who brought the Exposition Universelle of 1900 to life.

A 16th-century fountain marks the site of a lost medieval cemetery once filled with mass graves.

A popular shrine where the Blessed Virgin allegedly appeared in 1830, displaying a holy armchair and two incorruptible remains of Lady Saints.

This life-size replica of the Statue of Liberty's flame is also a tribute to Princess Diana by default.

A majestic lion statue guards this Parisian botanical garden, and feeds on an unsettling item.

Exquisite wall sculptures carved in secret by an early quarryman in an obscure corner of the Paris Catacombs.

Site of a classic 19th-century physics experiment to prove the earth is rotating.

This statue was given to France by the United States to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution.

This iconic Parisian bookstore doubles as the "Tumbleweed Hotel" for traveling writers.

France's most famous cemetery, with some of its most curious tombs.

The vast, legendary catacombs hold secrets much stranger than stacked bones.

A huge, bustling local market in Panama City.

Believe it or not, the now-ubiquitous California avocado originated in Guatemala.

This restored colonial house was once home to the botanist responsible for bringing avocados to the U.S.

This 20th-century mansion plays a key role in one of Puerto Rico's greatest novels.

Legend tells how a Spanish soldier disappeared from this isolated sentry box without a trace.

This tiny home was originally a narrow alleyway.

This chapel on a cliff is renowned for its healing powers and was founded on the site of a supposed divine intervention.

There is one corporation registered for every three square feet of space in this inconspicuous office building.

Grand Cayman is home to a colorful sculpture garden filled with giant concrete animals.

The capital of the Cayman Islands is a center of offshore banking, but gets battered by blistering hurricanes.

This huge pile of volcanic boulders hides a stunning network of secret grottoes.