13 things I found on the internet today (Volume 689)

Abkhazia, a lost paradise, was once considered a heavenly vacation spot for the Soviet elite, including Stalin, Beria, Khrushchev, and Brezhnev. However, after the collapse of the USSR, Georgia declared its independence, which led to Abkhazia's attempt to proclaim itself an independent state. The ensuing war resulted in numerous casualties, and now Abkhazia is an autonomous republic, but only a few countries recognize its independence. An international embargo continues to hinder economic development and foreign investment in the region.

Rumors about bananas being a drug began circulating in the 1960s among hippies. Since marijuana cost money, bananas were cheap, which led to this deception.

Today in Poland, it is customary to celebrate "Wet Monday," when boys splash water on the girls they like and wave willow branches at them. This tradition has been around for a long time and is accompanied by the exchange of gifts.

In 2018, a man named Mickey Barreto checked into the New Yorker hotel, where he stayed for five years without paying a cent. The story of his unusual stay could land him in jail in the future.

Simone de Beauvoir got a library card at the Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris in 1937. Today, this store has become popular among feminists and publicists.

The exhibition "Fabiola" by Belgian artist Francis Alÿs is a unique collection of portraits of the 25th-century saint, gathered by him over the past 20 years. The original is lost, but the artist has found numerous copies around the world.