Pig resort: The Bahamas may be known for sand beaches and tourist resorts, but some people visit one of the nation’s uninhabited islands to see the swimming pigs. Big Major Cay (known as Pig Island) is the home to a whole group of these feral, but friendly beasts that swim out to boats of visitors and locals who bring food to them. The story goes that sailors left some pigs on the island a few years ago and never returned for them. Now, the pigs romp on the beach or rest under the palm trees, waiting for their next shipment of dinner. Then, they plunge in and paddle out to greet their visitors.

Popeye’s Village: There is a theme vacation spot in the small European nation of Malta that is unlike any other. Called Sweethaven Village, but better known as Popeye’s Village, it is the place to visit for all lovers of “Popeye, the Sailor Man.” The village is the actual set for the movie, “Popeye,” which was filmed there in 1980 and starred Robin Williams. It has brightly painted wooden buildings and the set looks like a seaside town. Families can have lots of fun viewing puppet shows, visiting the buildings, enjoying barbecues and playing mini golf. There are also kid-friendly seasonal activities, such as summer boat rides and a Christmas parade.

Lucky dog: A little dog might have gone to ‘puppy heaven’ if not for the actions of a bystander in an elevator incident in the Russian city of Perm. The cute little pug and its owner entered the elevator, and just as the doors were closing, the leashed dog dashed back out, with the leash caught between the doors. As the elevator started to rise, the pooch started rising with it. Luckily, a man waiting for another elevator came to the rescue. He managed to remove the leash and free the dog, which ran away unharmed. The owner was greatly relieved when she discovered her pet had survived the incident.

Gretzky lover: There is a hockey memorabilia collector in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, who owns a huge number of Wayne Gretzky items – from hockey sticks to jerseys to skates – all worn by the famous NHL player known as “The Great One.” Shawn Chaulk, who has collected sports mementos for 20 years, started his Gretzky collection quite a while ago. He’s made many friends with fellow collectors and he even had the opportunity to give a tour of the items to Gretzky himself. Recently, Chaulk decided to auction off the memorabilia, and it is likely that he’ll be a rich man afterwards. For example, he owns over 100 hockey sticks, each one worth thousands of dollars.