The tube houses of Hanoi Narrow residential houses, known as ‘nha ong’ in Vietnamese or ‘tube houses’, found in an urban area of Hanoi. Tall, thin and brightly colored, Hanoi's "tube houses" dominate the city's streets as 9 million people compete for space in Vietnam's bustling capital. Although Vietnam saw a number of villas and…
Design and Art
If the name "art depot" strikes you as one of those fly-by-night operations that appear in dying shopping malls, or in sketchy weekend flea markets, you'd likely be right. But, in this instance, you'd be wrong. Did you know that most museums only showcase around seven percent of their collections at any given time? …
The pandemic has inspired many to jump into nature. Over the last 360 days, we have attempted new nature activities like kayaking and spelunking, sought out remote hideaways, and found inner peace on long hikes. Maybe we even hugged (or spoke to) a few trees, because we were just so elated to be out of…
Always brash and cheeky, Pablo Picasso was never short on attitude. And here is a humorous example of that modus operandi.
His maxim that lesser artists borrow while the great ones steal is to be illustrated in Britain with a historic pairing of two artworks (David Sanderson writes). The National Gallery is collaborating with an American…
Italy is lovely enough as it is. But, when you find an opportunity to almost join the family, you should jump on it.
Here, we present to you Villa Catola in Bucine, Italy. Run by Fabio Catola and his family, from the minute you step out of the car, you will instantly feel like you've lived…
Walking through the quiet old streets of Mexico City’s San Ángel, a neighborhood hugged by old ash trees and immense colonial style buildings, there’s one edifice that doesn’t quite fit in. Two square houses, one blue and the other one red, are linked by a narrow bridge and fenced in by immense cactus plants. Most…
Now, here is some smart information. Have you every arrived in a phenomenal city, only to have a room with a view . . . of a brick wall? It happens to all of us. Well, here are some top places to stay for you, and you won't go bankrupt. And remember that when you…
We would imagine that many of us were educated in more or less the same ways, using the same topics and walking away from it with ever-lasting notions about what history was all about. We've moved on in our knowledge, of course, and every day bring a new enlightenment. Modern science and technology are turning…
New York City has one of the world’s biggest subway systems, but some areas of the city are poorly served. Even though New York City has the most extensive subway system in the Americas, less than two-thirds of the city’s population actually lives within walking distance of a station.
For the last 15 years, construction crews…
History is a "funny" old thing. Like tunics tumbling in a dryer, around and around the dynasties come and go. And, of course, sometimes they just melt into one another and no-one really remembers what it once was like.
At one of the most important places on earth sits Istanbul, Turkey. It still has a sharp…
If you visit this site often - or even other travel sites - you'll know that Venice is heaving under the weight of packed-like-sardines tourists, and rising water levels that threaten its very existence.
Fortunately, there are those individuals who recognise the threat and are in a position to do something about it.
The Anish Kapoor Foundation…
Some places just "get it." As we see mother earth in peril, some of us are just not rising to the occasion. Climate change is not a joke. It's real. But, some countries (mostly in Europe) are paying attention and doing something about it. It could be banning automobile traffic in certain places. It could…
Spain is building an $8.7 billion USD new urban development in northern Madrid, called Madrid Nuevo Norte. Madrid is the heart of Spain. However, in its north, train tracks and the urban void surrounding them cut the city right in half, creating traffic and connectivity issues. To solve this issue, Spain is building a new…
You are probably already familiar with the Trojan Horse of Troy, the wooden horse used by the Greeks to enter the city of Troy and win the war. If not, here is a good tutorial.
The horse has been an elusive archeological find, but now, Turkish archaeologists claim they have found what they believe are pieces…
Human beings just seem to love the idea of something being "the best." Even if it's the best cheese sandwich, it inspires some awe and loyalty. Airports are no different, especially when we have to sit and fidget in them for hours and hours, waiting for a result with our flights So as to be…
If there is one movie franchise that EVERYONE loves (in addition to Star Wars, of course) it's Indiana Jones. Chances are good that - if you're a certain age - you got your first glimpse of Morocco or Petra via those classics. But, did you know that the films were influenced by a living human being…
We all know Google, love them or hate them. (We rather like them.) They're everywhere, constantly innovating, making money, but providing free services, as well. One of their shining stars is Google Maps. We're sure that the service doesn't need introduction. But, did you know how much they've played with Maps to make it even…
For many, many years (and even now) the USA and the USSR have been in a competition to one-up each other when it comes to, well, almost everything. One country would make a leap in technology, only to be bested by the other, not soon after. It was dizzying, at times. Well, even though technology…
China doesn't fool around. When they do things, they tend to go big. Here's an example. The new Shanghai Astronomy Museum, which recently opened in China, is potentially the world’s most majestic museum devoted to the skies. This elliptical, silvery structure looks part spaceship, part planetary invasion, with angular shapes that “embody some of the…
Magic can happen anywhere, at any time, to almost anybody.
Take Aretha Franklin, for example.
In an innocuous two-story building with a barn-like roof on a side of a nondescript street in Muscle Shoals, Alabama is the home of FAME Recording Studios (short for Florence Alabama Music Enterprises.) Music lovers will know it well.
They were small, but…