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Do Something Different

Do Something Different

Hang out in Japanese neighbourhoods

Did you know that Japan’s shrines and temples welcome regular tourists to stay for a night or more? Experience authentic Zen meditation, the traditional, vegetarian cuisine called shojin ryori, and explore a fascinating world so different from anything you know. Staying at a shrine or temple is an experience that even a lot of Japanese people don’t get to have that easily, a…

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You can be Hadrian, virtually

This long distance footpath is unique because it follows a World Heritage Site. Hadrian built the Wall to separate the Roman Empire from the barbarians. It is a complex structure with curtain wall, milecastles, turrets, ditches and forts. Walking the Path is logistically easier if the east-west route is followed. The Path that mainly follows…

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Luxury in Cartagena

Colombia’s most famous writer, the inimitable Gabriel García Márquez, once said in a press interview that he could never have written his books if he had not been a journalist – because all of his material was extracted from reality. Wandering between the pastel-coloured colonial structures of Cartagena’s labyrinthine cobbled streets, one could be forgiven…

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The Blonde Hedgehog

You’ll almost certainly be familiar with the Channel Island’s main settlements, Jersey and Guernsey, part of the UK. They’re famous for their handsome cattle and the unctuous, buttercup coloured milk they produce. But there are three others – Sark, Herm, and Alderney. While the first two are trickier for tourists, Alderney is a precious, hidden…

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‘Leave No Trace’

The seven “Leave No Trace” (LNT) principles were formed by the Leave No Trace organization as a set of guidelines meant to educate campers and protect the environment. One of the tenets of outdoor recreation—camping, specifically—is the idea of enjoying the natural world while minimizing impact as much as possible. For future generations to be able to…

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If you’re close to Osaka . . .

....Okayama is a must-see sightseeing area tourists often miss. Okayama is lies on the Shinkansen route connecting the two iconic tourist centers of Osaka and Hiroshima that are popular among many tourists to Japan. Its accessibility is yet another part of its appeal. For travelers wanting to explore historic spots, experience cultural activities, soak up…

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Modest mosque

Centrally located in the Iranian capital Tehran, the Vali-e-Asr Mosque’s most distinguishing aspect is the fact that it does not look like a mosque. Designed by Iranian architects Reza Daneshmir and Catherine Spiridonoff of Fluid Motion Architects, the building eschews the stereotypical typology of large domes and tall minarets in favour of a modest horizontality…

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And now for something completely different

It's possible that you've thought of living in another country.  But have you thought of working there, as well? Japan is an endlessly fascinating country that actively welcomes workers from around the world. Many foreign residents from English speaking countries, work in Japan as language instructors. The demand for native language instructors remains relatively high,…

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And now for something completely different

It's possible that you've thought of living in another country.  But have you thought of working there, as well? Japan is an endlessly fascinating country that actively welcomes workers from around the world. Many foreign residents from English speaking countries, work in Japan as language instructors. The demand for native language instructors remains relatively high,…

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Sail the seven seas, over and over

Brian and Karin Trautman have been living on a sailboat for 10 years, and their boat is set up so they can be off the grid in remote places for months at a time with solar and wind power providing electricity, a water maker that turns salt water into fresh water, multiple freezers and loads…

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Stay at a traditional Japanese house

It had been a packed afternoon of exploring the charming city of Tamba Sasayama, where the vibrant energy of young businesses ran hot through the city. But it was also a relentlessly cold and rainy day. so I was already fantasizing about hot baths and steaming hot pots when we arrived at the 100-year-old traditional Japanese house.…

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You’re virtually in Winnipeg.

You may not be here physically, but that doesn’t mean you can’t visit Winnipeg, Canada…virtually. Exhibits and attractions are now providing virtual tours of their facilities, while we also have some enticing sneak-previews of blockbuster attractions set to open once things return to (the new) normal. So without further ado, welcome to (virtual) Winnipeg. We…

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Chateau bravo!

With their lofty towers, glittering ballrooms, geometric gardens and all that gilded finery, no one does castles better than France. From the Dordogne’s renaissance piles flanked by dusty olive groves and pretty hilltop villages to the turret-studded landscape of the Loire Valley, French châteaux are a brilliant display of the country’s rich architectural and cultural…

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