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Europe

Europe

Road scholar

Traveling by car and staying in hotels and bed & breakfasts is a great way to go, but when you really want to get to know a place, renting a motorhome in Europe is tough to beat. These days, lots of travelers are foregoing staying in hotels for vacationing by motorhome, and there are plenty…

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Starry, starry night

Imagine a place where we feel covered by a majestic starry sky. Right in the middle of Alentejo, Portugal is the wonderful Alqueva sky is like dark velvet cloaked by a huge blanket of stars. It is a protected area and internationally certified as a Dark Sky Reserve, or "Starlight Tourism Destination", which extends over…

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Spy-‘r-land

Bond is back!  But not as Bond . . .  James Bond star Pierce Brosnan is in a new film.  It’s the result of Tourism Ireland teaming up with the Irish Film and Television Academy to create a series of short videos to showcase Ireland. Pierce speaks of his love for his native land, while the…

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Clean routine

Via Vittorio Emanuele is the public wash known as "medieval wash" at the late-Renaissance palace Martino in Italy. In 1514 it was demolished and rebuilt on a more back from the city walls and the river that (legend has it that it was created by the tears of a mourning nymph) flowed under the open…

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Meetings with the dragon

Margaretha Hönin had a bad reputation. Even though she lived in the late 16th century, we know that her neighbours, the people of Coburg in Thuringia, despised her for being a parvenu and a money-grabbing miser. Hönin was also said to be a witch who met regularly with a dragon. For her neighbours, her economic…

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Asleep at the controls

Have you ever dreamt of being a pilot?  You'll need a license, first. But, if your aspirations are more down to earth, why not control your dreams rather than the controls themselves? How about Sweden's Jumbo Stay Hotel in Arlanda? A unique hotel in a Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet. An exclusive experience in the world…

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Tombs in your living rooms

At one time, sitting on the couch and watching television was considered a luxury:  we were so busy in our daily lives that being able to collapse on the sofa and stare at the screen . . or at the ceiling. Well, Covid-19 has flipped that scenario on its head, and most people are gagging…

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Don’t pretend to be: be!

A devastating loss can shatter the façade we put up for others, exposing our deepest, rawest self. A work of art can do the same. Don’t show off! Don’t pretend to be, be!’ The piercing voice of my stern ballet teacher with the stick and the square glasses still echoes in my mind. These two…

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It’s only a flesh wound

Monty Python notwithstanding, the legend of Arthur, king of the Britons remains an enduring, fascinating and unresolved story.  Dozens of films have been made, and yet, his legend is still shrouded in uncertainty. One thing about him that has more ground - literally - is where his infamous castle lair was located - generally accepted…

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Bohemian, like you

I'm getting vibes.... We'd like to introduce you to West Bohemia, a region filled with charm and chances to dig deeper into Czech culture. West Bohemia – two hours west of Prague – includes three cities that are all about health and wellness: Karlovy Vary - the well-known wellness destination of free-flowing mineral springs, founded…

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Chateau No

Some people have all the luck. An infamous €57million French chateau that was built illegally in the Côte d’Azur has been definitively condemned for total destruction, in what is expected to be the final stage of a 15-year-long court case. Chateau Diter was built by Montreil-born property developer Patrick Diter between the years of 2000…

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Purple Noon

Our pals at OMIO sure know Europe.  Planes, trains or automobiles, they can do it. But, like the rest of us, they're stuck at home, too.  So they have - just in time - published their latest version of The Window Seat, their travelogue. Travel (or romance for that matter) might be tricky at the…

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A tour for the worst

Friends will tell you that you have to go to these ‘world famous sights’. But we’re here to tell you that sometimes, your friends are wrong. Reserve your precious holiday time for the best these destinations have to offer, not the overcrowded, overpriced tourist traps. Here are some of the most overhyped sights in Europe…

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Clean-us de Milo

If ever there was a need to use tender, loving care, it's when you work in place with some of the most precious and irreplaceable paintings, sculptures and artifacts.  Of course, in this case, we're talking about The Louvre in Paris.  The Musée du Louvre had a record 10.2 million visitors in 2018—an increase of…

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Staycation situation

It appears, despite our best wishes, 2021 is also going to be the summer of staycations as restrictions against non-essential foreign travel continue for the foreseeable future. Naturally, the recent government crackdowns on international travel have sparked a surge in online searches. Searches on Airbnb for summer staycations more than quadrupled in comparison to the…

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Ein Hausboot ist gut

Ein Hausboot ist gut = A houseboat is good As arctic temperature froze rivers and lakes in northern Germany, workers at houseboat charter companies were already gearing up for what they expect to be a busy summer season. "I think that big trips abroad and flying will still not be the dominant type of vacation…

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Kids these days don’t know anything

People tend to be extremely nostalgic about the music they listened to when they were young. If you were a teenager in the 1970s, chances are you will love Queen, Stevie Wonder or ABBA. And if you were young in the 1990s, Wannabe by the Spice Girls probably still gets you on the dance floor.…

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