Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer

Europe

Europe

Bangkok walks!

A marvelous thing about our world and our planet (with all of its residents) is how much change happens every minute of every day.  Not all of it is necessarily good, but there is so much good in humanity that, sometimes, it's nice to simply celebrate the good. For example, Bangkok is a sprawling, diverse and…

Read more

лед лед Ana (Ice ice Ana)

лед лед Ana. (ice ice Ana.) In 1993 the 2,500-year-old mummified remains of a woman were discovered in the frozen Ukok Plateau in Siberia. Known as the 'Ukok Princess' or the 'Ice Maiden' in the media, she is thought to be one of the most significant archaeological finds of the 20th Century. Watch the video, below, courtesy…

Read more

You’re on track: DIY rail opus

If you visit our site often, you'll know how much we love trains and the railways.  In these days of a worrisome climatic future, and the growth of the global population and diminishing resources, we need to be efficient.  Rail is just that . . and more. Recently, probably the longest train trip has been…

Read more

Roamin’ palace

In certain parts of the world, history sometimes pops up out of nowhere, to the point of where you can literally trip over it.  Europe is certainly one of those places:  tread carefully, as you might be standing on a 6th century prince. In 1960 a man was laying a water pipe underneath the quaint…

Read more

Wherefore art now?

This may sound trite, but art is art, isn't it?  Artists follow their muse to amaze / amuse / surprise us with what the human mind can conjure up.  We may not always "get it" but there never seems to be a shortage of those who create something compelling. Interestingly, there are also those who…

Read more

12th century DIY

Looking for a new home improvement project? Well, we have the projects for you! A choice of seven.  Perfect for any level of skills.  Building materials are easy to find.  Good bones to start of your project.   Includes helpful videos. What could possibly go wrong? Read more here courtesy of AtlasObscura.com You'll want to visit…

Read more

Guilt-free sea

You'll probably be asking what a cargo ship has to do with cruises.  Well, right now, not much.  But, watch this video to see what the smart boffins are doing now to help create a better world. Dubbed ‘the Tesla of the seas’ this fully-electrified, fully-autonomous cargo ship is already making waves. How does it work?…

Read more

Moscow, now

Russia, in particular Moscow, has so many magnificent buildings, structures and the accompanying history that goes with them, that it should definitely be on your "must see" list if it isn't already. One thing that the Russians should be proud of is their capacity to rehabilitate forlorn structures into the original magnificence that they once had. The…

Read more

The party’s over

Like all of us, eventually we need to retire.  And so do ships (and planes.) We have all likely been on at least one cruise, and you'll comprehend the scope and size of those behemoths of the seas.  But, have you given any thought when it's time for the ship to be put to pasture? It's a…

Read more

Finally!

If you visit our site, you'll know that we are huge proponents of rail travel.  What's not to like?  High-speed, comfort and better for the environment. Most countries have highspeed rail options in place, and have had for many years.  But there has always been one rather glaring exception - the USA.  Train travel works there…

Read more

It’s 1984 again . . and again

We here at Matouring.com are of an age when we've seen (and even experienced first-hand) some of the half-baked ideas and horrific outcomes on the world stage and in world politics.  It feels like we're there yet again, but, unlike before, we have the power to collectively act and make a difference. George Orwell (with his books…

Read more

In the zone

The EU (European Union) is a powerful and rather marvelous thing to behold.  In addition to corralling 27 disparate countries into a unified and progressive force, they also respect and hold true the values that all countries should aspire to. So, it is both a joy to see that the EU will be including Croatia under…

Read more

BRB!

We here at Matouring are of the opinion that our lovely readers are of the fun, adventurous and curious types.  You like the "new" and are always craving something different. With that in mind, here we'd like to tell you about our affilate friends BRB (Be Right Back) who feature a fun twist on travel:…

Read more

Supper’s ready

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused pandemonium everywhere, especially when it comes to the world of tourism. As you'll know, Leonardo DaVinci's Last Supper is one of the most visited and admired tourist attractions in the world.  It did not escape the travel drought, either.   But, happily, it is now open again for you to visit. The Santa…

Read more

Dolomites? Dynamite!

Sometimes, all you need is a nice low-level flight over a beautiful place.  How about Italy's Dolomites?  And when you touch down . . . The Italian Dolomites are divided into Western Dolomites and Eastern Dolomites by the Cordevole creek (a tributary of the Piave river) which flows through the province of Belluno. Dolomites are also divided…

Read more

“Ancient” technology?

We often tend to give short shrift to ancient technologies.  We can see the lineage in our modern world, but often assume that everything was more-or-less created in the past hundred years or so. A hundred and twenty years ago, divers discovered a shipwreck off the island of Antikythera in Greece. What they found changed our…

Read more

VRtigo

Although the world is starting to open up again, from the Covid-19 pandemic, it can still be a bit of a dicey proposition:  you never know when someone won't be "cooperating" with the efforts to quell the pandemic.  And, there is always the chance that your flight will be surreptitiously cancelled. Well, if you're still clamouring…

Read more

Close to the edge

Close to the edge, down by the river.  Down at the end, round by the corner. Seasons will pass you by. There are few places as mystical and magical as Iceland.  Still relatively untouched, the landscape shapes its people, and they respond in kind by returning the favour. You've all seen images of Iceland's volcanoes, but have…

Read more