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Europe

Europe

La Jetée

As of this writing, Covid 19 still continues to confuse, confound and destroy mankind, with chequered survival success rates, disbelievers, and countries that simply cannot rise above it.  Horrible, sad and terrifying does not describe the situation. But, it recently reminded us of a film from 1962 that, in some ways, predicted such events.  That film…

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A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma

We're sure that everyone who frequents our site knows of The Vatican, even if you're not a believer.  But despite the openness of the Vatican (nowadays, anyway) there is still so much to learn and understand. The video below attempts to shed some light on this most venerated of institutions. Trust OMIO for your European…

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A live-in legend

If you frequent our site, you'll know how much we love architecture:  it's a part of life, especially when it is executed with creativity, originality and love.  We especially like the Bauhaus and modern movements from the start of the twentieth century. It is often almost impossible to visit, let alone stay in some of…

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FailItalia

Pity poor Alitalia.  For years, they've been the underdog, constantly chided and teetering on the brink of disappearing.  They've had their problems, but we've flown many times on the airline and had good experiences. (We even sat near Peter Gabriel on one flight.) But, it looks like the future is bleak. On September 10th, 2021 the European…

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Brave soldier, man of letters, publisher, first Grand Master of Neapolitan Masonry

Raimondo di Sangro Prince of Sansevero (Torremaggiore 1710 – Naples 1771) was an original exponent of the first European Enlightenment. A brave soldier, man of letters, publisher, first Grand Master of Neapolitan Masonry, he was – more than anything else – a prolific and enterprising inventor and patron. In the underground laboratories of his palace,…

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Plead the Fifth (freedom)

You might have heard (recently) of the concept of Fifth Freedom flights.  It may sound like a bad action film, but its principles are fairly straightforward and, to be honest, a bit boring.  But, as you'll see in the video, below, in practice it can bring some benefits. Click here to see part one. In…

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Jet ‘a Petra

Our affiliate friends easyJet have announced the launch of a new route and holidays from Manchester Airport UK to Aqaba in Jordan this winter. Flights and holidays are on sale from Manchester Airport to the scenic Jordanian city, a perfect destination for a splash of year-round sunshine and Middle Eastern culture. Read more here from…

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Fantastic new island property. Buy now! Won’t last!

Scientists have discovered a new island off the coast of Greenland, which they say is the world’s northernmost point of land and was revealed by shifting pack ice. “It was not our intention to discover a new island,” polar explorer and head of the Arctic station research facility in Greenland, Morten Rasch, said of the find last month.…

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We’ll leave the light on

When the Romans built things, they built them to last.  Just take a look at Rome itself, with the Parthenon and its companion buildings. But here is another rather spectacular example of the Romans building things to last. The Tower of Hercules is an ancient Roman lighthouse on a peninsula about 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi)…

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Mule love this

Yes, really - the village sounds like something from a 19th-century storybook, however, it seems to be reality. In fact, Clovelly has been named one of England’s most beautiful villages! The ancient fishing village is uniquely special due to its traditional architecture, donkeys and views over the Bristol Channel, which attract endless tourists. You can…

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Art depot

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? …

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Ahh . . . go climb a tree

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…

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Jeronimo Ødger

Europeans generally like being with each other, visiting each other's countries, and sharing all that it means to be European. But, as you know, it wasn't always like this.  There were headlong battles over land, domains and royalty.  These conflicts left scars. But it isn't what you may think.  In fact, there is a day in August…

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The great ones steal

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…

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Perché Bucine?

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…

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Crumbly Corinth

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…

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