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History

History

Quito is neato!

With a rich pre-Colombian history, Ecuador's capital was founded on the ruins of an Incan city but offers everything a modern traveller might need. It remains the least-altered historic centre in Latin America and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Quito’s important sites include baroque gems like San Francisco and Santo Domingo monasteries, as…

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Tubular dwells

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…

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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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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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Juan O’Gorman

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…

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You wanna Botswana?

It’s the remarkable and divers landscapes of Botswana’s parks and reserves that make this country such a noteworthy and unforgettable safari destination. In the North, there are the shimmering waterways and green floodplains of the Okavango Delta. Dominating the soul of the country is the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, a remotes but beyond belief sandy…

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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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Rumble in New York

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…

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Constantino/bul

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…

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Thoughts o’ Palazzo

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…

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Hiking in India

When you start to read this article, you'll ultimately find out that it is about the best places to hike in India.  That's all well and good, as it is an immense country, full of wonderful and kind human beings as well as jaw-dropping sights. But, likely, even if you don't hike, you will be…

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Madrid nuevo

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…

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Is this Trojan Horse a trojan horse?

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…

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Don’t call me Junior!

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…

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Tollund Man’s missing right toe found

If you're a history fan, you've likely heard of Tollund Man. On May 8, 1950 the police in Silkeborg, Denmark received an alarming message. During a peat digging 2 days earlier a body had been discovered in a bog close to Bjældskovdal, an area located approximately 10 kilometers west of Silkeborg. The finders believed they…

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Blurry faces

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…

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Home of the buzzard

You might have heard of Cleveland, Ohio USA, a scrappy city that never gives up. It was formed in the late 1800's and was a manufacturing and financial powerhouse until things dried up in the 1970's. But, the die-hard residents there still plug away at reinventing the city, over and over.  Having major league basketball…

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