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History

History

Got Aeroflot?

To many, Russia is an alluring, slightly foreboding dream destination.  Perhaps too many films make the wrong impression of the country, but the pull to visit there is strong, and for good reason. One romantic option for travel in Russia is possibility of riding the historic and pricey Trans-Siberian Express from Venice to Moscow -…

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How now, brown cow?

If you visit our site, you will know how much we like and promote India.  It is a massive, crowded, bewildering, lovely and intoxicating place.  The people are uniformly kind and helpful and funny.  The sites are breathtaking.  The cities are a swirl of activity.   If you haven't been, please do so.  And, know that…

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Bloom where you’re planted.

To many of us, this may come as a surprise, especially in this day and age of corporate efficiency. For decades, KLM Airlines have been creating miniature ceramic collectibles of Amsterdam canal houses, and they share them with loyal customers.  Each house is a miniature replica of an existing house, almost all of them in the…

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Elizabethan manner

We here at Matouring love the UK.  One aspect of the land is the sheer amount and breadth of its history.  (We have plenty of articles here on our site which you can peruse and enjoy. But, just because its history stretches back thousands of years doesn't mean that it's mired in the past.  Hardly. …

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We thank-a Sri Lanka

At one point it seemed like the whole world was backpacking and trekking this tropical paradise in South Asia. Never one to miss out, we went to see for ourselves to bring you this guide to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is roughly the same size as Ireland and sits to the south-east of India. The island…

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Warm and fuzzy?

Nuclear power - is there anything that is more confusing and even divisive than that?  On one hand, it has the promise to literally power our homes and factories, and with the possibility of doing it cleanly. But, on the other hand, despite decades of opposition by the people, the threat of nuclear arms still…

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Steam pumped!

In the 1800s, Niagara Falls was considered the be-all and end-all of North America's pure promise and unending resources. Being able to visit was considered the trip of a lifetime. The William Birch Rankine Power Station was Canada's first major power station on the mighty river. Built in 1905 using horse-and-carriage labor, it pumped out…

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Mirrorfield

This Mirrorfield installation was designed within the framework of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial development, which aims to rebuild the memories of the tragic events that happened in the area on September 29-30, 1941, the largest massacre of the Nazi regime. During those days, over 30.000 Jews were murdered by the German forces, while almost…

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How old is old?

There are places in Europe that are well-known:  Rome, Paris, London etc. They're all wonderful, but you really begin to fall in love with the hidden places. One such place is Wales - specifically North Wales, and even more specifically Llangernyw.  Here there is a church that has a tree, and that tree is special.…

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Boo who?

Halloween is just around the corner, which makes the cold heart of any horror fan beat faster. Dressed in spooky costumes, little ghosts go trick-or-treating from house to house, while mature vampires, monsters and ghouls choose to imbibe and dance the night away. Halloween is an American holiday and like many American traditions, was brought…

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Ninety days is not enough

If you like Europe (we sure do) you may often find that when you visit for a long time, even ninety days (the current limit) might not be enough.  There's just too much to do. Of course, you can maximise the rules by staying within the ninety day limit, take a rest for a short…

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Red sea speed

Egypt’s High Speed Railway Project Takes-off As we often talk about here (until we're blue in the face,) rail travel is the future.  In a world of diminishing resources and rising populations, the solutions that modern rail travel can bring for us all are too good to ignore.  That's why we're happy to see governments…

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2000 islands

You'd better get busy . . . Where more than half the country is forest, saunas have a 4,000-year history, and the world’s largest choral festival happens every five years... Welcome to Estonia. Often underestimated as being a small Baltic country sandwiched between Scandinavia and Russia, Estonia is undoubtedly so much more than that. Read more…

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Misty mountain crop

Peruvians living in one of the world's driest areas may have a solution to their water crisis - "fog catchers" that catch droplets through thick, swirling blankets of mist. It's a beautiful, but tough environment to live in.  But, as always, humans will improvise and improve.  And, in this case it doesn't involve complex technology. …

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Freedom, eh?

In the pursuit of freedom, mankind has created borders.  Okaay. But, in some places (such as San Marino, Monaco, Vatican City, Liechtenstein and Canada etc) there is a level of trust that the surrounding countries are friendly and non-threatening. Surprisingly / not surprisingly, Canada and the USA have an arm's length agreement about borders.  You…

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An old book smells like ancient Egypt

A book has got smell. A new book smells great. An old book smells even better. An old book smells like ancient Egypt.  Ray Bradbury But a new Egypt is even better, and it is getting better every day, indeed, especially when it comes to new architecture. Contemporary Egyptian architecture draws from a rich history.…

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I’ve suffered for my art. Now it’s your turn

Art is a most wonderful thing, but it also is very subjective.  Obviously, there are masters of all strains of art, and there are some are that simply strain. Have you ever seen performance art and just wondered, “Why is this art?!” You’re not alone, and deciphering performance art is not as difficult or mysterious…

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