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History

History

I like my tortugas dry

The United States of America has its fingers in so many pies in the world.  And there are still remnants of the country's founding that give us a glimmer what it must have been like those hundreds of years ago, as the country was taking shape. One of those remnants that often is undersung is…

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Bay Watch 101

Alert:  don't expect to find David Hasselhoff, nor Pamela Anderson here.  But, who can say?  With the world's infatuation with South Korea, you never know.  Those who do (or have) visited really enjoy the sites, sounds and flavours of The Bay 101 in Haeundae.  Haeundae became a division of Busan Metropolitan City in 1976 and attained…

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Nice! Azman

It's always nice to see new (or old) airlines bring themselves back to life, especially if there is sufficient desire and cash to make it work.   One example is Nigeria's Azman Air.  They have  been given approval to fly the airline's only plane, a Airbus A340-600 on international flights. After a string of recent affirmation…

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ああ私の (Oh my)

If you feel like you have visited almost every place on earth, you might want to give this a try.  You can tour the Fukushima disaster zone - where the simultaneous, earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant melted down and devastated the Fukushima  area, and the ghost town Namie itself. It is safe enough for…

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Italy: back in black

You may not think of Italy as a particularly diverse country, but its history includes a Black Roman emperor, Septimus Severus, and, in the 19thcentury, colonies in the North African countries now known as Eritrea and Ethiopia (from where Italians’ beloved caffè originates). I arrived here from New York two years ago, and have found…

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Brescia refresher

Raise your hands, those of you who have visited Brescia, Italy. If you haven't, let us assist you in exploring this rich and varied place. Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo. With a…

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Come and see a’ the hypogea

Ah, Roma.  No matter how many times you visit, something pulls you back again and again. The Italians are never shy in sharing their singular country and its thousands of splendors.  But, one sight-seeing treat has - mysteriously - always been off limits:  the "basement, or the hypogea of the Colosseum as it's correctly known.…

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Gimme Shelter Hall

For those who haven't visited Britain's city of Brighton, be sure to put it on your list. Arguably the second most groovy city it England (behind London, of course) Brighton harkens back not only to its Royal past, but it is also one of the most open and friendly cities on the planet.  Boasting a…

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What does ʻOumuamua say?

There’s an iconic moment, filmed in the shadow of the Very Large Array in New Mexico, that many people who visit this giant telescope try to duplicate. A young astronomer sits cross-legged on the bonnet of her car, the towering line of radio dishes vanishing into the distance behind her. With her laptop in front…

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PAYG Airways

Now here's a good idea . . . pay-as-you-go travel. The Indian aviation world is all set to be disrupted by Prince Air - the first subscription-based airline in the country which allows its subscribers limitless travel within its matrix. Travelers subscribing to this new model will be able to enjoy an advantaged experience, far different from…

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Have you seen Medellín?

Medellín, Colombia (pronounced medi-jeen) is yet another eye-opening, mind-blowing, mind-opening world city that is recognised as a must-do adventure, but often bubbles under in people's minds. Why not surprise yourself and put it on your list?  There's loads to do in Colombia's lively Medellín, but to help you get started, our affiliate friends Tiqets have…

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An Englishman, a Scotsman and an Irishman walk into a bar….

....The Englishman wanted to go so they all had to leave. Yes, we're talking about the UK's Brexit again.  As of this the time of this article, this week marks five years since the Brexit referendum shocked Europe. Despite forecasts that Britain’s withdrawal would trigger other departures by countries with similar Eurosceptic urges, the response from member…

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Antiquarian comics

You don't need to schmoke a pancake to enjoy this place.  (But it won't hurt.) Since its opening in 1968, the Amsterdam comics store Lambiek has played an important role in giving comics public attention and appreciation, not just in the Netherlands, but on an international scale. Historically important as the oldest comics store in…

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It’s a numbers game

Those of us who learned arithmetic using pen and paper, working with the ten digits 0–9 and place value, may take for granted that this is the way it’s always been done, or at least the way it ought to be done. But if you think of the amount of time and energy spent in…

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Pueblo crews

The USA is not a place normally associated with ancient dwellings.  Most of its history ostensibly started around 1776, and it has always fashioned itself around its "newness." But, like anywhere else, the country has its surprises, one of which is the stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Mesa Verde national park in Colorado.  The park…

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Equal rights, equal wrongs

Most of us live in social worlds that are profoundly unequal, where small elites have vastly more power and wealth than everyone else. Very few of the have-nots find this congenial. As experimental economists have shown, we tend to enter social situations prepared to take a chance and cooperate in collective activities. But if others…

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Mardin’s gardens

Mardin is a city in southeastern Turkey. The capital of Mardin Province, it is known for the Artuqid architecture of its old city, and for its strategic location on a rocky hill near the Tigris River that rises steeply over the flat plains. * OK, now that we have that somewhat dry description of the…

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