Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer

History

History

We go LIGO

We here at Matouring just love technology and science.  Everyday there is something new to boggle our minds.  Lately we have been spending some time reading "The God Equation by Michio Kaku."  Mind-blowing, to say the least. "When Newton discovered the law of gravity, he unified the rules governing the heavens and the Earth. Since…

Read more

Dome at last

Some choose to follow their own path.  When you're a retired businessman, what do you do to keep busy?  Fish?  Paint?  Travel?  Build a house consisting of six dome-shaped modules on stilts in Florida, and then never move in? The Cape Romano Dome House - now abandoned - is a house consisting of six dome-shaped…

Read more

The Royalty next door

A bleached-out Greek island hangout with a beach-club atmosphere; an 18th-century castle in the Loire Valley already making waves with its vineyard; a slick spa hotel in Italy’s outdoorsy Dolomites; a glossy food-focused hotel in a surprising Polish city – the best new hotels in Europe are better than ever. Read more courtesy of CNTraveller.com…

Read more

Five alternative alternatives in alternative Berlin

For decades, Berlin has been one of the hippest places in Europe - and likely the same - in the rest of the world.   A real alternative the norm. As Germany's capital, and a global city of politics, media, culture and science, Berlin is home to some of the world's most fascinating historic attractions, culturally…

Read more

The Biltmore is now built even more

If you spend any time on our site, you will know of our unabashed love of the architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.  His influence on architecture and design are still preeminent to many designers, architects and builders. When you enter one of his creations, you will never forget it. Sadly, some of his work has been…

Read more

You wear what you eat

Archaeologists and other scientists are beginning to unravel the story of our most intimate technology: clothing. They’re learning when and why our ancestors first started to wear clothes, and how their adoption was crucial to the evolutionary success of our ancestors when they faced climate change on a massive scale during the Pleistocene ice ages.…

Read more

Get your kicks with Harvey Nic’s

If you've been to London, you'll know that it is almost mandatory to visit Harvey Nicols (or Harvey Nic's) as it's known to locals. Since Harvey Nichols first opened in Knightsbridge in 1831, it has led the way in sourcing the most desirable and cutting-edge designer brands. Recognised as the UK's premier luxury fashion retailer,…

Read more

Do jets sip or gulp?

We fly on airplanes and think we understand how they work.  But, do we really? Most of us take for granted the fact that airplanes just fly when we get on them. We often completely overlook the technicalities involved in achieving flight. And one of the key areas that few of us consider is the…

Read more

Fond Doux Eco Coco

As if you need any encouragement to visit the glorious island of St Lucia, we have further tasty reasons might you might want to stay at a certain place -  Fond Doux Eco Resort.  The reason?  Chocolate. Located within the UNESCO World Heritage site of Soufriere Saint Lucia on a historic 19th-century working cocoa estate,…

Read more

Let’s all sing a song of aerodynamics

If you're a fan of our site, then you'll know that we reciprocate that with you.  Thank you! You'll also know how much we love to travel and how much aircraft factor into this.  Modern planes (and, to be honest, even older planes) are complex beasts, over-engineered to provide that maximum safety for passengers.  They…

Read more

Large home – 414 years old. Six careful owners.

We recently watched a fascinating documentary about Kumamoto Castle on the Curiosity Stream channel. This impressive Japanese dwelling for six generations of Japanese monarchy has survived battles, earthquakes . . and more earthquakes, the most recent by another Kumamoto Earthquake in 2016.  The last quake unearthed unexpected damage to the building, to the point of…

Read more

Be here and now

When people outside of Asia think of Buddhism, they tend to think about just philosophy and meditation. Buddhists are often said not to have gods, wars or empires. Their religion isn’t about ritual or belief, but a dedicated exploration into what causes suffering and how to end it through meditation and compassion. Although there’s some…

Read more

This is not a reproduction

Regular readers of this site will know that we are history freaks:  the older, the better - and the more amazing.  In every corner of the world, historical delights can be found around every corner.  But, some locations in the world specialise in history:  their efforts to delight and inform visitors range from the basic…

Read more

A warm welcome from the Phlegraean Fields

If you yawn because you think you've seen every kind tourist haunt, here's a place that's really smoking! There is nothing remotely Elysian about the Phlegræan Fields; nothing sylvan, nothing green. The Fields, which lie on the north shore of the Bay of Naples in Italy, are part of the caldera of a volcano that is…

Read more

The Out of Order Warriors

A king who offended the all-powerful Emperor, and then rebelled against him, but failed. How do these dramatic events in China's history link to the finding of 4000 buried miniature terracotta warriors discovered in Jiangsu Province, China? The ancient city of Pengcheng was located near today's Xuzhou in Jiangsu province, and the museum displays 190…

Read more