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Life of Luxury

Life of Luxury

Red sky at night, traveler’s delight

China is set to enter the space tourism business. This should come as no surprise to anyone who is awake in this day and age.  We wonder why we haven't seen this kind of offering sooner than this:  the Chinese know how to get things moving. ANU astrophysicist and cosmologist Dr Brad Tucker says it…

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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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Don’t throw stones

Those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, but they should throw caution to the wind — especially in this shiny glass palace that you'll find just outside of Joshua Tree National Park. Known as the Invisible House, the elongated 22-story “horizontal skyscraper” is like a shiny, dreamy mirage in the sand. This once-in-a-lifetime stay is one of the…

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Luxury for cheapskates

Do you cry when you look at the price of flights, and are forced to take the 2:00am option?  Do you find yourself with a black cloud over your head when you are compelled to stay at a 2-star hotel?  And is sitting on a park bench eating out of a bag enough to make…

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Play us a sea shanty

If you like to cruise, you've probably been on a few over the years.  Cruise lines are always refreshing their fleets, or looking for new thrills - such as roller coasters - while you're aboard. However, some lines opt for a more refined approach to being on-board.  One of which - Fred. Olsen lines (and…

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Well, PARDON, madame

English wait staff are tiresomely polite. The French are radically rude. They’re the two stereotypes, anyway. What tourists don’t understand about ‘rude’ French waiters... They’re not being ‘rude’ – they’re being real… Is that the case?  Or is it that some patrons are annoying?  Or all of the above.  How should one handle situations…

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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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Equitable cities

Environmental neuroscience is an emerging field devoted to studying the impact of social and physical environments on brain processes and behaviour. From the various opportunities for social interaction to noise levels and access to green spaces, the characteristics of the urban environment have important implications for neural mechanisms and brain functioning, thus influencing our physical state. Read…

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Oooh la LA

Near the famed Los Angeles intersection of Hollywood and Vine, the highly anticipated Thompson Hollywood is now welcoming guests, as of August 2021, who enter through a greenery-laden walkway, the first sign that this new hotel is something special. Featuring a bar, terrace and views of city, Thompson Hollywood is located 701 m from Capitol Records…

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Radisson looks east …. Middle-East

Radisson Hotel Group has secured a record year in its fastest growing region, the Middle East & Africa, with 21 signings and seven hotel openings achieved thus far. The expansion drive includes the announcement of eight hotels in Morocco, the entry into Thakher Makkah with nearly 1,000 rooms, as well as the introduction of the Radisson…

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Want to be a part of it?

Ahhh . . . New York City.  NYC.  The Big Apple. The City That Never Sleeps. The Greatest City in the World.  The City So Nice They Named It Twice: a reference to "New York, New York. You can visit a dozen times and still find something new.  But let's go back in time and…

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Sin presión

There are records of tortilla production in the country going back as far as 500bc, so it’s fair to say that what the Mexicans don’t know about corn isn’t worth knowing. El Pastor restaurant co-founder Crispin Somerville shares his inside track on the tastiest snacks. Read more here courtesy of CNN.com Sin presión = no pressure. Southwest…

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Share a room with Tracey Emin

Most hotels consider a random collection of prints and local photography an “arts program.” At The Alfond Inn near Rollins College campus in Winter Park, Florida, their arts program features Julie Mehretu, Nicole Eisenman, Hank Willis Thomas, Tracey Emin, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith–top stars of contemporary art with solo shows attracting thousands of visitors at renowned…

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Sit up straight

If you think a chair is simply a chair, you might be right.  But there are designers who think beyond the norm, in all walks of life.  It matters in this day of dwindling resources. Salone is the most important furniture event in the world, strongly connected to the city and the design culture. This…

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The prettiest French cars

We love automobiles here at Matouring.  Especially European cars.  And even more especially French vehicles.  Por quoi?  They have always seemed to go beyond the pale, seeking smart functionality with undeniable style. Our favourite French marque is Citroën.  From the 2CV to the latest Cactus models, they have never been shy about pushing the envelope.…

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You’ve tried the liquor, now try the islands

We would imagine most of you have been to Europe at least once.  And, we're confident that many of you have visited Portugal, likely Lisbon or Porto.  What a lovely, gentle country it is. But, out on Portugal's Madeira Islands, the lush archipelago far from the mainland, the North Atlantic ocean has shaped every aspect…

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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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