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Nature & the Environment

Nature & the Environment

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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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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Twin Peaks

David Lynch may have been here, but we can't be sure. Many people visit the rather awesome Glacier National Park, but did you know that  Waterton Lakes is right across from Glacier National Park, and this is why you should visit: two for the price of one. Alberta is utterly stunning and the Canadian Rockies…

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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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Win or loos

Loo design has barely changed in 150 years – until now. Will people trade their privacy for the chance to find out exactly what is in their waste? For the past 10 years, Sonia Grego has been thinking about toilets – and more specifically what we deposit into them. “We are laser-focused on the analysis…

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Sleeping around Europe

Germany’s green party has proposed an ambitious network of night trains across Europe, which could connect the UK with destinations including Barcelona, Paris, Copenhagen and Stockholm. The proposed network would see some 40 sleeper services operating across the continent, with routes extending as far as Edinburgh, Glasgow and Birmingham as well as London. Read more here courtesy of…

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Cinque Terre choo choo

It will come as no surprise to anyone who frequents our site that we are HUGE proponents of rail travel, especially in countries where this mode of getting around is the norm.  Rail makes so much sense in so many ways. Climate change and the slow travel trend have rekindled people’s interest in train rides.…

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The South shall surprise again

To some, the southern United States can still be a mystery.  Home of some turbulence over the decades, but also a place of history, style and undeniable charm, It is a place you should visit at least once in your life. Our affiliate friends, the UK's Titan Travel, have just posted a new guided tour…

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You can get anything you want

You can get anything you want at the former site of the restaurant immortalized by Arlo Guthrie. ARLO GUTHRIE’S 1967 SONG “ALICE’S RESTAURANT” is a staple of Americana, one that has been synonymous with Thanksgiving ever since a radio station played the nearly 20-minute antiwar tune on the holiday. Deep within the Berkshires, however, Alice’s…

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Moral coral

You can be a part of worldwide coral regeneration schemes – here's how. Coral reefs are intricate ecosystems that quite literally breathe life into the world's oceans, but they are under threat. Destruction of reefs – such as mass coral bleaching – is the result of a combination of factors including climate change and pollution.…

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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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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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FailItalia

Pity poor Alitalia.  For years, they've been the underdog, constantly chided and teetering on the brink of disappearing.  They've had their problems, but we've flown many times on the airline and had good experiences. (We even sat near Peter Gabriel on one flight.) But, it looks like the future is bleak. On September 10th, 2021 the European…

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The sunlight zone

Do you consider yourself as deep?  Full of meaning?  Sometimes unfathomable? Well, you have nothing on the Mariana Trench.  Most of us have heard of it, but probably know very little about it.  And is worth knowing about. The Trench sits like a crescent-shaped dent in the floor of the Pacific Ocean, extending over 1500…

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