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Nature & the Environment

Nature & the Environment

Ground control to ground control

Airbus jet has landed in Welsh field.  There were no problems.  You can sleep in it, as visions of heroics dance in your head. Situated in picturesque Tenby in Wales, UK, the Apple Camping grounds are the perfect place for those who can't keep their feet on the ground. Not only is there an Airbus…

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Malaysia fantasia

What do you know about Malaysia?  Probably not as much as you should. Malaysia is a mix of the modern world and a developing nation. With its investment in the high technology industries and moderate oil wealth, it has become one of the richest nations in Southeast Asia. Malaysia, for most visitors, presents a happy…

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All you need is 1 hotel

We're always happy to talk about Canada and its many charms. In this case, we're talking about how a high-end boutique brand is expanding as we emerge from the pandemic. Recently, 1 Hotels announced new properties in Toronto, Canada, and Elounda Hills, Crete. This is the first location in Canada for the 1 Hotels, which was…

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The Princess and the Pea

Almost everyone has heard of Hans Christian Andersen.  His most famous works include The Snow Queen, The Ugly Duckling, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Princess and the Pea, The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina and so many more. Even Disney has created movies from his work: The Little Mermaid, The Emperor’s New Groove as well as Frozen 1 and…

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Yes, but how good is the air conditioning?

Everything is relative, relatively. Some of us boast that we live in homes that were built in the 1950's.  Your editor, for example, lived in a house from the 1800's, and almost resided in another from the 1400's.  That's pretty impressive if you're a history fan. But this all pales when it comes to places…

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Decisions: Little Island or Long Island?

We haven't been to NYC for a while.  So imagine our surprise when the B1M video (see below) about New York 's popped up for us on YouTube. Turns out that the project was not exactly the happiest of experiences, but - as they say - it is what it is.  Rising from the remnants of…

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Which way to the Shire?

If you're lucky, you live near trees.  And if you're even more lucky, those trees will be plentiful. But, if you're really lucky, you might be able to find a rare habitat, one that would make Frodo feel at home - a tree tunnel:  high or low canopies of the trees that create a nature-made…

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Controversy

With the benefit of hindsight, we can look back at things that raised the blood pressure of "the people," but can now look back and wonder what all of the fuss was about. An example is Eileen Gray’s modernist villa E-1027, built  in 1929.  It resides on the Cap Moderne site.  (The Cap Moderne Association is…

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Bushcamp in Zambia

Hey tiger, want to explore the bush and find your inner animal? In style, of course.  And a rather special place is the The Bushcamp Company in Zambia.  It's been around for a while, but they've spent a number of months refreshing the place.  The award-winning Mfuwe safari lodge is set in the most prolific…

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I ♥ more holidays

Research out of the European Society of Cardiology suggests taking more than three weeks of vacation days may help you live longer. The 40-year study initially set out to examine the result healthy living (aerobic exercise, a balanced diet, and putting down the cigarettes) had on the long-term risk of developing heart disease. But researchers…

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A bag tied in the middle

Every so often, a human mass movement comes along that subtly alters the zeitgeist of we humans.  It could have been the art enlightenment in the 1920's.  Or perhaps it was the peace and love Hippies in the 1960's.  But one of these movements has persisted - the Chautauqua Institute. Chautauqua was an adult education…

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A population of one

Deep in the Caucasus mountains of Georgia is a town called Bochorna. The highest continuously inhabited settlement in Europe, it has an altitude of 7,694 feet—or six Empire State buildings stacked on top of each other—and a population of one. But to get there, to that man, and to that town, you need to ford…

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FREEDOM!!!!

Whether you want to get out of the USA or into Canada, or the other way around, your time has come. After nearly four years of conceptualizing and construction, the nation’s (USA) longest multi-use state trail is open to the public, reaching from the southern most tip of Manhattan right up to the Canadian border.…

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People, get ready

For years there have been jokes about the "tin foil hats" people:  the doomsayers,  the mountain men, the survivalists, the crazies, the Government Plot believers.  Others would look askance at them, walk to the other side of the street to avoid them. Well, there is no doubt that mother earth is struggling, and we humans may…

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Do you want flies with that?

In 1986, Vancouver hosted the World's Fair.  An event like that is a big deal not only for the hosting city, but also for the brands that sponsor and appear in the fair. McDonald's was no exception:  behold the McBarge. The 57-metre, two-storey glass-and-metal barge was used as a floating McDonald’s restaurant during the world’s…

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The “civilized” wilderness of Europe

Europe is many things, but one thing that is consistent across almost all of the European countries is the general approach to tolerance.  Good, mature behaviour is recognised, and rewarded with few limitations or rules.  The  Europeans intrinsically get this. And one area where this all blends together for Europeans is camping.  This article talks about…

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From Alto Cedro I go to Marcané

If you're a music fan, then you certainly must know of the Buena Vista Social Club, 1999 documentary film directed by Wim Wenders. The film follows renowned guitarist Ry Cooder and his son, Joachim, as they travel to Cuba and assemble a group of the country's finest musicians to record an album. But, even if you…

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