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Nature & the Environment

Nature & the Environment

Don’t falter in Gibraltar

Gibraltar, colloquially known as The Rock, (or simply 'Gib'), is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom sitting at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Spain to the north and the people of Gibraltar are ferociously loyal British citizens despite being bilingual in English and Spanish.  When you step inside, you'll feel like you're on…

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Yes you can, mama in Panama

Panama is world-famous for its 48-mile canal that connects the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic Ocean. Each year, over a million people visit the canal and are able to witness this engineering marvel at work. Panama is very proud to have this magnificent creation operating 365 days a year, enabling the world's cargo to be…

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Let’s be specific: Oregon’s mid-Willamette valley

Many Americans have a way of saying where they live in this format:  "Oh, I come from West Irishtown in the upper Cuyahoga Valley" instead of saying "Cleveland."  Many non-Americans sometimes get confused with that very specific sentence structure.  It's an endearing thing, but it can baffle others. So this article follows that pattern in…

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There’s a snake in my boot

Are you tired of the same old holiday?  That is, sitting on the beach, looking at statues, ziplining, etc? Do you fancy yourself as a cowboy?  If so, then we have some ideas for you. There are places around the world where you can stay at a ranch, rustle cows and wear a hat.  But, if that…

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No future tense

The European Union is a marvelous thing.  Twenty seven united countries.  Almost as many different languages, customs and levels of advancement. An estimated total population of about 447 million. One of its main tenets is to make all countries equal, with good social health and freedom for all.  Equals among equals.  And it does a good job…

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Chunnel of love

As of this writing, the past few years have been tumultuous, to say the least.  Between pandemics, anger in the streets, despicable political maneuvering and change in almost every country, the world is not the one we that thought we knew. One such event was Brexit.  For those not aware, this was an event that…

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Even older than old

A mysterious group of ancient monuments first discovered in Saudi Arabia in the 1970s, known as mustatials, predate the first Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge by over 2,000 years, making them the world’s oldest ritual landscape, archaeologists now say. Scattered across 77,000 square miles of desert in northwest Arabia, the mustatils (the name comes from the…

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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…

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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…

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She sells Seychelles

Our affiliate friends, Club Med, have made lots of changes during the pandemic, and they (and we ) can't wait to tell you about them.  This post is about the gorgeous Seychelles. The resort is on the private island of Sainte Anne in the Republic of Seychelles, the island’s first resort and newest Exclusive Collection…

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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…

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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.…

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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…

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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,…

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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…

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Namibia

A traveler's dream is to find an honest, unspoiled and inexpensive place to go.  As the world gets smaller, this remit gets harder to fill.  But, read below about Namibia.  You might be delighted. "Arguably Namibia’s main attraction is nature—it’s a country of spectacular scenery and plentiful wildlife, from camping amidst the stunning orange dunes of…

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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…

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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…

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Buy land in Thailand

Thailand has everything you want from a holiday paradise – golden sandy beaches, year-round warmth, exotic cuisine and culture, friendly people and a low cost of living. It’s also easy to get to from anywhere in the world and has close and friendly ties with the West. Thailand was part of the “hippy trail” from the 1960s…

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