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Places

Places

Your Place in the Sun

Pity the poor British people who, while having a lovely, historic and diverse place to live, also have the agonizing problem of deciding which sunny location they should turn to in order to rent or purchase a sunny spot to escape the grey and unpleasant weather that is a major part of their everyday lives.…

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Do you speak Livonian? Does anyone?

You'd have to be living under a rock not to know how available the world is . . at your fingertips, in many cases. The internet, cheap flights, Google Translate on your phone. If you haven't lived the (sometimes) nightmare of trying to travel in the 1960's or 1970's, then thank your…

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Beaucoup Baku

Baku has a medieval Islamic core surrounded by lavish late 19th and early 20th-century European styles and modern skyscrapers and designs. [] Layers of history can be unraveled by exploring the architecture in Baku as you pass through Azerbaijan’s different eras. Read more courtesy of TheCultureTrip.com Please rotate on mobile devices   [/] Want to learn more? Click here to join.

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Fairytale of the Three Bears

In rural Russia, the days of Communism are fading from memory like fairytales. Set in the frigid, snow-swept landscape of northern Russia, Fairytale of the Three Bears features three rural men reflecting on the seismic shifts in Russian culture and economics following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Amid their musings on the days before…

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Wherefore art now?

This may sound trite, but art is art, isn't it?  Artists follow their muse to amaze / amuse / surprise us with what the human mind can conjure up.  We may not always "get it" but there never seems to be a shortage of those who create something compelling. Interestingly, there are also those who…

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The fifteen minute city

The world is certainly not getting any smaller, that's for sure.  And its capacity to hold us all is starting to become a strain on the planet.  But, as ever, there are clever humans who have ideas. The 15-minute city urban theory received the 2021 Obel Prize in recognition of the concept's value for creating sustainable…

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Here’s looking at Loo, kid

Loo =  toilet (UK) Public works are often joyless, utilitarian, just-get-it-done affairs.  Whether it's a road, or a bridge or even public restrooms, it makes you wonder why a little je ne sais quoi can't be in the building specifications. Happily, though, that's not always the case.  And here are some fine examples of where good taste…

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Dome sweet dome

As we travel the world, not only do we become familiar with the unfamiliar, but we also, over time, see past the obvious and start to focus on the unremarkable or the unusual.  Sometimes it's a reflex action, other times it just drifts into our conciousness. One of those times is when you start to…

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Never too small

There's a wonderful series on YouTube called Never Too Small.  It's short videos created by clever (usually young) people who, by choice or by necessity have taken an often tiny space and turned it into a comfortable and sensible dwelling. What we like about this channel is that, although the individuals have likely been forced…

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Two floors of party action!

So, British Airways are introducing a flight to Las Vegas on the newly-loved-again Airbus A380.  The Airbus A380 is a huge aircraft. 469 seats. That means two floors of non-stop party action.  To Las Vegas.  With alcohol.   What could possible go wrong?  🤣  Read more here courtesy of SimpleFlying.com You've got to give BA some credit…

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Art depot

If the name "art depot" strikes you as one of those fly-by-night operations that appear in dying shopping malls, or in sketchy weekend flea markets, you'd likely be right. But, in this instance, you'd be wrong.  Did you know that most museums only showcase around seven percent of their collections at any given time? …

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Sleepless in Seattle

The Pacific Northwest in the United States is rather beautiful, especially if you don't have a problem with rain.  It rains a lot here.  Spring, summer and parts of autumn are lovely, as well, but rain is a defining term for this part of the world. And, as we know, rain fills the land and…

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