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Activity Adventure Design and Art Do Something Different Europe Food and Drink History Middle East Relaxation Romance Special Interest The Thinking Traveller World Culture

Mardin’s gardens

Mardin is a city in southeastern Turkey. The capital of Mardin Province, it is known for the Artuqid architecture of its old city, and for its strategic location on a rocky hill near the Tigris River that rises steeply over the flat plains. * OK, now that we have that somewhat dry description of the…
2021-06-190Comments

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Activity Do Something Different Europe Food and Drink Fun Health History Nature & the Environment Outdoors Relaxation Special Interest The Thinking Traveller World Culture

A walk and a cheeky pint

One of the many joys of the United Kingdom is an afternoon walk.  Much of the UK's land has been set aside for the public to use freely for walking.  And, it is a tradition that families do that, usually on a Sunday, and perhaps after a rather over-generous lunch. The paths are always well-marked,…
2021-06-180Comments

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Adventure Do Something Different Life of Luxury Lifestyle Special Interest Technology The Thinking Traveller Work

Simon McLaren has left the building

As far as we know, this much is true.  And, it's related to a travel company called Blade, hence it appearing here.  They rent  helicopter, seaplane and or jet services, mostly in New York City.  And there was an employee there named Simon McLaren, who was the company's spokesman. When journalist Gabrielle Bluestone called the…
2021-06-180Comments

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Activity Adventure Asia Do Something Different History Meditation Nature & the Environment Pacific Relaxation Special Interest The Thinking Traveller Unusual World Culture

It’s literally Nauru . . . and you

Chances are good that you have never heard of Nauru.  That's not surprising, as only around 10,000 inhabitants live there, and the island country usually gets only a couple of hundred visitors each year.  It is the smallest country in the world. But, you might want to give the island nation a go, as its…
2021-06-180Comments

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Design and Art Do Something Different For Women Only Fun History Inspiration Life of Luxury North America Special Interest The Thinking Traveller

Bumbling forward into the unknown*

The 72 steps to the Philadelphia Museum of Art may well rank among the most famous stairways of the past century. Charged by a sweaty Sly Stallone in the 1976 hit Rocky, this majestic ascent has long inspired visitors to make the climb to the hilltop 1928 landmark, an assemblage of Greek-temple forms in golden-hued limestone. But…
2021-06-170Comments

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Activity Alternative Lifestyle Do Something Different Europe Fun Health LGBTQ Life of Luxury Nature & the Environment Outdoors Partytime Relaxation Special Interest Unusual

You can leave your hat on

So a pickpocket went to a nudist beach... He hated it.... We would imagine that there are some people who, after being held captive in their homes due to the pandemic, are looking for a way to break free.  Even if it simply means walking outside without a mask. Likely though, there are those who want…
2021-06-170Comments

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Activity Adventure Central & South America Do Something Different History Mixed Categories Outdoors Special Interest Sustainability The Thinking Traveller World Culture

It’s a string thing

Peruvians from the Huinchiri community in Cusco region are rebuilding a 500-year-old Incan hanging bridge, made using traditional weaving techniques to string a crossing together spanning the Apurimac river far below. The Q’eswachaka bridge has been used for over 500 years to connect communities divided by the river. But during the Covid pandemic it fell…
2021-06-160Comments

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Activity Adventure Design and Art Do Something Different Fun History Nature & the Environment North America Special Interest Technology Unusual

Bridge of cries

Everyone knows it's windy. Somewhere in a wind tunnel on the south-western side of Ontario, a group of the world’s leading bridge aerodynamics and acoustics experts are puzzling over a full-scale model of the railing of the Golden Gate Bridge. The experts have been contracted to solve the mysterious problem of a strange humming sound that has…
2021-06-150Comments

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Activity Design and Art Do Something Different Europe Food and Drink History Nature & the Environment Relaxation Romance Special Interest The Thinking Traveller World Culture

You’ve got a friend in we

People are people, thankfully, but everyone is distinctly different in one way or another - again, thankfully.  But some collections of people seem to have attributes that give their countries - and themselves -shiny reputations. There have been plenty of these lists circulating in the past, but the world has gotten bigger and smaller at…
2021-06-140Comments

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Activity Adventure Alternative Lifestyle Food and Drink For Women Only Health Meditation Outdoors Special Interest Sustainability The Thinking Traveller

Weave got the beat

This might be an odd question, but what do neurons prefer?  They do react to sounds, you know.  And sometimes they gravitate to certain kinds of stimuli. Some even respond to music, like we humans. Why are we talking about this?  Because these are questions that informed neuroscience specialists.  These scientists capture the "spikes" that…
2021-06-130Comments

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Activity Do Something Different Food and Drink For Women Only Fun History North America Partytime Special Interest The Thinking Traveller Unusual

Yea, verily. Take thee food and drink at The King’s Jail

We jest . . . but only somewhat.  Is this a castle?  Perhaps not.  Is it a jail?  It once was. Now known as the Royal Crown Castle Bar and Grill, it's a rather nice pub in New Westminster on the outskirts of Vancouver, Canada.  With inspiring views over the Fraser River, a delightful staff, good…
2021-06-130Comments

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Activity Alternative Lifestyle Caribbean Do Something Different Europe Food and Drink For Women Only Fun Health LGBTQ Life of Luxury Meditation Nature & the Environment Outdoors Relaxation Romance Special Interest The Thinking Traveller World Culture

Do I have clearance to ask you out on a date?

WARNING - look away now if you are allergic to bad naughty humour. "After being deprived of two of my favorite activities — travel and sex — over the past year, one thing I’m looking forward to as both become more feasible is that inexplicable wave of horniness that reliably overcomes me when I’m on…
2021-06-130Comments

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Adventure Do Something Different For Women Only History Meditation Special Interest Spend Wisely Technology The Thinking Traveller

Ground control to Major Mom

This article is somewhat of a bittersweet tome.  It's about love and separation, being missed and being loved.  Letting go and holding on tight. You see, Elon Musk's SpaceX team are in early conversations with a number of airlines with the aim to provide Starlink satellite internet network to provide travelers with inflight Wi-Fi.  Science…
2021-06-120Comments

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Activity Adventure Fun Special Interest Technology The Thinking Traveller Travel Unusual Virtual

Jane, stop this crazy thing!

Plastics.  Carbon fibre. Airloys. Atomic layer deposition. Nano putty. Aerogel. Memory foam.  Metalized polyethylene terephthalate. Your travel future relies on the space-age materials listed above.  They play their part in making planes, trains and automobiles better, lighter, stronger and faster. Why  does this matter to you?  Both American Airlines and Virgin Atlantic recently signed deals…
2021-06-110Comments

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Central & South America Do Something Different Food and Drink History Inspiration Mindfulness Nature & the Environment Special Interest The Thinking Traveller World Culture

Give peace a chance

We live in an age in which – for obvious reasons – it’s vital to understand how to build peace. Nuclear proliferation, inter-state and civil wars, terrorism and insurgencies, rising extremisms and hate crimes, social polarisation and increasingly vituperate online diction mean that learning how to reconcile enemies has never been more important. This importance is…
2021-06-110Comments

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Activity Central & South America Do Something Different Europe Health Mindfulness Pacific Special Interest Spend Wisely Sustainability

OTT* travel

As we've written before, the world is getting smaller as it's getting larger.  For better or worse, people around the world are finding more ways to venture to new places, explore new cultures and bask in the visceral joy that travel brings. But, there is another side to this explosion, and that is there are deep…
2021-06-080Comments

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Do Something Different Health Nature & the Environment Special Interest Technology Unusual

The flock says no, humans

As statistics show again and again, flying is the safest way to travel, by far.  Northwestern University's Ian Savage complied facts that back this up.  Savage aggregated fatality statistics from 2000 to 2009 and then expressed them for different transportation methods in terms of deaths per billion passenger miles traveled. The main finding: Automobiles are one…
2021-06-080Comments

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Adventure Alternative Lifestyle Do Something Different For Women Only Inspiration LGBTQ Life of Luxury Lifestyle Special Interest Spend Wisely Switching The Thinking Traveller

Seasons change, and so will we

Home:  there is nothing better than coming home.  A place for everything, everything in its place.  A home, not a house.  There's no place like home.  To know the road ahead, ask those coming back. There are many platitudes that describe home, but the last one, above, is what we're talking about here.  Why is…
2021-06-070Comments

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Activity Adventure Asia Do Something Different Fun History Meditation Relaxation Special Interest Special Offers / Deals Spend Wisely The Thinking Traveller World Culture

Mood IndiGo

If you haven't travelled to India (even recently,) there is a lot going on when it comes to air travel.  Air India has always been the stalwart, and will likely remain that way.  But, with companies like Vistara and GoAir - and now IndiGo, travelers in India are spoiled for choice.  IndiGo is punching above…
2021-06-070Comments

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