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Health Inspiration Meditation Mindfulness Relaxation Special Interest

To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.

To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. (JK Rowling.) In his 1996 book about death, Herbert Fingarette argued that fearing one’s own demise was irrational. When you die, he wrote, “there is nothing.” Why should we fear the absence of being when we won’t be there ourselves to suffer it? Twenty…
2020-03-020Comments

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Design and Art Do Something Different Europe History Life of Luxury Lifestyle North America Places Special Interest The Thinking Traveller

So long, Frank Lloyd Wright

One man's quest to photograph every Frank Lloyd Wright structure ever built. There are 532 Frank Lloyd Wright structures standing in the world. Phoenix-based photographer Andrew Pielage is on a mission to shoot every one of them. The 39-year-old is the unofficial photographer of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. So far, he has shot about 50 Wright…
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Design and Art Do Something Different Europe Fun History Special Interest The Thinking Traveller

The richness of old Europe

How and why did the modern world and its unprecedented prosperity begin? Learned tomes by historians, economists, political scientists and other scholars fill many bookshelves with explanations of how and why the process of modern economic growth or ‘the Great Enrichment’ exploded in western Europe in the 18th century. One of the oldest and most…
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Design and Art Inspiration Life of Luxury Lifestyle Special Interest

The Scarlet Lady

Sir Richard Branson’s new and unusual cruise ship, the Scarlet Lady, is presently heading across the Atlantic to Miami, where it will commence actual sailings with passengers in late March.   After that, Branson’s second of four eventual new ships, to be named the Valiant Lady, will be launched in 2021.   Journalists have now been permitted aboard the Scarlet Lady to…
2020-03-020Comments

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Asia Design and Art Do Something Different History Inspiration Relaxation Special Interest The Thinking Traveller World Culture

The giant shadow of Ikebukuro

HEARTLANDS: ZOSHIGAYA Small winding streets and low-rise houses. Zoshigaya is only a short walk away from the malls, highways and flashing lights of Ikebukuro, but feels like a silent suburb in comparison.  This homely heartland has maintained its Showa-era (1926 – 1989) atmosphere, with winding lanes lined with family homes and small shops selling everyday…
2020-03-020Comments

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Activity Do Something Different Inspiration Mindfulness Special Interest Spend Wisely Sustainability The Thinking Traveller

Hang out without hurting them

On May 20, 2016 we marked  Endangered Species Day to create awareness about how our actions impact dwindling species. It would be a tragic, irreversible loss if magnificent animals like the black rhino, the Sumatran elephant or the Bengal tiger were forever lost to us. Take Action: Travel Sustainably Visit a national wildlife refuge, park or other…
2020-03-020Comments

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Adventure Alternative Lifestyle Fun Places Special Interest The Thinking Traveller Unusual

These floating cities will leave you feeling buoyant

The majesty of Venice’s grand canals is truly astonishing and it makes for a unique travel destination. Did you know there are other equally charming floating cities? Water is the center of these city destinations and they grant the same ethereal feeling as Venice does (or even better!) Check out these 7 floating cities to…
2020-02-290Comments

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History Inspiration Meditation Mindfulness Special Interest The Thinking Traveller World Culture

The bones of religion

European churches are known to have some intriguing and creative architectural features, but a wall made of human leg bones is a bit more inventive than you might have expected. While excavating the grounds of Saint Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium, ahead of the planned construction of a new visitor center, archeologists discovered entire walls…
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Adventure Central & South America Fun Health Lifestyle Meditation Pacific Special Interest The Thinking Traveller

Behold, the Andaz Mayakoba, Cancun

For those who have no clue what Mayakoba is, it’s essentially a 1,600 acre development south of Cancun , Mexico. The development has four resorts — the Fairmont (which opened in 2006), the Rosewood (which opened in 2007), the Banyan Tree (which opened in 2008), and the Andaz (which opened in 2017). What makes Mayakoba…
2020-02-290Comments

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Adventure Asia History Inspiration Pacific Special Interest Spend Wisely Switching The Thinking Traveller

How to say Thailand is my land

Over the centuries, travellers from Western Europe have been spellbound by the alluring cultures of the Far East. The ancient adventurers who arrived on the shores of Siam were instantly besotted, and there is ample evidence that a name change has done little to dampen the appeal of this remarkably captivating country. In the 21st…
2020-02-280Comments

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Adventure Asia Design and Art History Life of Luxury Mindfulness Pacific Special Interest The Thinking Traveller World Culture

Kyoto thatched-roof dwellings transport you back in time

Located 1 hour 40 minutes by bus from Kyoto Station, the town of Miyama offers a view into Japan's rich agricultural heritage. Designated a semi-national park, the town is home to some 39 thatched farmhouses where people still live today. Miyama spans multiple hamlets that are scattered throughout the mountains and valleys, about 50 kilometers…
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Adventure Fun Inspiration Places Special Interest Spend Wisely The Thinking Traveller Travel

Senior train travel tips from the Man in Seat 61

For background, Mark Smith, the man behind seat61.com,  was an employee of British Rail.  Starting out in rural Kent on what was then BR's Southern Region, he was the Station Manager for London's Charing Cross, London Bridge & Cannon Street stations in the early to mid 1990s.  After a spell as the Customer Relations Manager…
2019-12-270Comments

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Places Special Interest Spend Wisely Technology The Thinking Traveller Travel Unusual

The new best way to see where airlines depart from

Minimise the frustration of planning flights with this new tool. FlightsFrom.com has an easy to use web interface and in addition to having all non-stop destinations from every airport on every airline, also has schedule information with about 90% coverage. So not only do they show what airlines fly between sets of airports, for many (most)…
2019-12-180Comments

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Asia History Inspiration Lifestyle Mindfulness Special Interest Spend Wisely The Thinking Traveller World Culture

In Pakistan, it’s always been “waste not, want not.”

The Memon predisposition towards frugality is iconic within Pakistan, but they celebrate their stereotyping as an achievement; a tribute to their enduring prosperity and resilience. The concentration ­and preservation of wealth, as the last vestiges of power and dominion that the displaced Memons clung to, has been integral to their quest for identity. And while…
2019-12-020Comments

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Inspiration Lifestyle Mindfulness Special Interest Spend Wisely The Thinking Traveller Volunteering

You can have your cup and eat it, too

Do you ever wonder why, with our human capabilities, we can't sometimes solve the apparently overwhelming problems of waste management,  recyclables,litter and the future of our planet?  Some organizations and individuals are taking this quite seriously though, and this article describes an airline that actually serves cups that are edible. It makes sense and hats…
2019-10-290Comments

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