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The Thinking Traveller

Activity Do Something Different Europe History Inspiration LGBTQ Mindfulness Special Interest The Thinking Traveller Travel World Culture

It’s 1984 again . . and again

We here at Matouring.com are of an age when we've seen (and even experienced first-hand) some of the half-baked ideas and horrific outcomes on the world stage and in world politics.  It feels like we're there yet again, but, unlike before, we have the power to collectively act and make a difference. George Orwell (with his books…
2021-12-110Comments

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Activity Adventure Design and Art Europe For Women Only Fun History LGBTQ Nature & the Environment Outdoors Partytime Relaxation The Thinking Traveller World Culture

In the zone

The EU (European Union) is a powerful and rather marvelous thing to behold.  In addition to corralling 27 disparate countries into a unified and progressive force, they also respect and hold true the values that all countries should aspire to. So, it is both a joy to see that the EU will be including Croatia under…
2021-12-110Comments

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Activity Adventure Design and Art Do Something Different Europe Food and Drink For Women Only Fun LGBTQ Outdoors Partytime Relaxation Special Offers / Deals Spend Wisely The Thinking Traveller Travel Solo

BRB!

We here at Matouring are of the opinion that our lovely readers are of the fun, adventurous and curious types.  You like the "new" and are always craving something different. With that in mind, here we'd like to tell you about our affilate friends BRB (Be Right Back) who feature a fun twist on travel:…
2021-12-100Comments

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Adventure Design and Art Do Something Different Fun History Nature & the Environment North America Outdoors Relaxation The Thinking Traveller World Culture

Take your time

There are so many wonderful family-run hotels and inns around the world.  You'll do well to stay there, rather than anonymous hotels. We're featuring The Barachois Inn here for a number of reasons, but one particularly caught our eye:  you know that a place means what it says about its values when it endeavours to…
2021-12-090Comments

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Activity For Women Only Health Life of Luxury Mindfulness Relaxation Special Interest The Thinking Traveller

All the way the paper bag was on my knee

The bile-high club. As we write this, in this time in space of humankind, we're seeing all sorts of odd and bizarre performances from people when it comes to travel.  Opening doors of moving jets (and jumping from them) punching air attendants, being duct-taped to seats.  The list goes on-and-on - and we hope it stops…
2021-12-090Comments

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Adventure Caribbean Do Something Different Food and Drink Life of Luxury Lifestyle Partytime Relaxation Rest of World Special Interest Special Offers / Deals The Thinking Traveller World Culture

Sending out an SOS

Most likely, you've had fantasies of a round-the-world trip, taking months at a time to do it.  All of your dream destinations, visited in sumptuous luxury.  But also likely, you've never actually done it. Well, here is an interesting variation on that theme that might either temp you, or have you fleeing in the opposite direction. Princess…
2021-12-090Comments

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Activity Design and Art Do Something Different Europe For Women Only Health History Inspiration Meditation Special Interest The Thinking Traveller World Culture

Supper’s ready

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused pandemonium everywhere, especially when it comes to the world of tourism. As you'll know, Leonardo DaVinci's Last Supper is one of the most visited and admired tourist attractions in the world.  It did not escape the travel drought, either.   But, happily, it is now open again for you to visit. The Santa…
2021-12-080Comments

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Activity Adventure Do Something Different Europe Fun Nature & the Environment Outdoors Relaxation The Thinking Traveller Travel Solo World Culture

Dolomites? Dynamite!

Sometimes, all you need is a nice low-level flight over a beautiful place.  How about Italy's Dolomites?  And when you touch down . . . The Italian Dolomites are divided into Western Dolomites and Eastern Dolomites by the Cordevole creek (a tributary of the Piave river) which flows through the province of Belluno. Dolomites are also divided…
2021-12-070Comments

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Adventure Do Something Different For Women Only Fun Inspiration Mindfulness Nature & the Environment Special Interest Spend Wisely Sponsorship Sustainability The Thinking Traveller World Culture

Be a better traveler

By default, just because you're reading this (and have visited our site,) we can assume that you're a smart, aware, thoughtful, curious and fun human being.  But, we always have room for improvement, it's safe to say.  The choices we make on the road can have a big impact on the people and places we encounter…
2021-12-070Comments

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Adventure Design and Art Do Something Different Europe History Nature & the Environment Special Interest Technology The Thinking Traveller World Culture

“Ancient” technology?

We often tend to give short shrift to ancient technologies.  We can see the lineage in our modern world, but often assume that everything was more-or-less created in the past hundred years or so. A hundred and twenty years ago, divers discovered a shipwreck off the island of Antikythera in Greece. What they found changed our…
2021-12-070Comments

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Activity Design and Art Do Something Different Europe For Women Only Fun History Special Interest Technology The Thinking Traveller Virtual World Culture

VRtigo

Although the world is starting to open up again, from the Covid-19 pandemic, it can still be a bit of a dicey proposition:  you never know when someone won't be "cooperating" with the efforts to quell the pandemic.  And, there is always the chance that your flight will be surreptitiously cancelled. Well, if you're still clamouring…
2021-12-060Comments

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Design and Art History Inspiration Meditation Mindfulness Relaxation Special Interest The Thinking Traveller

Weekly . . perhaps, weakly

The week is the most artificial and recent of our time counts yet it’s impossible to imagine our shared lives without it. Among many collective discoveries during the pandemic confinement of 2020, Americans learned just how attached we are to our seven weekdays. As complaints about temporal disorientation mounted that April, we focused not on the clock…
2021-12-060Comments

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Adventure Asia Design and Art Do Something Different For Women Only Inspiration Places Special Interest Sustainability The Thinking Traveller World Culture

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…
2021-12-050Comments

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Activity Design and Art Do Something Different For Women Only Fun Life of Luxury Lifestyle North America Partytime Special Interest The Thinking Traveller World Culture

NYC . . . thin on the ground

As if encountering wafer-thin fashion models as they strut down Fifth Avenue in New York City  isn't enough to discombobulate your sense of self, now the high-rise apartments are getting into the act. New York has always been home to some of the world’s tallest towers, but in the last 10 years the city has seen…
2021-12-050Comments

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Activity Adventure Do Something Different Europe Fun Health History Mindfulness Nature & the Environment Outdoors Special Interest The Thinking Traveller Unusual World Culture

Close to the edge

Close to the edge, down by the river.  Down at the end, round by the corner. Seasons will pass you by. There are few places as mystical and magical as Iceland.  Still relatively untouched, the landscape shapes its people, and they respond in kind by returning the favour. You've all seen images of Iceland's volcanoes, but have…
2021-12-050Comments

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Adventure Asia Do Something Different Fun Special Interest Technology The Thinking Traveller Travel Solo Unusual World Culture

Spelunking in Tokyo

It's hard to believe, but there is the very slim chance that you might run out of activities when you're in Tokyo. You will have had to have combed the entire city of 13.96 million people, the 60,000+ restaurants, 6,000 different parks. (see some of our suggestions, below.) But, if all of that is not enough, watch…
2021-12-030Comments

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Activity Adventure Design and Art Do Something Different Europe History Mindfulness Nature & the Environment Special Interest The Thinking Traveller Unusual World Culture

Och aye the noo

Och aye the noo = An archetypal example of an overt Scotticism is "Och aye the noo", which translates as "Oh yes, just now". But, it doesn't stray too far from its roots.  And, luckily for us, we are learning more and more about history - Scottish in this case.  Read more here courtesy of NationalGeoraphic.co.uk Booking.com AutoEurope…
2021-12-020Comments

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