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The Thinking Traveller

The Thinking Traveller

Win or loos

Loo design has barely changed in 150 years – until now. Will people trade their privacy for the chance to find out exactly what is in their waste? For the past 10 years, Sonia Grego has been thinking about toilets – and more specifically what we deposit into them. “We are laser-focused on the analysis…

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Sleeping around Europe

Germany’s green party has proposed an ambitious network of night trains across Europe, which could connect the UK with destinations including Barcelona, Paris, Copenhagen and Stockholm. The proposed network would see some 40 sleeper services operating across the continent, with routes extending as far as Edinburgh, Glasgow and Birmingham as well as London. Read more here courtesy of…

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Equitable cities

Environmental neuroscience is an emerging field devoted to studying the impact of social and physical environments on brain processes and behaviour. From the various opportunities for social interaction to noise levels and access to green spaces, the characteristics of the urban environment have important implications for neural mechanisms and brain functioning, thus influencing our physical state. Read…

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Cinque Terre choo choo

It will come as no surprise to anyone who frequents our site that we are HUGE proponents of rail travel, especially in countries where this mode of getting around is the norm.  Rail makes so much sense in so many ways. Climate change and the slow travel trend have rekindled people’s interest in train rides.…

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1,000,000,000 times

Waiting at the airport can be soul-crushing sometimes.  Especially if your flight is delayed.  But not always . . . Take a look at this cool new permanent artwork installed at California’s Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) Installed in the pre-security Arrivals Hall of Terminal B, A million Times (San José), by artists Humans since 1982, is…

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Imagine, if you will . . .

“Being like everybody is the same as being nobody.” “ There is nothing in the dark that isn't there when the lights are on.” Rod Serling Some of you may remember the ground-breaking Twilight Zone television show, which entranced so many of us (of a certain age) and still resonates to this day. If you loved the…

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All together now

Yay!  Common sense prevails in this day and age! The respective loyalty programs of our affiliate friends, Expedia, Vrbo, Hotels.com and other brands under the Expedia Group umbrella are to be unified into one service. The company says all brands and products will be in the program, covering flights, hotels, alternative accommodation, car rentals, cruises…

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Oooh la LA

Near the famed Los Angeles intersection of Hollywood and Vine, the highly anticipated Thompson Hollywood is now welcoming guests, as of August 2021, who enter through a greenery-laden walkway, the first sign that this new hotel is something special. Featuring a bar, terrace and views of city, Thompson Hollywood is located 701 m from Capitol Records…

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Radisson looks east …. Middle-East

Radisson Hotel Group has secured a record year in its fastest growing region, the Middle East & Africa, with 21 signings and seven hotel openings achieved thus far. The expansion drive includes the announcement of eight hotels in Morocco, the entry into Thakher Makkah with nearly 1,000 rooms, as well as the introduction of the Radisson…

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Want to be a part of it?

Ahhh . . . New York City.  NYC.  The Big Apple. The City That Never Sleeps. The Greatest City in the World.  The City So Nice They Named It Twice: a reference to "New York, New York. You can visit a dozen times and still find something new.  But let's go back in time and…

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Science!

During the Airlines Confidential podcast, former Spirit Airlines CEO Ben Baldanza told an interesting story about trying to figure out whether a new route would be profitable. In normal times airlines have great data – required and reported by the federal government.  But, some looked at telephone data and remittance data to get a sense…

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Sin presión

There are records of tortilla production in the country going back as far as 500bc, so it’s fair to say that what the Mexicans don’t know about corn isn’t worth knowing. El Pastor restaurant co-founder Crispin Somerville shares his inside track on the tastiest snacks. Read more here courtesy of CNN.com Sin presión = no pressure. Southwest…

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You can get anything you want

You can get anything you want at the former site of the restaurant immortalized by Arlo Guthrie. ARLO GUTHRIE’S 1967 SONG “ALICE’S RESTAURANT” is a staple of Americana, one that has been synonymous with Thanksgiving ever since a radio station played the nearly 20-minute antiwar tune on the holiday. Deep within the Berkshires, however, Alice’s…

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Moral coral

You can be a part of worldwide coral regeneration schemes – here's how. Coral reefs are intricate ecosystems that quite literally breathe life into the world's oceans, but they are under threat. Destruction of reefs – such as mass coral bleaching – is the result of a combination of factors including climate change and pollution.…

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Share a room with Tracey Emin

Most hotels consider a random collection of prints and local photography an “arts program.” At The Alfond Inn near Rollins College campus in Winter Park, Florida, their arts program features Julie Mehretu, Nicole Eisenman, Hank Willis Thomas, Tracey Emin, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith–top stars of contemporary art with solo shows attracting thousands of visitors at renowned…

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The Catskilled

Travel to countries that have collapsed around the world and one will find post-Apocalyptic worlds. In the former Soviet Union, one can find scores and scores of abandoned and crumbling factories and cities - crumbling ruins testifying to the once great Soviet Union. In America, one can find just one post-Apocalyptic world just outside of…

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Sit up straight

If you think a chair is simply a chair, you might be right.  But there are designers who think beyond the norm, in all walks of life.  It matters in this day of dwindling resources. Salone is the most important furniture event in the world, strongly connected to the city and the design culture. This…

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The prettiest French cars

We love automobiles here at Matouring.  Especially European cars.  And even more especially French vehicles.  Por quoi?  They have always seemed to go beyond the pale, seeking smart functionality with undeniable style. Our favourite French marque is Citroën.  From the 2CV to the latest Cactus models, they have never been shy about pushing the envelope.…

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You’ve tried the liquor, now try the islands

We would imagine most of you have been to Europe at least once.  And, we're confident that many of you have visited Portugal, likely Lisbon or Porto.  What a lovely, gentle country it is. But, out on Portugal's Madeira Islands, the lush archipelago far from the mainland, the North Atlantic ocean has shaped every aspect…

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