Well, that Elon Musk is always doing something. Whether it’s the reading the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica at nine years old, selling his first company for $307 million, founding PayPal and creating Tesla automobiles and starting SpaceX to send humanity to infinity and beyond. One of his passions is transportation, and his Hyperloop system is well underway. This ambitious program looks…
You can dance if you want to . . . In December Alaska Airlines introduced The Safety Dance, taking the Men Without Hats’ classic and applying it to air travel during the Covid-19 pandemic. To celebrate joining the global OneWorld alliance , Alaska Airlines has released a new version of their Safety Dance featuring cameos by employees and executives from…
Like so many worthy things, the game of chess continuously phases in and out of our collective consciousness. It certainly has its allure, and once you’re couched in the skills that you need, it is always there for you. And, in many ways, it’s an international language. But did you know that there is a chess hall of fame? It’s…
With extreme temperatures and landscapes, extreme living, and some extremely wrong perceptions from outsiders, Mongolia is one of the most complex places—and Mongols one of the most misunderstood people—in the world. Conversations about the weather, the great expanse of the country, and the traditional nomadic lifestyle dominate talk of Mongolia, and it’s understandable. Temperature variations of +100°F are not uncommon…
There’s something about being in the western United States that brings out the crazy in people. Between Area 51, Las Vegas, Nevada you will never fail to be amazed at what some business models look like. And yet, they prevail. And now, may we introduce The Clown Motel. It all started in 1985 when Leona and Leroy David built this motel…
If you’re a regular reader of our site, you’ll notice that we feature content about Richard Branson and his Virgin empire. He never sits still – his latest venture is a Mach 3 airliner. And he always tries to instill a feeling of fun in all that he does. With that in mind, did you know that in the 1990’s,…
This looks grueling. Put on your best pink tutu, peacock feathers or Viking hat and get ready to run – and drink! Held on 11 September in 2021– just in time for wine harvest – the annual Marathon du Médoc brings contestants to more than 30 vineyards in the wine region of Médoc in France, north of Bordeaux. They’ll stop…
As you may or may not know, Andorra is a small, mountainous country in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain. For 715 years (1278 to 1993), Andorrans lived under a unique co-principality ruled by the French Chief of State and the Bishop of La Seu d’Urgell. As of 2019, its population is 77,142. Tourism, the mainstay of Andorra’s tiny…
Prince Rogers Nelson (Prince) was a pretty popular guy when he was still in the land of the living. He passed away in April 2016 and still leaves quite a considerable legacy. So much so that his home, Paisley Park, an extraordinary estate and production complex in Chanhassen, MN is offering tours. Fans have the unprecedented opportunity to experience first-hand…
Our town, Vancouver, has many things: many shops, many sights, many people and . . . many restaurants, some of which come and go. But, one mainstay – and for good reason – is The Templeton. Situated on Vancouver‘s slightly crazy Granville Street, The Templeton diner has been here for decades, serving absolutely delicious diner meals at all sorts of…
As you most likely know, Europe is filled with history. Right at your fingertips, you can touch – and even spend the night – in buildings that are hundreds, if not thousands, of years old. In some cities, you literally bump into one incredible structure after another. The fact that Europe still has so many of its wonders is a…
Everybody wants a deal, especially when travelling. And some sites, such as our affiliate friends Scotts Cheap Flights, scour the electric interwebs looking for airline pricing mistakes, which happen more than you think and – even better – can save you staggering amounts of money. But, this story is about is travel savings that go to eleven. For nearly 20…
In the Asturias region of northwest Spain, a cave drawing of a woolly mammoth has a single, internal feature: a large red heart. This work of art, at least 14,000 years old, likely depicts a successful hunt and bloody wound. From the earliest days of our species, the detection of a pulse, the preservation of respiration and the beating of a…
One of England’s most beautiful – and well-known – areas are The Cotswolds. Picture-perfect stone houses, babbling rivers and mountains standing in the background, it’s no surprise that the villages are often overrun by tourists. It is one of the most touristy locations in the UK. The Cotswolds, themselves, only have around 90,000 residents. And they have an airport, as…
Imagine a place where we feel covered by a majestic starry sky. Right in the middle of Alentejo, Portugal is the wonderful Alqueva sky is like dark velvet cloaked by a huge blanket of stars. It is a protected area and internationally certified as a Dark Sky Reserve, or “Starlight Tourism Destination”, which extends over an area of about 3000…
Via Vittorio Emanuele is the public wash known as “medieval wash” at the late-Renaissance palace Martino in Italy. In 1514 it was demolished and rebuilt on a more back from the city walls and the river that (legend has it that it was created by the tears of a mourning nymph) flowed under the open sky was covered in the…
Photographer updates postcards of 1960s resorts into their abandoned ruins Won’t you tell me – where have all the good times gone? I found the old matchbook lying on a desk, writes Pablo Maurer. It was buried under some papers, beside a thick, water-logged book frozen solid in the January chill. I ran my fingers down its spine and read…
If you think that trekking to Machu Pichu is yesterday’s news, we may have an idea for you. Yusaku Maezawa, a billionaire from Japan has invited eight members of the general public to embark on a trip around the moon on Elon Musk’s SpaceX flight. “I want people from all kinds of backgrounds to join,” he said in via Twitter. …
This is a Covid-19 topical article . . . . Several weeks ago China deployed an ‘anal swab‘ test to detect Covid-19, believing it to be more accurate than other testing methods. Passengers in several Chinese airports are now being subjected to these tests, where authorities “insert[..] a cotton-tipped stick three to five centimeters (one to two inches) into the…
Margaretha Hönin had a bad reputation. Even though she lived in the late 16th century, we know that her neighbours, the people of Coburg in Thuringia, despised her for being a parvenu and a money-grabbing miser. Hönin was also said to be a witch who met regularly with a dragon. For her neighbours, her economic behaviour was clearly linked to…
