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Unusual

Unusual

Pain is just a word for bread

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,…

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Fly Andorra

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,…

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Starfish and coffee

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…

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Hey, hepcats!

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…

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Medieval nights

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…

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Widebody Cotswolds

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…

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Starry, starry night

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…

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Clean routine

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…

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Moon, tycoon … soon?

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,"…

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Meetings with the dragon

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…

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Asleep at the controls

Have you ever dreamt of being a pilot?  You'll need a license, first. But, if your aspirations are more down to earth, why not control your dreams rather than the controls themselves? How about Sweden's Jumbo Stay Hotel in Arlanda? A unique hotel in a Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet. An exclusive experience in the world…

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Ohio, the prehistoric effigy

Ohio, in the United States, is one of those places that can surprise you.  Primarily focused on agricultural endeavors, it does feature three large metropolitan areas:  Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland.  But, it's mostly farmland.  So, it's not surprising that Ohio can hold some . . surprises.  One such feature is the Great Serpent Mound.... The…

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Do you know Sacha Lodge?

Imagine walking across a bridge suspended over the rainforest canopy, paddling through creeks in search of monkeys and river otters, climbing to the very top of a giant kapok tree or swimming in a black-water lake, threading your way through trees in search of the world’s tiniest monkey… Sacha Lodge can show you how.  This…

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It’s only a flesh wound

Monty Python notwithstanding, the legend of Arthur, king of the Britons remains an enduring, fascinating and unresolved story.  Dozens of films have been made, and yet, his legend is still shrouded in uncertainty. One thing about him that has more ground - literally - is where his infamous castle lair was located - generally accepted…

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Chateau No

Some people have all the luck. An infamous €57million French chateau that was built illegally in the Côte d’Azur has been definitively condemned for total destruction, in what is expected to be the final stage of a 15-year-long court case. Chateau Diter was built by Montreil-born property developer Patrick Diter between the years of 2000…

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