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Moscow, now

Russia, in particular Moscow, has so many magnificent buildings, structures and the accompanying history that goes with them, that it should definitely be on your "must see" list if it isn't already. One thing that the Russians should be proud of is their capacity to rehabilitate forlorn structures into the original magnificence that they once had. The…

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Key West for Free / Less

Key West (Florida USA) is everything that they say it is.  Chilled. Hectic. Rich. Artistic.  And, most of all, sunny and warm.  Definitely worth a trip if you haven't been. But like most popular places, it isn't cheap.  So how can you have a good holiday without having to sell your children? Lonely Planet have some ideas…

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The party’s over

Like all of us, eventually we need to retire.  And so do ships (and planes.) We have all likely been on at least one cruise, and you'll comprehend the scope and size of those behemoths of the seas.  But, have you given any thought when it's time for the ship to be put to pasture? It's a…

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Spinal Tap Tower

As the famous circus magnate, P. T. Barnum used to say, there's a sucker born every minute.  Ain't that the truth?  Just scroll through social media if you want proof. Here's a story that will surely make you scratch your head, laughing all the while.  Was this an accident?  Purposefully enacted?  Vengeance?  As Tom Scott explains,…

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Let’s Bora Bora, Laura

No doubt you've heard of Bora Bora, perhaps somewhere in your distant past.  But, maybe you don't know too much about it.  It sounds intriguing and a little bit exotic, but what's it all about, really? And how do you get there and, once there, even get around?  Well did you know that there are…

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Dread, Bath and beyond

Politics is never straightforward, and when it comes to ancient laws and customs, it can be even more discombobulated. Not far from Salisbury, UK is a ruin called Old Sarum.  Once grand and formidable, it is now a curious and somewhat sad example of where the rich stay rich and the poor . .  well,…

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Finally!

If you visit our site, you'll know that we are huge proponents of rail travel.  What's not to like?  High-speed, comfort and better for the environment. Most countries have highspeed rail options in place, and have had for many years.  But there has always been one rather glaring exception - the USA.  Train travel works there…

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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…

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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…

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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:…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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“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…

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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…

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