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An Englishman, a Scotsman and an Irishman walk into a bar….

....The Englishman wanted to go so they all had to leave. Yes, we're talking about the UK's Brexit again.  As of this the time of this article, this week marks five years since the Brexit referendum shocked Europe. Despite forecasts that Britain’s withdrawal would trigger other departures by countries with similar Eurosceptic urges, the response from member…

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Oscar de la Rental

We're excited to announce that we've become affiliated with The Leading Hotels of the World group, a marketing organization, representing more than 400 hotels in over 80 countries. And a key attribute is that they feature some of the most luxurious and exclusive properties around the world.  In addition to booking through our existing affiliates,…

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It’s a numbers game

Those of us who learned arithmetic using pen and paper, working with the ten digits 0–9 and place value, may take for granted that this is the way it’s always been done, or at least the way it ought to be done. But if you think of the amount of time and energy spent in…

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SAF and sound

It's starting to happen. Companies are taking it seriously.  We can't continue the way that we have.  We must get green. An All Nippon Airways (ANA) Dreamliner winged its way from Tokyo to Osaka late last week using a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that blended traditional jet fuel with fuel made from microalgae. The flight came on…

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Could I interest you in a scam sandwich?

Some hotels offer rates that include breakfast. You need to figure out how likely to buy breakfast you are – and how much you’ll save. Sometimes the ‘breakfast included’ price is really just the room rate plus the cost of breakfast. And if you skip breakfast even one day, for instance you leave too early…

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Pueblo crews

The USA is not a place normally associated with ancient dwellings.  Most of its history ostensibly started around 1776, and it has always fashioned itself around its "newness." But, like anywhere else, the country has its surprises, one of which is the stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Mesa Verde national park in Colorado.  The park…

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The Isle of fire

We're talkin' about Nyoo Yawk, here, so listen up. Most people have heard about Long Island, New York.  Just a short train ride from Manhattan, it is a world unto itself.  It was once - and in many ways, still is - the essence of Bohemian.  But, the ocean-side mansions also are there, so that's…

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Wake the snakes

As if Covid-19 wasn't bad enough, bringing the world back into its original position presents all kinds a challenges to humans.  Mask, or no mask?  Moderna or Pfizer?  Eat in or take-away?  Concerts or Netflix? But here's a conundrum that most of us probably never think of:  snakes in planes.  And, yes, it's a thing.…

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Equal rights, equal wrongs

Most of us live in social worlds that are profoundly unequal, where small elites have vastly more power and wealth than everyone else. Very few of the have-nots find this congenial. As experimental economists have shown, we tend to enter social situations prepared to take a chance and cooperate in collective activities. But if others…

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Mardin’s gardens

Mardin is a city in southeastern Turkey. The capital of Mardin Province, it is known for the Artuqid architecture of its old city, and for its strategic location on a rocky hill near the Tigris River that rises steeply over the flat plains. * OK, now that we have that somewhat dry description of the…

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A walk and a cheeky pint

One of the many joys of the United Kingdom is an afternoon walk.  Much of the UK's land has been set aside for the public to use freely for walking.  And, it is a tradition that families do that, usually on a Sunday, and perhaps after a rather over-generous lunch. The paths are always well-marked,…

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It’s literally Nauru . . . and you

Chances are good that you have never heard of Nauru.  That's not surprising, as only around 10,000 inhabitants live there, and the island country usually gets only a couple of hundred visitors each year.  It is the smallest country in the world. But, you might want to give the island nation a go, as its…

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Bumbling forward into the unknown*

The 72 steps to the Philadelphia Museum of Art may well rank among the most famous stairways of the past century. Charged by a sweaty Sly Stallone in the 1976 hit Rocky, this majestic ascent has long inspired visitors to make the climb to the hilltop 1928 landmark, an assemblage of Greek-temple forms in golden-hued limestone. But…

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You can leave your hat on

So a pickpocket went to a nudist beach... He hated it.... We would imagine that there are some people who, after being held captive in their homes due to the pandemic, are looking for a way to break free.  Even if it simply means walking outside without a mask. Likely though, there are those who want…

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(Not the Republic of) Dominica

Have you heard of Dominica?  Officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically situated as part of the Windward Islands chain in the Lesser Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. The island is located near Guadeloupe…

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Motor through Kotor

When you think of the Balkans, Montenegro doesn't often spring to mind for many people.  In fact, most would struggle to even identify it on a map. And that's a shame, as it has as many mind-blowing features as some of its cousins (Split, Belgrade, etc) and deserves your attention. One approach is to hire…

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It’s a string thing

Peruvians from the Huinchiri community in Cusco region are rebuilding a 500-year-old Incan hanging bridge, made using traditional weaving techniques to string a crossing together spanning the Apurimac river far below. The Q’eswachaka bridge has been used for over 500 years to connect communities divided by the river. But during the Covid pandemic it fell…

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The Mercadona mystery

If you've been to Spain (and if you haven't, get going!) you'll likely recognise the name Mercadona.  It is one of the country's largest grocery chains. As you probably know, many companies (like us, for example) assemble their names by concatenating one or more words together into something recognisable, but not a "real" word. Some have wondered…

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Bridge of cries

Everyone knows it's windy. Somewhere in a wind tunnel on the south-western side of Ontario, a group of the world’s leading bridge aerodynamics and acoustics experts are puzzling over a full-scale model of the railing of the Golden Gate Bridge. The experts have been contracted to solve the mysterious problem of a strange humming sound that has…

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You’ve got a friend in we

People are people, thankfully, but everyone is distinctly different in one way or another - again, thankfully.  But some collections of people seem to have attributes that give their countries - and themselves -shiny reputations. There have been plenty of these lists circulating in the past, but the world has gotten bigger and smaller at…

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