Are you one of those savvy travelers who can manage your travel expenses without almost thinking about it? It's natural to lucky you. The rest of us may not have those kinds of brain waves. While travelers usually focus on exchange rates and museum fees, Minimum Wages across Europe are actually a…
We're history buffs, here at Matouring. But when we see history - poorly chosen and implemented history - unfolding right in front our eyes over and over again, it gets tiring and aggravating. George Santayana’s quote "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." The other day, we were out with my…
If we're being honest with ourselves, we nearly all of us would love to have that house high on the hill. Or that one snuggled into a dense forest that is all your own. Or it could be a state of-the-art property that is almost space-age. Alas, though, this kind of treat…
“Whether I’m in Lisbon and order an espresso for under $1, or an Americano for just over $1, many European café prices seem far less to me than grabbing the equivalent at an American coffee shop”.
The Marquesas Islands are fascinating for their wild, dramatic volcanic landscapes, remote isolation, and rich, preserved Polynesian culture.
“I want Dubai to be a place where everybody from all over the world meets each other.” “We in the UAE have no such word as ‘impossible. ‘” “The desert tells a different story every time one ventures onto it.” – Robert Edison Fulton Jr.Jan 16, 2023
Woo woo! Ready for year-round fun? Of course you are. So sit down, pour yourself a small snifter and whet your whistle when you see this combination. Artouste, or Artouste-Fabrèges, is a winter sports resort in the French Pyrenees. It is located in the commune of Laruns in the department of…
“We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star.
Take only memories, leave only footprints,” “A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving,” for embracing the journey, all pointing to deeper engagement with the world.
“Civilizations die from suicide, not by murder.” – (Commonly attributed to a theme in historical analysis.
“A car is not just metal; it’s a dream on wheels.” – Unknown.
Ah, Paris. Beau, beautiful, vieux, old, cher, expensive, merveilleux, marvelous, amusant, fun, superbe, wonderful, à la mode, fashionable, bondé, crowded. The words escape us. Yes, Paris is all of that. That's why we always want to return, even though we've been there dozens of times. Most of us tend to…
Victor Hugo’s description of the Revolution as “the greatest step forward by mankind since the coming of Christ.
Napoleon Bonaparte noted, upon first seeing the island as his place of exile, “I would have been better off if I had stayed in Egypt,”
Airlines know that they need to get better. Watch this space for more updates.
From a local perspective: “For us, people of Lille, it is the truth that counts, not the frills and fripperies.” – A saying featured on the Hauts-de-France Tourism website
We're not trying to make you go, oh no, no no. But, if love is in your heart for almost everything, we have something here that is nothing but wonderful. Imagine watching a crumbled mess of a building almost be
miraculously transformed into a place anyone would want to stay in, let alone…
So . . . .you've got to please yourself. Le Corbusier, like most artists, was simultaneously a prophet and a pariah of sorts of the architectural world, a figure whose influence was as immense as the controversy he inspired. He was admired for his revolutionary vision of a new, functionalist architecture and criticized for his…
We can't help it. If it's rail, we're there. Those of you who have stuck with us over the years know what we're talking about: rail travel. Do a search and you'll find dozens of posts here about this most intelligent mode of travel. A few years back, we featured…
Y'know. All it takes is one spoiled despot to ruin everyone's week. Europe as always been a halcyon of peace, love and understanding. That's why In 2023, Europe welcomed over 700 million international tourist arrivals. It's an example of how we all should behave, no matter our political, lingual or religious…