In case you've not yet been (and you should!) Sintra is a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. Known for its spectacularly coloured buildings, it also has a long history with the legendary Knights Templar.
One of the most fascinating features of Sintra is it's so-called Inverted…
Oiran (花魁) is a word used to refer to the high-class prostitutes that worked in the Yoshiwara red-light district (Yoshiwara-Yukaku) during the Edo period. The Ichiyo Sakura Matsuri started in 2003 to preserve this piece of Edo history.
It takes place along a 500m or so stretch of road with members in full Edo period dress…
History (and fun) can be found anywhere. Sometimes you need to look, other times it lands in your lap when you least expect it.
Here is an example of the latter. On a relatively normal stretch of everyday road in Gueux, France, you will find yourself ready to rev your engines and don your helmet. You're…
If you visit our site, you'll know how much we love history, especially since we don't feel as old once we've completed the article. It's a labour of love. And one can only imagine the labour that was put into building these almost impenetrable edifices, all those hundreds of years ago.
But, castle-building is not a…
History is great, especially when you get tired of the (to us, anyway) somewhat ho-hum modern living. So it's never a bad idea to go back and look at what was the future.
France have always created unusual vehicles - many of them, such as the Citroën DS, are still beautiful to behold. As was the…
Have you seen the world? Have you been there, done that? Do you want more? Well, as always, Matouring comes to the rescue with something more. Fit for a king or queen—or your whole royal family—these castles located in delightful destinations around Europe invite you and your kin or friends for an unforgettable stay in…
This is not your father's caravan: it's the 21st century.
Contemporary caravans and travel trailers evoke scaled-down loft living on wheels – perfect for modern nomads seeking a much-needed change of scene.
Modern campers are spacious, well-appointed and - best of all - economical, especially in the European models. The days of the gas-guzzler are slipping into…
As ever, the world is swirled and twirled by events, people and time itself. Even the most powerful must take our last breaths.
And where would this addage be more appropriate than in the lands where kings, queens, power, priviledge and treachery were business-as-usual.
Of course, we're talking about ancient history (as we do,) and in this…
In certain parts of the world, history sometimes pops up out of nowhere, to the point of where you can literally trip over it. Europe is certainly one of those places: tread carefully, as you might be standing on a 6th century prince. In 1960 a man was laying a water pipe underneath the quaint…
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…
There are enough films -even today - that are situated in what was once East Germany that it still holds an allure for many curious history buffs and casual travelers.
Germany, of course, is now a unified country, one of the most well-managed in the world. But, there are still vestiges of that post- World War…
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…
Och aye the noo = An archetypal example of an overt Scotticism is "Och aye the noo", which translates as "Oh yes, just now".
But, it doesn't stray too far from its roots. And, luckily for us, we are learning more and more about history - Scottish in this case. Read more here courtesy of NationalGeoraphic.co.uk
Booking.com
AutoEurope…
The more we keep digging, the more we find about our ancient history. With this, we can understand who we are, and why we behave the way that we do. It's fascinating stuff.
In this article, we cover the tumuli of Bougon, also called the necropolis of Bougon, an archaeological site dating back to the Neolithic…
No, we are not casting any aspirsions on Korean Air with the title of this article. Quite the opposite. We love all things Korean, especially the films and movies. Our first exposure was "Crash Landing on You" (on Netflix.) We recently watched "Psychokinesis" which is absolutely bonkers. Hilarious. Do yourself a favour.
No, this article and…
Politics aside, we're all human, right? And, as humans, for the most part we all seem to innately know that we must get along just to survive. We've seen the history to know what happens when we don't. Here, we feature a video from the National Geographic of a few young athletes who are invited…
It is sometime a surprise (and sometimes a disapointment) when legendary places seem to blow away in the wind overnight, even after years of shining in the sun.
In this case, we're featuring Lake Mead's Lodge, in Nevada, USA.
The lake itself is famous for its shining blue presence in the dry, dry desert, and, also, a…
Who doesn't love Paris? The home of art, style, fashion, history and style. Especially the latter. Paris is SO chic that even its McDonalds is skinny. Close to Gare Saint-Lazare in Paris, it is located in a timberframe building and extremely narrow. The interior of this restaurant is very special too. Decorations in the same…
Relax, in other words.
A long weekend in the Egyptian capital will lead you through its history and into its eclectic present — discovering old and new cultural sights, artisanal shops and outdoor spaces perfect for an adrenaline rush or even a peaceful respite.
Plus, visitors will find a medley of flavors — from street food to…
Yes, you read that right.
For those not familar, Wetherspoons is a chain of pubs in the UK that have a "reputation." They offer some of the most inexpensive places to have a pint of beer anywhere. However, some words that are associated with that include "fights", "drunk", "yobs" and more. And, to be honest, there…