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Hi you – go to Bayeux

If you're not aware, the Bayeux Tapestry is a 70-metre-long embroidered cloth that depicts the events of the Norman conquest of England, culminating in the Battle of Hastings.  This was a turning point in not only the shaping of England, but it also created shockwaves that reverberated throughout Europe as well. The tapestry was likely…

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Eight days in the Kimberley

Australia - there is no place like it on earth.  The food...the wine. Everyone tends to think - naturally - of places like Sydney or Melbourne.  But look beyond and see what other joys await you.  Broome, for example. Broome’s exotic pearling town past has left a rich history and a unique multicultural mix of…

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OK Tours!

Those in the know, know that Central Europe is still a hidden secret in many ways.  And one of the most beautiful and modern is Prague, in the Czech Republic.  If you have not explored this part of Europe, then you are missing a treat.  The Czech Republic is not a geographically large country, but…

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The Green Fairy

Absinthe is historically described as a distilled, highly alcoholic beverage. It is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from botanicals, including the flowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium, together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs. In Paris, during the 1920's, it became the favourite beverage of choice for artists, musicians, debutantes and…

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Chateau bravo!

With their lofty towers, glittering ballrooms, geometric gardens and all that gilded finery, no one does castles better than France. From the Dordogne’s renaissance piles flanked by dusty olive groves and pretty hilltop villages to the turret-studded landscape of the Loire Valley, French châteaux are a brilliant display of the country’s rich architectural and cultural…

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Let’s rock!

Rock art, that is paintings and carvings on natural rock formations, is one of the earliest forms of creative expression and a universal phenomenon among prehistoric societies, in this case, Indian. An instrument of communication rather than simply art, it is an assemblage of material culture which provides a glimpse into the lives of people…

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A brutal refuge?

In the course of the nearly thirty years of his practice, Sir David Adjaye’s projects have been realized on five continents.  Here he reflects on what kinds of homes we build, and how we live in them. They include cultural and historical landmarks—such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture, in Washington, D.C.,…

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Not the straight and narrow

At first glance, Bob Damron’s Address Book reads like any other travel guide. Bars, restaurants, hotels and businesses are grouped by city and state, their names and addresses listed in alphabetical order. An introductory note reassures readers that the information contained within the volume is up-to-date, while classifications written in abbreviated parentheticals offer travelers additional details on specific establishments: An…

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Gawk like an Egyptian

The ancient Egyptian burial site of Saqqara has been studied for more than a century, due to the importance of the location for political, religious and architectural history. One of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. But a new “born-digital” publication by UC Santa Cruz associate history…

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Rough roads for travellers and gypsies

The UK government’s current plan to ‘tackle unauthorised traveller camps’ and ‘give the police new powers to arrest and seize the property and vehicles of trespassers who set up unauthorised encampments’ follows a long line of legislation aimed primarily at Travellers and Gypsies. Past regimes, from the Tudors to the present, have attacked the culture…

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The giant shadow of Ikebukuro

HEARTLANDS: ZOSHIGAYA Small winding streets and low-rise houses. Zoshigaya is only a short walk away from the malls, highways and flashing lights of Ikebukuro, but feels like a silent suburb in comparison.  This homely heartland has maintained its Showa-era (1926 – 1989) atmosphere, with winding lanes lined with family homes and small shops selling everyday…

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California

California is the largest state of the United States by population, and the third largest by area, located on its coast to the Pacific Ocean. California has natural attractions as well as theme-parks and bustling city life: Southern California is home to such popular attractions as Disneyland, Hollywood and the beaches in Malibu that inspired…

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