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        <date>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 19:34:25 GMT</date>
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            <title><![CDATA["Turned Into One" - Part II: A Temple of Science]]></title>
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            <pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The science hub, formally known as Campus II, is much plainer, much more down to earth (or its components, as the cover picture may suggest), and it's clearly designed to engage and foster the mind rather than delight and massage the soul.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA["Turned Into One"-Part I: An Arts District]]></title>
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            <pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Joanina Library is by far the most famous part of the university complex, and it proves its status by, so-to-say, shaping one's schedules. To visit the library, one needs to buy a separate ticket, and such a ticket comes with a time slot.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Of Books and Bats]]></title>
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            <pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Taking pictures on the Noble Floor hosting all the splendor the library boasts  would likely result not only in the offender's immediate removal from the premises but also in criminal charges for manslaughter]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Mountain Magnet]]></title>
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            <pubDate>Sat, 21 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The small mountain town populated by about 20,000 people is a significant natural, cultural and even culinary attraction.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Arching Above A Chasm]]></title>
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            <pubDate>Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Built in 2020, Arouca 516 is a pedestrian bridge that nobody crosses because they have something important to do on the other side. In fact, everyone who does cross it, returns after a short (5 to 10 minutes) break]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Home, Sweet Home]]></title>
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            <pubDate>Sat, 07 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[...really good homes are versatile, as well as comfortable and beautiful, and Casa checks all those boxes]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Yin and Yang]]></title>
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            <pubDate>Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Far from being commonplace, sex museums aren't completely unique either. There are a few of them in the world, and they are mostly located where one would expect to find them.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Vice Capital: Part II - The Northern Gem]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/vice-capital-part-ii-the-northern-gem</link>
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            <pubDate>Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[It was likely that sense of hurt (and resentment it produced) that lit a competitive fire in Porto's virtual heart and turned it into a creative rebel that was always happy to score on its archrival, Lisbon]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Vice Capital: Part I - Capitals of the World]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/vice-capital-part-i-capitals-of-the-world</link>
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            <pubDate>Sat, 24 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Capitals are political and administrative centres. Intuitively, one would think that they are also centrally located - as well as the biggest, most significant economic and cultural hubs of their respective countries.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA["...and never the twain shall meet"?]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/and-never-the-twain-shall-meet-1</link>
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            <pubDate>Sat, 17 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[In reality, it was yet another link in a long chain of events cementing a unique relationship between the two countries.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Second "F"]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-second-f</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-second-f</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Many countries have their favourite sport, and many sports are popular in multiple countries - yet, football is the only game that is practiced literally everywhere, because it requires next to no equipment.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Christ Von Escher]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/christ-von-escher</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/christ-von-escher</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 03 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Realistically, that leaves enough time to do justice to only one major attraction in Braga. Fortunately, there is an attraction there that is literally head and shoulders above the others.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Jewel in the North]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-jewel-in-the-north</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-jewel-in-the-north</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[In the "Orchestra of Portugal", Guimaraes is a piccolo flute]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Marriage Made in Heaven]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/marriage-made-in-heaven</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/marriage-made-in-heaven</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 20 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The castle in Lisbon, strategically located, became both a silent witness and a co-creator of every twist and turn of Lisbon's and Portuguese history. ]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA["A" for "Azulejo"]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-for-azulejo</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-for-azulejo</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 06 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Portuguese visual art is almost completely synonymous with "azulejos"]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Moorish Filling]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-moorish-filling</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-moorish-filling</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 29 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Portuguese Golden Age based on navigation necessary for negotiating the oceans, would have likely been impossible without a little help from their frenemies.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Roman Crust]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-roman-crust</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-roman-crust</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 22 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The history of human civilization is so riddled with wars that peace seems almost like an intermission - yet, while War authors history, Peace creates civilizations. ]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Time Capital]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-time-capital</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-time-capital</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 15 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[While Portuguese exploration of the world began in the 14th century and picked up speed in the first quarter of the 15th, it was Manuel's vision, boundless ambition and strategic planning that turned that exploration into a powerful Empire-building tool]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Queen and The Pauper]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-queen-and-the-pauper</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-queen-and-the-pauper</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 07 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[No country's history is so interwoven with, and reflected in, its geography as Portugal's.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Its Portuguese Cousin]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/its-portuguese-cousin</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/its-portuguese-cousin</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[It's the subjective "feel" rather than objective "see" that defines one's experience at Bertrand. ]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Here Comes the Sun]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/here-comes-the-sun</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/here-comes-the-sun</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 24 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[However, there is one viewpoint in Lisbon that is special - in fact, every bit as special as its name - "Portas do Sol"/The Gate of the Sun - suggests.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Introduction: Portugal, an Enigma]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/introduction-portugal-an-enigma</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/introduction-portugal-an-enigma</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 18 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[volatility ripe with possibilities will likely remain the recurring motif of these Portuguese adventures]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Lion Hearts]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/lion-hearts</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/lion-hearts</guid>
            <pubDate>Sun, 25 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[To be a foreign guard meant being a Swiss guard. ]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Trams in Bern]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/trams-in-bern</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/trams-in-bern</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 17 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Trams are still extant and functional in many countries throughout the world. Arguably, they owe their longevity to a different kind of experience they provide.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Bearing It Up]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/bearing-it-up</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/bearing-it-up</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 10 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Bears are ubiquitous in Bern, and they greet citizens and visitors from everywhere - both in name and in person.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Origins of Bern ]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-origins-of-bern</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-origins-of-bern</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 03 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[While there are plenty of cities with self-explanatory names, many other cases are much more obscure, sometimes even as mysterious as Gioconda's smile. ]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Swiss Sketches - The Einstein House]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/swiss-sketches-the-einstein-house</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/swiss-sketches-the-einstein-house</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 26 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[An ordinary early 20th century middle class apartment joining the list of attractions, on par with any other attraction in the town or even throughout the country, is a question-raising phenomenon.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Swiss Sketches - The Fountain Mile in Bern]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/swiss-sketches-the-fountain-mile-in-bern</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/swiss-sketches-the-fountain-mile-in-bern</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 19 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Ten distinct statues perched on fountains and lined up along a thoroughfare in the Old Town, the distance between the end statues being exactly a mile.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Children of Fire - Johann-Sebastian ]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/children-of-fire-johann-sebastian</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/children-of-fire-johann-sebastian</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 12 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The Bachs were held in so high regard that local rulers wouldn't hire a court musician whose last name wasn't Bach!]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Children of Fire - Wartburg]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/children-of-fire-wartburg</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/children-of-fire-wartburg</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 05 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The similarity between German words for "mountain" and "fortress" contributed to the name of the future castle.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Children of Fire: Martin]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/children-of-fire-martin</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/children-of-fire-martin</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 29 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The pinnacle of those achievements was translating the Bible into German vernacular - a deed that gave millions access to the sacred texts, thus ending their dependence on the official Church's interpretations. ]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Children of Fire: Elizabeth]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/children-of-fire-elizabeth</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/children-of-fire-elizabeth</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 22 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Unless steeped in Christian culture, one can hardly imagine just how revered, not to say "worshipped", the former mistress of the Wartburg castle is throughout Europe]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Children of Fire - Honore]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/children-of-fire-honore</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/children-of-fire-honore</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 15 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[In his case, the fire within created a scientist of humanity, not a revolutionary reformer like a certain German monk who had lived more than 300 years earlier]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Great Harmony]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-great-harmony</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-great-harmony</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 08 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[If there is a, so-to-say, common pool of happiness everyone can draw from and is entitled to a fair share of, providing that share is tantamount to preserving harmony in the community as a whole]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #42: Cinderellas ]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-42-cinderellas</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-42-cinderellas</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 01 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Japan might be among those few who've taken it at least one step farther by finding (and, in fact, creating) uniqueness in something incorrectly perceived as trite and uninspiring ]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #41: Fora]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-41-fora</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-41-fora</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 22 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The park whose name simply means "Upper Field" is, in fact, a microcosm of Japan as a whole - everything the country is famous for or simply associated with can be found there.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #40: Wizardry]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-40-wizardry</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-40-wizardry</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 15 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The studio in question must be one of very few places not only in Japan but throughout the world where visitors are invited to literally relive and experience the book]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #39: Through The Looking Glass]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-39-through-the-looking-glass</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-39-through-the-looking-glass</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 08 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[TeamLab Planets helps its guests to void their minds and fill the void with sensual experiences. Every nook and cranny of the place, every square millimeter of the interactive exhibition helps to enhance and sharpen the senses]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #38: Odaiba - Part II, Back to the Future]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-38-odaiba-part-ii-back-to-the-future</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-38-odaiba-part-ii-back-to-the-future</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 01 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[While "exclusivity" and "quantity" fail to shed the light on that in-heaven-made-marriage between Japan and technology, two other words might be more successful in doing so. ]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #37: Odaiba. Part I -The Art of Tricks]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-37-odaiba-part-i-the-art-of-tricks</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-37-odaiba-part-i-the-art-of-tricks</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 25 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The Trick Art takes it to the next level by inviting its guests to step into the pictures thus turning from spectators into participants. ]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #36: Chanoyu]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-36-chanoyu</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-36-chanoyu</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 18 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Most Japanese foundational cultural traditions are emphatically non-utilitarian, sword making being the only exception. Hanami, ikebana, origami - all of them draw inspiration from Nature to create and/or celebrate Beauty. ]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #35: Fire & Water]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-35-fire-and-water</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-35-fire-and-water</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 11 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The innate magic of fire - the most aggressive and immediate of the Five Elements - that alternately overwhelms and hypnotizes people is what must be responsible for Omizutori's never abating popularity spanning well over a millennium.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #34: A Bashful Wonder]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-34-a-bashful-wonder</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-34-a-bashful-wonder</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 04 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[“Naramachi” literally translates as “Nara Town”, and it's a Japanese version of an Open-Air Museum, “Japanese” being equivalent to “original”.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #33: A Heartrending Wonder]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-33-a-heartrending-wonder</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-33-a-heartrending-wonder</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 28 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[It's that uncanny objectivity - in a situation that is screaming for anything but - that turns the Diary Exhibition into the most stunning and overwhelming experience of the whole Memorial Park.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #32: Hospitality, Part II - From Heart To Heart]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-32-hospitality-part-ii-from-heart-to-heart</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-32-hospitality-part-ii-from-heart-to-heart</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 21 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Time, combined with modern technology, has ultimately put physical distance to shame and rendered it almost insignificant. Psychological distance between different peoples is gradually being subjected to the same fate]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #31: Hospitality, Part I - An Instant Wonder]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-31-hospitality-part-i-an-instant-wonder</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-31-hospitality-part-i-an-instant-wonder</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 14 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[It's one thing to look at incomprehensible kanji and try to memorize their arbitrarily assigned sounds and meanings, it's quite another to be given a brush and an inkpot, and to be shown how to apply the brush to a piece of high-quality paper.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #30: A Mountain Of A God]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-30-a-mountain-of-a-god</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-30-a-mountain-of-a-god</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 07 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Half-a-soccer-pitch long (41 meters) and taller than many multistoried buildings (11 meters), the statue dominates the area, absolutely dwarfs everything and everybody in sight]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #29: Flexibility]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-29-flexibility</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-29-flexibility</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 30 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[To do it full justice, one has to be there because words don't even begin to describe the sensation. Pictures might try - and fail…]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #28: A Hanging Town]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-28-a-hanging-town</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-28-a-hanging-town</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 23 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The story of the town can best be told as a love story featuring a young woman who stumbled upon an old student dormitory and loved it so much that she purchased it and moved in from a big city. ]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #27: Animal Islands]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-27-animal-islands</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-27-animal-islands</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 16 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Immanuel Kant believed that “we can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals”]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #26: A Floating Gate]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-26-a-floating-gate</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-26-a-floating-gate</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 09 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A place like that must significantly enhance one's spiritual experience - in particular, considering the gate that actually flirts with water.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #25: A "Red Gates Riot"]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-25-a-red-gates-riot</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-25-a-red-gates-riot</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 02 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The shrine is among the most important and popular in Japan, and it owes its significance to its divine patron. Inari is a Shinto god of rice, a synonym of “wealth” and “prosperity” for Japan]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #24: The Father Figure]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-24-the-father-figure</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-24-the-father-figure</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 26 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[They mark an entrance to a shrine, and every Japanese knows that, once through them, there will be peace, quiet and beauty of all kinds ]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #23: Zo Of All Trades]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-23-zo-of-all-trades</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-23-zo-of-all-trades</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 19 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The symbol of Edo and the symbol of Tokyo are right next to each, and they coexist in perfect harmony - even though the former wasn't even created in Edo.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #22: Son of Heaven - Part 3, A Divine Tomb]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-22-son-of-heaven-part-3-a-divine-tomb</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-22-son-of-heaven-part-3-a-divine-tomb</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 12 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[However, the tomb associated with Nintoku, the legendary 16th Emperor, is by far the most famous of them - and that renown has everything to do with the tomb's size, as implied by its name.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #21: Son of Heaven - Part 2, Kyoto]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-21-son-of-heaven-part-2-kyoto</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-21-son-of-heaven-part-2-kyoto</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 05 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Whether for sentimental reasons or for some less obvious practical ones, the Emperor ordered the palace and adjacent gardens completely renovated, refurbished and “invigorated” - and that's where the modern story of Kyoto Imperial Palace began.  ]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #20: Son of Heaven - Part 1, Nara.]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-20-son-of-heaven-part-1-nara</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-20-son-of-heaven-part-1-nara</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 28 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Not exactly a single building, and not exactly in Nara - “Palace Town” looks like a much better name for what's officially known as “Nara Imperial Palace”]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #19: A Commonplace Wonder - Fukagawa Edo]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-19-a-commonplace-wonder-fukagawa-edo</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-19-a-commonplace-wonder-fukagawa-edo</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 21 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Arguably, one of the most stunning wonders ever experienced by humankind, isn't a place or an object but a concept known as the “butterfly effect” - namely, occurrences when small changes bring about far-reaching consequences.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #18: A Commonplace Wonder - Osaka]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-18-a-commonplace-wonder-osaka</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-18-a-commonplace-wonder-osaka</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 14 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[As for the show itself, it tells the story of the city of Osaka - from its babyhood when it wasn't even called “Osaka” yet but “Naniwa”;]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #17: Osaka Castle]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-17-osaka-castle</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-17-osaka-castle</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 07 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[In fact, it might be one of the friendliest and most welcoming places in the already friendliest and most welcoming country.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #16: Shogun, the Character]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-16-shogun-the-character</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-16-shogun-the-character</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 31 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[James Clavell's choice to gloss over the winner is remarkable because it results in "history being written not by but about the victor"]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #15: Shogun, the Book]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-15-shogun-the-book</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-15-shogun-the-book</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 24 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[While fiction is to be taken with a grain of salt wherever it mentions facts - such as names, dates and places - it's completely in a class of its own when it comes to capturing the spirit of the times described.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #14: Art and History]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-14-art-and-history</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-14-art-and-history</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 17 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Japanese history defies definition because the winner and the loser might end up being one and the same person!]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #13: Kenbu]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-13-kenbu</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-13-kenbu</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 20 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Swords were about to become the first and most obvious victim of that legislation. Whether intentionally or not, the new government attempted to throw the baby out with the bathwater]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #12: Swords]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-12-swords</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-12-swords</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 13 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Samurai's perception of the sword, eventually adopted by the whole nation, is best summed up in one short phrase: “the sword is a sacred treasure where a god dwells”!  ]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #11: Divine Buddies]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-11-divine-buddies</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-11-divine-buddies</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 06 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Japan wouldn't be Japan if it didn't choose to combine the best of both worlds]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #10: Selective Irreverence]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-10-selective-irreverence</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-10-selective-irreverence</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 29 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[ The point of the project was to create a large number of sculptures depicting Buddha's followers - a time-consuming but hardly challenging task for a fine artist.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #9: Dolls]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-9-dolls</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-9-dolls</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 22 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[As a matter of fact, an intricate and completely self-sufficient doll culture has been thriving in Japan for at least 300 years ]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #8: The Tale of Genji. Part II - A Thousand Years Later]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-8-the-tale-of-genji-part-ii-a-thousand-years-later</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-8-the-tale-of-genji-part-ii-a-thousand-years-later</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 15 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The time-machine presents costumes of the epoch in great detail but it's immediately obvious that the exhibition is about so much more than just costumes.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #8: The Tale of Genji. Part I - Civilizational Books]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-8-the-tale-of-genji-part-i-civilizational-books</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-8-the-tale-of-genji-part-i-civilizational-books</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 08 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The problems, associated with the prescriptive nature of the major religious books, help to shift attention to a different kind of literature known as “literary monuments” ]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #7: Food]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-7-food</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-7-food</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 01 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[One might say that Japanese people don't bite their food, they nibble it!]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #6: JapaneseGarden]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-6-japanese-garden</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-6-japanese-garden</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 25 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[a vast majority of “Japanese gardens” are scattered all over the world outside of Japan, and all their ingredients - be it ponds, fish, flowers or simple plants - are completely domestic.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #5: Trees]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-5-trees</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-5-trees</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 18 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Japanese trees deserve much better than that, and this whole article could be worth several thousand words - as translated into a few pictures.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #4: Hanami ]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-4-hanami</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-4-hanami</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 11 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[It's to Japan that millions of tourists from all over the globe flock every spring to seek and admire the pink of cherries and the white of plums and apples]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #3: Language]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/post</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/post</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 04 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Japanese language is so different that even the strongest adjectives (like “unique”) don't even begin to do justice to it.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #2; Trains]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-2-trains</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-2-trains</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 27 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[As for Japan, trains never ceased to be a wonder - in many more than just a technological sense.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Key #1: Sidewalks]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-1-sidewalks</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/key-1-sidewalks</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[In other words, pedestrians - seemingly the most vulnerable member of the triad - are literally never left alone!]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Prologue: An Exercise In Creativity]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-prologue-an-exercise-in-creativity</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-prologue-an-exercise-in-creativity</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 13 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Miniaturists, designers, botanists, train drivers - all of them would find something inspiring to come up with a completely original nickname (in particular, train drivers!)]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[The World's Only...]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-world-s-only</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-world-s-only</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 10 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[To obtain the coveted membership, Iceland had to dig deep and think out of the box - which, in this case, happened to be exactly inside one box or another!]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Home of Music]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-home-of-music</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-home-of-music</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 03 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[That must be Iceland's homiest and most unpretentious wonder - so much so that it's successfully hiding in plain sight in the middle of Reykjavik.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Here Is The Thing]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/here-is-the-thing</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/here-is-the-thing</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 27 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Nowadays, all those “things”, as well as any other Parliament in the world, are to be found in centrally located buildings, plain or majestic, in their respective countries' capitals. It wasn't the case in 930 AD]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Viking Recipe]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-viking-recipe</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-viking-recipe</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 20 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[To understand, how crucial prestige was to one’s prosperity and even survival, it is necessary to consider the structure of Icelandic’s early society.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Out Of The Cold]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/out-of-the-cold</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/out-of-the-cold</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 13 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[As it turned out, the cowshed was used by the family members for bathing purposes because it happened to be by far the warmest area in the whole house!]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Troubled Genius]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-troubled-genius</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-troubled-genius</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 06 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Unsurprisingly, whatever city was named by one side, was immediately rejected by the other - and it started to look like the match would take place on the Moon, or not at all. That was when Iceland, in shape and form of its capital, came forward ]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Seasonal Magic]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/seasonal-magic</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/seasonal-magic</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 30 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[In this case, the reaction in question created a whole new phenomenon - a “holiday season” full of iMAGICnation.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Friendly Recluse]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-friendly-recluse</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-friendly-recluse</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 23 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Icelandic friendliness is in plain sight, and it must be the noun of this article title that is responsible for it, first and foremost.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Up In Smoke]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/up-in-smoke</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/up-in-smoke</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 16 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Such was the power of its explosion that it threw the two continents into a time machine and left them as endlessly remote from each other as they had been more than a millennium ago...]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Streaming Service]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-streaming-service</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-streaming-service</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 09 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[While the above examples and interesting and informative, there is nothing unusual about them - unlike about the countries whose names aren't just slightly misleading but the direct opposites of what the countries actually are! ]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Honouring the Past, Embracing the Future]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/honouring-the-past-embracing-the-future</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/honouring-the-past-embracing-the-future</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 02 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[As time went by, advancing modernity, combined with inherent variety, kept adding to Gibraltar's quaintness. ]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Pillars of Strength]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/pillars-of-strength</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/pillars-of-strength</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 25 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Heracles decided to commemorate his success - so, he broke the mountain that connected Africa and Europe, thus creating two huge pillars seen from far and wide. The Rock of Gibraltar is one of those pillars]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Hard Rock]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/hard-rock</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/hard-rock</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 18 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Ever since, “Tariq's Mountain” has been anything but regular - and never failing to challenge or surprise in most aspects of one's daily life.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Desert Mirage]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-desert-mirage</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-desert-mirage</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 11 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[There is a wonder that is the easiest to overlook - Dubai itself, or maybe I should call it “the spirit of Dubai”.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Fear As An Artform]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/fear-as-an-artform</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/fear-as-an-artform</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 04 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[What happened next was a societal equivalent of what is known in mathematics as “the Paradox of the Turtle” - every development (or piece of reasoning) is perfectly natural and logical but the outcome/conclusion is completely absurd.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[All-Inclusive]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/all-inclusive</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/all-inclusive</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 28 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Bled's (and, arguably, the whole country's) truly unique focal point - a real jewel in its crown - is a glacial lake of the same name. ]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Pun-Loving Capital]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-pun-loving-capital</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-pun-loving-capital</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 21 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The country's name - it's completely misleading when heard by an English speaker. The first letter does matter, and the actual root of the word is related to “Language” or “Word”]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA["I Don't Understand"]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/i-don-t-understand</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/i-don-t-understand</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 14 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The most overlooked wonder in our Universe is Life itself!]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Space-Time Continuum]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/space-time-continuum</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/space-time-continuum</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 07 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Such festivals celebrate cultural and culinary traditions brought by immigrants from their old country to the new one - and quite often, several generations participate in presenting those traditions.]]></description>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Best Frenemies ]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/best-frenemies</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/best-frenemies</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 30 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[ It's the risk that shapes the sport's inimitable ambience by creating a unique fraternity of high-divers - and it's the fraternity that is responsible for the rest of the traditions...]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Australia's DNA]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/australias-dna</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/australias-dna</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 23 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The country isn't passionate about a particular sport but rather about the concept of sports as such.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Buddying-Up]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/buddying-up</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/buddying-up</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 16 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Indeed, what can be simpler than sending a quick email: “I am coming to your city on such-and-such date. Would you mind showing me around?”. The only problem is, who should it be sent to? ]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[“…our home is girt by sea”  ]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/our-home-is-girt-by-sea</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/our-home-is-girt-by-sea</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 09 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Then, there is a cherry on the cake, and it's completely unique for each cruise. While hardly anything beats swimming amidst a coral reef, the ace up the Tall Ship's sleeve is, in a way, just as impressive. ]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA["...Nature's Gifts of Beauty Rich and Rare"]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/nature-s-gifts-of-beauty-rich-and-rare-1</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/nature-s-gifts-of-beauty-rich-and-rare-1</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 02 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[It's only natural that a song chosen to represent a nation, says a whole lot about that nation.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Making of a Nation, Part 2: Oil and Water]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-making-of-a-nation-part-2-oil-and-water-1</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-making-of-a-nation-part-2-oil-and-water-1</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 26 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The fact that such two opposites have somehow been reconciled to give a rise to a distinct nation (and a new type of society), is probably one of the most striking social wonders humankind ever produced.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[The Making of a Nation, Part 1: A Remarkable Convict]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-making-of-a-nation-part-1-a-remarkable-convict</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-making-of-a-nation-part-1-a-remarkable-convict</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 19 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[More than 200 years later this neighbourship resulted in a fascinating guided tour offered to the guests of the city. Strictly speaking, there are two separate tours, and the more traditional one covers the story of the immigrants. ]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[ Bridge-Builders]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/bridge-builders</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/bridge-builders</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 12 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[It also happened to be not the first time that immigration would shape an identity and/or determine priorities of a New World country… ]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Flying Aussie ]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-flying-aussie</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-flying-aussie</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 05 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The history of Sydney Opera House has every making of a fairytale]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[An Iconic Harbor ]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/an-iconic-harbor</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/an-iconic-harbor</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 29 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[ That unique geography could hardly fail to change the status of water for the whole country: from mere necessity of life to a cultural – and even spiritual – icon of that “island continent”.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Above and Below]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/above-and-below</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/above-and-below</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 22 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The main attraction in question is the Great Barrier Reef. Once there, the actual experience is beyond not only description but most pictures, too.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Waterworld]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-waterworld</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-waterworld</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 15 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[ Essentially, a perfect day in a country-club - but for the fact that the “country-club” in question is scattered all over Atherton Tablelands, "a highland region of northern Australia, near Cairns"]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[The Anatomy of Wonders]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-anatomy-of-wonders</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-anatomy-of-wonders</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 08 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A right intangible thrown into a usual mix, can spice it up enough to turn a common object or experience into a distinct wonder ]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[An Irish Medley]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/an-irish-medley</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/an-irish-medley</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 03 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Sights and sounds of the Emerald Island]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Irish Emigration Museum, Part II: Just EPIC!]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-irish-emigration-museum-part-ii-just-epic</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-irish-emigration-museum-part-ii-just-epic</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 27 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Millions of Irish emigrants have in fact never left Ireland...]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Irish Emigration Museum, Part 1: The Art Of Being Unique]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-irish-emigration-museum-part-1-the-art-of-being-unique</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-irish-emigration-museum-part-1-the-art-of-being-unique</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 20 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[If the Emigration Museum were pitched against the Titanic Experience in a creative battle of top-talents, the clash of their main weapons - the Passport and the Original Titanic Ticket - would result in a tie]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Man With Nineteen Names]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-man-with-nineteen-names</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-man-with-nineteen-names</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 13 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[It's safe to surmise that the doctor must have realized: satisfying as his role in the hospital was, working on a "famine ship" would allow him to achieve something no steady income and successful career could possibly provide.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Time Machine]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-time-machine</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-time-machine</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 06 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Whatever it is, the ultimate despair or joy, it's an experience not to forget for a very, very long time]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Renaissance Artist]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-renaissance-artist</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-renaissance-artist</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 29 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[What started as an attempt to learn more about the pub music culture, turned into a kind of a quest for the Holiest of all Grails, to wit: Talent and Beauty]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[In Search For Meaning]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/in-search-for-meaning</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/in-search-for-meaning</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 22 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Pubs have been around for what seems like forever (the oldest pub in Dublin opened - or should I say “was founded”?! - in the 10th century AD!)]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Rain In Spain]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/rain-in-spain</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/rain-in-spain</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 15 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[It's the “Spain” part/Spanish flavour that makes Galway truly unique - so much so that many would consider the town “more Spanish than Irish”.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA["Go West, Young Man"]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/go-west-young-man</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/go-west-young-man</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 08 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The farther down the Wild Atlantic Way and the closer to the Sun's “overnight hotel”, the more dominant Queen Nature becomes. ]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Dances With Sheep]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/dances-with-sheep</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/dances-with-sheep</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 01 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[As it infrequently happens, it was that appetizer that turned into the meal of the day.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[By George!]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/by-george</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/by-george</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 25 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Most of what had been built during those 116 years, came to be known as “Georgian houses” that in turn formed “Georgian Quarters”. In a relatively small town, such a quarter might easily account for a significant part of the town centre]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Art Of Squeezing]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-art-of-squeezing</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-art-of-squeezing</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 18 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Little Museum of Dublin, whose very name implies that it must have perfected the Fine Art of Squeezing necessary to exhibit a variety of objects in but little space]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Children Of The North Wind]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/children-of-the-north-wind</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/children-of-the-north-wind</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 11 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[In 795 a raiding party found itself at a point where two rivers met and created a tidal pool. The churning water looked black - so, the party leader called the place “black pool”, or “dubh lynn”]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Resisting The Wind Of Change]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/resisting-the-wind-of-change</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/resisting-the-wind-of-change</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 04 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The heart and soul of Tara is its numerous monuments, among them the famous throughout Ireland “Lia Fail” - the “Stone of Destiny” - that would “roar in joy when the rightful High King of Ireland put his feet on it”]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Irish Pyramids]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/irish-pyramids</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/irish-pyramids</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 25 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Accordingly, numerous burial rituals were created by pre-scientific cultures to provide the deceased with everything necessary for a smooth transition. One of such cultures found its way to what's known in Ireland as “the Ancient East”.]]></description>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Taming Time]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/taming-time</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/taming-time</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 18 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[As professors continued to teach, and students continued to learn and graduate, Time kept doing one and only positive thing it can do really well - namely, building reputation]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Talking Painting]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-talking-painting</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-talking-painting</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 11 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This version of the Bible known as the Book of Kells has over centuries become synonymous with Ireland itself.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Back To The Future]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/back-to-the-future</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/back-to-the-future</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[And yet, it's that elegant and quiet house in the heart of Dublin that, arguably, comes the closest to the visceral meaning of “wonder”]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Naming Of Cats]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/naming-of-cats</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/naming-of-cats</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 28 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A castle named after someone who never lived there or even visited would be an oddity - Ireland, of all places, can boast such a wonderful oddity.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Walk In The Park]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-walk-in-the-park</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-walk-in-the-park</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 21 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[To meet the challenge, the owners of Bunratty Castle decided to create another magnet by building a…park.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[An Enchanted Forest]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/an-enchanted-forest</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/an-enchanted-forest</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 14 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[One might wander around the Blarney grounds for quite a while until stumbling upon their westmost part marked on the map as “Rock Close”, and passing through its invisible borders. Then time stops…]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Gift Of Gab]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-gift-of-gab</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-gift-of-gab</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 07 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[She vented her frustration by exclaiming: "That's nothing but a load of Blarney - or so the legend goes - and a new English word was brought into the world, inspired by a man who just used a little help from a family friend.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Rhyme In Its Prime]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/rhyme-in-its-prime</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/rhyme-in-its-prime</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 31 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Practical jokers with sharp tongues, the Irish know how to appreciate a good pun, too. Dublin's most popular entertainment area is called Temple Bar - an obvious oxymoron, isn't it?]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Irish Homer]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-irish-homer</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-irish-homer</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 24 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The ultimate secret of “Ulysses”' appeal to so many people might be its multifaceted nature resulting in a chameleon ability to offer everyone exactly what that particular person seeks.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[James Of All Genres]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/james-of-all-genres</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/james-of-all-genres</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 17 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[“Dubliners” were about to set the stage for bigger literary forms, and an autobiographical novel “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” marked the next breakthrough in Joyce's literary exploration. ]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[God's Work]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/gods-work</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/gods-work</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 10 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[One such wonder did happen to the end-of-the-19th-century Ireland, and that wonder had a first name and a family name. It was called James Joyce. When Parnell died, the wonder was 9-years-old]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Fallen King]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-fallen-king</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-fallen-king</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 03 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Parnell was 11 months old at the time of O'Connell's death, but Parnell's actual contribution to the cause of Irish liberation from British rule was equally groundbreaking.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Irish Gandhi]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-irish-gandhi</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-irish-gandhi</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 19 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[However, when such a leader finally materialized, he happened to fit less than 50% of that description!]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Balancing Act]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-balancing-act</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-balancing-act</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 12 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Dublin City Free Tours are so structured as if they were purposefully created to reflect and represent that Irish skill of reconciling the incompatible.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[An Ill-Fated Wedding]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/an-ill-fated-wedding</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/an-ill-fated-wedding</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 05 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The tragedy remained in Irish history as “A Bloody Sunday”, and it happened to be one of the last acts of an intense, bitter and extremely violent drama]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Gaelic Soul]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-gaelic-soul</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-gaelic-soul</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 29 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The finest athletes on Earth whose talent fills to capacity the third largest stadium in Europe - and rivets millions to their screens - are amateurs!]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Facilitators]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/Facilitators</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/Facilitators</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 22 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[So, what is it about that little island, squeezed between the Atlantic and the Irish Sea, that fills both its admirers and its detractors with so much passion while sparking their imagination and inspiring their eloquence?]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Marine Einsteins]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/marine-einsteins</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/marine-einsteins</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 17 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[When necessity became less urgent, curiosity came to the fore - and ever since human beings have had an urge to see animals not just in houses, backyards and zoos but also in their natural habitat.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Wild East]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/wild-east</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/wild-east</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 10 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Likewise, an inconspicuous and not at all exciting object or structure can become a wonder if it finds itself in the right place at the right time - even a jail.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Phantom Castle]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-phantom-castle</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-phantom-castle</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 03 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[There are precious few physical structures that exist in a gray area between reality and imagination...]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[An Abode of Love]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/an-abode-of-love</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/an-abode-of-love</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 27 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[There are probably entire blocks and even some villages receiving less letters on any given day than that rather inconspicuous house. All those letters are addressed to “Juliet, in Verona”. ]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Under The Stars]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/under-the-stars</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/under-the-stars</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 20 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[When it comes to Italy, almost every town there was a capital!]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Wonder by Mistake]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-wonder-by-mistake</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-wonder-by-mistake</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 13 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[It's hard to imagine someone creating a Wonder despite their intentions rather than in accordance with them, and yet…]]></description>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[A Pope's Nephew]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-popes-nephew</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-popes-nephew</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 06 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Pope Paul V's nephew, Cardinal Scipione Borghese had a small problem...]]></description>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[A 28-Century-Old City]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-28-century-old-city</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-28-century-old-city</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 30 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[One would think that a 28-centuries-old city has a lot to offer, and it does...in a rather quirky way. ]]></description>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[La Scala]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/la-scala</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/la-scala</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 22 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Two wonders on the same square is already an overkill. Three? That would be beyond description...]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA["King's Palace"]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/kings-palace</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/kings-palace</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 16 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[As if the Gothic Wonder wasn't enough to turn the Cathedral Square in Milan into one of the most remarkable places on Earth, a galleria was built right next to the cathedral in the third quarter of the 19th century.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Milano Duomo]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/milano-duomo</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/milano-duomo</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 08 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Who else would possibly manage to illustrate the concept of "harmony" in its entirety, and with such precision?!]]></description>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Saluti da Venezia]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/saluti-da-venezia</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/saluti-da-venezia</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 02 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Many wonders are quite conspicuous, while some others are located away from beaten tracks, and they have to be looked for and sought after...]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Murano Glass Factory]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/murano-glass-factory</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/murano-glass-factory</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 24 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[If the Murano glass factory were allowed to share only one fact to establish its reputation, it would probably mention that mirrors it had produced since times immemorial used to cost more than Raphael's paintings of the same size! ]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Doge's Palace]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/doges-palace</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/doges-palace</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 17 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Venice is full of vitality and...paradoxes, and the most obvious paradox is that a near landless city has become renowned for its architecture (of all things!) ......]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Venice]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/venice</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/venice</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 10 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Venice had no choice of how much land should be allocated to which element, no say in the matter whatsoever. Created on - or out of - 118 small islands, it had to throw itself on the mercy of the god of the sea, Neptune...]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Amsterdam]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/amsterdam</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/amsterdam</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 04 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[​"Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet...", and so far Kipling's simple and powerful description almost applied to the natural and man-made wonders featured in this blog...]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Lady in Blue]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-lady-in-blue</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-lady-in-blue</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 26 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Pondering over the reasons of some museums being more popular than others is a pleasant distraction provided by, essentially, idle curiosity. After all, there is a variety of plausible answers none of which can be proven or disproven convincingly...]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Courtauld]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-courtauld</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/the-courtauld</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 20 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Knowledgeable guides specializing in walking tours are invaluable when it comes to uncovering local hidden treasures - and yet, even they would usually overlook what might be called a given city's "worst kept secrets".]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Walking Tours]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/walking-tours</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/walking-tours</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 13 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The quote is from a brochure published by and agency called "Walking Around London". The agency promotes those and other guides without employing them, because all the guides are freelancers coming from all walks of life...]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Sherlock Holmes]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/sherlock-holmes</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/sherlock-holmes</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 07 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[While the Rock Circus looks completely in place in London, and Marie Tussaud's first permanent exhibition took next to no time to become that city's "number one attraction", both museums can be easily imagined elsewhere...]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Marie Tussaud]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/marie-tussaud</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/marie-tussaud</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 30 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Impressive and famous as it is. London's Rock Circus is, in a way, a byproduct of another renowned institution created by a French immigrant who had barely escaped with her life during the so-called "French Revolution"...]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Rock Circus]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/rock-circus</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/rock-circus</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Planetariums were not meant for entertainment but rather created for scientific and - later - educational purposes...]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Planetarium]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/planetarium</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/planetarium</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 16 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[It's easy to praise and enjoy the Planetarium's cutting-edge IMAX movie theatre, but the actual exhibition is not less fascinating - even though its subject, astronomy, is not exactly intuitive.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[World Clock]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/world-clock</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/world-clock</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 09 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[There is a clock in a room located in a tower at Copenhagen City Hall. The room is big enough to host a full-fledged museum of a modest size, yet the clock in question is the only object there.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Silver Nose]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/silver-nose</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/silver-nose</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 02 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Most exhibits of the Copenhagen Odditorium are...well, oddities - that is, objects of little to no practical significance. There is, however, at least one notable exception - a nose.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Odditoriums]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/odditoriums</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/odditoriums</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 26 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[While groundbreaking technical innovations and simply great ideas often succumb to Time, there is one particular category of things that manages to slip under Time's radar.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Hop On Hop Off]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/hop-on-hop-off</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/hop-on-hop-off</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 19 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Wonderful ideas are as mortal as wonderful objects - and a revolutionary concept that has almost singlehandedly defined what tourism in the 21st century looks like, has proven to be no exception.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Seeing with Fresh Eyes]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/seeing-with-fresh-eyes</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/seeing-with-fresh-eyes</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 05 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Who would stop today even for a moment before making a phone call, turning on a TV, placing milk in the fridge or boarding a plane to travel half across the globe in several hours? ]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Monarchs]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/monarchs</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/monarchs</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[When it comes to the "monarch - subjects relationships", there has historically been a lot of variety, depending on the part of the world.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Changing of the Guard]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/changing-of-the-guard</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/changing-of-the-guard</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 28 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A ceremony known as "the changing of the guards" takes place on any given day at noon sharp...]]></description>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Christiania]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/christiania</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/christiania</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 21 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Many rulers had nicknames. Some were known as "Greats", others as "Conquerors" - and the "greatness" of the former almost inevitably implied the achievement associated with the latter.]]></description>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Christian X]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/christian-x</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/christian-x</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 14 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Not every nominal leader (as in "Head of State", "Chief of Staff" and such) is a Leader. Christian X of Denmark, who reigned for 20 years in the first half of the 20th century, was.]]></description>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Merchants’ Harbor]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/merchants-harbor</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/merchants-harbor</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 07 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The statuary features a strong, muscular woman vigorously lashing four lathery oxen – and the whole group exudes power, energy and purpose.]]></description>
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            </media:content>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Happy New Year!]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/happy-new-year</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/happy-new-year</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 31 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[May 2022 turn out to be a WONDERful year full of beauty, joy and happiness!]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Merry Christmas]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/merry-christmas</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/merry-christmas</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 25 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Wikipedia readily tells us that a statue of Her was created in 1913 by Edvard Eriksen – and Ellen Price, the ballet-dancer, who was posing for the statue, lived a long a productive life...]]></description>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[A "Wonder of Convention"]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-wonder-of-convention</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-wonder-of-convention</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 17 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[It was on a rather nice and not even especially cold evening that I found myself strolling along St. Catherine...]]></description>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Seasonal Wonders]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/seasonal-wonders</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/seasonal-wonders</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 10 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The wonders I've mentioned so far are permanent - when created, be it by Nature or Man, they are there to stay...]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Helmet Tree]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/helmet-tree</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/helmet-tree</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 03 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Right in the middle of the street there is a swimming pool featuring a “helmet tree”...]]></description>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[St. Joseph's Oratory]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/st-josephs-oratory</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/st-josephs-oratory</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 26 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A magnificent artistic creation floating high above the street level and sprawling over a perfectly laid out English garden, full of blooming flowers scattered along broad paths that led to a unique set of stairs...]]></description>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Fridtjof Nansen]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/fridtjof-nansen</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/fridtjof-nansen</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 19 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The Holmenkollen Ski Museum presents a frozen history of a remarkable transformation turning two waxed pieces of wood into a social phenomenon...]]></description>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Holmenkollen]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/holmenkollen</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/holmenkollen</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 12 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The line between the concepts of "home" and "museum" is rather fine (even the very word "museum" is Greek for "seat/home of the Muses")...]]></description>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Casa Loma]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/casa-loma</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/casa-loma</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 29 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Even though "men and women in period dress" provide a personal touch, Open Air Museums (and museums, in general) are a cultural phenomenon that deals first and foremost with society as such rather than with particular individuals...]]></description>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Sainte Marie Among The Hurons]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/sainte-marie-among-the-hurons</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/sainte-marie-among-the-hurons</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 22 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Norway is far from being the only country that embraced the "Open Air Museum" concept...]]></description>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Gamle Bergen]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/gamle-bergen</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/gamle-bergen</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 15 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Each and every building in "Gamle Bergen" (Old Bergen) had been inhabited for centuries, and their past owners would be very surprised and flattered to find out that their property became a museum exhibit...]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Norwegian Museum of Cultural History]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/norwegian-museum-of-cultural-history</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/norwegian-museum-of-cultural-history</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 08 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[While Vigeland Open Air Museum is a small part of a big park blended into a residential district, the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History IS essentially such a district.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Vigeland Park]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/vigeland-park</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/vigeland-park</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 01 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[In Vigeland Park the Open Air museum comes in shape of just one very long sculpture-lined alley...]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Freiburg]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/freiburg-germany</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/freiburg-germany</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 25 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Turning parks into homes?]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Royal Fleet]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/royal-fleet</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/royal-fleet</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 18 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[While it was Nature that shaped Norwegian landscape for everyone to enjoy and admire, Norwegians were left to decide, HOW to transport their guests into the country.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Yule Lads]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/yule-lads</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/yule-lads</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 11 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Folklore is a powerful creativity booster, and Iceland made sure not to waste its potential...]]></description>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[CN Tower]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/cn-tower</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/cn-tower</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 04 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Rendering things a new meaning can sometimes prove to be a double-edged sword because some of those meanings are imaginary...]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Children's Museum]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/childrens-museum</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/childrens-museum</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 28 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[While Man is but a student trying to emulate Nature, the ultimate Master, there is something only Man can create - namely, concepts...]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Kiwi House]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/kiwi-house</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/kiwi-house</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 21 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The kiwi-house in the zoo is a seemingly impossible compromise...]]></description>
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        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Wellington Botanical Gardens]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/wellington-botanical-gardens</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/wellington-botanical-gardens</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 14 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[While the creator of the Giant's House has throughout her career successfully emulated Nature...]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Giant's House]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/giants-house</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/giants-house</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 10 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Nature is the ultimate Artist that is perfect by definition. Man can but strive for perfection - yet, since time immemorial there have been remarkable individuals trying to emulate Nature...]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Rangitoto Island]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/rangitoto-island</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/rangitoto-island</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 03 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[While many places on Earth are famous for their natural wonders, Rangitoto Island near Auckland is mostly renowned for what it doesn't have!]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Pohutu Geyser]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/pohutu-geyser</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/pohutu-geyser</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 26 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Like a true Artist, Nature has forever experimented with shapes, forms, directions and even temperatures.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Niagara Falls]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/niagara-falls</link>
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            <pubDate>Sat, 19 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Niagara Falls is a wonder everybody has heard of, while millions have seen colourful postcards devoted to it, or even visited the famous site itself.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Surgery of the Soul]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/surgery-of-the-soul</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/surgery-of-the-soul</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 12 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Stalactite caves are impressive but, at least, they can be found in quite a few countries. In comparison, glowworm caves are not only completely unique but they are also endemic...]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Den of Dogs]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-den-of-dogs</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-den-of-dogs</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 05 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The Lord of the Rings had, in a way, reimagined New Zealand, but by the time the movie was produced, the country had already been around for quite a while.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[One Man Who Ruled Them All]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/one-man-who-ruled-them-all</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/one-man-who-ruled-them-all</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 29 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[About everybody can enjoy and admire eccentric actors utterly devoted to their profession but to work with them and actually succeed is an altogether different kettle of fish. ]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Typical Portly Hobbit]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-typical-portly-hobbit</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/a-typical-portly-hobbit</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 21 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Exceptional as it was, Viggo Mortensen's devotion to his character was anything but an exception - and both "elves" and "hobbits" were every bit as devoted as "men".]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[King of Gondor]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/king-of-gondor</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/king-of-gondor</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 15 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[On a Sunday morning residents of a quiet neighbourhood in the middle of Wellington were woken up by blood-curdling battle cries.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Pohutukawa]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/pohutukawa</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/pohutukawa</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 08 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[I have seen many trees and was impressed by quite a few of them – yet never as much as by that Kiwi tree with an allegedly typical Maori name “pohutukawa”.]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Welcome to my Blog]]></title>
            <link>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/welcome-to-my-blog</link>
            <guid>https://www.7000wonders.ca/blog/welcome-to-my-blog</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 01 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Did you think there were only Seven Wonders in the world? Years of traveling have convinced me that there are at least a thousand times more...]]></description>
            <author>7000wonders@gmail.com (Edward Porper)</author>
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