Jim Shubin

The Work Boats of Venice

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Gondolas delight both visitors and residents of Venice, but another icon of the waterways—the workboat—often goes unnoticed. The delivery boat, the police boat, and even the ambulance boat—all are crucial modes of transportation in a city without automobiles. Here we offer a look at unappreciated workboats, making a living on the canals in one of […]

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Snakes & Lizards—A Striking Exhibition at the California Academy of Sciences

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Sixty fascinating reptiles take over the California Academy of Sciences this summer as part of its new exhibit, Snakes & Lizards: The Summer of Slither. Here are some of their friendly faces.

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Which Way Is North?

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By Laurie McAndish King. The Polynesians navigated by squatting low between the two hulls of their ocean-faring canoes, testicles dangling into the water. The combination of ultra-sensitive skin, keen attention to the subtleties of ocean swells, and nautical lore handed down from father to son enabled these ancient tribes to explore the uncharted waters of

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The Truth About Eco-Travel

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By Laurie McAndish King. Jim was hesitant right from the start. “Cape Tribulation? Wilderness Area? No way!” Our travel agent had provided a bright, glossy brochure of the Bunyip Lodge, and I cajoled my husband into going along to this eco-resort in northern Australia. “Eco-tourism” sounded so romantic …

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The Alhambra

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No wonder Granada has been a magnet for artists for many years: Lush gardens, intricate pattern, birdsong, fragrance, breeze, running water from ever-present aqueducts and fountains, gentle ripples on reflecting pools … all combine to create an expansive, placid atmosphere. Even the exit signs are elegantly carved into white marble.

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Granada Recipe

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Granada’s oldest city walls date from Iberian times; the most recent are from the early 1300s! The city’s narrow streets reflect its history. Some are so tight that “if two donkeys meet, they cannot get through.” People started to get cars in Spain in the 50s, and many now drive small Smart Cars in order to navigate the narrow streets. There were also plenty of “streets that go nowhere.”

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