Destination: England
The Sounds of London
by Michael Yessis | 07.13.09 | 9:40 AM ET
Giles Turnbull carried his audio recorder to 10 spots around London to capture its audio portrait. The Morning News features 10 snippets, including the sound of Waterloo Station and outside Royal Festival Hall.
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Yahoo! BuzzHybrid Double-Decker Buses Debut in London
by Michael Yessis | 07.09.09 | 2:30 PM ET
Six of them are now in use on Route 141. The city will assess just how much fuel and money it can save with the buses before expanding the fleet. (Via @joannakakissis, @ecogeek)
AIDS Levy for Air Travelers?
by Eva Holland | 07.06.09 | 11:07 AM ET
There’s a proposal in the works to add a special tax, marked for efforts to fight AIDS in developing countries, to all flight purchases in the U.S., the U.K. and Germany. A similar tax has been in place in France for three years and has raised nearly $1 billion. The Financial Times has the details on what the plan might look like.
Javelin High-Speed Train Makes its Debut in London
by Alicia Imbody | 07.01.09 | 3:09 PM ET
Commuters and Olympics fans all over London are enjoying the U.K.’s first high-speed train, the Javelin, which began service Monday morning. It got off to an early start, arriving one minute early on its first run.
The train provides service between London and Kent, stopping at, among other places, the site of new Olympic stadium (still under construction for the 2012 Olympic Games) in Stratford.
Land’s End: Biking the Cornish Way
by Ben Keene | 06.30.09 | 9:50 AM ET
Photo by Ben Keene Eight interlinked routes span the Cornwall, England countryside. Ben Keene documents the classic biking journey.
See the full photo slideshow »
Michael Jackson: A Global Force in Life and Death
by World Hum | 06.26.09 | 11:07 AM ET
REUTERS/Patrick De Noirmont See the full photo slideshow »
In Defense of British Food
by Eva Holland | 06.24.09 | 12:47 PM ET
Over at The Titanic Awards, Britain has easily carried the win in a poll on the world’s worst national cuisines, with 25 percent of the vote. I’m not surprised—“British food is bad” is a truism that even many Brits buy into—but I do want to take a moment for some spirited dissent.
British Expats in Spain: ‘Eldorado is Turning to Dust’
by Michael Yessis | 06.24.09 | 11:25 AM ET
The BBC reports that British expats are fleeing Spain, “driven by the double-whammy of a strong euro and a weak local economy.” Says one expat: “This place is losing its heart, it really is sad.” (Via @evanrail)
The Great Guidebook Retail Showdown
by Eva Holland | 06.18.09 | 11:48 AM ET
Who knew the world of guidebooks-in-bookstores could be so fraught with conflict?
Last week came the news that WH Smith—a large British bookstore chain found in most of the country’s airports and major train stations—had reached an exclusive deal to sell only Penguin-published guidebooks (namely DK Eyewitness and Rough Guides) from its shops. According to the Guardian, the chain reasoned that travelers “are often pressed for time and want to have a straightforward range of travel guides to choose from.” Michael Palin and Margaret Drabble are among the big names opposing the move. Arthur Frommer also has a predictably furious response, calling the deal “an unthinkable act of literary censorship and corporate greed.”
Battle Over the Elgin Marbles Rages On
by Eva Holland | 06.16.09 | 1:08 PM ET
We blogged about one writer’s sneak peek at the New Acropolis Museum last summer, and now opening day has finally arrived—predictably, not without controversy.
The museum was designed both to pressure Britain for the return of the Elgin Marbles, and to provide a worthy home for them after their (eventual, theoretical) return. With that context in mind, it’s no surprise that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the director of the British Museum—where the marbles are currently held—have all declined invitations to the grand opening on Saturday.
Samurais and Maharajas: It’s an Asian Art Summer
by Julia Ross | 06.08.09 | 3:34 PM ET
I’m fortunate to live in a city that’s home to one of the best Asian art museums in the world—the Smithsonian’s Freer-Sackler Gallery—but I’m not averse to traveling to see a really great museum or exhibit elsewhere. In fact, on a trip to Dublin last fall, I spent an entire afternoon immersed in the wonderful Chester Beatty Library, gazing at Persian paintings and Islamic manuscripts. I know, I know—I was supposed to be out drinking Guinness, but I couldn’t help myself.
Manchester, England
by World Hum | 05.18.09 | 11:33 AM ET
REUTERS/Phil Noble At the Manchester City Games, three-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt leads the way to the finish in the 150 metres sprint
Blenheim Palace, England
by World Hum | 05.04.09 | 11:14 AM ET
REUTERS/Eddie Keogh An actor dressed as a knight takes part in an re-enactment of a jousting tournament at Blenheim Palace. The event is to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the ascendance of King Henry VIII to the throne.
Low-Cost Carriers: Not Always a Bargain
by Eva Holland | 04.24.09 | 11:52 AM ET
Photo by irishflyguy via Flickr (Creative Commons) Fodor’s posted a helpful reminder for thrifty travelers this week: Be wary of European budget airlines. Of course, those low-cost carriers have generally been a huge help in reducing the expense of European travel, but, as writer Doug Stallings points out, they aren’t always as cheap as they seem.
His first two points are, for me, the most important: low-cost flights tend to leave from secondary airports, and at odd times of day.
Where Will Dan Brown Go Next?
by Eva Holland | 04.22.09 | 12:11 PM ET
Publicity still from "Angels and Demons" (via IGN) Looks like the bestselling author has been keeping busy. While we’ve been pondering the “Angels and Demons” boycotts and bus tours, Brown has been hard at work on his next novel—and now, his publisher has finally announced its impending release.
“The Lost Symbol” will hit stores in September with a staggering first print run of 5 million copies, the largest in Random House history. Naturally, Columbia Pictures—the studio behind the first two Brown adaptations—wasted no time snapping up the film rights.
But with all the excitement, I’m left wondering: what, exactly, are we waiting for? Where will Robert Langdon (and the resulting hordes of movie tourists) go next?