Destination: Europe
Has Paris Become a ‘Backwater’?
by Michael Yessis | 07.28.08 | 11:40 AM ET
This New Zealand Herald story asserts that, when it comes to arts and culture, Paris has become “second string” to Berlin, New York and London. Catherine Field writes, “[T]he worshippers these days are consumers, not creators. They are mainly foreign tourists who come to see the eternal Mona Lisa, post-modern American artists, the French Impressionists and Moliere. The city chemistry that produced rawness, dynamism, change and challenge seems absent.” This comes on the heels of Donald Morrison’s Time magazine piece, The Death of French Culture.
Related on World Hum:
* David Sedaris on Flea Markets and Foods Courts in Paris
Photo by izarbeltza via Flickr, (Creative Commons)
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Yahoo! BuzzDavid Sedaris on Flea Markets and Foods Courts in Paris
by Eva Holland | 07.28.08 | 11:33 AM ET
David Sedaris’s latest collection is storming the bestseller charts, and the Globe and Mail tracked him down for a chat about his adopted hometown, Paris. In the interview, Sedaris talks about his love for Parisian food courts, flea markets and movie theaters, and why he never gets tired of the city: “Paris is so beautiful that, even after 10 years, I stop sometimes and I am just overwhelmed.”
A Polymath in Iceland and Greenland
by Michael Yessis | 07.28.08 | 11:12 AM ET
The Freakonomics guys recently carved out some space in their blog for the freakishly accomplished Nathan Myhrvold, who turned in three interesting posts—and a bunch of terrific images—from his travels to Iceland and Greenland.
Related on World Hum:
* A Very Long Way to the Hong Kong Cafe
‘We Have Reached a Gilded, Rococo Age of Service Journalism’
by Jim Benning | 07.25.08 | 12:30 PM ET
Jason Wilson has a fine essay about the trouble with travel and “lifestyle” journalism in The Smart Set.
History Buff Aims to Bring Chariot Racing Back to Rome
by Elyse Franko | 07.21.08 | 5:41 PM ET
Chariot races can be seen in Germany, France and Bulgaria—but not in Rome. Isn’t that where the whole tradition started? Italian film industry worker and history enthusiast Franco Calo is hoping to bring the races back to the Italian capital. As Der Spiegel reports, Calo says the attempts of non-Italians to stage chariot races are “horrifying,” featuring “chariots being pulled by ponies and fake Roman soldiers, all blond and wearing disordered plumes.” What a travesty.
Video: How To Speak American
by Michael Yessis | 07.21.08 | 5:37 PM ET
BBC correspondent Stephen Robb gives it a noble effort, which leaves him looking “something like Jack Nicholson’s The Joker with a lobotomised, vacant look in the eyes.”
In Paris, Everyone Wants a Burger
by Joanna Kakissis | 07.18.08 | 11:56 AM ET
The French are mad about juicy beef patties on sesame-seed buns, and restaurants all over the City of Light are offering Gallic translations of the ultimate all-American meal, writes Jane Sigal in the International Herald Tribune.
U2’s Bono, Edge Get OK to Reinvent Dublin’s Clarence Hotel
by Jim Benning | 07.18.08 | 11:44 AM ET
Photo by Phil Romans via Flickr, (Creative Commons).
The rock stars’ plan to demolish the riverside Clarence Hotel in Dublin’s Temple Bar district and rebuild it according to architect Norman Foster’s futuristic design was hardly assured to win approval. One conservationist called the design a “cannibalistic behemoth,” and an official inspector said the new building, which will include a “flying saucer-style roof,” would be “seriously injurious to the visual amenities of the area, would conflict with the policies of the current Dublin City Development Plan, and would, thereby, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.”
Rome Bans Snacking Near Historical Attractions
by Michael Yessis | 07.18.08 | 11:19 AM ET
Or, as the AP’s Alessandra Rizzo puts it in her groan-inducing lede, “Don’t chow, bella!” Officials hope the ordinance will curb behavior that may “irreparably damage the preservation of historical and art areas and monuments and the possibility to enjoy them.”
Related on World Hum:
* Venice Bans Feeding Pigeons in St. Mark’s Square
* Americans Gone Wild in Italy—Again
Paris Bistros on a Budget
by Jim Benning | 07.17.08 | 3:16 PM ET
And by those “on a budget,” I’m guessing we’re talking about, among others, any poor sap with U.S. dollars. The Guardian has a list of 10.
Related on World Hum:
* Three Travel Tips: Ways to Save Money in Europe
Windmills on the Rise in the Netherlands
by Jim Benning | 07.17.08 | 1:50 PM ET
Interestingly, among the many reasons cited for the phenomenon in this International Herald Tribune story: globalization. “As immigration changes the face of Dutch cities and globalization spreads its veil of uniformity over life in the Netherlands, many among the Dutch are looking for their roots.” And according to some, those roots also happen to produce better tasting flour than newer grinding methods. No word on whether tilting at windmills is also on the rise.
Related on World Hum:
* Sex, Drugs and Changing Times in Amsterdam
Photo by Porcelaingirl via Flickr, (Creative Commons).
Bored on Zakynthos? You Might Skip the Sex Competition.
by Joanna Kakissis | 07.16.08 | 2:40 PM ET
Last week we heard about the British couple arrested for having sex on a Dubai beach. Now, nine British women vacationing on the Greek island of Zakynthos are facing prostitution charges after being paid to participate in an oral sex contest that was recorded on video and set to be posted on the internet. Gives new meaning to Greece’s latest tourism motto, “Explore Your Senses.”
Video: Europe’s Unlikely Hit, Heiligenkreuz Abbey’s Monks
by Joanna Kakissis | 07.14.08 | 1:54 PM ET
It’s not the first time Gregorian chants have rocked the modern music charts, but thanks to YouTube, the Cistercian monks from the Austrian woods are getting lots of attention on the European music charts and have landed a record deal with Universal Music. Oh, and dairy farmers play the monks’ chants to serenade their prize-winning cheese (the good vibes, it is believed, aid the maturation process). I plan to serenade my mizithra with “Music for Paradise.” Here’s a video:
Happy Bastille Day (or Not)
by Jim Benning | 07.14.08 | 11:16 AM ET
Which is to say, if you’re French, you may not be too excited about the whole thing. Writes Susan Nagel in the Los Angeles Times: “Although Americans often think that July 14 is as important in France as July 4 is in the United States, the reality is that the holiday is of less and less significance as the years pass. Today, many French citizens, whether their ancestors went to the guillotine or not, do not take part in the celebrations, and for a variety of reasons.” Among them: an aversion to the holiday’s militaristic bent, as well as to displays of patriotism. Fair enough. But Syrian President Bashar Assad has no qualms about partying in Paris.
Photo by Luigi Versaggi via Flickr, (Creative Commons).
Europeans Wave Goodbye to the Illusion of 99-Cent Flights
by Elyse Franko | 07.11.08 | 9:11 AM ET