Destination: Europe
Would-Be ‘Hijacker’ Subdued on Turkish Flight
by Valerie Conners | 10.15.08 | 11:57 AM ET
A drunk passenger aboard a Turkish Airlines plane bound for Russia was subdued by passengers after passing a note to the pilot claiming he had a bomb. No weapons or bomb were found on the man, Reuters reports, and the plane landed safely in St. Petersburg where the passenger was taken into custody.
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Yahoo! BuzzGordon Ramsay, Hotelier
by Eva Holland | 10.14.08 | 11:43 AM ET
The notoriously foul-mouthed celebrity chef unveiled his first hotel last week in London. We can only hope that expletive-laden reality spin-off shows will follow soon.
Nuclear Bunker Converted Into ‘World’s First Zero-Star Hotel’
by Valerie Conners | 10.13.08 | 2:09 PM ET
Photo by Fortyseven via Flickr (Creative Commons).
I’m not really sure staying in either a nuclear bunker or a zero-star hotel sounds like a super tempting vacation plan, but folks in Sevelen, Switzerland have embraced the concept, turning an underground bunker into a hotel complete with “artistic decoration and real hotel duvets.”
The Linkery: ‘The Nation’s Only Anti-Tipping Laboratory’
by Michael Yessis | 10.13.08 | 10:17 AM ET
A San Diego restaurant embraces a no-tipping policy, provoking an examination of why we tip, what tipping means to workers and diners, and why European and American restaurants don’t see eye-to-eye on the issue.
Related on World Hum:
* Experts to Americans: Easy On the Tipping!
The Artisanal Food Movement Finds Ireland
by Joanna Kakissis | 10.10.08 | 10:59 AM ET
Irish cuisine has a long, long way to go before the country’s chefs start petitioning UNESCO to declare the meat, potato and butter-based dishes a national treasure. But when Gourmet’s Colman Andrews visited the southeastern county of Waterford, he discovered an astonishing array of homemade delicacies at the local farmer’s market.
2008 Nobel Prize in Literature Goes to ‘Avid Traveller’
by Jim Benning | 10.09.08 | 10:56 AM ET
French author Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio will soon be swimming in Swedish Krona. He won the 2008 Nobel Prize in literature today, lauded for being an “author of new departures, poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy, explorer of a humanity beyond and below the reigning civilisation.” The Telegraph describes him as an “avid traveller” who loves the work of two other great travelers, Robert Louis Stevenson and Joseph Conrad. His overseas experiences altered the way he saw the world. Notes the paper:
How to Love Herring in Sweden
by Lola Akinmade | 10.09.08 | 10:50 AM ET
Something’s Rotten in the Kingdom of Wallachia
by Valerie Conners | 10.08.08 | 11:22 AM ET
Fictitious Wallachia Kingdom, a popular tourist venture in the Czech Republic’s Wallachia region, is having a bit of a political coup crisis. Turns out the “king”—who happens to be a trained clown—is suing the “foreign minister” for rights to rule the land. The case has made its way into the actual Czech court system. Yes, this is a supremely weird story. But what do I think is the strangest part?
The Paris Greeters: Helping Dispell Notions of ‘Inhospitable Locals’
by Valerie Conners | 10.06.08 | 3:40 PM ET
Ignorant stereotypes, be damned! The Paris Greeters—a group of Parisians intent on showing foreigners that the French are, in fact, friendly—have been spreading warm fuzzies for tourists by providing free tours of the City of Light in nine languages, English included.
Bee Colonies Thrive in Paris. Really, That’s a Good Thing.
by Valerie Conners | 10.03.08 | 12:33 PM ET
A French program to promote beekeeping in cities has yielded at least 300 bee colonies in Paris, some in the unlikeliest of places—like the roofs of hotels and the Paris Opera House.
Venice Declares Victory in War on Pigeons
by Eva Holland | 10.03.08 | 11:30 AM ET
Good news from the Telegraph: since Venice’s pigeon-feeding ban came into effect this past spring, the pesky pigeon population in St. Mark’s Square has dropped from 20,000 to just 1000. City councilors are also reporting progress in the campaign against un-decorous tourists.
Photo by Il conte di Luna via Flickr (Creative Commons)
Scottish Hotel Puts Robert Burns’ Portrait on its Toilets
by Michael Yessis | 10.02.08 | 5:57 PM ET
His poem The Selkirk Grace also earned an honored spot on the lids. One of the owners of the hotel, the Selkirk Arms in Kirkcudbright, says he did it in tribute to Rabbie—the poet stayed in the hotel—and to “make customers smile.” Another point, but not one mentioned by the owners: It’s fine bathroom reading material.
Stretching Your Dollar (and Your Imagination) in Eastern Europe
by Joanna Kakissis | 10.02.08 | 5:13 PM ET
The Wall Street Journal offers the latest take on blooming tourism in once-forgotten cities such as Krakow, Ljubljana and Cesky Krumlov (pictured), which took years to attract as many visitors (and buzz) as Prague and Budapest. The upside: Discovering a beautiful new place without going bankrupt. The downside: Sometimes shaky infrastructure, young and crazy Britons on cheap beer-soaked weekends, and over-programmed package tours that make even the most mystic place “feel like a medieval Disneyland.”
Related on World Hum:
* Michael Palin: The New ‘New Europe’
Photo by Samuel Rufo via Flickr (Creative Commons).
When Air Traffic Controllers Oversleep
by Joanna Kakissis | 10.02.08 | 10:45 AM ET
Two planes had to circle the Greek island of Lesvos for more than 30 minutes earlier this week because no one was at the airport control tower. The controller supposed to be on duty reportedly overslept, according to Reuters. The report prompted one Reuters reader to crack that “given how controllers are overworked these days, though, that might be the only time in the past year she’s had eight hours of sleep.” Scared? I am.
Photo by jefield via Flickr (Creative Commons).
‘Only One Man Can Save Venice: Mickey Mouse’
by Michael Yessis | 10.01.08 | 5:23 PM ET
John Kay proposed turning Venice, Italy into a Disney theme park. The idea didn’t fly, but the British economist did win 5,000 euros from the Istituto Veneto and praise for a “thought-provoking critique.” Kay wrote: “The city is already a theme park and should be handed over to Disney—they would do a better job of running it.”
Related on World Hum:
* ‘Too Many Memories’ in Venice
* Videos: Venice Gondoliers, Mariachis and Bollywood for Barack Obama