Destination: Europe
Is Summer Now the ‘Vacation Deprivation’ Season?
by Michael Yessis | 06.04.07 | 5:32 PM ET
For U.S. citizens, it seems, but not Europeans. While most of our overseas counterparts get at least 20 guaranteed vacation days each year, and while Italian lawmakers are proposing to add seven new holidays to the country’s slate, Americans seem to be moving in the opposite direction. Last month the Center for Economic and Policy Research released its No-Vacation Nation report, which reveals that the U.S. is “the only advanced economy in the world that does not guarantee its workers paid vacation.” Those that do have vacation time aren’t taking it all, or are taking working vacations.
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Yahoo! BuzzThe World Hum Travel Zeitgeist: The Seeing Stars Edition
by Michael Yessis | 06.01.07 | 6:41 PM ET
Kelly Slater, Billy Graham and Harry Potter all make the Zeitgeist this week as travelers contemplate Hawaiian surf, learning to speak French, Planet Theme Park and the alleged return of the Loch Ness monster.
Most Viewed Travel Story
Los Angeles Times (current)
Q&A: Eight-Time World Champion Surfer Kelly Slater
* He says the sight of the heavens from Mauna Kea (pictured) is probably the best view in Hawaii.
Most E-Mailed Travel Story
New York Times (current)
36 Hours in Florence
Most Read Weblog Post
World Hum (this week)
Harry Potter, Billy Graham Get Theme Parks
Most E-Mailed Travel Story
USA Today (current)
Travelers Face Frustrating Passport Delays
* Earlier on World Hum: U.S. Passports in Demand: Lines Look ‘Like a Rolling Stones Concert 25 Years Ago’
Most Popular Page Tagged Travel
Del.icio.us (recent)
Panoramio
* The site allows users “to locate photos exactly over the place they were taken.” It’s also being acquired by Google.
Most Popular Travel Podcast
iTunes (current)
National Geographic’s Atmosphere
* The pitch: “It’s not quite as cool as teletransporting, but it’s close.”
“Hot This Week” Destination
Yahoo! (this week)
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Where in the World Are You, Terry Ward?
by Jim Benning | 06.01.07 | 12:25 PM ET
The subject of our latest nearly up-to-the-minute interview with a traveler somewhere in the world: World Hum contributor Terry Ward, whose response landed in our inbox this morning.
World Hum: Where in the world are you?
Invasion of the Kilt-Wearing, Buttocks-Baring Scots!
by Jim Benning | 05.30.07 | 3:17 PM ET
Our hearts go out to the nation of Poland. Groups of kilt-wearing, underwear-challenged Scottish men drawn to cheap beer are apparently invading the country, getting loaded and, adding insult to injury, yes, lifting their kilts. “It’s easy to spot these so-called ‘tourists’ from a mile off,” sniffed one local paper. Now, authorities are considering changes to the law. According to Scotsman.com: “In the city of Wroclaw, in the south-west of Poland, officials are exploring a kilt ban after being horrified by groups of drunk Scottish men who lifted their kilts to strangers to reveal their buttocks. Local police admit they have been unable to control the groups of maurauding Scots, despite complaints from outraged locals and fed-up bar owners, who claim Scots are rowdy, break glasses and leave pub toilets in a shocking state.”
The Distance From Dachau to Darfur
by Peter Delevett | 05.29.07 | 6:22 PM ET
Photo by Peter Delevett Peter Delevett recently visited the Nazi-era concentration camp in Germany. Afterward, he wondered: Why wasn't he doing more to stop the genocide occurring right now in Sudan?
A ‘Random Guide to International Behavior’*
by Jim Benning | 05.29.07 | 12:18 PM ET
In his Sunday column, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Thomas Swick has some sage advice for international travelers, ranging from ways to stay out of trouble to simple pronunciation tips. Among them: “In Vietnam, don’t say pho with a long ‘o’ when ordering the popular noodle soup. (It’s pronounced more like ‘fuh’). In Ireland, don’t ask, ‘Are there any good books by local authors?’ In Singapore, don’t do a lot of things.”
Attention Americans in Germany: Walking Naked in Public is Not Acceptable Behavior
by Michael Yessis | 05.23.07 | 10:36 AM ET
No, the 41-year-old man who was picked up by police while walking through Nuremberg was not on drugs, according to a Reuters report. He told the police he thought walking around naked was okay because Germans sometimes sunbathe nude in public parks. His fine: 200 euros. Perhaps the authorities should have him study the old You Are Germany campaign, too.
Related on World Hum:
* Of Spilled Beer and Lederhosen: Recalling Oktoberfest
* Germany Bans Smiling in Passport Photos
* Ben’s Place: Kissing, Germany
What’s World Hum? Here’s our story.
Thousands of Air Travelers Stranded in Europe
by Jim Benning | 05.22.07 | 1:40 PM ET
Thanks to a strike by air traffic controllers and flight attendants in Italy. Ah, Italians striking. I’ll never forget my first strike experience in Italy, shuffling my travel schedule in Venice thanks to a rail strike. Good times.
Experts to Americans: Easy On the Tipping!
by Jim Benning | 05.21.07 | 8:11 AM ET
Sure, in some countries a generous tip for great service is appropriate. But not everywhere. “In Japan, for instance, tipping is viewed as insulting,” writes Rosemary McClure in Sunday’s Los Angeles Times. “In other countries, it’s considered disrespectful to hand a tip to a waiter.” How to avoid being the ugly American shelling out too much money in tips overseas?
The World Hum Travel Zeitgeist: From Chocolate to Kaiseki
by Michael Yessis | 05.18.07 | 5:09 PM ET
Or, in other words, travelers’ interests this week range from Hershey, Pennsylvania to the streets of Japan. Here’s the Zeitgeist.
Most Popular Travel Story
Netscape (this week)
Magnificient Trees of the World
* The Lone Cypress in Pebble Beach, California (pictured) makes the list.
Most Viewed Travel Story
Los Angeles Times (current)
A Tour of Japanese Cuisine With Spago Chef Lee Hefter
* From the same writers: A look at kaiseki
Most Read Weblog Post
World Hum (this week)
Japan’s Latest Budget Accommodation: Internet Cafes
* The nation that brought us the capsule hotel has done it again.
Most E-Mailed Travel Story
USA Today (current)
Hershey Honors its Past, Looks to the Future
Most Viewed Travel Story
Telegraph (current)
Amsterdam: Telegraph Travel Guides
Most Popular Page Tagged Travel
Del.icio.us (recent)
Farecast
Most Read Feature Story
World Hum (this week)
Mark Ellingham: Rough Guides and the Ethics of Travel
“Hot This Week” Destination
Yahoo! (this week)
Playa del Carmen
If You’re Rich, Influential or Arnold Schwarzenegger, Svalbard Would Like You to Visit
by Michael Yessis | 05.16.07 | 9:57 AM ET
You really don’t have to be any or all of those things, but if you are, Svalbard looks forward to seeing you and enlisting your help in solving the planet’s climate crisis. The Norwegian-run archipelago, situated in the Arctic Ocean between that country and the North Pole, is billing itself as a great place to see the effects of global warming first-hand. According to a Reuters story, local officials want to spur more help in the fight against global warming, and they believe that welcoming tourists—particularly rich and influential tourists—to see melting glaciers and the glory of the threatened polar bear-dominated ecosystem can stimulate action.
‘Brava Gondoliera! Brava!’: Venice Gets its First Female Gondolier
by Michael Yessis | 05.14.07 | 2:22 PM ET
Meet Alexandra Hai, Venice’s first female gondolier. Ever. She’s 40 years old. She’s of German and Algerian descent. A court ruling says she’s allowed to paddle only for guests at a particular Venice hotel. And she’s stirred up the ire of many of her male counterparts. “To gondoliers,” Peter Keifer writes in the New York Times, “the job is fit only for a man, since it involves strength, ability to navigate currents and paddle in reverse, and even the aesthetics of the gondoliers of yore in their black-and-white striped shirts.” Sounds like something from 1,000 years ago, which is almost how long women had been on the outside looking in until Hai came along.
The World Hum Travel Zeitgeist: The Naked and the Red
by Michael Yessis | 05.11.07 | 3:45 PM ET
From Sin City to St. Petersburg, Russia, we’re not worried about traveling with too many clothes this week. Here’s the Zeitgeist.
Most E-Mailed Travel Story
New York Times (current)
36 Hours in St. Petersburg, Russia
Most E-Mailed Travel Story
USA Today (current)
Sin City Uncovered: Vegas Strips Down to Embrace its Naughty Side
* It’s an $8 billion embrace.
Most Viewed Travel Story
Telegraph (current)
The Perfect Break: Jersey
* The island, not the home of Bon Jovi.
Most Viewed Travel Story
Brisbane Times (current)
Gang Violence Marring NZ’s Image
Most Viewed Travel Story
Los Angeles Times (current)
A Mass-Transit Trek Through Portland’s Singular Sites
Top Travel and Adventure Audiobook
iTunes (current)
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Best Selling Travel Book
Amazon.com (current)
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert
* It’s been so many weeks now we’ve stopped counting.
Nicolas Sarkozy, You Were Just Elected President of France. How Are You Celebrating?
by Jim Benning | 05.08.07 | 5:12 PM ET
I’m going to Malta to hang out on a luxury yacht!
Venice to Tourists: Keep Your Shirt On!
by Michael Yessis | 05.08.07 | 8:19 AM ET
And don’t take a nap in Piazza San Marco. And, for the love of Ronald McDonald, throw away your Big Mac wrappers. Reuters reports that officials in Venice, Italy plan to crack down on unbecoming behavior in Piazza San Marco. “Six stewards, men and women, will explain to tourists that it is not a good idea to eat, camp out, lay down or walk around the city bare-chested,” said the deputy mayor, Michele Vianello. Stewards won’t hand out fines. Maybe they should, though, and put the funds toward solutions for Venice’s biggest problem: Figuring out how not to sink.