Destination: Europe
Where in the World Are You, Christy Quirk?
by World Hum | 09.06.07 | 11:11 AM ET
The subject of our latest nearly up-to-the-minute interview with a traveler somewhere in the world: Christy Quirk, a writer and consultant. Her response landed in our inbox this morning.
World Hum: Where in the world are you?
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Yahoo! BuzzGiven the Weak Dollar Overseas, Any Tips on Long-Term Travel?
by Rolf Potts | 09.05.07 | 7:41 AM ET
Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel
Rug Burn in Istanbul
by Jason Fields | 08.30.07 | 2:12 PM ET
The men of the historic Turkish city pluck Jason Fields. And they pluck him but good. Did he mention that he wanted to buy a carpet?
See the full audio slideshow: »
Airport Security to Lourdes Pilgrim: Your Holy Water is a Security Threat
by Michael Yessis | 08.30.07 | 11:39 AM ET
Paola Saluzzi tried to carry eight small plastic bottles of water “in the shape of the little Madonna” from Lourdes on one of the Vatican’s new charter flights for pilgrims, but security inspectors at France’s Tarbes-Lourdes airport stopped her from bringing the liquid with the supposedly miraculous healing powers back to Rome. Reuters writes, “The real miracle would have been getting it past airport security.”
In Washington D.C. and Paris, Seduced by a Night View
by Julia Ross | 08.29.07 | 3:57 PM ET
Two recent stories on Paris and Washington D.C. after dark are a good reminder that taking in cityscapes by night can yield an entirely different travel experience than tromping around at mid-day. A Washington Post article and slide show on the patchwork system used to illuminate the monuments lining the National Mall nicely conveys the city’s nocturnal alter-ego, while a New York Times piece on ascending the Eiffel Tower at night actually made me want to brave the interminable line to try it.
All the Flowers in Amsterdam
by Lynne Friedmann | 08.29.07 | 12:09 PM ET
Friday marks the 10th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Lynne Friedmann recalls a visit to a Dutch flower market when it seemed the whole world was grieving.
Is Tourism Development Behind Fires in Greece?
by Jim Benning | 08.28.07 | 2:18 PM ET
Fires raging in the Peloponnese (pictured) and on the island of Evia have killed more than 60 people and led to the declaration of a nationwide state of emergency in Greece. In Olympia, fires “licked the edges of the original Olympic stadium and scorched the yard of the museum, home to one of Greece’s greatest archaeological collections,” according to the BBC. Now, some are suggesting that a number of fires could have been set by arsonists “as a way of getting around Greek law which forbids development on areas designated as forest land.”
Four Travel and Food Books: Paul Richardson’s Picks
by Emily Stone | 08.28.07 | 1:17 PM ET
Today we published our review of Paul Richardson’s new book, “A Late Dinner: Discovering the Food of Spain.” We asked Richardson to recommend a few books that inspired him. Here are his picks:
Food in History by Reay Tannahill
Richardson says: “This book is permanently interesting and superbly written with enormous wit and erudition—a classic that is never far from my writing desk.”
‘A Late Dinner: Discovering the Food of Spain’
by Emily Stone | 08.28.07 | 12:45 PM ET
Paul Richardson's new gastro-adventure, Emily Stone finds, catches a European country with a complex past at a strikingly modern moment
Klara Glowczewska: Bringing a Literary Travel Star to New Readers
by Frank Bures | 08.24.07 | 11:01 AM ET
Photo by Brigitte Lacombe. Tunneling the Bosporus Strait
by Michael Yessis | 08.23.07 | 11:02 AM ET
We’ve got the Chunnel between England and France. Plans are being drawn for a tunnel between Spain and Morocco. Why not a tunnel beneath the Bosporus Strait, connecting the Asian and European sides of Istanbul? Well, there are good reasons not too, such as the strait’s proximity to the violent North Anatolian Fault. But Turkey has been cautiously moving forward with the Marmaray Project, which according to a terrific story by Julian Smith in Wired, will relieve some of the stress on the two bridges already spanning the Bosporus and also offer new opportunities for world travelers.
Globalization Brings ‘Big Shift’ in Sweden’s Outlook on Vacations
by Michael Yessis | 08.22.07 | 10:16 AM ET
When it comes to vacation time, nobody in Europe—or anywhere, perhaps—has it better than the Swedes. A recent EU study found that Swedish workers are “entitled to an average of 33 paid vacations days in 2006—close to 7 weeks, not counting public holidays,” according to the International Herald Tribune’s Ivar Ekman. Now, with the rise of a global economy, that may be changing. ““The Swedish vacation is being adapted to the international situation,” said Orvar Lofgren, a professor of anthropology at Lund University and author of the book “On Holiday: A History of Vacationing.” He adds: “The classic five-week vacation is not as holy as it used to be.”
Trekking in Norway’s Fjordlands
by Jim Benning | 08.22.07 | 8:01 AM ET
Doug Lansky, the subject of a 2003 World Hum interview, recently went trekking with his family to a public cabin in Norway’s Fjordlands. His narrated slideshow about the trip appears on the Guardian Unlimited.
Vatican to Launch Charter Flights to Holy Sites
by Michael Yessis | 08.21.07 | 11:50 AM ET
Religious pilgrims will now be able to fly to Santiago di Compostela, Spain; the shrine of the Madonna of Guadalupe, Mexico; and other sacred sites via official Vatican charter flights, the BBC reports. The first flight takes off Monday from Rome bound for Lourdes, France, with religious guides and the vicar of Rome, Cardinal Camillo Ruini, aboard. Routes from other cities may be introduced, according to RTE News. The planes, which will be provided by the Italian airline Mistral, will feature the phrase “I’m Searching for Your Face, Lord” on seat headrests.
German Travelers Urged to Pester ‘People in Authority’ Abroad About Human Rights
by Michael Yessis | 08.17.07 | 11:21 AM ET
Germans, as many travelers will attest, are everywhere. With their mandated multiple-week vacations and desire to see the world while sometimes wearing dark socks and open-toed footwear, they are among the world’s most avid travelers. And, according to the German government, that helps make them excellent candidates to “pester staff in foreign airports and hotels about human rights concerns.” German foreign ministry’s human rights envoy Günter Nooke said so this week, according to a Financial Times story by Hugh Williamson. Nooke had a lot of ideas for the estimated 44 million Germans who travel abroad each year.