Travel Blog: News and Briefs
David Sedaris on Australia: ‘It’s Canada in a Thong’
by Michael Yessis | 08.19.09 | 4:19 PM ET
That line is one of the comedic high points in a rather moving story about Australia, kookaburras and family by David Sedaris in the latest New Yorker.
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Yahoo! BuzzDr. Phil Hops Aboard the Acela
by Eva Holland | 08.19.09 | 3:29 PM ET
The talk show host and self-help kingpin will film a special episode on Amtrak’s Acela Express on September 9, Gawker reports. According to the press release, Dr. Phil will be “speaking with Amtrak customers about everyday problems.” Somebody see if he can do something about those rubbery, microwaved turkey sandwiches, OK?
Arthur Frommer Is Steering Clear of Arizona
by Eva Holland | 08.19.09 | 2:39 PM ET
He isn’t quite calling for a full travel boycott—yet—but in his latest blog post, Frommer expresses his concerns over the recent appearances by gun-toting citizens at a Phoenix political event, and makes it clear that he won’t visit the state anytime soon.
A Night at El Bulli, Frame by Frame
by Eva Holland | 08.19.09 | 10:34 AM ET
After a five-year effort, Amateur Gourmet blogger Adam Roberts finally landed a reservation at El Bulli, the Barcelona restaurant regularly dubbed the best in the world. He’s documented his 30-course evening in an entertaining comic strip/photo essay. David Farley interviewed El Bulli’s chef, Ferran Adria, for World Hum back in March. (Via The Morning News)
Why Japan Hearts the Amish
by Michael Yessis | 08.19.09 | 9:26 AM ET
Blame Harrison Ford. At least a bit. The movie Witness “stoked the trend” of Japanese fascination with the Amish, according to an intriguing story Jon Rutter.
Beyond that, he writes, the societies have “deep parallel currents.” Among them: “Both espouse collectivism, religious faith, hard work and frugality.” He adds: “Both exhibit marked deference to elders and have deliberately distanced themselves from the outside world.” (Via The Morning News)
Travel Headline of the Day: ‘Don’t Let the Goose Poop Fool You: Toronto’s Beaches are Squeaky Clean’
by Eva Holland | 08.18.09 | 5:04 PM ET
Forget Hawaii or Florida—after that ringing endorsement, I’m ready for a Toronto beach vacation. Who’s with me?
Welcome to Seoul’s ‘Air City’
by Eva Holland | 08.18.09 | 4:14 PM ET
Plans are in the works to build an “air city” on the grounds at Seoul’s Incheon International Airport, USA Today reports. The complex, aimed at grabbing a bigger share of in-transit passengers in the region, could apparently include apartments, studios and runways for in-house fashion designers, a theme park, a marina and a clinic designed for medical tourists. Anyone else smell a sequel to The Terminal?
Jeffrey Goldberg Goes Whale Watching
by Eva Holland | 08.18.09 | 3:31 PM ET
And if he had to summarize the Cape Cod excursion in one word? Awesome. From his blog over at The Atlantic: “I don’t mean ‘awesome’ in a juvenile way, I mean ‘awesome’ as in, ‘if God did indeed create the earth, he did a bang-up job in the large mammal department…’ It’s impossible to describe the sight of a finback whale forty feet from where you stand. I’ll say this—you and your problems shrink in significance.”
Joel Stein in Las Vegas: ‘I Have Come for Revenge’
by Michael Yessis | 08.18.09 | 2:19 PM ET
He went to Las Vegas to take advantage of the city when it’s down. “For the first time ever,” he writes in Time, “it is possible to complete a monetary exchange in Las Vegas and feel bad for the other person.” But you know what? He doesn’t feel bad about it. Good story, but, as someone who loves Vegas, I found it a bit painful to read.
Berlin’s Currywurst Gets the Museum Treatment
by Eva Holland | 08.18.09 | 1:32 PM ET
The Berlin staple may not have set Alison Stein Wellner’s head on fire when she went looking for the world’s hottest foods, but it remains one of Germany’s favorite sausage variations. And now, currywurst—diced sausage doused in ketchup and curry powder—is getting a museum of its very own.
Some of the weirder details, from Reuters: “An array of interactive exhibits guide visitors along a ‘sauce trail’ through the history and variety of the beloved dish ... A spice chamber scents the air with curry powder as guests relax on the giant ‘sauce sofa’, shaped like a squirt of ketchup while an eco-alley assesses the environmental impact of fast food.”
‘While I Was Away’: Lessons in Travel and Romance
by Eva Holland | 08.18.09 | 12:42 PM ET
One good reason to stay connected while traveling? Because if you don’t, your girlfriend might forget you’ve gone to Europe, wonder why you haven’t called her back, and start sending a sequence of regrettable emails. Here’s the hilarious and cringe-inducing video:
A Short History of Fast Food and Travel
by Eva Holland | 08.18.09 | 12:04 PM ET
In the Smart Set, Tony Perrottet looks back to the post-Civil War era for the origins of American roadside fast food. Here’s a sample:
The long-distance trains from Omaha to San Francisco had dining cars only for the first-class passengers. Everyone else had to wait until the trains stopped at specific stations for scheduled meal breaks, when hundreds of passengers would madly dash into cavernous dining halls on the platforms. Inside, cadres of white-aproned waiters were poised to splash meat and potatoes onto their plates and granular coffee into their cups. The whistle would blow and patrons would have to abandon their half-eaten meals and dash back to the moving train. The whole indigestion-inducing process, travelers complained, might last only ten minutes.
For anyone else who’s made the agonizing bathroom-or-Big Mac decision on a flying Greyhound stopover lately—sound familiar?
Here’s Why a Truffle-Slathered Bomb Will Never Make it Through Airport Security
by Michael Yessis | 08.18.09 | 10:27 AM ET
The Onion says we can count on Mr. Snout.
Dave Foley: The Sensible Traveler
by Eva Holland | 08.17.09 | 4:04 PM ET
The Canadian comedian, who you might remember from “Kids in the Hall” or “NewsRadio,” is the star of a new web series: The Sensible Guy’s Guide to Traveling. Each short segment shows Foley, as the ostensibly sensible traveler Bobby Fargo, offering a series of themed travel tips—and then finding himself in hot water despite his best efforts. I wasn’t busting a gut during the “unintended consequences” portions of each clip, but seasoned travelers will probably get a chuckle out of Foley’s straight-faced delivery of often-outrageous advice.
In Praise of American Gift Shops
by Eva Holland | 08.17.09 | 2:45 PM ET
Photo by Eva Holland In the latest post at Flyover America, Jenna Schnuer, Sophia Dembling and Matt Villano (World Hum contributors, all) pick their favorites. I’ll be bookmarking the post—I love a good museum gift shop, whether in America or beyond. One of the best I’ve encountered is at Britain’s National Portrait Gallery. Chocolates wrapped in portraits of Henry VIII and his assortment of wives? Yes, please.
