What We Loved This Week: Flogging Molly, ‘Arirang’ and the Best Hot Chocolate East of Paris

Travel Blog • World Hum • 02.29.08 | 3:55 PM ET

World Hum contributors share a favorite travel-related experience from the past seven days.

Jim Benning
I was in New York City Thursday night and caught the rollicking Irish folk-punk band Flogging Molly at the Fillmore. Their ebullient shows never fail to make me want to jump up and down for hours while clutching a Guinness. Thursday’s show was typically brilliant. Here’s a video from one performance:

Julia Ross
Amidst all the press coverage of the New York Philharmonic’s historic trip to North Korea this week, I took the time to listen to parts of the concert online. The orchestra’s version of the traditional Korean folk song, Arirang, was clearly an emotional high point for the Pyongyang audience, and I was interested to learn the song remains beloved on both sides of the DMZ. Here’s a clip:

Joanna Kakissis
If any of you ever make it to Athens in the off season, skip the frappe (it will melt the lining of your stomach) and go to Petite Fleur for the best hot chocolate east of Paris’s Bastille neighborhood. The tiny, old European-themed cafe is always packed, but it’s worth the wait (especially for a giant mug of decadent dark chocolate swirled with chestnut spoon sweet). I almost always go there with my friend Stevi Moshogianni, a journalist, food writer and chef who has introduced me to all the culinary gems in Athens.

Frank Bures
I finished The Caliph’s House, which is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. It’s about Tahir Shah‘s move with his family from England to Morocco, and the old house they acquired there. My favorite line: “As our first year in Morocco drew to a close, I found myself thinking a great deal about the move. The learning curve had been severe, I concluded that a life not filled with severe learning curves was no life at all.”

Michael Yessis
Chris Anderson’s Wired cover story Free! Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business illuminated a lot for me, including just how low-cost carrier Ryanair manages to thrive by practically giving away tickets. Here’s exactly how, in fluorescent, pie-chart form.

Related on World Hum:
*