Travel Blog
Interview With Ferran Adria: Spain’s Super Chef
by David Farley | 03.17.09 | 9:04 AM ET
REUTERS/Victor Fraile Superlatives and Spanish chef Ferran Adria seem to make the perfect pairing. His restaurant, El Bulli, located north of Barcelona, is often referred to by foodies, travelers and restaurant critics as a culinary heaven. The best restaurant in the world. And, as a result, nabbing a reservation is like winning the lottery: 100,000 requests for reservations per year come in. If you’re lucky enough to get one, you arrive in Spain hungry.
Adria spends six months out of the year in his Barcelona workshop, creating a menu (some have dubbed it “molecular gastronomy”) that is so avant-garde that it’s hard to find anything else like it (unless, of course, a chef is copying Adria—and many are).
I recently exchanged emails with Chef Adria and asked about his interest in travel—and I tried to be extra nice in the hope he’d grant me one of those impossible-to-get reservations.
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Yahoo! BuzzMorning Links: Parisian Flea Markets, Life Before Lonely Planet and More
by Eva Holland | 03.17.09 | 9:05 AM ET
- Coming soon: new TSA regulations for your air ticket purchases. The request for each passenger’s birth date and gender is intended to cut down on misidentification of “suspect travelers.”
- Geist Magazine takes a provocative look at life before (and after) Lonely Planet.
- Four hundred lucky Londoners earned free flights on Aer Lingus, by stripping down to their strategically placed shamrocks. (And on that note: Happy St. Patrick’s Day!)
- Tom Swick imagines a future of illicit newspaper bars.
- NY Waterway, the ferry service that helped rescue US Airways Flight 1549 passengers from the Hudson, is contemplating a lawsuit to recoup costs from the effort; the company is close to bankruptcy, and “miffed” at the lack of recognition for its role.
- Juliet’s House in Verona, Italy, is now open for your destination wedding business—balcony photo shoot included, of course.
- Gawker (sort of) laments the recession’s impact on the nation’s museums.
- EuroCheapo goes flea marketing in Paris.
- David Farley, Tony Perrottet and Peter Wortsman—World Hum contributors, all—will be reading at New York City’s Book Culture this Thursday.
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In Riyadh, Ronaldo Trumps Paulo Coehlo
by Eva Holland | 03.16.09 | 2:50 PM ET
Brazilian officials who were in Riyadh for a festival intended to honor their country’s literary heritage found themselves fielding more questions about the beautiful game than about books, the Arab News reports. In fact, the Brazilian delegation wound up caving to demand and redecorating with football banners and photos of famous players.
Said one visitor: “The book fair has almost come to an end and I haven’t received any questions about Brazilian literature, or even the country’s general culture.” Hmm. Maybe it’s time for a rebranding campaign? (Via The Book Bench)
The Forbidden Kebab in Tuscany
by David Farley | 03.16.09 | 1:33 PM ET
I once interviewed a chef whose Michelin-starred restaurant is tucked in the hills of eastern Lazio; when I asked what he thought of fusion cuisine, he said—without blinking an eye—that he liked it: using tomatoes from the Campagna region and basil from Genoa was great, he remarked. My question had broader ingredients in mind, but I got the point. Lucca, a walled medieval town in the northeastern part of Tuscany, made headlines a few months ago when the right-wing-leaning city banned ethnic foods from its historical center. The city claims it has since received mountains of letters from around the world supporting the ban.
Dhani Tackles Poetry: ‘The Punch’
by Dhani Jones | 03.16.09 | 12:31 PM ET
Thom Stukas/Travel Channel, L.L.C. NFL linebacker and Renaissance man Dhani Jones hosts the new Travel Channel show, Dhani Tackles the Globe.
Like any good Renaissance man, he’ll be writing poems inspired by the travel experiences featured on each show.
The topic of tonight’s premiere: Muay Thai in Thailand.
The Punch
I begin with a journey a magnificent tourney around the globe to stop and see the sights ...
An inviting aroma of new things to discover a world to uncover never turning off the lights ...
It’s a challenge I tell you, to step
I beg you, into the ring I go, for the first not the last but the beginning it is for forty some odd days I will live ...
It’s the first some might say the last others might insist ...
It’s just that time ...
It’s that movement that caught you that spirit that bought you for me to unwind ...
Time and time again I just bob and weave, bob and weave and use what was given a chance to prove what was inside ...
Here’s a man
Here’s a man with the thoughts of a man that I am
Here’s a man living in a heartbeat of time trying to escape the breath and design
Up elbow, right elbow, left elbow, right kick ...
Down elbow, left kick, right punch, left hit ...
A plethora of ideas of power it takes, to control and direct to the right space it must not break ...
It must not disgrace, it must not let down for the eyes are watching me from all around ...
I’ve heard my name spoken not once not twice but the third time around ...
I heard my name ringing in my head when I looked around ...
I realized it was me repeating it time and time again ...
I realize it was me who was getting punched not them ...
On to the bell with great strides I took and put forth all the effort and with pride I was not shook ...
It was my time to use all that I was taught and leverage my voice and my mind for the ultimate thought ...
I must conquer ...
I must live ...
I must set forth to understand and give ...
Of myself and those around me ...
And if one punch I must take, I will take and not break but he who gives shall receive and with ease I decree that this moment ...
I will stand and deliver, bend not fold, yet tell the stories untold ...
I will finish what I started and finish I did ...
Budget Air Travel Goes Long-Haul
by Eva Holland | 03.16.09 | 12:25 PM ET
Last week marked the first long-haul flight by a low-cost carrier—99 pounds for a 13-hour flight from London to Kuala Lumpur, anyone?—and the Guardian went along for the inaugural ride. Maxton Walker sets the scene: “As we budget guinea-pigs join the queue at check-in, horror stories swirl about non-reclining seats and the lack of legroom. There’s even a suggestion that if you don’t book a meal in advance, you’ll just have to starve. I haven’t, needless to say, booked a meal in advance.” His full review of the Air Asia experience is heartening, and surprisingly entertaining.
Hello? Is it Greece You’re Looking For?
by Eva Holland | 03.16.09 | 11:05 AM ET
With a new album on the way, Lionel Richie is making the media rounds—and he’s landed in the pages of the Telegraph travel section, dishing on his best and worst travel memories.
Turns out, the R&B/easy listening legend is itching to get to Greece, he dreads being spotted mid-meal at a restaurant (“all I need is if the pianist starts playing ‘Three Times a Lady’”) and his favorite hotel is Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace. (“Now I know why I couldn’t get the marble for my house—they have it all. I couldn’t find the bougainvillea I wanted—they have it. Everything I needed for my house in California, they have it.”) The average traveler may not be able to relate to his experiences or advice—remember: “don’t let your entourage pack for you”—but they still make for an entertaining read.
Morning Links: Bible Park, Pizza Vending Machines and More
by Eva Holland | 03.16.09 | 9:03 AM ET
- The Wall Street Journal goes way beyond Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
- Planning for Lebanon, Tennessee’s Bible-themed amusement park, has been suspended indefinitely due to “political differences”; the park’s developers are eyeing Kentucky instead. (Via The Book Bench)
- Coney Island’s famed Totonno’s pizzeria has been devastated by a fire.
- The San Francisco Chronicle has the little-known story of Iceland’s pizza pioneer.
- And in more pie-related news, the New York Times dishes on Northern Italy’s pizza vending machines.
- World Hum contributor Jenna Schnuer gets the local scoop on Houston’s finest cuisine, culture and more.
- New York City’s High Line may not be quite ready for visitors, but it is in bloom.
- Audrey and Daniel from Uncornered Market have just headed out on the road again; they reflect on five things they’ll miss about America.
- In the Huffington Post, Alison Stein Wellner goes looking for Jewish Barbados.
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What We Loved This Week: Twitter, Portland’s Cheap Eats, ‘Before Sunrise’ and More
by World Hum | 03.13.09 | 2:18 PM ET
Our contributors share a favorite travel-related experience from the past seven days:
Valerie Conners
Trip-planning via Twitter and the fabulous tweeps following @worldhum. I’m heading to Buenos Aires in April and have been posting questions out to our twitterverse of followers, looking for tips on sights, food, estancia tours and more—the response has been so warm and incredibly helpful. What an amazing resource. Some great ideas have crossed my path and are making their way into my itinerary.
Eva Holland
I watched one of my favorite travel movies, “Before Sunrise,” again for the first time in a couple of years and was thrilled to find that none of the crazy, spontaneous magic of Jesse and Celine’s one night in Vienna had worn off. Here’s a classic sequence:
This Week in Tibet: Bad News, Good News?
by Julia Ross | 03.13.09 | 12:33 PM ET
News out of Tibet this week has been bleak. Thousands of Chinese troops descended on the plateau in anticipation of protests marking the 50th anniversary of the Dalai Lama’s exile; the Dalai Lama charged the Chinese government with making Tibet a “hell on earth,” and foreign tourists have been banned from the area. Since Tibetan protests erupted in March 2008, tourism in the region has suffered a steep drop and doesn’t look to recover anytime soon.
Until political tensions ease, we’ll have to make do with this small piece of good news: China just announced new restrictions on construction and advertising near Lhasa’s Potala Palace in an apparent attempt to preserve the complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UNESCO has criticized the growing number of shops and restaurants near the palace in recent years, many built to cater to domestic Chinese tourists.
So, why the announcement this week? China’s official news agency—in reply to the Dalai Lama—asserted that Tibet is in fact a “paradise on earth,” and paradise needs protecting, right?
Detroit’s Exquisite Decay
by Sophia Dembling | 03.13.09 | 11:47 AM ET
Time magazine’s slideshow capturing Detroit’s decay in photos by French photographers Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre is stunning and utterly heartbreaking.
My thought as I watched: As travelers/tourists we’re a powerful economic force. Can we help save Detroit?
Here are some of my previous thoughts on Detroit.
A Truth About Hawaii Spoken in Jest?
by Sophia Dembling | 03.13.09 | 10:56 AM ET
Yup, I have to admit, I’m among those who laughed at the harsh Saturday Night Live sketch that has Hawaiian officials in a huff, as discussed by fellow World Hum blogger Pam Mandel. The Gallup Well-Being Index recently ranked Hawaii as the second happiest state in the nation, after Utah, but my limited experience with the state (three visits) introduced me to more hostility than happiness. I’m actually a little afraid of Hawaiians. I understand that they have reason to be pissed off, what with their paradise being paved over with hotels and low wages and all. It’s a problem with tropical paradises everywhere. So I’m not passing judgment, really. I’m just saying.
Disney Aims to Go Green
by Joanna Kakissis | 03.13.09 | 10:28 AM ET
The Walt Disney company aims to cut its emissions by 50 percent by 2013 and to use more recycled material to decrease the amount of trash it sends to landfills, Environmental Leader reports.
Disneyland Resort is already using recycled cooking oil in its Disneyland Railroad steam trains—a move that could help save some 200,000 gallons of petroleum diesel per year. Some Disneyland rides also use biodiesel instead of gasoline, though customers have inexplicably complained about the “french-fry smell” emitted by the biodiesel when burned.
Think You’ve Got What it Takes for ‘The Amazing Race’?
by Eva Holland | 03.13.09 | 9:52 AM ET
The Los Angeles Times’ Daily Deal blog has the details on a casting call for the hard-traveling reality TV show’s upcoming 15th season. Application videos are being filmed this weekend at open calls in 13 U.S. locations.
Morning Links: Japan’s ‘Ambassadors of Cute,’ Obama’s Position on Travel and More
by Michael Yessis | 03.13.09 | 8:06 AM ET
- Australia floats a plan to offer tourists free flights to the country, provided they spend a certain amount of money while visiting. (via Jaunted)
- IgoUgo lists 10 places to go to drink iconic drinks.
- Out: Sears Tower. In: Willis Tower.
- Airport living: A Finnish woman apparently spent more than two months calling Berlin’s Tegel airport home. (via Gridskipper)
- Japan unveils its “Ambassadors of Cute.” Metro has a photo.
- Kenya slashes visa fees to encourage more travelers to visit.
- The latest Washington Post Time Zones piece: Eating in Tehran with Thomas Erdbrink.
- The White House clarified President Obama’s position on travel: Travel on federal bailout money bad. A strong travel industry good.
- Finally, in the Onion TV listings: Crash Cab. Description: “In this hit game show, unsuspecting taxi passengers must answer general knowledge trivia questions correctly to prevent their cab from careening into the nearest storefront or bridge abutment.” (via @Marilyn_Res)
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