Another Change to the Face of Europe

From CSMonitor.com:

Another new country for Europe
Montenegro voted to break from Serbia, with 55.4 percent in favor

The joyful fireworks and street parties that exploded in the streets of Podgorica on Sunday night, as Montenegrins celebrated a vote in favor of independence, found few echoes Monday in other European capitals.

Read the full article here.

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Though the EU government is not exactly happy with this new development, I kinda like the idea of having another new nation go independent and add to the tapestry that is Europe. Though I understand why the Eurocrats are meeting the news of Montenegro's independence with tepid resignation--this would mean yet another mini state (only 650,000 inhabitants!) that the EU must contend with politically as if it were a France or a Germany--I am glad that these former Soviet-block nations are coming into their own. For example, I never considered Yugoslavia "Europe;" it was just Russia on the Adriatic. But as independent nations, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, and now Montenegro (as well as Serbia), all stretch the borders of what Europe is a lot further east, opening the doors to tourists worldwide to come and experience a new side of Europe, a Europe that is coming into its own, rebuilding and growing with the enthusiasm of a child let loose. The larger, established members of the EU have a duty to act as mentors and make sure these child-like energies are channeled correctly, but also to welcome and embrace these younger cousins, remembering the periods in their past when they, too, found themselves emerging as their own nations.

One thing is for certain, this World Cup will be the last one for the Serbia & Montenegro team. We'll see how they perform once the games begin on June 9.

New Ways to Fly

In the past week Airbus took on its maiden flight their new A380 jet, the world's biggest passenger jet ever made. The new Airbus A380 has two internal decks for passengers, and can carry up to 555 people in separate classes or up to 800 in an all-economy configuration. Airbus has stated that 159 orders for the new jet have been received, and Singapore Airlines will be the first to take the jet on a commercial flight on its Sydney-Singapore-London route.

This new plane is huge, and Heathrow Airport has already rigged one of their gates to handle the A380's double deck configuration. Perhaps this will mean lower air fares? One can hope! Check out some pics of the Airbus flying over England taken by regular folk on the steets.

And on another rather strange concept from Airbus, who seems to be bent on pushing the envelope as far as passenger jets go, we get the standing-room only airplane. It seems Airbus has been pitching this idea to the Asian carriers first, though none seems to have gone for it (yet). The idea is that instead of seats, you get these recliner platforms to which you are strapped. I can somewhat see the advantage, but I'm far from convinced. What I truly wonder is, will you still be able to recline those 3/4 inch, and will is still make no difference? More at the New York Times.

No More Sieges ForYou!

London's Heathrow Airport recently released a new set of "enhancements to security procedures." Among these are common sense measures such as advising travelers to check in as much luggage as possible, and going to security as soon as possible after checking in. They also list things that can speed up the security check process, such as removing any sharp objects, removing laptop computers from their cases and removing any overcoats, among others.

To help travelers even more, they include packing tips, listing items that should not be in your hand baggage lest they be removed if discovered. The list includes obvious candidates like scissors (except where both blades are round-ended or less than three centimetres), razor blades (except those set in a plastic moulding), and knives with blades of any length, but then they go to list other less obvious items, such as household cutlery (including large spoons/tablespoons, though small teaspoons are ok), walking/hiking sticks (how big is your handbag?) and, my personal favorite: Catapults.

Yes, folks, that's correct, you cannot take your catapults in your handbags at Heathrow. If you want to lay siege to a city, you must check your catapults in your hold baggage. Weirdly enough, Heathrow does not make any mention about packing ballistae or trebuchets in your hand baggage, so you may still have a chance to pull off that siege you were planning.

Now, of course I'm being facetious, as I know that in American English what they mean is a slingshot, but just the thought, the mental image, of someone trying to put a catapult into their handbag, and often enough so that Heathrow Airport would have to specify it by name in their security enhancement, makes me laugh.

You can see the new security enhancements at Heathrow Airport here.

Australia's New Campaign

Australia has rolled out a new tourism campaign that has garnered a bit of controversy. The "So where the bloody hell are you?" campaign has hit a snag in Canadian and British soil, and apparently now with some groups in the United States as well, claiming that the catchphrase is too in-your-face at best, a total insult at worst.

I frankly don't see the big deal about it, but your mileage may vary. You see the website and ad can judge for yourself over at:

http://www.wherethebloodyhellareyou.com

Love, Irish Style

From Islands Magazine, via MSNBC.com:

I Love Ireland
Looking for love (and a pint of Guinness) at the Matchmaking Festival

Willie Daly moves through the crowd like a modern-day messiah. People crowd around, their eyes wide with expectation, their hearts open to his sermon of universal love. They clutch his forearm as if touch alone will hasten their quest, suffuse them with the energy that flows through this jovial, gray-bearded sage. At any other place you might think this was some sort of religious revival. But this is a jam-packed pub in Ireland, in a little place called Lisdoonvarna near the blustery west coast of County Clare on the North Atlantic. The occasion is the historic village matchmaking festival, and Daly is one of the last of the traditional Irish matchmakers — a faith healer, a heart mender, a miracle man of Irish love.

Read the whole story here.

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My wife and I honeymooned in Ireland back in 2002, and while we didn't go to Lisdoonvarna, we did pass by many similar small towns, places where, if you blink, you missed the whole thing. In County Galway, however, we did go to the town of Roundstone, very much a spiritual twin to Lisdoonvarna, and the shooting location for one of our favorite movies of all time (quite appropiately), The Matchmaker. The movie follows a young Boston woman who ends up in the (fictional) town of Ballinagra in the middle of a matchmaking festival, with all the romantic comedy fixings along the way. It is a wonderful and charming movie that showcases the beauty of northwestern Ireland as well as offer a glimpse, however movie-like, at this old Irish custom. Rent it/buy it, you'll like it.

Travels with iPod

From National Geographic traveler:

Travels with iPod
Ubiquitous MP3 players have altered the way we travel.

Electronic devices such as BlackBerrys and Treos changed business trips. Now MP3 portable music players--most notably the industry's standard-bearer, Apple's iPod--are fast doing the same for leisure excursions. Aside from bringing Dean Martin along to "Mambo Italiano" on a trip to Capri, travelers can now download everything from an unabridged copy of The Da Vinci Code for beachside listening, to an audio tour of Pompeii. Here are nine ways to use your iPod while on the road:

Get the full story here.

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This is fascinating! I have an iPod Shuffle at the moment, and half the time I have it loaded with podcasts, most of them Travel-related ones like Travel with Rick Steves and The Amateur Traveler, among others. These shows provide me with a small dose of armchair (or driver seat, as the case may be) traveling, not to mention great info that becomes useful once a trip has been planned. However, I always thought more could be done, and it is great to know that, indeed, the ubiquitous digital players are being put to optimal use during our travels. Definitely check out the options discussed in the article, and search for similar resources online.

State Department warns Americans visiting Italy

From USAToday.com/AP:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department warned Americans on Wednesday to take precautions this spring when traveling in Italy, saying next month's parliamentary elections are likely to bring demonstrations in parts of the country.

Get the whole story here.

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As a general travel tip (one I learned when traveling in Paris during the riots of Nov. 2005), as long as you stay to the tourist-friendly areas, you should be fine. Be mindful of where you are at all times, and if you see a demonstration, just admire it from afar, noting it down in your journal as a "cultural experience."