Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer

Europe

Europe

Och aye the noo

Och aye the noo = An archetypal example of an overt Scotticism is "Och aye the noo", which translates as "Oh yes, just now". But, it doesn't stray too far from its roots.  And, luckily for us, we are learning more and more about history - Scottish in this case.  Read more here courtesy of NationalGeoraphic.co.uk Booking.com AutoEurope…

Read more

A flock of Airbus

In this day and age of diminishing everything, it's good to know that the clever people are still trying to do their best to make a better world. For example, Airbus has demonstrated how formation flying can aid sustainability with two of its test A350s flying across the Atlantic Ocean. Dubbed the quote-unquote “final demonstration,” Airbus is…

Read more

I’m afraid that is not possible

In certain markets, airlines compete directly with train operating companies. This is a common phenomenon in Europe, where countries like France and Germany have extensive high-speed rail networks. However, in some instances, airlines choose not to compete for various reasons. easyJet (an affiliate friend of ours)  is one such carrier, and Simple Flying recently learned why. And while…

Read more

Spread eagle

April showers bring May flowers.  What do Mayflowers bring?  Pilgrims.  And what do Pilgrims do?  Thirst. Though it claims to be the oldest pub on the River Thames, this riverside pub’s real claim to fame is that patrons have a clear shot at seeing where the Mayflower was moored before its departure for the New World. Because…

Read more

El Prado……corrado

If you have been to Madrid and have not visited the Prado Museum, then shame on you / you're really missing out. Without question, in the top five museums in the world, Prado has the ability to overwhelm you with the depth, breadth and sheer quality of its holdings.  Give yourself at least two full days…

Read more

Da, comrade….

... you will sleep here, tonight. All jokes aside, we're assuming that this fabulous new hotel in Copenhagen, from our affiliate friends Marriott Bonvoy says socialist, it can only mean sociable.  You could be a bit confused when you first see the stark design of the exterior, but the interior is another thing entirely. In any case, we're…

Read more

Smells like common sense

In most of the world, inhaling radon for pain relief sounds like a bizarre idea. In some places, though, it's so accepted that it's prescribed by doctors and covered by health insurance. And I have no idea how to talk about it. Thanks to the team at the Radonstollen in Bad Kreuznach: Watch the video courtesy of…

Read more

Run away, run away . . . runway!

This article is not meant to be funny, but it is, in a way.  Monty Python would think so, anyway.  (And, to be sure, no-one was hurt.) ETF Airways, a startup charter airline from Croatia, is preparing a lawsuit against Bremen Airport (BRE) in Germany over the damages caused by a rabbit strike in August, as…

Read more

We can Kurgan

As we often write here, as we humans get more clever, we often discover magical places and things that sometimes make us question our own "superiority," even with our intellectual and technical prowess. A good example is the Royal Kurgan of Kerch.  The Royal Kurgan, also called the Tsarskiy Kurgan, is one of the most…

Read more

Show me the way

We've just hooked up with WeGoTrip, an innovative company who create audio guides for when you want to travel "do it yourself." It make so much sense, and can make touring so much more fun.  No noise in the background, no distractions, focused narrative, you can rewind and listen again, and you can use your…

Read more

Where are the dream police?

Advertisers have begun invading our sleep in an attempt to place their products in our dreams. This is neither metaphor nor fiction; it’s a fact. The night before Super Bowl LV, the beverage company Molson Coors ran what they called the ‘world’s largest dream study’. They explicitly aimed to place images of Coors beer, along…

Read more

Lights! iPhone! ACTION!

We don't know about you, but we started crying like babies when we saw James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 being trashed in No Time to Die.   They don't make them like that anymore..  That's like adding glitter to the Mona Lisa. But, like little childen, we were soon distracted by the mesmerising, almost, surreal beauty of…

Read more

Let’s get Pagan!

The more we keep digging, the more we find about our ancient history.  With this, we can understand who we are, and why we behave the way that we do.  It's fascinating stuff. In this article, we cover the tumuli of Bougon, also called the necropolis of Bougon, an archaeological site dating back to the Neolithic…

Read more

Volk’s wagon

There can often be lots of fun things under your nose, and sometimes you miss them entirely.  Take the Brighton (UK) seashore, for example:  it has its own little railway.  Volk's Electric Railway (VER) is a narrow gauge heritage railway that runs along a length of the seafront of the English seaside resort of Brighton.…

Read more

Hope springs eternal

As always, hope springs eternal.  Mankind will always correct its errant ways and will always achieve its highest aspiratiions.  And, humans keep trying to make that so. In 1900, Ida Hofmann, a German pianist, and her companion Henry Oedenkoven, the 25-year-old son of a businessman from Antwerp, purchased a hill in Ascona which had been known…

Read more

Just close your eyes – it’ll be fine

Sometimes when we stay at a hotel, we're miffed when it doesn't have our favourite brand of coffee, or the pillow is too stiff, or it took three minutes to have more towels delivered.  Sheesh! But, it could be worse . . much worse. Is this Britain’s WORST hotel? Inside filthy seaside spot with dirty kitchen &…

Read more

Much to gain in Ukraine

How many of you have been to Ukraine?  We're betting not nearly enough.  And that's a shame. Ukraine is one of the least explored countries in Eastern Europe. This is a fact. But there is so much to see in the country and Ukraine is definitely an overlooked destination. Many Americans have heard about Kyiv, Lviv…

Read more

I’m still standing

Yeah, yeah yeah. We love old.  Old places, old things, old ideas, old values. And we love the fact that there's stuff  even older than us. So it thrills us to let you know (if you don't already) about Historic Hotels Worldwide.  As you might guess, they're exactly what it says on the label:  hotels of note…

Read more