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You get what you pay for

Many of us approach dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant as almost a religious sabbatical.   Our best trousers and dresses, shoes shined, hair recently coiffed, we cross the hallowed threshold into a world of inconceivable bliss.  And, the next thing you know, the entire month's paycheck is accounted for. Well, it's time to wake up.  It…

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Fly Andorra

As you may or may not know, Andorra is a small, mountainous country in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain.  For 715 years (1278 to 1993), Andorrans lived under a unique co-principality ruled by the French Chief of State and the Bishop of La Seu d'Urgell.  As of 2019, its population is 77,142. Tourism,…

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Ahead of the curve

As of 26 March, 2021, there are two pieces of welcome news for British people looking to buy an overseas property or prepare a home for rental. From March 29th the ‘reasonable excuses to travel’ abroad allows journeys from the UK ‘in connection with the purchase, sale, letting or rental of a residential property’. This…

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Highly caffeinated things to do at airports

There are few things worse than a four-hour layover at the airport while you're salivating to get to your destination.  How many times can you walk past the magazine stand? In some countries, such as the UK, there are people known as "anoraks" who pace up and down the long - and usually crowded -…

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Medieval nights

As you most likely know, Europe is filled with history.  Right at your fingertips, you can touch - and even spend the night - in buildings that are hundreds, if not thousands, of years old.  In some cities, you literally bump into one incredible structure after another.  The fact that Europe still has so many…

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The chain in Spain

It is no surprise that one of the most enjoyable and diverse ways of getting regular exercise is bicycling.  In addition to the benefits of stretching those muscles and filling those lungs, you also have the benefit of discovering new locales - maybe with a pub at the end of the journey. Europe has always…

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They go the extra mile

Digital platforms provide a variety of technology-enabled tools that enhance market transparency, such as real-time monitoring, ratings of buyers and sellers, and low-cost complaint channels. How do these innovations affect moral hazard and service quality? We investigate this problem by comparing driver routing choices and efficiency on a large digital platform, Uber, with traditional taxis.…

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Meetings with the dragon

Margaretha Hönin had a bad reputation. Even though she lived in the late 16th century, we know that her neighbours, the people of Coburg in Thuringia, despised her for being a parvenu and a money-grabbing miser. Hönin was also said to be a witch who met regularly with a dragon. For her neighbours, her economic…

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It’s only a flesh wound

Monty Python notwithstanding, the legend of Arthur, king of the Britons remains an enduring, fascinating and unresolved story.  Dozens of films have been made, and yet, his legend is still shrouded in uncertainty. One thing about him that has more ground - literally - is where his infamous castle lair was located - generally accepted…

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A tour for the worst

Friends will tell you that you have to go to these ‘world famous sights’. But we’re here to tell you that sometimes, your friends are wrong. Reserve your precious holiday time for the best these destinations have to offer, not the overcrowded, overpriced tourist traps. Here are some of the most overhyped sights in Europe…

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Clean-us de Milo

If ever there was a need to use tender, loving care, it's when you work in place with some of the most precious and irreplaceable paintings, sculptures and artifacts.  Of course, in this case, we're talking about The Louvre in Paris.  The Musée du Louvre had a record 10.2 million visitors in 2018—an increase of…

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How to be a genius

Don’t get me wrong – yes, I’m a professor at Yale University, but I’m no genius. When I first mentioned to our four grown children that I was going to teach a new course on genius, they thought that was the funniest thing they’d ever heard. ‘You, you’re no genius! You’re a plodder.’ And they…

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OK Tours!

Those in the know, know that Central Europe is still a hidden secret in many ways.  And one of the most beautiful and modern is Prague, in the Czech Republic.  If you have not explored this part of Europe, then you are missing a treat.  The Czech Republic is not a geographically large country, but…

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