Intelligent Travel

Thinking Outside the Euro

USA Today ran a story last week about how the U.S. economic slowdown is affecting European tourism:

"Amy Ziff of Travelocity says bookings for countries that use the euro, such as France, Italy and Spain, are 15% lower than last summer. Bookings are up 16% for Eastern European countries that don't use the euro, she says."

So, for your planning pleasure, here's a list of European countries that don't use the euro, and may therefore offer you a bigger bang for your buck:

Poland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Estonia. (Slovakia will be adopting the euro by the beginning of next year.)

But not all non-euro countries are bargains. Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, and Great Britain, for example, have kept their own currencies but "hotels, restaurants, and other attractions in the major urban areas of those countries are among Europe's priciest," reported the Washington Post, adding that, "in some of the most popular destinations in Central Europe and the Balkans, a limited supply of hotels and restaurants has driven prices to London and Paris levels."

Will the economy be affecting your summer travel plans? Where are you heading to make the dollar (or euro, or the currency of your choice) stretch further?

Photo: Market Square in Krakow, Poland by smif via Flickr

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New Venetian Law is For the Birds

Apparently we're on the bird-poo beat these days. But I was interested to hear that a municipal ordinance in Venice has outlawed the feeding of pigeons in St. Mark's Square. Could a character of the city nearly as iconic as its canals really be abolished? And more interestingly, should it? The International Herald Tribune explains:

Like other metropolises with a significant pigeon population, including New York and London, Venice has long been concerned with the potential hazards the birds pose to human health, not to mention the damage caused by their guano and taste for marble. Previous efforts to control their numbers—nets, spikes and electronic contraptions to deter perching—have been mostly unsuccessful.

What has made the situation particularly drastic in Venice is the spiraling number of tourists—about 20 million a year by official estimates—which has triggered a whole new law of nature: More tourists equals more birdseed sold and more garbage produced. That equals more pigeons and more damage to the historic buildings in the square, including the delicate mosaics on the façade of St. Mark's Basilica.

London Bloggers Divulge Local Secrets

Locals like to guard their hometown's hidden gems from the masses with fiery industry, especially in a colossal tourist destination like London. But lucky for travelers, the Guardian recently convinced ten of the city's most in-the-know bloggers to reveal one each of their best secrets, from a cafe with a gangster's past to a haven for "jive enthusiasts."

These sights have officially been bookmarked for our next jaunt across the pond:

• A series of mosaics that chronicle Alfred Hitchcock's life, both personal and cinematic, installed at Leytonstone tube station, via London Underground tube blog
• Homemade gelato (need we say more?!?) at Hackney City Farm, via London is Free
• Rivoli Ballroom, one of London's two remaining ballrooms—complete with red velvet-padded walls, chandeliers, and Chinese lanterns—and site of a hush-hush White Stripes concert last summer, via Gridskipper

Read more over at the Guardian, and tell us in the comments section which lesser-known London sights you think merit a visit.

Photo: The Birds Mosaic at Leytonstone London Underground, by Annie Mole

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Walk the Wall

It's tough for a city to promote tourism when one of their biggest attractions no longer exists. Ever since the Berlin Wall was torn down in 1989, exploring its remnants has been difficult for the city's visitors, as pieces of the wall have been dismantled and sold, leaving little evidence of where East and West were once divided. But this week the city government unveiled a hand-held GPS device that will highlight important places on the path where the 103-mile wall once stood.

"With the help of this guide, we finally have an answer to the most often asked question: Where was the wall?" Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit told reporters as he introduced the new gadget.

The devices has a colorful touch-screen map that allows users can zoom in and out, and click on video, audio, and other multimedia to learn about 22 historic spots along the route. Stops include the Brandenburg Gate, where you can see a video clip of President Reagan challenging Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down that wall!" and an explanation of the some of the 106 murals on the East Side Gallery. The AP reports how the GPS provides the historical context for the politics during Cold War:
 
"Audio files and video documentaries give an overview of the wall's dramatic Cold War history, starting on Aug. 13, 1961, when East Germany began building the barrier to wall off the capitalist enclave of West Berlin in a bid to stop a westward exodus from the communist state.

At a memorial for the people killed while trying to escape across the barrier, users can click an icon that lets them see and hear Juergen Litfin talk about the death of his brother Günter—shot by border guards Aug. 24, 1961, and said to be the first of at least 125 people killed trying to make the perilous crossing."

Devices are currently available in German and English and cost between $9.50 to $24 depending on the length of their use. They'll be available from five kiosks around the city, and they anticipate releasing more languages soon.

Image: Mauerguide.com

Swiss Mobility

The SwitzerlandMobility project, a sustainable network of trails interwoven through the country's landscape, just launched this past weekend. Brian Schott was on hand to see it at its start.

MURTEN, SWITZERLAND — I was late. After arriving in Switzerland to sort out the country's new Mobility Project, I was struggling with my own version of Swiss mobility: sprinting for the train in Lausanne for the 45-minute ride to Murten, hoping to make a press conference that would launch the largest national network of non-motorized transport routes ever created. Once I was rolling, wiping sweat from my brow, I could relax. I gazed at workers in the fields harvesting onions, and gawked at views of the alps across Lake Geneva. Walking to the shores of Lake Murten, I listened to thrush singing, took in the beautiful architecture of the medieval village, and breathed in the smells of ornamental cherries and magnolia trees in bloom.

The dignitaries gathered. Press assembled. I listened.

Okay, here’s the deal, they explained. There are no new trails. No new construction. Really nothing new for travelers to see. Huh? I’ve never been here before and am already blown away by just the small speck of landscape that I have seen in the past 24 hours. Just standing here in this village is enough.

So what exactly am I doing here?

Turns out, thanks to the ingenuity of Swiss precision and four years of hard work, these charming folks have created a linked network for hikers (3,914 miles/6,300 km), touring cyclists (5,281 miles/8,500 km), mountain bikers (2,050 miles/3,300 km), inline skaters (683.5 miles/1,100 km) and canoeists (115 miles/250 km), all marked across the independent 26 cantons of Switzerland. The system of trails will use over 100,000 standardized signposts with different markings for national, regional, and local routes, for all the various forms of human-powered mobility. Some 18,000 public transport routes connect with the network. Ja wol!

That, in itself, is a major feat. Anyone who has ever been to any kind of meeting sitting around some table trying to gain consensus for a project knows that. Toll!

“The signposts are excellent,” assured Ruedi Jasli, one of the masterminds behind the project and the owner of Swiss Trails. Fifteen years ago he spearheaded an effort to get in-line skating trails established across the country. When I spoke with him in person after the official announcement, I could feel his passion. He obviously has a lot to gain from its success, managing the booking of one to eight day tours. But you can tell his love of sport outweighs his love of the bottom line. Any good project starts with love.

“The signposts are perfect,” he went on. “There are two options for signs. None. Or perfect. We chose perfect.”

You gotta love the Swiss. Tick, tock.

Global Eye: Moscow

Photographer: Kat Tancock, Toronto, Canada.

Getting the Shot: I took the photo in mid-March at the Vernisazh market in eastern Moscow (also known as Izmailovo Park).

The Details: It was a bright day and I was taking advantage of the bright colours in the stalls with my Canon SD750 point-and-shoot camera. I loved the juxtaposition of the Putin doll with all of the standard matryoshki.

We love how this picture helps sum up how tradition and politics mingle in Moscow. No doubt there's a few riddles hidden inside the Putin doll.

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No Beer at the Inn

The Halal Inn opened last December in Oldham, England, as the first Islamic pub in Britain. Buzzing (albeit a bit hesitantly) with a decidedly sobering business model, the place adheres to a strict no-alcohol policy, opting instead to serve fizzy non-alcoholic juices, drinks, and spritzers.

The Daily Mail explains:

Pubgoers can play snooker, darts or karam, an Indian board game similar to billiards. Islamic-themed quiz nights have also been organised.

Owners Azizur Rahman and business partner Muzahid Khan spotted the potential in the former Westwood Inn which was lying empty on the edge of the town centre.

Muslims are a major consumer group and they need somewhere to relax and socialise just like anybody else," said Mr Khan yesterday.

"But the presence of alcohol means traditional pubs are off-putting to those who want to follow strict Islamic rulings, so this is the perfect place for them to come.

I'm all for diverse businesses, especially ones that cater to under-represented demographics. And considering Britain is home to around two million Muslims, the concept certainly hits an untapped niche. But at the risk of sounding like a lush, I can't help but agree with Vagabondish: "Why not just call it a café instead?"

Photo: Karam board game, by Domini_ via Flickr

A Sting More Painful than the Bad Exchange Rate

Just as we’re getting antsy to squish our bare feet into sunkissed, silky sand for some carefree lazing on the beach (anywhere! and soon!), the Economist had to go and dampen our summer pinings. Apparently, the painful sting of the euro’s exchange rate isn’t all you have to dread in the Mediterranean: An “unprecedented swarm of jellyfish” is heading to Europe.

We’ll let the Economist be the painful messenger:

The mauve stingers (also known as Pelagia noctiluca) have been breeding in the water throughout the winter, and are now ready for an assault on the beaches of Spain and the Mediterranean.

Masses of jellyfish are an increasingly common nuisance, not just in Spain, but all around the world. Spectacular blooms have been reported in Japan, Namibia, Alaska, Venezuela, Peru and Australia. And since 2000, the Gulf of Mexico has been suffering from an invasion of monster Australian spotted jellyfish (Phyllorhiza punctata), which are fouling fishing nets and upsetting the shrimpers.

Lucas Brotz, an oceanography graduate student at the University of British Columbia’s Fisheries Centre, says the increase in jellyfish populations means human encounters with the painful little blobs are bound to be more prevalent. Of course, this is hardly news. The Mediterranean has been on “jellyfish alert” for the past couple of years. Beaches on some of the region’s most popular resorts have even been forced to close. Most scientists blame higher sea temperatures brought on by global warming, as well as overfishing, for the jellyfish influx.

Global Eye: Kjosarsysla, Iceland

"It's Written in the Stars," Kjosarsysla, Iceland

Photographer: Lárus Sigurðarson, Reykjavik, Iceland

Details: Canon 5D and a 24mm 1.4L Canon Lens; exposure 20 seconds; f/2; ISO 1600

Getting the Shot: Well you know the saying "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence," right? Here in Iceland the borealis is pretty common from late September to early April so if you just bother going out night after night, you are bound to eventually stumble upon some to photograph. Only trouble really is having patience, a lot of nights are spent not seeing any borealis. That and making sure to have something else but borealis in the shot, like an interesting foreground.

We like how Larus captured several shooting stars in the midst of the colorful sky. Have you got a photo that is worthy of Global Eye? Add it to our Flickr pool. And got some love for IT writer Katie? Vote for her essay on Reykjavik over at Gridskipper.

Photo: Lárus Sigurðarson via Flickr

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Eco-Adventure Weekend in Wales

Former Traveler intern and friend of IT Lisa Lombardi is studying abroad in London this semester, but she recently escaped away to Wales for an adventure-packed weekend.

After five weeks of living in London, this Midwestern girl was ready for a break from the glamour of metropolitan life, so I booked a weekend adventure trip with the Preseli Venture outdoors group and headed to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in Wales. As promised, the Welsh coast wilderness was the perfect remedy for the sensory overload of big-city living.

Among the many trips and options Preseli offers (including corporate retreats and stag and hen parties) is the outdoor adventure weekend, short enough to experience without taking time off and reasonable enough in price that even I, the lowly college student, can indulge. Guests can try out two excursions, choosing between mountain biking, sea kayaking, surfing and coasteering (scaling and jumping off of sea cliffs). For the third outing of the weekend, there is a hike along the stunning coastal cliffs.

How to Really "Backpack Europe"

For some of us here at IT, camping in tents was our first real introduction to travel. So our interest piqued when reading Arthur Frommer's interesting blog post about campsites situated on the outskirts of most European cities. The campsites are usually accessible via the city's public transportation system (like a subway or bus), and provide a cheap alternative to staying right in the heart of things.

He writes:

Did you know you could camp in Paris along the banks of the Seine River in the Bois de Boulogne park? How about a campsite with a view overlooking the domes and bell towers of Florence from a hillside terrace in the Oltrarno district? Venice even has a campground by the beach on the island next to the Lido, just a short ferry ride from St. Mark's Square. Some campgrounds are operated only in warm weather (roughly Easter through October or early November), but many stay open year-round.

The bill at a European campground can be a bit confusing, since you are usually charged an array of small fees – one for the site, another for each person, yet another for your vehicle -- but the total usually ends up around $17 to $26 for a couple in a tent, up to $40 in the most popular campgrounds in the summer high season. Forgot your tent? You can usually rent one for $10-$20.

Checking In: The Ritz-Carlton Moscow

Not quite a year old, the Ritz-Carlton, Moscow, is all the buzz in a city that just recently confirmed that it's the world's most expensive city. With views of Red Square, the 334-room hotel features over-the-top amenities, including a vodka sommelier who oversees 400 varieties of the drink, the glass-domed O2 Lounge where you can dip into a caviar sushi roll, and a nightlife butler who helps guests navigate Moscow's trendy club scene. Associate editor Susan O'Keefe recently checked in with Oliver Eller, general manager of the Ritz-Carlton, Moscow, and asked him how to make the most of a an overnight stay or day-visit to his opulent hotel and city.

Tell us about some of the features that make the Moscow Ritz-Carlton unique. How does it speak to the destination? Caviar at turndown?

Our large guest rooms measure from 452 sq. feet and feature high-tech amenities such as flat screen TV’s and finger touch panels for controlling lights and curtains. The Jeroboam restaurant is run by Three-Michelin Star Chef Heinz Winkler. Recently, the restaurant has been recognized by Time Out Moscow magazine as Moscow’s best restaurant in 2007. And the panoramic views from the 12th floor O2 terrace lounge over the city center are breathtaking.

When I step out of your hotel, what will I see within a mile's walk? Any personal favorite shops, restaurants, or must-see attractions?

[We have a] great location adjacent to Red Square and the Kremlin, on the famous Tverskaya Street, Moscow’s main avenue. [And there's] Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Christ the Savior Cathedral, Pushkin Museum for Arts, Bolshoi Theater, famous luxury shopping malls GUM and  TSUM, the largest exhibition hall Manege, the Russian Historical Museum, Armory etc. I personally like the Kamergersky street. It is a pedestrian zone with many small restaurants and cafés. In summer it is the best place to sit on the terrace, enjoy the beautiful summer weather and watch Muscovites strolling by.

Open Skies Makes for Easier Travel

Starting today, airline travel from the U.S. to Europe is going to get easier. The Open-Skies agreement, which was signed last April, will allow any airline in the European Union to fly into any airport in the U.S., and all U.S. airlines to fly into any EU airport. In a nutshell, this means that passengers will no longer get stuck in a 12-hour layover in London just to continue on to Dublin.

Currently, trans-Atlantic flights are governed by many agreements between the U.S. and each individual country, and required airlines to both take off and land in their native countries. For example, a British Airlines flight going to the U.S. had to leave from the U.K., and American Airlines and United Airlines were the only air carriers allowed to service Heathrow, which often serves as a mid-point for travel to Asia and Africa. After the 30th, Northwest, Continental, and Delta Airlines will also be able to service the U.K. from airports like Dallas-Fort Worth, which, until now, never had nonstop service to Heathrow.

Poland's Sweet Snowflake Building

We know it might seem a bit premature to be looking toward Shanghai’s 2010 Expo — after all, Zaragoza’s turn in the limelight this June is a lot more imminent (and focuses on water and sustainable development, to our delight). Sure, but the winning design entry for the Polish Pavilion is too cool not to dote on.

Based on Polish folk handicrafts, the design links tradition with a decidedly contemporary flair. Polish architects Wojciech Kakowski, Natalia Paszkowska, and Marcin Mostafa explain: “[W]e hope to avoid literal traditionalism and the mechanical repetition of canonical forms. The design of the object is intended to link with tradition, but also to be contemporary, a stylized reinterpretation, creatively connecting to today and inspired by the past, yet not followed it rigidly.”

The pavilion follows in the grand tradition of other architectural eye candy unveiled at international expos (aka World's Fairs). Though most expo structures are designed to be temporary, some have found grace and remained, such as, most famously, the Eiffel Tower in 1889 and Seattle's Space Needle in 1962.

The Polish Pavilion's intricate cutout façade reminds us an awful lot of snowflakes we meticulously cut as grade-schoolers (but fret not: This structure is made of sturdy wood).

Photo: Bureau of the Commissioner General of the Polish Section of EXPO 2010

Paris in the Fifties

Waxing nostalgia about the bygone days of Paris is hardly new or rare, but that doesn't make us eat up pitch-perfect prose on the City of Light any less. And when it's written by the likes of Pulitzer Prize winner Stanley Karnow, who does it with such je ne sais quoi, we're mere putty in his hands. Karnow—father of one of our favorite Traveler photographers, Catherine—penned a lovely account of living in Paris for ten years as a young man, starting in 1947, called Paris in the Fifties. We checked in with him recently to get his pulse on Paris, then and now.

How has Paris changed since you lived there in the 1950s?

You can’t afford it! There’s a phrase, one I use in my book: Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose—the more things change, the more things stay the same. Things have changed tremendously in Paris since my first time, but yet there’s a lot that hasn’t changed. It certainly still ranks as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and its beauty has been greatly enhanced in recent years.

The marvelous thing about a lot of the changes that have taken place is that the French were very good—if they wanted to modernize something, they would maintain the facade and change things internally. You’ll walk by a building from the 17th or 18th century, and the outside is how it always has been, but the inside is air-conditioned and all that.

How do you think the French people have changed?

The whole younger generation of France travels more. There’s a lot of mythology about the French being anti-American. They’re not at all. They love America and come here a lot.

And the new president of France is very pro-American. One of the things that is important is to speak the language. When you speak the language—my French is now fluent—I think the French very much appreciate that. I think if you speak the language you’re way ahead. But now, of course, a lot of French speak English.

Amsterdam Corrals Its Cowboy Cabbies

Contributing Writer Cathy Healy offers an update on Amsterdam's cab conundrum.

Amsterdam’s first mandatory quality cab stand opened service at the city’s central train station on March 4, just in time for spring break and summer vacation.  Intelligent Travel reported earlier this year about hapless tourists who arrive on a red-eye flight from the United States, only to be refused service at the train station by “cowboy cabbies” who wouldn’t give them a ride for less than a €40+ distance.

Dutch police will ensure that only quality cabs will be allowed to offer services at the Central Train Station, with similar stands planned for other popular tourist sites.

In inaugurating the clampdown, Mayor Job Cohen said, “Amsterdam wants to be a number one city that give a hospitable welcome for visitors and takes care of its inhabitants. This requires dedicated and trustworthy drivers, who will serve as hosts to our city."

Thanks to my long-time Amsterdam friend, Peter Baak, who alerted me of the change and translated the story in Blik op Nieuws.

Photo: franklangeweg via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool

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Paris House Museums

We all appreciate I.M. Pei’s pyramid at the Louvre, but not the long hours spent contemplating it from the entrance line (oh, the ennui!). For a more intimate and authentic museum experience, try these early 20th-century house museums, recommended by an honest-to-goodness real Parisian, Bertrand Bourgeois.

Musée Nissim de Comondo. Inspired by the Petit Trianon at Versailles, Moïse de Comondo built this residence to display the collection of classical French furnishings he collected over the course of 20 years. Opened in 1936, this reconstruction of an 18th-century Parisian luxury home contains such period pieces as “watching” chairs, used by spectators at game tables and commissioned by the sister of Louis XVI. You will also find portraits by Elisabeth Vigée Lebrun and tapestries depicting scenes from La Fontaine’s fables. The museum is named in honor of de Comondo’s son, who disappeared in an air battle during the First World War. (63 Rue de Monceau, +33 1 53 89 06 50. To leave a message: +33 1 53 89 06 40).

Musée Jacquemart-André: Home turned museum in 1913 by Edouard André and Nelie Jacquemart, a rich couple who loved Italian art. Features collections by French artists such as Fragonard and Boucher, as well as Dutch and Italian Renaissance paintings. Equally arresting is the building's unique architecture. (158 Blvd. Haussmann, 75008 Paris; +33 1 45 62 11 59)

For after-museum music and dining, try La Maroquinerie (23 Rue Boyer, 75020 Paris; +33 1 40 33 35 05). This club in the 20e arrondissement features a literary café, a restaurant, and an eclectic concert program featuring up-and-coming artists, with music ranging from French traditional to jazz to electronic. Très chic!

Read More: Check out Traveler's "Authentic Paris" feature in our March issue, now on newsstands, our Paris photo gallery, and a plethora of Paris posts from IT.

Photo: Musée Nissim de Comondo

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Traveler's Best of Ireland

Top o' the morning readers! We're wearing o' the green here at Traveler  today and wanted to present you with some of our favorite Irish offerings from our pages.

Novelist Maeve Binchy reveals her very own Place of a Lifetime: Dalkey, Ireland, home to a host of literary greats.

Set off on the ultimate Irish road trip and using our detailed plan for navigating the Ring of Kerry. But be sure to master the right way to drive on the left.

Get the lowdown on the best places to see, eat, and of course, drink, in Dublin.

Introduce yourself to Ireland's Aran Islands, whose beauty ranked high on our most recent Destinations Rated list.

Check out our Trip Lit book critic Don George's review of Roddy Doyle's collection of Irish short stories, The Deportees, then peruse other Irish titles from our Ultimate Travel Library.

Relax at the Lisdoonvarna, a Victorian pumphouse-turned spa, and Ireland's addition to our Top 50 Wellness Destinations.

Know which sweaters and pottery are worth taking home with tips from our Authentic Shopping Guide.

Photo: Dublin; by Hon Lau/iStockphoto.com

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Global Frappuccino

Say what you will about caffeine-giant Starbucks. Because apparently, Prague is saying only good things.

In January, Starbucks opened its first location in the Czech Republic. The retailer is located in an 1874 building (which, appropriately, used to be a coffee house), and includes the building's original flooring, "use of recommended paint color palettes, maintenance of all existing windows, and design and installation of subdued exterior signage in keeping with the ambience of the town square," according to the Starbucks press release.

Said Cliff Burrows, president of Starbucks Europe, Middle East, and Africa: "We are thrilled to welcome the people of Prague back to the Palác Grömlingovský to enjoy Starbucks finest coffees in the location they have known and loved for years.”

Behind the Lens: Photo Tips from Dan

Senior Photo Editor Dan Westergren oversees the photographic vision of Traveler magazine, but when he himself is taking the shots, it's often hard for him to know what will work best. We asked Dan to offer up some blog-worthy tutorials, and are already making the most of his advice.

Sometimes the best photo is the easiest to take.

While working on a story called "Norway Hut to Hut", I had been struggling all day, backpacking out of a steep valley to a mountain plateau in Norway's Jotunheimen National Park. The scenery was stunning and I had been busy following a family of fellow travelers up the trail. I was desperate to capture the perfect juxtaposition between the trail, the valley walls, and the river below. I would rush ahead, shoot photos, lag behind, take more pictures, then hike as fast as I could to catch up again. I was expending twice the energy of anyone else in order to capture on film this place and activity.

Finally, I arrived at the hut which was to be our home for the night. Exhausted, I collapsed in a chair, setting down my camera bag on the floor next to me. I was thinking about all the great photos that were sure to be the result of all the hard work I had done that day. Then, I looked up from my soft chair and saw this amazing scene. Since I was finished working for the day, it took me a moment to realize that here was the scene I needed to tell the story of this trip. I simply reached down without moving from my chair, grabbed a camera and took two or three frames. It was the easiest photo I had taken all week. When we laid out the pictures for the magazine, this photo was printed across two pages as the opener for the story.

National Geographic Traveler celebrates photography, and encourages you to let us see your own best shots. Check out our Photography Tips, attend a Photo Seminar, and add your photos to our ever-growing Flickr pool.

Photo: Dan Westergren; featured in the May/June 2004 issue of Traveler.

Neighborhood Watch: Great Scot!

Speaking of healthy cities, a new rural community in Scotland is on track to be the world’s first “trim town.” Prince Charles himself is championing the deliberate city planning, which will plot the health of its future residents as priority No. 1. Scotland on Sunday has the scoop:

The Prince is concerned about the rising obesity epidemic in the UK, caused partially by poor diet and lack of exercise. But he also believes that where people live and the transport options available have a big influence on their health.

The new town, which may be called Knockroon after a nearby farm, will incorporate a range of features to discourage residents from using their cars, and lead them to adopting a healthier lifestyle.

Every home in Knockroon will be within five minutes' walk of shops, workplaces and other amenities. Streets will be designed to favour pedestrians over cars and be well lit at night to encourage walking.

The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment—the organization charged with developing Knockroon—will be listening to locals’ input in order to create living, working neighborhoods that emphasize bicycling lanes and pedestrian walkways, all while taking maximum advantage of the idyllic surroundings. Even the housing, traditional Scottish tenements, will eschew elevators so their residents must huff it instead.

Here's hoping a new healthy trend takes shape!

Photo: Eden Photography

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A Bloody Good Shakespeare Marathon

Shakespeare aficionados will be happy to learn that the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is performing all eight of the bard’s history-themed plays over the next few months. The plays—which span over 100 years of history—include Richard II, Henry IV Parts I and II, Henry V, Henry VI Parts I, II and III, and Richard III.  They will be performed at the RSC’s Stratford-upon-Avon home until March 16, and then the company will make its way to the London Roundhouse, where performances will take place from April 1 to May 25.

The 30 actors bringing this performance marathon to life have been preparing for two and a half years. And Michael Boyd, RSC’s artistic director, believes that this is the first time the Shakespeare "history cycle" has been staged by one company of actors.

Globespotters takes us behind the scenes of this mega production by breaking down the following facts:

Across the 8 productions 34 actors play 264 parts, each part is understudied, which means a total of 528 parts have been rehearsed. Each actor plays and understudies around 15 parts each. Between them they have learned roughly 210,000 words. 800 costumes are required and over 40 wigs and hairpieces. In all over fifteen liters of stage blood is needed – it’s made from glucose and ice-cream colouring.

Wow is all we have to say.

For more information on these performances, check out the Royal Shakespeare Company’s website.

Photo: Tasha Rhoads via Flickr

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City Life: Hot Tickets

City Life Editor Amy Alipio is crazy about a lot of things: desserts, James McAvoy, satellite radio, and her new Honda Civic hybrid. But she admits being the geekiest of fans about theater. Musicals, dramas, pantomimes, obscure one-acts, whatever—if it’s a stage, she’s there, wide-eyed and giddy as a toddler. If she could jet around the world at will, here’s where you would find her this spring:

The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other, National Theatre, London, now playing - through April 12
27 actors, 450 characters, and no dialogue. “Written” by the experimental and controversial Austrian theater artist Peter Handke.

August Wilson’s 20th Century, Kennedy Center, Washington DC, March 4-April 6
The full cycle of August Wilson’s ten plays about the African-American experience in the 20th century. Each play is set in a different decade (though Wilson didn’t write them in chronological order). The Kennedy Center’s staged readings start March 4 with the 1900s-era Gem of the Ocean.

The God of Carnage, Gielgud Theatre, London, opening March 7
Yasmina Reza’s new comedy, starring Ralph Fiennes, about two couples hashing over a playground altercation between their two young children. Reza is the author of the award-winning and much-staged "Art".

All (Baby) Bottled Up in Montmartre

Last month, I spent a weekend in Paris while visiting France on a month-long post-graduation celebratory journey. But the group of friends I spent that weekend with — a mélange of American French speakers, Americans with no French knowledge, and old French pals — packed quite a punch into those few days. The evening that remains most ingrained in my memory (well, swatches of the evening went mysteriously missing, but read on and you’ll understand) was the night we dined and drank at Le Refuge des Fondues, a quirky little joint just down the giant hill from the Sacré Coeur in Montmartre. Graffiti-style greetings line the walls, patrons are packed shoulder-to-shoulder into long communal tables, and the oh-so-Parisian owner never lets you completely know if he's angry at you or adores you.

Disgruntled servers and fondue restaurants are all over Paris, we know, but this is the only place that offers up some of the lowest-end table wine served in baby bottles. It seems that Le Refuge des Fondues found a clever little shortcut to getting around the mandated tax Parisian restaurants face when serving wine out of the slightly more traditional stemmed glass.

Photo: Caution – Contents of bottles not safe for children.

Neighborhood Watch: Amsterdam's New Red Light District

Could Amsterdam be turning a new, prudish leaf? According to the New York Times, the Dutch capital is pitting plastic mannequins against flesh in the hopes of combating the district’s rising crime. 

The city council recently voted to clean up the notorious Red Light District, which, in the NYT's words, “has become bloated with expanding sleaze.” City elders say increasingly violent gangs, many of which are Russian and Eastern European, have infiltrated the historic district, especially amplified since prostitution was legalized in 2000. Earlier this year, a Dutch judge ordered the shutting down of one of Amsterdam’s top brothels, the Yab Yum Club. Plus, more than a hundred million euros have been promised to implement the transformation plan, which also includes cleaning up the area along the Damrak and Rokin main thoroughfares. 

The gentrification scheme has started with the city buying brothels, and so far, 18 street-side windows that formerly showcased scantily clad women now display the works of a few lucky young designers and photographers. Five former brothels on the square facing a 14th-century church—Amsterdam’s oldest church—have also been bought by the city. 

The Dutch capital elders are banking on the reduction of smut to bring art galleries, boutiques, fine-dining restaurants, and upscale hotels to the district, Amsterdam’s oldest quarter and site of seven medieval churches. But many locals argue that such changes would ruin the neighborhood’s soul. According to the Times, angry residents and landlords have enlisted lawyers and formed action groups to defend the Red Light District. Posters reading “Hands Off” have been plastered to area café and shop windows.

What do you think of the city council’s actions? Is it high time for a more family-friendly Amsterdam, or will gentrification spoil the city’s culture?

Photo: Trey Ratcliff

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Tour Guide: Paris Paparazzi

L'hotel de ville in Paris

This just in from our friends at Gadling: French tour company Nomade Aventure has a one-day "Paris Paparazzi" tour that takes 4-20 star-crazed fans around celebrity hot spots in the City of Lights. No word yet on how many celebrity sightings the tour groups actually have, but for $43 (29€) per person, plus the cost of lunch, we certainly hope at least one Didier Ludot-wearing, Louis Vuitton-toting diva would cross their path.

Not really the celeb-chasing type? Check out "Authentic Paris" in this month's issue of Traveler.

Photo: Etienne Boucher via Flickr

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Barcelona: Be Green, Be Cheap

Planning an España getaway this summer? If you're headed to Barcelona, be sure to check out the new Barcelona Urbany (opening June 1), which claims to be the country's first eco-friendly hostel.

What makes this hostel eco-savvy? It will recycle and reuse 50 percent of the water and use a rainwater harvesting system. It will also use low-consumption lamps and "more environmentally friendly and less aggressive materials." Sounds pretty good to us.

But just because Urbany is greening its quarters doesn't mean it is lacking in 21st-century amenities. Not only will the hostel have a swimming pool, BBQ area, free guest kitchen, and spa facilities, it will also offer breakfast and Wi-Fi free to guests.

The 13-story hostel will include about 400 beds in both mixed and female shared rooms, as well as individual and double rooms for those not wanting to put up with snoring strangers (you can check out some current construction photos here). And all rooms also have en suite bathrooms, which is the definition of hostel luxury.

Read more: IT got the goods on some U.K. hostels' efforts to go upscale, and on an eco-savvy hostel-on-wheels.

Photo: www.flickr.com/photos/bcnbits via Flickr

Global Eye: Hapert, Netherlands

De Hapertse Molen, Hapert, Netherlands

Photographer: Arnoud Augustinus, Eersel, Netherlands

Details: One of my hobbies is Kite Areal Photography (KAP). The picture shows the corn mill ("de Hapertse Molen") in Hapert and is made with a camera lofted from a kite.

Getting the shot: At the end of this winter period, we had a couple of days almost wind free. Only this weekend in February, the wind was just enough to lift my camera about 100 meters (328 feet) above the mill.  In these conditions I used an eight-foot Rokkaku kite, a reliable lifter for low winds. The camera is mounted in a construction giving it the ability to shoot images in different angles, controlled from the ground.

We like the unusual view of the Netherlands' landscape. Have your own bird's-eye, Global Eye view of the world? Share your photos in our Flickr group.

Photo: Arnoud Augustinus

Words of Parisian Wisdom from Taras Grescoe

In Traveler’s March issue, renowned travel writer and former Paris resident Taras Grescoe takes readers through the streets of authentic Paris, a city through the eyes of Parisians themselves. IT had the chance to grill Grescoe on his first Parisian encounter, his favorite little rue, and how those Frenchies are holding up under the new smoking ban.

Describe your first meeting with Paris. What stuck with you? What remains the same?

I was bumming around Europe with a rapidly diminishing stock of travelers checks; Paris is where the last of them ran out. I ended up staying for four years, teaching English, living in four different arrondissements, and doing a great deal of walking.

Paris in the 1990s was a somewhat grittier place. Cigarettes cost ten francs a pack, less than two bucks at the time (now they’re five-plus euros), and people smoked everywhere—metro platforms, elevators, toilet stalls (they had convenient ashtrays set above the toilet paper rolls). There were still first-class cars on the metro (identical to second, but less crowded), and cell phones had not become the chief means of flirting and conducting a love affair.

In many ways, Paris has become greener since I lived there. Bicycles are everywhere, as are bike paths. There are far more pedestrian-only sectors, and vast new parks (like the one at Bercy). But Paris is still Paris, and there are still passages, museums, and café-tabacs I’d like to discover. I wouldn’t mind running out of money and getting stranded there all over again.

In Authentic Paris, your friend Hélène Lurçat says that, “Parisians still shop in it [Paris] like it’s a village.” What is your personal favorite petite slice of Parisian “village” life?

I always make a beeline for the Rue Montorgueil in the second arrondissement. It’s a pedestrian street near the former site of Les Halles food market, and it’s full of fishmongers, cheese shops, bakeries, pastry shops. I grab a seat at a café terrace some time before noon (if I can find one—competition can be fierce) and watch the parade: check out which pattern of scarf everybody seems to be wearing this year, which breed of dog is fashionable.

Tour Guide: Busabout Europe

We all know that the Eurail is one of the most convenient ways to travel around Europe, but it can also cost a pretty penny (er, euro). But for the young and adventurous (or even young at heart) there's another option: Busabout, or more specifically, Busabout Explorer, which expanded on the "hop-on, hop-off" city tour bus model to create network covering 30 cities in ten European countries.

The cool part: Busabout has its own tour guides that travel with passengers on every bus. So before arriving at each city, they can tell you everything you need to know about that destination, as well as answer questions and give recommendations on where to stay, eat, etc. Once you arrive at your city, the exploration part is up to you, so you're never being dragged on any boring, stereotypical tours. The guides also have an extensive selection of the best accommodations in every city of hostels, budget hotels, and camping villages, all based on Busabout passenger recommendations, so it takes the guesswork out of finding a decent (and affordable) place to stay.

Neat technology: Every Busabout guide carries a handheld computer that has a seat- and bed-booking system. This means that travelers never need to search a city for a cheap Internet café to book the next part of their trip. Every passenger also gets a Busabout Travel Pass, a card which holds your personal details, a full itinerary and other useful information, and is swiped through the handheld computer so that someone in the world knows where you are (worrisome parents, perhaps?).

The best part: Trip options are split into loops, the Northern Loop (like Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, and Munich), Southern Loop (think Venice, Rome, Florence, and Nice), and Western Loop (to Paris, Nice, Avignon, Barcelona, Madrid, Bordeaux, and beyond). Travelers can stay for as many days as they like in each city, and the Busabout buses stop in every city once every two days, making travel easy. Busabout also encourages sustainable tourism, and is part of The Leading Travel Companies of the World Conservation Foundation (which is always a plus in our books).

The pretty penny: Loop passes start at $639 for one loop. The Flexitrip pass costs $549 for six stops along any o