Gadling http://www.gadling.com Gadling http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.gadling.com/media/feedlogo.gif Gadling http://www.gadling.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Baby tiger cub in Germany adopted by a dachshund]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/21/baby-tiger-cub-in-germany-adopted-by-a-dachshund/http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/21/baby-tiger-cub-in-germany-adopted-by-a-dachshund/http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/21/baby-tiger-cub-in-germany-adopted-by-a-dachshund/#commentsFiled under: ,

There must be something in the water at many of Germany's zoos that cause mothers in captivity to reject their newborn young.

First we had Knut, and then Flocke, both polar bear cubs abandoned by their mothers and raised by zookeepers.

Now we have a newborn tiger cub at Germany's Stroehen Zoo, born last weekend and rejected by its mother. The cub is being nursed by a dachshund named Bessi, who belongs to one of the zookeepers. Bessi is taking over motherly duties and guarding the little tiger, which so far has not been named.

The papers here are saying that Bessi has "adopted" the cub, which kind of pisses me off. I mean, I recently got married in Germany and that required a ton of paper work, and you'd think adoption would be equally bureaucratic, but it seems Bessi has had an easy time of it.

Baby tiger cub in Germany adopted by a dachshund originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 21 May 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>German tiger cub adopted by dogGermanTigerCubAdoptedByDogThu, 21 May 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Norway wins big at 2009 Eurovision Song Contest]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/17/norway-wins-big-at-2009-eurovision-song-contest/http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/17/norway-wins-big-at-2009-eurovision-song-contest/http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/17/norway-wins-big-at-2009-eurovision-song-contest/#commentsFiled under: ,

Ah, the Eurovision Song Contest -- a huge thing in Europe, a non-event for the rest of the world.

Last night marked the finals, which were held in Moscow and broadcast in nearly 50 countries.

Norway's baby-faced Alexander Rybak won the event, beating out 24 other countries and earning a record-breaking 387 points for his song "Fairytale." Iceland came in second place, and Azerbaijan came in third.

The contest is held between active members of the European Broadcasting Union. Voting is a little complicated. Some 42 countries are eligible to vote, but cannot vote for their own entry in the song contest. Through both public voting and a jury, each country awards a set of points from 1 to 8, and then 10 and 12, with 12 being for the song they liked best.

This was the first year in some time that juries were let back into the voting process, following complaints from some that public voting essentially guaranteed that each country would vote for its closest neighbors.

There is still a lot of that kind of bloc-voting, though. The Balkans tended to throw their votes to other Balkan countries; ditto Scandinavian countries. But one of the big differences was that no matter what, most countries were giving their top points to Norway.

I'll admit, I like the Eurovision Song Contest. I like the nationalism of it, and the politics (Georgia's song was banned because it was deemed at being insulting to Russia). I like watching the performances, many of which are just awful (you can see some highlights here). This year in particular seemed to favor songs that required confusing costumes and even more confusing background dancing.

Of course, you might not know the name of Alexander Rybak. But you know some other former Eurovision Song Contest winners: LuLu (UK), ABBA (Sweden) and Celine Dion, who won the contest in 1988 singing for...Switzerland.

Norway wins big at 2009 Eurovision Song Contest originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 17 May 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Eurovision song contest 2009EurovisionSongContest2009Sun, 17 May 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Man who ripped head off of wax Hitler fined $1,200]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/12/man-who-ripped-head-off-of-wax-hitler-fined-1-200/http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/12/man-who-ripped-head-off-of-wax-hitler-fined-1-200/http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/12/man-who-ripped-head-off-of-wax-hitler-fined-1-200/#commentsFiled under:

Last year I wrote about the ill-fated Adolf Hitler exhibit at Berlin's just-opened Madame Tussauds museum.

A man obviously unhappy with the museum's decision to have a wax likeness of the 20th Century's most evil leader waited patiently in line on opening day before rushing, tackling the wax Hitler and ripping off its head -- all the time shouting, "Never again!" Several security guards were also injured in the fracas.

So, how much will Germany fine you if you decapitate Hitler?

The man known in the local media here only as "Frank L" was in court today, where he was given a suspended sentence and fined 900 euros, or roughly $1,200.

Was he sorry? No. He told the court that he'd do it again.

As for the Hitler statue, it is back at Madame Tussauds, in a more secure location.

Continue reading Man who ripped head off of wax Hitler fined $1,200

Man who ripped head off of wax Hitler fined $1,200 originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 12 May 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Adolf HitlerAdolfHitlerMadame Tussauds in BerlinMadameTussaudsInBerlinTue, 12 May 2009 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Airbus reducing deliveries of A380 'super jumbo']]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/07/airbus-reducing-deliveries-of-a380-super-jumbo/http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/07/airbus-reducing-deliveries-of-a380-super-jumbo/http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/07/airbus-reducing-deliveries-of-a380-super-jumbo/#commentsFiled under:

With the global economy what it is, it's probably not that surprising to read reports that Airbus is busy reducing deliveries of its much-vaunted A380 jumbo jet, the world's largest aircraft.

The company announced recently that it would only deliver 14 of the double-decker A380s this year, down from 18, and 20 next year, down from 45.

The 525-seat plane has a list cost of $237 million, according to the New York Times.

Not that many airlines are flying the A380; so far, just Emirates, Singapore and Qantas have incorporated the model into their fleets.

Qantas is one of the airlines that has said it would be deferring deliveries of future A380s because it doesn't have the money to pay for them. Airbus is not naming other specific airlines, but China Southern, Air France-KLM and India's Kingfisher have also said they'd be postponing delivery of the aircraft.

Airbus reducing deliveries of A380 'super jumbo' originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 07 May 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Airbus A380 super jumboAirbusA380SuperJumboThu, 07 May 2009 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[French lead the world in eating and sleeping]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/06/french-lead-the-world-in-eating-and-sleeping/http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/06/french-lead-the-world-in-eating-and-sleeping/http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/06/french-lead-the-world-in-eating-and-sleeping/#commentsFiled under:

OK, maybe that headline won't surprise you. Here's a stereotype that is backed up by hard data.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has released a report detailing sleeping and eating habits of 18 of the world's developed countries.

It's conclusion: The French sleep and eat more than any other people in the developed world.

Specifically, the study found that the French sleep an average of nine hours every night, which is about 30 minutes longer than the average American does. The Japanese and Koreans average less than eight hours of sleep a night.

As far as eating goes, the French spend more than two hours per day, on average, eating -- roughly twice the time Americans spend eating.

The French are also world leaders for taking vacation, an average of 35 days a year -- but the OECD study didn't address that.

French lead the world in eating and sleeping originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 06 May 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Wed, 06 May 2009 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Flight attendant arrested for trying to get guns through security]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/04/flight-attendant-arrested-for-trying-to-get-guns-through-securit/http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/04/flight-attendant-arrested-for-trying-to-get-guns-through-securit/http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/04/flight-attendant-arrested-for-trying-to-get-guns-through-securit/#commentsFiled under:

A flight attendant for Great Lakes Aviation has been arrested when police discovered her trying to get two handguns through security at Denver International Airport.

The woman's name is not being released to the public, according to KMGH-TV in Sacramento.

Police nabbed the FA at a security checkpoint. They discovered two guns stuffed into her carry on. She was passing through security on her way to board a flight.

Police say both guns were not loaded. Federal authorities are currently weighing whether to charge the FA with a crime.

Always good to see the TSA alert to catch this stuff, given some of the weird items people try to get through security these days.

Flight attendant arrested for trying to get guns through security originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 04 May 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>TSAMon, 04 May 2009 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Gadling's Most Read: April 2009]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/30/gadlings-most-read-april-2009/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/30/gadlings-most-read-april-2009/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/30/gadlings-most-read-april-2009/#commentsFiled under:

Just in case you might have missed them, here's a look back at our seven most-read travel posts published in the month of April.
  1. Clothing not optional at this German hotel
  2. Flight attendant blocks man from using bathroom -- has him arrested
  3. President Obama thinks 'Austrian' is a language?
  4. 2008 Airline quality report says Hawaiian is nation's best carrier
  5. TSA detains man for carrying cash
  6. Hyatt Gold Passport wants to know how you would spend 365 free nights and one million frequent flier miles
  7. TSA agent caught running a drug business on the side
From all of us here at Gadling, happy travels in the month ahead...

Gadling's Most Read: April 2009 originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Ryanair CEO: Swine flu only affects 'slum dwellers']]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/28/ryanair-ceo-swine-flu-only-affects-slum-dwellers/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/28/ryanair-ceo-swine-flu-only-affects-slum-dwellers/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/28/ryanair-ceo-swine-flu-only-affects-slum-dwellers/#commentsFiled under:

I'm apprehensive about giving any press to the buffoon who runs the Irish budget airline Ryanair. But so adept is Michael O'Leary, the company's CEO, at making ill-considered statements that its simply too easy to report them.

This is the guy who recently suggested that Ryanair might begin charging for use of its on board toilets, and a while back suggested that the airline might start giving out blow jobs.

Mr. O'Leary today weighs in on the fears surrounding swine flu, saying the virus is only a risk to Asians and Mexicans "living in slums," according to the Times of London.

Now it's true that the media are probably hyping swine flu a bit too much, with all the talk of a global pandemic, but clearly this is not just a problem of the slums. Travelers who have vacationed in well developed places like Cancun have returned home to find themselves infected.

"Are we going to die from swine flu? No. Are we in danger of SARS? No. Foot and mouth disease? No. Will it affect people flying short-haul flights around Europe this summer? Thankfully, no," Mr O'Leary said, according to the Times.

"It is a tragedy only for people living ... in slums in Asia or Mexico. But will the honeymoon couple from Edinburgh die? No. A couple of Strepsils will do the job."

What do you think? Is the media making too much of the swine flu? Will in impact travel?

Ryanair CEO: Swine flu only affects 'slum dwellers' originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Michael OLearyMichaelOlearyRyanairswine fluSwineFluTue, 28 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Which airlines bump the most passengers?]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/23/which-airlines-bump-the-most-passengers/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/23/which-airlines-bump-the-most-passengers/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/23/which-airlines-bump-the-most-passengers/#commentsFiled under:

I understand that airlines oversell seats as a hedge against passengers that cancel or do not show up to flights. But when you think about it, the concept of overselling -- that is, when that announcement comes over the PA at the gate feigning a degree of surprise that a "flight has been overbooked" -- is kind of ridiculous. I mean, an aircraft has X number of seats, and thus it sells a maximum of X number of tickets. Easy.

Yet overselling is the leading cause for passengers getting bumped from flights -- and tens of thousands of passengers are bumped, either voluntarily or involuntarily, every year.

What's the airline on which you're most likely to get bumped? That would be Atlantic Southeast Airlines, which bumped 22,982 people last year voluntarily (and another 3,610 involuntarily), according to a recently released report from the US Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings.

Here's how 18 domestic airlines rank in terms of bumping passengers. JetBlue is clearly the best of the bunch. What's its secret?

Continue reading Which airlines bump the most passengers?

Which airlines bump the most passengers? originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airlines bumping passengersAirlinesBumpingPassengersThu, 23 Apr 2009 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[An exhibit on war correspondents at NYC's Cheryl Pelavin Gallery]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/22/a/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/22/a/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/22/a/#commentsFiled under: ,

There are still a few days left for what sounds like a cool exhibit at the Cheryl Pelavin Gallery in lower Manhattan, if you find yourself in New York City.

Artist Cindy Kane asked 50 war correspondents to hand over whatever memorabilia they might have from their times in conflict zones. Using handwritten notes, press cards, visas and postcards, Kane has decorated 50 helmets, one for each correspondent.

They hang like so many mobiles from the gallery's ceiling.

"The overall feeling as one walks through the space is one of reflection. The helmets have been used in battles, and the journalists' notes record the despair of people trapped by war, poverty, and political oppression," Kane says on her Web site.

There are a lot of well known war correspondents represented, from old timers like Ward Just to current staffers from various newspapers, like Dana Priest of the Washington Post and Steven Erlanger of the New York Times.

I'd love to check this exhibit out. Sadly, it ends on April 25. If you're around Tribeca, stop by and have a look.

An exhibit on war correspondents at NYC's Cheryl Pelavin Gallery originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Cheryl Pelavin GalleryCherylPelavinGalleryCindy KaneCindyKaneexhibitsWed, 22 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Tribe from New Guinea sues <em>New Yorker</em>]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/22/tribe-from-new-guinea-sues-em-new-yorker-em/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/22/tribe-from-new-guinea-sues-em-new-yorker-em/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/22/tribe-from-new-guinea-sues-em-new-yorker-em/#commentsFiled under: ,

Some of you might have caught Jared Diamond's recent report in the New Yorker about the Handa clan of Papua New Guinea highlands and their penchant for revenge killing. The story profiled tribesman Daniel Wemp and his six-year quest to avenge the death of his uncle.

Well, the Handa tribe is pissed: They say the story unfairly portrays them as bloodthirsty animals bent on rape and murder.

Wemp is now availing himself of the great American pastime: Taking the New Yorker to court.

He is suing the magazine for $10 million, having filed a lawsuit in New York Supreme Court earlier this week.

How does a New Guinea tribesman come to sue in New York court? I'm a little unclear of that too (though clearly the Handa clan has a bit more contact with the outside world compared to, say, some tribes in Irian Jaya). It appears he has help in the form of the New York City-based Art Science Research Lab, which recently sent a team to New Guinea to closely fact check every one of Diamond's assertions in the story. They claim Diamond was duped by many of the people he interviewed.

The group is preparing a 40,000 word report -- 40,000 words! -- refuting the New Yorker story (which strikes me as overkill given how little Americans likely care about this story).

Right now, the New Yorker is standing behind Diamond.

I'd personally like to know how the Handa tribe figures it was wronged to the tune of $10 million. I mean, the tribespeople live in New Guinea's highlands, for heaven's sake.

Tribe from New Guinea sues New Yorker originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>New Guinea tribe sues New YorkerNewGuineaTribeSuesNewYorkerWed, 22 Apr 2009 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Delta to charge $50 for second checked bag on international routes ]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/21/delta-to-charge-50-for-second-checked-bag-on-international-rout/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/21/delta-to-charge-50-for-second-checked-bag-on-international-rout/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/21/delta-to-charge-50-for-second-checked-bag-on-international-rout/#commentsFiled under:

Well, we knew this day would arrive eventually.

Delta Airlines today announced that it would begin charging $50 for a second checked bag on its international routes.

That makes it the first US legacy carrier to implement a baggage fee for international travel.

American Airlines and United are reportedly studying Delta's move, which means they're weighing the same fee but want to see first whether it is really worth it.

Passengers with elite status on Delta, and active military personnel, are exempt from the new baggage fee.

The first checked bag remains free on Delta's international routes.

Delta, the world's largest airline, reported a $794 million first-quarter loss today, which it blames on both the bad economy and bad hedging on fuel prices.

The airline plans to reduce its international capacity by roughly 10 percent starting this fall.

Delta to charge $50 for second checked bag on international routes originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baggage feesBaggageFeesDelta AirlinesDeltaAirlinesTue, 21 Apr 2009 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[All aboard: Obama wants a national high-speed train network]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/20/all-aboard-obama-wants-a-national-high-speed-train-network/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/20/all-aboard-obama-wants-a-national-high-speed-train-network/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/20/all-aboard-obama-wants-a-national-high-speed-train-network/#commentsFiled under: ,

President Obama is pushing for a new national network of high-speed trains as an answer to growing traffic congestion nationwide.

That sounds like good news for train fans out there -- if it ever happens. I've been looking into trains from New York to Chicago recently and am surprised that the Lake Shore Limited still takes more than 18 hours to reach Union Station in C-Town.

Anyway, Obama's plan singles out 10 "high-speed corridors," according to CNN, including California, the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest, the Southeast, the Gulf Coast, Pennsylvania, Florida, New York and New England.

Obama is also calling for improvements to one of the nation's most-traveled rail corridors, the Boston-Washington line.

How will he pay for all this? Through both the recently passed $787 billion stimulus and a separate $5 billion investment over five years.

Obama envisions some trains traveling at top speeds of 150 mph.

All aboard: Obama wants a national high-speed train network originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Barack ObamaBarackObamatrain travelTrainTravelMon, 20 Apr 2009 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Gadling reads the Sunday travel sections]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/19/gadling-reads-the-sunday-travel-sections/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/19/gadling-reads-the-sunday-travel-sections/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/19/gadling-reads-the-sunday-travel-sections/#commentsFiled under:

The Miami Herald this weekend turns its travel section over to a celebration of Jane Woodward, travel editor, who is looking back on a lifetime on the road. The impetus for this nostalgia piece is that she is right on the verge of visiting her 100th country, no small feat. Sure, there's a lot of "look where I've been" in this package, but I sorta liked this lead essay as a summing up of a traveler's life (so far). As travelers, we're visited as much by memories of where we've been as we are by dreams of where we'll go next.

Continue reading Gadling reads the Sunday travel sections

Gadling reads the Sunday travel sections originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 19 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Sun, 19 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gadling inspires amateur rap song?]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/17/gadling-inspires-amateur-rap-song/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/17/gadling-inspires-amateur-rap-song/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/17/gadling-inspires-amateur-rap-song/#commentsFiled under:

At Gadling, we're always happy when people read and respond to our posts. It's just not everyday that someone writes a full-fledged rap song out of them.

But YouTube rapper "JournalRhythm" has taken a couple of recent news events that we've posted on and turned them in to a 1:11 rap song. It looks like this guy writes a different rap song based on news events nearly every day. Don't know why he needs goggles, though (or are they sunglasses?)

Anyway, the subjects of this rap are the snakes on a plane I posted about yesterday, and a man who whipped out his own snake on a Hawaiian airlines flight recently -- which Scott blogged about yesterday as well.

Gadling inspires amateur rap song? originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Think you don't have the money for that vacation? Wrong]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/16/think-you-dont-have-the-money-for-that-vacation-wrong/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/16/think-you-dont-have-the-money-for-that-vacation-wrong/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/16/think-you-dont-have-the-money-for-that-vacation-wrong/#commentsFiled under:

We all know that we could find quite a bit of "extra money" to put toward traveling if we readjusted our daily budgets and started to save a little bit here and there.

Still, some of us might need a tool to help make this happen.

There's a Web site out there ostensibly designed to help show people the types of spending they can cut, and how much saved money that's likely to yield them.

The people over at TravelMuse have come up with what they call their "Yaycations Calculator" -- Yaycation being a term I thought our very own Brenda Yun had coined -- which is meant to prove that we all have the money for that special getaway, even if we don't know it.

The calculator prompts you through 20 categories and asks you what you'd be willing to live without. That coffee-to-go five days a week? Over a year, that could save you $390. That sandwich on the run at work? We're talking $1,820 a year in savings if you brown bag it.

I went through each category and chose the cheapest item in each to cut. My overall savings for the year? $41,016. Woohoo! I'm going on one hell of a vac...er, yay...cation!

OK, so the site is simplistic at best, and perhaps complete BS at worse. Still, it's kinda fun to play around with, and its basic lesson of making small budget cuts to afford travel down the line is a sensible one.

Think you don't have the money for that vacation? Wrong originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>TravelMuseYaycationsThu, 16 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Snakes get loose on Qantas flight]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/16/snakes-get-loose-on-qantas-flight/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/16/snakes-get-loose-on-qantas-flight/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/16/snakes-get-loose-on-qantas-flight/#commentsFiled under: ,

A Qantas Airlines flight from Alice Springs to Melbourne had to be grounded after four baby pythons escaped from their foam box in the plane's cargo hold.

They were among 12 pythons being flown to Melbourne.

Passengers were offloaded and transferred to other aircraft to make connections. The plane itself had to be fumigated. So far the bodies of the four snakes have yet to turn up.

Authorities are at a loss to explain how the snakes managed to escape in the first place, and it is unclear just how the flight crew learned that snakes were loose on the plane.

The plane is back in service, likely with the corpses of four reptiles somewhere in its hold.

Snakes get loose on Qantas flight originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>QantasThu, 16 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gadling reads the Sunday travel sections]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/12/gadling-reads-the-sunday-travel-sections/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/12/gadling-reads-the-sunday-travel-sections/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/12/gadling-reads-the-sunday-travel-sections/#commentsFiled under:

Happy Easter everyone. For anyone looking for some respite after a day of brunching and family, there are some good travel stories out there this weekend.

In the Washington Post, Canadian writer Erik Heinrich takes us to Kazakhstan, or more specifically the steppes of Central Asia's largest country, on horseback, where he spends time with the rugged cowboys that work this high country.

The Boston Globe as a dispatch from Joe Ray about an unusual surfing spot -- unusual, that is, against what we normally think about in terms of surfing: He hits the waves of France's Atlantic coast, known as the Côte Sauvage.

Tony Perrottet travels to southern Utah in the New York Times, where he hikes into Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Over at the LA Times, there's a good story from Amanda Jones, who takes the slow boat down the Peruvian Amazon.

Since it's April, why not a story about Paris? The Chicago Tribune's Josh Noel gets into the distinctions between the City of Light's Left Bank and Right Bank.

When a lot of people think of the Spanish island of Majorca, they think nonstop partying and lots of British and German tourists. It is that, of course, but there is a quieter side to the island as well, as Julie Myerson describes in the Financial Times.

Finally, the Wall Street Journal Europe's weekend edition has an interesting story from Stan Sesser about the specialty streets of Hanoi.

Gadling reads the Sunday travel sections originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Strikes by Eiffel Tower workers anger tourists]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/10/strikes-by-eiffel-tower-workers-anger-tourists/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/10/strikes-by-eiffel-tower-workers-anger-tourists/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/10/strikes-by-eiffel-tower-workers-anger-tourists/#commentsFiled under: ,

If you've headed to Paris for the Easter holidays, chances are you've left the city's most famous tourist attraction rather frustrated.

Workers for the company that runs the Eiffel Tower have been on strike for two days now, complaining over stalled pay increases. As a result, the tower was essentially closed Wednesday and Thursday. Negotiations with union workers was ongoing today, but the tower remained closed Friday morning.

Around 300 workers completely blocked the Eiffel from tourists on Wednesday. Yesterday, after more protests in the morning, one of the tower's four pillars briefly opened to visitors before security workers shut it down again. Tourists were left in line for hours without any indication whether they'd get a chance to go up.

Basically, the workers' beef is that while the price of going up the Eiffel Tower has increased this year (tickets now run roughly $18), their salaries have not gone up. Security workers and ticket takers are demanding pay increases and bonuses.

About 18,000 tourists per day visited the Eiffel Tower last year.

Gallery: France: The Eiffel Tower

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Strikes by Eiffel Tower workers anger tourists originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Eiffel Tower strikeEiffelTowerStrikeFri, 10 Apr 2009 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Update: New Zealand court convicts passenger for dumping her baby in lavatory trash can]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/09/update-new-zealand-court-convicts-passenger-for-dumping-her-bab/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/09/update-new-zealand-court-convicts-passenger-for-dumping-her-bab/http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/09/update-new-zealand-court-convicts-passenger-for-dumping-her-bab/#commentsFiled under:

Last month I wrote about a controversy in New Zealand in which authorities were trying to figure out whether a Samoan woman who gave birth during a flight to Auckland intentionally abandoned her baby girl on board the airplane when it landed.

There were those that said the woman walked off the plane without the baby on purpose. Others said the woman merely forgot the newborn and attempted to return to the airplane to retrieve her.

Well, there was a key piece of information missing when I made my initial report.

The mother had given birth in the airplane's lavatory...and stuffed the newborn into the lavatory's trash can, which is where flight cleaners found her after arriving in New Zealand.

A Kiwi court has charged the woman, Karolaine Maika, 29, with child abandonment, and she now faces seven years in prison.

The incident happened on a Pacific Blue flight on March 19.

The infant girl is reportedly doing fine and still in the custody of New Zealand social services.



Update: New Zealand court convicts passenger for dumping her baby in lavatory trash can originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Pacific BluePacificBlueWoman New Zealand babyWomanNewZealandBabyThu, 09 Apr 2009 13:30:00 EST