Gadling

Archaeologists blog as they excavate Nea Paphos World Heritage site

Sean McLachlan — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: History, Learning, Europe, Cyprus

Archaeologists excavating at the ancient city of Nea Paphos in Cyprus have written about their work and discoveries in a blog.

A University of Sydney team has been working to uncover medieval walls built atop a Classical theater and investigating a public fountain dating to the first century AD, the Cyprus Mail reports.

Nea Paphos is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was founded around 300 BC, and the theater was built around the same time. It served as the capital of Cyprus during the Hellenistic and Roman periods and was an important spot in Byzantine times, when a castle was built nearby. Legend has it that Aphrodite emerged from the sea at the nearby beach. I've been to that beach and it's so beautiful I'm not surprised the legend arose there. Aphrodite probably started as a Phoenician fertility goddess long before the Greeks and Romans arrived, and continued as the cult of Aphrodite until 391 AD when the Roman Emperor Theodosius banned all pagan religions.

The team has wrapped up its work for the season but they and their blog will return in 2012. I'm glad to see archaeologists reaching out to the public this way and I hope more follow the University of Sydney's example. There's a lot of popular misconception about how archaeologists do their work and blogs like theirs help remedy that.

Photo of the Odeon of Nea Paphos from second century AD courtesy user einalem via flickr.

Archaeologists blog as they excavate Nea Paphos World Heritage site originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Brits behaving badly abroad

Alex Robertson Textor — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Cyprus, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom, Jamaica, United States

Today the Foreign Office released British Behaviour Abroad 2011, with detailed figures on British nationals in trouble overseas (read: Brits behaving badly abroad). The period surveyed: April 1, 2010 through March 31, 2011.

There are lots of interesting tidbits in the survey. British nationals request consular assistance in greatest numbers in Spain and the United States, though since both of these countries are very popular destinations for people from the UK, this is perhaps not all that surprising.

The more interesting chart in the report is of which countries see the highest numbers of requests for consular assistance per visitor and resident abroad. The top five, in descending order: The Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan, Cyprus, and India. British nationals abroad are most likely to be arrested in Thailand, followed by the United States.

Another interesting detail: The Foreign Office claims that 43 percent of the 18-24 set know someone who has taken illegal drugs while abroad. Aggregate drug arrests are highest for British nationals abroad in Spain (171), the United States (100), Jamaica (63), Norway (55), and Thailand (51).

The good news is that the number of British nationals arrested is down, 10 percent overall and 20 percent for drug-related offenses.

The report also tabulates deaths, hospitalizations, rapes, and sexual assaults abroad. Each of these categories saw slight movement up or down in 2010-2011, with deaths, hospitalizations, and sexual assaults slightly up and rapes down.

[Image: Flickr | La Citta Vita]

Brits behaving badly abroad originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Launchpad London: Nicosia culture break

Alex Robertson Textor — Wed, 25 May 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Cyprus, United Kingdom

Most visitors to Cyprus head to the resort towns clinging to the coast. But not me, at least not for my first visit. London has been warm this spring and I'm in no rush to scurry to a beach. I wanted a few days in an unfamiliar city wandering through alleys and into churches and mosques.

Good for me then that the divided Old City of Nicosia is teeming with churches, mosques, and winding side streets. To seal the deal, it's also ringed by a 16th-Century fortification wall and split apart by a militarized border referred to as the Green Line. This border divides the Greek-speaking Republic of Cyprus in the south and the Turkish-speaking (and diplomatically almost completely unrecognized) Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the north.

South Nicosia feels prosperous and sleepy. Though there are department stores and even a Cinnabon, local shops predominate. The most remarkable feature of the city is likely its fortification wall, and the Famagusta Gate is the best place to get a sustained look at it. Several churches in the Old Town are worth a visit, among these are the architecturally schizophrenic Faneroméni and the city's official cathedral, Áyios Ioánnis.

Another standout is the Cyprus Museum, located just outside the Old Town, with its extraordinarily deep collection of archaeological artifacts. Admission is a very reasonable €3.40. The museum is closed on Monday. There's also a cute outdoor cafe to the side of the entrance, surrounded by a garden.

Everyone knows that the antidote to tired museum feet is a hammam, and South Nicosia boasts an amazing Turkish bath. At Hamam Omerye (across from the Omerye Mosque), two hours of relaxation run €20. A heavenly and highly recommended full body scrub costs another €20. The hammam has been painstakingly renovated and is a beautiful place to hang out for a few hours. The hamman is reserved for men on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and women have run of the place on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Monday is reserved for (one assumes heterosexual) couples.

Continue reading Launchpad London: Nicosia culture break

Launchpad London: Nicosia culture break originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 25 May 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Launchpad London: Nicosia logistics

Alex Robertson Textor — Tue, 24 May 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Cyprus, United Kingdom

Though largely bypassed by Americans, Cyprus is a very popular warm weather destination for Britons and other northern Europeans. Cypriot coastal resort towns include Ayia Napa, Larnaca, Limassol, Paphos, and Protaras. Planeloads of sun-hunters descend on Cyprus throughout much of the year; the island occupies a kind of sunny mid-haul position not unlike the place of the Caribbean and Mexico for many Americans.

For my second budget-friendly Launchpad London excursion I bypassed the coastal strip altogether and ventured instead to Nicosia, the divided city serving as the capital of both the Republic of Cyprus as well as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus--the latter recognized only by Turkey.

Cyprus is served well by a range of airlines from London. From one or another of London's four big airports, Larnaca in the southeast is reached by British Airways (Heathrow), Cyprus Airways (Heathrow), easyJet (Gatwick), Monarch (Gatwick and Luton), and Thomas Cook (Gatwick, Heathrow, and Stansted). Paphos in the southwest is served by Cyprus Airways (Heathrow), Monarch (Gatwick), Thomas Cook (Gatwick, Luton, Stansted), Thomson (Gatwick, Luton, Stansted), and Tor Air (Gatwick), while Ercan in the north sees indirect traffic from London Stansted courtesy of Pegasus Airlines.

I chose Monarch for my jaunt last week from London Gatwick to Larnaca because it was very cheap: £108 round trip, purchased, remarkably, just 12 days prior to departure. Once the credit card surcharge was taken into account, my grand total came to £113 ($182). I managed to hold onto that fare by refusing all the extras Monarch threw my way: reserved seats, meals, flight status texts, and insurance.

Between Larnaca and Nicosia there is an affordable shuttle van by Kapnos Airport Shuttle, just €7 to an anonymous parking lot in the south of the city. From there, it's fifteen minutes by taxi (€10) into Nicosia's Old Town.

Budget hotels are thin on the ground on both sides of the Green Line, the island's buffer zone. Though I knew I would spend time on both sides of the Green Line, I researched hotels in south Nicosia only. Two fine business-class midrange hotels in south Nicosia's Old Town are Royiatiko, where I booked my single room (€110 for a double) and Centrum Hotel (€99 for a double). Averof, 15 minutes from the Old Town by foot, is also well-liked (€60 for a double without breakfast). Airbnb lists a number of budget rooms in Nicosia. Rather unfortunately, none of these had a sufficient number of photos or reviews to make me feel confident about making a reservation.

Restaurants are reasonably priced. I snacked at cafes for €3 and had an unremarkable lunch for €10. My dinner at a fine Cypriot restaurant was considerably more expensive, though far cheaper than a simple lunch in most cities in Western Europe--and with gargantuan portions, to boot. A meze meal at Zanettos is big enough to do service as lunch and dinner. I counted 17 plates, some groaning with a range of delicious things. There were strips of liver, snails, mushrooms, eggs in tomato sauce, and plenty of greens. Along with an enormous bottle of KEO, the local beer, my outlay came to €23.

Visit Gadling tomorrow to read my two-day Nicosia culture break itinerary.

Continue reading Launchpad London: Nicosia logistics

Launchpad London: Nicosia logistics originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 24 May 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Five ways to get more European stamps in your passport

Alex Robertson Textor — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Russian Federation, Turkey, Albania, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Ireland, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Lake Ohrid, Macedonia.

Yesterday, I wrote about the fact that European passport stamps have become harder and harder to get. The expansion of the Schengen zone has reduced the number of times tourists are compelled to show their passports to immigration officials. For most Americans on multi-country European itineraries, a passport will be stamped just twice: upon arrival and upon departure.

Where's the fun in that?

There's nothing wrong with enjoying your passport's stamps. They're souvenirs. So ignore the haters and treasure them. You won't be the first to sit at your desk alone, lovingly fingering your stamps while daydreaming of your next adventure. You won't be the last, either.

And if you are a passport stamp lover with a penchant for European travel, don't despair. There are plenty of places in Europe where visitors have to submit their travel documents to officials to receive stamps. Some countries, in fact, even require Americans to purchase full-page visas in advance.

The Western Balkans remain almost entirely outside of Schengen. Russia, Belarus, Armenia, and Azerbaijan all require visas for Americans, while Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia do not. Immigration officers at the borders of all of these countries, however, will stamp your passport when you enter and when you leave. Turkey provides visas on arrival. These cost €15. Among EU countries, the UK, Ireland, and Cyprus remain outside of Schengen for the time being, while Romania and Bulgaria will soon join it.

Continue reading Five ways to get more European stamps in your passport

Five ways to get more European stamps in your passport originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Schengen and the disappearance of European passport stamps

Alex Robertson Textor — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Cyprus, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vatican City

Creative new use for border crossing posts at German/Austrian border.

In the late 1980s, an American spending a summer traveling across Europe with a Eurailpass would see his or her passport stamped possibly dozens of times. With a few exceptions, every time a border was crossed, an immigration agent would pop his or her head into a train compartment, look at everyone's passports, in most cases stamp them, and move on. Every Eastern Bloc country required visas, some of which could be obtained at the border and others of which had to be applied for in advance.

Today, an American can enter the Schengen zone in Helsinki, fly to Oslo and then on to Amsterdam, proceed by train through Belgium, France, Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland, then by bus to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, and then by ferry back to Helsinki before catching a flight to Athens and landing in Greece without once needing to submit a passport to a border guard's scrutiny.

The development of the Schengen agreement across Europe has altered the geopolitical map of the continent in many ways. For tourists, the development of the Schengen zone has simplified travel by drastically reducing the number of times a passport can be checked and stamped as national borders are crossed.

The Schengen Agreement is named after the town of Schengen in Luxembourg. It was here in 1985 that five countries-Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, West Germany, and France-signed an agreement to essentially create borderless travel between them. A model for this agreement had been created years before by the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg), which eliminated border controls back in 1948. The Nordic countries also did away with internal border posts, in 1958.

In 1995, the five original Schengen countries plus Portugal and Spain inaugurated the zone. In 1997, Austria and Italy joined. Greece followed in 2000 and the five Nordic countries joined in 2001. In late 2007, nine more countries joined the Schengen zone; most recently, Switzerland signed up in 2008.

Continue reading Schengen and the disappearance of European passport stamps

Schengen and the disappearance of European passport stamps originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gadling's 2011 New Year's travel resolutions

Laurel Miller — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Hiking, History, Business, Festivals and Events, Food and Drink, Stories, Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Ethiopia, Cyprus, India, Turkey, Spain, United States, Bolivia, Ecuador, Ecotourism, Budget Travel, Cruises, Women's Travel

It's that time of year again. A time when we all make certain promises to ourselves, in an attempt to make our lives more organized, our bodies stronger or leaner. We vow to spend more time with loved ones, give back to others, or ditch that cubicle job. And some of us...well, we just want to keep on traveling, any way we can manage to finagle it.

In the spirit of New Year's, I asked my fellow Gadling contributors about their travel resolutions for the coming year, and came up with some of my own. Our goals are all over the map (no pun intended), but a common theme emerged. Despite our love of exotic adventures, most of us want to spend more time exploring in our own backyard (that would be the United States). That, and invent musical underwear.

Leigh Caldwell

Go on my first cruise.
Spend a weekend somewhere without Internet access, and, if I survive that...
Celebrate the Fourth of July with my family in Banner Elk, North Carolina, home of the quintessential small-town Independence Day. There's a three-legged race, a rubber ducky race down a mountain stream, and a parade filled with crepe paper, balloons, and every kid and dog in town.

McLean Robbins

Quit my "day job" so I can do this full-time.

[Photo credit: Flickr user nlmAdestiny]

Continue reading Gadling's 2011 New Year's travel resolutions

Gadling's 2011 New Year's travel resolutions originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

J. Lo faces possible lawsuit from Cyprus hotel

Melanie Nayer — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Cyprus, Turkey, Hotels and Accommodations

Jenny from the Block might lose some of those killer rocks she's got. A luxury hotel in northern Cyprus is threatening to sue Jennifer Lopez for $40 million after the pop star canceled a concert there, citing political reasons, according to Sky News.

Lopez was scheduled to perform at the Cratos Premium hotel on July 24, but backed out after the booking "outraged Greek Cypriots in the south of the island nation." Apparently, J.Lo's appearance triggered fury among Greeks who felt her concert gave legitimacy to northern Cyprus. The protesters sent thousands of notes and letters to J.Lo and her representation, causing the singer to back out of the show.

A spokesperson for J.Lo told celebrity gossip website TMZ:

"Jennifer Lopez would never knowingly support any state, country, institution or regime that was associated with any form of human rights abuse. "After a full review of the relevant circumstances in Cyprus, it was the decision of management to withdraw from the appearance. This was a team decision that reflects our sensitivity to the political realities of the region."

J.Lo can still salvage the relationship with Cyprus, though. The hotel owner said the lawsuit will be dropped if Lopez reconfirms her concert at the hotel.

J. Lo faces possible lawsuit from Cyprus hotel originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

International female team reaches South Pole

Kraig Becker — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Learning, Skiing, Antarctica, Ghana, Brunei, Cyprus, India, Singapore, United Kingdom, Jamaica, New Zealand

Back in November, a group of seven women from a variety of countries around the globe set out on a long, and challenging journey. Calling themselves the Kaspersky Commonwealth Expedition, they left Patriot Hills, along the Antarctic coast, and over the course of the next 39 days, traveled more than 550 miles on skis, before arriving at their destination at the geographic South Pole yesterday.

The expedition is described on the team's website as "5 Continents. 6 Faiths. 7 Languages. 8 Women. 1 daring ambition". And what a daring ambition it has been. The original eight women come from Cyprus, Ghana, India, Singapore, Brunei, New Zealand, Jamaica and the United Kingdom, each of which are Commonwealth countries. Due to illness, one of the women was forced to withdraw from the team at the last minute, leaving the other seven to continue without her.

The expedition served two purposes. The first was to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Commonwealth, while the second was a celebration of the achievement of women from around the planet. These ladies hope to serve as role models for young girls back home, showing them that it is possible to for women to do great things. In several cases, these women are first person, man or woman, from their home country to make the journey to the South Pole.

Continue reading International female team reaches South Pole

International female team reaches South Pole originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Want to go on a monster hunt?

Kraig Becker — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Asia, Europe, North America, Cyprus, Nepal, United Kingdom, United States

Every country and culture has its monster stories. You can wander the globe and hear tales of all kinds of things that go bump in the night. From giant snakes in the Amazon to legendary ape men in the Himalaya, there are enough rumors of strange creatures to keep cryptozoologists out in the field, chasing shadows, for years to come.

If you'd like to go on a monster hunt of your own, Forbes Traveler has put together a list of the top destinations on the planet that are rumored to be the home of one type of monster or another. But as the article mentions, only the bravest, most adventurous travelers need apply, as who knows what awaits you out in these remote corners of the Earth.

Some of the locations that earn a spot on the list include Loch Ness, Scotland, where the legendary Loch Ness Monster is rumored to lurk beneath the icy waters of the lake that reaches more than 50 feet in depth in many areas. Not a fan of aquatic monster hunts? Then head to the Redwood Forests of Calfornia in search of Sasquatch, also known as Bigtoot, the famous giant ape, which has many sightings dating as far back to the mid-1800's. Looking for something a bit less mundane when you go on a monster hunts? Then how about going to West Virginia to look for the Mothman, a strange creature that looks like a man with bug eyes and giant wings.

So, who wants to organize a monster hunt? After we get done looking for Sasquatch, we can head to Roswell, New Mexico too. We'll make a road trip out of it!

Want to go on a monster hunt? originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

It's Official. Heathrow is Shabby and Slow.

Brett Atkinson — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 08:11:00 EST

Filed under: Cyprus, Belgium, United Kingdom, Airlines, Airports

Not only is Heathrow one of the world's drabbest airports, it also has more flight delays than any other major airport in Europe. According to statistics from the Association of European Airlines, from April to June one flight in three left Heathrow at least than 15 minutes late, with many flights departing at least than half an hour late.

The most efficient airport was Brussels where the well-organised Belgians ensured only 15.5% of flights were delayed. Further east in Cyprus, the laid back crew at Lanarca airport had 27.6% of flights delayed, but with a massive 55 minutes average waiting time.

My own personal best (worst?) was a couple of hours waiting at Panama City's domestic gateway, Marcos A. Gelabert Airport for a flight to the San Blas islands off Panama's Caribbean coast. The official reason given was poor weather, but I'm still adamant the flight crew were waiting for the 2006 Champions League Final between Arsenal and Barcelona to finish. When extra time was required we were never going to leave on time.

News via the www.telegraph.co.uk and thanks to d'n'c on Flickr for the photo of my least favourite London bed and breakfast.

Also be sure and check the London destination guide.

It's Official. Heathrow is Shabby and Slow. originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 03 Sep 2007 08:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Fly to Cyprus for Less Than $40 US or Not?

Adrienne Wilson — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 10:13:00 EST

Filed under: Learning, Business, Stories, Europe, North America, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, United States

Well here's a rather bizarre story about Orbitz, one of the third-largest online travel agencies and Italian airline Alitalia. Apparently the airline accidentally listed a business-class flight from Toronto to Cyprus at $39 US on a central reservation system which then feeds flight information to online booking agencies. CNEWS notes the incorrect round-trip airfare from Toronto to Cyprus with a stop to change planes in Italy was posted with multiple departing dates on Orbitz.com, where some very lucky and not so lucky folks will probably have the vacation of their dreams. Before word among online shoppers really began to spread red flags went off and Orbitz pulled the rate to discuss with Alitalia.

To cut the crazy tale short Alitalia will be honoring a vast majority of tickets booked on Orbitz.com for those who actually received confirmation numbers from the airline. Those who never got the airline confirmation will only be reimbursed the service fee paid to Orbitz. Having experienced an online error in the past myself I have to include a moral to this story and that moral is: If something seems far too good to be true, chances are it is far too good to be true. But ahh, those very, very lucky few! Most of all it teaches us to be extra careful when booking online where glitches may be infrequent, but can always occur.

Have a story similiar? Please share.

Fly to Cyprus for Less Than $40 US or Not? originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 07 Apr 2006 10:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments