Dec 30th, 2011 at 4:00PM:
Procrastinated on sending Christmas cards this year? It's not too late to send a holiday greeting to say "Happy New Year" (or Mutlu Yillar in Turkish) with a travel theme. Turkish Airlines has a fun website for generating a virtual holiday greeting with a view of the wing. On Above the Clouds, you can choose a cloud image like a snowflake, Christmas tree, or angel and add a brief message ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Christmas posts
Send a holiday greeting from above the clouds
Dec 30th, 2011 at 4:00PM:
Procrastinated on sending Christmas cards this year? It's not too late to send a holiday greeting to say "Happy New Year" (or Mutlu Yillar in Turkish) with a travel theme. Turkish Airlines has a fun website for generating a virtual holiday greeting with a view of the wing. On Above the Clouds, you can choose a cloud image like a snowflake, Christmas tree, or angel and add a brief message ...Museum of European Cultures reopens in Berlin
Dec 27th, 2011 at 11:00AM: The Museum of European Cultures has reopened after a two-year renovation.
Located in Berlin, this museum focuses on the life of the common people of old Europe. While most museums focus on the famous accomplishments of the elite, this one looks at the everyday lives and traditions of regular people so often forgotten by the history books. Folklore museums can be found all over Europe and make ...Locked up Abroad: It's only Christmas, why are the shops closed?
Dec 27th, 2011 at 10:00AM: I'd never seen such a long line at a supermarket in my life. It was December 22, 2006 and I was hoping to buy a few items at a chain supermarket in Vienna, Austria. After waiting in line for about 15 minutes, it was almost my turn. But then an announcement was made, in German, the lights were dimmed and the people behind me in line dispersed- some left their items in their baskets, others took the ...Mutlu Yillar (Happy Holidays) from Turkey
Dec 25th, 2011 at 3:00PM:
Christmas Day has arrived, and here in Istanbul, it's just another Sunday but you could be fooled by all the festive decorations. Much of the city is festooned with colorful lights and ornamented trees, but with a Turkish twist. Most of the population is Muslim, while unlike in more conservative countries, many families will roast turkeys, decorate trees, and exchange gifts on New Year's Eve. ...NORAD tracking Santa on your iPad and smartphone
Dec 24th, 2011 at 9:00AM: As it has done every year for the past 56 years, NORAD is once again tracking Santa this holiday season. But for Christmas 2011, the military organization that watches the skies above North America, has added the ability to follow St. Nick's progress on your iPhone, iPad, and Android devices as well.
The satellite tracking went live earlier today and has been following Santa's sled as he's made ...A (not-very) special Czech Christmas
Dec 23rd, 2011 at 2:00PM:
As the last tiny fireballs shot into the tree, marking the end of this bizarrely belated Christmas celebration, my Czech friend's father, Ladia, looked at me and giggled nervously.
Was he happy we didn't burn down this bone-dry pine tree in their living room? Or was there something else I was missing. Did he know this was it--that I would be emancipating myself from this family and never be ...Video of the day: Season's Greetings from New York City
Dec 22nd, 2011 at 6:00PM:
We at Gadling love a good time-lapse video. Whether it's at a busy airport in Moldova or the many personalities on the streets of Laos, there's something about seeing life pass by at fast (or slow) speeds that's entrancing. With Christmas a few days away and Hanukkah in full swing, we especially love feeling festive without the crowds, the cold, and the hassle. Today's Video of the Day is ...
Boulder's mixology scene the place for holiday spirit(s)
Dec 21st, 2011 at 9:30AM:
By now, we're well into the Third Wave of the mixology craze. Cosmopolitans begat new types of martinis begat the revival of pre-Prohibition-era cocktails (which begat bartenders donning suspenders or dapper suit vests).
The revival of classic cocktails and trending toward intelligent, seasonally-driven mixology made with craft-distilled spirits has been driven by America's mania for all ...Video: Santa's elves take over an airBaltic plane
Dec 20th, 2011 at 4:00PM:
What a clever and creative way to bring holiday cheer to an airport. Santa's elves took over an airBaltic plane in Riga airport. ...
Cambodia's Hôtel de la Paix tree made of 3,200 white feathers
Dec 20th, 2011 at 2:00PM:
Implementing a massive symbol of both peace and sustainability takes time. Ten days, in fact. Cambodia's Hôtel de la Paix (The Hotel of Peace), a luxury boutique hotel dedicated to community sustainability in Siem Reap, Cambodia, is currently displaying an eco-conscious Christmas tree composed of 3,200 white feathers hung on individual wires from the ceiling in the hotel's lobby. More ...
Photo of the Day - Holiday lights
Dec 4th, 2011 at 8:00PM:
With the holidays fast approaching, trees, houses and fences across the world are beginning to glow with decorative lights of all shapes and sizes. Whatever your religion or beliefs, these festive displays add a burst of warmth and color to the dark days of December. Flickr user herb.g does a great job of capturing this holiday spirit in today's shot from Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania - the ...Traditional holiday beverages from around the world
Nov 30th, 2011 at 5:30PM: Americans aren't very creative when it comes to traditional holiday beverages (do, however, look for my upcoming story on Boulder's banging mixology scene, which includes some killer contemporary winter cocktails). Historically, though, we're more of an eggnog/mulled cider/hot chocolate kind of society.
I'm not knocking our Christmas beverages of choice. Properly made, they're delicious, and ...Video of the day: a goaty guide to pronouncing foreign cheeses
Nov 12th, 2011 at 4:00PM: The holidays are Cheese Season. At no other time of the year are cheese and specialty food shops as thronged by dairy-seeking customers. They're hungry for a fix or searching for a gift, recipe ingredient, or the makings of a cheese plate. Cheese is love, and one of the easiest, most elegant ways to kick off a cocktail party or conclude (or make) a memorable meal.
With that in mind, the folks ...
Navy museum receives 111 year old pudding from the Boer War
Nov 12th, 2011 at 1:00PM: One hundred and eleven years ago, a batch of Christmas pudding was made to cheer up a soldier fighting in the Boer War. While most would assume it would have been eaten long ago, it has actually turned up in a kitchen cupboard. The batch is thought to be one made by Victorian philanthropist Agnes Weston, often known as "the mother of the Navy" for her goodwill work writing to soldiers and sailors, ...Five sustainable alternatives to turkey this Thanksgiving or holiday season
Nov 7th, 2011 at 12:00PM: If you expected to see "Tofurkey" anywhere in this article, you clearly aren't familiar with my work. Nope, no textured vegetable protein here.
As a kid--an obnoxiously picky eater, at that--turkey was on my lengthy list of foods to avoid. I suspect it was the notoriously dried-out birds of my youth that caused my aversion. Today, I like turkey, but it's honestly not one of my favorite eating ...Be a part of Christmas history in Weimar, Germany
Oct 22nd, 2011 at 1:00PM: Did you know that the first Christmas tree was erected in Weimar, Germany? Or, that one of the most famous Christmas carols, "O, Du Fröhliche" was composed there, as well? If you're looking to have a traditional Christmas as well as be a part of the holiday's past, then Weimar may be the perfect place for you.
In the early 1800's, on the night before Christmas, a man named Johann Wilhelm ...Bizarre foods: European "delicacies," by country
Mar 16th, 2011 at 1:00PM:
What constitutes "food" is relative, depending upon what part of the world you call home. In Asia, pretty much anything on no (snakes), two, four, six, or eight legs is up for grabs. Europe, however, has its own culinary oddities, as detailed below. Got maggots?
Iceland
Hákarl: Fermented, dried Greenland or basking shark. This tasty treat is prepared by burying the beheaded and ...Knocked up abroad: pregnant travel in the first trimester
Mar 16th, 2011 at 11:30AM: For more on pregnant travel, see parts 1 and 2 of Knocked up abroad: pregnancy in a foreign country here and here.
There's no question that having a baby changes you: your body, your lifestyle, even your shoe size. One thing I hoped not to change altogether was traveling, as long as it was reasonably safe and comfortable for me and the baby. From the beginning of my pregnancy in Istanbul, my ...The five busiest air travel weeks of 2010
Jan 16th, 2011 at 9:00AM:
So, when did we hit the road last year? There are some times of year that are more hectic than others, and we all know to avoid airports when we can. Yet, there are some weeks that bring crowded terminals even when we wouldn't expect it. We all know the insanity of flying the day before Thanksgiving, but there are other time that can be brutal, as well.
Looking back on 2010, Orbitz has ...It's still Christmas in Spain!
Jan 6th, 2011 at 10:30AM: Well, Epiphany actually, but in Spain this is when we give presents. Christmas in Spain is a time for big meals and family fun, as well as church services for those who are so inclined. Santa passes Spain by to deal with the Anglo and Germanic countries, and Japan from what I hear. Spanish children wait for Los Reyes, the Three Kings, who come on their camels bearing gifts for good little boys and ...
