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EasternEurope posts
Get to know Belarus through the art of motion timelapse
Dec 29th, 2011 at 10:00AM:
This timelapse video, One Day in Life, was created by professional photographer and Minsk native, Artem Sergeevich. It shows the country of Belarus in a way that will put any negative eastern Europe stereotypes out of your head and have you booking a one-way plane ticket there. Vibrant colors wash over a mix of countrysides and cityscapes, making the factories look just as beautiful and ...
Stay at a former military prison turned art hostel in Ljubljana, Slovenia
Dec 22nd, 2011 at 1:00PM: Recently, Gadling's Meg Nesterov talked about 10 reasons to travel to Ljubljana in Slovenia. The country has a lot to offer to visitors, and for those looking for an affordable and historical place to stay, a unique hostel experience, as well.
Hostel Celica, currently an artsy youth hostel, was once a military prison within the military barracks of Metelkova Street, dating back to 1882. Once ...10 reasons to travel to Ljubljana
Dec 13th, 2011 at 9:00AM:
When I found cheap airfare from Istanbul to Ljubljana, I didn't find many other travelers who'd been there or even say for sure which country it's in. The tiny of country of Slovenia is slightly smaller than New Jersey and its capital city isn't known for much other than being difficult to spell and pronounce (say "lyoob-lyAH-nah"). After spending a few days there last month, I quickly fell ...Cheap flights allow for prostitution at Amsterdam airport
Aug 2nd, 2011 at 10:30AM: A large number of budget flights from Eastern Europe and other parts of the world to the Netherlands has created a ring of prostitution at Amsterdam airport, giving a new meaning to the word layover. Prostitutes are flying into
Schiphol Airport and using the hotels in the international transit area to meet with clients without going through customs, often making a hefty profit even after ...Hungary introduces "fat tax" on unhealthy foods
Jul 14th, 2011 at 8:00AM: A new bill found it's way onto the political docket in Hungary earlier this week, that if passed would create the world's first "fat tax." The Eastern European country's parliament will now consider the bill, which would raise the price of foods that are deemed as unhealthy. Proceeds from the new law would then be used to cover the rising costs of state-funded health care.
When the bill was ...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 ...Warsaw, Poland: an up-and-coming European museum destination
Mar 16th, 2011 at 9:30AM:
As an EU member with a good exchange rate and low prices, Poland is becoming a popular tourist destination in Eastern Europe. Most of the love goes to Krakow, with its original architecture and "new Prague" charm, but capital city Warsaw has plenty to offer as a European museum destination. While much of the old town was leveled in World War II, the restorations have been painstakingly done and ...Travel then and now: Travel to the USSR and GDR
Mar 1st, 2011 at 3:30PM: This year is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Soviet Union and 21 years since the reunification of Germany. While citizens of the USSR and GDR were unable to travel abroad and restricted in domestic travel, foreign travelers were permitted under a controlled environment. In the early nineties, if you were a foreigner looking to go abroad to the Eastern Europe or Central Asia, you called ...The sushi invasion of Eastern Europe
Dec 15th, 2010 at 9:00AM: Traveling through Eastern Europe recently, what stood out to me the most (aside from ultra low prices and varying success with capitalism) is the extreme popularity of sushi. Particularly in Kiev and Warsaw, sushi restaurants are nearly as prolific as the national cuisine and if you find yourself in a fashionable restaurant, odds are raw fish will be on the menu.
My husband and I had differing ...Weekending: Varna, Bulgaria
Dec 8th, 2010 at 11:30AM:
Back in September, the end of the Muslim month of Ramadan offered locals and expats like me an excuse to go on holiday while our American friends were celebrating the end of summer and Labor Day. With more time to explore than a typical Weekending trip, I checked out Turkey's most western neighbor, Bulgaria, and fell in love with modern and medieval captials Sofia and Veliko Tarnovo.
The ...Weekending: Veliko Tarnovo
Oct 21st, 2010 at 2:30PM:
The best part of expat life for me are the travel opportunities, especially when living in Turkey, conveniently located where Europe meets Asia. Expat travel takes on a new twist as you seek out the new and unfamiliar as in any new destination, the newly familiar of your adopted home city, and the old and familiar of your original home city. You luxuriate in the things your expat home lacks, ...Weekending: Sofia
Oct 5th, 2010 at 2:30PM:
Since moving to Istanbul, I've gotten the chance to travel to a lot of interesting destinations, from Beirut to Bosnia, that are much easier and cheaper to access from Turkey than America. For my first long (more than a weekend) trip, I went to Bulgaria for a week over US Labor Day and Turkish bayram (end of Ramadan holidays). Over the week, I traveled from the capital city Sofia to medieval ...Weekending: Sarajevo
Sep 15th, 2010 at 11:00AM:
Istanbul's unique position straddling two continents affords a lot of travel opportunities, with quick direct flights throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. As an American living in Turkey, I try to explore as often as I can, particularly to less-traveled destinations. While my last weekend trip was to Prague, for this trip, I ventured to another Eastern European capital with far fewer ...The Abercrombie & Kent online sale starts now!
Dec 10th, 2009 at 10:00AM: You looking to go to Botswana next year? Or, maybe Chile? Now's the time to book your trip. Abercrombie & Kent, which sends its guests on the road in style, is starting its rare online-only sale now. The discounts start at 5 percent off the itineraries' usual prices. Every half hour, another 5 percent is chopped off. Six hours from now, any trips that are left will be discounted 60 percent. ...Get ready for the next A&K online sale
Dec 4th, 2009 at 9:00AM: Get ready for another hot online sale from upscale travel provider Abercrombie & Kent. The rules haven't changed: you still have to book online, and the discount structure's the same. Starting at 10 AM (EST) on December 10, 2009, nine itineraries will go on sale at a 5 percent discount. Then, every half hour, the price will drop another 5 percent. By the end of the event at 4 PM, the trips ...Travel from the rest of the world to the U.S. falls ... again
Sep 12th, 2009 at 12:00PM:
Travel fell again in 2009, according to U.S. Department of Commerce data, as a weak economy put pressure on both personal and corporate travel budgets.
Only 3.6 million people arrived from other countries, marking a decline of 11 percent from June 2008 to June 2009. For the six months of the year, international arrivals were off 10 percent year-over-year. The spending situation was even worse. ...Gadlinks for Friday 6.12.09
Jun 12th, 2009 at 7:00PM: It's Aloha Friday as they say here on the islands -- and a very special Friday at that! Today marks the beginning of the 62nd annual King Kamehameha Day festivities in Hawaii, so you can count on me enjoying the parade, draping ceremony, fun, and sun that lasts through the weekend. Here are some other cool "happenings" going on in the travel blogosphere to jump start your weekend:
The ...Gadling + BootsnAll - Picks of the Week (4.3.09)
Apr 3rd, 2009 at 1:00PM: Another Friday is upon us, and we're back with another round of weekly picks from our friends at BootsnAll, the independent travel experts. What strange stories, great lists and secret travel tips caught our eye? Take a look below and find out:
ABC's of Study Abroad - spending a semester abroad has become an increasingly popular option for university students in recent years. Aaron Shew gives ...Europe By Rail
Mar 1st, 2009 at 8:30AM: For many, taking the train is still the most wonderful way to travel. It is a romantic throwback to a long gone era, before modern jets linked the world. For some, taking the train is just too slow, but for those that enjoy it, that is one its charms. It affords travelers the opportunity to see the countryside, often from a comfortable car filled with modern amenities. The train system in Europe ...Russian Town Bans Phrase "I Don't Know"
Sep 6th, 2007 at 10:30AM: Have you ever tried to get anything done -- report theft, start a business, get a driver's license -- in Eastern Europe? If so, you will appreciate what Alexander Kuzmin, the 33-year old mayor of a Siberian oil town of Megion, is trying to do: make bureaucrats more friendly.
He has banned the following phrases among state employees:
I don't know
I can't
What can we do
...
