Nov 14th, 2009 at 2:30PM: Venice is dying. At least, according to Newsweek it is. The population has been shrinking so rapidly (it dropped below 60,000 this year) that the mag predicts there won't be a single full-time resident in the city by 2030. A city that sees millions of visitors per year, an average of 55,000 per day, won't be home to a single person. Yeah, I'd call that a dead city.
To draw attention to the ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Italy posts
Venice hosts its own funeral
Nov 14th, 2009 at 2:30PM: Venice is dying. At least, according to Newsweek it is. The population has been shrinking so rapidly (it dropped below 60,000 this year) that the mag predicts there won't be a single full-time resident in the city by 2030. A city that sees millions of visitors per year, an average of 55,000 per day, won't be home to a single person. Yeah, I'd call that a dead city.
To draw attention to the ...Gadlinks for Friday 11.13.09
Nov 13th, 2009 at 5:00PM:
It's Friday the 13th! I am hoping that makes it a lucky day for me. It's been yet another tough week on the home front for many non-travelers, so maybe some travel reads will help to lift our spirits. Have a look at these....
The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing is under way on the North Shore of Oahu, and Pupukea is right in the thick of things. [via Honolulu Magazine]
Speaking of surfing, ...Tourists in Venice urged to drink the water
Sep 29th, 2009 at 2:00PM: Collecting the trash in Venice is no easy feat. After all, it's not like a garbage truck can just drive down the street - there aren't any. Garbage is collected by workers with wheelbarrows and then loaded onto barges and costs about $335 million per ton to remove (compared to $84 million per ton on the mainland of Italy).
In an effort to reduce these costs, the Venetian government is asking ...Overcrowded Venice may ban day-trippers
Sep 18th, 2009 at 10:30AM: There's no question that Venice is a city overrun with tourists. 20 million people visit the sinking city each year, yet only 60,000 Italians call Venice home. It's no wonder then that the city starts to feel more like an open-air museum, a well-preserved relic of the past, rather than a living, and lived-in, city.
The residents of Venice put up with a lot (though or course, many of them profit ...To Italy and back for under $800
Sep 9th, 2009 at 5:00PM: Every once in awhile I catch wind of a deal so good, I think I might just take advantage of it myself -- this is one of those deals. It seems like it costs $800 just to breathe lately, but you can actually get to Italy and back for well under that! The deal is from TourCrafters, and for just $696, you can get airfare from New York on Alitalia -- including fuel surcharges -- and four nights in a ...Top 5 hotels for having an affair
Sep 6th, 2009 at 11:30AM: Looking for a place to take your mistress for the weekend? Trying to plan a secret rendezvous with your lover? If so, check out ABC News' list of the top 5 hotels for having an affair.
The draw of these hotels, according to the article, is "thick walls, a discreet staff, a bit of romance". Noel Biderman, the creator of a website that matches would-be cheaters with potential dates (The tag line ...Gadlinks for Monday 8.24.09
Aug 24th, 2009 at 5:00PM: One of summer´s last weekends has come and gone. Enjoy the warm sun while it lasts! ... and take some time to enjoy these travel tales as well.
What´s more fitting when visiting tragically romantic Italy than catching a great opera -- or a opera festival! The Verona Opera Festival ends August 30! (via Intelligent Travel)
I love sweets and I love the idea of Iceland sweets. ...Photo of the Day (8-19-09)
Aug 19th, 2009 at 5:00PM: At St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy, as StrudelMonkey who took this shot says, there are pigeons galore. These are just two of them. I love the movement in the image on the left in contrast to the bird on the right. A perfect shot snapped at a perfect travel moment.
As I was in St. Mark's Square just three days ago with my son who sat still trying to get pigeons to eat cracker crumbs out of ...Photo of the Day (8-5-09)
Aug 5th, 2009 at 5:00PM:
Wow! That was my first impression when coming across jonrawinson's shot of Venice Italy's sky. His photo is a terrific reminder that when taking travel photos, that the place one is visiting can be a backdrop for creating a visual message. The way I know this is Venice is because he says that it is. The buildings, however, do give a hint of location and provide allure. The sky, though, is the ...Gadlinks for Friday 7.24.09
Jul 24th, 2009 at 6:00PM: Happy Friday, Gadling! There are all kinds of great travel reads (and a contest!) out there on the world wide web today. Here are a few...
The magic of Venice cannot be denied. Just take a look at these photos and you'll understand why. [via Travelogged]
This interesting article contemplates the effect of new solar energy farms on traveling in the States. [via Nat Geo Adventure Travel]
...Giveaway: Win a copy of David Farley's An Irreverent Curiosity
Jul 13th, 2009 at 5:00PM: Last week, Gadling interviewed travel writer David Farley. Now, we're excited to give away a copy of his hilarious, quirky and fantastic new book, An Irreverent Curiosity. Chronicling his tales in the tiny Italian village of Calcata in search of the lost foreskin of Jesus, An Irreverent Curiosity is a great read. Back in 2006, David Farley uprooted his life in New York and moved to Italy with his ...Talking Travel: David Farley, Author of An Irreverent Curiosity
Jul 13th, 2009 at 11:00AM: Striking a balance between being informative and being entertaining is one of the most difficult aspects of non-fiction writing. And when it comes to travel writing, it becomes even more challenging. The author needs to educate readers about people and places while also keeping them engaged in his own personal story. Thankfully, travel writer David Farley has done just that and managed to go the ...Gay pride parades around the world
Jun 27th, 2009 at 12:30PM: June is the month of gay pride parades. Last Saturday, in Columbus, Ohio, High Street took on a festive vibration as a mixture of art groups, political organizations, churches and business made their way from the state house to Goodale Park in gay pride solidarity. Both people in the parade and those that lined the streets whooped it up in a joyous sound of shouts and applause.
Today that scene ...Italian border police snag $135 Billion in US bonds
Jun 12th, 2009 at 1:30PM: Border police are always on the lookout for the next big catch. I'm sure every border cop dreams of being the next hero to arrest someone with a stash of drugs, or a ton of hidden cash. But I bet nothing prepared Italian border police for what they discovered earlier this week - 2 Japanese men trying to pass into Switzerland with $134.5 Billion in US bonds. With the recent economic malaise, ...The Westin does Angels & Demons in Rome
May 13th, 2009 at 5:30PM: Come out of hiding, closet Dan Brown fans. Come out of hiding and get thee to The Westin Excelsior in Rome! In conjunction with the release of the new movie of Angels & Demons, The Westin Excelsior Rome (above) has partnered with Sony Pictures to create a lavish Angels & Demons Experience package that will run until early 2010. The Angels & Demons Experience includes:
Luxury ...Continental's Restaurant Week could increase revenue
May 1st, 2009 at 8:00AM:
On its face, Continental Airlines' participation in International Restaurant Week seems like just another promotion. Think harder, though, and you'll see that it's really a way for the airline to bring in a little extra cash. Since passengers with a bit of extra girth may be charged for an extra seat, it only makes sense to fatten up fliers and reap the rewards.
A dozen New York restaurants ...Brits continue to self-congratulate on cleanliness
Apr 19th, 2009 at 10:00AM: Brits are the best-behaved hotel guests, according to a survey by TripAdvisor. More than 3,000 participated in the study, and the results are certain to reinforce stereotypes. Forty-three percent of hotel guests from the UK make their own beds every morning ... which is nothing compared to the 79 percent who put their clothes neatly in the closets.
But, tidiness comes with a price. Travelers from ...Top 10 wine spots, none in U.S.
Apr 12th, 2009 at 4:00PM: I realize that, on the world stage, our homeland isn't exactly the most popular place right now. Part of it stems from eight years of political buffoonery, and a healthy dose comes from traditional "old world" bias against the United States. Like most of us, I've learned to adjust for a touch of this when I read international news coverage. To a certain extent, I understand it ... we're more like ...Free entry to state museums during Italy's Culture Week, April 18-26
Apr 10th, 2009 at 1:30PM: Talk about a place rich in culture and Italy will likely come to mind. There's a reason why so many people are drawn there, like bees to honey: art, architecture, fashion, design, food, just to name a few. If you're an Italophile, you might want to make the trip over from April 18-26 during Italy's Culture Week. Over the course of the week, you'll be able to catch special events and get free entry ...
