Nov 4th, 2009 at 4:00PM: I hate airports. I hate sitting around and waiting, and I hate being unable to escape the thought that soon my plane will be the one zooming down the runway and lifting off into the sky. So rather than arrive early to the airport and allow myself time to get anxious about flying, I prefer to arrive at the last possible second, so that as I run through security and down the terminal, I don't have ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
London posts
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Nov 4th, 2009 at 4:00PM: I hate airports. I hate sitting around and waiting, and I hate being unable to escape the thought that soon my plane will be the one zooming down the runway and lifting off into the sky. So rather than arrive early to the airport and allow myself time to get anxious about flying, I prefer to arrive at the last possible second, so that as I run through security and down the terminal, I don't have ...Get out and go: Events around the world (November 3-9)
Nov 3rd, 2009 at 5:30PM: Here's a travel factoid for the day: It was 106 years ago today that Panama proclaimed its independence from Colombia. Apparently, today in Panama, which they call "Separation Day," even the bars are closed.
It's time to look at the festivals and events happening around the world, and this week has a particularly international selection of happenings. If you're close and have time, then you ...Photo of the Day (11.1.09)
Nov 1st, 2009 at 6:00PM: I'm feeling particularly ethereal today, and Flickr user cmvoekel's photo at the Tate Modern in London does a good job of capturing my mood. The geometric patterns of light, the shadows and the silhouettes of the people all suggest a scene that looks downright "otherworldly." Want your pics considered for Gadling's Photo of the Day? Submit your best ones here. ...Museum Junkie: Manga and Moctezuma at the British Museum
Oct 31st, 2009 at 5:30PM: Trust the British Museum to have two completely different but totally cool special exhibitions at the same time. There's still time to catch Moctezuma: Aztec Ruler, a dazzling collection of art from one of Mesoamerica's greatest civilizations. It focuses on the reign of Moctezuma II (1502-1520), who died at the hands of the Spanish conquistadores. He ruled over a large, complex civilization from ...Pub Etiquette: This ain't no American bar
Oct 30th, 2009 at 4:30PM:
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/30/pub-etiquette-this-aint-no-american-bar/'; tweetmeme_source = 'Gadling';
Pubs are a cornerstone of English life. Most English people go to them and many are regulars at their "local." Because of this, pubs are a great way to meet and learn about the English. Even if you don't drink, go ahead and order a juice and soak up the atmosphere. I've ...Great drinking and dining at London's gastropubs
Oct 28th, 2009 at 4:30PM: The pub is a fine British institution, but the eating is rarely as good as the drinking. When you order food at most pubs, what you get is a preprepared meal that's heated up in a microwave, not something that's cooked especially for you. Some pubs do have good kitchens where they make everything from scratch, like The Fir Tree, my local in Oxford, but it can be hard to tell just by looking at a ...London's Tube will have (some) air conditioning next summer
Oct 24th, 2009 at 3:30PM:
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/24/londons-tube-will-have-air-conditioning-next-summer/'; tweetmeme_source = 'Gadling';
Londoners love to hate the Tube. The London Underground is said to be overpriced, overcrowded, and prone to breakdowns and strikes, but perhaps the biggest (and most valid) complaint is that on hot summer days the lack of air conditioning turns the cars into ...Gatwick Airport to be sold, modernized
Oct 23rd, 2009 at 8:30AM: This week's announcement by the British Airports Authority that it will sell London's Gatwick Airport has everyone wondering about the future of the city's second busiest hub.
The BAA, owned by the Spanish group Ferrovial, sold Gatwick for £1.5 billion ($2.49 billion) to Global Infrastructure Partners, owned by Credit Suisse and General Electric. The deal comes after the UK government ...London Restaurant Festival opens today
Oct 8th, 2009 at 2:00PM: England has an unfair reputation for bad cuisine. While this is the land of jellied eels and mushy peas, things have changed in recent years and now there are a lot more choices, especially in the nation's capital. From October 8-13, the London Restaurant Festival will highlight the amazing range of eateries in the city. You can find literally any kind of food here from familiar favorites such as ...London loses top spot in "most expensive city" lineup
Sep 25th, 2009 at 9:00AM: digg_url = 'http://digg.com/travel_places/London_loses_most_expensive_city_title'; For years, London dominated the top spot in almost every "most expensive city in the world" lineup. The city also took top spots with its expensive hotels and even expensive food.
That dubious honor is starting to crumble - the city is slowly turning into a budget destination instead of a luxury destination.
...Heathrow up, other UK airports see traffic fall
Sep 11th, 2009 at 1:00PM:
Vacationers compensated for business travelers at Heathrow last month, helping the airport realize its busiest August in history. Airport operator BAA Ltd. noted that its total traffic, though, had fallen 3.1 percent for the month. Heathrow is Europe's busiest airport, and 6.4 million passengers passed through, a slight increase of 0.3 percent compared to August 2008.
The other London airports ...Through the Gadling Lens: photographing autumn
Sep 10th, 2009 at 11:00AM: Here in the United States, Labor Day is now over, and all of the kids are back in school -- sure signs that, despite the actual calendar date, summer is gone and fall is right around the corner. This makes me happy: while spring has those beautiful blue skies, winter is certainly pretty with all its whiteness and, let's face it, summer gets all the really great press, in my opinion, autumn is ...London pickpockets are giving the money back
Aug 26th, 2009 at 2:00PM: Visitors to London may find that if they aren't careful, they could wind up with some strange fingers in their pockets or purses. And while that's nothing new, this time it might not be a bad thing. A group of former pick-pockets is working the streets of London this month, but instead of stealing money, they are giving it away to their unsuspecting "victims".
The "put-pocketing" plan is being ...Ten musical destinations that will rock your world
Aug 24th, 2009 at 10:00AM:
Music has a way of taking you on a journey. Like any great trip, the songs that inspire us are filled with joyous highs and sobering lows, unexpected revelations and exotic uncertainties. It's only natural then that each of us seeks out music during our travels. Whether it's a CD stand in a bustling market in Morocco or a classically-trained violinist playing on a street corner in Paris, music ...Heathrow hires author to write about Heathrow
Aug 22nd, 2009 at 8:00AM: Hate it? Embrace it! Heathrow Airport has decided to immortalize the plights of their passengers – rather than bury or ignore them. The airport has tapped best-selling author Alain de Botton – whose titles include The Consolations of Philosophy and How Proust Can Change Your Life – to spend a week in Terminal 5 and reveal what really happens in this environment.
He kicked off ...Heathrow unveils driverless personal transport pods
Aug 19th, 2009 at 3:30PM:
Buses and shuttles make up a large portion of an airport's traffic. People need to be shuttled back and forth from parking lots, garages, terminals and rental car lots, and all those vehicles mean congestion and pollution. Heathrow Airport is working on a system that will address both of those issues. The new Personal Transport Pods, or PRTs will run on dedicated tracks and use 50% less energy ...The Real Fight Club
Aug 14th, 2009 at 1:30PM: An employee at a school for the mentally disabled in Texas has just been convicted of organizing his own version of Fight Club with the residents. He even filmed the fights with his mobile phone. Five other employees have already been charged with encouraging the fights. These guys are sick and I'm glad they're being punished for exploiting vulnerable people. I'd like to see how these bastards ...CitySounds.fm: the sound of the world
Aug 13th, 2009 at 1:00PM: Travelers often think of destinations in terms of what they see: the Eiffel Tower lit up at night, the gaudy neon of the Las Vegas Strip or the fiery pink of a sunset in Tahiti. Yet it's our other senses - the smells, tastes and particularly for music fans, the sounds that can truly stick in our subconscious, evoking vivid memories of our journey. Those in search of some "sonic wanderlust" need ...Ryanair fumbles check-in, hundreds delayed
Aug 4th, 2009 at 4:00PM: Hundreds of Ryanair passengers were left behind on Sunday, when a shortage of check-in desks caused them to miss their flights out of London's Stansted Airport. The airline, which encourages passengers to check in online, only opened 11 check-in desks on one of the UK's busiest travel weekends of the year, when 255 flights were scheduled to depart. 23 desks were open the previous weekend.
Over ...Cheap eats in London
Jul 28th, 2009 at 10:30AM: English food is no longer mushy peas and baked beans on toast. Cities like London have become culinary capitals thanks to large numbers of immigrants saving the English from themselves. Indian, Chinese, Thai, Moroccan, Ethiopian, and many other types of restaurants offer every kind of dish imaginable. There's only one problem--eating out in England is bloody expensive!
Now there may be a solution, ...
