May 23rd, 2013 at 3:30PM: Premshree Pillai, Flickr
Riding the rails through Europe is an often-romanticized journey - unless, of course, you're referring to a subway system. In that case, the only time people bump into each other tends to cause annoyance, with most choosing to sit alone and stare at a book or advertisement in a desperate attempt to avoid eye contact with fellow travelers (not to mention buskers).
But an ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Prague posts
Prague Will Introduce 'Singles Only' Dating Cars On Subway
May 23rd, 2013 at 3:30PM: Premshree Pillai, Flickr
Riding the rails through Europe is an often-romanticized journey - unless, of course, you're referring to a subway system. In that case, the only time people bump into each other tends to cause annoyance, with most choosing to sit alone and stare at a book or advertisement in a desperate attempt to avoid eye contact with fellow travelers (not to mention buskers).
But an ...Powerful Explosion Rips Through Prague's Tourist District
Apr 29th, 2013 at 3:30PM: Anyone familiar with Prague's postcard-perfect Old Town will be saddened to hear a powerful blast tore through the tourist district this morning, reducing one building to rubble, shattering windows and – worst of all – injuring up to 40 people.
AP is reporting the blast, which is believed to be a gas explosion, stranded tourists on street corners and caused evacuations in the ...Prague: A City With Claws
Apr 23rd, 2013 at 10:00AM:
I was at a laundromat in Santa Cruz, California, reading the New York Times travel section. It was the spring semester of my senior year of college, a period of complete uncertainty for me. I was about to graduate. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I only knew what I didn't want: to stay in Santa Cruz or move to San Francisco and get an office job of some sort. I needed a ...Visiting Synagogues Around The World
Apr 6th, 2012 at 9:00AM:
Places of worship have long been points of interest for travelers. Solemn and usually quite ornate, these buildings provide a window onto a community's history and values and often give visitors a much-needed pause while pounding the sightseeing pavement. Cathedrals are typical for this kind of touring. But have you ever thought to pay a visit to a synagogue?
My fascination with exploring ...Prague's astronomical clock gets a makeover
Jan 15th, 2012 at 3:00PM:
The famous astronomical clock that is Prague's most popular tourist attraction has lost some star players for the next two months. The four outside figures, including a skeletal Death, have been removed and are being repainted to protect them from the elements.
The clock was built in 1410 and is the oldest working astronomical clock in the world. Dials show the position Moon, position of the ...
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 ...The Most Dangerous Beverage in Prague
Sep 7th, 2011 at 9:00AM:
There's a specter haunting Central Europe. A very quaffable, sweet-tasting specter, that is. And no, it's not absinthe. This bibulously inspired drink is only around for a few weeks in September. Which means there's much debauchery happening right now in the center of Europe. If, like me, you're in the Czech capital this week, you'll understand when I say that it's the most dangerous beverage in ...Top 5 MTV music videos that inspire travel
Aug 1st, 2011 at 12:01PM: If you're as old as or younger than MTV, which turns 30 today, then you probably can't recall when MTV (short for "Music Television") played music videos and nothing but. MTV launched on August 1, 1981, with a handful of videos filmed mostly on stages or sets tricked out with some lighting and a few props. As MTV grew in popularity, more and more musicians went on location to shoot miniature films ...
Prague in pictures
May 20th, 2011 at 12:00PM: Today's featured summer travel destination has undergone a massive transformation in recent decades. Once regarded as an isolated capital on the red side of the Iron Curtain, it is now the sixth most visited European city behind London, Paris, Rome, Madrid and Berlin. Having escaped the destructive aerial bombing campaigns of World War II, it is also one of the most immaculately preserved European ...The ten best castles in Europe
Mar 16th, 2011 at 10:00AM:
Castles originated in Europe over a thousand years ago. These fortresses were one of the original defense systems, and erecting the structures on hills or just beyond moats was a functional choice. Castles were built to house rulers, impose power, and above all, spurn would be attackers. Conforming to these basic principles of utilitarian design, the strongholds now appear solitary, majestic, ...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 ...Valentine's Day tribute: Sex museums around the world
Feb 14th, 2011 at 10:30AM:
Ah, Valentine's Day. It's a loaded holiday, one with high expectations. This year, though, I got into the spirit of things: I decided to rustle up a list of the world's great sex museums. Even if you can't pay a visit, their websites are informative and loaded with photos of exhibits. And best of all? You can indulge all by yourself, no relationship needed.
Erotic Heritage Museum, Las Vegas ...Daily Pampering: Prague's The Augustine luxe beer spa treatment
Jan 7th, 2011 at 4:00PM: Prague's luxe hotel The Augustine, which overlooks the Wallenstein Gardens, is a historic seven-building complex that includes the St. Thomas Monastery – a building that dates back to the 13th century. The monastery is also the home of St. Thomas beer, the brewing of which can be traced back to 1352.
Yeah, yeah, so we all know you'd like a glass of the frosty stuff. But what about a ...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: 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: Prague
Sep 3rd, 2010 at 3:00PM:
While I'm living in Istanbul, I try to take advantage of all the amazing destinations a few hours' flight away and travel there as often as possible. I like to focus on destinations that are harder to access from the US for just a few days (such as Turkey's beach town Bodrum) and places best explored while I'm still relatively young and unencumbered (to wit: Beirut). Traveling as an expat takes ...Czech Republic: From Prague Castle to Česky Krumlov Castle, a land of castles and fairy tales
Aug 18th, 2010 at 12:30PM: For hundreds of years, Czech Republic was the land of knights and castles, royalty and moats, and drawbridges. Though the country boasts hundreds of castles and palaces across its hills and mountains, several impressive castles are close enough to Prague to be seen within one vacation. Still depicting the spirit of their peak days as royal medieval fortresses, these five castles are worth a closer ...Photo of the day (8.5.10)
Aug 5th, 2010 at 5:00PM:
This photo by narinnr from Kagoshima, Japan (the Naples of the East, says Wikipedia) captures a Ferris wheel built atop a shopping center next to the train station. How fun is that? Imagine if you could kill time between trains at Penn Station riding high above New York?! I'm partial to the Gravitron when choosing an amusement ride, although spinning around against centrifugal force is probably ...What to do in Prague, Europe's most authentic capital
Aug 5th, 2010 at 2:58PM: Visitors flock to Paris for its romance and light, to London for its influence and renown, and to Rome for its ancient roots and history. But Prague, unlike other major European cities, has something even more to offer: authenticity.
Since its beginnings in the 9th century, Prague has survived architecturally for more than 800 years unscathed by the ravages of war. Early-on holding the status ...5 reasons to be a tourist
Aug 3rd, 2010 at 12:30PM:
After three months living in Istanbul, I've gained a stable of a few dozen Turkish words to string into awkward sentences; learned some local intel on what soccer teams to root for, where to get the best mantı, and the best Turkish insults (maganda is the local equivalent of guido); and have come to avoid Sultanahmet with the same disdain I used to reserve for Times Square when I lived in New ...
