Top ten European island beach destinations

by Scott Carmichael on

European hotel booking site Trivago has compiled a list of the top ten most popular European island destinations.

The one thing these islands all have in common is amazing beaches. The lineup varies from the couples friendly island of Santorini, to the party capital of the world – Ibiza.

So, if you happen to be heading to Europe this summer, or just need to dream of a destination not commonly found on the “must visit” list of most Americans, check out the top ten lineup for some beachy inspiration.

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Drunk British tourist hands out $83,000 at Mallorca airport

by Scott Carmichael on

Usually when a Gadling article mentions “drunk tourist”, it’s about some kind of trouble an inebriated group of tourists managed to get themselves into. We’ve seen tourists that tried to open the aircraft door mid-flight, or a group of tourists that forced a plane to divert due to their behavior.

But this article is different – this drunk tourist left a bathroom stall at Mallorca airport and started handing out massive amounts of money. In total, he handed out GBP52,000 ($83,000).

Apparently the money was left to this idiot through an inheritance, and the combination of booze and downright stupidity made quite a few strangers at the airport a bit richer.

There is one snag in their happiness though – only GBP2000 of the money was in cash, the rest had been put on travelers cheques (yeah, these were British cheques), which means they won’t be able to cash them, as they can only be used by the person who purchased them, as they need to sign them.

Local police arrested the benefactor, who was described as “smelly” and “looking like a tramp”, and after verifying through the British Consulate that the funds were legitimate, they let him go. Once sobered up, I’m sure he will be quite happy that he chose travelers cheques instead of cash for his transaction.

Click the images to read more stories of booze gone bad in the skies

Scared passengers boycott airline after being asked to help “balance the plane”

by Scott Carmichael on

Seventy terrified passengers refused to board their Thomas Cook plane in Mallorca, Spain this week because the airline had asked them to all sit in the back of the plane.

During its time on the ground, baggage workers were unable to open the rear cargo door of the plane, and had to load all the luggage in the front – requiring passengers to act as ballast in the rear to keep the plane balanced.

The seventy passengers were afraid that the stuck cargo door would pop open during the flight, and many of them paid 100’s of pounds to fly home with other airlines. One passenger paid $1000 to fly his family home.

Adding to the “horror” of the incident were passengers who had arrived on the same plane, who told departing passengers that they had just experienced “the worst flight of their lives”.

The airline said it was a normal operating procedure and that it was disappointed to hear that passengers decided not to travel, despite reassurances from the crew and captain.

Photo of the Day (08.26.08)

by Grant Martin on

Mallorca. This island situated some 250km of the southern coast of Spain is the largest of the Balearic Islands and home to some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe. You may have heard of the Mediterranean party capital Ibiza? This is right next door.

I’ve been tossing around the idea of crashing in Palma, the capital of the Mallorca (and of the entire archipelago)
for Thanksgiving this year and believe that this photo taken by jonrawlinson may have finally helped me commit. Now, if only I could find good plane tickets.

Have any cool photos you’d like to share with the world? Add them to the Gadling Pool on Flickr, and it might be chosen as our Photo of the Day.

Eating mallorcas in Old San Juan

by Jeremy Kressmann on

This past weekend I had an opportunity to experience the many pleasures of Puerto Rico’s Old San Juan neighborhood. Ringed by massive stone walls and the imposing El Morro fortress, the historic heart of this former Spanish colonial capital provides a virtual feast for the senses. As I meandered the area’s narrow cobblestone streets, I passed by block after block of majestic, pastel-colored colonial facades. My ears picked up strains of salsa music cascading from upper story windows, while groups of old men sat chatting, playing dominoes in the area’s tiny local parks.

But perhaps the most overpowering sense was the delicious smell of baking bread that came when I opened the door to La Bombonera, arguably Old San Juan’s most famous bakery and cafe. This old gem has been churning out homemade pastries and bottomless cups of coffee for tourists and San Juan regulars since it opened in 1902. The menu is just the basics – coffee, pastries, simple entrées, and what is arguably the house specialty, the mallorcas. Mallorcas are a sweet pastry which is typically grilled and buttered, then topped with a generous heap of powdered sugar. If you’re feeling particularly ravenous, grab one with ham and cheese in the middle. The sweet of the powdered sugar and dough combined with the savory taste of the ham and the cheese is heavenly. I ended up ordering two. I’m told the house coffee is also superb – they brew using a monstrous contraption brought from Havana in 1898. Take that, Starbucks.

So if you find yourself in Old San Juan some ungodly bright Saturday morning, hungry and hungover from one too many piña coladas the night before, make sure to stop by La Bombonera. But get there early – the line is probably already out the door.