For some reason I always have a severe longing for Europe when December rolls around. Yes, of course, it’s cold and gray, but I miss the lights and sounds of European countries gearing up for Christmas. So when I went to look for today’s Photo of the Day I obviously had a bias and therefore chose this great shot of the Eiffel Tower by Luke Robinson. I think it’s fitting that he chose to do the photo in black and white; it fits the temperatures of the season. But at the same time, underneath the stark architecture and strong lines you can easily imagine the lively action going on down in the streets. I’m jealous of anyone that’s currently there!
Have your own shot that you want considered for Photo of the Day? Submit it to the Gadling Flickr Pool.
Do you ever read a review of some random restaurant in a national publication and think “gosh, if I ever go to Boise, I should totally eat there?” Some people I know even keep files for this kind of thing with newspaper and magazine clippings, and my friend Josh keeps a spreadsheet.
Then, I click on the random city I’m headed to for the wedding, or the story, or the Eiffel Tower (big cities like Paris are on there, too), and recent articles about hot places to stay and places to eat from local and national publications pop up! It’s like having a friend in that city who lays around and reads magazines for you.
You can totally wow your friends with this wealth of knowledge. You could be all “Oh, I read about it in the Financial Times,” and if they tried to call your bluff and checked the Financial Times, you’d be right, even though you’re too lazy busy to read it.
Check out the site – I looked up my hometown of Minneapolis and the recommendations were all pretty good!
Yesterday, Brenda posted about Hawaii’s bicycle sharing system that should be in place by this coming summer. Bicycle sharing is just one way that Hawaii may be on the cutting edge of an alternative transportation system.
There is a plan underway to create a network of several stations where cars totally powered by batteries could be recharged. Batteries could also be “swapped” out at recharging stations if a car owner is in hurry. The idea behind this plan is that with more stations and a quicker method for recharging, people will be more drawn to using electric cars.
According to this New York Times article, the reason Hawaii is being considered for such a venture is because it has favorable conditions for a positive outcome. Fuel costs are generally high in an island economy which makes transportation alternatives alluring. Also, people in Hawaii don’t normally drive more than 100 miles at a time which is less than the distance that the newer electric car currently under construction will be able to go.
This all electric car will be ready for the mass market in 2012. Between bicycle sharing and renting electric cars, Hawaii’s tourists might be less concerned about their carbon footprints.
The photo by McPig is of an electric car being recharged in Italy. The difference between what is currently being used in various parts of the world, and the system proposed for Hawaii is that Hawaii’s network will be on a much larger scale and will be more efficient and effective. That’s my understanding from what I’ve read.
Because I’m writing this from a town outside of Copenhagen, Denmark, these posts caught my attention right away while I was browsing through this week’s bounty. They have to do with money.
In general, Denmark is not a place for bargains. According to Josh, however, London and Seoul are becoming less expensive.
If you’re feeling generous–and it doesn’t take much money to feel generous, check out Anna’s post on the fundraiser Passports with a Purpose. Four powerhouse female travel bloggers thought up a way to raise money for Heifer International using the network of world travelers to do it. Yes, that means you.
Karen wrote a post about how to find a cheaper way to go to Obama’s inauguration. That seems mighty generous of her since she’s looking for a bargain to head to D.C. herself.
If a trip to Hawaii is in your future, check out Brenda’s post on the bike sharing program. It will be in place in Honolulu by early summer, and from Brenda’s description of how it will work, it sounds like it will be an inexpensive way to stay in shape and see different parts of the city.
Here at Gadling we’ll be highlighting some of our favorite sounds from the road and giving you a sample of each — maybe you’ll find the same inspiration that we did, but at the very least, hopefully you’ll think that they’re good songs. Got a favorite of your own? Leave it in the comments and we’ll post it at the end of the series.
For me, traveling music has to provide a good background. It has to to flow with your up and down emotions, fit a variety of situations, but be distinct enough that it brings back memories when you return home. For that reason, in my last post I wrote about St. Germain, which is one of my favorite artists to listen to while traveling. Along those same lines comes Air, another electronica-inspired group that hails from France.
As I wrote about St. Germain, music like this immediately takes me back to living in France; I can envision the first time and place that I listened to either of these two groups. But Air is a little more than that, the duo’s second album Moon Safari has become my traveling soundtrack — no matter what the destination — and my song of choice is Ce Matin La.
Some people tend to veer away from songs without lyrics, but for me, that makes them better travel songs; Ce Matin La is smooth and cheerful, and without lyrics, it gives a good background but doesn’t distract you from your surroundings. I’ve listened to it while waiting for the train in Vietnam, I’ve listened to it while crossing Sweden by bus, and I’ve listened to it on road trips all along the West Coast. Somehow Ce Matin La manages to seamlessly blend into all of those situations, making me reminiscent more of the feelings that go along with travel rather than a specific place. Unlike other songs that remind me of a particular experience, Ce Matin La is therefore simply my travel song. It embodies being on the road and passing through new places and the emotions that go along with that.
Another reason that Ce Matin La invokes traveling for me is the name. First, it’s in French, and anything in my third language speaks to me on a slightly more exotic level. Second, translated it means “that morning.” Who knows what morning Air is referencing, but when you listen to the song you can easily feel yourself sitting and drinking a cup of coffee in some other country with the whole day ahead of you, ready to be discovered. With light tones and a smile-invoking melody you are immediately transported into travel mode, which is exactly what one needs in these gray winter months!
You can check out previous Sounds of Travel posts here.