Word for the Travel Wise (06/06/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Lightening flashed through the La Quinta window pane of my room this morning. I squinted my eyes to the flashes bouncing off the wall and only jumped at the loud booming thunder. Sliding from underneath my covers I tip-toed to the window to steal a glance at the storm. Too much lightening. The entire world’s ending looked as if it was taking the La Quinta hotel and Tulsa, Oklahoma under first. I covered my face. It was too early. I searched for the room clock. The red digital numbers read 6:66 A.M. My mouth opened and I began to shriek in terror…

Okay, I’m just yanking your chain. There was a horrible thunderstorm this morning in Tulsa, but I surely wouldn’t pin that on any silly superstition or blame it on the day. That’s just Mother Nature doing what she has always done best. However, there are others who will seek out signs and omens of sorts to credit to this day of triple 6’s.

Today’s word is a Greek word from Greece:

aigolios – a bird that is an evil omen

I discovered this word on the Owl Pages where they break down several owlish words, meanings and origins. Personally I think owls are far too cute to be evil, but that’s just me.

Online sources for learning Greek for free include BBC Languages and AGNI. The courses at BBC Languages are incredible. Probably one of the best you’ll find online and audio can even be found for today’s word by clicking here. Amerispan offers Greek immersion and language courses in Athens. Pretty pricey, but hey it’s Greece!

Past Greek words: toh karavee, Pascha

Sailing the Lesser Known Greek Islands

by Neil Woodburn on

I’ve never properly sailed before because I don’t know anyone with a boat and the logistics of setting something up on my own just seems too daunting. But, when I ran across an article in Adventure Travel about sailing in Greece, I realized I’ve been really missing out.

The photos are alluring enough, but the thought of leisurely tooling along any-which-way-the-wind-blows, dropping anchor, and swimming until I tire, is something I just can’t get out of my heard. 

The article by Alex Crever does more than just wax eloquently about the beauty one encounters sailing the Aegean Sea; it takes the sailing angle a step further by focusing on the small, uninhabited islands that can only be reached by private (or rented) boat.   This was the goal of Jim Bantis, a vacationer Crever was shadowing.  He wanted to avoid the tourist-infested isles and discover the true Greece. 

In addition to whetting the sailing appetite, Craver also provides the practicalities; when to go, where to rent boats, and tips for do-it-yourself options (with or without a skipper).  Sign me up!  I’m won over.

Red Corner: Corfu to Albania

by Neil Woodburn on

While visiting the Greek island of Corfu in 1990, I heard a rather frightening story. Apparently two college students rented a little paddle boat and headed out to open waters. They went a little too far, got caught in the current and were swept across the channel. They eventually landed in communist Albania, with only bathing suits and with no identification whatsoever. They were quickly jailed as spies.

Up until 1993, Albania was a Hermit Kingdom cut off from the rest of the world, both East and West. Although the country was only a short boat ride (two kilometers at its closest point) from the shores of Corfu, it remained mired deep in the past.

Today, a hydrofoil now zips across the divide, taking tourists from the charming, narrow streets of Old Town Corfu to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Gjirokaster in Albania. Both, according to a recent article in The Times (UK), are very well worth your time. And for those slightly intrepid about travel to the former Hermit Kingdom, you can jet over for just a few hours and be back in Old Town Corfu dining on calamari before the sun sets.

Word for the Travel Wise (04/16/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

With today being a holiday many of you probably spent your afternoon and evening around the dinner table laughing and sharing stories with close family members and friends. Perhaps you were in church all day long with your community celebrating the resurrection of Christ or hunting for colorful Easter eggs planted by an imaginary Easter Bunny with the children. (You know – the kind of heartfelt moments Kodak and Hallmark pride themselves in knowing how to capture best.) If Easter happens to be a holiday you don’t particularly celebrate then maybe you spent your afternoon lying lazily in a grassy park with a good book. I’ll even go as far as guessing that it was a Lonely Planet guide to Greece for your upcoming summer travels. Either way today’s word should come in handy for anyone with an appetite for learning, maghiritsa (a tripe and herbs soup) or potential travelers to Greece.

Today’s word is a Greek word from Greece:

Pascha – Easter

According to the Ministry of Tourism in their little summary on how the Easter is celebrated, the word “Pascha” stems from the Jewish “Pasah” which means “Passover.” The corresponding Greek word for “Pascha” is “Lambri” (Brightness) because the day of the resurrection of Christ is a day full of joy and exhilaration. To sum it up, Easter is a pretty big deal in Greece.

Online sources for learning Greek for free include BBC Languages and AGNI. The courses at BBC Languages are incredible. Probably one of the best you’ll find online and audio can even be found for today’s word by clicking here. Amerispan offers Greek immersion and language courses in Athens. Pretty pricey, but hey it’s Greece!

Past Greek words: toh karavee

Fly to Cyprus for Less Than $40 US or Not?

by Adrienne Wilson on

Well here’s a rather bizarre story about Orbitz, one of the third-largest online travel agencies and Italian airline Alitalia. Apparently the airline accidentally listed a business-class flight from Toronto to Cyprus at $39 US on a central reservation system which then feeds flight information to online booking agencies. CNEWS notes the incorrect round-trip airfare from Toronto to Cyprus with a stop to change planes in Italy was posted with multiple departing dates on Orbitz.com, where some very lucky and not so lucky folks will probably have the vacation of their dreams. Before word among online shoppers really began to spread red flags went off and Orbitz pulled the rate to discuss with Alitalia.

To cut the crazy tale short Alitalia will be honoring a vast majority of tickets booked on Orbitz.com for those who actually received confirmation numbers from the airline. Those who never got the airline confirmation will only be reimbursed the service fee paid to Orbitz. Having experienced an online error in the past myself I have to include a moral to this story and that moral is: If something seems far too good to be true, chances are it is far too good to be true. But ahh, those very, very lucky few! Most of all it teaches us to be extra careful when booking online where glitches may be infrequent, but can always occur.

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