Sydney Wins…Again

by Erik Olsen on

Probably the most frustrating things about this story for me is that I’ve never been to Sydney. Australia is the only continent, in fact, that I’ve never visited…a fact that distresses me a great deal. Something simply MUST be done to rectify this. But that, dear gadling reader, is not you problem. So onto the news at hand.

The news at hand is this: Sydney, the Australian cultural capital (I said CULTURAL Capital, please no emails about geographic illiteracy) has once again been selected as the world’s number one city by readers of Conde Nast Traveler. This is frightening to say, the 11th time the harbor city has won the award since it (the contest, not the city) began in 1988. That’s quite an amazing feat for a former penal colony that supported Britain’s criminal and bureaucratic castaways. OK, ok, ease up. I know that’s an old tried and true way to upset Aussies. Again, no email, please (that means you, Howie ;-)). BTW: Budget Travel Magazine has got a piece on Sydney y’all might enjoy.

Anyhoodle, the idea is that readers…apparently an itinerant bunch…selected the best city based on ambiance, friendliness, culture sights, restaurants, lodging and shopping. About 28,000 readers voted this year, giving Sydney a score of 87.7, followed by the Italian city of Florence with 86.8, and San Francisco and Bangkok each with 85.9. Why New York is not on the top of the list is a mystery to me, especially since I know both Bangkok and New York and…well, Bangkok is exciting at all, but the best? Nah. All said, though, more than ever before do I need to hustle and get these bones to the land down under.

JenLeo Live in Australia

by Erik Olsen on

One of our favorite traveling friends and travelers, Jen Leo, is in Australia right now and has posted a slide show from the road. Lucky girl is there for two whole weeks, checking out the Land Down Under as part of an apparent press junket. She’s posting not from her traditonal spot of the Web WrittenRoad, but from a new site where she is chronicling her adventures.

And speaking of Jen, I have to say that the good folks at Travelers’ Tales sent me Jen’s latest gender-specific travel humor compendium (GSTHC, or Gosthack): What Color is Your Jockstrap, and after just a few stories I can tell you it’s a giggle-inducer. More on the book at a later time, later post.

Friday Funny: Simpsons Episodes

by Erik Olsen on

As always, we try here at gadling very hard to make sure that our Friday Funny is somehow travel-related. Sometimes we fail. today, I offer you a virtual bonanza of lunchtime, sit-in-front-of-your-computer viewing. And for Simpson’s fans, well, this is about as deliriously wonderful as things get.

This link here takes you to a magical page where virtually very Simpsons episode ever made can be viewed for free on your computer. Don’t ask me how they did it, and don’t expect it to be up forever. I can already hear the footfalls of Fox lawyers galloping to shut this site down. But for now, this comedic cartoon cornucopia is all yours.

And so that I don’t backtrack on my promise to make this FF travel-related….I offer you links to two of the best Simpsons episodes ever made, both of which take the Simpsons away from the cozy confines of Springfield:

The City of New York vs Homer Simpson from Season 9
Bart vs Australia from Season 6

On the Road Australia Style

by Erik Olsen on

With his laptop’s guts all burned out, writer Mark Kotting hits the road anyway in Australia, considering at length the barbied roo he just ate and trying to make up his mind what to do with the rest of his time. So he hits the Killer Whale Museum in Eden and with Johnny Cash blaring, dives into Aussie clture. A fine, fast-paced peice from the Guardian, with a whiff of Hunter Thompson. Oh to be in the Land Down Under.

Last Best Places

by Erik Olsen on

We post a lot here about various things to see on the net that we know will be of interest to those with a passion for travel. And occasionally those posts contain some activist aspect since, let’s face it, travelers tend to be curious, passionate people who share an interest in preserving the wondrous places around the world that always inspire us. Well, I’d like to direct you to one of the better sites I’ve seen in a while that mixes travel with environmentalism. This wonderful interactive and educational series over at the Minneapolis Star Tribune should be viewed by travelers with a green sensibility.

Called The Last Great Places the site offers vivid photography, audio slide shows, and thoughtful commentary on three places that best represent a specific type of ecosystem. They are: Tongass National Forest in Alaska, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Grand Canyon. You can spend a solid spot of time here, and I suggest you give it a spin, as you will undoubtedly learn a few things you didn’t know about each of these places, including insights into science, travel and policy. It’s been a while since I’ve come across something so well put together, not to mention inspiring from a travel point of view.