Pilot dies midflight, plane lands safely

by Catherine Bodry on

The unfortunate death of a Continental Airlines pilot today is nevertheless calming fears of many a flying-phobe: even with one pilot down, a plane can safely land.

During the flight from Brussels to Newark, the 60-year-old pilot allegedly died of “natural causes” (the first doctor to respond in the air reports that it was likely a heart attack). Passengers weren’t told of the death, and fight attendants continued serving snacks. A relief pilot on board took over, and with another co-pilot safely finished the flight.

Emergency crews met the plane as a precaution, but the Boeing 777 touched down without incident, and on time.

[Via MSNBC]

Hergé Museum opens its doors just outside Brussels

by Scott Carmichael on

To celebrate the year of the comic strip, Brussels is doing more than just host the 2009 comic book celebrations.

Just outside the city is the town of Louvain-la-Neuve, which recently became the home of the Hergé Museum.

Many North American readers probably never had the luck of getting to read much of the comic book work of Hergé, but anyone with European roots probably grew up reading his Tintin stories.

In fact, Tintin is one of the most popular comic strips ever created, and had a 54 year run, selling over 200 million books.

So, if you find yourself in Brussels, and want to learn more about Tintin and his creator, head down to the museum. The museum was opened on May 22nd, but won’t be open to the general public till June 2nd.

Visitor information and address

Ghent proclaims regular vegetarian days

by Sean McLachlan on

The Belgian city of Ghent, long famous for its well-preserved medieval architecture and excellent art museums, may soon become a favorite destination for vegetarians. According to the BBC, Ghent has become the first city in the world to have a designated “Vegetarian Day.” Public sector workers are asked to give up meat every Thursday, and in September schools will follow suit by serving vegetarian-only meals every Thursday in their cafeterias.

The move is designed to tackle obesity and reduce the city’s carbon footprint. The meat industry is a major source of greenhouse gas, much of it coming from animal flatulence (no, really) and the city council hopes this program will become a model for other cities.

Belgium is already one of the greener nations of the world, with an efficient recycling program and a goal of having 6% of all electricity generated by renewable sources by 2010. Ghent has the largest pedestrian center of any Belgian city and boasts numerous vegetarian restaurants. As part of the new program, the city government is giving visitors free guides to veggie eateries, and there’s a copy (in Dutch) online that also includes information on the vegetarian lifestyle. An unofficial English guide to vegetarian dining in Belgium can be found here.

Stinky London, Rude Paris, Romantic Venice

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If you need a sense of authority to trust a publication, you can’t do better than one from Australia. So, when the Sydney Morning Herald says that Brussels is boring, you have to believe it. Likewise, Paris is overrated, and the food sucks in London (duh).

Well, if you think the folks down under have credibility problems, fear not. It was reporting on a TripAdvisor poll of nearly 2,400 travelers, so it’s really TripAdvisor users who had an epiphany on the quality of London‘s cuisine.

Bad news for London: it also has the worst-dressed locals and is the most expensive. Oh, and it’s the dirtiest.

Sorry, guys.

Meanwhile, we needed a poll to tell us that Paris was the least friendly (though I’ve never had a problem there) and the second most expensive. Yet, Paris is top for grub and fashion, and London leads in nightlife, public parks and free attractions.

Need a romantic getaway in Europe? Venice still wins.

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Antwerp, Belgium’s train station musical surprise: Everyone does The Sound of Music

by Jamie Rhein on

Not since Improv Everywhere’s Food Court Musical have I been so pleased by a surprise musical number in a public place. This time the setting is Central Train Station in Antwerp, Belgium and the vehicle is Julie Andrew’s voice singing “Do A Deer” from The Sound of Music over the loud speaker. First, just a man and a young girl start to dance as if drawn in by the song. Gradually, the few become a crowd that exudes joy.

Although this singing and dancing number might have been inspired by Improv Everywhere’s antics, particularly Frozen Grand Central, this stunt is part of an ad campaign for a reality TV show. Regardless, the result is superb. This starts out slow and then builds as more and more people join in. I dare you to not hum a few bars.