San Luis Obispo: Possible place to visit or move to

by Jamie Rhein on

A friend and I were talking today about what we’re up to. She’s up to traveling to California during the end of April with her boyfriend to look for a place to live one day. They’re starting in San Diego and heading up the coast. They don’t know exactly where they want to live so I threw out San Luis Obispo as a possibility. I’ve never been there, but have heard great things. One of my oldest friends, who does lives there part time, loves the place. He’s always saying I should visit.

My friend who is currently seeking out her future asked me if there are nature related activities in the area. “Oh, I’m sure of it,” I said, then followed with, “I’ll check.” Now, I’ve checked.

San Luis Obispo does indeed have nature type things. It’s the beginning of the Big Sur coastline. The Parks and Recreation department looks extensive. Mountains for hiking are close by. Along with nature, there are history and the arts. The Mission San Luis Obispo de Toroso was founded in 1772. Hearst Castle is also near here. This weekend is the Music for Your Eyes Gala and Art Auction. These are just a few of the things to do that I found. I’d say San Luis Obispo is a fine contender for consideration. Definitely a place to visit. Possibly a place to settle in for awhile.

Any more thoughts of good places to live in California? I’ll let my friend know.

La vie francaise: A little help for handling France

by Anna Brones on

In high school we had to choose a foreign language. My mother had once worked as an au pair in Switzerland, so I figured that learning French was probably my best bet given that she could help me with my homework. High school French turned into college French which eventually turned into living and working in France. When I look back at my high school decision, I realize that I had absolutely no clue what I was in for, but somewhere along the line I got hooked by the language and the culture.

That being said, we all know France has its quirks. Even for someone like myself who is a full-on francophile, there are still semi-annoying aspects of French culture. The dress code is typically black, transportation workers go on strike at the drop of a hat, salespeople can be incredibly sultry, and if you ever have to go through any type of French bureaucracy, you can be prepared for hours of frustration and confusion. Sometimes however, it all just takes some good tips on how to survive in French culture.

Elaine Sciolino has just finished her stint as the New York Times French Bureau Chief, and to honor her five and a half years of living as an American Paris, she writes “A Guide to the French. Handle With Care,” an article with eight lessons about France that we can all learn from. With #4 Make Friends with a Butcher, she reminds us of the importance that culinary figures have in everyday French life. #5 Kiss, But Be Careful Who You Hug, tells how the French “bisou” is not sexy, just normal. And of course, my personal favorite, #6 Don’t Wear Jogging Clothes to Buy a Pound of Butter; in France you should always look classy.

To get the full list of lessons, read the rest of Sciolino’s article here.

After Easter Island statue vandalized by a Finn many want his ear

by Jamie Rhein on

As Grant pointed out, the Giza Pyramids are not for wandering about freely because of vandalism. Here are some more can’t get close to items. Plymouth Rock can’t be seen up close due to vandals that once chipped at it for a souvenir. You can’t wander around Stonehenge at random anymore for the same reason. You can’t get too close to Michelangelo’s, Pietà in St. Peter’s Basilica either. A man attacked it years ago with a hammer, although he didn’t really want the pieces to keep, he just wanted it in pieces.

The pull to take parts of history home, particularly if the history is etched in stone, was strong enough that Marko Kulju, the Finnish tourist got his hankering to cut the ear off one of the Easter Island statues and put it in his luggage. Marko, Marko, Marko, Van Gogh did the ear thing years ago to not very good results. To add to Grant’s admonishment, didn’t your parents ever say to you, “What if everyone decided to cut an ear off the statues?”

The Chilean president is fuming mad and wants a piece of Kulju’s ear as retribution. Kulju is currently under house arrest in Chile and will have to pay a fine. I picked that one out of three options in the AOL poll today that went with the article. Many people, 37 % when I checked, want his ear.

Jeez people. Get up on the wrong side of the bed did we? Anyone ever write their name somewhere? How about pick a wildflower from a national park? Walk where the sign says, “Don’t walk.” Take that tiny arrowhead or pottery shard that no one will notice home in ones pocket? (I haven’t done one of these things, I’m just saying.)

This story is one more lesson in don’t touch so the rest of us have something left to enjoy or you may have to pay. Think of the highway signs that say fines for littering. Those count too.

From the New Europe: Transylvania art in the streets of Budapest

by Iva Skoch on

If Hungary is on your travel list this spring, make sure to check out the open air art exhibit in the streets of Budapest.

According to the Budapest Sun Online, sculptures, paintings and photographs by Hungarian contemporary artists have broken out of galleries to enjoy the spring scenery.

Szabadság tér, the green area in front of the television building in Budapest, brings together the work of some of the best Hungarian and Romanian photographers who captured the daily life of in Transylvania, Romania, as reflected in the variety of its people, customs, landscapes and architecture. I like the way they describe it: “The 100 images depicting in positive light the Romanians, Hungarians, Roma and Jewish people, as well as the architectural remains of a once vibrant Saxon culture, are celebrated for their peaceful co-habitation within the frame of Transylvania’s magnificent landscape.”

Funny that they have to stress that these photographs depict the life in a “positive way.” Hmm, there is a new, fresh way to look at Transylvania!

Get better service being stuck on the London Eye than on an airplane

by Jamie Rhein on

Here’s an observation by Mike Nezza at The Lede. Although, it was ruled by a federal court that airlines don’t need to provide passengers with comforts if they are detained while sitting in an airplane, passengers stuck on London’s gigantic Ferris wheel, the London Eye don’t have to worry about such trifles.

Just like Abha reported in her post, if you get stuck on the London Eye, you’ll get blankets, water, glucose tablets and a toilet. If you get stuck on an airplane, according to the law, you are not guaranteed water, a working toilet or fresh air. On the London Eye, you’ll also get a terrific view of London if you’re close to the top. On an airplane, if you look out a window, there’s the tarmac—maybe other airplanes, a runway or a building or two.

But, perhaps one might rather be stuck on the ground than up in the air. Those at the bottom of the London Eye may have been allowed to get off. If you’re out on a runway, there you are, and are, and are, and are.