Ash cloud continues to close European airports

by Sean McLachlan on

The long arm of Eyjafjallajökull has struck again. After the havoc it caused in April, and a second wave of hassles last week, a stronger ash cloud from this grumpy Icelandic volcano caused numerous airport closures in Spain yesterday.

Today the situation has spread. The cloud that closed nineteen Spanish airports yesterday has drifted east. Italian airports at Milan, Pisa, and Florence had to shut down this morning and there are reports of delays and cancellations at Nice, France. The Iberian peninsula hasn’t been totally cleared either, with airports in the northwest of Spain and Portugal closed through the morning.

Another arm of the cloud has reached back into the UK, closing several Scottish airports this morning.

Even countries not hit by the ash cloud are affected as transatlantic flights have to divert around a long curtain of ash, delaying their arrival.

The situation is changing constantly and travelers are advised to check ahead before flying. In fact, since dear old Eyjafjallajökull doesn’t seem to have any intention of easing up, now might be the time to look into crossing the Atlantic on a freighter.

Harrods changes ownership – still not British owned

by Scott Carmichael on

The iconic Harrods department store has new owners. For a staggering $1.91 billion, Mohammed Al Fayed sold his most famous investment to the Qatari royal family.

The Harrods brand name is attached to more than just the Knightsbridge store – Harrods also operates smaller stores at airports, and on the QE2 cruise liner and provides luxury air charter service through Air Harrods.

Despite being rather kitchsy and pricey, a trip to Harrods is a real must visit on any first trip to London. The store is immense, and the food department alone is enough to entertain you for hours.

The Qatari royal family made the purchase through their investment arm, Qatar holding, which is a fully owned affiliate of Qatar petroleum. Al Fayed purchased Harrods in 1985, and was only the fourth owner. He has invested millions in the store, adding improvements like his stunning Egyptian escalator. In 2005 he unveiled a statue of his son Dodi and Princess Diana who died in a car crash in 1997.

(Image from: CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)

Celebrating the Battle of Britain

by Sean McLachlan on

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, an epic struggle for the skies between the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe.

The Imperial War Museum at Duxford is celebrating this key victory of World War Two with a host of activities. A photographic exhibition runs to the end of the year and shows what life was like at the RAF Duxford base. There’s a series of flight demonstrations and air shows this year as well. The first is a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight on May 15, followed the next day by the Spring Air Show. A large Battle of Britain Air Show will be held September 4th and 5th. September 11th sees a special activity day at the museum called Duxford, Spitfires and the Battle of Britain.

The Duxford branch of the Imperial War Museum has an immense collection of historic aircraft. Gadling blogger Kent Wien gives a very personal take on the exhibits, with lots of great photographs here.

The bureaucracy of genocide

by Sean McLachlan on

The typical image of a Nazi is a jackbooted thug gunning down innocent people. While there were all too many killers like that in the Third Reich, the majority of Nazis were civilians. It takes a lot of people to run a government and an army, and many Nazis never personally killed anyone. They were educated, middle-class bureaucrats who loved their children, were kind to their neighbors, and spent their workday running one of the most brutal regimes the world has ever seen.

A new museum in Berlin examines the role of these mild-mannered perpetrators of genocide. The Topography of Terror Documentation Center opens today, the day before the 65th anniversary of the Third Reich’s surrender to Allied forces. The museum is built over the site of the former SS and Gestapo headquarters.

Exhibits explain how the bureaucracy worked, planning oppression and genocide with the same meticulous care and red tape that other governments plan road expansion schemes and educational policy. One of the most arresting exhibits is a wall covered with 7,000 index cards containing employee information. Sixteen of these stick out a bit, marking those employees who were brought to trial after the war. Of these, only three were convicted. The museum goes on to explain what happened to the rest of the 7,000. The vast majority of them simply faded back into civilian life, some even becoming prominent in the regimes of West and East Germany.

Some of the building’s victims became prominent too. Erich Honecker, the last leader of East Germany, spent time in a cell here for his Communist activities. Another inmate was Kurt Schumacher, who led a socialist militia in street fights against the Nazis and later spent ten years in concentration camps. After the war he led the Social Democratic Party, still one of the major parties in Germany today.

As the horrors of the Second World War fade from living memory into history, European countries are struggling to reassess their past. Controversial moves such as converting a Nazi hotel into a youth hostel and painting Stalin’s picture on a bus often overshadow thoughtful exhibits such as this one.

Daily Pampering: Detox/Retox at Italy’s Castel Monastero

by Melanie Nayer on


We all need a little down time now and again, and then we need to slowly reemerge into our reality. Thankfully, there are spa programs designed just for this in mind. Welcome, the detox and retox programs – your body’s answer to the relaxation-spa-meets-over-indulgent vacation.

Italy’s Castel Monastero has redesigned the way we treat ourselves.

First…Detox: A little breathing never felt so good. The Tuscan spa introduced an exclusive new program developed by Dr. Mosaraf Ali, an internationally renowned specialist in Integrated Medicine, that includes Western and Eastern healing techniques, including yoga and Ayurvedic massage. You can detox, then move on to the “slimming” program before capping off the program with the “lifestyle” revitalization treatments. Packages start at €2,500 per person including accommodation.

Then…Retox: After you’ve rid yourself of all the toxins, indulge in the spa cuisine from celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay, who also designed menus for the resort restaurants Contrada and La Cantina, as well as the onsite cooking school program.

Want more? Get your dose of Daily Pampering right here.