Athens: Cars, Cars and More Cars

by Iva Skoch on

Americans have a reputation as car-loving people. I would rephrase that. Americans don’t love their cars. They need their cars. They use and abuse them. They don’t love them with passion like, say, the Italians or Greeks. Where else do you see men lovingly polish their old Fiats on a sunny Sunday afternoon? Most Americans wouldn’t treat a Porsche with such affection.

I just got back from Athens last week. The car-inspired street fight aside, I was generally surprised what a car-culture Athens is. Everybody drives and parks wherever they want. There are hardly any sidewalks or pedestrian zones, let alone parks. You certainly don’t feel welcome or safe as a pedestrian. If you ask me, it is a mistake that they accommodate drivers so generously.

This NY Times article talks about some of the civic groups trying to fight back by placing stickers on illegally-parked vehicles that the police seem to ignore. They also point out that Athens has the highest per-capita car ownership in the European Union: 450 registered cars per 1000 residents, which is close to the US-level of car ownership. Of course, Greece is a lot more congested than the US…hence the gridlock. Yet, their public transportation is great. I don’t get it…

The terror of roundabouts

by Neil Woodburn on


Having grown up in America, I had never seen a roundabout until I finally made it to Europe just after college. My first one, somewhere in Italy, was an intimidating site to behold. But it wasn’t until I actually rented a car a few years later and tried to merge into the never-ending flow of traffic and then merge back out, that I truly realized the terror involved in such a maneuver. Somewhere along the way, perhaps my second time circling around, I learned just how painfully accurate and how hysterically funny the above scene from European Vacation was. They nailed it.

Many Americans leaving America for Thanksgiving

by Catherine Bodry on

Europe, not Grandma’s, is the big destination for Americans traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Reuters reports that “vacation starved” U.S. citizens are using this holiday as an opportunity to visit Europe and other destinations. Although Thanksgiving break is usually only a four-day weekend, workers can tack on a few extra leave days and get a full 10-day vacation, plenty of time for a transatlantic flight and to adjust to jet lag. Yes, the dollar is weak, but many bookings were made several months ago when the dollar was doing much better. Plus, the high number of overseas travelers “reflects the resiliency of U.S. consumers to shrug off a housing crisis, signs of a slowing economy, and the weak dollar.” I’ll say.

While Western-Europe bookings are up over 9 percent, Eastern European destinations saw the largest increase —
nearly 25 percent! This surge is likely due to the better exchange rate for dollars in Eastern Europe.

As for me, it’ll be turkey and cocktails in Alaska, as usual.

How Can Anyone Not Like Rome?

by Iva Skoch on

I have to confess: I saw Rome for the first time two weeks ago. I don’t know how I avoided it all these years but I did.

I always heard mixed reviews about Rome. I have a few italophile-friends who absolutely love it. I also have a few other friends who didn’t think much of it and used words like polluted, touristy, and overrated. So I was glad to finally see Rome with my own eyes. I had semi-low expectations and an open mind. The truth is that I wasn’t prepared for falling in love with Rome. But I did. It was love at first sight.

Granted, I love big cities: New York, London, Paris. I love the feeling that people actually live there. Yes, the traffic is bad and it is hectic, but to me that’s just a sign of life. Perhaps that’s part of the reason I never truly cared for Venice, Salzburg and similar “picturesque overgrown villages” that cater exclusively to tourists. Those towns would disappear if tourists suddenly stopped going there. Yes, I am sure that Rome, Paris or New York would suffer, too, if tourists stopped going there. But life would go on. People would still live there, conduct business and raise families. That is refreshing.

Walking through the beautiful streets of Rome; streets than millions of people walked in the last two thousand years, I kept thinking: How can anyone not love this city?

Who visits the U.S, and why

by Catherine Bodry on

Which country sent the most visitors to the U.S. in 2006? Here’s a hint: it’s one of our closest neighbors, and it’s really no surprise. If you guessed Canada, you’re correct — Canada sent 15,992,242. And if you guessed Mexico, you’re almost correct — our neighbors to the south came in second with 13,317,000 visitors. Next on down is the United Kingdom followed by Japan, Germany, France, and the Republic of Korea.

So, what are all these tourists checking out? It’s not all Las Vegas and Disneyland: Spanish tourists are “interested in rugged western outdoor tourism, and [there’s a] growing interest in Native American culture and traditions.” Japanese want to find scenes from their favorite movies. And with their strengthening dollar, many Canadians are coming to the U.S. to shop.

Forbes has a slideshow of the top U.S.-visiting countries, and you can read the full report on the U.S.’s foreign tourists on Forbes’ website.