Finally, Europe Has Its Own Natural Disaster

by Iva Skoch on

As a journalist, I find weather stories pathetic. It’s mainly the use of all the tragic words I despise: devastating, gushing, torn into homes, etc. But people love them. There is nothing like a natural catastrophe that gets the readership numbers up. Now, with the high winds “blasting” across Europe, killing 45 people, European papers have stuff to write about.

Call me cynical, but I have always suspected that Europeans felt slightly inferior in the “natural catastrophe” realm. I mean, the occasional flood or hailstorm pales in comparison to all the weather events going on in the US: hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes…

But now, that’s over! Europe finally has its own storm WITH A NAME – Kyrill. And, it has swept across most of Northern and Western Europe, heading east now. The funny thing is, Americans probably haven’t even heard of it yet. Well, give the PR weather machine time, Europeans are new at this.

And speaking of which, here in Prague the winds hit above 100mph yesterday and are still going strong today. It’s actually really nice to listen to the wind outside, rather than watching calm, gray skies for months.

Travel warning: check for airline and train service cancellations!

Protecting Your Home While You’re Away

by Dave Luna on

It’s always a safe bet to pause newspaper and mail delivery to your home while you’re on an extended holiday. You could even go a step further and use outlet timers to turn your lights on at night for the illusion of occupancy. While these tips may ward off criminals, what do you do if the unthinkable does occur while you’re thousands of miles away?

Well, one Brazilian man must’ve been glad he added a burglar alarm fitted with a webcam. His alarm system notified him of a break-in while he was away on business in Germany. He popped out his laptop and watched the robbery live over the Internet. Meanwhile, he phoned his hometown’s police department, and they nabbed the crook while he was still packing up the booty.

Also, a British sporting goods store had their wares saved by a keen-eyed American via the Internet. The man phoned British authorities when he spotted — via a webcam — men breaking into the store. Again, the police showed up in time, and caught the culprits.

Perhaps before your next long voyage, you might want to invest in a cheap webcam to keep an eye on your home. Many brands come with motion detection software that can notify you of possible activity. There’s also a specialized package called HomeWatcher written to keep your valuables safe.

Literary Gadling: Goethe’s Spa Romance

by Iva Skoch on

As another tip in my irregular series of literary travel destinations, I suggest visiting Marianske Lazne (aka Marienbad, in German), a spa town in Western Bohemia (Czech Republic), which Johann Wolfgang Goethe used to frequent in the 1820’s.

Goethe, a German poet and novelist, most famous for “Faust”, used to come here to relax …although some sources say that he actually came here to get treated for syphilis. It is peculiar to imagine how a hot mineral bath would cure venereal disease, but even more peculiar is that people actually came to this disease-laden place to seek romance. It was here where the 73-year old Goethe fell in love with the 18-year old baroness, Ulrike von Levetzow. He wanted to marry her but , shockingly enough, she rejected him. Instead, he wrote the “Trilogy of Passion” for her.

Marianske Lazne, smaller and more authentic than Karlovy Vary, still has the feel of a town frequented by the royalty, although nowadays you are more likely to see a busload of German pensioners than beautiful baronesses. The town and its numerous spas have been restored and it is still a great place to sip mineral waters, take baths and, of course, munch on the famous spa wafers. Thankfully, more effective medication for STDs have been discovered.

Think Before You Click

by Dave Luna on

We all make trivial typing mistakes, but for one German tourist, a wrong letter resulted in an 8,000 mile trek in the wrong direction. Tobi Gutt wanted to book a flight online to Sydney, Australia, but he actually ordered a ticket to Sidney, Montana. He didn’t realize his mistake until he found himself meeting a connecting flight to the 5,000 person town in Billings, Montana. Gutt waited three days in Billings before he received 600 Euros (about $790) from friends and family to purchase a fare for the right continent.

I’ve made airline booking mistakes, but I’ve always caught them before I ended up with the wrong flight dates. Though, it’s usually been a pain — and costly — to get someone on the phone and fix my errors. So, everyone, please remember what your elementary school teacher kept telling you: “Always check your work.” (Well, maybe she was just always telling me that.)

Word for the Travel Wise (12/24/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Still running around the town searching for the last fixings to liven up your holiday dinner? It’s a mouthful to say, but start by heading to one of these…

Today’s word is a German word used in Germany:

lebensmittelgeschäft – grocery store

You can find audio and German slang at BBC Languages, who continue to impress on the online scene. They probably have one of the BEST FREE German language guides on the net. Make no mistake in passing this one up! When it boils down to it there are several good sites to learn the Deutsch lingo. Deutsch Lernen and German for Travellers are two other good picks. First Step World offers study abroad courses in Munich and Berlin.

Past German words: vorglühen(s), krieger, bolzen, durchgeknallt, ankommen, geist