Gadling Podcast: David Farley

by Erik Olsen on

A while back, travel writer David Farley decided to undertake a rather odd quest: he left the cozy comfort of his New York City apartment and set out to find, or at least to learn what happened to, one of the most sacred, um, and shriveled, relics in all of Christendom.

I am talking about Jesus’ foreskin. Farley moved to the Italian village of Calcata and spent months exploring nooks and books to find out the answer. The online magazine Slate even gave him some digital ink to tell his story…or at least where the story lies so far.

In this all-new gadling podcast, I talk with David not only about this glorious quest, but also about the life of a travel writer and how he manages to make a living in one of the most competitive and challenging of professions. You can check out some of Dave’s other work at his website here.

So take a moment, put this on your ipod, and enjoy.

New Official Language of Italy: Italian

by Jonathon Morgan on

You’d think it’d be a no-brainer: Italians, in Italy, speak Italian. But not so fast. Not only did the country’s parliament just this week vote to add “The Italian language is the official language of the Republic” to the constitution, many Italians are unhappy with the decision.

While at first this may seem odd, when you look closer, it makes sense. I didn’t realize this when I traveled through Italy, but the language most English speakers assume is Italian, is actually just the Tuscan dialect of Italian. The language actually has a number of dialects — some so specific to particular regions, that, when spoken, they’re incomprehensible to the rest of the country. (For an example in English, talk to someone from South London, and then someone from Liverpool — at times it’s hard to believe they’re speaking the language.) And, as you might suspect, people are quite attached to what’s spoken in their area.

In fact, some parts of the country don’t speak Italian at all — notably the Alto Adige region, where they speak German, and in Val d’Aosta, where they speak French.

The change, however, is symbolic. So, chances are — even if you speak Italian — you won’t notice anything different on your next visit.

Lost Hand Grenade Found in Potatoes

by Iva Skoch on

Just when you think it’s safe to buy fresh groceries, what with the recent spinach scare, and Adkins craze, and all…

A 74-year-old Italian woman brought home a sack of potatoes from the market recently, and was surprised to find a not-so-tasty surprise lurking there: a WWII-era hand grenade. The woman found the grenade while she was washing her purchase, alerted authorities, the bomb squad was able to detonate the grenade harmlessly, and no one was injured.

While one might think this would give a black eye to the fine cuisine of Italy, apparently, the potatoes came from a field in France. And the grenade was of the type used by U.S. soldiers during the war (which, interestingly, often resembled pineapples), making it truly an international culinary incident.

An Explosive Vacation Home

by Iva Skoch on

One can’t be sure what would possess someone to live on the side of an active volcano, but perhaps even more surprising would be buying a vacation home on the side of an active volcano. Who would find that relaxing?

However, new construction has been rising 20% in the past decade on the world’s most active volcano, the island of Stromboli, Italy. It’s a mystery why there are new multi-million-euro villas springing up on the slopes of this volcano near Sicily, but an article in Newsweek theorizes that it might be Italy’s shrinking coastline (due to predicted increased sea levels) and currently-increasing temperatures. Building on the volcano gives you some cooling elevation, and property values are somewhat less than, say, Tuscany.

If volcanic eruptions–and the stuffed pizza roll–aren’t exciting enough for you, the island also faces a constant threat of tsunami. A 10-meter (almost 33 feet) tidal wave hit the island in 2002.

Lately, the real estate market hasn’t been the only thing active on the island. There have been recent eruptions that are sending lava pouring into the sea and have created a new peninsula. Get your vacation home, while it’s hot!

Photo: Protezione Civile Italiana-AP

St. Patrick’s Day Around the World

by Jamie Rhein on

If it were possible to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day around the world, like if you started in Australia and worked your way west around the globe, where might you land?

Here are 6 possibilities. None of them in Ireland:

At The Mean Fiddler in Sydney, Australia, St. Patrick’s Day is a family event, and it lasts the whole weekend. Besides great music , there’s authentic Irish food fare.

The Tokyo Irish Music Festival 2007 in Japan is another two day event. This is a real blend of east meets west. Michael McGuire of River Dance is part of the performance line-up. So is Taka Hayashi who joined Riverdance a few years back.

For free T-shirt and hat give-a-ways, head to O’Malley’s Irish Pub in Shanghai, China. The doors won’t close on St. Patrick’s Day until the last person leaves (or something like that). The next day is a truly kid-oriented Irish festival. I think the idea is to give the kid’s something to do while the adults get over a hang over.

If you happen to be in Turkey, here’s a website to help you find a pub on your own. The addresses are given.

At Finnegan’s Irish Pub in Florence or Rome, Italy, you’ll find the real Irish deal and Irish sports broadcasts. The website has maps to help you get to that pint of ale before St. Patrick’s Day is over.

In Dublin, Ohio, (I had to pick this one, I live near there.) St. Patrick’s Day starts off with a run and finishes off with my husband’s favorite Irish Band, The Prodigals. They’re excellent and they tour everywhere.

For a comprehensive look for Irish pubs in other global locations, check out the website, Irish Abroad.

Happy St. Patty’s Day and “Top of the mornin’ to you,” or some such thing. The photo is from last year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City. It is a blast. I went year’s ago.