Chavez wins reform = Walesa and Americans beware

by Brenda Yun on

I was appalled to hear the news coming from Venezuela today: its President, Hugo Chavez, proposed a reform to lift elected official term limits and it passed (again, barely) with just over 50% in a nationwide vote. This surely means Chavez will run again and could possibly mean he will remain Venezuela’s president beyond 2016.

If you’re sitting at home thinking this has nothing to do with you, think again. Chavez has long been an opponent of real democracy and has extreme and sometimes scary socialist notions when it comes to how nations should handle the world’s problems. He is one of the leading opponents of the U.S. as a world power, and seems to go to great lengths to lobby for the support of other socialist nations such as Cuba, Russia, and China.

The even scarier implications of this news brings rather unwelcome tidings to democratic nations. Just recently, Chavez prevented Lech Walesa, the former Nobel Peace Prize-winning Polish President, from entering Venezuela because Walesa had planned on speaking throughout the country in support of Chavez’s party opposition. We Americans love Walesa, and have also been treated rather brashly in Venezuela, so the prospects of safe and happy travels in Chavez country are not looking so great.

Beer babe’s favorite European bars

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Katarina Van Derham, the 2009 St. Pauli Girl spokesmodel, doesn’t like to spend all her time in one place. The Slovakia native now lives in Los Angeles and still loves to get out on the road as much as possible. When she’s home, her favorite place to grab a pint is Barney’s Beanery in Santa Monica. She can have a relaxing drink on the patio, which is a prime people-watching spot. Of course, she has favorites on the other side of the Atlantic, as well.

The 2009 St. Pauli Girl spokesmodel‘s European Favorites are:

Morrison Pub (Cannes, France): there’s always live music and a welcoming crowd; Cannes’ “beautiful beaches and relaxed vibe” help

Phanas Pub (Rijeka, Croatia): Phanas is a great party place with rock music piped in; Katarina came here while shooting a music video for a Slovakian band

Mermaid Bar (Ibiza, Spain): this bar caters to an international crowd, has clear water and a great club scene

U Medvédku (Prague, Czech Republic): a house beer and authentic Czech food are served, and you’re only footsteps from the city’s stunning architecture

CK Browar (Krakow, Poland): grab a beer at this bright brewery before shopping at the outdoor street fairs on Saturdays

Salm Bräu (Vienna, Austria): located in a charming old building, this bar is a great stop en route to Slovakia (since Vienna has the nearest international airport)

%Gallery-44714%

Violence against Jews began in Germany 70 years ago. Seven places to go to remember

by Jamie Rhein on

Kristallnacht, also known as “The Night of Broken Glass” began November 9, 1938 in Germany. On that night, Germans began attacking Jews in full force.

Over the course of two days, synagogues were burned, and Jewish businesses, cemeteries, hospitals and schools were ransacked and destroyed. Jewish homes were also trashed and looted and many Jews were killed.

The morning after these pogroms, the round-up started. Thousands of Jewish men were sent to concentration camps.

This day would have slipped past me if I hadn’t been listening to the radio last night when a local radio personality mentioned it.

As a commemoration of this horrible time in human history, here are seven places I’ve visited that have left me feeling somber and reflective. Each are places I think should be on a list of must sees. Feel free to add your own based on where you have been.

Anne Frank’s house and museum in Amsterdam. Although the rooms are bare, when you see the stairs that were once hidden behind the bookcase that lead to the attic where Anne lived with her family, you can get the feeling of hope and desperation that the Franks must have felt when they went into hiding. Anne’s diary is also on display.

Danish Resistance Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark. Sometimes small countries can foil a bully. This museum offers a look at how the Danes would not bow down to German might. During their struggle against the Germans, many Jews were helped to safety in Sweden.

Josefov, the Jewish Quarter in Prague, Czech Republic. Still well-preserved, you can see six synagogues and the oldest Jewish cemetery in Europe.

Monument to the Heroes in the Warsaw Ghetto, Warsaw, Poland- This monument is located in what was once the heart of the Warsaw Ghetto where Jews were forced to live. It symbolizes their enormous resistance movement.

Auschwitz concentration camp outside of Krakow, Poland–Now a World Heritage site, this camp is a well-preserved documentation of how dastardly humanity can be. The grounds are lovely which adds to its horror.

Dachau outside of Munich, Germany- This was the first concentration camp and served as a model for the others. There is a memorial here written in several languages that says, “Never again.”

The Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, California. Although the Holocaust is a substantial part of this museum, the purpose of the exhibits is to teach and promote tolerance among all people.

Salt mine tours for health and fun

by Jamie Rhein on

Tom Barlow over at Wallet Pop and I started talking about salt mines a few days ago. He mentioned a post he wrote about the health benefits of salt mines and places one can go to see them. An impressive one that neither of us have been to, but agreed that we should is the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow in Poland. It’s a World Heritage site, and part of it has been carved into a salt cathedral. Our talk reminded me of my own salt mine tour in Germany.

Touring the salt mine in Berchtesgaden was a totally funky, touristy thing to do, but one I have remembered over the years as a high point. Perhaps, it doesn’t take much for me to be amused.

We donned mining outfits (over their clothes), put cloth mining hats on our head and gathered with the other English speakers at various points along the way to listen to recorded messages about the history of the mine and how it works. The guides spoke in German. Part of the tour involved sitting, one of us in front of the other, astride two wooden chutes which we slid down to get to a lower section. One of the reasons for the mining outfits was to protect our clothing from the salt. Plus, it was a chance to play dress up and add some ambiance to the experience.

Berchtesgaden may sound familiar. It is also where Hitler hung out at Eagle’s Nest. This area in the German Alps is gorgeous.

Other salt mines to tour:

Also in Poland, there is the Bochnia Salt Mine which is older than Wieliczka, and from the comments people have written about it, sounds like it’s worth a visit.

There are three mines near Salzburg, Austria. Here’s the link that leads to info on all three of them: Salzwelten Salzburg, Hallstaat and Altaussee. There are discount tickets for family travelers. Rick Steves has recommended Hallstaat, according to what I’ve read.

The Kansas Underground Salt Museum in Hutchinson, Kansas. The museum is housed inside a working salt mine where you can learn about salt mining first hand.

From the New Europe: Drunk passenger causes emergency landing

by Iva Skoch on

You would think that crews would generally know how to handle a drunk passenger without having to land the plane first. Apparently, some drunks are harder to handle than others. Especially when they use the T word repeatedly.

A Lufthansa passenger jet had to make an emergency landing in the southern Polish city of Katowice earlier today after a drunk, unruly passenger began shouting that he was a terrorist, Reuters reports. The middle-aged, Russian-speaking passenger offered no resistance when an anti-terrorist squad boarded the plane to remove him. He is supposed to be questioned “once he sobers up.”

After a one-hour terrorist break, the Lufthansa Airbus A320 with 118 people on board peacefully continued its journey.