Word for the Travel Wise (02/24/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Before Neil joined our team here I never gave much thought to these distant, far eastern lands mentioned in his thorough and ongoing Red Corner series. Sure I’ve been to Budapest, checked out some of those old dusty (and rather interesting) Communist statues that once stood in the city, but that was all by accident and never would I have imagined people planning trips to Yugoslavia, Slovakia, Slovenia or staying overnight in a Latvian prison. Sure, I may have offered whatever little bit I’d heard through the grapevine on places like Prague, but Neil is the real go-to-guy. While most of you seem rather tuned into these posts if you’ve been missing them by chance I suggest you start looking out. He’s got my attention.

Today’s word is a Latvian word used in Latvia:

cirvis – axe

Somehow I thought this word went well with Neil’s blurb on Latvia’s most notorious prison, Karosta and staying overnight there – if you so desire. Spending a night in a cramped jail cell certainly isn’t my cup of tea, but perhaps it’s yours or say you mistakenly end up there and wish to break free from being behind the less than shiny bars. A ‘cirvis’ or axe wouldn’t be my first recommendation or device of choice in escaping, but what would I know about the slammer or breaking out of one?

To learn Latvian online for free you’ll need to be resourceful. Start with this Latvian Institute website full of info on the country and a short page dedicated to the lang and some common words which include axe, broom, pea, and beard. The Latvian tourism site has few, but far more useful in terms of greetings. If you’re more about face-to-face language practice head to the American Latvian Association’s annual meeting this coming April. As always find out who on My Language Exchange would be willing to help.

easyJet Weddings

by Neil Woodburn on

Okay, we’re a bit late on this one for Valentine’s Day, but I think those of you who survived this holiday intact and are considering taking that next big step might appreciate this post nonetheless. Oh, and it will help if you live in England.

We posted last week on how Slovenia has become the hot cheap wedding destination for British couples looking to save some money on their big day. Now, there is a term for such getaways: easyJet Weddings.

Nicknamed after the ridiculously inexpensive budget airlines based in England, easyJet Weddings offer the happy couple cheap access to wedding locations, such as Spain and Turkey, that are far cheaper than back home. In addition, their guests can usually fly to these exotic destinations for less than it costs to park a car for the day in London.

Check out the link for an in-depth listing of possible locations, local marriage laws, and sample costs.

And if things didn’t work out for you on Valentine’s Day, hop on a cheap flight anyway and get out of town; there are plenty of weddings to crash in Spain and Turkey.

Red Square: Hitched in Slovenia

by Neil Woodburn on

“You can’t spell Slovenia without ‘love'” is one of the more lame reasons I’ve heard for choosing a wedding location.

Cheesy line aside, journalist Tim Walker has penned a nice piece for the Independent about turning your back on expensive weddings and tying the knot in the much cheaper, and in many cases far more beautiful, country of Slovenia (apparently a growing trend these days for British couples).

The particular wedding he happens to attend takes place on picturesque Lake Bled, at the foot of the Slovenian Alps-a place where Yugoslavian president Tito used to vacation regularly. Although the whole area sounds amazing, what really seemed to win Walker over was the post-marriage ceremony where the wedding party took gondolas to a small island in the middle of the lake. The groom then had to carry his new bride up 99 stairs to the Church of the Assumption where the happy couple rang a large “wishing bell.”

So, in honor of Valentines’ Day, Red Corner is embracing the other Red and wishing you the very best with your wedding plans in case a big ring makes an appearance tonight (just don’t tell your fiance you picked Slovenia to save money; it’s because of the beautiful surroundings, dummy!).

Going to Ljubljana

by Erik Olsen on

We’ve mentioned how the east European town Ljubljana has been heralded as the new Prague, the newest town where American expatriates venture hoping to find the Paris of the 20s, the Prague in the 80s, where artists and writers gather at coffee houses to meditate and ruminate on art and politics. Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia, the elegant, and rapidly growing little East European country at the foothills of the Alps.

Well lots of people have been writing about Ljubljana and we’d figure we’d share a couple of these pieces with you. For example, Lonely Planet’s Bluelist, a book we reviewed a short while ago, mentions that “Among the world’s most unusual places to stay is the Hostel Celica in Slovenia. The former prison in Ljubljana has had each of its cells renovated by a different artist and turned into accommodation of a very different kind. The barbed wire on the walls and the bars on the windows have been retained, and despite the hip makeover, it’s still quite eerie – some say all prisons are haunted, so if you want to take your chances, then check in. Just don’t drop your soap in the shower block”

Another piece that we posted about a few days ago mentions Ljubljana as a beautiful, clean, crisp and civilised place. And the Belfast Telegraph also heralds Ljubljana‘s charm. Good stuff, all, and I confess I’ve now placed the city on my own list of places I have to go.

Olympic Torch Tour of Italy Begins

by Dave (Blogsmith Old) on

Earlier today in Rome, Stefano Baldini, the first torchbearer of the Olympic Relay, received the torch from Italian President Ciampi. The Flame now begins a 64-day journey through 600 towns, traveling over 7,000 miles, before reaching its destination in Torino on February 10, 2006, where it will light the Olympic Cauldron and officially open the Winter Games. Over the next two months, the torch will cross the country transported by 10,000 torch bearers, heading first this week to Rieti. The torch will visit Palermo for Christmas, spend New Years in Naples, take a gondola ride in Venice (Jan. 17), mark the 50th anniversary of the last Italian Winter Games in Cortina (Jan. 26) and climb up Monte Bianco (Feb. 7). The torch will also pass through sections of France, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia along the way, before arriving in Torino for opening ceremonies. Each week until then, I’ll bring you periodic Torch Tour updates, which will highlight some of the towns along the route. Just look for this logo at least once each week for a Torch Tour Town profile, which might give you some ideas for where to head on your next Italian getaway!