Tenerife Just Got Lame

by Jonathon Morgan on

One of the biggest Carnival celebrations in the world has just been canceled…due to noise.

A Spanish court ruled in favor of a group of citizens who complained the festivals violated their human rights. You know, their God-given right to live someplace that didn’t get too loud once a year.

Before the ruling, festival used to full of parades, dancing, music and fireworks, culminating in the “burial of the sardine.” The gigantic sardine is depicted sitting on a throne, and hauled through the streets followed by trail of faux mourners, pregnant men and widows.

Really, it’s just hysteria. And revelry, and an internationally recognized good time. If only it didn’t get so dang raucous.

Off the Beaten Path: Making Out in Italy

by Iva Skoch on

Those 30-year-old Italian bachelors who still live with their parents–and hence lack the indoor space to make out–are saved. The town of Bari, Italy, opened a park where couples can have sex freely (but not for free). All they have to do is pay a $4 admission and $2 for every half hour they stay.

It’s not unusual for Italians to live with their parents until they are in their late twenties, even thirties. In fact, this study says that 8 out of 10 Italian men aged between 18 and 30 live with their folks.

My friend who lives in Spain says that many Spanish young adults do the same thing because they a) cannot afford to rent/buy their own place and b) don’t want to give up mom’s cooking. Many of them use their cars for romantic escapades since they can’t really bring their girlfriends home. Apparently, visiting parking lots after 10pm can be pretty entertaining…

Biking Solo Through Spain

by Erik Olsen on

One of my most favorite car trips of all time was driving through the Spanish countryside on the way to Portugal. A buddy of mine and I rented a car and we just rambled around the country for days, stopping at random castles along the way, grabbing delicious Spanish food at small out of the way restaurants. And, of course, drinking ample supplies of wine.

And so I was reminded fondly of this adventure from a decade or so ago by reading this piece over at Stellar Magazine about biking through Spain. The thought had never really occurred to me when I lived there. I think that I was too afraid of Spanish roads, or more accurately, Spanish drivers to consider plying the country on two wheels. I know, however, that such fears are unfounded, and that I likely missed out on a fine experience. Riding over cobblestone streets in little villages like Muno Grande, and making friends with the locals such that he would find himself with free lodging, Alastair Bland makes the idea of biking the Spanish countryside very, very appealing.

A town named WHAT?

by Justin Glow on

A recent post on Boing Boing rounded up some funny city names from around the world, including places like Feces (in Spain), Puke (in Albania), and one previously mentioned unmentionable on Gadling a few years back. This got me wondering: how many odd city names can we track down? Boing Boing got us started, but I imagine that collectively, we can come up with quite a bit more.

I’ll start things off with the laughably juvenile Weiner, Arkansas, where I camped just a few miles outside of last summer, and the thrifty town of Tightwad in my home state of Missouri. Now it’s up to you, dear readers, to share in the comments some of the strange town names you’ve run across in your travels.

Festivals & Events: Running of the Nudes

by Dia Draper on

Is it bad if I want to do both the Running of the Bulls (RTB) and the Running of the Nudes (RTN)? Neil did a nice piece about the RTB that highlighted both the cultural spectacle and the religious aspects of the event. This group, affiliated with PETA, started an alternative to running with the bulls in 2002, protesting the treatment of the beefy bovines (yes, I just wrote that).

The group is part activist, part nudist, and all types of international fun. The web page itself is gratuitous goodness (you might want to check it out after the boss leaves). They have a “Sexiest Runner Spotlight”, t-shirts, videos, and of course: photos (trust me, don’t open these in your cubicle). Got you hooked? You can register here or sponsor a runner. You can always join Adrienne in the Naked Pumpkin Run if you need to get some training in.

The inaugural event started with 25 people running, and the 2006 event boasted a record 1,000 “nudies.” The RTN event begins just prior to the start of the RTB (both occur annually in July), and the goal is to end the Running of the Bulls event, which was catapulted into the international spotlight by writer Ernest Hemingway.

Whether you agree with the cause or not, you have to admit that its a pretty innovative grassroots effort, and another reason to visit Spain. I think I’m just going too have to watch both events and report back (you know, for research).