Photo of the Day (12.16.08)

by Grant Martin on

I’m off to the UK today, pushing back from Detroit airport at precisely 6:15 to coincide with this article’s publication. After spending the tail end of the workweek at Loughborough University I’ve scheduled some downtime in London where the British Museum, captured above by ultraclay!, is one of my top destinations.

Though I’ve been there several times, you just can’t beat the feeling of walking into the central atrium to stare up at the magnificent ceiling above the main reading room. And once you manage to pry your eyes away? You’ve got about two weeks of content to browse through in the halls of the museum. How exciting.

Have any cool photos you’d like to share with the world? Add them to the Gadling Pool on Flickr, and it might be chosen as our Photo of the Day.

See you tomorrow in London, and thanks to Marilyn and Janelle at the ITB for the rest of my itinerary.

Luxurious isolation at Peter Island

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Four miles south of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands and accessible only by boat or helicopter, Peter Island is occupied exclusively by the Peter Island Resort. Consisting of only 52 rooms and three villas-along with 1,800 acres containing five private beaches-you’ll have no trouble finding a genuine retreat from the frenetic pace back home.

Guests at this exclusive resort can revel in treatments at the 10,000 sqft Spa at Peter Island, including signature services such as the Thermal Sand Bundle Massage, West Indian Honey and Sesame Seed Glow and Thalasso Mud Bowls Alfresco. When such pampering becomes tiresome, dinner at Tradewinds can distract, with cuisine reflecting West Indian influences. In the restaurant’s wine room, up to 300 bottles are displayed in a climate-controlled cabinet, and you can gaze upon $60,000 in consumable inventory.

The most exciting offer on Peter Island consists of three villa estates: Hawk’s Nest, Crow’s Nest and Falcon’s Nest. Redefining super-luxe, these three properties are self-contained without feeling confining. Starting at 3,000 sqft (Crow’s Nest) and exceeding 21,000 sqft (Falcon’s Nest, the newest villa), they offer housekeepers, groundskeepers, valets and chefs, as well as in-villa spas, pools and astounding ocean views. Space and comfort represent the twofold focus of the villa properties, and they do not disappoint.

The magnificence of the Falcon’s Nest villa comes as much from a commitment to style as a dedication to luxury. The work of interior designer Cooper Carry sets the tone, and features such as a rain shower with 150 jets make it tangible. A cascading waterfall, grotto and Jacuzzi are within striking distance of a zero-entry, two-tiered pool. And, yes, there is a swim-up bar. Sitting 350 feet above the Caribbean Sea, this particular villa is positioned to make the most of the water’s available views.

Of course, this level of luxury doesn’t come cheap. A night at the Hawk’s nest starts at $3,400, and if you want to stay at the Falcon’s Next sometime between January 4 and March 31, a night of heaven will set you back $15,000. These are 2008 rates; 2009 hasn’t been published yet. Nonetheless, you can see where this is headed. A shower with 150 jets, unsurprisingly, will cost you a fortune.

The fact that Peter Island is remote-despite being only four miles from its neighbor-is supported more by the exclusivity of the resort than its proximity to its nearest neighbor. Often overlooked but never forgotten, the Peter Island Resort starts at luxury, with the villas offering a class of service that is only too rare. Hiking, biking or sitting by the beach, this destination is sure to relax-and send you home refreshed.

The British government’s sad attempt at curbing binge drinking: Banning happy hour

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Happy hour can be one of the great pleasures– perhaps one of the only pleasures– of the typical nine-to-five worker’s day. Who doesn’t love a nice cheap pint or cocktail at the local bar after a long day’s toil?

But the days appear to be numbered for this holiest of rituals– in Britain anyway. The British government is set to ban time-limited alcohol promotions in bars, what you and I call “happy hours,” in an effort to curb binge drinking. Free drinks for women may also be prohibited, and there’s even been a suggestion to print warning labels on bottles of alcohol similar to those on cigarette packs.

These measures, which many are calling just another in a long line of nanny-state, Big Brother-type regulations in Britain, are the result of “long-term concern about the costs of alcohol misuse, estimated to run up to £25 billion a year.”

But not everyone is convinced that this ban is necessary, especially with the economy currently in the toilet. Writes Matthew Lynn: “It hardly sounds like a recipe for a fun night out. You step into the local after a hard day in the office, not having done any deals, and only narrowly avoiding redundancy, and you order yourself a pint of lager. Your barman sternly warns you that it contains 2 units of alcohol. He charges you full price for it. Pretty soon he’ll probably have to tell you there is too much salt in the crisps you ordered as well.”

Lynn goes on to argue that the people coming home from work, hoping to catch a 2-for-1 deal at the local pub, are not the problem– it’s those who have 20 drinks on Friday nights and go around looking for fights.

Once again, a government tries to give the appearance of solving a problem while not actually doing anything about it. Shocking.

Actor/traveler Ewan McGregor discusses the British nanny-state here.

Minding the gap

by Grant Martin on

I find it funny how the London tube is so adamant about warning passengers about the gap between the subway platform and the train. Sure, it’s an big hole in the ground and you could fall into it if you weren’t paying close attention, but risks like this are everywhere and on some platforms without warnings, the gap is much larger. On the RER in Paris, I could fit a donkey in it (pictured).

Obvious warnings like this always make me think about Drew Carey’s commentary on the Nanny State. Is it really necessary to warn people about everything? At which point should common sense take over?

There is an inherent risk in traveling. Whether this is getting hit by a bus, dying in a plane crash, falling off of a camel or into a 4″ subway gap, at some point, if you’re going to try to enjoy your trip you’re going to have to accept this risk, sack up and acknowledge the fact that you could get hurt when you leave your home.

Personally, I found that once I accepted this risk, realized how minuscule it was and moved past it, that my stress level went down and I started to genuinely enjoy my travels much more.

Protesters disrupt service at Stansted Airport

by Josh Lew on

50 protesters from the environmentalist group Plane Stupid forced England’s Stansted Airport to close this morning after they cut their way through security fences and chained themselves to railings and fences near the runway. The airport is heavily used by budget carrier Ryanair, which had to cancel more than 50 flights as a result of the demonstration. The protest began at three in the morning and it was not until 8:30 a.m. that flights resumed.

Ryanair complained about the slow response from security officials:

“It is unacceptable that the travel plans of thousands of passengers have been disrupted because BAA Stansted security have failed to remove a number of protesters.”

Plane Stupid‘s protest was in response to the government’s decision to add another runway to the airport. They have spoken out against the airline industry’s handling of carbon emissions and pollution. I’m no PR expert, but chaining yourself near an airport runway is probably not the best way to get your point across. In fact, I’d way it was plain stupid.

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