The UK Gets a Little Dimmer

by Iva Skoch on

The UK’s Highways Agency may be installing dimmer switches on new street lights. In a move to reduce carbon emissions, cut down on the waste of electricity, and lower light pollution, lamps that dim when street traffic is lower might be installed around that country in the future.

But they’re not rushing into it: they’ll be starting, later this year, the research on exactly where and when the dimmer switches will be installed. And, don’t be completely afraid of dark roads: they plan to dim the lamps, rather than completely turn them off.

Who knows, maybe the UK will become a star-gazer’s travel destination?

Britain: A Guide for Americans

by Justin Glow on

I’ve been to London. The only problem with that statement is I was 4 years old at the time, and the only thing I remember about the trip is running across a street with a gift-wrapped frying pan. Needless to say, my memories of the trip are quite limited, so when I ran across this British guide for Americans, I was quite excited by the advice it offered on everything from geography, language, transportation, food, and music. I feel so prepared for my next visit. For instance:

  • On music: “Of course, we get nearly all of our music from America. We find that your songs, like Throw Out Your Gold Teeth And See How They Roll by Mr Steely Dan, Hotel California by the Eagles Orchestra, and Smack Yo’ Momma by DJ Ice T, help us to understand the culture of the United States.”
  • On pub drinking: “When tasting your first sip of beer, exclaim that there must be water in it. They will admire you for your candour, and will offer to buy you a drink ‘on the house’. Pubs that sell ‘real ale’ are attempting to emulate Budweiser beer; let the landlord know where he is going wrong. He will be very grateful for advice from an American.”

Okay, so it’s pretty obvious that this isn’t a serious guide, but that doesn’t make it any less funny. I really pity the poor soul who doesn’t read this post in its entirety, and proceeds to leave a comment regarding how ill-conceived the guide really is. It’s bound to happen — just watch.

Fighting Cheap Beer with High Culture

by Neil Woodburn on

What happens when cheap beer and high culture clash?

Just ask the residents of Krakow, Poland. The city has unfortunately been targeted by budget airlines as an inexpensive getaway from London. Combine this with the fact that alcohol is very cheap in Poland, and you’ve got the perfect ingredients for a British style stag party.

While the residents of Krakow initially welcomed the increase in tourism and the flush of cash it injected into the local city, bands of drunken rowdy Brits have a way of quickly wearing out their welcome. City officials quickly realized that stag parties hardly bring the most desirable type of tourist to Poland. Even more frustrating is the fact that they come to Poland strictly for the cheap beer. This is an insult to a town like Krakow which is awash in fine culture and great art.

To counter the British misconception that Krakow has nothing better to offer than a cheap pint, the city’s tourism board has launched an advertising campaign in England to educate them otherwise. “We cannot become known as the European centre of cheap beer and yobbish behaviour,” Krakow’s head of promotions and marketing recently stated in a Telegraph article titled, Britons’ Stag-Night Shame Mars Polish Heritage. Ouch!

Oscar Settings: Best Films for Scenery

by Neil Woodburn on

Motion pictures often take us to places we cannot go ourselves. Unfortunately, the Academy Awards does not have a category honoring “Best Location.” We can, however, speculate as to which films might win such an award if one were to exist.

Gretchen Kelly, writing for the New York Post, has put together her own list of nominations with a bit of background where each was filmed and also information on how to visit.

The Queen: Filmed mostly in Scotland and also Brocket Hall just outside of London. Guests cannot stay in Brocket Hall but can eat at its classy restaurant.

Pan’s Labyrinth: Filmed at Aguas Vertientes in Spain’s La Garganta region near the city of Segovia. Some pretty wild scenery here!

Little Miss Sunshine: I liked this movie but I felt there was nothing too spectacular about the road trip scenery through the Southwest.

Marie Antoinette: Filmed in Versailles. Enough said.

Babel: My personal favorite for scenery but not for Best Picture. One of four interweaving stories takes place in Morocco’s rugged Draa Valley located in the Taguenzalt region.

In a Bag Cities: Toy Blocks for Travelers or the Kid Inside

by Jamie Rhein on

At my dad’s house is a bag of wooden blocks. They are vintage Playskol-a present given to my brother way back when but still fun to haul out just the same. I use my son as an excuse. The Japanese company MUJI makes blocks in a bag that are so adult friendly a kid isn’t needed for a reason to play.

Taking the term, “city blocks” to a new level, MUJI’s wooden blocks cross generations by representing the world’s most famous cities. You can own New York, Paris, Tokyo or London-or buy them all to mix it up. The Eiffel Tower joins Big Ben perhaps? The Empire State Building next to Senso Ji?

If you’re looking for a present for the world traveler in your life, these might be it. Or use them as a creative way to drop a “Let’s go there” hint. Or when you’re sitting at your desk wishing your were heading somewhere exciting you can build your destination and pretend. If you live in a city and wonder how suburbia might feel, you can build that too. Suburbia comes with trees.

You can buy In a Bag, New York at MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in Manhattan. All of them can be ordered on-line from the MUJI website.