It’s Important to Type the Name of Your Desintation Correctly

by Martha Edwards on

I recently came across this story about three Norwegian tourists who planned a trip to Rhodes in Greece, only to end up in the French town of Rodez instead. They booked their trip through the Internet, you see, and made a mistake when typing the destination. Despite efforts of Rodez locals to make their stay pleasant, the confused tourists promptly returned to Norway.

But while Rodez probably doesn’t have beaches, at least it’s still in Europe — I think the mistake could have been much more profound. They could’ve ended up in Rhode Island, or maybe even Greece, New York. Imagine the shock if they had booked a trip to Paris, France and ended up in Paris, Ontario? I’m sure the Canadian town is lovely but it’s not exactly a bustling metropolis. Or say you wanted to visit family in Memphis, TN, and ended up in Memphis, Egypt?

The point it, there are wayyyy to many similarly-named places in the world. Consider this fair warning an be careful the next time you book a trip online.

Paris Raises $42 million to keep out McDonald’s and other Pop Ilk

by Neil Woodburn on

Every few months we revisit the “cultural invasion” theme here at Gadling. You know the one: an angry populace somewhere on the other side of the planet fighting against the arrival of a Starbucks or McDonald’s and the subsequent death of local culture which will arise as a result.

This week, we cruise on over to Paris, France (big surprise!) where local Parisians are battling the onslaught of foreign pop culture in their own special way. The concern here is for the future of the bohemian Left Bank. This swath of bookstores and cafes is practically hallowed ground in the French capital; the arrival of a McDonald’s would be almost sacrilegious.

To prevent this from happening, the local city council has established a fund of more than $42 million to prevent large corporations from muscling in. The money is to subsidize the sale of any building in the area so that only bookstores, cinemas, and other bohemian ventures can purchase the property and move in. Large companies will simply be barred from the market.

I rather like this idea! I’m not sure it’s legal, but I fully support the cause nonetheless. Viva la bookstore! Death to Ronald McDonald! Or, something like that.

Photo of the Day (9/5/07)

by Jamie Rhein on

What makes us drawn to images in artwork? Sometimes it’s what is going on in our own life. Sometimes it’s the composition–the placement of objects and the colors. Sometimes it’s the emotion the piece evokes. When I saw this photo “Parisian band playing on Pont St. Louis” by BrittElizabeth, a few things came to mind. First, I thought joy. The expression on the musician’s face looks as if there is no where he would rather be than on this bridge playing music over the Seine. The other thing I thought of was the funeral my 5 year-old son, his friends and I had for his hamster yesterday. One of his friends played a plastic horn similar to this one as part of the service. No one played an organ–that would have been excessive, but it was jazz of sorts.

The other thing this photo reminds me of is just how great it is to have access to a city in the summer. Look at what a glorious day this was. Can’t you just feel the sun warming your skin, the breeze on the bridge and the music putting a step into your gait?

To be have one of your shots considered for Photo of the Day head to the Gadling Flickr pool and upload your best.

Paris in….China?

by Justin Glow on

You know, if I were to casually glance at this photo, I’d believe it were actually taken in Paris: The Eiffel Tower….those other buildings. Very Parisian. But look a little closer and you’ll realize that it’s not actually Paris at all. It’s not even Disneyworld. It’s China.

Located in the residential area of Tianducheng just outside of Hangzhou in East China’s Zhejiang Province lies this modest recreation of the Champ de Mars and Gustave’s greatest creation. Just over 2,000 people live here. What’s especially weird is that I can’t find any more information on this save for the photos. You’d think that a fake Paris sprouting up in China would have received some press somewhere. More pics (from Reuters) after the jump.

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Photo of the Day (08/27/07)

by Iva Skoch on

A shot dramatic enough to make even Dan Brown jealous! It convinced me that is possible not to get bored of seeing photos of the Louvre. Ain’t Paris grand?

Great job, G. Wells.