Dec. 30, 2015: Christmas at Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller center at Christmas is one of those things that you just have to say "To heck with crowds!" and come to see.
Blogs
Flour and egg battle marks Spanish town's tradition
Ibi, in Eastern Spain's Valencia region, was a battlefield Monday as two "armies" fought each other for control of the town, using flour, eggs and firecrackers as weapons. It's hard to say who won. The mock battle takes place every Dec. 28, which is Dia de los Inocentes, roughly equivalent to April Fools' Day in effect. In the 200-year-old tradition, the insurgents seizing the town under the slogan of "New Justice" served as "Enfarinats," or "flour police," levying fines under a mock system...
Room Service by Emoji Spreads to England
Room Service by Emoji spreads to England.
Germany plans first bicycle-only Autobahn
Germany has just opened the first 5km of a planned 100km bike route that will eventually connect 10 cities and four universities in the Ruhr area, and more are planned elsewhere. The wide route is aimed at commuters, with 2 million people living within 2km of the route, as well as reducing pollution and traffic congestion. Other routes under consideration include a 30km route from Frankfurt to Darmstadt. In some cases, the routes are able to take advantage of disused rail lines. For more...
Where in the World is TravelGumbo? (#147)
Where in the World is Gumbo? Have fun, share clues and solve the puzzle!
December 29, 2015: Sunset, Alnmouth
A beautiful sunset in Alnmouth, Northumberland
Taipei's World Famous National Palace Museum Opens Branch Museum in Chiayi
Taiwan's World Famous National Palace Museum Opens Branch Museum in Chiayi
Atlanta's New Record: 100 million passengers in 2015...so far!
Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, which has claimed the title of world's busiest airport 17 years running, based on numbers of passengers, has now become the first airport ever to serve 100 million passengers in a year...and the year ain't over yet! But the airport didn't wait for the last days of the year to celebrate; in the clip below you can see how it celebrated, with surprise honors for the lucky 100-millionth passenger, Larry Kendrick, who was greeted by Mayor Kasim Read, news...
China jumps into growing Cuba market with Beijing flight
Air China has opened a new route for Chinese tourism and influence with a direct flight from Beijing to Havana, with a stopover in Montreal. Service began yesterday, using a 777-300ER. For Air China, it's an expansion that gives the state-owned carrier routes to all six inhabited continents, and opens a new destination for Chinese tourists and trade, and adds to the airline's direct Canada service as well. The first flight took off after ceremonies and speeches by Chinese and Cuban...
Visiting Patagonia. 4) El Chaltén, Argentina (Where Gumbo was #146)
El Chalten is a remote town in Argentinian Patagonia, close to the Patagonian Icefield.
December 28, 2015: Broad-Billed Hummingbird, Arizona
A close look at a beautiful tiny bird....
Germany says Booking.com must eliminate 'best price' clauses
Germany rules Booking.com changes to their 'best price' clauses aren't good enough.
Wurst case scenario: hot dog bites supermarket burglar
There's an old saying that it's a bad idea to go shopping when you're hungry. Now we find it's that way for burglary, too. An otherwise successful German burglar has been taken down by a bite of sausage. In February, burglars broke into a supermarket in Anspach by breaking down a door. They tried the office safe and couldn't get in, but they did take €300 worth of cigarettes with them. And one of the burglars, unable to resist a delicious temptation, took a hefty bite out of a pork...
New Orleans starts building its 'airport of the future'
New Orleans has signed off an a long-overdue New Years' present to itself: Construction will start next month on an $800-million replacement for the 60-year-old main terminal at Louis Armstrong International Airport. Under the contract just signed, the terminal is to be ready to open Oct. 1, 2018, in advance of the city's tri-centennial celebrations, and to put a focus on the city's efforts to come back from the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina ten years ago. The new terminal, which...
Dec. 27, 2015: Whale Watching in Peninsula Valdes
A close look at whales in a remote location in Argentina