I just got back to civilization (sort of) after a dry bus ride through the Atlas mountain range. As the bus winded up the narrow roads along the mountain side, I caught myself thinking of the scene in Babel where the woman got shot through the window. She was a tourist passing through these areas by bus and the scene was shot in this area of Morocco.
A newsflash tonight caught my eye more than usual. There was a big fire going on in Camden. From what I heard the Canal Market is gone, but Lock Market and Stables Market seems to be alright. I’ve heard contradictory numbers but some claim up to a third of the markets fell prey to the fire.
Most people have had their fair share of trouble with airport schedules. The Association of European Airlines recently came up with a list of the airports with worst delays.
New Year’s Eve is one of the most hyped times of the year, but still a great time to meet friends and have fun. There is celebration all over the world but the news often show images from the same old places.
I’m currently sitting in a train traveling northeast. It is a Sunday evening in November, the month when this part of the world is covered by a cold blanket of gloom. I lift my eyes and have a look at my fellow passengers. People are travelling around the globe more than ever before.
Is it just me and my imagination, or is airline security becoming more irrational every day? For instance, consider the security check before boarding. It is adamant and removes all nail scissors regardless of size, but as soon as you board the aircraft, the steward gives you a glass bottle with a smile and offer you to buy more in the taxfree. A molotov coctail kit can be yours for a few bucks. In fact, there are sharper plastic knives in the air than there are penknives on the ground.
Every summer SKYTRAX compile information from 14 million surveys taken by over 90 nationalities. The result of these surveys leads to the World Airline Awards. The results for 2007 are:
I am haunted by the airlines of service past, to paraphrase Dickens. There is a certain scandinavian airline which has a questionable reputation. Henceforth it will be known as “The airline that must not be mentioned”, or “you-know-who” for short (pun intended). Some years ago, that airline screwed up. Again.
I just came back from the Catalonia region of eastern Spain, where we rented a car and roamed through beautiful Mediterranean villages. In Barcelona, I noticed some people riding red bikes. This is actually called Bicing, a big thing right now. During 2007, over 100 bike stations has been constructed in the city, strategically located near metro and bus stations.
In the digital society of 2007, I suppose that plain notebooks are on the decline. However, there are times when you don’t want to bring a laptop. This is where the classic Moleskine notebooks enter the scene. Due to the quality and portable format, I find them very useful and always bring one or two with me on all travel occasions.
