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Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Travel Blogger Show 2012 Shaping Up
Filed under: Festivals and EventsI've been in constant contact with our features editor, Don George, over the last few weeks, brewing up the content that we want to put into his talk on engineering the perfect blog in Los Angeles this September. The talk is part of the Travel Blogger Show, the annual extension from the American Society of Travel Agent's larger convention, and it's scheduled to take place on Saturday, September the 7th.
Between Don and myself we've got lots of insight to put into the talk - Don, with his decades of experience in the travel realm among the San Francisco Chronicle, Lonely Planet and Gadling, and myself, with years of pushing around data and content at AOL.
The point that keeps returning though, is how positive and easy travel and travel blogging can be. With the tools available on the web right now it's easy to set up a blog within a few quick shakes, and finding content to blog about is just a vacation or a thought experiment away. And the community that surrounds travel is encouraging, nurturing and always full of ideas.
If you get the chance and you're in LA next week, be sure to stop by the conference. Don will be there all weekend, and hugs are on the house.
More information can be found here.Travel Blogger Show 2012 Shaping Up originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 01 Sep 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Between Don and myself we've got lots of insight to put into the talk - Don, with his decades of experience in the travel realm among the San Francisco Chronicle, Lonely Planet and Gadling, and myself, with years of pushing around data and content at AOL.
The point that keeps returning though, is how positive and easy travel and travel blogging can be. With the tools available on the web right now it's easy to set up a blog within a few quick shakes, and finding content to blog about is just a vacation or a thought experiment away. And the community that surrounds travel is encouraging, nurturing and always full of ideas.
If you get the chance and you're in LA next week, be sure to stop by the conference. Don will be there all weekend, and hugs are on the house.
More information can be found here.Travel Blogger Show 2012 Shaping Up originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 01 Sep 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Monday, September 3, 2012
Mancuso Rocks Whiteface GS for 11th Career Title
.....Lake Placid, NY (Ski Press)-Three-time Olympic medalist Julia Mancuso captured the 11th U.S. title of her career with a victory in the women's giant slalom to close the 2010 Visa U.S. Alpine Championships at Whiteface Mountain Tuesday."I actually haven't skied giant slalom since the Olympics, so it was nice to get back on my GS skis," Mancuso said.Mancuso was also the giant slalom champion in '09, '05, and '03. With 11 titles, she now moves past U.S. great Andrea Mead Lawrence for the most titles of any American male or female, breaking a record that has stood for 55 years.The weekend brought some closure to a season�in�which�Mancuso had long worked hard ."Coming back from a back injury I always had the goal of getting ready for the Olympics. Even going into last season it hurt. I wanted to keep trying. Just being able to see the reward of the plan paying off was really amazing," Mancuso said.Second place for the day went to Laurenne Ross (Klamath Falls, OR) who produced the fastest second run. Ross was also third in the super G and second in the combined at Whiteface.Malin Hemmingson of Sweden was third followed by U.S. downhill champion Leanne Smith (Conway, NH).The top U.S. junior was Julia Ford (Plymouth, NH) out of U.S. Development Team, though the fastest junior was Erin Mielzynski of Canada. J-2 Foreste Peterson (Berkeley, CA) of the Squaw Valley Ski Team was the next fastest U.S. junior followed by Abby Ghent (Edwards, CO) of Ski and Snowboard Club Vail.The USSA Western Region took the 2010Tom Garner Regions Cup with 2,903 points, followed by the East with1,869 and Rocky/Central with 986.Tuesday also marked the final race for Kaylin Richardson (Edina, MN), a two-time Olympian and seven-year member of the U.S. Ski Team. She ran both runs of giant slalom in a puffy red one piece ski suit circa 1980, with her parents making the trip from Minnesota just to see their daughter's last event.Numerous athletes, including Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) now move directly to Cochran's Ski Area in Richmond, VT for the annual charity slalom hosted by two-time Olympian Jimmy Cochran tomorrow.OFFICIAL RESULTS2010 Visa U.S. Alpine ChampionshipsLake Placid, NY - March 22, 2010Women?s Giant Slalom1. Julia Mancuso, Olympic Valley, CA, 2:07.522. Laurenne Ross, Klamath Falls, OR, 2:08.113. Malin Hemmingsson, Sweden, 2:08.254. Leanne Smith, Conway, NH, 2:08.985. Megan McJames, Park City, UT, 2:09.17
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Heavy Medal Tour: Skiers Get Armed Forces Sendoff
..... Steamboat Springs, Colo. (Ski Press)-In support of the U.S. ski team athletes departing this week on the Armed Forces Entertainment?s Heavy Medal Tour to visit troops, the athletes' hometown communities are enacting a Heavy Medal Tour Yellow Ribbon campaign.The Olympic medalists: Bill Demong (Vermontville, N.Y.), Johnny Spillane (Steamboat Springs, Colo.), Brett Camerota (Park City, Utah) and Todd Lodwick (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) and their combined seven Olympic gold and silver medals departed Saturday, April 3, to meet with troops in Southwest Asia. The first ribbons in support of the Armed Forces Entertainment Heavy Medal Tour were given out by the athletes to their families during the Hometown Heroes Celebration in Steamboat Springs on Friday, April 2. The Hometown Heroes Celebration in Steamboat Springs honored the achievement of the athletes in Vancouver during the Olympic Winter Games and featured a send off for this special trip overseas including the reading of Orders by USAF Colonel Ed Shock, Chief of Armed Forces Entertainment, statements by government officials, and a special note by the Commander of the Colorado Army National Guard. Similar homecomings were held recently for Demong in New York and for two-dozen Olympians in Park City, Utah. Beginning today, Monday, April 5, yellow ribbons are available in various locations in the athletes? hometowns. Fans in New York's Adirondack Region can get ribbons at the Saranac Lake Chamber of Commerce or at the Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau. The U.S. ski team's Center of Excellence will have ribbons in Park City. Hometown supporters in Steamboat Springs will find ribbons at the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation, the Steamboat/Hayden (HDN) Airport, and the Clark Store just outside of Steamboat. One of the biggest stories at the 2010 Olympics was the performance by the U.S. nordic combined ski team. Spillane started the two weeks of historic results off with the USA?s first-ever Olympic nordic combined medal, winning silver in the normal hill combined event. Spillane was then joined by teammates Demong, Camerota and veteran Lodwick for the team competition where they came away with a team silver medal. Demong and Spillane then capped off the historic Olympic fortnight with a gold-silver finish in the large hill combined competition.
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Czech Inn Time: Boutique Hotels Embrace Prague?s Storied Past
One of the few Central European capitals to survive the bombs of World War II, Prague stepped into the 21st century looking, more or less, as if it were stuck in the Middle Ages. ?Tourism thrives in Prague because of its history. Her old towers, bridges, and churches tell a story,? says Karin L�?kov�, manager of Hotel U Zelen�ho Hroznu. ?Visitors want to experience Prague as it was before, in the old times.?
18 scenic places to teach ESL abroad
Never mind that the name of the town doesn?t exactly sound beautiful in English.
Food Fridays: Mexico City?s Savory Sisterhood
The only happy offshoot of Mexican machismo, which continues to find the matriarch shooing men away from the larders, may be that Mexico City's culinary scene is dominated by women.
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Salt | The Secret Greek Ingredient
Photo by AndreasPinch of salt, dash of sunset salty sea air is the secret ingredient in traditional Greek dishes like grilled octopus and stuffed grape leaves served on this beach. And sea breezes are easy to come by because the restaurants that line Skala Eressou on the southwest coast of the Greek isle of L�svos don?t just face the beach ? they are on top of it. To sample the oceanfront views,travel first to Athens, where you can catch one of several daily flights aboard Aegean or Olympic Airlines to L�svos? Mytilene International Airport. Follow the highway through the eastern part of the island ? past the beach town of Kalon� and through the rolling green hills in Par�kila. When you find yourself in the village of Eress�s, turn toward the sea and walk to Skala Eressou. Browse menus from the beach or the pedestrian-friendly main street for specialties like Taverna you Sarantou's gouna (dried, spiced and grilled mackerel) or Adonis' boureki (a deep-fried, pizza-like-dish). Between the fresh-from-the-sea flavors and the unit erupted sunset views, you'll be shouting "Opa!" in no time.
Blog Category:
Dining and Drinks
Photo by: Andreas
Enlarge Photo
Skala Eressou
Pinch of salt, dash of sunset salty sea air is the secret ingredient in traditional Greek dishes like grilled octopus and stuffed grape leaves served on this beach. And sea breezes are easy to come by because the restaurants that line Skala Eressou on the southwest coast of the Greek isle of L�svos don?t just face the beach ? they are on top of it.
read more
Blog Category:
Dining and Drinks
Photo by: Andreas
Enlarge Photo
Skala Eressou
Pinch of salt, dash of sunset salty sea air is the secret ingredient in traditional Greek dishes like grilled octopus and stuffed grape leaves served on this beach. And sea breezes are easy to come by because the restaurants that line Skala Eressou on the southwest coast of the Greek isle of L�svos don?t just face the beach ? they are on top of it.
read more
Island Beer
Dek:
On the islands ? where imported goods tend to be an expensive luxury ? locally brewed beer isn?t just a quirky novelty, it?s a cultural necessity. So if you truly want to taste the islands, get out your bottle opener and crack open a cold one.
PLEASE READ RESPONSIBLY Wondering which pilsner goes best with liliko?i mahimahi or where to ?nd your favorite Big Island craft brew? Now you can turn to The Hawaii Beer Book (Watermark Publishing, $15.95) by lifelong Honolulu resident and travel writer Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi. Pro?les of eight Hawaiian craft breweries and island-by-island bar recommendations will help you search for the perfect pint (at the Emerald Orchid in Hilo, for example, you can sample all of the Mehana Brewing Company?s beers). If you?d rather whip up some island ?avors at home, you?ll ?nd a guide to home brewing, beer-favored recipes and food-pairing suggestions from Hawaiian brewers and chefs. The Hali?imaile General Store?s famous beer-battered apple fritters with a cold Na Pali Pale Ale? Doesn?t get much more aloha-spirited than that.
KANGAROO?S ISLAND BREW PALE ALE
Our Take Golden as an Australian sunset, this ale goes down smooth, with just the faintest hint of sweetness.
Local Flavors Made with locally harvested barley and pure-strain Kangaroo Island Ligurian honey.
Brew Story Kellie Connell and Brenton Lovering made their own homebrew for years before increasing production to create the island?s first widely distributed beer in December 2006. Today they brew their award-winning concoction in 6,000-litre quantities three times a year along with Pink Lady sparkling cider, made from Kangaroo Island apples.
Perfect Pairing Drink this pale ale with a rack of lamb dipped in rosemary sauce. Or if you?re in the mood for seafood, try it with fresh, steamed flounder.
MAUI BREWING CO. COCONUT PORTER
Our Take This dark, full-bodied brew will surprise even accomplished beer drinkers and Maui aficionados.
Local Flavors Flavored with six varieties of barley plus hops and hand-toasted coconut.
Brew Story Garret Marrero and his wife, Melanie, purchased an existing brew- pub in 2005 and turned the failing establishment around.Their 18 varieties (all brewed and bottled on Maui, with flavors like pineapple, local organic honey, guava, mango and coconut) have won 22 medals. The Coconut Porter has won the World Beer Cup twice.
Perfect Pairing Pair this porter with a Maui Cattle Company filet ? rare. Keep drinking into dessert; this porter complements anything chocolate.
mauibrewingcompany.com
KALIK BEER OF THE BAHAMAS
Our Take Light and airy, this party beer is like the Caribbean ? easy to drink up and easy to love.
Local Flavors A traditional lager made with malted wheat and hops, usually served with a wedge of lime.
Brew Story Named for the tinkle of cowbells that sound during the annual Junkanoo Festival in the Baha- mas, Kalik is brewed and bottled by Commonwealth Brewery Ltd. on Nassau. For years this beachside beverage could only be found in the islands, but today thirsty travelers can find it at select outlets in the U.S.
Perfect Pairing Sip a Kalik to wash down a spicy conch fritter with hot peppers, to complement grilled shrimp with lime at the Junkanoo festival or to simply enjoy a quiet island day.
Kalik by Heineken
On the islands ? where imported goods tend to be an expensive luxury ? locally brewed beer isn?t just a quirky novelty, it?s a cultural necessity. So if you truly want to taste the islands, get out your bottle opener and crack open a cold one.
read more
On the islands ? where imported goods tend to be an expensive luxury ? locally brewed beer isn?t just a quirky novelty, it?s a cultural necessity. So if you truly want to taste the islands, get out your bottle opener and crack open a cold one.
PLEASE READ RESPONSIBLY Wondering which pilsner goes best with liliko?i mahimahi or where to ?nd your favorite Big Island craft brew? Now you can turn to The Hawaii Beer Book (Watermark Publishing, $15.95) by lifelong Honolulu resident and travel writer Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi. Pro?les of eight Hawaiian craft breweries and island-by-island bar recommendations will help you search for the perfect pint (at the Emerald Orchid in Hilo, for example, you can sample all of the Mehana Brewing Company?s beers). If you?d rather whip up some island ?avors at home, you?ll ?nd a guide to home brewing, beer-favored recipes and food-pairing suggestions from Hawaiian brewers and chefs. The Hali?imaile General Store?s famous beer-battered apple fritters with a cold Na Pali Pale Ale? Doesn?t get much more aloha-spirited than that.
KANGAROO?S ISLAND BREW PALE ALE
Our Take Golden as an Australian sunset, this ale goes down smooth, with just the faintest hint of sweetness.
Local Flavors Made with locally harvested barley and pure-strain Kangaroo Island Ligurian honey.
Brew Story Kellie Connell and Brenton Lovering made their own homebrew for years before increasing production to create the island?s first widely distributed beer in December 2006. Today they brew their award-winning concoction in 6,000-litre quantities three times a year along with Pink Lady sparkling cider, made from Kangaroo Island apples.
Perfect Pairing Drink this pale ale with a rack of lamb dipped in rosemary sauce. Or if you?re in the mood for seafood, try it with fresh, steamed flounder.
MAUI BREWING CO. COCONUT PORTER
Our Take This dark, full-bodied brew will surprise even accomplished beer drinkers and Maui aficionados.
Local Flavors Flavored with six varieties of barley plus hops and hand-toasted coconut.
Brew Story Garret Marrero and his wife, Melanie, purchased an existing brew- pub in 2005 and turned the failing establishment around.Their 18 varieties (all brewed and bottled on Maui, with flavors like pineapple, local organic honey, guava, mango and coconut) have won 22 medals. The Coconut Porter has won the World Beer Cup twice.
Perfect Pairing Pair this porter with a Maui Cattle Company filet ? rare. Keep drinking into dessert; this porter complements anything chocolate.
mauibrewingcompany.com
KALIK BEER OF THE BAHAMAS
Our Take Light and airy, this party beer is like the Caribbean ? easy to drink up and easy to love.
Local Flavors A traditional lager made with malted wheat and hops, usually served with a wedge of lime.
Brew Story Named for the tinkle of cowbells that sound during the annual Junkanoo Festival in the Baha- mas, Kalik is brewed and bottled by Commonwealth Brewery Ltd. on Nassau. For years this beachside beverage could only be found in the islands, but today thirsty travelers can find it at select outlets in the U.S.
Perfect Pairing Sip a Kalik to wash down a spicy conch fritter with hot peppers, to complement grilled shrimp with lime at the Junkanoo festival or to simply enjoy a quiet island day.
Kalik by Heineken
On the islands ? where imported goods tend to be an expensive luxury ? locally brewed beer isn?t just a quirky novelty, it?s a cultural necessity. So if you truly want to taste the islands, get out your bottle opener and crack open a cold one.
read more
Finland hiking holidays Kuusamo hiking Kuusamo hiking holidays Ruka
Photo Of The Day: Lake Louise
Filed under: North America, Canada, Photo of the Day
This Photo of the Day comes from Gadling Flickr pool member James Wheeler who captured this image taken at Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada, with a Nikon D-5000.
James captions the image:
"This must be one of the most photographed places in Canada. I didn't get great weather for photos because it was cloudy when I was there but still an impressive place."
Upload your best shots to the Gadling Group Pool on Flickr. Several times a week we choose our favorite images from the pool as Photos of the Day.
Tips for getting featured: in your Flickr account, check "Privacy and Permissions," and check "yes" on "Allow others to share your stuff." Adding information about your image does not hurt your chances either.Photo Of The Day: Lake Louise originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 01 Sep 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
This Photo of the Day comes from Gadling Flickr pool member James Wheeler who captured this image taken at Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada, with a Nikon D-5000.
James captions the image:
"This must be one of the most photographed places in Canada. I didn't get great weather for photos because it was cloudy when I was there but still an impressive place."
Upload your best shots to the Gadling Group Pool on Flickr. Several times a week we choose our favorite images from the pool as Photos of the Day.
Tips for getting featured: in your Flickr account, check "Privacy and Permissions," and check "yes" on "Allow others to share your stuff." Adding information about your image does not hurt your chances either.Photo Of The Day: Lake Louise originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 01 Sep 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Sunday, September 2, 2012
#EOTC2 Round Up: Getting Shots With The Pros
My teammate Drew Tabke and I dance underneath a near-full moon. Handstands. Fancy feet. Anything to kill time and stay warm while waiting for our film crew across the valley below to reposition for the next shot. It?s day two of the Eye of the Condor film and photo competition in La Parva, Chile. Conditions are, well, sporty. Drew drops in first. Braving an icy wind, down into the abyss. I watch Drew?s headlamp disappear into the shadows. I feel alone. I?m isolated atop ?La Chimenea.? It?s one of La Parva?s quintessential lines?a long couloir located a short hike from the resort. My radio cuts in and out. It?s our photographer Jordan Ingmire. He wants to move his location again?farther down into the resort. ?Where are those guys?? I think to myself, peering into the darkness. With reluctance, I give him a ?ten-four.? The next 40 minutes will be brutal. To make things worse, some chump across the valley in the tiny Chilean mountain town of Farellones starts painting my line with a green laser beam. This is a sick joke. The beam is blinding. To throw off the shooter, I turn my headlamp off. I pray he loses my silhouette. It?s cold and I retreat to a less exposed position. It doesn?t matter?I?m freezing and the laser beam is relentless. I just want to ski. After an eternity, my radio cuts in. The internal conversation I?ve been having with myself for the last half hour all but disappears. Jordan?s ready for my shot. I glance down the couloir wishing my headlamp wasn?t so dim. It?s too late. There?s only one way down. I call ?thirty seconds,? and skate to the edge. Reluctantly, I turn my headlamp on. ?Dropping!? All hesitation disappears. But four turns into my line the laser hits me again. Turn after turn eerie green snow erupts around me. I?m skiing by feel through lime-lit rock walls. Finally I get a view of the exit. I dodge scree and breathe a sign of relief. Seeking shelter beneath a large rock I spot the tormenting light. It?s searching for my headlamp. I catch my breath, turn my light off, and point my skis down the fall line.All this for a photo?---Check the green light out seen here @ 3:41 of Team WIDSIX's EOTC2 Video For Part 1 click HEREStay tuned for part 3 Tomorrow. Heliskiing the Andes.
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Acknowledging our travel heroes
Characters without whom our stories would be much less colorful and probably much shorter.
WILD Fall Preview
Can't wait till fall? Neither can we! Check out what's coming soon to the WILD lineup: Meet the freshest faces of Nat Geo WILD. Three rugged, adventure-seeking experts answering the ?call of the wild.? And one veteran who will give them all a run for their money. Also coming up: Animals Say the Wildest Things: Coming this August-September, Wednesdays at 10 & 10:30 p.m. A chimpanzee therapy session, a polar bear that lost her cell phone, a choir of singing sharks and a bird tribute to the ?king of Pop,? Michael Jackson. That?s just a bit of what comes out of the mouths of comedians voicing over natural history footage?with their own humorous interpretation of what the animals are thinking and doing in the new series Animals Say the Wildest Things. We?ll also meet the ?Prince of Barkness? when special guests Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne give their own interpretation for a scene. Nature?s Miracle Babies: Premieres Tuesday, September 13 8-11 p.m. & Wednesday September 14 8-10 p.m. These are special babies ? more than just adorable, they are critically important to the survival of their species. Nat Geo WILD takes viewers around the world to follow dedicated people working to save them. Each animal they raise to adulthood is a step away from extinction, with the ultimate challenge to return them to the wild. We?ll see ambitious programs to save diverse species from the outback of Australia, the savannahs of East Africa, the Brazilian Amazon and some of the most successful zoo breeding programs in the world.
Run What You Brung: Ingrid Backstrom
Pro skier Ingrid Backstrom is known for shredding big lines and laying down standout video segments for Matchstick Productions. The Squaw Valley local runs a similar setup whether she?s skiing on her home slopes or getting dropped from a helicopter at the tops of some of the world?s most daunting peaks. Click through her setup below. Follow her on Twitter @ingridbackstrom For more info on the trip we took with Ingrid, click HERE.
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#FriFotos: Cloud Nine
Thanks to Uladzimir Taukachou, who submitted this week's featured photo to our My Shot community.
Want to see one of your photos featured on our website or Intelligent Travel blog? Make it happen by uploading your favorite travel pics (don?t forget to add a caption!) to ngm.com/yourshot. Tag all your submissions #travelshot ? then look for your photos in one of our My Shot galleries or on our blog.
Want to see one of your photos featured on our website or Intelligent Travel blog? Make it happen by uploading your favorite travel pics (don?t forget to add a caption!) to ngm.com/yourshot. Tag all your submissions #travelshot ? then look for your photos in one of our My Shot galleries or on our blog.
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The Radar: World?s Best Waterfalls, New Types of Tours, Second Chance Slovenia
The Radar: The top travel news, stories, trends, and ideas from across the web. Got Radar? Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories from the Web #ngtradar. Check back on the blog for our roundups. Photograph by Jignesh Shirke, My Shot.
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American Flagship To Be Largest Ever, If Built
The American Flagship project plans to build a series of the world's largest passenger ships in the United States to be operated under the American flag. More than a decade and $60 million has been invested in the development of the now contract-ready prototype ship, America World City. Just one problem: a recent U.S. government move prohibits the use of its Title XI ship financing program, intended to create American jobs, for American-flagged cruise ships.
"Except for small coastwise vessels and riverboats, none of the 200+ ocean-going cruise ships operating in the North American cruise market were built here," says World City President Stephanie Gallagher in an open letter to President Obama reported in Maritime Executive. Gallagher continues, "none hire American officers or crew, and none pay U.S. income tax on their multibillion-dollar annual profits - unlike every other U.S. hospitality organization."
World City's designers seem to have taken the best of the best being offered by today's cruise industry and improved it. Unique features include using fully enclosed, instant boarding 400-person life saving craft, energy efficiencies, waste management, green technologies and advanced security systems.
They have a plan, now they just need to build it.Continue reading American Flagship To Be Largest Ever, If BuiltAmerican Flagship To Be Largest Ever, If Built originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 01 Sep 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
"Except for small coastwise vessels and riverboats, none of the 200+ ocean-going cruise ships operating in the North American cruise market were built here," says World City President Stephanie Gallagher in an open letter to President Obama reported in Maritime Executive. Gallagher continues, "none hire American officers or crew, and none pay U.S. income tax on their multibillion-dollar annual profits - unlike every other U.S. hospitality organization."
World City's designers seem to have taken the best of the best being offered by today's cruise industry and improved it. Unique features include using fully enclosed, instant boarding 400-person life saving craft, energy efficiencies, waste management, green technologies and advanced security systems.
They have a plan, now they just need to build it.Continue reading American Flagship To Be Largest Ever, If BuiltAmerican Flagship To Be Largest Ever, If Built originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 01 Sep 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
#EOTC2 Round Up: Getting Shots With The Pros
My teammate Drew Tabke and I dance underneath a near-full moon. Handstands. Fancy feet. Anything to kill time and stay warm while waiting for our film crew across the valley below to reposition for the next shot. It?s day two of the Eye of the Condor film and photo competition in La Parva, Chile. Conditions are, well, sporty. Drew drops in first. Braving an icy wind, down into the abyss. I watch Drew?s headlamp disappear into the shadows. I feel alone. I?m isolated atop ?La Chimenea.? It?s one of La Parva?s quintessential lines?a long couloir located a short hike from the resort. My radio cuts in and out. It?s our photographer Jordan Ingmire. He wants to move his location again?farther down into the resort. ?Where are those guys?? I think to myself, peering into the darkness. With reluctance, I give him a ?ten-four.? The next 40 minutes will be brutal. To make things worse, some chump across the valley in the tiny Chilean mountain town of Farellones starts painting my line with a green laser beam. This is a sick joke. The beam is blinding. To throw off the shooter, I turn my headlamp off. I pray he loses my silhouette. It?s cold and I retreat to a less exposed position. It doesn?t matter?I?m freezing and the laser beam is relentless. I just want to ski. After an eternity, my radio cuts in. The internal conversation I?ve been having with myself for the last half hour all but disappears. Jordan?s ready for my shot. I glance down the couloir wishing my headlamp wasn?t so dim. It?s too late. There?s only one way down. I call ?thirty seconds,? and skate to the edge. Reluctantly, I turn my headlamp on. ?Dropping!? All hesitation disappears. But four turns into my line the laser hits me again. Turn after turn eerie green snow erupts around me. I?m skiing by feel through lime-lit rock walls. Finally I get a view of the exit. I dodge scree and breathe a sign of relief. Seeking shelter beneath a large rock I spot the tormenting light. It?s searching for my headlamp. I catch my breath, turn my light off, and point my skis down the fall line.All this for a photo?---Check the green light out seen here @ 3:41 of Team WIDSIX's EOTC2 Video For Part 1 click HEREStay tuned for part 3 Tomorrow. Heliskiing the Andes.
Ruka ski holidays Finland Lapland holidays Lapland skiing holidays
Saturday, September 1, 2012
#FriFotos: Cloud Nine
Thanks to Uladzimir Taukachou, who submitted this week's featured photo to our My Shot community.
Want to see one of your photos featured on our website or Intelligent Travel blog? Make it happen by uploading your favorite travel pics (don?t forget to add a caption!) to ngm.com/yourshot. Tag all your submissions #travelshot ? then look for your photos in one of our My Shot galleries or on our blog.
Want to see one of your photos featured on our website or Intelligent Travel blog? Make it happen by uploading your favorite travel pics (don?t forget to add a caption!) to ngm.com/yourshot. Tag all your submissions #travelshot ? then look for your photos in one of our My Shot galleries or on our blog.
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#EOTC2 Round Up: Getting Shots With The Pros
My teammate Drew Tabke and I dance underneath a near-full moon. Handstands. Fancy feet. Anything to kill time and stay warm while waiting for our film crew across the valley below to reposition for the next shot. It?s day two of the Eye of the Condor film and photo competition in La Parva, Chile. Conditions are, well, sporty. Drew drops in first. Braving an icy wind, down into the abyss. I watch Drew?s headlamp disappear into the shadows. I feel alone. I?m isolated atop ?La Chimenea.? It?s one of La Parva?s quintessential lines?a long couloir located a short hike from the resort. My radio cuts in and out. It?s our photographer Jordan Ingmire. He wants to move his location again?farther down into the resort. ?Where are those guys?? I think to myself, peering into the darkness. With reluctance, I give him a ?ten-four.? The next 40 minutes will be brutal. To make things worse, some chump across the valley in the tiny Chilean mountain town of Farellones starts painting my line with a green laser beam. This is a sick joke. The beam is blinding. To throw off the shooter, I turn my headlamp off. I pray he loses my silhouette. It?s cold and I retreat to a less exposed position. It doesn?t matter?I?m freezing and the laser beam is relentless. I just want to ski. After an eternity, my radio cuts in. The internal conversation I?ve been having with myself for the last half hour all but disappears. Jordan?s ready for my shot. I glance down the couloir wishing my headlamp wasn?t so dim. It?s too late. There?s only one way down. I call ?thirty seconds,? and skate to the edge. Reluctantly, I turn my headlamp on. ?Dropping!? All hesitation disappears. But four turns into my line the laser hits me again. Turn after turn eerie green snow erupts around me. I?m skiing by feel through lime-lit rock walls. Finally I get a view of the exit. I dodge scree and breathe a sign of relief. Seeking shelter beneath a large rock I spot the tormenting light. It?s searching for my headlamp. I catch my breath, turn my light off, and point my skis down the fall line.All this for a photo?---Check the green light out seen here @ 3:41 of Team WIDSIX's EOTC2 Video For Part 1 click HEREStay tuned for part 3 Tomorrow. Heliskiing the Andes.
Advice for a great cat skiing BC
Cat skiing BC is a unique experience that may reward you with the best days of your life due that you are able to venture on uncharted routes covered with the most pure and fresh power snow and the weather conditions are not an impediment because the transportation on these routes is by a snowcat
Swimming above skyline in Singapore [PICs]
If you?re wondering if it?s possible to take a dip in this rooftop infinity pool, the answer is yes.
The Radar: Surreal Coastlines, Thai Food Secrets, The Sword in the Stone
The Radar: The top travel news, stories, trends, and ideas from across the web. Got Radar? Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories from the Web #ngtradar. Check back on the blog for our roundups. Photograph by Jeremie Noel, My Shot.
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Mammoth's Tamarack Lodge Offers Discounted Fall Color Package
Filed under: Biking, Hiking, North America, United States, Hotels and AccommodationsLabor Day weekend always seems to mark the unofficial end of summer, even though the season doesn't actually change for another three weeks. But we all know autumn is just around the corner and with it comes cooler temperatures, crisp air and the changing of the leaves.
This year Mammoth's Tamarack Lodge is offering visitors a chance to experience the brilliant colors of fall in the Sierra Mountains at an unbelievably affordable price. The rustic lodge, which has been named one of the Top 10 lakeside resorts in North America, will offer rates starting at just $49 per person per night between September 4 and November 11. That's the perfect time to witness the changing of the seasons for yourself.
This isn't a bare bones lodge experience, however. Upon check-in visitors will be given a complimentary bottle of wine and continental breakfast service is available daily. They'll also receive two hours of boat rental for free, as well as complimentary fishing rod rental too. Additionally, guests at Tamarack Lodge also have access to the resort's adventure activities, which include guided hikes, bike tours, fishing clinics and more.
The calendar may still say its summer but fall will be here before we know it. It's never too early to start planning your escape and there are few places better to be in the autumn than the Sierras.Mammoth's Tamarack Lodge Offers Discounted Fall Color Package originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 01 Sep 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
This year Mammoth's Tamarack Lodge is offering visitors a chance to experience the brilliant colors of fall in the Sierra Mountains at an unbelievably affordable price. The rustic lodge, which has been named one of the Top 10 lakeside resorts in North America, will offer rates starting at just $49 per person per night between September 4 and November 11. That's the perfect time to witness the changing of the seasons for yourself.
This isn't a bare bones lodge experience, however. Upon check-in visitors will be given a complimentary bottle of wine and continental breakfast service is available daily. They'll also receive two hours of boat rental for free, as well as complimentary fishing rod rental too. Additionally, guests at Tamarack Lodge also have access to the resort's adventure activities, which include guided hikes, bike tours, fishing clinics and more.
The calendar may still say its summer but fall will be here before we know it. It's never too early to start planning your escape and there are few places better to be in the autumn than the Sierras.Mammoth's Tamarack Lodge Offers Discounted Fall Color Package originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 01 Sep 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Emma's Eccentric Britain: shepherding in Devon
Fresh from her triumph on a surfboard, Poppy the beagle takes lessons from a sheepdog in Devon. Or at least that was Emma Kennedy's planDavid Kennard is, it turns out, famous. He's the human star of Mist: Sheepdog Tales, a children's TV series that airs in more than 20 countries. But he's no actor; he's a farmer through and through."I only appear in it when I absolutely have to," he says, softly. "It's the dogs who are the real stars."He's not lying. His sheepdogs are amazing, and I'm at Borough Farm near Woolacombe with him and Fly, one of the stars of the show. She's a young collie, bright-eyed, lean and eager. She takes one look at my dog, Poppy, laziest beagle in the universe, and ignores her. It's a bit like an Olympian being forced to hang out with Jabba the Hutt."How is she with sheep?" David asks as I heave Poppy into his Land Rover. I have no way of knowing. "She barks at pigeons," I offer. "And she chased a squirrel once.""Hmm," says Dave.David's Land Rover is a treasure trove of organised mess. It's lovely, old and battered and it's still got a cassette player."I've had this in every working vehicle I've ever had for nearly 30 years," David tells me, proudly, holding up a weathered-looking tape of the Pretenders album Learning to Crawl. "I know all the words on it now. Can't sing, mind."He starts to sing Show Me but gives up after the first line. "We'll head up to the cliffs now, I think," he adds, after a small cough. "Show you how I work the sheep."At a point just past Mortehoe we put Poppy on a lead, (David loses sheep annually to holidaymakers' dogs chasing them over cliffs) and strike off into a low-hanging mist."Can't even see the lighthouse," says David, gesturing westwards. "We used to be wreckers round here. Villagers would stand with lanterns and lure ships onto the rocks and then club to death anyone who made it to shore. So when they built the lighthouse, in 1872, everyone round here was livid. Meant the end of their livelihood. Ah, here it comes. Mist's rising."As the fog lifts, the lighthouse and a flock of sheep come into view, hugging the clifftop. We're standing above them on a peak and Fly is alert, tail tucked, crouched and waiting. Poppy is behind me, rolling in something unspeakable.David gives a tiny, soft whistle and Fly is away, edging to the right, following his every command. She negotiates brambles, comes round the flock's flank and then, as David's whistles pierce the air, she drives the sheep away from the cliff and up a narrow path in the gully below us."Do you think Poppy could do that?" I ask, nodding down towards my beagle, who is yawning."No," says David.It takes at least two-and-a-half years to train a sheepdog, and to get them to the next level, working a brace (two dogs at the same time with different tonal whistles), takes further years of constant practice."Fly's been a nightmare to train," David says as she races back to us. "It's been like driving a Formula One car with your wellies on."There's a fine line between herder and killer. All dogs have the instinct to hunt and chase, but a good sheepdog needs bravery too. "A weak dog will let its tail rise. The rams know this and they'll take advantage. The dog needs to stand her ground.""Look at that," David adds, pointing to a white orb below us. "Chinese lantern. I'm constantly having to pick those things up. They wreak havoc. If they land in a silage field, the wire gets churned up in the machines into tiny bits, the cows eat it and they have to have an operation. They're a menace. People let them off, think "Ooooh, aren't they lovely!" and don't give a thought to where they land."It's a real treat spending the afternoon with David. He's glorious company: he takes me off the beaten track to show me the best of the Devon coastline and creeps with me down a steep incline where we can watch seals gather in a pool below us. Not only that, but he regales me with endless local tales."They say there's bodies buried over there," he whispers, gesturing to a small plain between two peaks. "Old Ray in the village reckons so. He's the last of the Wreckers.""Is your favourite film Babe?""Yes," nods David, smiling. "I had a friend once tried to train up a pig. It didn't really work out. Nothing's cleverer than a dog."Poppy's eating some horse manure. I beg to differ.? Borough Farm (boroughfarm.co.uk) runs the last of its summer displays by the stars of Sheepdog Tales at 6pm next Wednesday. Adults �5, children �2.50. A shepherd's experience with David and his dogs costs �20 for around two hours Follow Emma Kennedy on Twitter at @EmmaK67DevonDay tripsShort breaksUnited KingdomEuropeEmma Kennedyguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Highway Hypnosis And How To Avoid It
Filed under: Learning, North America, United States, Transportation, Budget Travel, Women's Travel, Luxury TravelI've logged about 4,000 road miles (all solo) in the last few weeks, most of it in stunningly monotonous landscape. Fortunately, I've never fallen asleep at the wheel, but I've definitely had to pull over for a power nap on a number of occasions in the past.
What I tend to get is "highway hypnosis," also known as driving without attention mode (DWAM), or "white line fever (I always thought that was a reference to a different kind of white line, but what do I know?)."
Highway hypnosis is a trance-like mental state brought on by the monotony of the road. In other words, you're zoning out, and while one part of your brain is still able to operate your car, the other half is in la la land. If you've ever driven a stretch of highway and have no memory of it, you've had white line fever, baby. The important thing to take away from this is that it's nearly as dangerous as nodding off at the wheel.
A 2009 survey conducted by the CDC cited that nearly five percent of adults had fallen asleep while driving in the past 30 days. Those are some scary statistics, as are those from a 2007 National Sleep Foundation poll that stated more than one-half of American drivers (at the time, over 100 million people) had driven while drowsy.
Thousands of people die every year due to drowsy-driving and highway hypnosis-related crashes. Some experts claim falling asleep at the wheel is more dangerous than driving while intoxicated, because you have zero reaction time. With highway hypnosis, your reaction time is so compromised, you may as well be asleep.
With Labor Day weekend looming, I thought I'd provide some tips on how to avoid highway hypnosis, and what to do if you need to pull over for some zzz's, after the jump.Continue reading Highway Hypnosis And How To Avoid ItHighway Hypnosis And How To Avoid It originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
What I tend to get is "highway hypnosis," also known as driving without attention mode (DWAM), or "white line fever (I always thought that was a reference to a different kind of white line, but what do I know?)."
Highway hypnosis is a trance-like mental state brought on by the monotony of the road. In other words, you're zoning out, and while one part of your brain is still able to operate your car, the other half is in la la land. If you've ever driven a stretch of highway and have no memory of it, you've had white line fever, baby. The important thing to take away from this is that it's nearly as dangerous as nodding off at the wheel.
A 2009 survey conducted by the CDC cited that nearly five percent of adults had fallen asleep while driving in the past 30 days. Those are some scary statistics, as are those from a 2007 National Sleep Foundation poll that stated more than one-half of American drivers (at the time, over 100 million people) had driven while drowsy.
Thousands of people die every year due to drowsy-driving and highway hypnosis-related crashes. Some experts claim falling asleep at the wheel is more dangerous than driving while intoxicated, because you have zero reaction time. With highway hypnosis, your reaction time is so compromised, you may as well be asleep.
With Labor Day weekend looming, I thought I'd provide some tips on how to avoid highway hypnosis, and what to do if you need to pull over for some zzz's, after the jump.Continue reading Highway Hypnosis And How To Avoid ItHighway Hypnosis And How To Avoid It originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Friday, August 31, 2012
Tim Petrick Returns to K2
Seattle, WA - Ski and snowboard gear maker K2 Sports is currently in the middle of a multi-year investment plan, and industry veteran Tim Petrick has returned to the company as President of K2 Sports Global Sales and Marketing, effective immediately. Petrick, who recently resigned from his position as president of Rossignol North America, will report to Anthony De Rocco, President and CEO of K2 Sports, in the newly-created role.
?We are very proud to welcome Tim back to the family of K2 Sports,? said De Rocco. ?Tim has worked side-by-side with our global teams and our retail partners for almost 20 years. He knows our DNA intimately and the market climate very well and our retail partners know and trust him. Tim will be a strong leader to further the momentum to our next era of growth and success during K2 Sports? most pivotal time of opportunity on the domestic and global level.?
Tim Petrick (photo: Facebook)
The strategic move brings Petrick full circle with K2 Sports, a company with which he?s invested nearly two decades of his career. Petrick first worked with K2 Sports as VP and General Manager of the ski division from 1989-1997 before going to Booth Creek Ski Holdings as Executive VP of Product Development. He returned to K2 Sports in 2000 as VP of Global Sales and remained there until 2009 when he left to head Rossignol North America.
?Returning to K2 Sports is an incredible opportunity,? said Petrick. ?The company has market leading iconic brands across many outdoor active lifestyle categories. These leading brands give K2 Sports the unparalleled opportunity to build on the company?s reputation for product innovation, retail sales results, and ultimately, satisfied consumers in the years ahead.?
The scope of K2 Sports? investment venture will see resources allocated toward global sales expansion, manufacturing and technology platform enhancements, new category launches including ski boots, and accelerated brand growth. Petrick will help orchestrate product line decisions, trade policies, distribution solutions, and marketing communications across the K2 Sports portfolio of brands.
?We have exciting growth opportunities with product line launches in winter sports, our Zoot brand of triathlon gear, and our new Spring ?13 collection ? which is leading to great counter seasonal growth,? said Petrick. ?Couple these with our targeted growth initiatives developed with our parent-company Jarden, and these are truly exciting times at K2 Sports.?
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?We are very proud to welcome Tim back to the family of K2 Sports,? said De Rocco. ?Tim has worked side-by-side with our global teams and our retail partners for almost 20 years. He knows our DNA intimately and the market climate very well and our retail partners know and trust him. Tim will be a strong leader to further the momentum to our next era of growth and success during K2 Sports? most pivotal time of opportunity on the domestic and global level.?
Tim Petrick (photo: Facebook)
The strategic move brings Petrick full circle with K2 Sports, a company with which he?s invested nearly two decades of his career. Petrick first worked with K2 Sports as VP and General Manager of the ski division from 1989-1997 before going to Booth Creek Ski Holdings as Executive VP of Product Development. He returned to K2 Sports in 2000 as VP of Global Sales and remained there until 2009 when he left to head Rossignol North America.
?Returning to K2 Sports is an incredible opportunity,? said Petrick. ?The company has market leading iconic brands across many outdoor active lifestyle categories. These leading brands give K2 Sports the unparalleled opportunity to build on the company?s reputation for product innovation, retail sales results, and ultimately, satisfied consumers in the years ahead.?
The scope of K2 Sports? investment venture will see resources allocated toward global sales expansion, manufacturing and technology platform enhancements, new category launches including ski boots, and accelerated brand growth. Petrick will help orchestrate product line decisions, trade policies, distribution solutions, and marketing communications across the K2 Sports portfolio of brands.
?We have exciting growth opportunities with product line launches in winter sports, our Zoot brand of triathlon gear, and our new Spring ?13 collection ? which is leading to great counter seasonal growth,? said Petrick. ?Couple these with our targeted growth initiatives developed with our parent-company Jarden, and these are truly exciting times at K2 Sports.?
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Top 10 remote destinations to see in your lifetime
In 1990, Bruce Poon Tip launched G Adventures with the belief that other travellers would share his desire to experience authentic adventures in a responsible and sustainable manner. Here, Bruce shares with us his own Top 10 Places to See In Your Lifetime.10) Kampala, UgandaOne of the ultimate African experiences is being able to explore the natural habitat of mountain gorillas; a rare pleasure and one that still leaves me in complete awe. After a challenging trek through thick African jungle, our group was presented with the awe-inspiring reward of finding ourselves in the company of a family of roaming gorillas. The trek was led by experienced trackers who allowed us to get as close as possible to the primates while constantly ensuring that we did not disturb their natural thriving habitat.9) Pak Ou Caves, LaosThese magnificent ancient caves, high above the Mekong River some 25km from Luang Prabang, have been a place of Buddhist worship and solitude for more than 600 years. Over that time, more than 4,000 images of Buddha have been placed inside them, creating a humbling place to ponder life?s greater mysteries. The opportunity to experience the tranquillity of these caves was something I will personally always cherish. 8) Galapagos Islands, EcuadorFor as long as I can remember I have read about Darwin completing his research on evolution on these curious islands, so I was keen to explore them for myself.�� The location is still relatively remote and left me powerless to do anything but relax and learn. The Galapagos Islands are an experience rarely available to the modern day tourist and the opportunity to explore a virtually untouched location inspires me to this day. 7) Placencia, BelizeThis lost sandy peninsula in the south of Belize is another hidden gem that remains undiscovered by mainstream tourists.� Aside from a few lost backpackers, it was a rare pleasure to relax with villagers in total anonymity.� More lost islands are located just off the coast, which can be easily reached, and I would highly recommend them to those who have the extra time. 6) Tikal, GuatemalaThe Mayans left behind a majestic city that always seems remarkably undisturbed in the middle of its tropical jungle setting. By imagining how the Mayans once ruled this area of the world, it is easy to transport yourself back to a time of ancient and savage civilisation.� 5) Ngorongoro Crater, TanzaniaMy journey through this lush wildlife playground in the middle of a dry open desert in Africa left me wanting more.� I witnessed rhinos and baboons roaming effortlessly and free against a stunning backdrop of the setting African sun. It was a truly untouched experience, where I felt as if I was immersed in the land itself. 4) Angel Falls, VenezuelaAngel Falls is one of the most spectacular waterfalls I have ever had the pleasure of visiting, and is certainly the highest in the world. The overall trip experience is heightened by the adventure one needs to endure to get there.� Travelling down wild rivers by canoe and sleeping in hammocks along the riverside makes it an unforgettable quest to find this spectacular natural wonder.3) Taj Mahal, IndiaThe greatest monument to love on Earth. The passion that inspired the pristine structure, built so many centuries ago, left me in complete wonder. Even before its construction, the Taj Mahal was designed to become an inspiring example of beautiful architecture and remains so today, creating a powerful effect on visitors from all backgrounds. 2) Otavalo, EcuadorEvery Saturday morning, the world's largest craft market is brought to life with a wash of vibrant colour as the Otavalo Indians come down from the hills to market their wares.� The electric energy in the air is captivating and puts you in a mood to spend and take home a special memory of this unique place.� 1) Lhasa, TibetAt one time Tibet was the spiritual and cultural heart of Asia. While the people of Tibet have had their struggles since the Cultural Revolution, their spirit was still palpable as soon as we set foot in Lhasa.� The Potala Palace sits looming over the city as Buddhist monks passed by us on their daily routines, reminding us that this city was once the pulse of a nation in change.
Comments
Guide2Uganda (@Guide2Uganda), Kampala, Uganda
We are so excited to see Kampala -our city listed
If you look forward to a true African Adventure, then #VisitUganda -the beautiful and warmly welcoming people,the snow-capped mountains, unspoiled beaches and wildlife infested forest - all awaits you here.
For ideas and tips on how to spend your ultimate Uganda Safari holiday, connect with us on twitter.
18 August, 2012
Clark Norton, New York
Top Ten lists are always tough because they're subjective and, after all, limited to ten. I love the Taj Mahal, have been there twice, but mine would have to include Easter Island over the Taj because it's much more remote. I'd also have to include Greenland, Svalbard, Antarctica or some place in the far north or south -- at least Cape Horn!
17 August, 2012
Jon Walsh, London
I've been to the Ngorongoro Crater, but was way more impressed by the Serengeti and it's wildlife....
17 August, 2012
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Comments
Guide2Uganda (@Guide2Uganda), Kampala, Uganda
We are so excited to see Kampala -our city listed
If you look forward to a true African Adventure, then #VisitUganda -the beautiful and warmly welcoming people,the snow-capped mountains, unspoiled beaches and wildlife infested forest - all awaits you here.
For ideas and tips on how to spend your ultimate Uganda Safari holiday, connect with us on twitter.
18 August, 2012
Clark Norton, New York
Top Ten lists are always tough because they're subjective and, after all, limited to ten. I love the Taj Mahal, have been there twice, but mine would have to include Easter Island over the Taj because it's much more remote. I'd also have to include Greenland, Svalbard, Antarctica or some place in the far north or south -- at least Cape Horn!
17 August, 2012
Jon Walsh, London
I've been to the Ngorongoro Crater, but was way more impressed by the Serengeti and it's wildlife....
17 August, 2012
Add Your Comment
Please note: all comments will be manually verified by our staff before appearing on the site. Please do not try and spam and do not use offending language. If you want to be notified when your post has been published, add your email address below.
Travel Articles Archives
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Paralympics 2012: crossing London can be an obstacle course for disabled fans
Despite millions spent on making the capital's transport system more accessible, getting to the Games can be nerve-racking for disabled travellersTransport for London says it has invested hundreds of millions of pounds in making the capital's public transport system more accessible before the Paralympics, and on the opening day of the Games the network was tested by large numbers of disabled people travelling to the Olympic Park.Many people said they encountered friendly staff and surprising efficiency as they made their way to Stratford but some were met by the same unpredictable service and unhelpfulness from the general public that can make travelling around London in a wheelchair a nerve-racking experience.Becki McGuinness's complicated journey from her home in Southfields in south-west London (one bus trip, two tube trains, and the final stretch on the Docklands Light Railway) to the Olympic Park, went without any major problems, but was accompanied by an undercurrent of tension."I still find it very stressful. You panic about whether you are going to be able to get off where you are going," she said. She has used a wheelchair since developing osteosarcoma of the spine, a kind of bone cancer, as a teenager.Her mother, Susan McGuinness, who is her full-time carer and travels with her on any trips made by public transport, says she has a constant "knot in her stomach" whenever they are out together, wondering if the right stations will be open, and whether the lifts will be in order. She says very few people offer to help her; she has developed a tennis elbow from her caring responsibilities and sometimes the massive heave required to push the wheelchair up over the 20cm gap between the train and the platform is too much for her."Sometimes my mum is struggling to get me on, and people stare, but it's only once in a blue moon that anyone will say 'Do you want some help?'" Becki said.A guard at Southfields tube station calls out: "Are you all right?" The lift is working so everything is fine; they don't ask for a mobile ramp to be taken out, because it takes too long."Look how big the gap is," Susan says as the train draws in, but manages to manoeuvre the wheelchair into the carriage.When she finds a young man stretched out across the fold-up seats that are marked as a priority space for wheelchair users, Becki doesn't ask him to move, but squeezes her wheelchair awkwardly into a corner of the standing area and hopes that he will get up and give her the seat.Becki, 25, thinks that people retreat into a bubble when they get on the tube. "Their persona changes; they switch off; they don't talk to anyone," she says, with the consequence being that they don't register that they could be helping her.Three stops go past and the man doesn't move, and he seems oblivious to the hard stares of several other passengers, who let their eyes rest on him, and try to draw his gaze to the prominent disabled passengers sign to his right.People walk around the wheelchair with difficulty, but still the man doesn't move. Becki's mother, sister and niece who are travelling with her, glare at him, but also decide not to say anything."I tend to just weigh it up each time. I don't want to say anything in case he says something rude, or does something physical. Just in case," she says, glancing at the man, relaxed and leaning back into the seat. "You feel much more vulnerable travelling like this.""There's no way I could do a tube journey on my own," she says. "I couldn't physically do it ? I'd be too worried." But she has been helped in organising journeys and undertaking trips out of London by CLIC Sargent, a cancer charity that supports children and young people. She says it's very hit and miss whether fellow passengers will be helpful. "You get the impression that some people feel they have somewhere to get to in a hurry; they forget that we've got somewhere to get to as well."Accessibility problems in the underground system have annoyed some of the athletes. British wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft said in an interview before the Games: "Am I allowed to swear? It's crap. It's really bad."She said there were too many tube stops that were not wheelchair-accessible. "If you don't want to get on or off at one of those stops then you're pretty much screwed."I think they've changed bits of it, and they have made it more accessible, just not as accessible as we'd like them to be."She said she was surprised about how few offers of help she got when travelling in her wheelchair. "People are not willing to help you, they're just not. I think that's ignorance, or maybe people feel awkward. I am very independent, but obviously there are things that you do need help with."Mark Evers, director of Games transport with Transport for London, said hundreds of millions of pounds had been spent recently to improve accessibility. All 8,500 of London's buses were now fully wheelchair-accessible, he said (with the exception of some heritage Routemaster buses, for tourists) and all taxis.The campaign group Transport for All is calling for the temporary manual wheelchair ramps installed in many tube stations, allowing wheelchair users to use their local station for the first time, to be kept there after the Games."We certainly want to keep them in place," Evers said, adding that he was looking at how to ensure that staff would always be available to help people on and off using the ramps. He said having 66 fully accessible stations out of a total of 270 across the tube network was "not as many as we would like, which is why we continue to work to make more stations step-free". Emphasising the huge improvements made in recent years, he added that it was expensive to adapt some central London stations because they were so deep, and because of the disruption it caused at pavement level.Some visitors on Thursday had come by taxi to avoid risking public transport with a wheelchair. Daphne Hermitage, 77, spent �50 on a taxi journey to the stadium from Essex and would spend another �50 to get home. "I wouldn't go by train. I'd be afraid I couldn't get on the train." Others said that the staff on the overground were "amazing, so friendly and helpful", and Michael Cogswell, who travelled in a wheelchair with his six-year-old daughter by high-speed rail from Ashford International in Kent, said he had had "the best journey possible ? a big change from everywhere else." Sandra McCullagh, who travelled from Dublin with her son, who uses a wheelchair, said her journey had been "very good; stress-free".The most common problem was with overcrowding in the wheelchair area on London's buses, where wheelchairs are meant to have priority but parents with prams often do not realise, and don't make way.Sarah Brown, a support worker who accompanied a friend in a wheelchair to the Olympic Stadium, said she had to argue with a bus driver in order to get on to a bus."We couldn't get on because there was a buggy. Parents have got a choice to fold up buggies; if you're in a wheelchair you don't have that choice. The drivers don't know the rules."Most people were very positive about access within the stadium. Vanessa Bancroft, who has ME, borrowed a mobility scooter on site to help her cover the distances. "The mobility service at the gate was so good. I wouldn't have been able to manage the walk," she said. David Pyall, from Leytonstone, who lost the use of his left side in a stroke, also borrowed a scooter. He said: "They've done a lot to try to make it accessible."But there was continuing unhappiness about families being unable to sit together in the wheelchair-accessible areas of the stadiums. Michael Cogswell, attending with his daughter, said tickets could only be bought in pairs, and seating appeared to be designed for a wheelchair user and a carer. "They have got that entirely wrong. I couldn't buy three tickets, so I couldn't come with my whole family."Travelling with disabilitiesParalympics 2012LondonDisabilityguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
The Authentic Ski Tour: Chico Hot Springs, Day 2
..... Pray, Montana (Ski Press)-Through the windshield I can watch the Absaroka Range coming into view like great blue gods with diamonds and avalanches in their hair. Livingston, Montana is coming up on the right, and Bob Dylan is on the radio. ?Did you ever see the movie Rancho Deluxe, with Sam Waterston and Jeff Bridges?? I ask Jeff. He shakes his head. ?No.? It?s day two of my self-proclaimed ?Authentic Ski Tour,? of Montana?s Yellowstone Country, busting a Big Sky hole through the cookie-cutter clutter of ski experiences so sugared up, starched out, and stiltingly stratified that it?s a wonder anyone can tell their vacations apart anymore. Jeff Carroll got me started with the grassroots elegance of Red Lodge, and now we are heading to Chico Hot Springs, then Yellowstone National Park, Big Sky, Moonlight Basin and Bridger Bowl. ?It was filmed in Livingston,? I said. ?Bridges and Waterston are modern rustlers. And Slim Pickens is sent to catch them. And Jimmy Buffet and his band have a scene in the bar.? Buffet wrote a song called ?Livingston Saturday Night?: ?Pickup's washed and you just got paid. With any luck at all you might even get laid, 'Cause they're pickin' and a-kickin' on a Livingston Saturday Night.? But we?re heading south to Paradise Valley now, closer to those mountains catching clouds, through the endless prairies between the peaks and the great log cabins in open spaces without even a tree to stop the wind and the sun from coming through. ?It?s beautiful.? ?I know.? We?re heading to Chico Hot Springs, a kind of Rocky Mountain Eden where the mountains and plains and bubbling hot waters come together, and the wedding parties, couples and cowboys come for miles. Like a great camphouse-meets-country hotel, it is tucked against the peaks, golden in the light, with the wonderful restaurant inside, those mythic waters, and the Chico Saloon, its legendary bar. At the rooms across from the stables, where the horses are being fed at dusk, a stout man is busy unloading several six-packs of different micro-brews. ?Looks like you?re getting ready for a good time,? I said, wondering if he was booked for a week, or about to host his own beer festival right then and there. He looked me in the eye between moving six packs and said, ?It?s always a good time in Chico.? And walking over to the Chico Dining Room I felt a little warmth of anticipation at the light melting out the windows, and the sense of coming in from the cold. I felt the warmth of the wine, The Prisoner, and the conversation as Chico?s General Manager Colin Kurth Davis took us into the night, through Chico?s history and the restaurant?s menu. ?You have to stay for two nights,? he said. ?One night to eat here in the restaurant, and one night by the pool in the Grill.? Interested and generous, Davis gives off the air of a friendly neighbor hosting an endless pool party and barbecue. And what a pool, and what a menu. For the Dining Room there is even a book, ?A Montana Table,? written by Colin?s wife, Seabring Davis, an accomplished journalist and foodie, detailing the deceptively simple preparation of the restaurant?s ubiquitously delicious fennel breadsticks, rock-cooked Yellowstone Chicken, and Huckleberry Swirl Cheesecake. We sit there for hours. It is a perfect pace. In my mind, I could go there right now. It is Colin who finally breaks the trance. ?Shall we go next door?? I?ve never seen two-stepping that good before. The pedal-steel guitar and stand-up bass of Dirty Shame, and all those pretty country girls heating up the dance floor. The young cowboys come in with their towels tucked under their arms to hit the pool. Drinks are served in cups through the window, into the steaming outdoors. A sun-kissed blonde named Shona shoots me with a potato gun. Rounds of tequila are ordered, and the night suddenly accelerates as the band plays faster numbers. The dance floor fills, and if you look hard enough, you can see the stars start to swirl. Links Chico Hot Springs: www.chicohotsprings.com A Montana Table: www.amazon.com/Montana-Table-Recipes-Springs-Resort/dp/0762725702/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top Jimmy Buffet, Livingston Saturday Night: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gzzS0nyMfM
#EOTC2 Round Up: Heli-skiing the Andes
// ?This isn?t a normal helicopter!? Ingrid Backstrom shouts from the seat next to me. I?m wedged between Ingrid, Chris Davenport, and Greg Harms in the back of said helicopter. I?ll have to take her word for it?responding isn?t an option. My heart?s beating on pace with the rotor blades buzzing overhead?my mind is working even faster to comprehend just what the hell I?ve gotten myself into as we swoop over the Chilean town of Farellones. I?m onboard an AS350 B3e Helicopter headed deep into the Andes?if I don?t have a heart attack first. The B3e is a souped-up version of the B3, the same helicopter that landed on the summit of Mt. Everest in 2005. Ingrid?s right, this isn?t a normal helicopter. But nothing about this is ?normal.? At least not for me. Five minutes ago I was getting a safety briefing from world-renowned heli-guide Greg Harms. Harms is a giant, standing 6?5?? and, when combined with ski gear, weighing in around 300 pounds. He?s guided the best?from snowboarding?s Jeremy Jones to Ingrid, Chris, and more. He?s also pretty nice. When I ask the question, ?How exactly do I get out?? He smiles, puts his bear paw of a hand across my shoulders and says, ?Don?t worry buddy. Follow me. I got you.? Even with Harms?s guidance I can?t help but be a little nervous. Cresting the first snow-draped wall I see an Andean library of ridges and peaks, each ridge a bookshelf containing many stories. And this library is congressional size. My wonder is quickly replaced by vertigo. Not only are the Andes vast and enormous, they?re steep. Our pilot, an ex-Chilean military officer dubbed ?The General,? nauseatingly buzzes ridge after ridge. It?ll take me a few lifts to get over the shock and start having fun. But here, fun is an understatement. Our first landing is at nearly 15,000 feet. After unloading I stare into the white craggy vastness. The helicopter lands so far away we can?t see it. The only way to get back to it is to descend 6,500 feet of untouched snow. Davenport drops after getting an ?all-clear? from Harms. He disappears into a white infinity. I?m next and my knees are shaking faster than they ever have. Instantly I?m transported to my first day on skis at tiny little Marquette Mountain in Michigan?s Upper Peninsula. Knees rattling above a blue square run called ?Snow Field.? It?s so shallow they put a terrain park on it. I watched my uncles slip away effortlessly while my pubescent voice muttered something about skiing being stupid. But I let go and the world opened up more in that moment than it ever had before. With that little lesson in mind I push off. After a few timid turns I start to let go. That dream run you want? It?s there in the Andes. We meet below at the heli, and I continue my pattern of speechlessness. I?ve just re-experienced skiing for the first time all over again. Each heli-drop yields more smiles and giggles. I slowly regain my speech. The best part comes with the fact that everyone involved has the same shit-eating grin plastered to their face all day. Heli-skiing isn?t normal. But you really should go if you have the chance. If you don?t have the chance, make the chance. It?ll shift your perspective on skiing in ways only landing on top of a peak in the middle of the wilderness can do. For more info, visit thirdedgeheli.comFor part 2 click HEREStay tuned for part 4 tomorrow and the People's Choice Vote!
SIA Show Hits 6-Year Attendance High
..... McLean, Va. (Ski Press)-SnowSports Industries America (SIA) is reporting a six-year attendance high for the inaugural Snow Show recently held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado from January 28-31, 2010.The sold-out Snow Show attracted 18,932 attendees and featured over 3,100 booths representing 845 snow sports brands, including 125 new exhibitors. Throughout the four-day trade show, numerous television camera crews, photographers and reporters could be seen roaming the Show aisles to report on next season's hottest fashions, gear and accessories. Snow Show exhibitors were kept busy with appointments and interviews with 875 journalists in-attendance. "Participating in the Snow Show exceeded our expectations. We were overwhelmed by the interest from retailers, distributors and the public. As a result of being featured in a local FOX 31 television report on the Snow Show a distributor came to us with a great opportunity," commented Brett Curtis of Manic Snow. The 2010 Snow Show buying power index, measured by Leisure Trends Group, totaled 74.9% for the U.S. retail buying power. Total buyer attendance was up 9.6% from last year's Show with 4,561 buyers from 1,309 buying managements. The buying power is a measurement of U.S. retail sales from specialty ski and snowboard shops in attendance at the Show. An early stat from the Buyer Survey indicates that 95% of the buyers felt that the SIA Snow met their objectives and more than 50% of the buyers said the economy still has an effect on their business. Snow Show audited retail attendance numbers indicated a notable increase in the number of retailers from the Rocky Mountain and Midwest regions compared to the previous year. On the flip side, there was a drop in West Coast and Northeast retailers. "For the first year in Denver, in the middle of a recession, we're very happy with the attendance numbers. We were lighter in some regions but we hope they'll come back next year after hearing all the positive experiences people had this year," said David Ingemie, president of SIA. "The Show wound up great this year. The Never Summer booth was constantly busy with both local and out of town buyers and Denver had enough options to keep it interesting," commented Mike "Gags" Gagliardi, Never Summer Snowboards. The Snow Show officially kicked off on the evening of January 27th, when 1,600+ attendees and a select group of consumers previewed the hottest on/off slope fashions for next season at SIA's Snow Fashion Show. The music was loud, the lights were bright and the fashions were anything but demure with bright colors, prints and lots of style. New product buzz on the Show floor included cutting edge technology heading to the Olympics and the continuing story of rocker or reverse camber technology for both skis and snowboards. Outerwear fashion could hardly be pinned down at the Show ? with as many styles and color schemes to match the diverse personalities that love snow sports. There was plenty of bright (even neon) colors, plaids, geometric shapes and creative prints bringing to life outerwear and apparel collections.
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Shanghai soup dumplings
In Shanghai there are street stalls selling delicious xiaolongbao, or steamed pork dumplings, on almost every corner. Here's a guide on where to find the best ? and how to master the tricky art of slurping them downThis post first appeared on the Culinary Backstreets blog Know a great place to eat in Shanghai? Add a commentAny Shanghai denizen who has lived in the city for longer than a few months worships at the altar of xiaolongbao. These steamed buns of goodness ? tiny pork dumplings with a slurp of soup wrapped up in a wonton wrapper ? provide delicious fodder for debates among Shanghai's foodies.We all have our favourite joints and the truth about which one reigns supreme varies, depending on whether you prioritise the thickness of the skin or the quality of the soup inside. With XLBs (as those in the know call them), the dumpling isn't bobbing in a bowl of hot soup; rather, the soup is contained neatly inside the delicate dumpling skin. This is attained through a nifty trick of including cooled pork jelly (OK, fat) in with the minced pork, which is then wrapped in a thin flour dumpling skin. Good XLB joints have enough turnover that dumplings are steamed fresh throughout the day.That said, if anyone tells you the best soup dumplings in the city can be found at Taiwanese chain restaurant Din Tai Fung, give them a polite smile and then turn on your heels and run. Sure, these XLBs may win the day in Melbourne or even San Francisco, but why come to Shanghai, the home of the xiaolongbao, to order your steamer baskets from a chain? No one suggests going to Rome and eating at Pizza Hut, however well the corporation may have localised their flavors to the Italian market.We also avoid the historic Nanxiang tourist trap in Yu Gardens at all costs. This perennial guidebook favourite is a branch of the original dumpling shop that invented the method for preparing XLBs, but they churn out so many dumplings in a day that the product is wildly inconsistent. In addition, their widely publicised historical connection has led to interminably long lines of hungry tourists who are all searching for a suitable seat to slurp down the dumplings.In our humble opinion, there is no single winner of the great xiaolongbao debate ? and that's not because we like sitting on the fence. There are two regional varieties of soup dumpling: Nanjing-style, which are actually called tangbao, literally "soup bun," and traditional Shanghainese xiaolongbao. The latter boasts heartier wrappers that hold in a hearty pork meatball in a sweet soup, while Nanjing's offerings have skin so thin it's almost translucent, a more savoury broth, and a smaller serving of pork. In each of these categories, we have a clear winner.We first introduce the front runner of the Shanghainese battle, the pride of the Paris of the Orient, the proprietor of the juiciest xiaolongbao joint in the city: Fu Chun. It's a hole in the wall, and it's delicious. When you enter Fu Chun, immediately place your order with the counter attendant to the left of the door. In return, she will give you small coupons to hand over to the expediting waitress, who usually floats between the tables and the open kitchen. Lunchtime gets hectic, so in order to snag a seat you may need to use our time-tested method of hovering over a hungry diner who has just a few dumplings left. Sharing tables with strangers is the norm here, as chairs are precious. Head upstairs only if you're looking to order the full range of dinner dishes on offer here in addition to dumplings.For an even bigger hole in a much smaller wall, enter Nanjing's best import to Shanghai, the simply named Nanjing Soup Dumpling stall, which is consistently filled with hungry diners and even offers up a few small tables outside when weather permits. The well-worn steamer baskets are a testament to the popularity of the place. Linger during rush hour and you may be politely asked to give up your seat to waiting customers. The dumplings' delicate skin is so impossibly thin here that simply extracting them from the steamer often results in a few accidental skin piercings. With a spoon at the ready, you can hope to salvage some of the escaping broth, of which there will be a torrent. Staying true to form, the unctuous broth outweighs the meatball, almost sloshing around inside the lucent wrapper. This shop also serves up an impressive m� l� tang soup, with a fiery broth that has a base of over 20 traditional ingredients, stewed slowly in a giant wok.Whichever regional favourite of XLB you choose, the eating method is the same. Order a l�ng (steamer basket), which usually contains eight dumplings. While it's steaming ask for an order of ginger (shengjiang). Fill up a dipping dish of vinegar and plunk the slivers of ginger into the sauce to flavour it. When the basket of soup dumplings arrives, wait! If you bite right into one of these suckers, the soup will squirt out and can leave an unsightly burn on your face. Use your chopsticks to dip the XLB into the ginger-vinegar sauce, then place the dumpling in your soup spoon. This is in case the skin splits ? you don't want to lose any of the precious soup.Gently take a bite out of the top (or the side) and let the steam escape. Then carefully suck out the succulent juice of the xiaolongbao. A second dip into the sauce, after you've drained the melted pork fat, wouldn't hurt. Cue the swan song and pop the xiaolongbao in your mouth whole. Savour. Repeat.This is merely a loving ode to the standard Shanghai pork xiaolongbao. We could go into the high-class XLB filled with pork and crab roe, but we'll save that one for another day.? Fu Chun (650 Yuyuan Lu, near Zhenning Lu 650, +86 21 6247 1277, fuchun8.com, Chinese menu only); open 6.30am-midnight.Nanjing Soup Dumplings (641 Jianguo Xi Lu, near Gao'an Lu 641, +86 21 6473 5648, Chinese menu only; 6.30am-midnightThis is an article from our Guardian Travel Network. To find out more about it, click hereShanghaiFood and drinkChinaFood & drinkAsiaChinese food and drinkStreet foodCity breaksguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Walking with St Cuthbert through rain and hail and thunderstorms
It's the second day on St Cuthbert's Way for the Guardian Northerner's intrepid pedestrian Alan Sykes and the trail loses sight of the sun. But at least the water's free...Sadly yesterday's glorious dappled sunshine did not repeat itself this morning. Leaving Jedburgh by the Border Abbeys Way, the track rejoined St Cuthbert's Way on Vere Street before going through many boggy woodland paths. These no doubt are a delight on a sunny day, but less so when the rain is sheeting down. At least I was able to refill my water bottle (for free) from a busy little beck in one of the woods. The path through the woods was surprisingly overgrown, suggesting that relatively few people have used it in recent weeks.A short stretch of open country takes you past the stark ruins of Cessford Castle. Thomas Howard, later Duke of Norfolk and previously a commander of the English forces at Flodden Field, apparently described it as "the third strongest castle in Scotland", adding, when he was besieging it in 1523, that the outer barbican had been vawmewred with earth of the best sort I have ever seen the earth piled up against the barbican meaning that his 11 cannon were largely ineffective in their bombardment.At Morebattle it was raining so hard, and there were occasional flashes of thunder and lightening, and brief outbreaks of painful hail that, very reluctantly, I decided not to continue over Wideopen Hill, but instead to take the B-road on towards Yetholm. The distance is about the same, and there seemed little point in risking being on an exposed hilltop at 1200' in a thunderstorm, especially as the reward would have been panoramic 360 degree views of the inside of a cloud.Just after Morebattle ? on the road route, that is ? is Linton, whose church is apparently one of the oldest in use in Scotland, and which, despite Christ's advice to St Peter, is built not on rock but on sand. The church's tympanum shows local hero Sir John Somerville killing the Linton Worm, or dragon, for which he was knighted by King William the Lion, and granted much land in the parish. According to Sir Walter Scott's version, the beast was in lenth three Scots yards, and somewhat bigger than an ordinary man's leg, with a head more proportionable to its lenth than greatnesYou know you've got really wet when the money in your wallet is damp. Fortunately it was not cold and there was virtually no wind, so the discomfort wasn't that great ? the Guardian's late great Harry Griffin always maintained that, once you're wet, you can't get any wetter, so you might as well strip off and have a swim, but this might have raised Scottish eyebrows and isn't especially practical (or comfortable) when you're lugging an 8 kg rucksack, anyway.For Pennine Way walkers Kirk Yetholm is the goal. Alfred Wainwright, whose picture adorns the bar of the Border Hotel here, describes it as "a quiet village pleasantly set around a tree-shaded green", adding There is no brass band to greet you, there is nobody waiting to pin a medal on your breast. There may be people about but they will take no notice of you. Nobody cares that you have walked, and just this minute completed, the Pennine Way ... the satisfaction you feel is intensely personal and cannot be shared: the sense of achievement is yours alone simply because you have earned it alone.No such sense of achievement for St Cuthbert's pilgrims, as we're only a little over half way there.More tomorrow, as Sykes marches on...Walking holidaysScotland & Northern IrelandAlan Sykesguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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Skiinfo: Return of the Big Snowfalls
..... Global Snow (Ski Press)-Skiinfo.co.uk reports that there has been fresh snow across much of Europe and North America in the past few days with many resorts in the Alps and the Pyrenees reporting at least 30cm (a foot) of new snow.The snowfall is continuing today with more fresh snow across both continents. Italy has seen some of the most snow in the past few days, especially in the north of the country. Two thirds of powder alarms issued today for snowfall of more than 20m in 24 hours have been issued for the country, with Limone reporting 60cm (two feet). Temperatures have dropped dramatically from up to 20 degrees last week to sub-zero temperatures by the weekend and more snow is forecast for the rest of the week. Arabba Marmolada has the deepest snow with a five metre (nearly 17 feet) of snow with the Pragelato glacier having 430cm (14.3 feet) and Courmayeur 330cm (11 feet) of snow. Germany had a snowy weekend with more than 30 powder alarms. Most of them were issued in the central and southern uplands (Sauerland, Harz and Black Forest). Gaby Baur of the Black Forest Tourism Board told the regional broadcasting corporation (SWR), ?The current winter season is one of the best we ever had.? The Allg�u saw some remarkable snowfalls, too. On Sunday Grasgehren there even reported the weekend?s biggest snowfall in Germany with 50cm (20 inches) of fresh powder within 24 hours. The Zugspitze had 20cm the same day. Oberstdorf had already reported 30cm (a foot) of powder on Saturday. Today (Wednesday) Austrian ski resorts like Gro�glockner, Katschberg and Ankogel reported another 10-15cm (4-6 inches) of new snow. S�lden got 9cm. The M�lltal glacier issued a powder alarm because of 20cm (eight inches) of fresh powder. Ski resorts in Switzerland were also busy issuing powder alarms on Sunday. Andermatt-Gotthard did so because of 20cm of freshly fallen snow. Peter Heinzer, director of Andermatt Gotthard Sportbahnen, told Skiinfo, ?It?s hardly possible to describe the snow conditions here without using many superlatives,? and so he described the ?finest powder snow? and ?unique skiing conditions.? France turned very cold on Sunday and the south of the country received some significant snowfalls, especially for March.� For example, in the Gard department (Southern France),�40cm of powder in the valleys, which at this time of year and in such volume has not happened since 1974. The Winter X Games Europe kick off in Tignes today for the very first time. Tignes was chosen to host this key event in freestyle ski and snowboard until March 12th.� Chamonix still has the deepest snow in the country with 407cm (13.5 feet), La Grave la Meije has 330cm (11 feet) and La Rosi�re 1850 290cm (nearly 10 feet). There have been big snowfalls in Pyrenees, and the nearby city of Barcelona ground to a standstill due to the weekend snowstorm.� Sierra Nevada continues to have the greatest snow depth in Europe with five metres on their upper slopes. This week this most southern resort in Europe will host the European Freestyle Championship gathering the best freestyle riders (ski and snowboard) in the disciplines of moguls and skicross. The Pyrenees are still looking very nice with more than 2mof snow on the top of the slopes with Boi Taull having the most with three metres.� Formigal has the most terrain open in the region with 240cm (eight feet) on upper slopes and 136km of trails open.� In Canada Banff-Lake Louise has just been named Top North American Spot for Spring Skiing by The New York Times (February 28, 2010) and received another dump of 25cm (10 inches) of fresh powder overnight.
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Grand Prix Package A Special Event At Sea
Filed under: Festivals and Events, Europe, Monaco
Monaco's Grand Prix has brought out the best of Formula One auto racing each year, and to race fans waiting for that starting flag to drop, there's nothing better. In 1929, the first winner was a sleek Bugatti, completing the difficult course in just under four hours. Last year, racing legend Mark Weber crossed the finish line in less than two.
Want to know what next year will bring? Add the Grand Prix with Windstar package to a Yachting the Riviera yacht vacation.
Sail into the glamorous port of Monaco, on Windstar Cruises elegant sailing yacht Wind Surf, to experience the world's most legendary auto racing event. With Windstar's exclusive Grand Prix package added on to Wind Surf's Yachting the Rivera voyage, race fans get preferred seating for the preliminaries on Saturday.Continue reading Grand Prix Package A Special Event At SeaGrand Prix Package A Special Event At Sea originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Monaco's Grand Prix has brought out the best of Formula One auto racing each year, and to race fans waiting for that starting flag to drop, there's nothing better. In 1929, the first winner was a sleek Bugatti, completing the difficult course in just under four hours. Last year, racing legend Mark Weber crossed the finish line in less than two.
Want to know what next year will bring? Add the Grand Prix with Windstar package to a Yachting the Riviera yacht vacation.
Sail into the glamorous port of Monaco, on Windstar Cruises elegant sailing yacht Wind Surf, to experience the world's most legendary auto racing event. With Windstar's exclusive Grand Prix package added on to Wind Surf's Yachting the Rivera voyage, race fans get preferred seating for the preliminaries on Saturday.Continue reading Grand Prix Package A Special Event At SeaGrand Prix Package A Special Event At Sea originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Video: Dubrovnik In Your Pocket
Dubrovnik in Croatia is justly popular as a destination. This well-preserved medieval port on the Adriatic is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its mixture of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Ottoman architecture. It was hit hard in the Yugoslav Civil War and is now undergoing a major renovation campaign. Luckily, many important buildings and the beautiful scenery itself was spared.
This video from inyourpocket guides is a quick introduction to some of the major sights. Their Youtube channel has several nifty video guides to major and lesser-known destinations such as Amsterdam, Warsaw, Zagreb and, of course, Dubrovnik. They also offer a series of free, short guides to major cities, downloadable as PDFs. I reviewed their Athens city guide before, and while I couldn't be 100% positive about the text and maps, it was certainly worth far more than what I paid for it.
Check out inyourpocket guides' channel for more tempting travel videos. This one certainly piqued my interest in visiting Dubrovnik and the rest of the Adriatic coast.Video: Dubrovnik In Your Pocket originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
This video from inyourpocket guides is a quick introduction to some of the major sights. Their Youtube channel has several nifty video guides to major and lesser-known destinations such as Amsterdam, Warsaw, Zagreb and, of course, Dubrovnik. They also offer a series of free, short guides to major cities, downloadable as PDFs. I reviewed their Athens city guide before, and while I couldn't be 100% positive about the text and maps, it was certainly worth far more than what I paid for it.
Check out inyourpocket guides' channel for more tempting travel videos. This one certainly piqued my interest in visiting Dubrovnik and the rest of the Adriatic coast.Video: Dubrovnik In Your Pocket originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Walking with St Cuthbert through rain and hail and thunderstorms
It's the second day on St Cuthbert's Way for the Guardian Northerner's intrepid pedestrian Alan Sykes and the trail loses sight of the sun. But at least the water's free...Sadly yesterday's glorious dappled sunshine did not repeat itself this morning. Leaving Jedburgh by the Border Abbeys Way, the track rejoined St Cuthbert's Way on Vere Street before going through many boggy woodland paths. These no doubt are a delight on a sunny day, but less so when the rain is sheeting down. At least I was able to refill my water bottle (for free) from a busy little beck in one of the woods. The path through the woods was surprisingly overgrown, suggesting that relatively few people have used it in recent weeks.A short stretch of open country takes you past the stark ruins of Cessford Castle. Thomas Howard, later Duke of Norfolk and previously a commander of the English forces at Flodden Field, apparently described it as "the third strongest castle in Scotland", adding, when he was besieging it in 1523, that the outer barbican had been vawmewred with earth of the best sort I have ever seen the earth piled up against the barbican meaning that his 11 cannon were largely ineffective in their bombardment.At Morebattle it was raining so hard, and there were occasional flashes of thunder and lightening, and brief outbreaks of painful hail that, very reluctantly, I decided not to continue over Wideopen Hill, but instead to take the B-road on towards Yetholm. The distance is about the same, and there seemed little point in risking being on an exposed hilltop at 1200' in a thunderstorm, especially as the reward would have been panoramic 360 degree views of the inside of a cloud.Just after Morebattle ? on the road route, that is ? is Linton, whose church is apparently one of the oldest in use in Scotland, and which, despite Christ's advice to St Peter, is built not on rock but on sand. The church's tympanum shows local hero Sir John Somerville killing the Linton Worm, or dragon, for which he was knighted by King William the Lion, and granted much land in the parish. According to Sir Walter Scott's version, the beast was in lenth three Scots yards, and somewhat bigger than an ordinary man's leg, with a head more proportionable to its lenth than greatnesYou know you've got really wet when the money in your wallet is damp. Fortunately it was not cold and there was virtually no wind, so the discomfort wasn't that great ? the Guardian's late great Harry Griffin always maintained that, once you're wet, you can't get any wetter, so you might as well strip off and have a swim, but this might have raised Scottish eyebrows and isn't especially practical (or comfortable) when you're lugging an 8 kg rucksack, anyway.For Pennine Way walkers Kirk Yetholm is the goal. Alfred Wainwright, whose picture adorns the bar of the Border Hotel here, describes it as "a quiet village pleasantly set around a tree-shaded green", adding There is no brass band to greet you, there is nobody waiting to pin a medal on your breast. There may be people about but they will take no notice of you. Nobody cares that you have walked, and just this minute completed, the Pennine Way ... the satisfaction you feel is intensely personal and cannot be shared: the sense of achievement is yours alone simply because you have earned it alone.No such sense of achievement for St Cuthbert's pilgrims, as we're only a little over half way there.More tomorrow, as Sykes marches on...Walking holidaysScotland & Northern IrelandAlan Sykesguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Four Dublin Attractions Not To Be Missed
Filed under: History, Europe, Ireland, Transportation, Nightlife
One of Europe's oldest and greatest cities, Dublin not only retains its historic and cultural identity, but hosts a variety of current, relevant attractions. With a wide variety of friendly bars, stylish shops, elegant restaurants and sidewalk cafes, deciding what to do in Dublin can be tough. But on a recent visit, we stopped by several must-see attractions that give a real feel for the city, its people and its rich heritage.
The Guinness Storehouse is home to arguably the most famous beer in the world. On a 90-minute walking tour, visitors go through the history behind the brand as well as the production process from beginning to end.
Old Jameson Distillery is a good alternate for those who prefer whiskey to beer. Here, visitors learn what makes Irish the best whiskey in the world and get a chance to sample the Uisce beatha - the water of life.Continue reading Four Dublin Attractions Not To Be MissedFour Dublin Attractions Not To Be Missed originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
One of Europe's oldest and greatest cities, Dublin not only retains its historic and cultural identity, but hosts a variety of current, relevant attractions. With a wide variety of friendly bars, stylish shops, elegant restaurants and sidewalk cafes, deciding what to do in Dublin can be tough. But on a recent visit, we stopped by several must-see attractions that give a real feel for the city, its people and its rich heritage.
The Guinness Storehouse is home to arguably the most famous beer in the world. On a 90-minute walking tour, visitors go through the history behind the brand as well as the production process from beginning to end.
Old Jameson Distillery is a good alternate for those who prefer whiskey to beer. Here, visitors learn what makes Irish the best whiskey in the world and get a chance to sample the Uisce beatha - the water of life.Continue reading Four Dublin Attractions Not To Be MissedFour Dublin Attractions Not To Be Missed originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Yeo's runway taunt is big-willy politics, and that is the most dangerous politics of all | Simon Jenkins
The third runway appeals to paranoid machismo, not reason. A recession is no excuse for pushing through dumb projectsBig-willy politics is back. If we do not build a third runway at Heathrow, says Tory MP Tim Yeo, Britain will "slide towards insignificance". Britain will leave the premier league, lose out to China and become a second-rate power. Those who refuse to build third runways are mice not men. As for manifesto pledges and coalition agreements, they are for wimps. Real men love planes. To be great, says Hamlet, is "greatly to find quarrel in a straw when honour's at the stake". What greater honour could there be than a third runway at Heathrow?Similar dire warnings were made if Britain withdrew from "east of Suez", refused to join the euro or failed to back a British car industry. They are why governments still build aircraft carriers, buy nuclear missiles and fight foreign wars. They are why lobbyists argue for banking bonuses, high-speed trains and lofty skyscrapers. Yeo says we risk repeating Macmillan's retreat from empire. Foreigners will kick sand in our faces and be rude about our food and our women.Big-willy politics is the most dangerous politics of all. It appeals to paranoid machismo, not argument or reason. Yeo's taunt at David Cameron ? is he "a man or a mouse" over Heathrow ? is the dumbed-down remark of a politician who takes �140,000 in a year from energy companies while chairing the Commons energy select committee ? though this may say more about today's parliament than about Yeo. The thesis that any profit to an interest group must be "good for Britain" is insidious. War is more profitable than peace, but we do not go to war with Russia.The case for a third runway at Heathrow is like that for a heliport in St James's Park or a shard on Hampstead Heath. Some might find it remunerative and convenient, but we try not to commit such outrages on the environment these days. No sensible country builds airports with flight paths over densely populated areas. However much BAA and BA may spend on PR to keep alive "the case for a third runway", it cannot alter this fact.The London area has more airports and more runways than any other city in Europe. Heathrow alone serves more "key business" destinations than Paris and Frankfurt together. Screaming for a "hub" is lobbyists' nonsense. London's trading future lies in being a terminus, not a transit lounge. Anyway, a mere 15% of London air travel is business rather than pleasure, the latter overwhelmingly that of outbound Britons. Why boosting Britain's �15bn tourism deficit holds the key to economic recovery is a mystery.There is nothing to stop Heathrow serving more business destinations if BAA and BA wanted. Instead they are addicted to outbound leisure travel, as is glaringly obvious from any Heathrow departure board. As for inbound tourists, far more harm is done by Cameron's clampdown on their visas than might be done by directing them to Stansted or Gatwick.BA prefers to work out of Heathrow, while Spanish-owned BAA has sold both Gatwick and Stansted and has no interest in their growth, let alone in a new Thames airport. These are two companies with a commercial interest in Heathrow, pure and simple. They are continuing to press for a third runway for one reason alone. Cameron and George Osborne have shown they will bend under pressure. While this is sometimes the welcome reversal of a bad decision, each U-turn is a gift to the lobbyists.Cameron famously said in opposition that "secret corporate lobbying, like the expenses scandal, goes to the heart of why people are so fed up with politics". Money, he said, was "buying power, power fishing for money, and a cosy club at the top making decisions in their own interest". He spoke the truth. Can he now not recognise the evil when he sees it?This week's Guardian poll shows the pressure on the government to show lateral thinking on the economy. The demand takes a drearily familiar form, that Cameron sack Osborne rather than change his recovery policy. With the American and German economies now showing signs of growth, the danger of Britain "sliding back to insignificance" is real. But the pressure from Yeo and others is to halt this slide, not through a desperately needed stimulus to liquidity and demand, but through "infrastructure projects".Not a day passes without a call for something big, brash and financially sexy: a road, an airport, a railway, a power station. Economists get on TV if they call for more infrastructure, even when such projects take years to get off the ground and benefit only professionals and consultants in the short term.The British class system is nowhere more apparent than in this pressure. An economic stimulus that puts money directly into the pockets of consumers through higher benefits and/or lower taxes is bad, indeed possibly immoral as corrupting expectations. It is thought vulgar to print money for people to spend through their wallets and credit cards. On the other hand, a stimulus that aids "investment" is automatically good. As we saw last month, Olympic stadiums are good, school playing fields are bad. Third runways are good, local transport bad. Developers want hypermarkets and eco-cities in the countryside, not healthier high streets and urban renewal.The Treasury and the Bank of England seek to "pump money into investment", even when they know it merely disappears into a bank vault. Money can be printed but not for ordinary people to spend. It must be conduited through government agencies, banks, boards and consultants. It thus becomes "clean" and can even be declared "below-the-line and off-budget". Nobody trusts ordinary people to rescue the British economy. The only good spending is government spending on infrastructure. It makes no sense.The best thing Cameron could now do is meet Yeo's challenge. He should show himself a man, not a mouse. He should get Yeo expelled from the Commons energy committee for blatant conflict of interest. He should declare closure on the third runway nonsense. He should tell the toffs and tycoons of the infrastructure lobby that consumption, not investment, is today's absolute priority. A recession is no excuse for collapsing environmental standards or pushing through dumb projects.Cameron might take note that the chief lobbyist for BAA is a firm called Blue Rubicon. He now faces his blue Rubicon. Dare he cross it, and send the mice scampering?Heathrow third runwayAirline industryTravel and transportAir transportDavid CameronLondonHeathrowSimon Jenkinsguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. 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