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Germans give Iceland a reason to brag, Italians not so much
The past few years haven't been all that kind to Iceland. After practicing a uniquely aggressive form of finance – maybe it should have been called "Viking derivatives" – the country felt massively the effects of the global financial crisis, screwing things up for British depositors who were parking their cash in these arctic savings accounts to score double-digit interest rates for (supposedly) no risk. Then, the country had to deal with the implications of a volcanic eruption this past spring. It's hard to find a silver lining in that volcanic cloud. Nonetheless, the tourist season is being declared a success. Spinning adversity into triumph, Icelandair CEO Birkir Hólm Gudnason believes the volcano's blast could have a long-term upside for the country's tourism business.
Meanwhile, the hoteliers are finding ways to be bullish in the near term. Laufey Helgadóttir claims to be happy with the summer, saying it could be better than last year, thanks in large parts to German tourists who are sticking to their travel plans. Italians, unfortunately, seem to be canceling. Notes Helgadóttir: "[W]e won't complain after this tourist summer."
[photo by Deivis via Flickr]
Daily Pampering: Graceland Suite at Hard Rock Hotel, Universal Orlando
There's a luxurious side to rock 'n' roll, and it doesn't involve tour buses and groupies. The Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando recently set up the "Graceland Suite" for guests who want to reconnect with their Elvis days, and embrace their luxurious side like the King himself so often did.
The 2,375-square-foot Graceland Suite features authentic Far East artifacts and subtle nods to Elvis in the wall art. You'll also find older images of Graceland, a master bathroom with a whirlpool tub, a glass-encased, double-sided fireplace that can be seen from the master bedroom and master bathroom, a baby grand piano in the living room, wall-mounted 65-inch plasma TV in the living area, and a 42-inch plasma TV in the master bedroom.
If Elvis were alive today (and maybe he is), we think he'd totally shell out $2,175 a night for the posh Graceland Suite.
Want more? Get your dose of daily pampering right here.
eat.travel.love: Dunton Hot Springs: mushroom foraging and soaking in Southwestern Colorado
I'm a mushroom geek. This means that there are few things I enjoy more than scrabbling around in forest litter, searching for fungi, before cooking and eating them. I know I'm not alone in my dorkish proclivities, given the number of mycological societies and mushroom festivals all over the country. Mid-August is peak wild mushroom season in the Colorado Rockies, which hosts two well-known mushroom extravaganzas of its own, in Telluride and Crested Butte.
My mushroom lust is what led me to Dunton Hot Springs, a restored ghost town-turned-resort in the San Juan Mountains near Telluride. Dunton's executive chef, Dennis Morrisroe, is an accomplished forager who uses wild foods in his rustic, localized cuisine. Morrisroe particularly loves mushroom hunting, and takes interested guests on his forays into the Lizard Head Wilderness surrounding the property.
If you're into wild mushrooms, then you know that this willingness to share is a bit unusual. Foragers guard their collection spots with Pentagon-like secrecy. In the mid-nineties, a rash of murders occurred in Oregon when foragers horned in on someone else's territory (back in the day before foreign markets started competing, domestic professional mushroom foragers could fetch up to $400 a pound, depending upon the species). On one mushroom forage I did with some chefs on the Oregon Coast , we headed back to our cars, only to find a decomposing deer carcass laid across the trail (true story).
Gallery: Dunton Hot Springs
The cheapest way from London to Paris: Bus service for £15
Backpackers rejoice. Eurolines, a part of UK bus carrier National Express has reduced the fare of their bus service from London to Paris, a hotly competitive route currently served by dozens of air and rail carriers. To date, Eurostar and budget air carriers have fought hard over the route, with fares on either sinking as low as $100 round trip.Currently, one of the most common inexpensive routes taken is via low cost carrier such as Easyjet, where non-peak flights can often be found for a bargain. Eurostar, conversely, delivers passengers from city-center to city-center without security hassles and sometimes in just as much travel time.
With Eurolines, passengers can pay as little as £15 ($24 as of August 2010) for one way fare between the two cities. Travel time? Seven hours, and there's even an over night bus that leaves at 11PM. For those without a tight schedule though, that's a lot of money saved.
Make sure you book your tickets far in advance though, like with most carriers the £15 fares are probably in short supply.
[Via AERBT]
Hidden Treasures: Daffy Doug's in the Florida Keys
It may not look like much from the outside: a block building with the typical tropical scene painted on the side. But once you enter Daffy Doug's you will wonder why you've never stopped there before. At first you think this little building on US 1 at mile marker 50 in the Florida Keys is just a tourist trap like any other. While it does have souvenirs (at a surprisingly un-tourist-trap price), it is also a well-stocked grocery store and a dollar store with all your household essentials.
Just when you think you have seen it all, keep walking. The far side of the building is the fishing section with a larger array of rods, reels and tackle than the local tackle shop has.
The best part of Daffy Doug's is that you never know what they will have available; their stock is ever changing.
When you go to Daffy Doug's, buy a few gifts for the family back home, pick up the kitchen utensil you need but refuse to pay a premium price for, get a cold drink, wander the fishing section, but by all means, do not leave without buying a mango. At $1 a piece (like most things in this unusual dollar store) they are the best in the Keys.
Connie McBride is a Seed.com contributor.
Tourists routinely assault Taiwanese zombies
What would you do if you were face-to-face with the undead? Well, if you're smart, you won't show any fear. That's what several visitors to a Taiwanese theme park have been doing recently. Actors dressed as various creatures have been knocked around by tourists who are choosing not to let fear ruin their vacations. Well, it's having an effect on morale, unsurprisingly. Some of the employees at Janfusun Amusement Park's "Horrorwood" have been given leaves of absence or transfers, according to a company spokesperson.
Of course, it doesn't help that some of the assailants aren't very bright. Sure, some get a bit scared and lash out. That's not too bizarre. But, one guest said he wanted to find out if the "ghost" in front of him was real.
The worst, however, happened to a male staffer who was hit "in the private parts with an umbrella." Okay, I'd want a transfer, too.
[photo by Ateo Fiel via Flickr]
EAT, STRAY, LOVE: Italy, Tuscany, and the Maremma
With the release of another popular film set in Italy, people worldwide know of the country's most luscious region: Tuscany. But few realize the Mediterranean Sea skims along the classic wine and olive region, and combines sensational flavors with unforgettable views.
Here, find three ways to enhance the Italian culinary adventure and traveler's delight, in the unforgettable Maremma region, nestled into the southern coastline of renowned Tuscany.
EAT
In Italy, it is impossible to miss the food and drink. Even the least-interested traveler can find a meal to please. But for the food-lover, Tuscany's southwestern Maremma region borders the Mediterranean Sea and offers wine and olives with an additional alluring treat: fresh seafood.
What to do: Seek out a local olive oil producer (in Canino) and wine producer (Montepulciano and Chianti among others), and venture along the Mediterranean coast, where the blue Sea washes up to greet the Tuscan hills. Stop at one of the coastal restaurants to enjoy the unspoiled coast and its culinary treasures.
What to try: the excellent local Maremma wine, Morellino di Scansano, a local seafood and pasta specialty, spaghetti allo scoglio, accompanied by the local sheep cheese called pecorino.
Here, find three ways to enhance the Italian culinary adventure and traveler's delight, in the unforgettable Maremma region, nestled into the southern coastline of renowned Tuscany.
EAT
In Italy, it is impossible to miss the food and drink. Even the least-interested traveler can find a meal to please. But for the food-lover, Tuscany's southwestern Maremma region borders the Mediterranean Sea and offers wine and olives with an additional alluring treat: fresh seafood.
What to do: Seek out a local olive oil producer (in Canino) and wine producer (Montepulciano and Chianti among others), and venture along the Mediterranean coast, where the blue Sea washes up to greet the Tuscan hills. Stop at one of the coastal restaurants to enjoy the unspoiled coast and its culinary treasures.
What to try: the excellent local Maremma wine, Morellino di Scansano, a local seafood and pasta specialty, spaghetti allo scoglio, accompanied by the local sheep cheese called pecorino.
Israel complains about travel warning, gets change
There are two important steps to take in getting what you want in the travel world. First, you have to complain. Next, you need to do it to the right people. Israel did both, and it seems to have worked out fairly well for the country.The problem started with a U.S. State Department travel warning for Israel five days ago. The Israeli government, according to the Associated Press, griped that it "unfairly singled out an Israeli resort," Eilat, on the Red Sea. A new warning has since been issued, the AP continues:
The new warning says only that Americans in southern Israel "should be aware of the risks and should follow the advice of the Government of Israel's office of Homefront Command." It makes no mention of Eilat.
The Tourism Ministry in Israel noted that the statement from the State Department didn't include the Jordanian resort Aqaba. As a result:
[photo by kleindavid via Flickr]"This advisory gives a prize to terror and undermines regional stability and the sense of security that Israel gives to everyone who enters the country," the ministry said. "Differentiating Israel from its neighbor that actually suffered loss of life is improper and lacks balance."
Everybody loves Arirang according to North Korean news agency
It's Arirang time! The North Korean group gymnastics festival is under way, and the crowds are predictably adoring. According to the Korea Central News Agency, the twenty-fifth batch of campers of the Songdowon International Children's Camp "appreciated the grand gymnastic and artistic performance." But, that shouldn't come as a surprise Shockingly, the KCNA continued:
Zhaoli, head of the group of Chinese campers, said that the performance is the acme and the Korean people are demonstrating before the whole world their dignity under the wise leadership of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.
Russian campers were happy, too. Nataliya Andreyevskaya, who headed up the sixth group, "keenly felt through the performance that each country and nation can become glorious and powerful only when they have a great leader."
And since no KCNA report is complete without this ... "[Nataliya Tatarina of the first group of Russians] stressed that no force on earth can match the strength of the Korean people closely united around Kim Jong Il, the sun of the 21st century."
[photo by yeowatzup via Flickr]
Ask Gadling: How do I protect my camera from the elements?
For many travelers, their camera is one of the most expensive items they'll be carrying on their trip. Today we're tackling a question submitted by Larry, from Omaha, Nebraska:
"I'm taking my new camera on a trip to the Serengeti that will involve sand and rain (and possibly mud). I really don't want it to get damaged, but I plan to use it a lot and don't really know what I'm supposed to do to keep it clean and safe. Am I supposed to have supplies of some kind? Is there some part of the camera I should check every day to make sure it's okay?"
