However scary the media tries to make the Middle East look; the Gulf states look very much like Main Street USA. Nowhere in the world, New York included, is the density of American brands higher than in Kuwait City. Between Applebees, Chilis, Fridays Starbucks, Gloria Jean’s Coffee and KFC there is little to remind you …
Category Archives: Travel & destinations
Scent of a (burning) woman
The Shiva temple of Pashupatinath in Kathmandu is popular with tourists as well as devoted Hindus – and – with mourners who come there to cremate their family members. This combination sets the scene for a bizarre experience on the banks of the Bagmati River. Just as we arrived, a self proclaimed guide reared his …
Umbria and Marche (Italy) March 2009
Who: Myself, EuropeanaLocal colleagues What: Sightseeing in Umbria and Marche, meeting in Ancona Where: Gubbio and Spoleto (Umbria), Bolognola, Monte Sibillini, Macerata, Numana, Monte Conero, Ancona (Marche) When: March 2009 Farmlands in the countryside in the western part of Marche
Tsippouro in Veria (Greece) September/October 2008
Who: Evaluation Working Group, EuropeanaLocal What: Project meeting with a hint of sightseeing Where: Veria, Greece When: September/October 2008 These gentlemen may look innocent enough but combined with sufficient amounts of Tsippouro they proved to be quite sufficient to kick-start our evening out.
London in June
A brief visist to London in the end of June to attend the kick-off meeting of the EuropeanaLocal project at Regents College. On the negative side: Etihad was considerably less nice on this leg than I’ve become accustomed to from my previous flights with them travelling from Brussels to Abu Dhabi. Any basket is likely …
Why I think you should fly Etihad
I have never cared much for flying for a number of reasons, all of which I’ve dealt with in previous articles. However, my dislike for flying doesn’t take away the necessity of it. Today therefore, I find myself at Brussels Airport for the sixth time this year, waiting for my flight to depart destined for …
Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi
Girl walking on beach in front of Emirates Palace hotel on the south-western tip of Abu Dhabi island. Following centuries of hardship, living of what little the desert and the pearl diving could offer, the Emirati of today like to indulge in all kinds of luxury. The Emirates Palace is Abu Dhabi’s response to neighbor …