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Category Archives: General magpie travel
Some travel ideas for the UK
From London Independent – some grand days out. The only one I’ve been to is Leeds Castle, in 1990 where I stumbled upon a huge display of Bentleys surrounded by several hot air balloons. Also, a look at St Kilda, … Continue reading
Posted in General magpie travel, UK news
Tagged days out in the UK, london travel, UK travel
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Some interesting tours through Croatia and Slovenia
Croatia travel has a bunch of different tours for Croatia, Slovenia and some include Venice. I’m considering the Dalmatian Sunshine tour. At first I thought it was a boat tour with a couple of inland bus excursions. It’s all on … Continue reading
Caution – speed cameras in France are big moneymakers
From France 24. If you are driving in France, you may already know about these. Speed cameras are catching lots of speeding motorists and more cameras are being installed. Slow down! We’re all safer that way.
Heading into the home stretch – Olympic traffic updates for Friday, 10 August
Here is the TfL disruption link for Friday, 10 August. From TfL… 3 days to go: There are only 3 more days before the Olympic Games finish on Sunday evening. Thank you for your support so far; this has helped us get … Continue reading
Let’s try this again – Olympic traffic updates for Wednesday, 8 August
Here is the TfL disruption map for Wednesday, 8 August. There are a few tabs, depending on whether you’re interested in road, rail or Tube info and the maps are very helpful.
Olympics in London – traffic updates for Sunday, 5 August
This is the last blog post regarding traffic updates for the Olympics. I have been posting links to my emails from TfL (Transport for London) but the links don’t work. The link below leads to the generic getaheadofthegames website and, … Continue reading
Olympics in London – traffic updates for Saturday, 4 August
The latest updates on Olympics-related traffic issues for Saturday, 4 August, mostly in and around London. I’m not paying close attention, but it seems as though the same venues are listed every day, as well as the same slow spots … Continue reading
Hague Masquerade on 31 August, 2012
From DutchNews. The last day of August is the date for the Hague Masquerade, a big fancy dress (costumed) dance party. From what I can find, this is the second more-or-less annual edition of this fascinating event. Another intriguing non-touristy … Continue reading
Abingdon’s new name – town and firehouse
From the Oxford Mail. Not sure exactly why the name change was implemented, but Abingdon is now Abingdon-on-Thames so the firehouse had to change its name to match. Mark your maps, brains and GPS.
Posted in General magpie travel, not really travel, UK news
Tagged oxford travel, UK travel
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Medieval gravesite found during tunnel work in Prague
From Prague Post. Archaeologists working near the site of a new tunnel have found a mass grave in Prague dating to the Middle Ages. I wonder if visitors/gawkers will be able to stop by?
Music festival coming in August near Oxford
From Oxford Mail. Chalgrove music festival on the first weekend in August. Sounds like it’ll be a blast (there’s a beer tent, after all).
Upping the speed limit on the Netherland’s widest highway
Night time speed limit may be raised for widest highway in Netherlands.
Olafur Eliasson’s blackouts at Tate Modern
I saw this artist’s other-worldly Weather Project installation at the Tate Modern several years ago. Now he’s got something different planned for the same museum, Little Sun, beginning on July 28. I hope it runs long enough for me to … Continue reading
Breaking up the lines at customs and immigration at Heathrow
OK, here’s one I didn’t know they needed – separate lines at London Heathrow for incoming visitors depending on whether they need a visa to enter the UK. I don’t know how much difference it will make when multiple flights … Continue reading
Are you a Morgenmuffel?
From Deutsche Welle’s ongoing feature of weird German words. There are days when I could qualify as a morgenmuffel. How about you?
As the London Olympics approaches, London travel tips
TfL (Transport for London) has some additional thoughts on how to survive the Olympic travel pressures.
Posted in General magpie travel, London travel, UK
Tagged London Olympics tourism, london travel, London Tube, UK travel
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A cautionary tale for taxi-takers in Europe
I have taken taxis in London (not part of the survey in the article) and Barcelona. In both cases, the meter was on and I feel I was charged fairly, though I didn’t understand the joke on the radio the … Continue reading
Upcoming festivals in Edinburgh
Just my luck that my vacation plans didn’t include checking these out first. The Jazz and Blues fest starts Friday, followed by the Arts festival, the Military Tattoo, Fringe, International Festival, Book Festival. These overlap from early August thru early September. … Continue reading
More travel tips for Germany
From Deutsche Welle… Tips for getting around Germany trains, planes, cars and bikes Favorite foods, tips on tipping and other customs German holidays Social p’s and q’s, recycling, etc.
New connections between the US and Copenhagen on SAS
From SAS email New route between San Francisco and Copenhagen – Outbound “… fly 6 times a week from San Francisco to Copenhagen. Departures will be daily, except Tuesdays, (SK936) departing at 5.35 pm and arriving
Travel ideas if you’re thinking of Germany
From Deutsche Welle… Visit Potsdam What to see in the Upper Rhine Valley.
Tea drinkers beware
From France 24. It may soon be more necessary to research where your tea is actually coming from, especially if Ceylon tea is your favorite. Who knew the Arab states were getting into the tea blending business?
Posted in General magpie travel, not really travel
Tagged Ceylon tea, food & wine in Europe
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European environment news
Both from the London Independent. Spain’s strawberries, water sources and the future of farming. Britain’s National Trust wants to buy piece of White Cliffs of Dover for preservation.
UNESCO World Heritage news
The following are all from Deutsche Welle newsmail. There are 936 UNESCO World Heritage sites around the world. At the annual UNESCO conference in St Petersburg, Russia, there are 33 new applications. The designation is not permanent, however; it can … Continue reading
Runaway penguin in Japan gets name instead of number
Too funny. From France 24. A Humboldt penguin from Tokyo Sea Life Park, on the lam for almost three months, is given a name to replace his numeric designation. Cute little guy. Reminds me of the fairy penguins in Australia.
London Tube closures for weekend of 14 – 15 July 2012
Paddington Station on the Circle and Hammersmith/City lines is no-go again this weekend. Other shutdowns this weekend include partial closures on the Metropolitan (all weekend)and Northern (Sunday) lines. ALL OF THE VICTORIA LINE WILL BE OUT ON SATURDAY. That’ll put a … Continue reading
Posted in General magpie travel, London travel, UK news
Tagged london travel, London Tube, UK travel
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London Tube closures for weekend of 7 – 8 July 2012
Nice to see that Wimbledon/Southfields and the District Line are immune from the Tube shutdowns this weekend. Paddington Station on the Hammersmith/City line is no-go for the weekend, as well as the Circle Line from Edgware Rd all the way … Continue reading
Posted in General magpie travel, London travel, UK news
Tagged london travel, London Tube, UK travel
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Hotel rates will drop like a stone in mid-August
From the London Independent. Hotels in and around London are cleaning up big time during the Olympics, but the best time to find a really GREAT deal will be right after the Olympics end. I mean, really… what did anyone … Continue reading
Watch out! You need a breathalyzer kit in your car in France
From France 24. A new French law requires everyone, including tourists, to have a breathalyzer kit in their car. Cars rented in France will probably automatically carry one, but cars from other countries won’t.
London Tube closures for weekend of 30 June – 1 July 2012
Nice to see that Wimbledon/Southfields and the District Line are immune from the Tube shutdowns this weekend. Marylebone station on the Bakerloo line will be closed both days, as well as big chunks of the Northern and Metropolitan lines. There … Continue reading
Posted in General magpie travel, London travel, UK news
Tagged london travel, London Tube, UK travel
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SuzanneTheTravelMagpie 