One & Other

On 6 July, London began One & Other atop Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. (You know, the one that has most recently had that terribly awkward armless, pregnant lady? Yeah, that one.) The premise is pretty simple: for 100 days - nonstop - it is being used as a platform for a very simple contemporary art subject: the people of the United Kingdom. A new person every hour, doing...whatever. A true snapshot of the "real" UK for all the world to peek in on.

And for Anglophiles like me, it's complete crack. Just like the lovely Jenn who brought it to my attention, I can't seem to stop watching. UGH...I MISS LONDON!!!

To watch the mania, click here.

No photography allowed

I hate this sign. I'm not much for t-shirts, postcards, snowglobes and chotchkies. I prefer my travel souvenirs to be more useful items, and I highly value my personal photos. And though I understand why some of these places choose not to allow cameras, I can't help but feel a tiny bit jipped.


Some of my favorite spots I've visited but don't have any first-hand reminders of are the following (yes, all three photos were shamelessly stolen from Google images):

The Royal Chapel at Hampton Court Palace:


The Vatican Museum Hall of Maps:


And, of course, the Sistine Chapel:


What are some of your favorite no-photography spots?

UNESCO World Heritage List

As an architecture enthusiast, man-made structures dictate many of my travels. For that reason, I greatly appreciate UNESCO and their work on preservation and restoration of these gently crumbling giants. However, I realized this morning that I've barely scratched the complete World Heritage list. I also found it ironic that I can't scratch off The Olympic National Park, about an hour from my home, but I managed over half the list for Austria in a mere four days.

To keep track of my progress, I've posted my UNESCO list to the right, including trips we have planned within the next year.

How about you? How many have you visited?

Royal thriller

In case I haven't mentioned it in the past few minutes,
I adore the British.

No one, I repeat no one,
does quirky-meets-proper like the Brits.

No one.

Laundering travels

I found this article to be delightful; though I'll admit I don't quite have quite as much passion for laundry as the author. Last time my travel partner broke out the detergent in the bathroom sink, I sat there and watched lazily while my dirty laundry remained crumpled at the bottom of my suitcase. However, I can completely understand the sentiment that "the presence of hanging laundry, just about anywhere in the world, signals that you've left the manicured tourist zone and entered 'real life'."

I also love, "You know you're really traveling when you run out of underwear." Now that one I relate to completely!

What I miss about London today

I love this idea.

It makes me miss London just a little bit more...

Freedom without free time

The US has finally - FINALLY - opened up to considering joining the rest of the developed world by bringing the Paid Vacation Act of 2009 to Congress. While my first reaction is that a single week is still rather paltry by comparison, my official position is that I'll support anything that is aiming us in the right direction. And I sincerely didn't think a bill proposing a single week of paid vacation would ruffle many feathers at all. I was shocked that it did. I'm even more shocked that these arguments are now properly threatening this bill.

If you want to educate yourself about the bill, click here. If you want to see the revealing statistics on how sad American paid vacation currently is, click here. And finally, a great rebuttal to all the arguments against the bill.

To any American reading this post, I plead for you to seriously consider using your voice. Consider that this could open up other opportunities as well, including increased maternity leave for mothers and fathers. If you support this act, please contact your House Representative as well as your Congressman/woman and urge them to pass this bill.

And to all the people opposing a simple week of vacation: WOW, you need it more than the rest of us!

A bit more description

Click here for another perspective of our Austrian holiday, or just a lesson in which sister has the degree in writing.

Smelling like the loo

Dear (insert any airline name here),

Hand soap and air freshener should never be the same product.

Sincerely,
Lisa

New idea for journaling

I saw this on one of my favorite blogs today.
I think this is a brilliant alternative
to traditional travel journaling!


(Of course, mine wouldn't look nearly as beautiful!)